Tower Issue #6 (2021-2022)

49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522

CELEBRATING FRANK DECICCO PAGE 5

Photo Courtesy of Keydren Clark

VOLUME 78, NUMBER 6

Read more on tower.mastersny.org ETHAN SCHLAPP/TOWER

TOWER The Masters School

MARCH MADNESS CONNECTION AT MASTERS PAGE 12

@masterstower

APRIL 29, 2022

“I want people to know they can depend on me and that I can help others and contribute to the community.”

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Amaris Asiedu:

Amaris Asiedu

Jocelyn Acevedo

Photo credit for all co-chair profiles to Andrew Mitchell, unless otherwise specified.

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Jocelyn Acevedo:

“I want to be co-chair because I want to improve the student culture at Masters to be more inclusive. I don’t want anybody’s voice to be dismissed or to feel like they’re not heard.”

Nathaniel Atwell:

C

Nat Attwell

Alexis Estime

“I think I can lead people fairly effectively, because I’m not going to back down to anybody.”

Alexis Estime: “I’ve always loved this community and I’ve always looked up to the co-chairs since I was a freshman. I want to relay that positive energy to everyone else in the community.”

Photo courtesy of Alexis Estime

Zahali Vauclena Tyler Hack

Luca Lorance

Tyler Hack

Peter Vega

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“I would like to review various aspects of our academic curriculum to try to balance teachers’ autonomy over their own classes with students’ mental health.”

Luca Lorance:

F

“I want to continue to bring joy to Morning Meetings, and also be the voice of the student body.”

Zahali Vauclena:

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“I want to further push the Project bill and other bills that help people who are less financially stable to buy sports equipment. We should be allocating funds so that more people are able to be active parts of the sports team.”

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Peter Vega: “I think it’s important that we strive to do better as a School and fulfill our mission statement.”

Package Five

Jesse Xu

Jesse Xu

Check out TBN

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“I’m really good at talking with people, having people talk to me, and listening to what the community wants.”

I

Choice Option

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ith Spring blooming and graduation approaching for current student leaders, the Masters community is looking ahead to the next school year. The co-chair election for the 2022-

an amendment to the Executive Committee by-laws which proposed a new way of calculating the winner in a rank choice election. At the time of this article’s writing, the amendment has not yet been discussed or voted on.

Choice Option

Editor-in-Chief & Lead News Editor

23 school year begins with a primary election on Monday, May 2. Following the primary, which will narrow the election down to four candidates, each student will give a speech with voting to follow on May 10.

There are currently nine candidates in the running, seven of whom are people of color, making up one of the most diverse co-chair elections in recent history.

The election will be by rank choice. On April 27, senior Clyde Lederman presented

Choice Option

Sophia Van Beek & Andrew Mitchell

Choice Option

Electing our next leaders: 2022-23 co-chair elections 1st

2nd

3rd

4th

2

TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

NEWS

Don’t say gay bill passes in Florida, students react Carol Queiroz

Executive Producer, TBN

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n March 28, the Florida senate House Bill 1557 for Parental Rights in Education — called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents — was signed and approved.

Among other clauses, this bill bans LGBTQ+ education in public primary schools in the state’s districts for younger children. After winning a Republican-controlled house vote of 69-47 and a senate vote of 2217, Florida’s Governor Ron De-

Santis (R) passed the bill, which is set to take effect on July 1, 2022.

This isn’t the only clause in this bill: other clauses include the prohibition of a school district from maintaining procedures that require school district personnel to withhold information from a parent related to a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being, implement student support training, adopt procedures to allow parents to file official complaints to the school and much more. But the ban of LGBTQ+ discussions in the classroom has been the clause that has sparked the most controversy throughout the nation.

Sophomore Willow Maniscalco,

who considers herself an LGBTQ+ activist and is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, opposes the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. She believes the bill is hypocritical and has the potential to hurt closeted students.

“As someone who has been outed before, I know from first-hand experience that it’s not fun. So having it being legally required for teachers to out children if the kids come to them in confidence about their personal identity is disgusting to me. You don't always know the family situation, that kid's life could be ruined, because they're queer. They could get kicked out.

But these representatives don't care about that.” Maniscalco said.

“Not only that, but we have bigger world issues we should be concerned about. There's climate change, there is a war going on in Ukraine. But these Floridian Republicans are so dead set on taking away human rights instead of improving humanity as a whole.”

According to the bill’s official summary, this clause of the bill has the intention to “prohibit classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

Florida State Representative Joe Harding (R), who first introduced the bill, stated that the bill’s intention is to keep parents “in the know and involved on what’s going on” in an interview with TIME. Harding said, "Creating boundaries at an early age of what is appropriate in our schools, when we are funding our schools, is not hate. It’s actually providing boundaries, and it’s fair to our teachers and

our school districts to know what we expect." Yet many are interpreting the bill’s language as discriminatory towards the LGBTQ+ community, especially queer students, teachers, parents and allies.

Sophomore Chanel Neal, another student who opposes this clause of the bill, echoed Maniscalco’s statements.

“I think that this bill is a form of discrimination because of the fact that it's teaching kids that being gay something to be ashamed of, something not to talk about. Classrooms should be safe spaces; you don't have a place in the world if you don't have a place in the classroom.”

Sophomore Allison Tarter has worked on a research paper on educational censorship for multiple classes and believes that the majority of parents in support of this bill are also attempting to avoid having their kids learn about homophobia from a young age. “​ While I was researching for my paper, I heard so many parents

being like ‘I don't want my kids to grow up hearing about racism and homophobia and get affected by it.’

So they shelter their kids to avoid learning about all of that stuff in hopes that they will grow up ignorant and blissfully unaware about our world's problems.” Tarter said “But I think that is the worst possible thing you could do for any child. Pretending that the issues aren't there won't make it go away. We need to be talking about topics like this in the classroom.”

This is not the first time in the history of U.S. legislation that we have seen states attempting to limit LGBTQ+ education, specifically in public school classrooms. In Texas, there has been legislation to ban books and novels that discuss race, sexual orientation and gender identity. All over the nation, there have been bills written to prevent transgender youth from competing in sports and to get gender afferming surgeries. And now most recently, this “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

News Brief:

GSA educates community on LGBTQ+ issues Maya Phillips

Features Editor

CREATIVE COMMONS

THE “DON’T SAY GAY” Bill, passed in Florida, is vastly criticized. This billl aims to ban any discussion surrounding LGBTQ+ issues in young students’ classrooms.

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n April 7th 2020, Masters students gathered for an assembly organized by the Gender, Sexuality club (GSA).

Students shared their personal

stories and experiences and highlighted current legislation which harms the LGBTQI+ community.

Junior Tyler Hack and Junior Angelica Lopez Tucker shared their pronouns bill, which includes pronouns being added to a Google Sheet available to faculty to limit misgendering. Other presentations focused on treating sapphic relationships with respect, the

fetishization of queer women, being a POC and LGBTQI+, racism within the LGBTQ+ community, Homophobia in BIPOC communities and the harm of making “gay jokes” Co-Chairs of GSA Tyler Hack and Luke Brynes conducted a debunking misconceptions game and concluded by explaining to importance of being an ally to the LGBTQI+ community.

After years of Covid struggles, boarding community comes together Matthias Jaylen

Social Media Manager

S

ince the beginning of Covid pandemic, the boarding community has been through it all. The program has dealt with being shutdown for Covid. Then it reopened with heavy restrictions like mask usage at all times and borders not being allowed into other borders’ rooms.

After the previous Head of Residential Life, Dena Torino left, the program welcomed the new Head of Residential Life, Jayde Bennett.

Even through a tumultuous last three years, the program has recovered through its community-building, diversity, and strong relationships.

Bennett’s transition into the position was tough because they had to build new policies and formalize old ones.

They said, “It’s been an okay transition. The hardest part is having to write down all these policies somewhere, because they were previously not written down, and if they were, they were written down in different places, so I’m

trying to gather the information in one place and making sure everyone knows what is happening.”

Bennett has appreciated the opportunities for students to come together. They said, “I think any of the highlights are when the community is gathered together. I think the really awesome thing is that in the evenings, with the evening enrichment schedule happening, you really see lots of informal gatherings. It’s really nice to see that we do have a vibrant community in the evening.”

Though Bennett talked about the evening enrichment schedule and how it provided a way for students to gather, the enrichment schedule was suspended for the week, said Bennett in an email on Tuesday. In the all-boarder email, they said, “There weremultiple reports from the athletics office and Fonseca Center staff that the gym has been left in disarray. In addition, the equipment cages were broken into and balls and other equipment damaged.”

Bennett encouraged all the boarders to be an example for each other by modeling good behavior and holding each other accountable.

On another note, Bennett said that the diversity in the boarding

program is a positive thing for the entire Masters community. They said, “A lot of our diversity in the school comes from the boarding program and that includes race, gender, sexuality and socioeconomic status, so it’s cool to see people from different places coming from different stages in life connecting in our program.”

