Tower Issue #4 Volume 77 2020-2021 by Tower

TOWER The Masters School

VOLUME 77, NUMBER 4

49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522

Editorial As COVID-19 related deaths rise every day, it is sometimes possible to lose sight of the meaning of every lost life. Yet, in the wake of the passing of a community member, we are reminded of the impact of each individual death in that ever-increasing six figure statistic.

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

tower.mastersny.org

Boarders prepare for long-awaited campus re-entry KYLA BARANTSEVITCH Web Editor

his Saturday, Feb. 6, the dorms on campus will re-open to the boarding community after being closed for nearly a year. The boarders returning to campus will range from grades 9-12, a shift from the administration’s initial decision to limit the first wave of returning boarders to only seniors. The reopening of the dorms was originally scheduled to follow winter break, but surging COVID-19 cases in Westchester County and the surrounding New York region forced that time frame to be shifted to the current date. The 33 boarders who are returning will have new protocols to follow. Prior to returning to the dorms, each student must complete all required medical forms, find an emergency contact within six hours of campus willing to provide accommodation in case of a campus closure due to COVID-19, and show a negative test result. In accordance with New York State guidelines, all students will have to quarantine for four days upon arriving in the dorms. After they complete the four days, they must receive a negative result in the school’s weekly pooled testing round before being beginning in-person classes. Mask-wearing will be required at all times in the dorms unless the student is in a room by themselves or in the shower. Only the girls’ dorms, with single occupancy rooms, will be opened. Cole Dorm will house boys and Ford Dorm will house girls. McCormack Dorm may be used after spring break, depending upon the final numbers of the boarders who elect to return. Senior Hank Mattison–one of the 33 students arriving this Saturday–expressed his excitement to return back to a more normal boarding situation. “Before quarantine, I used to just set up my Nintendo Switch in the common room and people would just come and play with me,” he said. “I really missed the social circles that I had back in the boys dorms, and I’m hopeful that will

ARIELLA URIBE

JENNY NYKONOROVA

HANK MATTISON

SENIORS ARIELLA URIBE, JENNY Nykonorova, and Hank Mattison pack their clothes and personal belongings to prepare for their return to campus this Saturday. They are among the three boarding students who have elected to return to campus. Returning boarders will have to follow strict COVID-19 guidelines and will restricted to single occupancy dorms. return in time for me to make more meaningful connections.” Senior Alex Wang, who lives in Shanghai, China, said he is still not planning on coming back to campus before spring break because of safety concerns. Additionally, the number of tasks and health protocols required to complete to be allowed back on campus was too tedious, including the quarantining and nearby guardian requirement. Wang also noted that he would face various difficulties if he sought to travel back home to

Shanghai from New York because, according to him, currently the regulations in China are so strict that if someone would want to go back, they would have to take five Covid tests and wait almost a month in quarantine before being cleared. Despite the difficulties of coming back to Dobbs Ferry, both Lanes and Wang are excited for the dorms to reopen. “It seems the reopening plan is really elaborate and well thought-out, and it’s good to see them make actions to help the boarding

community, because they are an essential part of Masters; Masters was founded as a boarding community,” Lanes said. Wang echoed Lanes’ sentiments. “I think that it really shows that our school cares for the boarding community,” he said. While Jakes agreed, he also mentioned concerns over the long periods of isolation that the boarders are going to face. “In terms of the environment of the boarding community it’s definitely going to hinder us and hold us back temporarily,” Jakes said of the restrictions.

Dean of Students Jeff Carnevale is excited to see boarding students back on campus. “This is my 17th year on campus and I’ve been part of the residential community the entire time I’ve been here. To me, the boarders are the heart and soul of campus,” Carnevale said. “They are what campus revolves around, whether it’s in the evenings or on the weekends. They bring so much to the life of the school, and that that has felt like it’s been missing.” Carnevale acknowledged that Covid has made it difficult to maintain a sense of community, especially between boarders and day students, who are divided right now depending on if they are in person or remote. He added that the restrictions present another layer of challenge, but are worth it if people are together. “They’re so connected and want to be on campus. If they’re willing to embrace those sacrifices to be here, I think that’s something we all need to honor,” Carnevale said. Dena Torino, director of residential life, is enthusiastically anticipating the students’ return. “I love living on campus alongside other faculty members, but I miss the students. As educators, that’s why we’ve chosen to be at a boarding school, so we’ll be so happy to have them back,” Torino said. “The boarding experience is rooted in gathering and being in-person. We’re approaching a year without students living on campus. We’ve missed everybody. Despite all of the restrictions, I think we’ll all be so happy to be here and be able to connect and be together.” Overall, boarders and faculty members alike recognize the importance and need for these stricter regulations on campus. “[The regulations] will keep us healthy, they are there to make sure we are okay, and truthfully, at the end of the day, I would rather be on campus with these restrictions than continue online at my house,” Senior Kristie Sears said. She added, “I signed up to Masters to be a boarder - that is why I came to this school, so if I get the opportunity to come back, I will take it.”

Masters receives grant for new IEC

MAC ALEXANDER

FORMER DIRECTOR OF SECURITY Panton Adams stands behind the mailroom counter, one of the many places that he worked across campus. He recently passed from COVID-19 complications. Students will remember him for his kind spirit and dedication to his family and school community. ISAAC CASS

INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP TEACHER John Chiodo teaches an engineering class in the current IEC. Recently, the Diana Davis Spencer foundation gave the school a $20 million dollar grant to fund the construction of a new IEC. Diana Davis Spencer is a Masters trustee and a ‘56 alumna, who has helped to fund the Fonseca Center and dorm renovations.

SOPHIE GRAND Chief Design Editor

asters was recently gifted a $20 million grant by the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, making it the largest donation in the School’s history. The donation was made with the intention of funding the construction of a new Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC). The gift was from Masters alumna and trustee Diana Davis Spencer ’56, her

daughter, alumna Abby Spencer Moffat ’84 and Kathryn Wasserman Davis, the late mother of Davis Spencer. The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation has helped in funding many other projects that support the school’s development, including the construction of the Fonseca Center and renovations of the student dorms. The foundation has also contributed to Masters’ global studies programs and the school’s endowment. Parents, faculty and staff were informed of the gift by Head of School Laura Danforth on Jan. 22 in an email communication. In the email to faculty, Danforth

said, “I hope you each take pride knowing that the incredible work you do each day on behalf of our students has made this historic gift possible.” Interest in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at Masters has quickly grown since its creation in 2016. The new state-of-the-art IEC will host courses in engineering and product design, entrepreneurship, modeling, app creation, prototyping and computer science.

Celebrating the life of Panton Adams On Monday Feb. 1, former Director of Security Panton Adams lost his battle with COVID-19. He was a cornerstone member of the Masters community and will be dearly missed by students, faculty, staff and family alike. A virtual event will be held on Thursday, Feb.11 at 7 p.m. to honor his life and presence at Masters.

Read more on pages 6 and 7

NEWS

TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

Former primary candidate Yang runs for NYC mayor KIRA RATAN Features Lead Editor

ormer Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang may have come out of the 2020 election empty-handed, but he’s not quitting the rat race any time soon. The former tech executive has decided to run for New York City Mayor.

GAGE SKIDMORE

ANDREW YANG EMERGED ONTO the political stage during the Democratic primaries in 2019. He continues to run on the platform of Universal Basic Income and hopes to restore the New York City after COVID-19 shut down businesses and deterred residents.

Yang, who built his presidential candidacy on his proposed “freedom dividend,” plan for a Universal Basic Income policy, guaranteeing every American money from the government every month, first announced his mayoral candidacy on Jan. 13, 2021. His campaign website is already fully up and running, urging voters to cast their ballot for him in the Democratic primary on June 22, 2021. In an official statement featured on the homepage of his website, Yang said, “I moved to New York City 25 years ago. I came of age, fell in love, and became a father here. Seeing our city the way it is now breaks my heart. What we do in the coming months will determine our city’s trajectory for decades. I am running for mayor because I see a crisis and I believe I can help.” Some students in the Masters community have decided to support Andrew Yang’s bid for mayor, and a few have begun volunteering for his campaign. Junior Nate Meyer signed up for a volunteer training session right after he heard Yang had officially launched his campaign. He had initially supported him during the Presidential Democratic primaries, and took the opportunity to get involved. Now a social media volunteer co-running the account @genzforyang with another high school student, he said he is excited to continue supporting his cause and campaign for NYC mayor. “I chose to support Yang for Mayor of NYC because I believe that his policies surrounding Universal Basic Income as well as his connections on a national level will serve New York City well,” Meyer said. Other students have decided not to support Yang for various reasons. Junior Clyde Lederman, who has already been involved in local politics for several years, was initially interested in Yang, but is now “growing a little sour.” He believes that the city’s most pressing issues, aside from the pandemic, are housing, education and police reform. He wants a candidate who can reimagine quantifiable solutions to the crises that face New York, and

doesn’t believe Yang is that person right now. “The current front runners don’t deviate enough from the current management, and we can’t have establishment candidates at a time like this,” Lederman said. “There is no sense that Yang is actually progressive and that his plans account for any of the serious issues within the city.” Yang faces heavy competition in the primaries. Mayoral term limits bar incumbent Bill de Blasio from running for a third term, which has led to new candidates pouring into the race. According to New York Magazine, as of Jan. 4, thirty-four people have filed campaign paperwork to run for mayor of New York City. This includes experienced politicians like City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and political newcomers like Ray McGuire, a senior Black executive on Wall Street. Although it has been said that Yang is currently the frontrunner in the race, many are skeptical of his message. He has spent the last several months in Georgia campaigning for Democratic candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff during the state’s runoff Senate elections, not in New York City. Many New Yorkers have expressed their belief that he doesn’t have the

“

KIRA RATAN/TOWER

JUNIOR NATE MEYER HAS been a supporter of Andrew Yang since the Democractice primaries and is currently volunteering for Yang’s mayoral campaign. Meyer co-runs social media account @genzforyang to rally support for the campaign. in the world of American politics in that respect, Yang has also been criticized for his relative inexperience in comparison to competitors like Stringer and Adams, having never held any sort of office, especially not in a city government. According to a New York Times article, despite being a resident

I chose to support Yang for Mayor of NYC because I believe that his policies surrounding Universal Basic Income, as well as his connections on a national level, will serve New York City. - Nate Meyer ‘22

best interests of the city at heart. Yang has become known for his unorthodox campaign promises, having championed causes like responding to automation and a universal basic income during the presidential race. And while he has made a name for himself

of New York City for 25 years, a fact that he often brings up, Yang has never voted in the mayoral election. Additionally, in a new development, Yang just tested positive for COVID-19, on Feb. 2. Upper School Photography Teacher Ra-

chel Langosch has lived in New York City for nearly her entire life. Since the pandemic started, she has seen the city change dramatically, from big businesses shutting down to hundreds of thousands of residents deserting the city for suburban life. “The city has a certain sadness to it these days. Some days when I go for walks, I really enjoy the quiet solitude and other days I can feel the weight of the loss we have experienced. It’s like the energy of the city has quieted,” she said. So, although busy with a full-time job and twin infants, Langosch said she has begun to pay closer attention to politics and watch the news more often in order to feel connected to her city. She believes it will take hard work for New York City to recover from the devastation of the pandemic, but with a strong mayor leading, it can be done. “I know it will take a lot of work to rebuild and repair, but I am certain that New Yorkers will do the work. My hope is that our new mayor will be able to spearhead programs which will bring back our city’s vibrance,” Langosch said.

