Tower Issue #7 Volume 77 2020-2021

TOWER The Masters School

49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522

VOLUME 77, NUMBER 7

Editorial As a community forum, Tower must amplify the voices of its readers and foster a productive space for dialogue, debate, and dissent.

JUNE 7, 2021

tower.mastersny.org

Graduation returns to iconic senior steps

Inside this issue: SABRINA WOLFSON COVERS EFFECT’S Green Week, which took place from during the week of May 10.

News, Page 2

LOOK THROUGH THE MATRICULATIONS of the Class of 2021 on this issue’s centerspread.

MASTERS SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS

THE CLASS OF 2021 gathers at Graduation Terrace to rehearse for their graduation on Saturday, June 12. The graduation will be held in-person for the first time since 2019. To prevent the spread of Covid, there are many restrictions and regulations put in place for the ceremony. Each student may only bring four guests, and every guest must be tested, vaccinated, or recently recovered from Covid to attend. For those unable to attend, the ceremony is available via live-stream.

SOPHIA VAN BEEK AND ETHAN SCHLAPP Editor-in-Chief and Sports Lead Editor Two years after the last senior class held their commencement ceremony on Graduation Terrace, the class of 2021 will celebrate commencement in-person, on June 12. According to an email sent by Head of Upper School Peter Newcomb, each student attendee is allowed to bring a maximum of four guests, each of whom must register beforehand; guests must also submit either proof of vaccination, negative COVID-19 test results or proof of a recent recovery from Covid, in order to ensure the health of all those in attendance. There will also be no reception for families after graduation.

In addition to graduating seniors and their guests, teachers will be allowed to attend graduation. Unlike in past years, juniors and members of the Glee Club (those in stu-

dent-led performing groups or performing arts classes) are no longer allowed to attend, in order to keep the number of people low and adhere to social distancing protocols.

In a difficult time, Newcomb spoke to the importance of making the decision to hold in-person graduation itself.

“There’s been a lot of loss this year for all students and it’s been a really challenging year for all students, but for the seniors in particular, to have lost essentially all of the rites of passage and traditions of their senior year, doing all that we could to try to make an in-person commencement happen was really important,” Newcomb said.

Senior Class Co-President Carolyn Hohl has been looking forward to graduating since she attended commencement in 2019.

“I was able to go to the Class of 2019 graduation and I loved it,” she said. Hohl continued, “I told people basically the whole year that I wanted in-person graduation more than I wanted prom.”

At the beginning of the school year, Hohl

was unsure if there even would be an in-person graduation ceremony, but is delighted that the class is able to graduate in-person, with guests.

Hohl plans on bringing her grandmother.

The ceremony will be live-streamed for students and their families who live far away from Masters, or who wish to remain virtual for the ceremony. There are roughly 25 fully remote seniors, according to the Class of 2021 Dean Eric Shear.

Senior Carr Li has been remote, living in Shanghai, since March 2020, when COVID-19 first moved the school to online learning. Li will be unable to attend the graduation ceremony, but plans on watching the livestream.

He has been learning remotely for the entire school year, and has missed out on senior traditions and celebrations. “I never [expected] this [during] that spring break last year… No senior year, no graduation,” he said.

However, Li has gotten used to being far away from Masters. “I’d prefer a graduation, but it’s okay,” he said. Li noted that if there were to

be a one-year reunion, he would make an effort to attend, so that he could see his class in-person.

Between end of year traditions and celebrations, Shear believes the “senior spring” attitude has set in among the class, especially with graduation in sight. “I think they’re thrilled… I think they’ve had a tough year and a half and I think they’re really excited that they’ll get to have a graduation and celebrate the end of their senior year,” Shear said.

Newcomb said he is eager to take part in the graduation. In an interview with Tower, he shared an anecdote in which he described how he felt when he sat on the senior steps shortly after they had made the decision about in-person commencement.

He said, “It felt like there was a bit of light; we made that decision in a time when there wasn’t a ton of great news.” Newcomb added, “To be able to share a sense of togetherness with the seniors after being so disjointed this year is thrilling to me. It was a really big highlight for me this year when we were able to commit to doing that.”