Sophomore Angel Henriquez echoed Bennet’s sentiments on the diversity of the program. Henriquez said, “My experience has been pretty good this year, I really appreciate the diversity there is. There are people coming from different corners of the world.

It’s interesting to get to know all of these people from different backgrounds, upbringings and socioeconomic backgrounds. It’s a big melting pot of people and I’m excited to be a part of that.”

Henriquez reminisced on his freshman year and his time in the dorms. He noted how Covid made dorm life very difficult for him and other students. Henriquez said, “There’s a lot more social interaction. Last year in Cole Dorm we couldn’t even have more than three people in the common room at the same time and that was upsetting. You’d think that you’d

RYAN GUAN/TOWER

SENIORS GEORGE CHANG AND Michael Couri are both boarders in Thompson Dorm. They are sitting at the Head’s Brunch, an event in which boarding students perform, listen to speeches and enjoy a meal together.

be able to get to know some of the people you live with on more of a close level. We didn’t have that last year because of Covid and now we have that flexibility.”

Henriquez gave a shout out to the Director of Transportation and Weekend Activities, Ed Gormley, for organizing all the weekend activities for the boarding students. Henriquez said, “There’s a lot of great activities. Mr. Gormley does an amazing job by trying his best to bring the dorms together through activities.”

Freshman Velizar Lazarov has loved his experience in the dorms this year. “The dorms have really brought us together and I’ve felt really connected to the community in general. It was a good feeling especially when we got rid of the masks. It was much more lively on campus.” Lazarov acknowledged how the dorm staff have been supportive to students and fostered a good community in the dorm.

Some students felt frustrated with some aspects of the program.

Sophomore Amber Lincoln said the boarding program hinders her as a volleyball player. Lincoln plays for the Robert Jacobson Sports Volleyball team and practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7-10 p.m. That interferes with her study hall hours in the evening (8-10 p.m.) and as she is an underclassmen, she must have lights out by 11 p.m. That makes it difficult for her to complete her work on time.

Lincoln said, “Sports is how a lot of us want to get into college, and that is especially true for boarders. It's very hard for me to do volleyball outside of school and I have to sacrifice a lot in order to stay on track with school at the same time.”

Lincoln then talked about how she feels as though the program doesn’t support students when they need mental health help.

Lincoln said, “Every year a bill is proposed to allow students to take mental health days in their rooms but it never passes. [The School] puts us under constant stress with excessive homework and unnecessary extracurriculars, and on days when we just need a break so we don’t break, we aren’t given it.”

In order to take a day off in the Health Center, borders must talk to a school counselor first. Lincoln finds this unnecessary. She said, “We don’t always want to talk about our problems with a counselor.”

In response to Lincoln’s com-

ment about a boarding student taking a day off when having a hard time emotionally, Bennett said, “Purely

man I was able to get to know some of the seniors and juniors which I probably wouldn’t

RYAN GUAN/TOWER

TIM YANG ‘23 GIVES A speech at Thompson’s Head Brunch about new beginnings for both the freshman and senior boarders from a safety and caring standpoint, if a student is in so much distress that they can not go to class or activities, then that’s concerning enough to have an adult or another pair of eyes on them. Simply leaving a student in their rooms to their own devices is not necessarily the best way to support someone.”

Senior Sarah Wu remembered what the program was like preCovid and how the organization of the dorms was different. PreCovid, there was no senior only dorm and the dorms weren’t organized by grade like they are now.

She said, “Before Covid we were in a dorm with a range of freshmen to seniors so as a fresh-

know that well [otherwise].”

Wu spoke about her experience as a proctor in Cole Dorm now. She said, “Me and my friend are the only seniors in the dorm; we have a young dorm. We have new students, freshmen, and sophomores and I’m really grateful to know a lot of people from the underclassmen grades.”

Visit tower.mastersny. org for more photos of Thompson’s Head Brunch.

TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

3

NEWS

Strayer Gym set to open MISH amends election process after extensive construction News Brief:

Andrew Mitchell Lead News Editor

M

ISH is currently in “growth mode” as it revamps and rebrands, changing the election process as a result. Grades nine through eleven will no longer participate in MISH elections, and instead will be chosen through a new selection process. Candidates will be required to attend three MISH

meetings, fill out applications with open-ended questions and agree to outlined commitments.

The senior class will still have an election, but prospective candidates will go through a similar selection process to determine their eligibility to run.

Program Coordinator for MISH, Kaity Liao explained the rationale behind the decisions.

“The previous election process emphasized extroversion and there was no prerequisite– only give a speech and then class vote. Speaking from my own

experience, not everyone interested in community service is outgoing and extroverted,” Liao said. “With all the injustices and inequities going on in the world today, I need more dedicated officers willing to do the work outside of meetings.”

Co-chair of MISH Oliva Stern explained why the new process promotes inclusivity.

“It’s a more equitable way to get involved with MISH and helps to remove the popularity contests that often exist in schoolwide elections.”

PTA President to step down for preschool director position Kwynne Schlossman Lead Features Editor

LUCAS SEGUINOT/TOWER

THIS LOGO, LIKE MANY others on the wall, was chosen by the Athletic Department during the Strayer Gym renovations. The Gym includes three horizontal basketball courts, one shown in this image.

Lucas Seguinot Features Editor

A

fter significant damage was done to Strayer Gym in September during Hurricane Henri Hurricane Ida, which touched down in New York on Aug. 22 till Sept. 1,the 8 month renovation project is close to being done. The gym will be done the week of April 17.

The Category 1 Storm of Henri was quickly followed by a Category 4 hurricane that devastated New York and left significant damage to Masters facilities. Damage was sustained on the first floor of the Fonseca Center and Strayer Gym. Repairing these spaces has been part of Masters’ major simultaneous construction projects this year. The Fonseca Center’s newly redone dance studio was completed

on Jan. 21. The hallways surrounding Strayer Gym were similarly damaged, prompting a whole restoration of Strayer Hall’s first floor. During construction, crews also found mold as a result of the water damage that had been sitting there.

Throughout the whole project one general contractor was in control of the project with subcontractors in control of other elements such as the new padding, curtains, and painting. The contractor has worked with Masters in the past making it easier for operations.

The crew did face problems in the project overall. Director of Operations Dan Pereira said that the project was finished after their expected completion date. Pereira stressed the difficulty of Covid in the construction world which affected the work on the gym greatly.

“Because of supply chain issues we were waiting for the

flooring, we would normally have stock of that. Everything I ordered was six weeks backordered.” Pereira said.

To prevent further damage from storms, Pereira mentioned the addition of preventative measures including fans that will blow air underneath the floor removing water .

Otherwise Pereira and Head of Engineering Craig Dunne expressed their satisfaction for the work that has been done.

“The new gym is beautiful… new bleachers, new curtains, I am really happy with the way it came out.” Dunne said.

The gym has officially been handed over to the athletic department as April 14. Strayer Gym can now fit three volleyball courts and includes eight basketball hoops. Girls’ lacrosse has already used the gym during a rainy day practice.

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arent Association Head Marie Fabian will be leaving the PA after her hard working eight years on the Association, and one year as president. Fabian, Parent of Annie ’22 and Jimmy ’27, earned her role as president in fall of 2021 after being the co- vice president of the Middle School.

Fabian, serving most of her time in the Middle School, coordinated many events throughout the years from book fairs to pool parties to strengthen the community. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, the PA was challenged with the task to help keep the bond of the community through difficult times.

Fabian said, “Being involved in middle school was truly a wonderful experience since it was a way to connect with my kids community and their parents.”

Fabian worked to keep the spirits up of faculty, parents and students during a very difficult time by creating fun games and activities.

There is a tradition of an annual game night for the Middle School, so Fabian worked to

create an online game night to continue the fun event, even with Covid causing distress to the community.

In addition, Fabian also helped form a PA Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee, which worked with parents to ensure the community had an open forum to discuss all topics regarding DEI. Fabian said, “ The DEI committee was a wonderful way to bridge all the

good that Karen Brown did for the school with the students and faculty.”

On Fabian’s years of service to the School in many different capacities, Head of School Laura Danforth said, “Marie has been a shining example of a ‘power for good’ in the Masters world and I am so grateful for her partnership and support over the years.”

Photo courtesy of Marie Fabian

PARENT ASSOCIATION HEAD MARIE Fabian will be leaving the PA this year. She is accepting a job as the interim director of The Brick Church School, a preschool in New York City.

Opinion 4

TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

OPINION

TOWER 2021-2022

EDITORIAL

Can free speech be bought?

T witter’s 280-character limit holds the key to all the snappy one and two-liners an outspoken movie critic or aspiring college student could imagine. On Monday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought it.

Twitter, the public social networking site where people can communicate through short messages, has grown to be among the top three social media platforms in the United States since its inception in 2013, having garnered nearly 400 million users.

Musk plans to take Twitter private in the $44 billion deal, taking its stock shares off the public exchange and possibly radically reshaping the world of open social networking. As the deal came to a close, Musk promised to make open content a top priority, citing that, “free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.”

In the face of Musk’s promises to keep the current Twitter user’s experience as is, the question of what his leadership means for the

future of safety and free speech on social media platforms cannot be ignored.