Admin grapples with plans for final exams amid Covid ROWAN MCWHINNIE Features Editor

inals have been given at Masters for over 100 years. This year, Head of Upper School Peter Newcomb reported that finals will be contingent upon individual teacher decisions, meaning every teacher will decide if they will administer a final exam in June, and how much that final will count towards their final grade. Newcomb said, “I think each teacher needs to determine what is going to be the best way to assess student growth.” Final examinations have been a universal chapter for students. Schools have used finals to determine the knowledge students have retained throughout the school year. In high school, finals are also given in order to prepare students for college where a majority of a student’s grade is based on test grades Keeping this fact in mind, Newcomb said, “There are colleges where you are

ELLIE YANG/TOWER

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE are wondering what final exams will look like in the Spring. Alongside the usual stress of finals week, COVID-19 presents unique logistical challenges in regards to social distancing and remote students. many teachers are considering final projects in lieu of finals. going to have a minimal amount of work, meaning the tests are going to be much higher stakes, finals prepare high schoolers for this.” However, with COVID-19 still at large and remote learning playing a significant factor in the learning capabilities of stu-

dents across the world, educators are questioning the feasibility of final exams. “In the current context, I think what’s important to keep in mind is the student experience,” Newcomb said. Department heads and teachers are forced to consider the question, “should we

give our students final exams or go a different way?” One of the main reasons we have a study week is to prepare students to sit down and take five or six exams. “It is really challenging. It can feel really high pressure I can imagine,” Newcomb explained. Though final exams have been a traditional way to wrap up the year, Upper School Math Teacher Arlene Casey thought it best to take a new approach. “I don’t think it makes sense for it to be a traditional exam this year in most classes, but I think some sort of project or assignment to close the year is a good grounding point for everyone.” Head of the Science Department Frank Greally echoed this sentiment. “I do not think that finals should take place during this pandemic…If it is my choice to give a final exam, I would not give a final. I would give a project and would encourage all teachers of the science department to do the same,” Greally said. Some of the reasoning behind taking final exams is for the students to be able to re-examine the class’s work throughout the year and get a better understanding of the topic. Yet, having

students study all of the year’s knowledge in only a couple of weeks can be detrimental to a students mental and physical health. While some faculty members are completely on board with excluding final exams from the curriculum during the pandemic, some teachers are torn as they see both the benefits and drawbacks of this possible occurrence. Upper School History Teacher Selas Douglas commented, “We have all had a challenging year, and while there are reasons to think that we are moving in a positive direction with vaccinations underway and a federal government that’s actually engaged in the process now, we are also going to continue to face real challenges in the coming months as we try to get this virus under control.” He continued, “That coupled with the constant shifting political landscape that has a real impact on people’s lives suggests to me that it will be important to remain flexible as we all think about the best way to close out the year.” As the stressful upcoming months approach, students who are questioning the role that final exams will play there in their future are encouraged to ask their teachers, due to the variety in responses.

News Analysis: Chaos unfolds in Ugandan election MATTILYN STONE Art Manager The United States is not the only country currently dealing with allegations of election fraud in a presidential election. Uganda’s long-serving president is faced with accusations of fraud and intimidation of his political opponents. A nationwide WiFi blackout was imposed by President Yoweri Museveni on Jan. 13 in the central African country of Uganda in preparation for the nation’s election on Jan. 14. WiFi and cellular data were inaccessible for five days. The blackout was put in place ostensibly to prevent widespread election misinformation but also served to prevent any communication regarding voter intimidation or proof of election tampering. Museveni is assumed to be about 76 years old, though Uganda had no birth records for their people, until Museveni reinstated birth registration in 2000. He has been president of Uganda for 34 years, since 1986. In 2005, presidential term limits were removed and in 2017, the removal of a maximum presidential age limit of 75 was removed, which allowed for Museveni to be continually reelected. For the first time in Museveni’s presidency a strong challenger has emerged for his position as President. A 38-year-old rapper and politician from the slums of the capital city of Kampala, named Robert Kyagulani Ssnatanu or ‘Bobi Wine,’ has made waves and attracted support, particularly among the youth of Uganda. Wine has been repeatedly placed

under house arrest by Museveni’s administration. This is not the first time Museveni has arrested a political opponent. Leading up to the 2006 election the opposition candidate was arrested for multiple months leading up to the election. In the 2005, 2011 and 2016 elections, observers noted an increased military presence on voting day; they cited it as a form of intimidation. The official results of the Ugandan election this year were not much different from years previous. On Jan. 16, Museveni announced his win of 59 percent to Wine’s 35 percent. Wine, however, refused to concede, leading to his 11-day-long house arrest. While under house arrest, Wine had a lawyer file a complaint to the United Nations regarding his illegal confinement on his behalf. Wine and his team are currently being tried in a military court, and as of Feb. 1, the court deferred their bail for another eight days. Wine has tweeted evidence of a fraudulent election, showing documentation where Museveni claimed 100 percent of the votes at 348 polling stations and around 95-99 percent at many others. The Museveni documentation also claims that 100 percent of registered voters voted on election day, an unrealistic claim taking into consideration the fact that many voters on the rolls have died, were sick, travelled to vote or just didn’t vote at all. Wine has called out to his fellow Ugandans to hold Museveni and his government accountable, and not allow them claim an illegitimate victory. He also has called out to world powers such as the United States to pull

foreign aid from Uganda as punishment and to hold Museveni accountable for his actions. The U.S. is currently debating what actions to take. Given Museveni’s age and terminal cancer diagnosis, many have wondered why he is still fervently holding onto his presidency. There are two arguments as to why: either Museveni is a power-hungry dictator, or he is too afraid to give up the country he has built back up from the ground. Some claim it to be a combination of both. There is no denying the good he has done for Uganda. He has rebuilt the economy after former president Idi Amin destroyed it in the 1970s by exiling 70,000 people of Asian and European descent and killing between 80,000 to 300,000 Ugandans. He drove out the Lord’s Resistance Army in the 2000s who used children as slaves and child soldiers to wreak havoc on northern Uganda. Museveni has worked with outside NGOs to bring back the exiled child soldiers and reintegrate them into their communities. He has also welcomed refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and other countries with open arms. There is no questioning his love of Uganda and desire to protect the peace and prosperity within his country. But will his refusal to give up his presidency undo all the good he has done? If he refuses to give it up what will happen to Uganda with the removal of aid and help from outside countries? Is he better off continuing to pretend he’s the rightful president or handing it off to a 38 year old rapper with a law degree? One thing seems clear: he won’t hand over his presidency until he finds someone he trusts.

HOLLY POWERS

AHEAD OF UGANDA’S JAN. 14 election, campaign posters promote the candidates running for office. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has held his position in office for 34 years. He has faced with his first serious challenger, a 38-year-old rapper from the slums who goes by “Bobi Wine,” who is particularly popular among young people.

OpiniOn OP-ED

TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

TOWER 2020-2021

editors-iN-chieF Kate sibery mitch FiNK

EDITORIAL

Everyone means something to somebody T

he New York Times displayed the names of the first 100,000 people who died from COVID-19 on the front page of their May 24 issue in an attempt to both unsettle and help their readers comprehend the ever-growing statistic that they had seen skyrocket since the pandemic began. As the months have gone on, and as the death toll has continued to increase, it has become much harder to actually grasp a statistic as large as 450,000. As sad as it may sound, the vast majority of us cannot actually discern a difference between 100,000 and 450,000 deaths. Thus, as the death toll jumped from 200,000 to 300,000 and 300,000 to 400,000, these statistics did not elicit the same, shocking and terrifying reaction that they once did.

Yet, when we lose a single individual who meant so much to us either as a family member, a friend, a loved one or a fellow community member, that one loss has a much more profound impact on our consciousness and well-being than any six-digit number. Members of the Masters community recently experienced such a loss in the passing of Panton Adams, a man who represented the heart and soul of our school. He embodied what it meant to be a community builder, and he treated every individual on campus with the same, extraordinary level of respect and kindness. Such a loss not only leaves an overwhelming sense of heavy-heartedness with each of us, but it also forces us to confront the terrifying reality that each one of the 450,000 people

chieF desigN editor Sophie Grand News Lead editor M. Brody Leo News editor Sophia Van Beek

who have died meant something to somebody. Each one of their deaths disrupted and fractured a social network that relied upon their presence and virtue. As dispiriting as this may be, it is only through experiencing the loss of one that we can begin to better understand just how many meaningful individuals have passed away over the last ten months. Despite the discomfort we feel, we must not get numbed into an unaware and anesthetized mindset as we climb towards half a million dead. Instead, we must let our new reality and truth guide us towards keeping ourselves and those around us safe. Going forward, we must remember the sacredness and value that each and every human life holds.

opiNioN Lead editor tim mathas opiNioN editor SaBrina WoLfSon Features Lead editor Kira rataN Features editors rowaN mcwhiNNie oweN strier sports Lead editor ethaN schLapp sports editor aNdrew mitcheLL web editor aNd sociaL media maNager KwyNNe schLossmaN

Final exams: A failed attempt at measuring student success

art maNager mattiLyN stoNe photo editor george chaNg accuracy & accouNtabiLity maNager LaNce Leys

SABRINA WOLFSON Opinion Editor

copy editor aNd advertisiNg maNager CaroL Queiroz

t the end of the school year, students of all grades occupy every quiet space accessible, reading textbooks, reviewing tests, and consulting past notes, preparing for the ultimate feat: final exams. Although these tests are meant to assess the skills and material that students have learned throughout the year, the exams actually work against the teachers goal. They limit what students can learn. The solution to this problem is eradicating finals, and instead, asking students to work collaboratively on projects, where they are able to properly convey their knowledge. Finals induce frantic and stressful studying, which has been proven less effective than project-based learning. When students engage in collaboration, self-confidence and creativity improve, teaching them the importance of critical thinking and leadership. This type of learning improves one’s aware of their own thought process, or their metacognition. However, if faced with projects in lieu of testing, students can receive feedback along the way, giving them an opportunity to improve. When students take final exams, metacognition is impacted in a negative way because they aren’t given the opportunity to fix their mistakes and learn from them. After receiving report cards, they can only look at their

web editor KyLa baraNtsevitch

producer, tower broadcast News LogaN schiciaNo staFF photographers aNd iLLustrators isaac cass charLie cooper eLLa taNg eLLie yaNg coLumNists & coNtributiNg writers