Van Jones to speak

MITCH FINK EXPLORES THE 1918 pandemic at Masters and the local area drawing parallels to our current circumstances.

Features, Page 9

LANCE LEYS RECAPS THE unusual and unprecedented 2021 boys’ volleyball season in Sports, Page 12

“Caleb and I are a very good pair, since even though we are part of different circles and we have different interests, we have the same core values and beliefs and are very energetic and engaged people in the community giving us a very good dynamic.”

“

We have the same core values and beliefs and are very energetic and engaged people in the community, giving us a very good dynamic.”

- Annie Fabian ‘22 FLICKR

GRADUATION SPEAKER VAN JONES speaks at a Center for American Progress event. Jones,

a CNN political commentator, author and lawyer, will be the commencement speaker at graduation for the class of 2021.

SOPHIE GRAND AND MITCH FINK Chief Design Editor and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Van Jones, a CNN political commentator, author and lawyer, will be the commencement speaker at this year’s graduation, Class of 2021 Dean Eric Shear announced to the senior class at a class meeting last month.

Jones is also the co-founder of several non-profit organizations, many of which focus on criminal justice reform and environmental justice.

Head of School Laura Danforth wrote in an email to Class of 2021 families that an anonymous gift from a Class of 2021 family made the plans for Jones to speak possible.

In the email, Danforth added that Jones

has embodied Masters’ motto to “Do It With Thy Might,” adding that the school is “honored” that Jones will speak at graduation.

Shear said, “The Class of 2021 really deserves someone to come in who’s really famous and who’s going to give a really uplifting, likely optimistic, message –– and one that’s probably going to be social justice, and diversity, equity and inclusion focused. I feel like we’ve had a really rough last year, and to end on such a powerful and uplifting note is not only what I would hope for the class, but also what they deserve.”

Senior Dominic Florian voiced his excitement for Jones’ commencement speech.

“I know he is going to give us really supportive words and really powerful advice that very few people could very give us,” Florian said.

“Regardless of what political party he is, I think he is a very genuine person who can really help us transition to college and the rest of our lives.”

KWYNNE SCHLOSSMAN/TOWER

NEWLY ELECTED CO-CHAIRS ANNIE Fabian and Caleb Jakes are shown together in front of the Dining Hall in the quad. The election was held on May 4 after nomination speeches and candidate speeches were delivered at Morning Meeting. Both rising seniors have been active in the Masters community since first coming to the school in clubs such as Gold Key and Dobbs 16.

New co-chairs elected KWYNNE SCHLOSSMAN Web and Social Media Manager

Rising seniors Annie Fabian and Caleb Jakes will serve as the Co-Chairs for the 2021-2022 school year. The election was held on May 4, after nomi-

nation speeches and candidate speeches were given at Morning Meeting.

Fabian and Jakes are both active members of the community and involved in multiple clubs including Gold Key, Diversity Ambassadors, Peer Leaders, Dobbs 16, Peer Listeners, SCEEM, Community Council and many more. Due to their extensive past collaboration, Fabian said,

Both elected Co-Chairs see themselves as qualified candidates for this position. Fabian – who has attended Masters for the past 8 years – said, “I know how basically everything works around here and what needs to be done to improve the school and the community.”

Unlike Fabian, who is a day student, Jakes represents a perspective from the boarding community. Jakes said, “My ethical leadership class, along with being a dorm proctor, has taught me leadership skills and has prepared me for this position for a long time.”

The Co-Chairs have shared just a few of their upcoming plans for the 2021-2022 school year. Their plans include making Morning Meeting more engaging, starting a yoga co-curricular, connecting boarding and day students more, and putting together a diversity, equity and inclusion orientation at the beginning of next year.

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NEWS

TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

EFFECT celebrates Masters Green Week in style climate change as an issue that’s easy to procrastinate, but we only have six years left and people need to understand that that’s really not a lot of time.”