Musk has not been unproblematic as a Twitter user himself– in addition to insulting politicians and world leaders, he’s spread misinformation about Covid-19 and made several transphobic remarks. According to CNN, experts are concerned that Musk’s leadership could mean rollbacks on current Twitter policies to curb hate speech, misinformation and harassment. Musk seems a willing figure for opening the gate to harmful content to be spread, and in order for free speech to operate as promised, people need to feel protected, especially on public platforms like Twitter.

Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, responded to Musk’s buyout and said in a statement, “Do not allow Twitter to become a petri dish for hate speech, or falsehoods that subvert our democracy.” Free, productive discourse is a hallmark of open democracy, and Elon Musk’s actions debase possibly one of the most beneficial aspects of social media; promot-

ing safe free speech and keeping hateful harassment out of the conversation.

It’s worth pointing out that a large portion of the public media sphere is owned by very rich and powerful white men. Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. Mark Zuckerberg owns Instagram and Facebook. Elon Musk’s purchase adds on to a pattern. These men, in such high positions of power,hoard wealth while theybuy up organizations that are meant to serve the public. Meanwhile, their very lifestyles expose what exactly is wrong with the growing wealth gap in America.

Musk’s behavior, along with the precedent he and the small group of elites that are monopolizing these platforms are setting, is certainly cause for concern. Hate speech is a serious threat to free speech. How can Musk be trusted to effectively moderate a platform like Twitter?

A platform which must be checked to prevent hateful users from taking over a hub meant to be used for safe dialogue and dissent? The truth is, perhaps he can’t.

The Choice of Lunches One lunch: Increases social connections, allows friendships to flourish

Hanna Schiciano

Associate Producer, TBN

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ne day, during the two-period lunch era, my friends texted one another asking: “Which lunch do you have?”

The responses: seven “late” and only one “early.” Sadly, the person with early lunch ate alone, which no one should suffer on a frequent basis, especially anyone with mental health challenges.

Studies have shown that eating alone can lead to depression, a blockage of blood supply to the heart, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, per The Guardian.

I’ve looked forward to the return of the one lunch period ever since the two-period lunch schedule was implemented. Everyone is in the dining hall together, and that is exactly how lunch should be spent.

Lunch is the only time of day when you are able to interact for an extended period of time with all of your classmates. Perhaps someone has two tests after lunch and wants to be with friends to help calm the nerves – eating lunch together allows friends to build closer connections and to catch up with one another. As a result of the return to the one lunch period, students do not have to

wonder if they will be having lunch with their friends, but rather can look forward to sharing the 40-minute period all together.

Masters Interested In Sharing and Helping (MISH) had been meeting over Zoom this year at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday evenings, because the two lunch periods made it impossible for everyone to meet. The Zoom meeting was the best alternative, but still, not everyone was available to attend; however, meeting during lunch allows for everyone to participate in discussions. Executive Committee also had switched their meeting time to Wednesday mornings during X-Band, and like MISH, attendance was consistently lower in comparison to the lunch meetings. The one lunch period has allowed both groups to resume their meetings in-person at a common time, which has increased the number of participants and contributors to these important discussions.

The dining hall is once again filled with 500 students everyday, and while this has lengthened lunch lines, the staggered lunch times allow for less crowding than did the original schedule from two years ago; and while two lunch periods made lines shorter and chairs easier to find, as the weather becomes nicer, one common lunch allows students and faculty

to eat lunch together outside of the dining hall, either under the tent or on the quad. For students who do not share many classes with their friends, lunch is a valuable period during the school day, where friends are all able to interact. The increased amount of social connection that results from eating with others is more important than standing in a lunch line for a few extra minutes.

The switch back to the one lunch period has required the dining hall staff to manage the entire upper school lunch all at once, and while the transition has certainly been an adjustment, it was inevitable according to Dining Hall General Manager Lee Bergelson.

He said, “It’s definitely more work to manage all of the plates, it has to be washed, it has to be stocked, it has to be brought back and forth, but it’s something obviously we knew was going to come back at some point and so just like anything, it becomes part of the normal process.”

Thankfully, the days of students having to dine alone, resorting to scrolling through Instagram on their phones for company and entertainment while counting down the minutes to their next class, are gone. I think increased socialization and ease of scheduling meetings far outweigh the longer lines, and that one lunch period is the best option.

ELLIE YANG/TOWER

Two lunches: Cleaner and less crowded

Kwynne Schlossman

Lead Features Editor

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sat in the dining hall with eager eyes watching my eager eyed classmates flood the almost unbreathable, cramped space, reuniting with their friends after the dreaded 90 minutes they were apart. I realized I suddenly needed water. So as one would do, I went to get water, leaving my backpack beside my chair rather than on it – rookie mistake. I returned to find not only my own, but all six chairs around my table gone. In the scant three minutes I was gone, some other students stole all of our chairs.

Before Covid there was one lunch for the entire high school which happened to overlap with the middle school as well. The dining hall was flooded with faculty, students and the staff rushing to the hot bar before the line stretched too long. When we returned from Covid, two lunches were implemented to restrict contact between students - and in the process the problems with one lunch were revealed: crowds, messes, and inconvenient.

With over 500 students and faculty eating in a single 50-minute period, the staff are challenged to provide the cleanest, safest space.

With two lunches, the dining hall staff can ensure everything goes according to plan: the silverware cleaned, the tables sanitized, the food ready to be served. In addition, the staff would be able to use the 30-minute grace period to sanitize all necessary supplies.

During the single lunch period, the hot bar, the most popular station, is flooded with lines stretching across the entire room. The staff are continually refilling the food stations. Going back to two lunches would give the staff time to prepare more food and guarantee there is enough for all the hungry community members.

With three meals every day and the entire community to feed, the dining hall staff are invariably hard at work. From sanitizing tables and dishware, to making mouth-watering meals, they are not allotted many breaks.

Students often carelessly leave messy plates and tables, adding even more pressure to their jobs. With the new return of the reusable silverware, returning to the one lunch schedule has caused a major stress on them.

If two lunches were to return, students would be able to have a more leisurely break without the fighting of chairs and tables and the staff would have a longer, more meaningful break.

Editors-in-Chief Kira Ratan Sophia Van Beek Chief Design Editor Ellie Yang News Lead Editor Andrew Mitchell News Editors Gisele Cestaro Marianna Gu Opinion Lead Editors Sabrina Wolfson Rowan McWhinnie Opinion Editor Maya Phillips Features Lead Editors Lexi Wachen Kwynne Schlossman Features Editors Maia Barantsevitch Lucas Seguinot Sports Lead Editor Ethan Schlapp Sports Editor Noah Kassell-Yung Social Media Manager Matthias Jaylen Web Editor Carlos Heredia Staff Writer Aurora Rose Horn Photo Editor Alejandra Pagano Advertising & Distribution Mgr, Asst. Social Media Mgr. Lily Zuckerman Executive Producer, Tower Broadcast News L. Leys Carol Queiroz Associate Producer, Tower Broadcast News Hanna Schiciano Contributing Writer Rooke Wiser Staff Photographers and Illustrators Charlie Cooper Sonali Rao Ryan Guan Alpha Zerfu Joshua Markowitz Dosi Weed Faculty Adviser Ellen Cowhey Matt Ives Online Media

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

Distribution Process

Tower is hand-delivered on the day of publication to the Upper School. 650 copies are printed. 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.

SENDING THANKS W

hen Frank DiCicco first took a job in the carpentry shop at an all-girls private school in 1983, he probably didn’t think that he would end up working in the same place for 39 years. However, Masters’ longest-serving staff member has decided to call it a career after almost four decades of service to the community.

Originally hailing from Yonkers, DiCicco served in many positions at Masters, starting in the carpentry shop, next working on the grounds for around twelve years, driving students to away sports games and attractions in the city, and, finally, in the job that most know him for, mailman, where he worked for close to twenty years. Throughout his time working on campus, DiCicco has seen the metamorphosis of the school unlike many others. He spoke about the changes in an interview with Tower.

“First, it was an all-girls school.

There was no middle school, there was no science building - Morris Hall over there, that wasn’t there -, the new faculty housing [wasn’t there]. I’ve seen a lot of buildings go up,” DiCicco said. “And sports fields, like that big sports field down by Estherwood, that was never there when I started. Up the hill, by the hill dorms, that field wasn’t there. So I’ve seen all these things gradually come in, which was good. You know, it was good to see the place, it was growing.”

While he saw his workspace change from the old faculty room to the new mail

FEATURES

room on the ground floor of Masters Hall, he was also witness to a large change in the postal service: online shopping. In the mailroom, DiCicco was in charge of picking up and sorting mail from the

post office as well as being on top of and properly distributing all of the additional deliveries that came in throughout the day. interacting with countless students throughout his time. He spoke about his relationships with those that he met MY KIDS CAN BE KIND OF SHY, AND SO during his time at Masters.