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ELLEN COWHEY/TOWER

A GROUP OF STUDENTS sweat out their last hour of their history exam in Strayer Gym. Although students did not take any final exams this past schoool year due to Covid-19, exams typically take place the last week of school. This year exams are scheduled for the week of June 6, 2021. finalized grade, unable to see what they got wrong on the test. Education often emphasizes the importance of learning from our mistakes, but in reality, final exams only teach students to avoid such mistakes at all costs. If a student does well on a final exam, it is mostly because of their ability to memorize an ample amount of in-

formation in little time. The issue with rooting success in memorization is that students are not gaining anything from the class. This was observed by Cognitive scientists Daniel Willingham and Robert Bjork in a 2015 survey where they tested college students to see how much they could recall two weeks after the test. Two weeks went by and the students had forgotten more than 90 percent of the information. Although many people argue that testing prepares students for the rigor of college, I believe we should instead send students off to university with knowledge of how to work with others and ask the appropriate questions, not simply recall a list of facts. In this day and age, many of the facts that we learn from a textbook can now be looked up online so we need to teach students how to problem solve and communicate with their peers, not memorize a list. Around the world, high school students report that tests cause more stress than anything else. The Counseling and Psychological Services at Brown University noted that one of the most common scholastic impairments in our schools today is that approximately 1620 percent of students have high test anxiety; an additional 18 percent struggling with moderately-high test anxiety. This means that when it comes to sitting down for an exam, students “freeze” or forget the information that they have studied when reading test questions. Regardless of how much information they have actually retained from the

classroom, their high test anxiety has now reduced their working memory, increased their mistakes, and ultimately lowered their scores. According to the American Test Anxieties Association, students with this testing anxiety score about twelve percentile points below those who have low anxiety, which translates to about half a letter grade below. Should schools use high pressure, those with anxiety will continue to face challenges that test-based grading doesn’t account for. At Masters, final exams are not only an annual occurrence, but make up 20 percent of a student’s final grade for many year-long courses. This gives the exam a heightened importance and only further communicates to students that their success in the course relies on this singular grade. High schools all over the country employ this type of grading system, which teaches students that doing badly on an exam discounts the effort that they have put in for the ten months prior. We can’t continue to allow these exams to define our worth as students, and we do have the ability to make change. As it stands, our education system is more focused on how well we can perform in high-stress situations rather than what we have gained from the courses themselves. End of the year projects need to become the new normal, while anxiety producing exams take a backseat. We have the power to shape our education and we need to take charge now.

FacuLty adviser eLLeN cowhey matt ives oNLiNe media

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Tower is hand-delivered on the day of publication to the Upper School or mailed. 650 copies are printed. In addition, a copy is sent to each of our advertisers.

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 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.

OP-ED

TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

Two views: Was Trump’s Twitter ban the right call?

No: Twitter censorship infringes Yes: Trump inspired domestic terrorism; he must upon free speech be silenced ple’s App Store, and Google Play Store. Parler has a user base of mostly conservatives–one of the reasons it was created was to be a safe space for conservatives as other platforms like Twitter and Facebook censored conservative voices. The removal was rooted in a claim that several comments from Parler users that incited the violence at the Capitol weren’t dealt quickly enough. Executives at Parler believed that the app was targeted because of its largely conservative user base. While it is mostly conservatives that are complaining about censorship at the moment, it does not mean that members on the other side of the aisle are safe

GEORGE CHANG Photo Editor

he shutdown of Trump’s Twitter account on Jan. 8 reignited the debate regarding whether or not censorship by big tech companies has gotten out of hand. There is no doubt that Trump’s continuous message that the election was rigged against him incited the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. However, banning Trump from Twitter is a step too far. Many Americans, especially Republicans, have long complained about censorship from major tech companies, including Twitter, Facebook and Google. These companies act as platforms for conversation, garnering billions of users. So, they should preserve freedom of speech, even if what is posted advocates a belief contrary to their own. This responsibility protects social media companies from libel laws, which publishers, like news outlets, are not protected from. No one hopes for another violent incident like what happened at the Capitol, but does that mean, in the future, companies like Twitter have the power to decide which tweets should and shouldn’t be censored? Throughout his presidency, Trump was incredibly vocal on all social media platforms, and at times, unpresidential. Twitter’s permanent ban of Trump’s account, despite his more than 88 million followers, came after he released a video asking the rioters to “go home.” Along with the ban, Twitter issued a statement saying: “We have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.” As a private corporation, Twitter retains the right to do anything they desire with their service. However, the notion that a corporation as large and influential as Twitter can dictate which opinions can and can’t be heard is a terrifying reality. The silencing of the nation’s president on Twitter was not an isolated incident other social media companies also banned Trump and the social media platform Parler, which was founded with the aim to provide a nonpartisan public square, was removed from Amazon Web Service, Ap-

M. BRODY LEO

News Lead Editor

onald Trump has a history of dodging the law, whether it be not releasing his tax returns, obstructing his own impeachment investigation or failing to be held accountable for pressuring Georgia’s Secretary of State to change the Presidential vote count. But, for the most part, he has faced little, if

user, Trump would have been banned years ago; he repeatedly broke the Twitter general guidelines and policies long before the Capitol riots. In the COVID-19 section of the guidelines, Twitter adamantly disallows any type of COVID-19 related misinformation. After Trump received the best possible treatment that any American could expect, he sent out this tweet. I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago! The President sent out a tweet that told the Ameri c a n peo-

WE TO

from t h i s threat because social media companies hold tremendous control over our everyday speech. Though you don’t have to agree with the viewpoint of conservatives, the thought that companies with such large-scale influence, being able to remove and silence thoughts they disagree with, is unsettling. Perhaps the problem isn’t who Twitter and Facebook ban, but how much power the big social media companies have over the news and opinions that we see.

a ny, p u n i s h ment for his wrongdoings. He has been above the law for his

entire life. That’s why his permanent suspension from Twitter came as a shock. If he were treated like any other Twitter

MASTERS IN PHILANTHROPY

The path to progress: grade transparency at Masters

Senior crochets for kids across New York Hanna ScHiciano

RuSSell WoHl

Scan this QR code to read the pieces from our Tower Bloggers Carly Grizzaffi ‘21 Anna Drattell ‘22 Mia Romanoff ‘22 Tyler Hack ‘23

tion and a willingness to make our current situation better. Given the circumstances, members have already been able to pass the Blue Jeans Everyday proposal, sponsored by Tyler Hack and Kira Ratan, which has since nullified Friday Jeans Days. The proposal was quite popular among the student body. The cause for the bill was first brought up last year when MISH days no longer coincided with Fridays due to the new schedule that the school adopted. The newest proposal brought to EC has been the Academic Transparency proposal, sponsored by myself and Tyler Hack, with the goal to clarify the way we organize grades at Masters.

p l e to not fear or plan their lives around a deadly virus just around the time that the United States confirmed 200,000 virus-related deaths. Since then, that number has doubled. His understatement of the virus was dangerous and in direct violation of Twitter’s guidelines. Regardless of the past, I’m glad that Trump couldn’t do more damage after the Capitol riots were viewed as the tipping point. The riots were not an isolated incident; they followed months of Trump’s insistence, which he often

INSIDE THE HERRICK ROOM

ven though Executive Committee is no longer “In The Herrick Room” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, members — both voting and non-voting — are still hard at work. In fact, the remote format offered this year has made sessions more accessible to the Masters community. The new co-chairs, Sophia Viscarello and Caio Lanes, have done a great job so far keeping Executive Committee an organized and productive space for thoughtful discussion. In past years, much time was spent with discussion, but this year, they are more focused on constructing and quickly revising proposals. Perhaps the new remote format has lent itself to increased communica-

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voiced through his Twitter account,that the election was rigged. For some supporters of the President, that was a direct call to arms; after all, their very own President had told them that they were robbed of their fair democracy. Trump created anger and divide over Twitter. Jan. 6 was a direct result of that rhetoric. After the riots, Trump tweeted out a video of himself addressing the situation, where he lovingly called domestic terrorists “very special.” In that tweet, he was romanticizing violence quite literally, as he did tell the rioters that he loved them. If the harm of his actions wassn’t enough, inciting violence is also directly against Twitter’s guidelines. This isn’t a mark of an “Orwellian” future of suppressing opinions online either, as Senator Josh Hawley suggested in a tweet about the cancellation of his publishing contract with Simon and Schuster. Trump didn’t get banned for his Republican ideas; he didn’t get banned for wanting to lower taxes, protect the second amendment or restrict abortion. He got banned for lying to the Americans and inciting a deadly rebellion against the government of his own people. Trump’s removal from the platform is not a violation of our Constitutional rights either. The First Amendment preserves our right to free speech, unsuppressed by the government. It does not protect us from being banned from a completely private platform, or from facing consequences for inciting violence against the United States government. Twitter was completely in the wrong for letting their platform be used for violence. Words matter. That’s become a cliché today, but Trump has taught us that. Social media is more important than it has ever been, and it’s a source of news for over half of Americans, according to a Pew Research Center study. We simply cannot afford for the most powerful man in the world to have a filterless outlet to nearly one hundred million followers if this is what he has done with it.

I am not a voting member of Executive Committee, but I look forward to attending meetings throughout this year and experiencing the work of my fellow classmates. I’m always excited to hear about new ideas, and even more so about the process of it becoming actual school “law.” This year, if any, is the year for change, and Executive Committee will be at the core of it. NOTE: Wohl co-authored the grade transparency bill referenced in this column.

asters senior Emma Listokin has crocheted over 200 blankets since March. While Listokin has been learning remotely for the majority of the coronavirus pandemic, she has spent her days making gifts for children who are in-need. “As terrible as it [the pandemic] is, a silver lining is that I’m having so much more time to crochet,” she said. As a sophomore, Listokin got involved with Binky Patrol, a national organization aiming to collect and donate homemade blankets, hats, and stuffed animals to children who are in hospitals or foster homes. “I was just looking for a way that I could use my skills of crocheting and my passion for good,” she said. Listokin said her blankets are able to ease children who may be experiencing anxiety or distress while battling in hospitals. “Having something that’s homemade, comforting and also warm at the same time, can make such a difference,” she said. Listokin established and runs the downstate New York chapter for Binky Patrol, but as the only local volunteer, she hopes to encourage others to contribute; whether assisting to crochet, monetarily donating, or offering materials, she said that the smile children have on their faces after receiving a gift is priceless. Due to COVID-19, Listokin is un-

able to personally deliver the gifts to the children. Although this has brought her much disappointment, she said it still brings her joy to know that her handmade creations will make a child’s day. “There’s no other feeling than dropping them off. I pop open my trunk and it’s stuck to the brim with blankets and hats,” Listokin said. In addition to Binky Patrol, Listokin partners with Foundling, one of New York City’s oldest and largest child welfare agencies. She specifically donates her goods to those in foster care and the Crisis Nursery, a care facility that provides children a safe environment while their parents are facing different crises, including loss of housing, health concerns and escaping domestic violence. Listokin said that giving something as simple as a blanket can convey a sincere message. “You may not have a [strong] relationship with your parents or maybe you’re in foster care, but there’s still someone out there that’s looking out for you and has you in their heart.”