The next event to take place was the Masters Thrift Store, organized by sophomores Tyler Hack and Sophia Semczuk, as well as junior Katie Williams. At the store, students could buy clothing, jewelry, books, succulents and various other miscellaneous items. To create incentive for students to donate items to the store, EFFECT gave them credit back for their donations based on the estimated worth of their clothing. Additionally, safety precautions were taken to make sure that the garments and other items were clean and disinfected. As each item of clothing was received, it was sanitized with fabric cleansing spray. The store raised approximately $750 from this event, which will be donated to the Climate Action Fund, an organization that raises awareness of climate change to build capacity in order to increase climate actions. Moreover, the remaining clothing not sold will be donated to a thrift store in the Westchester Area.

Sophomore Semczuk said, “We wanted people to realize that shopping sustainably is a great option and ELLEN COWHEY/TOWER instead of buying from large corporaJOE DIDONATO PLANTS A tree he bought for the MISH auction in honor of the class of 2020. EFFECT hosted its annual Green Week in early May, and organized events including a six-minute sit-in for tions, they can shop sustainably and climate change on the quad, a thrift store, and a fundraiser for the Climate Action Fund. EFFECT hoped to engage all members of the community during Green Week and make everything accessible. have just as good of an experience.”

Especially after a unique year like this one, EFFECT co-president, senior Club EFFECT organized three environ- held a sit-in on the quad. Freshman Vio- cured at 1:30 p.m.. Students were encourJake Sloane, was incredibly happy to mentally-conscious events to celebrate lett Paull was one of the students to lead aged to leave class and walk to the quad, SABRINA WOLFSON see so many students getting involved.

Green Week. Although it has become an this activity, inspired by the climate strike where they would engage in six minutes Sloane said, “It was so great to see the annual Masters tradition, all of the events walkouts that have occurred at different of silence, indicating the number of years Opinion Editor big student turnout that we had and it really held for this year’s Green Week were institutions across the globe. To ensure that are left until climate change bemade this stressful time at the end of the year During the week of May 10, Mas- brand new to the Masters community. that the event would not conflict with the comes irreversible according to scientists. with APs and finals a little more enjoyable.”

On Wednesday, May 12, EFFECT students’ lunch periods, the walkout ocPaull said, “A lot of people see ters’ Environmental and Sustainability

Segovia to take over as class of 2023 dean CAROL QUEIROZ & MATTHIAS SANDOVAL Ad Manager and Copy Editor; Contributing Writer To the majority of current sophomores, Upper School Math Teacher and Co-Director of Ethical Leadership Matthew Kammrath is recognized as the Class of 2023 Dean. For the past two years, he has worked alongside sophomore class presidents to create a sense of community within the grade and run class meetings. However, effective next school year, Kammrath will be departing the Masters community after 18 years of teaching.

In the upcoming academic year, Kammrath plans to take on the leadership role of Director of The Center for Common Good at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, where he will support student community service projects.

Current sophomore class presidents Aimee Ayala and Tyler Hack, who have worked alongside Kammrath for the entirety of the 2020-2021 school year, reflected on what Kammrath helped them accomplish in their time as presidents.

“It was a delight to work with him, because he let us take our ideas where we wanted to take them. He supported our ideas even if they were unconventional, like the block party we organized.” Ayala said.

“We couldn’t have asked for a bet-

ter class dean for these past two years.

He is incredibly thoughtful and thorough. We’re losing someone who is the definition of well-rounded, and he leaves big shoes to fill,” Hack added.

In his place, Upper School English Teacher Miguel Segovia will become the Class of 2023 dean for the remaining two years and is excited to take on the challenges of his new job.

“After the difficulties the pandemic brought, I’m looking forward to being part of the community and the grade in a more full and holistic way,” Segovia said.

Segovia has never been a Class Dean before and understands that there may be difficulties in being a dean. He said, “I’m going to be paying attention and talking with the other deans who have done it, so I hope to be a student in that regard to learn from my colleagues.”