TO HAVE THEM [SAY] LIKE ‘OH I’M JUST GONNA “I’ve seen thousands of students GO SEE FRANK’ AND LIKE TAKE THE ID AND WALK come to school here and then go off to DOWN TO THE MAILROOM WAS REALLY SPECIAL. college and careers, and I was fortuI WILL REMEMBER HIM AS BEING JUST LIKE A nate enough to meet, let’s say, a couple WELCOMING, POSITIVE PRESENCE TO EVERYhundred of them, okay. All good kids, BODY ON CAMPUS. I WILL MISS THAT. all good students, you know, all very polite - not a bad one among them in my experience,” DiCicco said.

For the students that have known

“

”

- PETER NEWCOMB

“

This is the pullout text, typing random words to fill up this text box and I’m typing, typing, typing, typing. This is generic text to fill up this box, so you get a sense of what it will look like when it’s all put together, and I’m typing trying to get this all put together.

DiCicco, the feeling is mutual. Senior boarder Allen Ning has had a handful of small interactions with him during his time as a student at Masters. Ning spoke about the impression DiCicco has had on the boarding community as he departs from the school.

“From now on, when we [boarders]

5

“

I’VE SEEN THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS COME TO SCHOOL HERE AND THEN GO OFF TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS, AND I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MEET, LET’S SAY, A COUPLE HUNDRED OF THEM, OKAY. ALL GOOD KIDS, ALL GOOD STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, ALL VERY POLITE - NOT A BAD ONE AMONG THEM IN MY EXPERIENCE.

”

- FRANK DICICCO “So many of them stopped what they [were] doing just to help me, you know, if I needed it and [they] think nothing of it, and I really appreciate that. I’ll never forget it.”

One of those co-workers is head of upper school Peter Newcomb.

Newcomb, a campus resident for the past 13 years, spoke about the impact that DiCicco has had on him and his family.

“That space downstairs can feel sort of like quiet or out of the way, and yet every time you walk in, you’re greeted with like this really warm hello,” Newcomb said. “My kids can be kind of shy, and so to have them [say] like ‘Oh I’m just gonna go see Frank’ and like take the ID and walk down to the mailroom was really special.

I will remember him as being just like a welcoming, positive presence to everybody on campus. I will miss that.”

Going forward, DiCicco’s days will no longer be filled by sorting papers and packages. He instead will have much more time on his hands to relax and enjoy the comforts of retirement. He spoke about specific plans he hopes to fulfill in the hard-earned years ahead.

“I’d like to do some traveling, because I really haven’t been - I’ve never been out of the United States, never been out of the country,” he said. “I’d like to take a trip into Europe, maybe even further, I’ll have to see. My first trip is going to be down into Georgia, because that’s where I have my grandchildren that I want to go see.”

WRITTEN & PHOTOS BY ETHAN SCHLAPP

TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

talk about just the mailman in general, he’s just the character that pop[s] up in our mind. Just how kind and how helpful and important [he was],” Ning said.

While DiCicco is grateful for all of the students he has gotten to meet, he also spoke about the gratitude he has for the people that have worked around and supported him through his time at Masters.

“There’s a lot of them [co-workers] that helped me get through these years.

I don’t think I would have ever made it this far without them,” DiCicco said.

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TOWER/APR

FEATURES & ARTS

n e d t s u ’ t p s o s e e t s i c a c t a w l o e h n s t n e k o Outsp Sonali Rao

L

Contributing Writer

ight streamed in through the windows. The audience waited with eager anticipation to hear what the poets had to say. They began, spilling their heart out in a wonderful performance, full of emotion and meaning. I myself tried not to move too much to take photos, scared of making the floor creak.

The room erupted in snaps before the next poet took the floor.

On Thursday, April 14, the leaders and several members of the Outspoken club performed one to two original poems in Estherwood Mansion for the club’s main spoken word poetry event of the year.

“We tried to put on the showcase in the winter, and in the fall… we had to jump through a lot of hoops to put this showcase on,” Outspoken co-president and senior Finn Alexander said.

The event was unable to run last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, and

even after in-person school resumed for the entire community they had significant trouble running the event. However, they were ultimately able to continue the tradition that has persisted for eight years.

“Everyone has a different theme they want to follow with their poems. It’s more about the individual message that they have… however deep, however dark, however light, it’s their choice to perform that,” co-president and senior Dani Appiah said.

The night was filled with poetry featuring a variety of subjects, from a “Starbucks Story” by Jake LeFort ‘23 to “Frankenstein” by Amaris Asiedu ‘23. They also incorporated physical aspects to their performance, such as LeFort smearing his face with lipstick on stage in Joker-esque fashion.

Many people at-

tended the event, so many, in fact, that they had to get extra chairs to accommodate everyone. A lot of students were there, eager to support their peers, as well as some faculty and parents of the performers.

“I knew mostly everyone who performed, and they all blew my mind!” Elma Intinarelli ‘24 said.

“It is astonishing how you can know someone a bit from class… and then attend something like this and learn so much more about them from just sitting and listening.”

“I was so freaked out…and then it happened, and that was really cool. What was more exciting than reciting my own work was hearing everyone else’s. There was a lot of tension, fear, excitement, and it was electric. I loved it,” Viviana Simon ‘24, a performer in the event, said.

Th

Alexander said, “The message I want to get out is never be afraid to express yourself, in any and all forms that fit.”

Upcoming Events A preview into some of the upcoming performing arts events on campus, including the Poetry Festival, Great Gig in the Sky, and spring plays, two of which are student-directed.

PHOTO CREDIT JOSH MARKOWITZ/TOWER MAIA BARANTSEVITCH/ TOWER SONALI RAO/TOWER RYAN GUAN/TOWER

The Great Gig: Pearl Jam 10 The tenth annual Great Gig in the Sky performance takes place Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m. This special anniversary features three Great Gig alumni, Sam Appiah ’12, Buster Scheuer ‘20 and Scott Collins ’12, who have all participated in the Great Gig in the past. Middle school students will perform a song for the first time ever in Great Gig, and seniors will perform the encore, “State of Love and Trust”.

Lighting for Great Gig will be done by Dean of Students Jeff Carnevale and the Live Production class.

Studen Rowan McWhinnie

Student-Directed Spring Plays On May 18-21 at 7 p.m. aspiring actors, directors, and technicians will perform their talents outside on Graduation Terrace. Three shows will be played, two of which are directed by students. 36 students are acting in the faculty directed plays and 23 will perform in the student directed plays. Check out the upcoming plays.

Westchester Poetry Festival Masters will host The Westchester Poetry Festival which brings seven Poets to Estherwood. The event will include Afaa Michael Weaver, Iain Haley Pollock, B.K. Fischer (the mother of a current Masters student), Mark Wunderlich, Yerra Sugarman, and John Okrent. Along with these authors, Masters Students will be able to read their work. Head to Masters on April 30th, 1-4 to hear some amazing poetry. Admission is free.

Lead Opinion Editor

T

his upcoming month, the Upper School of Performing Arts is presenting the notorious Spring Play where aspiring actors, directors, and technicians are able to come together and showcase their talents to the school.

After transitioning from Spring shorts to a main stage production last year, the arts company has decided to put on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare (a faculty directed play), along with two additional performances both directed by students.

Out of the 59 upperschool students participating, 36 students are performing in the mainstream play and 23 students are in the student directed plays.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” directed by Meg O’Connor is not like the other productions performed the the Masters School, it is in fact double casted; this means for each role, two students are cast as the same character. On alternating days, one actor will perform in the play and on the next day the other actor will

RIL 29, 2022

FEATURES & ARTS

7

Bursts i nto Bloom

he Pris m

concert: a u nique

Aurora Horn

Staff Writer

E

Mr. Ebersole was hoping for.”

The Prism concert usually happens every year, but as a result of the pandemic, the concert has not taken place since 2019. “I think [the return of live music is] important because everybody missed that human experience of working and playing and singing collaboratively with other human beings,” Ebersole said. “I think, if nothing else, the shutdown really helped us to understand and to appreciate how important those connections are.”

Sophie Moussapour, a violinist in string ensemble, said, “I think it’s really important as a musician to be a part of a group ensemble; to be a part of, even if you’re in a chamber group, an ensemble that’s larger than yourself.

I’ve been in orchestras since I was very little, and I think it helps the musicianship of every individual musician.”

When it comes to the way the School embraces the arts, senior Sarah Wu, a flautist who last performed in the concert in her freshman year, put it best: “I think we have a very rich environment for performing arts. We have a lot of opportunities, and we also have various forms of arts. There were a lot of people performing in the concert, so that’s a really good sign.”

In the photos:

(left to right, top to bottom) Eleanor Phillips Max Gorin Maia Keller Jackson Manfredi Sophie Moussapour Raymond Falci Aoife Fortuna Owen Edelson James Anderson Jack Kenna Xinyi (Sarah) Wu Michael Stoica Niamh Fortuna Finn Alexander

nts try their hand at directing perform. Senior Marbod Faure is casted as one of the leading double casted roles and thinks that being double casted can inhance the performance.

“Having a double casted play is actually really really fun because it means that we are basically creating two different shows and we get to rehearse with different people and that we get help eachother out,” said Marbod.