NOTE: If you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved with Binky Patrol, email: emma.listokin@mastersny.org.

FEATURES & ARTS TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

FEATURES

Breault transforms theater stage into art installation ELLIE YANG Contributing Writer

winkling, colorful and full of life, the new art installation on the stage of the Claudia Boettcher Theatre created by Theater Tech Director Sean Breault is set to be a centerpiece of the winter musical. The installation, made entirely out of recycled materials, provokes a sense of joy, belonging, and nostalgia among those who view it. Breault described the process of creating this piece as organic, and said he was trying to express emotion through a creative medium. “I take information and I filter it through my own feelings and inspiration, and then I dream. I day dream, think, read, look and search,” he said. “I’m like a detective, I’m just always looking for ideas, and I’m always seeing ideas and wondering where they can fit.”

with a single stroke or a step, a note, and then it goes on to the next and the next, and before you know it, you have an orchestral piece, or you have a whole series of paintings, or you have a set design.” Breault began his journey in the arts by experimenting with film and fine art photography. He then went on to study acting and helped out as a carpenter in various New York City theaters before finding his passion for set design. “I like the freedom,” he said. “I like the combination that it brings in. It is multidimensional because you have light, you have sound and you have humans walking in and out of it. For me, I enjoy watching people interact with the set, whether it’s physical, or mental. It gives people something to look at and be inspired by.”

There’s an overarching divide, and vibe throughout the musical that he captured really well in the piece.” She continued “The swing makes me feel very nostalgic and reminds me of my childhood innocence. It’s hard not to feel happy when you see the swing.” Although the role of the scenic design in the upcoming musical remains undecided, one thing is for sure: it brightens the face of everyone who sees it.

Breault said,“That’s the power I feel like a good design can do, it allows everyone, not just actors or performers, to feel the joy that It’s like a dancer, a piece of music, or a drawing, everything it could with a single stroke or a step, a note, and then it goes on to b r i n g them.” At the center of the installation is a swing. Breault said, “It really defines a certain style of movement, the swing itself just makes you feel something, it can make you feel joy, happiness, or it could

KIRA RATAN/TOWER

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The winter musical, “Now. starts Here. This.” is set in a Natthe next and the next, and before you know it, you have an orchesural History tral piece, or you have a whole series of paintings, or you have a Museum and explores many set design.” questions of - Sean Breault, Theater Tech Director life, ranging from friendship to outer space. TECH DIRECTOR SEAN This installation started as a thought, a bring out sadness, it’s a powerful tool. BREAULT’S art installafeeling Breault associated with the mu- It’s funny what a swing could do.” tion: one facing the light, sical, which, after hours of working and highlighting its colorful Freshman Alexa Murphy, a member of patterns, and one that’s brainstorming, evolved into the piece galaxy which is one of the many groups backlit, showcasing the that is displayed in the theater today. creative light display. The the musical cast is divided into, said, art installation is for the Breault said, “It’s like a dancer, a piece “When I see the set piece, it makes me school’ winter musical of music, or a drawing, everything starts think of the celestial aspect of the show. Now.Here.This.

MEG O’CONNOR

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Remembering Panton Adams FEATURES

ome of the most common descriptors of the late Masters Security Guard Panton Adams since his tragic passing have been “unconditionally kind,” “consistent” and “caring.” These phrases perfectly encapsulate Mr. Adams’ beautiful soul –a man dedicated to all those in the Masters Community he protected for a living, but they could also be used to describe the culture we aspire to embody at Masters. The traditions of compassion our community values, like holding the door for others, practicing random acts of kindness and being there for one another at all times are synonymous with what made Mr. Adams so special. Mr. Adams humbly and quietly lived the principles that represent the very best of our community–without fail, every single day. In his eight years working on campus, Mr. Adams taught our school what it means to lead by example. He taught us to be caring and kind to one another, rain or shine, because each morning, that’s what he did. He instilled, through his smiles and greetings at the door to the Middle School, the culture which makes Masters the school we know and love in all those whom he interacted with. Mr. Adams: we miss you more than you could ever know. Your legacy will never be forgotten.

FEATURES

TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

“There was a true grace, and kind of beauty in the way that he cared for people.” - Tasha Elsbach

ISAAC CASS

“He was a beautiful person” Gisele Thompson honors Adams

enior Gisele Thompson recalls the smiling face of Panton Adams when her mom walked her to the front doors of the Middle School to drop her off one day in fifth grade. Her mother is from Jamaica and when she overheard Mr. Adam’s Jamaican accent, she immediately went over and struck up a conversation. Their friendship, Thompson said, was a point of connection for her mom to the school community. “Every morning my mom was always glad to see him, and to hear that he passed left her heartbroken. It was very upsetting to hear, but we are still able to hold some warm memories of him.” When Thompson would come out of her after-school activities, she would often find the two of them carrying on a heartfelt conversation, each one sharing their experiences as a parent. “They would always talk about how he chose to become a security guard for the school and how it was a very hard job because he was looking out for a bunch of kids every day,” she said. Thompson feels that the GoFundMe page (Love and Support for Panton Adams and Family) set up in early January has been a testament to the breadth of support of the community. To Mr. Adam’s daughters, Thompson said, “I know how hard it is losing a parent and growing up without a parent, which is incredibly sad and painful, but they should hold on to the happy memories of their father and know that he was a beautiful person.”

“He really took the time and cared” Adams’ kindness inspires Elsbach

SOPHIA HERZBERG

PANTON O ADAMS FACEBOOK

“Well his smile was definitely contagious. You couldn’t be smiled at by Mr. Adams and then not smile back, you know? He just made you so much happier than you were before you saw him.” - Annabel Fabian ‘22

“He was so good at remembering every student which is crazy and it was just lovely. I remember seeing him, and he said, ‘I can’t believe you’re finally driving.’ He really watched so many people grow up, and was a constant in all of our lives.” - Mac Alexander ‘22

“At Masters, we always talk about how little actions can change someone’s day, and I feel like he really showed that. He truly loved his job and embodied a lot of what Masters represents.” - Sabine Godwin ‘23

“He was like, ‘Well, if you’re if you’re ever struggling to find a friend, you know I’m your first friend, I’ll be there for you throughout these years’ and he made it less stressful. He made everyone feel equal, no matter where they were coming, whether it was our first year or our fourth year.”

“I’ve known him since middle school, sixth grade, and every single day he would say hello; he’d be the brightest shining light. He taught me that I have to be more joyful and strive to be more positive in dark situations. He was just the embodiment of happiness.”

- Darian Ahmadizadeh. former Masters Middle School student

- Amechi Aduba ‘22

asha Elsbach, the head of Masters’ Middle School, regarded Panton Adams as more than just a member of her staff. To her, he was, and continues to be, an inspiration. When Elsbach arrived in 2016 to her position in the Middle School, she was immediately struck by the intimacy of Adams’ interactions with students. “It was intimidating. Not because he was an intimidating person, but because he set the bar high for knowing every student’s name,” she said. “He would know if you’re late from your regular time that you would arrive or would say something like, ‘Oh! You’re wearing the green shoes!’” It was moments like these that inspired Elsbach as an educator. “He really took the time and cared to know something special about each person. That was his superpower,” she said. Beyond Adams’ impact on Elsbach, she also noticed the effect that these seemingly small moments had on her students. “Students spoke about how they always felt welcome, even when they didn’t know anyone, and how his warm smile and greeting made them feel connected to this campus,” she said. “They would start their day on such a positive note.” Elsbach will always consider Adams an invaluable part of the Masters community. She said, “I worked with this incredible colleague who always extended himself to his job. Mr. Adams cared for every person on this campus, adults, day students, boarders. It was incredible.”

“He was the kind of person that showed that putting your best foot forward is the best way to succeed and be you best among other people. - Caleb Armstrong, a former Masters Middle School student

Remembering Panton Adams FEATURES

FEATURES

TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

“There was a true grace, and kind of beauty in the way that he cared for people.” - Tasha Elsbach

ISAAC CASS

“He was a beautiful person” Gisele Thompson honors Adams

“He really took the time and cared” Adams’ kindness inspires Elsbach

SOPHIA HERZBERG

PANTON O ADAMS FACEBOOK

- Darian Ahmadizadeh. former Masters Middle School student

- Amechi Aduba ‘22

“He was the kind of person that showed that putting your best foot forward is the best way to succeed and be you best among other people. - Caleb Armstrong, a former Masters Middle School student

FEATURES

TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

Indigenous voices echo along the Hudson CAROL QUEIROZ Copy Editor and Advertising Manager

tudents seldom recall that the Masters campus is built on land that once belonged to local American Indian tribes. However, local activists and artists are working to make sure that the history and culture of local American Indians is not lost. From the beginning of modern U.S. history, American Indian people have been ethnically discriminated against, victimized by systemic genocide and have had their land stolen from them. Effects from the injustices inflicted centuries ago continue to heavily impact the American Indian community today, from the slow erasure of tribal cultures to higher rates of disease. A Center for Disease Control study in 23 states showed Covid cases rates among American Indians were 3.5 times higher than non-Hispanic white people. Kamala Cesar, founder and artistic director of Lotus Music and Dance, an organization that presents an annual American Indian festival to celebrate American Indian heritage and culture known as “Drums Along the Hudson”, recalls how her life has been shaped by being an American Indian woman. “For many years, the government had a policy to force native people to assimilate. And in order to do that, they started Indian Boarding Schools, and they tried taking as many native children as they could from their reservations to put them in these schools,” she said. In these boarding schools, American Indians were not permitted to speak their native language, practice anything associated with their culture or religion, and

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were taught that their customs were not acceptable. Cesar said, “It did a lot to destroy the fabric of Native American culture.” “My mother was born on a Mohawk reservation, and she was sent to one of these schools. She was there from when she was five years old to when she completed high school. And when she came back to her reservation, she could not communicate with her own family. She spoke only En-

the third day, I had no idea what was going on because it was all done in Mohawk. So Tom Porter, the man running the event, made an announcement at the end of the day telling everyone who doesn’t speak Mohawk and would like to understand what the ceremony is about, to stay after for an explanation in English.” Cesar was at first relieved that she would have an opportunity to understand everything that had happened during the Midwinter ceremony, but was embarrassed, fearing she would be the only one waiting at the end of the day for an English translation. “At the end of the day, more than half of the people stayed to hear him explain what was going on. That many people did not speak the language anymore,” Cesar added. Masters is located on land that previously belonged to two American Indian tribes: the Lenape and Wappinger tribes. The tribes lived in seasonal camps, hunted for meat and supplies along the Hudson Valley and harvested squash, beans and corn. According to the Mount Gulian Historic Site archeology shows both tribe’s history in the area going back 10,000 years. Smith, a Latin teacher in the Upper School who affiliates with the Cherokee tribe, said, “If there is an interest [in Native history], and certainly there should be an interest in unpacking histories of oppression and colonization right in the heart of where Masters is, then students and teachers can work together to bring these infrastructures and narratives to light.” Smith would like to see students and teachers working together to incorporate more American Indian voices in the curriculum, as well as students taking the time to learn about American Indian history outside of school. “Schools give us a platform for looking into things and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and opening connections in ways we may not have before. It would