Ayala and Hack are eager to welcome Segovia’s new point of view and work ethic into the leadership role. Hack stated,“[It] will be really beneficial for our grade and the school,” Both presidents hope to take the knowledge they gained from their experience with Kammrath and implement it into future years with Segovia as dean.

“We’re very excited to see what Dr. Segovia can bring to the table. I think it will be great to experience a new dynamic.” Ayala said “And we can’t wait to gain a new

perspective,” Hack added “Mr. Kammrath is so amazing that he has rubbed off on both of us, and we will take what we learned from him with us while gaining another perspective from Dr. Segovia.”

In his new role, Segovia wishes to continue and finish the work that Kammrath began, acknowledging his vision for the role while also incorporating his own. One of the most important things to both Segovia and Kammrath is keeping the Legacy Stone symbol intact. Kammrath gave each sophomore a stone with the word “Legacy” on it, and were promised that if they kept their legacy stones until senior year and kept asking themselves “What legacy will I leave at Masters?”, they will receive a prize at graduation. Segovia revealed that keeping this tradition is “at the top of my list” for things he wants to do as Dean.

Much to his surprise, when Kammrath announced his leave, he was met with many sophmores asking what will happen to the stones, because they had kept the stones with them ever since they received them.

“It actually really surprised me that it was something that people asked, they never talk about it, but they know where it is and they were ready for senior year. But if there’s one thing I do with Dr. Segovia, I’m gonna make sure that the stones and the gift remain. If I have to come back and give you all a gift myself, I will,” Kammrath said.

Segovia will not be the only new dean for the next school year. Director of Global

and Civic Exchange Robert Fish will take on the role of class dean for the Class of 2025.

CAROL QUEIROZ/TOWER

UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER Miguel Segovia will be taking over as class dean for the class of 2023, due to current dean Matthew Kammrath’s departure at the end of this year. Segovia said he is excited to step into the role and engage with the students in the class of 2023, who will be juniors next year.

OP-ED

OpiniOn TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

TOWER 2020-2021

EDITORIAL

Tower provides invaluable service as community forum A

s we close out Volume 77 of Tower, we would like to reaffirm the role of this newspaper within our school community and to emphasize the importance of the publication to Masters life.

Fundamentally, Tower tells stories that are meaningful and relevant to you, our audience. Together, we create a space for people to share their perspectives, amplify others’ voices, and make meaningful change through informed and fair reporting. We are a community forum built around productive dialogue and continued discussion, and as editors-in-chief we hope to only elevate engagement and inclusivity in every aspect of our coverage.

From pressing news stories to in-depth

features investigation, we hope that all points of view are represented and held in mind with our reporting. Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Tower as a publication, nor the views of every staff member on Tower. We have a duty as a school forum to publish people’s opinions, so long as they are based in fact, and to obstruct that would be censorship in its most basic form.

Additionally, as the new leaders of our newspaper, we commit ourselves to making sure Tower works to be an actively anti-racist and equitable institution. We recognize our imperfections as a publication and individuals, and encourage the community to hold us accountable and provide valuable insight on how we can keep improving.

Our role as a newspaper is not to spread propaganda or one-sided narratives; rather, we hope to bring every member of the community together in telling their own distinct stories and taking the time to listen to others’.

We invite anyone to write a letter to the editor, pitch a story, apply to become a blogger or columnist, or join the Tower co-curricular. Our publication is strongest when our readers actively participate.

Thank you for continuing to trust Tower to tell your stories, represent your values, and keep our community informed and engaged. We look forward to another year of publication.

ELLEN COWHEY AND MATT IVES Faculty Advisers

F

arewell to our editors-in-chief, our inaugural TBN producer, and all of our Tower seniors. As this long, strange trip of the 20-21 school year grinds to a halt, it’s time to say goodbye to an amazing group of students.

First, we want to thank Kate Sibery and Mitch Fink, Tower’s 20-21 editors-in-chief. They stepped into this job last May, as we were just entering the long, dark Covid tunnel. At that point, we all lived in ZoomLand, our previous Tower lab had already been packed up, and the room demolished to make way for the library renovations. Gamely, Kate and Mitch stepped into lead, taking up the mantle from previous editors Michelle Wei (‘20) and Logan Schiciano (‘21).

