Tower The Masters School
@MastersTower
49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522
VOLUME 75, NUMBER 7
Editorial As we approach the end of the school year, Memorial Day Weekend is here. We cannot let the excitement of this occasion overshawdow the importance of honoring those who served in the United States Armed Forces and the impact they had in shaping our lives today.
FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019
tower.mastersny.org
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISAAC CASS
CENTER, FROM LEFT TO right: Sophia Forstmann ‘20, Clyde Lederman ‘22, Sophia Viscarello ‘21, Gabi Seguinot ‘20, Maeve Smith ‘20, Julia Levin ‘21, Audrey Corrigan ‘20, Jenny Nykonorova ‘21, Carr Li ‘21 and Juliette Chollet ‘20 take their final bow after performing their TEDx talks on Friday, May 17. The speakers presented talks on a wide variety of topics, from the sometimes unnoticeable impacts of climate change, to the Latin American migration crisis to women in the electric guitar industry. This was the third annual TEDx event at the Masters school.
TEDx speakers share “ideas worth spreading” Michelle Wei Editor-in-Chief Marking the third annual TEDx The Masters School (x = independently organized TED event), ten students presented their own TEDx talks in the Experimental Theater on May 18. From the normalization of self harm to media being a new instigator of war, there were a variety of topics presented. For the third year in the row, Upper School History Teachers Lisa Berrol and Brendon Barrios have advised the student speakers. Berrol first headed the takeoff of the TEDx program at Masters three years ago
after Head of School Laura Danforth approached her with the idea. Each year, Berrol re-applies for a license to the greater TED organization for officiating Masters’ talks. Before the process of writing and practicing their own TEDx talks, students have to audition, beginning in December. Berrol noted that this year’s group of students was especially supportive and willing to share their insights with each other. The group consists of students Juliette Chollet, Audrey Corrigan, Sophia Forstmann, Clyde Lederman, Julia Levin, Carr Li, Jenny Nykonorova, Gabriella Seguinot, Maeve Smith and Sophia Viscarello. The student speakers refine their speeches once a week, on Thursday night from 7 to 9 p.m. This meeting
time counts for co-curricular credit. Between the time their applications are approved by the program and the end of spring break, the speakers research and write their ten-minute speeches. To gather information, students frequently look outwards for mentors. Often times these mentors are people within the Masters community. For sophomore Sophia Viscarello, her mentor has been CityTerm director Cotter Donnell. According to Viscarello, Donnell provided professional insight relevant to her TEDx topic of perfectionism in education. Viscarello said, “He is a leading figure in alternative education. He’s an expert in his field and he’s helped me so much with my own research.”
Students discuss sexual assault at Town Hall eMMa luiS Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Jacob Strier News Design Editor
O
ver 38 students and 20 faculty and administrators met on May 22 at a student-requested Town Hall meeting in the Library Conference Room to discuss how Masters handles sexual assault. The meeting, open to the entire Masters community, was held with the goal of focusing on policy and discussion, and not specific cases of sexual assault or harassment that have occured within the Masters community. A group of seniors, including Rachel Aideyan, Casey Li and Henna Nakum read a list of student recommendations to the administrators, including requests for substantive changes to the school policy on sexual assaults within the Upper School Family Handbook. The administration said they will consider the proposed requests and plan to hold another meeting next week to discuss their decisions. The Town Hall began with Aideyan reading the community norms, to remind all present of the importance of maintaining a respectful atmosphere conducive to healthy discussion. The students also read the policies from the Upper School Family Handbook related to sexual assault and harassment. The students made twelve recommendations to administration. The recommendations included consistent follow-ups with survivors of sexual assault or harassment, the notification of school counselors immediately when a situation arises, the sanctioning of administrators who do not follow the outlined criteria thoroughly, and written reports completed by both the survivor and perpetrator. They asked that a decision on their requests be made before