If there is an interest [in Native history], and certainly there should be an interest in unpacking histories of oppression and colonization right in the heart of where Masters is, then students and teachers can work together to bring these infrastructures and narratives to light. - Smith, Latin teacher glish and they only spoke Mohawk. I think because they teach you to be ashamed of being Indian, I never knew I was Indian until I was in high school. She told us we were French-Canadian,” she said. Cesar’s mother was born on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in Akwesasne, N.Y., about 300 miles away from Masters. The reservation crosses the Canadian border and has a population of 3,325 people. She always assumed she was French-Canadian, as her mother was born on the Canadian side of the reservation. After Cesar’s mother lost the ability to communicate with her family and tribe, the loss of acceptance among her family pushed her to move away from the reservation to New York City. Cesar, who was born in Brooklyn and did not have connections to her Mohawk roots, described the lack of culture as a “hole in my life that I knew nothing about.” As she grew older though, Cesar began to reconnect with her culture. “I was invited to go to the Midwinter Ceremony which was all conducted in the Mohawk language. It was basically a New Year’s ceremony to celebrate renewal and it went on for seven days,” Cesar said, “On

RON GREENFIELD

TRADITIONAL DANCING TAKES PLACE at the Drums Along the Hudson festival. The festival is a celebration of Native American spirit and remembrance.

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I think because they teach you to be ashamed of being Indian, I never knew I was Indian until I was in high school. She told us we were French-Canadian. - Kamala Cesar

certainly be cool if there was a group of students and teachers interested in working with people from, say, the Lenape tribe trying to get a conversation going.”

Cesar spoke to the importance of remembering the history of the land we are on.“It is so important that Native American people feel like their side of the story be told truthfully. I’ve met people today who have even told me, ‘I didn’t know Native Americans were still alive.’”

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To learn more about the history of native land, visit: https://www. mountgulian.org/index. html

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TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

FEATURES

Head of School discovers strength of community on top of the world

kids often play different roles in response to the alcoholic individual and she took up that of the responsible perfectionist. She earned all Editor-in-Chief A’s, her oldest brother was the “quiet one that disappears,” and her sister fell into the role of “the favorite”. The family dynamic often balAt 27 years old, Laura Danforth was gifted anced upon her father’s alcoholism informing $20,000 from the parent of a former student not only her childhood, but later career path. and was given two options: to go and see the “I started my career in schools as a school world alone or to spend it on herself and never counselor and I think it was because of my tell anyone where she got it. So, she booked childhood and because I was just kind of fascia round-the-world ticket, took a backpack, nated with family dynamics.” t-shirt and jeans and off she went. As a double major in psychology and an“[The trip] was hard, it was really hard, but thropology, she found her natural desire to unincredible. I think about my trip every single derstand people and behavior served her well. day–every single day I think Danforth’s father picked about that trip.” Colby Sawyer College, a dDanforth was born in small women’s college in October of 1960 in southcentral New Hampshire, I started my ern Texas; her parents had for her to attend and said met years before when her career in schools as a that if she didn’t like it father, an airforce pilot, had a after her sophomore year school counselor and I she could transfer. But he layover and met her mother, a Texas beauty queen. think it was because of felt it would be the best “She loves the idea that she place for her. my childhood and bewas Miss Ruby Red GrapeDanforth said, “I think fruit, which was a big thing in he just felt really guilty cause I was just kind of Texas back then.” about all of our moving fascinated with family so he said, ‘Look, I really Danforth’s family moved 13 times before her eighwant this for you, this is dynamics.” teenth birthday, first from where I want you to go,’ Texas to Connecticut and and so I didn’t have much then all around the northeast. of a choice, and I loved it–I Each time she enrolled at a absolutely loved it, and he new school, Danforth joined was absolutely spot on.” a sports team, usually soccer Her entrance into the or lacrosse, but for a good field of education was by portion of her youth and into young adult- sheer coincidence. Tracked down to a job fair hood, she was also a long-distance runner. It in Cambridge, Mass., at 24 years old, Danforth was as a member of these teams where she met was asked to be the first female counselor at the new people, even if it was just for a year. As an prestigious boarding school St. Paul’s in ConAir Force pilot, where her father was stationed cord, New Hampshire, 32 miles from her beoften prompted the moves, but it was also his loved college campus. alcoholism that induced their near-nomadic In her career, she said she has observed that lifestyle. Her father, she said, struggled with the best educators come from one of two expealcohol until he joined Alcoholics Anonymous riences: they either had an important educator when she was sixteen, which heavily influenced in their life and they want to be that person for the family dynamic. someone else, or there was no one there for 111“He was never a violent drunk, he was of- them and they don’t want that to happen to othten a happy drunk, but he was drunk nonethe- er kids. Danforth identifies with the latter. And less pretty much all the time.” having lived on boarding school campuses for 2lWithin the alcoholic home, she recalled, nearly her entire career, she has, for the most

KATE SIBERY

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- Laura Danforth

LAURA DANFORTH

LAURA DANFORTH SUMMITED MOUNT Everest on a transformational solo trip around the world in her late 20’s. While climbing and then recovering from illness, she learned valuable lessons about the importance of living in community.

munities around yourself all around the world.” forth for the Dean of Students position and vivpart, always been there for students. The true value of community was a lesson Dan- Years later, she was devastated to find out that idly recalls writing, “Must hire!” on her evaluaforth had come to learn years earlier, alone at the the family later died in a tsunami. tion sheet. At that time, however, after starting She learned that while learning being alone up a romantic relationship, both of them could base camp of Mount Everest in northern Nepal. The principal condition of her yearnot stay at the school. long trip was that she travel alone, yet in ddddChu said, “A girls boarding school, a lodge near the base of the mountain she particularly because of the internationcame upon an advertisement to climb with al population and all that, is going to I’ve always been, except for a year or two, a group of men who had just passed the bar attached to a campus and there’s a part of me that be among one of the last glass ceilings exam and, in celebration, decided to climb to actually break. So, we were actually feels like the wonderful thing is that you have kind of told by the Head of School, who remains Everest. She made it to the summit with the group of aspiring lawyers, but, upon a built-in community.” a friend of ours, that one of us had to - Laura Danforth descent, and in her exhilaration from the leave.” climb, she mistakenly drank the local tap In truth, Danforth said she didn’t water and subsequently she fell violently ill. have a true ‘coming out’ experience–– A fellow traveler told Danforth to travel to a small is important, most times, humans function best she didn’t become aware that she might have island in Thailand to stay with a family that would when they work together. This notion has be- feelings for a woman until she met Chu. nurse her back to health. This act, she said, was come central to her life as an educator and an “I met Dr. Chu and it was the first time that a true testament to the “power of building com- administrator. She said she thrives in a tight- my heart just started racing and just the first knit school community. thought that came to my mind was this is the Boarding life at Masters has been silent person I’m going to spend the rest of my life for nearly a year. This loss, Danforth said, has with. I just didn’t know that was ever going to not gone unnoticed as someone who has, for happen with a woman. We met, and we fell in nearly the last 35 years of her life, been a dorm love, and we created a family.” parent, counselor, teacher or administrator livTheir relationship presented challenges to ing alongside her students. Danforth’s career progress though. For many “Looking over Green Family Field right years, Chu said, being one half of a lesbian counow, it’s so beautiful, but I can’t help but feel ple acted as a hindrance to Danforth’s trajectosaddened by the fact that the boarders can’t be ry toward a school headship. If not for their on campus right now. I love walking around relationship, Chu said, “She could have on the weekends with Dr. Chu and just seeing been a head of school 15 years earlier.” them enjoying each other’s company.” Danforth recounted, “These headhuntDr. Paula Chu, Danforth’s wife, has always ers would call me and say ‘I’ve got your lived on or adjacent to school campuses her- school, they’re ready. They’re ready for an self. Her father was a professor at Yale Univer- out person.’ And I said, ‘Well, that’s cool. sity for 17 years and then went on to establish I don’t think so.’ And they would call back the Chinese program at Connecticut College, and say, ‘You’re right.’” where the family lived on the edge of campus. Masters was the first independent board“I’ve always been, except for a year or two, ing school to say yes to having a same-sex attached to a campus and there’s a part of me couple live in the Head’s house. It is the that feels like the wonderful thing is that you eighth school she has worked at and has have kind of a built-in community,” she said. become home to the couple, their daughter Chu and Danforth met at The Ethel Walk- and her family, and her youngest grander School, an independent all girls boarding child, Kaia, was even born in Park Cottage school in Simsbury, Conn. Chu, who was the last July. academic dean at the time, interviewed Dan-

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LAURA DANFORTH

HEAD OF SCHOOL LAURA Danforth poses for a picture outside Park Cottege with her family. Danforth’s daughter, son-in-law and three-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter Zora lived in Park Cottege with Danforth and Dr. Chu for a period of time, and Danforth’s youngest granddaughter, named Kaia, was born in Park Cottage.

Alum returns as music consultant LUCAS SEGUINOT Contributing Writer Stepping back on the Masters Campus, Samuel Appiah, Class of 2012, said he still feels the same energy and essence of the Masters community. Appiah returns to Masters working with the department of performing arts as a new music consultant and director of a new upcoming project. He currently helps out in the classroom as well. Appiah grew up in Mount Vernon, and from a very young age, he can remember music and its impact on his life. Appiah said he picked up his first instrument at the age of three; learning piano from his mother. His passion for music progressed as he played piano in his church by the age of seven years old, and then picked up the violin. Next, in third grade, Appiah explored the wind instruments: trumpet and clarinet. He recalled his time at Masters affirming his passion for

music. Appiah came to Masters in ninth grade and immediately fell in love with the place. He reminisced about the good times he had especially with the jazz band. “Sometimes we would have gigs off-campus… we were like an actual band.” Coming back to campus Appiah said it is great to see some of his old teachers like Gilles Pugatch, who is also the director of the Masters Jazz Band. Pugatch said he originally thought of hiring Appiah last year when the vacancy of middle school jazz teacher needed to be filled. The two formed a strong bond over music allowing them to keep in contact even after Appiah graduated. Pugatch was quick to praise Appiah. “Just one of the sweetest, kindest dispositions of students I have ever had,” he said. Pugatch also touched upon Appiah’s strong musical background calling him a “true polymath artist”. After Masters, Appiah went to the University of Buffalo to study pharmaceuticals.