With all-zoom staff meetings and virtual layouts, the staff had to negotiate all the elements of putting a paper together remotely, using creative ingenuity to make it happen. Throughout the summer, Kate and Mitch wrote and edited stories, and kept our social media up to date. It wasn’t until late January that they were able to first walk into the new Tower newsroom space, so virtual layouts had to continue till then. With a portion of the Tower staff still spread across a variety of continents, the editors led with empathy and attentiveness, listening to the needs and ideas of each staff member with interest and compassion.

All this they did while also writing some amaz-

INSIDE THE HERRICK ROOM

Mental health days: Boarders get short end of the stick

M

This is certainly true and unfair. If passed, the administration may require borders to check in with the counseling center first and prove why they need the day off. This would mean that borders, even with a mental health day, cannot sleep in as they have to visit the counseling center before classes start that day. Unfortunately, excused mental health days will not provide a level between day and boarding students unless borders are given full permission to miss class without having to first be interviewed by a counselor, administrator, or dorm parent.

Although mental health days sound like a good idea, I fear that the administration might not be in favor of such a proposal, at least in its current state, asking for a total of four excused absences from school each year, especially if they can be used on test and event days. Even if this bill does not pass, students will continue to miss school if they really need to, and accept their unexcused absence.

Thus, it would only be smart to allow students a couple days off a year with no necessary explanation.

editors-iN-chieF eMeritus KaTe siBery MiTch finK chieF desigN editor sophie grand

opiNioN Lead editor TiM MaThas opiNioN desigN editor saBrina WoLfson Features desigN editor roWan McWhinnie sports Lead editor eThan schLapp sports desigN editor andreW MiTcheLL web editor aNd sociaL Media MaNager KWynne schLossMan web editor KyLa BaranTseviTch art MaNager MaTTiLyn sTone photo editor george chang accuracy & accouNtabiLity MaNager Lance Leys copy editor aNd advertisiNg MaNager caroL QUeiroz

ELLEN COWHEY/TOWER

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF EMERITI Kate Sibery ‘21, Mitch Fink ‘21, and Logan Schiciano ‘21 are moving on this year. Sibery will be attending Columbia University next year, Fink and Schiciano will be attending Boston University and Northwestern University in the Fall. came to rely on Sophie Grand’s capable designer’s vision, to appreciate a fresh perspective from Tim Mathas’s unconventional point of view, and to expect excellent artwork delivered through the help of Matti Stone’s network of artists and photographers. Kyla Barantsevich’s coverage on the latest news tidbit on campus news kept us up to date, and Brody Leo’s provocative op-eds challenged us to consider issues on a deeper level. We are so grateful to every Tower staffer who was part of the team this year, whether a full-time

producer, tower broadcast News Logan schiciano staFF photographers aNd iLLustrators isaac cass charLie cooper eLLa Tang eLLie yang arieLLa UriBe dosi Weed oLLie peTerson

staff member, a photographer, an illustrator, a blogger, a columnist, a newly-rising staff writer, a contributing writer, or a distribution manager.

And most of all, we are grateful to this Masters community we serve. Thanks for engaging in meaningful conversations about issues you care about, for taking the time, and for having the coLuMNists & coNtributiNg writers courage to be part of the larger discussion.

We’ll miss our graduating seniors, but their lastrUsseLL WohL ing influence will long stay with us, and we will hanna schiciano remember them with gratitude.

2021-2022 Editors-in-Chief

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 or mailed. 650 copies are printed. In addition, a copy is sent to each of our advertisers.

Russell Wohl asters undoubtedly offers a rigorous curriculum, and as a result, many students feel overwhelmed with work, often having consequences on one’s mental health. This past month in Executive Committee, Co-Chair Caio Lanes introduced a new “Mental Health Days” proposal, which would allow students two excused days off each semester. Mental health days are not a new idea at Masters; similar proposals have been made in previous years but never amounted to anything.