The main stage production, which is being held on May 18-21 at 7 PM, is actually being performed outside on Graduation Terrace. “Its going to be so fun. We’re really excited to be running around in the grass and in the sunlight and its definitely boosted morale, and made this so much more interesting for us [the actors] and also for the audience,” said Marbod.

Senior Ellanna Swope is directing “Xingue”, adapted by O’Connor from a short story by Edith Wharton, an allwomen-run and cast play. Though one may think directing a play for the first time can be extremely stressful, Ellanna finds the experience eye-opening and full of excitement. “My experience thus far directing has been amazing, I couldn’t have asked for a better cast.

We are an all-girl cast and all-female direction, my stage manager Kathy Chris-

tie is also a part of the gang and so it is really great because we all kind of got to know each other on a better level due to how small the cast is,” Swope remarked.

“Xingue” is an amusing and comedic play about ladies who come together at lunch thinking they are a whole lot smarter than they actually are. Swope said, “It ends up being a series of mishaps and cover-ups and social phobias that just kind of get thrown around. There’s a particularly socially awkward character who keeps on making mistakes that draw attention to her and everybody is put off by that so it really becomes a massive physical slapstick comedy.”

Along with Ellanna, Senior Ryan Israel is directing a play called “Understaffed” written by Masters Alumn Tucker Smith. During her time at Masters, Smith participated in theater and wrote the “Understaffed” script to be put on as a Spring Short play in 2020, however due to covid it was unable to be performed. So after graduating last year from Masters, Smith decided to donate her script and might even attend the live show.

Ryan Israel always had a love for theater and was intrigued by the possibility of directing his own play. How-

ever, after Spring Shorts was discontinued, Israel never had the opportunity to direct a play himself, until now. “When we had too many people for the main play, I was said ‘OC can I direct a show?’ she’s said ‘Yes.’ So thats how “Understaffed” started” said Israel.

Though many Masters students join the Spring Play because they are aspiring actors and perform because it is what they love to do, it is not the only reason the actors enjoy this after school activity. Theatre teacher and director, Meg O’Connor, has been an influential teacher for most, if not all of the students performing.“OC [Meg O’Connor] is probably one of the greatest artists I have ever worked with, if not the greatest artist I have ever worked with. She is certainly the most influential teacher in my life and learning from her and working with her has been a joy throughout my time at Masters,” said Senior Natalia Shane. “Its truly been a blessing [working with Meg O’Connor] and just makes every day just worth coming to school for,” said Marbod.

As opening night gets closer, the hard work of Upper School students and faculty is about to be paid off.

by: Design itor res Ed r /Featu evitch eatures Edito arants t/F tor Maia B eguino f Design Edi S Lucas hie ang/C Ellie Y

very year, Masters’ instrumentalists come together to create an experience like noS other: the all-classical music Prism concert. The concert, which takes place in Estherwood Mansion, features players in each room, with the audience moving throughout the space. To create a spectrum-like effect, one piece begins when another ends, like a light prism, hence the name.

The School started doing concerts that involved the audience moving from room to room in 2017 with the “Pictures at an Exhibition” concert, which was not quite a Prism concert because the audience applauded between numbers, but in all the years following they did do Prism concerts because this gave Curt Ebersole, the director of the orchestra, the courage to do a concert in this style.

“I was a bit worried about the format not panning out exactly as planned,” junior Owen Edelson, a second violin in the string ensemble who performed in the Prism concert for the first time this year, said, “but I think it definitely turned out exactly as

s r e t s a M experience returns to

Singers shine at Choral concert Ellie Yang

Chief Design Editor

M

usic echoed through Estherwood Mansion on Thursday, April 21 during the Department of Performing Arts (DoPA) spring choral concert.

Tower Singers, 1877 Vocal Edition and soloist Sonali Rao performed to accompaniment played by string players Andrew Han, Ryan Guan and Andrew Chang. The student ensemble groups are composed of classes taught and led

by DoPA faculty Barbara Ciannella.

Ninth grader Sophie Moussapour, a member of 1877, performed at the concert. She said, “I really enjoyed performing in the concert.

I think we sounded really great and executed our songs well. I especially liked performing in Estherwood because the energy and acoustics of the space really helped our performance.”

The concert included a wide range of music, including songs such as “Homeward Bound” by Simon and Garfunkel and attracted an audience of students, parents, faculty and other members of the community.

“The middle school performers exceeded my expectations, and it was nice to see the direction our group is headed in the future in the upper class performers.” Moussapour said.

8

TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

FEATURES

Pumpkin bread ties family together Rooke Wiser

Contributing Writer

P

ots and pans are scattered around the kitchen. Flour, spices, sugar scattered everywhere meant C3C, my grandmother, was spreading love in the air. My most cherished holiday memories include me as a kid, taking the tedious 7+ hour airplane flight from New York back to where I was born, California.

After the flight, we arrived at our California house well past midnight. All of us are barely able to keep our eyes open. My older brother and I (we’re fourteen months apart) would go straight downstairs, into my grandmother’s room, and immediately collapse onto our beds–both of which were in CC’s bedroom. There, we would snuggle into our “softies”--blankets sewn from the softest fabric CC could find. She made them herself. As soon as we wrapped them around us, we felt her love.

CC would always make sure we were comfortable before reading bedtime stories.

CC’s stories are famous in our family. Her catalog of tales rivals the Library of Alexandria. What makes CC’s stories so unique is that they are entirely her own–just like her pumpkin bread.

CC is known for her pump-

kin bread. It’s renowned within the family. The taste is unbelievably good, despite its simplicity. The texture is unmatched: moist, soft, dense, yet fluffy. The taste?

Equally unmatched: her bread delivers an almost burnt, creme-brulee-style pumpkin taste filled with cinnamon and sweetness.

To comprehend how incredible CC’s pumpkin bread is, one must experience it.

This is a multi-generational recipe, originating from my great-great-grandmother in Southern Illinois.

“I have a lot of recipes that I’ve collected over time, and the whole batch of the ones that are similar to [the pumpkin bread] come from when my grandmother taught me to cook–it was of the kinds of recipes.”

The recipe was popularized within our generation due to its utility. “It’s always been around, and it’s always been a question of ‘Where’s the pumpkin bread?’” my brother, Rustin, said.

“That was something that seemed to be– more people liked it than didn’t… It was an easy thing so it wasn’t making one thing for one person,” CC noted.

While this is an easy recipe, CC clarified some keynotes.

“Measure properly so that

you don’t have a big ol’ thing heaping. That’s a technique that needs to be done.” She also notes it’s essential to separate the dry and wet ingredients and add them slowly. Avoid over-mixing and only mix the pumpkin bread batter briefly.

More than anything, CC’s pumpkin bread ties us together. Food is part of family celebrations, ceremonies, and rituals. Food brings us together to stay connected. It offers us a way to learn about a relative when cooking together or celebrating. And perhaps most importantly, it provides us comfort. Food is not just some fuel we need to

RECIPE

loaf pans (9X5 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two in.) with Pam’s regular baking spray.

Assemble ingredients.

and stir dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, gently combine urpose flour all-p d sifte pre cups third one 3 and 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1.5 tsp. salt s cup water, room temperature.

In a separate container, put two third kin pie mix). Discard the lid. pump (not e pure kin Open 15 oz. can pump In a regular mixing bowl, mix: 3 cups sugar (white, granulate d) 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs, room temperature low is easier.

Can mix by hand, but a hand mixer at med-

of the dry mixture, and then approxiAdd, alternately, approximately one third mately one third of water. including spices, are added. Add pumpRepeat two more times until all ingredients, kin puree. t 55 minutes, testing with a toothpick Divide into the two loaf pans. Bake for abou on top of the center to see if it springs in the middle and a light touch of a finger rack for 15 minutes, and then invert back. Continue until done. Set pans on a wire l removing the pan is easy (inverted on the rack. Wait about 10 minutes or unti plastic wrap. Let it set overnight (if possistill). Let cool completely. Wrap snugly in ble!) on the counter, then slice and yum!

get u s going.

Cooking is not a chore we put up. Instead, it sits us down evening after evening and creates our reality in the people that form around our dinner tables.

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TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

OP-ED

Don’t let your inner critic stop you:

9

overcome the difficulty in the creative process L. Leys

A

Executive Producer, TBN

DOSI WEED/TOWER

WRITERS BLOCK IS AN issue that many people face. In this article L. Leys asks that people not let their inner critic stop them and take advantage of moments of inspiration.

s this year’s National Poetry Month draws to a close, it might be best to reflect upon the most difficult part of the creative process: actually making something. No matter how many advice columns I read, how many videos I watch, how many hours I’ve sat in front of a blank page with ideas swirling in my head, there’s always a mental plug between me and the mechanical keyboard in front of me. It’s the same for many others from casual sonneteers to aspiring poet laureates, there’s a common experience of writer’s block among the poets with whom I’ve spoken.