After one year he decided that college wasn’t for him; he left to pursue music for years until the job at Masters was offered to him. Appiah also currently works in Laguardia High School as their director of their gospel choir. Head of the DOPA department, Jennifer Carnevale, Appiah and Stephanie Carbone, are currently working together on a new project, a justice choir. A justice choir is similar to a gospel choir in its vocal arrangement structure but without the religious aspect. Carnevale said she immediately thought of Appiah when the project was just an idea, especially with his experience. She said she knew he would be a great person to whom she should reach out to. “He just has become so invaluable because there is so much more to do in a music-oriented class, especially with Covid and teachers like Mr. Pugatch, Mr. Levine, and Mr. Ebersole remote,” she said.

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TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

Masters teachers serve as “powers for good” in New York prisons Mitch Fink, Editor-in-Chief

Cheryl Hajjar: Art inside the walls of Sing Sing

CHARLES MINSON

GEORGE TUCKER

GEORGE TUCKER’S VISUAL ART piece (bottom), “All Color Matter #1” is meant to convey the importance of all racial identities and ethnicities. His artwork is heavily informed by his own life experiences and personal challenges.

fter her brother was incarcerated, Cheryl Hajjar swore she would never set foot in a prison again. So, her decision to teach at Sing Sing Correctional Facility was not an easy one. When she was invited inside the walls of Sing Sing, a maximum-security prison in Ossining, N.Y., to attend a play years after her brother’s incarceration, she hesitated, but went. The show was programmed through Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), an organization which facilitates art programs in various prisons in the Hudson Valley. Hajjar was so touched by the performance that she reached out to Katherine Vockins, the founder and executive director of RTA, in hopes of teaching a visual arts course to those behind bars at Sing Sing. Hajjar eventually sold Vockins on the idea, and joined RTA in 2007 as a volunteer visual arts teacher at Sing Sing, teaching every other Tuesday night from 6:15 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Hajjar’s classes were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but prior to the shutdown last spring, they were conducted in an atelier style of learning, where participants work alongside one another in a studio setting, sharing feedback with each other and discussing their “I changed my pieces in groups. Hajjar would image of who I often bring class was, and it felt participants good that I could postcards, newsclippings do that. I did it for paper and art exhibit me. I didn’t chan- reviews to connect them with ge for others. I the outside visuchanged for me.” al art realm. She sought to find - George Tucker examples from artists of color, or who may not have had the advantages of higher education– people who the students, many of whom were people of color with a high school education or less, could see themselves in. In one project that Hajjar conceived, the participants designed style “mood boards.” Some of the boards included images of different designers and artists, or certain colors which spoke to them. Since many of the participants were fans of the renowned street artist Banksy, Hajjar designed another project where the participants created Banksy-inspired images, and then selected the location where they would

want to put their images if given the chance. When the work of RTA participants is the river’s underneath that, and it’s just really Nearly all the participants chose the neigh- shown to people on the outside, a common gorgeous and captivating,” she said. borhoods where they grew up, or their former reaction is amazement, according to Charles Tucker could relate, even inside the walls. high schools, so Hajjar and a few other teachers Moore, RTA’s Director of Operations. Moore “You could go to the yard and see the water. printed out large, full-color prints of the loca- is an alumnus of RTA, and was incarcerated at On the fourth of July the boats would come by. tions, and pinned them up on the classroom Sing Sing from 2000 until 2011, before he was You’ve got ducks and geese. Being at Sing Sing, walls for the participants transferred to a different it was so close and yet so far, being able to see to place their images. facility and ultimately trees,” he said. “At a lot of jails you don’t see no “It’s always a little bit released on parole in trees. No trees, no water. When you get to Sing about self, who I am and 2016. While incarcer- Sing, you appreciate that.” I where I come from and ated, Moore earned his Hajjar emphasized the need for people my ideas, and a little bit G.E.D, Associate’s De- on the outside to suspend their judgement about learning the craft of gree, Bachelor’s Degree against those behind bars at Sing Sing. rendering,” Hajjar said. and Master’s Degree. “People change. Every cell of your body George Tucker took “Some people will changes every day. There’s this constant Hajjar’s art course when say ‘I didn’t know they metamorphosis,” she said. “You just think, he was incarcerated at [members of RTA] did they did something bad, that’s why they’re - Cheryl Hajjar, Visual Arts Teacher Sing Sing. One of his such great work,’ and here, they deserve to be punished. And then abstract works, called I’m saying in the back you’ll meet someone who’s insanely articu“All Color Matter #1” of my head ‘why the hell late, incredibly talented, and really genuine.” was displayed outside the walls at an exhibition wouldn’t they do great work?’ Visual art is not at the Ossining Public Library. The piece is ab- something that is unique to certain individuals. stract, but Tucker said that the work is meant to Some people have this talent and somebody show that all colors–both in terms of racial and like Ms. Hajjar comes along and helps them ethnic identity and in terms of the physical col- refine it,” he said. ors of the color wheel–matter. But for Tucker, praise from those on the Tucker was first incarcerated at the age of outside raises doubts. 15, went to prison at 18, and was released in “Suppose we didn’t tell them we were March 2020 after 20 years behind bars, just incarcerated when we showed our work. as the pandemic was shutting down public life. Would we get the same response? I don’t Now, he is a member of the Ready, Willing & know,” he said. Able program in New York City, a 12-month Moore recalled Hajjar working with the CARLOS PEREZ program which provides many formerly incar- participants to create playbills for RTA shows cerated people like Tucker with a home and a at Sing Sing, and even founding an in-house job as they prepare to find permanent housing art show within the prison walls. and income. “We’re blessed to have her, and as she Tucker’s time at RTA marked a turning says, she’s blessed to have the opportunity to point in his life. After he’d been incarcerated for teach there, because it’s so rewarding for her 11 years in 2011, he said he had a reality check, just as it is for the men that she teaches. It’s a and decided to get his life together. win-win for everybody,” he said. “I wanted to keep myself busy, keep myself Tucker added, “Cheryl, she understands. together and come home,” he said. “I changed She looks past what we’ve been incarcerated my image of who I am, and it felt good that I for, she focuses all on the art. She doesn’t could do that. I did it for me. I didn’t change for judge us, and that’s a good thing.” others, I changed for me.” Hajjar hasn’t been able to visit Sing Sing, Two years later, he was transferred to Sing or see any of her current students due to the Sing, and two years after that, he got off the RTA pandemic, but she said that she’s still been waiting list and enrolled in classes. In order to receiving mail from them. CHARLES MINSON gain a coveted spot in RTA’s theater program, “I always felt very connected to the men CREATED BY RTA PROGRAM participants Tucker had to take three other courses, so and that place. I mean, Sing Sing is rough, at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossinhe signed up for dance, public speaking and but there are so many beautiful things about ing, N.Y., the visual art pieces tell the life stories of their respective artists. Upper Hajjar’s visual art class. it,” she said. Tucker looks back on his time in Hajjar’s She even pointed to the physical beauty of School visual arts teacher Cheryl Hajjar classroom fondly –– he said it served as a mental the prison as an example, vividly recalling her has been teaching art classes through an escape from his situation. drive to the facility nestled on the banks of the organization the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program since 2007. The above draw“Every time I went to RTA, and went to their Hudson River. ings were created by Carlos Perez (top) and classroom, it’s like I’m not in prison. When I do my “I’m coming down the drive and there’s Charles Minson (bottom). work, I’m free. It’s just me and my paint,” he said. the tower and the sun is setting behind it and

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always felt very connected to the men and that place. I mean, Sing Sing is rough, but there are so many beautiful things about it.”

Smith: Cultivating a Latin classroom on Rikers Island

mith, an upper school Latin teach- month in advance. And her evening commute er, has taught Latin to those behind from the West Side of Manhattan to the school bars at the Rose M. Singer Center at Rosie’s took two hours in each direction to –the women’s prison at the Rikers teach a class lasting no longer than an hour and Correctional Center on Rikers Is- a half. land in New York City–since 2017. “It’s just so much bureaucracy,” Smith said. Like Hajjar, Smith has been unable to teach “You wait on the bus, you wait to get processed. her students at Rose M. Singer, better known as You wait for another bus, you wait to get pro“Rosie’s,” due to the pandemic. cessed. You wait to get picked up to be escortShe began teaching at the jail through a pro- ed to the school, you wait for your students to gram called People’s Education Initiative. The be escorted, and then when your students go, program facilitates eveyou have to wait for all ning classes at Rosie’s, of them to be escorted and focuses on providing each of their wings A lot of my students are tobefore educational opportuniyou can leave at in prison because they were night.” ties to the women at the prison. Smith said that her defending their children, or deFollowing the elecdecision to teach incartion of President Trump fending themselves in domestic cerated women was an in 2016, Smith turned intentional one. abuse relationships.” towards volunteer teach“A lot of my students - Smith, Latin Teacher ing, looking for a popuare in prison because lation of students who she they were defending thought “would be ignored.” their children, or defending themselves in doRosie’s became a clear choice. Unlike Sing mestic abuse relationships,” she said. “There Sing, a maximum-security prison, the Rikers are a lot of populations that are overlooked withCorrectional Facility which includes Rosie’s is a in the systems that are overlooked.” complex of jails used for holding those awaiting Smith grew up in extreme poverty in the trial and those serving sentences of one year or small city of Joplin, Mo.–her mother raised less. Yet, that hasn’t stopped what many prison- Smith and her four siblings on $12,500 a year, ers at the facility call a “pervasive culture of rape the family lived on food stamps and donations and other sexual abuse.” In fact, the conditions from local charities and Smith later faced homeat the prison are so grim that the New York City lessness in high school and college. She said that Council has voted to close the entire Rikers fa- her upbringing in Joplin, a community where cility (including Rosie’s) by 2026. domestic violence was also a major issue, influAt Rosie’s, things move slowly–often excru- enced her desire to teach the women at Rosie’s. ciatingly so. When Smith went about planning Although she hasn’t had to face what she a Roman meal with her students, consisting of called the “ugliness” of an “inefficient penal sysfruit, chickpea dip and cheese, she was required tem” herself, she said she can often relate to her to clear the items through security nearly a students at Rosie’s, many of whom also come

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from impoverished backgrounds, more than she can to the students she teaches at Masters, or some of the other private schools she’s taught at in the northeast. “Their life experiences mirror my own life experiences,” she said. As she does with her students at Masters, Smith has encouraged her students at Rikers to take on a Roman name of their own; hers is ‘Fabra,’ the Latin name for a smith or craftsman. Even the correctional officers who oversee Smith’s courses got involved and some asked to be given Latin names, or wondered about the Latin roots of legal terms like “habeas corpus.” Working at Rikers presents unique challenges for Smith’s pedagogical approach. Since the facility is often used for detainment and holding those serving short sentences, Smith initially had a mix of students who she’s had in her class for multiple years, and others who only attend a few of her courses before being transferred, until she ultimately was able to make a roster of students who would be able to attend her classes consistently. “If you’re teaching a language, you want to be able to build momentum with the language,” she said, “so when you have students in your classes who are there for a couple of weeks and then get transferred, and then you have students who are there for three years, they’re in vastly different places.” Smith was especially cognizant of her class’s subject matter; the Roman history that is often taught in Latin classrooms can be full of dark history. “I’m in a highly oppressive subject matter, a 2,000 year-old language that has slavery, and pushing women, people with dwarfism, people with disabilities all to the side in favor of upholding this crazy narrative arc of power.”