Personally, I would be in favor of a proposal that gave students one to two days off each semester, although I don’t necessarily support the idea of students using it to actively miss tests and other important events (such as sophomore MUN, field trips, and other activities that would require full class participation).

A divide I observed in recent meetings is between day and boarding students: in the rationale section of Lanes’ proposal, he mentions how day students can simply call in sick, but borders do not have this luxury.

editors-iN-chieF Kira raTan sophia van BeeK

News Lead editor M. Brody Leo

Advisers send off seniors ing stories of their own. Kate tracked down eight of the nine candidates running for the open congressional seat in the 17th Congressional District of which Dobbs Ferry is a part, and interviewed each of them, offering what one local resident called “the best local election coverage I‘ve seen anywhere.” Meanwhile, Mitch dove into a variety of investigative pieces, including his story in this issue, looking back at Masters during the “Spanish Flu” epidemic of 1917-18.

We’ll so miss their humor, their calm and steady leadership, their insights and their strong defense of press freedoms.

Next, we bid goodbye to senior Logan Schiciano, TBN producer and former Tower editor-in-chief (19-20). Logan signed on at the end of last year to be a “new ventures” editor and created a new venture indeed--to begin a Tower Broadcasting Network. With one freshly purchased camcorder, his younger sister as roadie, and his independent summer workshops as a guide, Logan was off and running. He consistently produced award-winning content as he ventured beyond the bounds of lockdown (always with a mask on) to document how the transformed pandemic world was unfolding around him, in terms of the political landscape of the 2020 election and other emerging issues.

He helped our Tower staff and Intro to Journalism students navigate their way into the world of broadcast news production.

Finally, we want to thank ALL of our Tower seniors, who have stuck with the process of writing, reporting, revising, editing, designing and distributing Tower, lo, these many years. We

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schoLastic press aFFiLiatioNs, Letters aNd editoriaL poLicy

LOGAN SCHICIANO/TOWER

INCOMING EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Kira Ratan and Sophia Van Beek worked as Features Lead Editor and News Lead Editor for Tower in the 2020-2021 school year. Ratan, in her fourth year at Masters, is a member of the Debate team, Girls Varsity Tennis Team and is currently a Class President. Also entering her fourth year at Masters, Sophia Van Beek is a tutor for the Writing Center, works with Diversity Ambassadors and has participated in the performing arts.

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 seven times a year, Tower, the student newspaper of The Masters School, is a public forum, with its Editorial Board making all decisions concerning content.

Commentaries and opinion columns are the expressed opinion of the author and not of Tower and its Editorial Board or its advisers.

Furthermore, the opinions conveyed are not those of The Masters School, faculty, or staff. Unsigned editorials express views of the majority of the Editorial Board.

OP-ED

TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

4

Legacy Stones: the perfect Masters tradition CAROL QUEIROZ Copy Editor and Ad Manager

H

igh school is meant to be a key time for self-searching and exploration: a place where anyone can discover, deepen and pursue passions and talents. A place where we can find the kind of person we want to become. But oftentimes when the pressures of grades and college resumés begin to creep in, we can get distracted from enjoying highschool as we create an immense amount of stress surrounding the future. However I, along with every member of the Class of ‘23, have been given an object to help ground us and remind us to live in the moment. An object that we were all told to keep close to us until we graduate from Masters.

At the beginning of my freshman year in

my first ever class meeting, I watched as the concept of legacy stones were introduced by our class dean, Matthew Kammrath. He held up a box of rocks, all roughly the same shape and size with the word “Legacy” in black letters imprinted on each one. He explained to us that it is incredibly important to appreciate our high school experience, even when it becomes stressful. It’s easy to get swept away in a mentality of just wanting to make it to college, but there is more to high school than just trying to get it over with to move onto the next chapter of your life. We were all told to take a rock and keep it with us until graduation, and if we did that, we would get a mystery prize.