Solutions to writer’s block range from simple fixes to laborious tasks. One friend of mine went on a week long road trip to clear his head, while another just has to

eat a good, homemade meal every once in a while to get working. All in all, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, I would like to encourage you to take a good, long look at yourself and ask: how much is your inner critic influencing you?

For me it’s a lot. To paint a picture, I wrote and rewrote the opening line to this article over a dozen times before eventually settling on something equivalent to what I wrote down the first time. This obsession with a proper start extends beyond my writing: I have spent hours at character-creator screens in video games trying to select the perfect nose to communicate my character’s personality. My inner critic is ever present and an absolute pain.

And so, I speak from a place of experience when I say this: it is possible to stave off your inner critic, but the only way to do so is by creating something you think is bad.

Your inner critic comes from your own understanding of good

and bad media. When viewing something, you deconstruct its components and determine what you like and don’t like about it to come to a synthesized whole of your experience. That’s a natural part of consuming media: the critical experience. Everyone has a little Roger Ebert inside of their brain.

Understanding what you like and don’t like is all well and good, since that means you can utilize techniques you’ve seen used before in your own creations, but it turns sour once you start veering into perfectionism. And so, the task is in overcoming that perfectionism. The best way to do that is by indulging in your worst impulses and not worrying about the end result until after you finish a draft. once you get there.

Start your story with whatever line first comes to mind. Film that movie on your phone. Make trashy beats in GarageBand. If you want to, fix it when it’s finished. But whatever you do, don’t stop making.

A heavy issue: weight room should be taken seriously Gisele Cestaro

W

News Editor

hen the time comes for students to choose after-school activities for the upcoming sports season, many tend to gravitate towards weight room. With only two days of physical education credit necessary a week and at roughly thirty-five minutes per day, weight room comes off as one of the less strenuous choices in order to fulfill the PE requirements. Though weight room can be productive, I believe one of its downfalls is that students fail to take it seriously.

Like any after-school activity, weight room is not optional, and several unexcused absences will likely result in students facing consequences. However, people still misuse their exercise time by either not going, or signing their name and then leaving. Our weight room has many options with quality equipment, but some students tend to take advantage of this time and use it in a nonproductive way, or just not go at all.

I believe a protocol that would benefit the efficiency of weight room would be to have time limits for machines; this way students can alternate in the allotted time.

This method would decrease wait time as well as encourage people to use their time in productive

ways while waiting for a machine.

When it comes to being in a pleasant environment, gender roles also play a part when it comes to productivity; a co-ed environment has the potential to be unnerving to some, especially those who are just starting fresh.

Sophia Semczuk, a junior who has done weight room for several semesters, maintains that it has the potential to be effective if there were more protocols in place. When observing others, Semczuk has noticed there is not as much participation as there should be, but she anticipates gender roles play a part in that. “The guys tend to take up more space in the weight room which makes it harder for girls to use the equipment at times and workout,” she said.

Semczuk believes this behavior prompts some students to sign in and leave due to people having no restrictions on machine time. “A lot of the time people will sit around and wait for someone to get off a specific machine, which just defeats the purpose of being there because you’re not getting anything done,” she said.

The guidelines of having trainers being constantly present are an efficient way to help students navigate new equipment or to simply ask for advice, which is an important part of having the ability to feel comfortable exercising.

Sebastian Germain, the head trainer, believes that students

who don’t use their time wisely is a sign they don’t have the experience yet, which is why he affirmed that guidance is important.

“There are some occasions where students like to hang out more, but I don’t believe that’s necessarily based on not wanting to participate. Sometimes they aren’t sure of what to do, and I think that’s where the roles of the instructors come in because there’s a freedom where they can ask questions,” he said.

Although some students don’t fully take their time in the weight room seriously, there are several benefits to exercise. Students can begin to envision long or short term goals for themselves, as well as talk to their trainers who would be willing and able to help them. I maintain many students feel either lost or intimidated when entering the weight room; not knowing where to start can push them away from getting the help they need.

As a solution to this, trainers should send out a Google form at the beginning of each trimester that students in weight room can fill out regarding their goals as well as any personal experience they have had in the past.

This way, trainers can get to know their students on a better level and work to create a more inclusive environment for those who might not be as familiar with exercise.

DOSI WEED/TOWER

GISELE CESTARO ARGUES THAT students should take advantage of the equipment and time in the weight room. Although weight room is 35 minutes long, students should be able to utilize their time wisely instead of waiting for a machine to become available. Coaches are also always happy to help students who have questions about exercising.

Reduce mandatory minors in junior year

I

NOAH KASSELL-YUNG/TOWER

JUNIOR MARCO FERRANDO AND teacher Shelly Kaye in a health class. At Masters, Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors are required to take mandatory minors outside of their five core classes.

These are Freshman Seminar, World Religions, Public Speaking and Health class. While these minors are additive to a students education, they are also a burden during the junior year, keeping students from finishing their necessary work for core classes and standardized test prep.

Noah Kassell-Yung

Sports Editor

n order to graduate Masters you must complete three mandatory minors which, for the most part, are taken through sophomore and junior year. These courses include World Religions, Health, and Public Speaking. All three of these have their value within the curriculum at Masters, however, doubling up two of these three courses for junior year is poor placement for the classes. Furthermore, the Health class curriculum shares a lot in common with the ninth grade seminar class, which for educational purposes can be redundant.

As freshmen, students are required to take a year long minor called Ninth Grade Seminar. This class covers a myriad of topics, including a health unit. Sophomore year, world religions is required, where students have the opportunity to learn about either eastern, western, or both. And finally, junior year, both health and public speaking are required.

Junior year is notoriously the most challenging and stressful year for students. Students are having

to juggle the increased workload along with the additional stress of the college process. To have two mandatory minors that require a certain amount of homework is slightly unrealistic due to already mounting pressure; additionally they also take up free periods.

Both these classes have their benefits and provide useful teachings to students. Public speaking helps students practice using their voice through speeches and discussions.

The class fits perfectly into the Masters Harkness model. Health class addresses mental, physical and sexual health. The issue with the health class was that it felt eerily similar to content students were taught freshman year in the health section of ninth grade seminar.

While some of the content taught junior year was for a more mature class, similarities were still prevalent. For example, students had the same condom lesson in both years.

As someone who has struggled at times in participation, public speaking has definitely been beneficial to me. However in some ways it feels like the tools I’ve learned from public speaking are coming too late.

Public speaking should be

paired alongside religion as mandatory minors during sophomore year. Leaving junior year with only one mandatory minor will free up more time for students and take away a little bit of stress in an extremely stressful year. More time to study and do homework for major classes would also be beneficial for grades. Furthermore, for students that struggle with participation and public speaking, the class could provide them with the tools at an earlier grade so that they could have more time to apply them.

Health class is a requirement for graduation and ninth grade seminar is not, which could be a possible explanation for why some content is taught twice. There are definitely similarities between the ninth grade seminar portion and the junior year class as content is scaled for developmental appropriateness. The 11th grade health class also goes into details about specific mental disorders while the ninth grade class spends a signficiant amount of time focusing on emotional intelligence and ways to maintain a good mental health.

10

TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

SPORTS

Baseball hits its stride, hopes to slide into playoffs Sabrina Wolfson

Lead Opinion Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN NEW

VARSITY PLAYERS ZAHALI, Jeren Staber, and Leo Horton pause for a dugout picture. Masters played Rye Country Day school and lost 7-3 on April 6. The team will face them again on May 5 home.

Tuesday, April 12. The second game of the season. Bottom of the fourth inning. Senior captain Aidan McLaren steps up to the plate facing a pitcher throwing above 90 miles an hour. The pitch comes in and SMACK. Maclaren hits a fly ball to right field, which flies over the head of the right fielder, which earns Masters their first double of the game.

Due to Covid, for the last two years the boy’s varsity baseball team endured canceled games and shortened seasons, not knowing the next time they would be able to step onto the field.

This season, their first real one

back, the coaches and players were the players on the team in order to ready to get back to work. Head elect two captains. They chose to elect coach Neil Jaggernauth expressed seniors Ethan Rosenberg and Aidan his excitement for the season ahead. McLaren. However, three weeks Jaginto the season, gernauth Rosenberg and said, Maclaren decided All three years that I’ve been here, that they want“This group of [the athletes] come with great attitudes and ed a third senior kids is show great effort, this has been one of the captain. Another always most rewarding teams I’ve ever worked with. team vote was great. held and senior All three Ethan Schlapp years that became the third - Neil Jaggernauth, Head Coach I’ve been senior captain of here, they the boys varsity come with baseball team. great attitudes and show great effort, Senior Captain Ethan Rosenthis has been one of the most reward- berg said, “It’s been great having three ing teams I’ve ever worked with.” captains on the field; we all have a lot of At the beginning of the season, fun and we work really well together.” the coaches organized a vote among So far, the team has played

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in two games, the first against Rye Country Day and the second at home against King. In the first game, 10th grade Henry Hubner, one of the five pitchers on the team pitched 6 out of the 7 innings. Hubner let up seven runs, though three came from errors. Ben New, a junior on the team, noted how well Hubner pitched.

New said, “It was really cool to watch and for our first game, he played really well.”