SMITH

SMITH’S ID CARD FOR Rikers Correctional Facility, located in New York City. Smith has taught Latin at Rosie’s, the women’s prison at the complex, since 2017 through a program called the People’s Education Initiative. She said she was first inspired to teach a group of people she “thought would be ignored.” But Smith said she welcomes the challenge to tackle the disturbing aspects of Latin in her classes. She views it as an opportunity to teach another lesson to her students, even if it isn’t the vocabulary or grammar of the Latin language. “If you can dig into those stories, those stories to me are why I want to reach students,” she said. Smith echoed Moore’s sentiment on the at-times condescending reactions of people outside the walls. She recalled people laughing when she told them she taught Latin at Rikers, as if the notion of an incarcerated person learning Latin was so far-fetched that it was funny. Even Smith herself had harsh words for

the way she initially viewed the opportunity to teach at Rikers–she said she initially felt like by teaching there she would be a sort of “savior” there to help them, a perspective she called “closed-minded, elitist and idealistic.” Once she began to spend time in the classroom at Rosie’s, she changed her mentality. “I really feel that the more I’ve done work with them, the more they’ve taught me.”

“If you can dig into those stories, those stories to me are why I want to reach students.” - Smith, Latin Teacher

TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

Getting a handle on teen sports betting Sports Editor

to New Jersey where e-betting is legal. “I don’t bet that often,” he explained, “but my brothers like to bet like every week. Sometimes my family drives over the Tappan Zee Bridge in half an hour to New Jersey and stops in a parking lot, all so my brothers could bet on football.” Many New York residents do the same thing. In fact, 20 percent of New Jersey’s handle is made up of wagers from New York

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Crossword

It’s exhilarating, it just feels like you’re a freaking genius. You say ‘I knew that was gonna hit. I’m a freaking beast.” - Sammy Doe ‘22

bettors who have crossed state lines. However, this option is not available for all, especially those who are under 21 and still can’t legally bet in most states. Like Doe, many teenagers are left to bet in underground pools, usually organized by a bookie, an individual who collects bets and pays out at the end of the week. While betting in this manner is untaxed and convenient, it is also less secure. Doe said, “Some people do something called ghosting. They make a huge bet with a bookie, and if they lose, instead of

Created by Andrew Mitchell

paying, they just block them on Snapchat, block their number and never talk to them again.” He continued, “The scary thing is that some bookies can track your IP address through the betting website.” Doe recounted his friend trying to get out of paying $500 that he had lost gambling. “His bookie said ‘nice try’ and threatened him by sending him his family’s home address.” Despite the risk, Doe described the feeling of winning a bet. “It’s exhilarating,” he said. “It just feels like you’re a freaking genius. You say ‘I knew that was gonna hit. I’m a freaking beast.’” Miller echoed the same sentiment: “You feel like you’re a fortune teller. It’s like having five tests in a row and acing them all,’’ he said. More so than the money itself, Doe explained the impact betting has on his enjoyment of a game. “I bet for the first time when a big college basketball game was on. I asked my friend if I could place a bet with his bookie, and then we sat there for two hours watching a game that meant nothing to us. All of a sudden, I had two hours of just pure adrenaline and exhilaration. Betting just turned nothing into something,” he said.

1. Q-tip for a COVID test 5. Gas pedal abbr. 10. Tiny building block 14. Simpson with a sax 15. Sao _____ (largest city by population in Brazil) 16. 1 of 206 in a human body 17. Notable Descartes quote* 20. Oregano relative 21. Greek letter preceding omega 22. Skateboarding jump 23. Ice Bucket Challenge disease 25. ___-mo 27. Crisis hosp. wings 28. Rid something of flaws* 34. Partner of “neither” 35. The Bee Gees, for one 36. Sound of disapproval 40. “Mi ____ es tu ____” 42. A large at Starbucks 44. Musician Ono 45. God, in the Torah 47. Plane ticket information 49. 2016 Summer Olympics location 50. Secret writing fluid, or the theme to the stared clues 53. Flavor enhancer often found in Chinese food 56. Barbie’s boyfriend 57. CPR pro 58. Nullify, as a marriage 60. Apt name for a lawyer 63. Spanish figure skating figures 67. “Your words have serious consequences”* 70. “Personally…” 71. Pick up a pound pup 72. Like the number for this clue 73. Zoomed 74. Coin for a hot cross bun, or two 75. Caves Want to submit a crossword to Tower? Contact andrew.mitchell@mastersny.org

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1. Cut, as from an X-acto knife 2. “I’m ____ stupid” (t-shirt slogan) 3. Like Santa after a day of gift delivering 4. Gotham City protector 5. Orangutan or gorilla 6. Common freshwater fish 7. Breaking sticks 8. Pointy-eared 9. Bathroom for a brit 10. Genesis murder victim 11. Scenic fabric 12. Live, as the radio 13. They may go viral 18. Spartan serf 19. Horizontal or vertical movers in chess 24. Endure 26. “Relax” as Paul McCartney might say it 28. Ancient Peruvian 29. Frost took the one less traveled, in poem 30. Approximation phrase 31. Ascot eg. (or a homophone of 43-down) 32. Kitchen picker-uppers 33. Stargazer’s realm 37. Actress Spelling of “BH90210” 38. Scrape, as a knee 39. Wierdo 41. Skywalker’s old nickname in “Star Wars” 43. ___ chi (or a homophone of 31-down) 46. Place for a house arrest monitor 48. “Tickle Me” dolls 51. Word before joke or job 52. Carved 53. Milkshake alternatives 54. Dogg who raps 55. Common garden dweller 59. Like a crumpled up tissue 61. Once ____ a time… 62. Big name in sports broadcasting 64. Home for a queen? 65. Sign in a store window, at times 66. Figs. to keep private 68. 400m on a track 69. Home for a hog

Similarly, Miller often bets on parlays–bets that are contingent on multiple things happening. Every shot or rebound helps to make the bet. The thrill lasts throughout the entire game,” he said. Currently, New Yowrk loses all of the pontial tax revenue from bettors like Doe and Miller, a loss that could be prevented by allowing mobile and online betting. When betting is state-regulated, profits from a bet are subject to taxation. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York State regulations may change. During the past year, the pandemic has sunk New York’s budget into an estimated $50 billion deficit. A deficit

ELLA TANG/TOWER

that gambling could help to resolve. In early January, Governor Andrew Cuomo expressed his support for legalizing e-betting in New York–an encouraging sign for New York sports bettors. “New York has the potential to be the largest sports wagering market in the United States, and by legalizing online sports betting, we aim to keep millions of dollars in tax revenue here at home, which will only strengthen our ability to rebuild from the COVID-19 crisis,” he said. Miller addressed the possibility of being able to bet in New York. “I hope they legalize it. It would save my family a lot of gas money.”

Reflection: Watching football with my dad brought us together SOPHIA VAN BEEK News Editor

ACROSS

DISCLAIMER: The students referenced in the article are recognised under aliases for saftey and privacy purposes.

ANDREW MITCHELL

unior Sammy Doe starts off each week with a text to his bookie to place his bets for the weekend’s NFL games. He first takes a look at the spreads for each game, drafts parlays, and considers the money line for each matchup. He thinks about what he saw last week. He thinks about what teams he’s “hot on.” He gets a feeling, places the bet and waits for the weekend to see if it “hits.” “I know the lingo is kinda confusing,” he said. “I had no idea what any of these words meant, and now I use them everyday.” In New York State, online and mobile sports betting is illegal. Despite having the third most professional sports teams and having the fourth largest population of any state, New York harbors one of the smallest legal markets for sports betting in the United States. In 2019, with legal betting left exclusively to tribal and commercial casinos, New York’s betting handle, or total amount of money wagered, was $7,783,426. In contrast, in New Jersey, where online betting is legal, the handle was $4.5 billion, 80 percent of which was from online or mobile betting, despite the state having less than half of the population of New York. The current regulations in New York promote gambling in two capacities outside of a casino: crossing state lines into states like New Jersey where mobile betting is legal or unregistered betting, which is unregulated by the state. Sophomore John Miller bets by traveling

SPORTS

hen my father was a sophomore at Southern Methodist University in the fall of 1988, he walked onto the school’s football team. A week later, he quit. The two-a-day practices in the blistering Texas heat weren’t worth the fantasy of a college football career at a disgraced football program, which had been banned from playing for two years after receiving the NCAA “death penalty” following a scandal involving illegal payments to players. For almost my entire life, I had no interest in watching football. I didn’t know the difference between an extra point and a field goal until this past season. I don’t know what moved me to go downstairs one Sunday to watch the Vikings-Packers game with my dad. I told him I needed a win, or something to root for. After months of a growing distance between us,

I think I just wanted to reach out to him. The game was important to my father, and so it suddenly became important to me. The past several years, for as long as my family has lived in New York, my dad has put on his lucky #38 Minnesota Vikings jersey and watched every single game by himself. When the Vikings lose – which is more often than he’d like – I watch him sink into the sofa cushions in disappointment. He’s been a life-long Vikings fan, but not by choice (as my mother once put it, sometimes we are raised where we are raised.) Tell anybody you’re a Vikings fan and they’ll cringe – memories of botched playoff games, overtime fumbles, or the roof of their stadium collapsing. Twice (never underestimate Minnesota snow.) But it’s a testament to my dad’s character that he puts his jersey on for every game, and tries not to get his hopes up, and continues to be a fan, without reservations, despite the agony and seemingly inevitable disappointment of rooting for the franchise.

SOPHIA VANBEEK/TOWER

GREGORY VAN BEEK GREW up in Edina, Minnesota and has been a lifelong Vikings fan. He played football throughout middle and high school, and now he enjoys Sunday afternoons watching NFL games with his youngest daughter.