graduation this year, with a follow-up one week from the initial meeting. The students also requested that Masters holds sexual assault advocacy programming at least once per year at Morning Meeting. Educating the community about sexual assault and consent was a consistent theme at the Town Hall. Students argued that the health curriculum must be reformed, given that students do not take health until their junior year and often have no prior formal sexual education or consent training. Danforth responded that administration is working to improve Masters’ 5th-8th grade health curriculum, as well as the sexual education unit in Freshman Seminars. Freshman Sophia Van Beek argued that some students do not take Freshman Seminar seriously enough, thus the topic could also be approached in a more formal setting. Another theme of the Town Hall was administrative transparency. Several students asked for clarification regarding the term “finishing remotely,” which has been used previously to describe students who have been separated from the school for various offenses. Head of Upper School Nikki Willis said that students who finished their education remotely still needed to fulfill schoolwork, whether it be via an online course or a continuation of their coursework at Masters. Senior Youssef Aly said, “I think administration plays a huge role in the culture of a school. They are telling the students: ‘It’s okay to do this and still get a diploma.’” Students shared the sentiment that transparency is important to the community in regard to how disciplinary cases are handled. “To leave students in the dark, it’s the worst thing anyone can do,” senior Emily Madrid said. The need for transparency was restated by faculty. History Teacher Eric Shapiro expressed that, over the course of the meeting, he had heard that,“There is a lot of distrust, or the
idea that students aren’t given information or taken seriously. It is important that we continue to have discussions.” School culture was an important point in the meeting, and several students addressed the need to overhaul the culture regarding toxic masculinity, “mansplaining” at the Harkness table, sentiments of racism, and derogatory treatment of women. Willis said, “It’s disturbing to me how naturalized this behavior has been for students. There is real unlearning to be done. It has to be everyone. It’s not okay and we are responsible for it.” “In order to have a culture change, there has to be a change in the handbook,” Van Beek said. Dean of Students Peter Newcomb noted that Masters has contracted an outside firm, Respect my Red, who will audit policies within the Student and Family Handbook this coming summer. The firm will also train leadership and faculty, organize student leaders and host a day of respect to look at issues underlying sexual assault in order to set the tone for the culture next year. Respect my Red, according to their webpage, is an “inclusive educational program to promote discussion and education, in a developmentally appropriate way, on what it means to show and get respect.” The company works with 25 institutions in 13 states including Stanford University, Fordham University and Trinity Pawling School. Concerns surrounding the accessibility and relevance of the Upper School Student and Family Handbook were raised. “Technically by enrolling at Masters you agree to the handbook. It never gets read until it needs to be. It’s accessible, but not relevant,” Newcomb said. He added that like in previous years, handbook highlights will be reviewed with advisory groups at the beginning of the year. To close the meeting, Danforth said, “There is no growth without moments of vulnerability. Thank you for holding up a mirror and working with us as a school.”
Berrol also cited Upper School Music Instructor Curt Ebersole and Upper School English Teacher Miguel Segovia as people who have facilitated the TEDx process. Ebersole, who teaches the public speaking class, boosted the performance and memorization aspect of the speeches, according to Berrol. Additionally, according to the only freshman in the program this year, Clyde Lederman, “Dr. Segovia has brought my talk into something compelling and helped me hit the nail on the head. I’m grateful for the countless hours he’s contributed.” Aside from adult mentors like Donnell, Ebersole and Segovia, there were also peer mentors. These peer mentors were alumnae of the TEDx program who have given their own talks
in years prior. The alumnae, such as Elijah Emery, Annie Rubinson, and Jonas Kolker, sat in on practices and made recommendations. Senior Rachel Aideyan, who gave a TEDx talk last year, has attended almost every practice session. Her guidance has counted for her own co-curricular credit, and Aideyan said, “I really tried to make sure to be as available as possible and encouraged them because it’s a really tough job. I’m there for peer support.” Berrol said that the addition of mentors made the students’ speeches more well-informed and well-rounded, so the audience gained more insight. The TEDx talks will soon be available to watch on YouTube.
Masters policy to charge boarders for summer storage Mitchell Fink Web Content Editor Starting at the end of the 2019-20 school year, Masters will begin to enforce a new policy for summer storage on campus. The shift was first announced in the spring of 2018, and then again earlier this school year,
and will no longer allow boarding students to keep their belongings on campus over the summer, beginning in the summer of 2020. In years past, items ranging from clothing to pieces of furniture have been stored in the dorms over summer break, and then distributed back to students at the start of the next school year.
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JIAYUN (ELLA) TANG/TOWER
THE NEW STORAGE SYSTEM, which will be utilized at the end of next year will give students the option of taking all their belongings home or using a private moving servcie, Dorm Room Movers. Students will no longer be able to keep items on campus during the summer.