For the rest of the season, the boys varsity baseball team is ready to keep working hard and win some games.

Senior Aidan McLaren said, “I’m excited for the rest of the season, I hope we can win a few games and maybe slide into the NYSAIS playoffs if we are lucky.”

Golf team mirrors national trend, grows in popularity Lexi Wachen

Lead Features Editor In 2020, we experienced surge after surge: infection rates, political influence, financial debt, media bias.

Another one? Golf. Since the start of the pandemic, the National Golf Federation(NGF), showed a 1.5 million increase in participation compared to the year before[2019], the largest net increase in 17 years. With a total of 16 players, a roster nearly triple the size of the past, the Masters Golf team mirrors this pattern as they head into the 2022 spring season.

Of the 16 players on the roster, 40% are freshmen and nearly 80% had never played in a ‘real match’ prior to their first meet on April 1.

Prior to the start of the season, head coach Gregg Schlapp, and assistant coach Robert Fish made three requirements to the team: 1) players had to already own a set of golf clubs, 2) they’ve had to play

on a golf course before, and 3) that cent progress observed by coaches.

Captain Spencer Roberson re“course” couldn’t only be ‘mini-golf’.

Schlapp added how by making flected upon the positive changes these guidelines as opposed to formal made since last season, highlighting “tryouts” like in the past, they would the team’s enthusiasm and support. be collecting a tight group of students He said, “It’s definitely been really who wanted to improve their skill level. nice to not wear masks. [With such large numbers], it He said, has been a much “The biggest The team has been won- better team enadvantage of this is that evderful; we all have a great vironment and eryone who’s connection with each other, and are I’m excited for the remainder interested, super encouraging during practices of the season.” plays. It’s a and games.

However, great experione of the biggest ence for those disadvantages has who haven’t - Hanna Florian ‘23 been not having a played before course to practice and just the sheer amount of people who showed on prior to meets. Because most of their up has been the biggest accom- practices happen at the driving range, plishment so early in the season.” assuming good weather, students may Because of the large roster, feel less prepared going into the meets. coaches have to elect which playDespite this, students have grown ers will participate in each meet. to rely on and support their teammates This is typically determined by the regardless of level and experience. Jupunctuality of students leading up nior Hannah Florian joined the golf up to the meet, as well as the re- team just this season, reflecting what

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it was like to take part in a ‘real’ meet.

She said, “I was very excited to experience playing a competitive golf match for the first time. I felt nervous at the first tee off but then I got used to the feel of the game and ended up really enjoying it.”

Florian later mentioned how supportive the team has been throughout the whole season. She said, “The team has been wonderful; we all have a great connection with each other, and are super encouraging during practices and games.”

Junior Maddie Marlowe noted that even so early in the season, the players have created a cohesive environment to set individual goals and grow as a group. She said, “I am most looking forward to becoming a better player and teammate!

Even so, early in the season everyone has been super supportive of each other and I’m really excited to see what the rest of the season brings.”

Despite the location challenges and weather barriers, Schlapp, still, remains optimistic towards the re-

ALPHA ZERFU/ TOWER

SENIOR ROBERT QUIGLEY LINES up his putt during a golf match against Greenwhich Academy. Though the team ended up losing this match, the program is just beginning and has a bright future. mainder of the season. He said, “My main hope for the team is to build a positive, competitive environment

where students feel excited to play golf and to improve their skills.”

TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

SPORTS

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Family feeling at the forefront of track team Lovett has also found the sport to be beneficial outside of Maia Barantsevitch practices and meets. He said, “The sport has helped me beFeatures Editor come a better athlete and person and even improve my work ethic.”

Cobos, one among three track his 2022 spring season, coaches this spring season, has 88 students are participatbeen a part of the Masters commuing in track at The Masters nity for three years, and has coached School. The team has competed in track every year he has worked at a total of three track meets so far, Masters.

Cobos has found that it and has set a strong precedent by takes time and dedication to enbreaking two new school records. joy the rewards of being a coach.

Coaches Yolanda Nyero, Juan “Track is one of those sports Cobos, Benjamin Allen, and Luciano where you don’t see immediate gratFiore manification and age the team. you don’t see Due to the huge jumps. large number During meets, everyone is on The really and multiple the Masters team.

Everyone is a Panther amazing thing events, practo see is, at tices are di- and everyone is cheering from the infield the beginning vided by type to the top of the hill at the track. So that’s of the season, of track racwhere you really feel like one enormous how one stuing. Practice dent athlete family. is split beperforms and tween sprints, comparing distance, Juan Cobos, Athletics Operthat to their jumpers, performance ations Manager & Track Coach and throwat the end ers. Sprintof the seaers, the bigson,” he said. gest team, is Although it seemed daunting to split into sub-categories. coach a team of such tremendous size, Cameron Lovett, a current he shared, the benefits are shown junior, has been a part of the Masters School’s track team since through the strength of the team.

Cobos said, “During meets, grade seven. Initially, the sport everyone is on the Masters team. piqued his interest but it was the Everyone is a Panther and everyone support of the coaches that peris cheering from the infield to the suaded him to continue competing. top of the hill at the track. So that’s Lovett is a sprinter, which means where you really feel like one enorthat during track meets he runs mous family.”

At the beginning of the 100, 200 and 4 x100 meters. the season a questionnaire was sent Lovett said he finds sprinting to out asking athletes how they wantbe the most rewarding. He said, “All ed to be addressed, this allowed your energy is exerted out and it’s fun competing with people head to head, the coaches to find the best way to there’s an energy from the crowd.” communicate with the student athletes. Answers ranged from being

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CHARLIE COOPER/TOWER

MULTIPLE TRACK TEAM MEMBERS work on sprints during an April practice. From left to right: Peter Vega ‘23, Demi Oni ‘23, Christopher Banarby ‘22, Amechi Aduba ‘22. The team’s next meet will take place on May 6 at Brunswick. yelled at, to being pulled aside, or discussing the issue at a later time.

“We make sure we have a conversation with everyone and for the most part, everyone wants to just be pulled to the side and told this is where your mechan-

ics broke down,” Cobos said.

Looking to the future, the track team and coaches are looking forward to FAA championships, NYSAIS, and NEPSAC competitions.

Cobos said, “Obviously we want to take advantage of the talent

that’s already here, but with a group that’s so large, we have a lot of young talent that’s coming through that we need to develop and we need to allow them to fall in love with running and just being in love with the fact that your body can move.”

Check out more sports stories at tower.mastersny.org

Track starts off season in record form Maia Barantsevitch

Features Editor

200, so breaking both records in one meet was a significant achievement for her. “I don’t usually run the 200 for the most [part], so when I ended up breaking that record, it was a relief too,” she said.

The track coaches, Juan Cobos, Luciano Fores, Yolanda Nyero, and Benjamin Allen have supported Smith throughout her time on the track, pushing for her to succeed.

“I think that having differ-

Camille Smith ‘22

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enior Camille Smith, has recently broken her own school record in the 100 meter dash and an additional school record in the 200m. Smith held the previous record for the 100m with a time of 13.45 seconds and was able to beat that with 13.2 seconds at the latest track meet on April 22, 2022 .

In the 200m, she ran a 27.27 second sprint, beating the previous school record of about 28 seconds held by Alice Kinsley from 2017.

This is Smith’s third year running for the Masters track team, but has been doing the sport since grade seven. This is also Smith’s first full outdoor track season due to COVID-19 restrictions in the past two years.

Smith is primarily a sprinter, participating in the 100m, 200m, and, occasionally, the high jump.

Smith had not planned to break the two records, and was surprised to do so.

She said, “ Honestly, I was very surprised just because I was scared going into this race because it was the first one of the season.

I wasn’t aiming to break my own record, it just happened. For me [the 100] was more of wanting to get a time, so I could get a framework of where I needed to go for the rest of the season and then I ended up breaking my own record, which is a great feeling.”

Smith does not usually run the

ent types of coaches really helps in the long run because they always want to see you succeed. They always want to see the team succeed and having that type of mentality coming from a coach will overall end up spreading onto you and the people that are around you which always helps,” Smith said.

Smith plans to shave her record down from 13.2 to 13 seconds as the season continues and is ready to put in the work to achieve this.

“It’s hard. It is hard, but it’s worth it,” she said.

Sarah Christie, ‘25

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ISAAC CASS/COMMUNICATIONS

SENIOR CAMILLE SMITH RUNS in a track meet at Greene Family Field. Smith broke her own school record in the 100 meter dash as well as a five-year school record held by Alice Kinsley in the 200 meter dash in a meet at Hackley on April 12.

arah Christie, a current ninth grader, recently broke a tenyear standing record in the triple jump during an outdoor track meet on April 9, then beat her own record 14 days later on April 23, 2022. This is Christie’s first year doing both indoor and outdoor track, and she said she has found herself enjoying the sport and its rewards.

Christie said, “The whole experience of track is a love-hate relationship. Even though it’s like I don’t wanna do this, you end up doing it and loving it, and that’s what happened to me.”.