It’s not that the team, with an 82-76 record over the last decade, is bad. Often, things just go wrong at the worst times, either due to questionable calls by the coaches or plain old bad luck. My father still cringes when he recalls the 2009 (NFC) championship game (for reference, the Vikings last went to the Super Bowl in 1977, when he was eight-years-old.) The tied game, which featured Minnesota and the New Orleans Saints, had been a back and forth contest throughout, and with less than three minutes left, the Vikings were driving for a field goal attempt. Then a flag was thrown because there were too many men on the field, and quarterback Brett Favre threw a heart-wrenching turnover to a Saints cornerback. Although the game went into overtime, my dad recalls that it was clear who the losers were straight from that interception. By this December, I was fully committed to seeing the Vikings’ season through. Beyond becoming closer with my dad, I’d grown attached to Justin Jefferson’s touchdown dance, and Dalvin Cook’s powerful runs. Then came our game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, arguably a turning point in the season. Our kicker missed every extra point and field goal. It cost the Vikings 10 total points in a game we lost by 12, despite outplaying Tampa Bay in almost every other measure. My father told me it was my first taste of that Vikings misfortune. He added that years of rooting for the franchise doesn’t make that feeling any less bad. We sulked back into our corners of the house. As I’ve gotten older, the common ground between my father and I has slowly gotten smaller. Now, we have football. But it was never actually about the sport, of course. And while I’m probably more emotionally perceptive than him, I think he knows that, too. If it wasn’t important to my dad, I never would have spent a minute in front of a football game. I understand my father better now. He’s a patient man, and doesn’t mind re-explaining the more complicated rules to me, like what an onsides pass is and the difference between holding and pass interference. Recently, he’s been sending me tweets from his favorite account, Super 70s Sports, which I don’t really get, but still laugh at. It’s his way of reaching out. No matter how horrible our weeks were, or how I really should be spending my evening on homework, we both make our way to the living room, accompanied by the smell of microwave popcorn and the sound of artificial cheers in an empty stadium, to watch his hometown team. And I return to that image of a nineteen-year-old Gregory Van Beek (only two years older than I am now) walking wideeyed into a college stadium and deciding that his love of football should be reserved for the living room with his daughter.

TOWER/FEB. 5, 2021

SPORTS

SportS

Former Masters star Coffey takes talent to the pros KWYNNE SCHLOSSMAN Web Editor and Social Media Manager

asters alumna Sam Coffey was drafted to the Portland Thorns FC on Jan. 13, a team in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as the 12th pick in the league’s 2021 draft.

Coffey served as captain of the Masters girls’ varsity soccer team in 2015 and 2016, leading the team to the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) league semi-finals. According to Coffey, her time playing for Masters was instrumental in her journey to become a professional soccer player, and in cultivating her love for the sport. “I can’t believe I can do what I love most as my profession. It’s work and it’s competitive, but Masters brought another version of the

game to me, just playing and being around my friends made it an escape,” she said. Hernando Santamaria, former girls’ varsity head soccer coach for the majority of Coffey’s time at Masters, played a pivotal role in her success. Their bond helped Coffey to improve her play on the field and guide her through games. Santamaria said, “Sam spoke her mind and did the work. She was able to help me understand the Masters culture.” He continued,

“She held my hand through getting intro- ture. There is business to be done here first,” duced to the community.” she said. Santamaria, known as Nando to many of Although Coffey has seen a string of recent his players, formed a close relationship with major successes, she hasn’t forgotten moCoffey centered around their shared love for ments in her career when she felt like her time the sport. playing soccer had reached its end. Coffey had “He is always one of the first people to been on the USA World Cup U20 team for a congratulate me. He is a great guy––Nando. year but was cut in 2018. He fostered an environment where I could be “I was heartbroken, I had given everything flexible with my schedule and he genuinely be- I had to the team. I controlled all the controlcame a friend to me at Masters,” Coffey said. lables and gave it all my effort. It was such a Coffey’s impact and lasting legacy on the pivotal moment in my career where I felt I had soccer program at Masters remains evident to- nothing left to give,” she said. day, as her current achievements continue to Coffey attributes much of her success to inspire her former teammates. Alumna Jenny- this setback––viewing her failure as another fer “JJ” Marquez played with Coffey her soph- obstacle to overcome. omore year. Marquez “It taught me so reflected on her experimuch about what it ence playing alongside means to fall short of Coffey. a goal and how to deal All the aspirations that “When sharing the with that adversity. I I’ve been dreaming of since I first know I am learning to field with Sam, she was not only a teammate accept failure and not touched a soccer ball are combut she was also a menfear it, since it has proing true, and I couldn’t be more tor. She taught us what vided me with some of thankful. hard work looks like, the deepest experiences and now that we’ve and lessons that I have seen what she’s achad,” Coffey said. - Sam Coffey ‘18 complished, she conTo play professiontinues to inspire me to ally has been a longtime this day to never give dream of Coffey’s, and up. She showed me what real determination she looks forward to making a tangible impact looked like,” she said. on the team’s successes on and off the field. Coffey went on to play Division I soccer at “I want to be a rookie who has an immediBoston College, where she was named First ate effect. I want to grow as a player in every Team All-American in 2018. She then trans- way,” she said. ferred to Penn State before starting her junior Coffey achieved her goal: the ability to year, making a major impact on the Nittany translate what she loves and is passionate Lions––she scored 11 goals and was named about into her occupation. First Team All-Big Ten. She added, “All the aspirations that I’ve Now a senior at Penn State, Coffey’s sights been dreaming of since I first touched a soccer are set on winning the national championship. ball are coming true, and I couldn’t be more “I am focusing on staying present here at thankful.” Penn State instead of jumping ahead in the fu-

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ISAAC CASS

SAM COFFEY DRIBBLES THE ball in a game during her early high school soccer career. Coffey was a star midfielder at Masters and went on to play Division I soccer at Boston College and then Penn State. Now, she will head off to Portland, Oregon to play for the Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges for recruits ETHAN SCHLAPP Sports Lead Editor

AID AN M

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s athletes around the country have started to make a safe return to the playing field, there is one group of competitors who have been especially frustrated by the challenging athletic circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic: National College Athletic Association (NCAA) recruits in the Class of 2021 and 2022. From strict protocols in the spring and early summer to a near-full return to sports for many in recent months, the last year has been quite the rollercoaster. And as the athletics world nears the end of the extended NCAA dead period, it will mark a return to some sort of normalcy for these highly-talented high school student-athletes. Although the dead period, normally a time for coaches to watch competitors play in-person and to discuss recruitment with these athletes, was pushed back for the safety of players, families and coaches, many athletes saw this as a missed opportunity for recruitment. And unfortunately

working harder than I have any other offseafor competitors, this decision affects both the son,” he said. “I’ve been getting to the gym Classs of 2021 recruits and also the Class of five days a week, hitting almost every day, 2022 recruits. [and] I [have] a team practice on Sundays.” However, Masters Athletic Director LoIn the meantime, McLaren said that he has gan Condon said he recognized the value of reached out to numerous schools via email the extension. to express his interest in their baseball pro“I think the main grams, given the reason why it was lack of face-to-face put into play was to recruitment. This offseason, I’ve probably keep the playing field “I mean, it level,” Condon said. been working harder than I have any might not seem “Because the reality much now, but other offseason. I’ve been getting to like is, state-to-state, our down the line you the gym five days a week, hitting al- don’t know––they [COVID-19] protocols are completely most every day, [and] I [have] a team could show up at different,” he continone of your events, practice on Sundays. ued. you won’t even Specifically, Connotice them in the don noted how there stands, and they - Aidan McLaren ‘22 were big differences can reach back out between a state like to you,” he said. Florida, which only saw light protocols, “It’s all gain and there’s no real loss you can and New York, where sports protocols have get from doing that.” remained much stricter. In addition, Condon stressed the imporAlong with the dead period shift tance of self-advocacy for athletes during for Division I athletes, scheduling of this time. Whether it be compiling gameplay sports practices and games in general film to send to schools or just reaching out in for competitors of all skill levels general, Condon believes players should be were completely thrown off. Junior proactive. Aidan McLaren, an infielder and “Taking all that time–you are still trainpitcher for Masters’ varsity baseball ing–but maybe the time that you’d be travelteam and travel team East ing to and from practices or tournaments or Coast Elite, spoke about how whatnot and [spend it] getting to know the his travel team’s schedule has school, really getting to know the coach, dobeen affected by Covid. ing you research to really advocate for your“I’d say about 50 to 60 percent of the self and for why you can be a part of those good events had to get canceled. We were programs,” he said. scheduled to go down [to] Georgia...that was The future remains uncertain for recruits the biggest one that got canceled,” he said. like McLaren, but Condon emphasized the As a result, his team was forced to partici- need for athletes to keep pushing forward, pate in more local events–nothing more than especially under these circumstances. two or three hours away. And because he did He said “I would say just keep working on not have the opportunity to participate in big- your craft, kind of take the recruitment reins ger tournaments, he did not receive as many in your own hands, really figure out what types in-person looks from coaches and scouts. of schools are the ones that you really want to Though McLaren, a potential Division III be a part of and what communities you want to baseball recruit, was disheartened at the loss join...And it’s really just getting to know what of major events and showcases, he was still the needs of a program are and trying.” able to work on refining his skills during the pandemic. “This offseason, I’ve probably been

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Remote athletes remain on sidelines while sports resume TIM MATHAS Opinion Lead Editor

hile a return to in-person team practices has provided many students with a sense of semi-normalcy and an opportunity to participate in the winter sports season, many remote members of the student body feel left behind. These students, many of whom are athletes and important leaders for their respective teams, have limited means of participating on their team this school year. For senior Carly Grizzaffi, a member of the girls’ varsity swim team since she came to Masters as a sophomore, not being able to be a part of the team disconnected her from her teammates. “The swim team has been a really big part of my Masters career. A lot of my friends are in-person and go to practices, so I definitely feel like I am missing out on socialization, and of course I just miss my sport. It’s definitely been a rough experience not being able to be a part of the team this year,” she said. Grizzaffi noted that losing the opportunity to swim for the team has also had an adverse effect on her academic life. “Swimming was definitely my biggest academic reliever. I’m a pretty dedicated student and sometimes swimming was the only break I would have during the school week between studying and doing homework,” she said. International student-athletes are also feeling the effects of not being able to be a part of their respective sports teams this year. Junior Sunny Shi, a foil fencer on the varsity fencing team, mentioned some of the difficulties of trying to be a part of the team while living abroad in a country that is 13 hours ahead. “I only attend two periods of class each day because it is too late for me. I don’t have any idea how people fence this year.” she said. “I will definitely appreciate any way I can practice or be a part of the sports team, but I have no idea how it could work. Even if it could work or if they had a special section it would still feel like I am missing something,” she added. Even though Shi is still able to fence in her

own community, it does not make up for the fact that she cannot practice alongside her teammates at school. “I was in a fencing club in China before I came to Masters. If I have time I just go there and practice, but they don’t have that same atmosphere or environment because most of my Chinese teammates already go to college or are in another city, so what I do there is just fence with the coach,” she said. For junior Allen Ning, not being able to play on the boys’ varsity basketball team distanced him from his friends as well as made him miss being a part of something bigger. Ning said, “A lot of my friends are from the basketball team and because I’m missing out this year I also wasn’t able to connect with the new members of the team... for almost four months you practice everyday for two hours and you go on the bus together and you eat together. I definitely miss that part.”

ALLEN NING

JUNIOR ALLEN NING TAKES a three-point jump shot at a local school in Guangzhou, China. Ning practiced with his local basketball team this past season, but he was unable to play in any games because he did not attend the school.