Christie broke the record in the triple jump, which is a similar event to the long jump but requires different techniques.

Triple jump is considered to be more technique based while long jump is based more on dexterity and athletic ability. Christie jumped 27 feet to earn her spot as the new record holder. Before taking on this impressive achievement, she was doubtful of her ability to jump such a far distance.

MAIA BARANTSEVITCH/TOWER

SARAH CHRISTIE (ABOVE) BROKE a ten-year school record in the triple jump during a meet on April 9 at Brunswick. She then went on to break her own record two weeks later during a home meet on Greene Family Field on April 23.

She said, “During practice it didn’t look promising. My footing was off and I felt like every time I jumped I was gonna fall on my face.”

Christie is normally a sprinter, but with the encouragement of her track coaches, she successfully attempted the triple jump.

Coach Juan Cobos explained the challenge of the move.

“There’s a technical component [to triple jump], and you really need to know the mechanics of it. She picked it up really quickly and she broke the school record on her first event ever. And that’s just really cool to see.” Christie is happy to break a school record and plans to keep her name in the re-

cord book. She said, “I don’t want anyone else to break my record for at least another 10 years so I need to continue working on it.”

On April 23, during her most recent track meet she beat her own triple jump record of 27 feet, by jumping 27 ft and six and a half inches.

She said, “I’d like to call it the luck of Masters and the 22ft board, because both times I broke my record at home track meets using the 22ft board the refs made.

Either way I’m personally happy that I beat my own record and next time hopefully I hit 30 ft!”

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Sports

TOWER/APRIL 29, 2022

Masters coach revels in March Madness success Kira Ratan

Editor-in-Chief

W

hen St. Peters University stunned the world, making history as the first 15 seed to ever reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA March Madness tournament, one Masters community member beamed with pride, not surprised in the least.

Keydren Clark is head coach of the Masters boys varsity basketball team, and has been for three years.

Before that, he worked as a teacher’s aide at Masters, too, assisting faculty members with academic classes. Over the last month, Clark has seen success, unanticipated by many, from his alma mater: St. Peter’s University in New Jersey.

In the first round of the tournament, matched up against a powerhouse, St. Peters shocked bracketologists and college ball fans when they upset number two seed, the University of Kentucky, defeating the Wildcats 85-79. The Peacocks went on to defeat Murray State and become the first 15 seed to make it to the Sweet Sixteen round of the tournament, and beat out number five seed Purdue to continue their streak into the Elite Eight. Though the team lost to UNC in the Elite Eight, their “Cinderella” story sent shockwaves through the NCAA sphere.

Clark has been watching the Peacocks closely since his gradua-

tion in 2006, and when he watched for all-time NCAA scoring leaders. them “knock off Kentucky” this He joined the only other seven year, he said it was special for players in NCAA history at the time him and knew it was going to be to score over 3,000 career points. a special run for the team, too.

As a prolific point guard “When I was [at St. Peter’s], at St. Peters, Clark explained we had the opportunity to play the responsibilities he felt toagainst schools like Florida and ward his teammates on the court, Pitt, and we always came up short, game in and game out, as he grew but seeing them beat Kentucky, to be a leader for the program. one of the best schools in history, “As the point guard of the that was monteam, you’re like umental for the engine of evme,” Clark said. erything,” he said.

When KeyUsing his I knew Coach Clark dren Clark took was a mid-major legend in talents and exto the court for perience in colthe third time college basketball, and when lege, Clark noted ever in his college they beat Kentucky, I realized, how smooth he basketball career, ‘Oh my God, Coach Clark went felt the transihe felt powerful. tion to coaching He was ready to to St. Peters!’ basketball was prove his abilfor him. He said ity and make a he had learned - Charlie Cooper ‘23 name for himself to see the court as a Division-I from above, givpoint guard en that he had to fresh out of high school. know where everyone belonged The game proved more in- on the court as a point-guard. fluential to Clark’s path than “It’s about seeing the he imagined. Clark scored 48 game as a whole and being able points and came in with stats of to call out plays that attack 10/16 three-pointers. What’s the weak links in the defense, more: it was only the beginning. which is a natural thing for me.”

Clark went on to accumulate Junior Charlie Cooper is an 3,058 points during his college avid college and professional bascareer, averaging 25.9 points a ketball fan. He also played under game. At the end of his senior year Clark this year as a member of in 2006, Clark held the record for the boys’ varsity basketball team. the most three-point shots made in Cooper said he was delighted NCAA history, at 435. He finished to have a connection to St. Peschool at number six on the ranking ters through his coach. He would

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PHOTO COURTESY OF KEYDREN CLARKE (NJ.com)

MASTERS VARSITY BASKETBALL COACH and St. Peters alum Keydren Clarke driving down the lane against a Seton Hall. Clarke averaged 25.9 points for four seasons for St. Peter’s from 2002-2006. text Clark excitedly about the winning team, and in return receive videos from Clark, who was watching the games in-person.

He said, “I knew Coach Clark was a mid-major legend in college basketball, and when they beat

Kentucky, I realized oh my god, Coach Clark went to St. Peters.”

As Cooper watched the Peacock’s historic run, he noticed similarities between the plays St. Peters made and the plays Clark had made him and his teammates run in

games in the Fonseca Center Gym. He noticed the coaching skills Clark had imparted upon the team right on the TV screen he was watching.

Cooper said, “Coach Clark helped me rekindle my love for basketball.”

Lacrosse programs revamp with new players and coaches Marianna Gu

News Editor Returning to the field after being disrupted by the pandemic, both the boys and girls varsity lacrosse teams are back full of energy, looking forward to a strong season.

“Of course the goal is to win, but aside from that, cultivating team spirit and cooperation and just simply seeing personal growth from each of our players matter more to me as their coach.” Rico Williams, the new head coach for the boys varsity lacrosse team, commented on his goal for this season. Williams has coached the Masters lacrosse as an assistant coach for five years and has his full-time job running the lacrosse program in the House of Sports. He enjoys working with the Masters team and witnessing the personal development in each player. Baird Hruska ‘23, a member of the boys lacrosse varsity team, said, “Rico is an amazing guy. He has been coaching the team for almost three years so he knows everybody on the team and everyone does trust him because he teaches lacrosse at a college level, so we all know how smart he is.”

The girls varsity lacrosse team years, looks forward to working also welcomes their new head with the new members. “We have coach, Alexis Di Domenico, whose only four returning players, so a big joining sparks confidence in the piece for this year is to cultivate a team. Before coming to Masters, Di sense of unity,” MacWilliams said.

Domenico coached at the Trinity The boys lacrosse team, with fewer School in New York City for almost senior players last year, did not exeight years. She also coached teams perience the same amount of turnover inside at different the team, levels, inhowever. cluding It’s really about team learning college and understanding the game Williams said, “We varsity and just getting better each day and are all teams, indeveloping a passion for the game and working ternationtogether al teams, wanting to be here. and tryand clubs - Meghan MacWilliams ing really outside hard as of Masters.“I think what’s special about a team and we are definitely the Masters teams is that there heading in the right direction.”

The coaches also set substanisn’t a lot of collective lacrosse experience here. So the really ex- tial goals for this season. “It’s realciting thing for me personally is ly about team learning and underteaching them the game and seeing standing the game and just getting how quickly they are growing and better each day and developing a developing,” Di Domenico said. passion for the game and wanting Most of the senior players to be here together” MacWilliams graduated last year so the girls var- said. Although the season just startsity lacrosse team faced new chal- ed, the girls lacrosse team already lenges integrating new players into took two wins, both being home the team. Megan MacWilliams, games: 7-1 against Hopkins School who has been coaching the girls and 8-3 against Spence School. lacrosse team for more than four The girls varsity team is sched-

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CHARLIE COOPER/ TOWER

RYAN GUAN/ TOWER

MASTERS GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE coach Alexis Di Domenico coaching a couple players during their 8-3 home win over the Spence School on April 13.This is Di Domenico’s first year coaching Masters and alongside Meghan MacWilliams, are working with a roster with only four returning players. uled for 8 upcoming games and the next home game will be on May 4 against Marymount. The boys varsity team has their next home game on May 13 against Harvey School.

Although the pandemic temporarily disrupted the lacrosse

RYAN GUAN/ TOWER

SOPHOMORE JACK PARSONS SPRINTS down the field in the SENIOR LIV STERN GOES for a ground ball in girls varsity laboys varsity lacrosse’s first game of the season against Wooster. crosse’s game against the Spence School. Masters won this conMasters was defeated 14-7. test 8-3 marking their second win of the season.

training, the team is able to regroup and keep high energy during each training. For a sport in which collaboration among teammates is key, the lacrosse team is on the right direction to a successful season.

Williams said, “The Masters

team is so unique because the kids are so educated and working with so many highly intellectual kids makes coaching easier because they understand what I’m saying and most important of all, they trust me.”

JOSH MARKOWITZ/ TOWER

BOYS VARSITY COACH RICARDO Williams coaching seniors Nate Meyer and Max Peters and freshmen Oliver Eisenberg in the 14-7 defeat to Wooster.