As everyone in that class meeting took a stone, Kammrath left us with a question that we all should carry with us: what legacy will you leave at Masters and beyond?

My legacy stone sits on my desk at home,

and every time I look at it, I am reminded of this question. I see it as a symbol of motivation and drive and a reminder to always work on becoming my best self; to be a power for good. And now I constantly find myself asking, when I leave Masters after four years of my life, how do I want to be remembered?

Needless to say, this stone has had a great impact on how I view high school. But recently, I discovered that this is not a tradition that has been implemented annually at Masters, but rather a tradition was only established in the class of ‘23. I thought this was strange, since in my view, this tradition embodies the essence of Masters.

The stone is worth more than a mystery prize at the end of our high school career: it is a reminder to approach everything we do with our might and work towards becoming a power for good in the community, two things Masters heav-

ily encourages. It is a perfect, timeless and easily maintainable tradition to incorporate into every future class. As I mentioned before, it enforces the idea that there is more to life and more to high school than working to get accepted into college. And at a school like Masters that presents students with every opportunity to find themselves and their passions, we have to take advantage of those opportunities and never take them for granted.

My legacy stone gave me a new positive outlook on school, and I want that for every student here. This should be a tradition Masters takes pride in and establishes annually, like ringing the bell when getting into college or senior speeches. But even if the tradition isn’t implemented, we should all keep the question “What legacy will you leave at Masters and beyond? ” in our minds as we continue our high school journey.

Harry Potter and the reboot that’s fated to flop AURORA HORN Contributing Writer

P

ottermania is still as prominent as ever.

Even now, years after the release of the first Harry Potter book, the Harry Potter fandom is super popular. These days, though, the name J.K. Rowling has been synonymous with controversy; she’s been “cancelled” due to her transphobic tweets. Despite this, people still continue to be fans of Harry Potter while distancing themselves from Rowling.

One example of this is how they’re planning to boycott the prospective Harry Potter HBO Max reboot. According to an article from PennLive, the production is only hypothetical at this point, and I strongly advise that they don’t go through with it. Here’s why.

For one, HBO Max has… interesting taste in what they choose to reboot. An article written by Peter White for Deadline states that HBO Max is currently working on a reboot of Constantine. Ever heard of Constantine?

Yeah, I didn’t think so. It’s a DC Comics series that previously failed, and if you ask me there’s no point in beating a dead horse.

Now, I know you may be thinking a reboot of Harry Potter is different from a reboot of a failed comic book series, that this has potential to bring in the big bucks.

You’re wrong. Rowling is too problematic.

In December of 2019, Rowling tweeted, “Dress however you please. Call yourself

whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who will have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill” Rowling was considered transphobic after she tweeted this, because the way it’s worded insinuates that trans people are just playing dress-up, and that they can call themselves whatever they want but shouldn’t expect anyone else to. The hashtag “#IStandWithMaya” refers to Maya Forstater, a woman who lost her job for stating that people cannot declare their biological sex.

Another thing that makes it harmful is that she made it look like Forstater was the victim, when in reality she was the one erasing identities.

By supporting Forstater, Rowling alienated the transgender community who were targeted

by Forstater’s claims. This isn’t the only time Rowling has done harm to transgender people -her latest project is about a cisgender man who cross-dresses as a woman and assaults them. According to an article from Bloody Disgusting, the trope of a serial killer or something of the sort who wears a dress is inherently problematic because many people are introduced to trans people in this way and it inspires a fear of them.

Since the Rowling scandal broke, the Harry Potter fanbase has separated from the creator of the series. In the New York Times, fan Renae McBrien said, “J.K. Rowling gave us Harry Potter; she gave us this world. But we created the fandom, and we created the magic and community in that fandom. That is ours to keep.”

Here’s what you can do: sign petitions for HBO Max to not make the reboot, and if they

end up making it, don’t watch it. As a fanbase, we united to make Rowling a millionaire off the Harry Potter series; now, we’re uniting to bring her down. Rowling is standing for the very thing Harry Potter stands against: the series revolves around those who were seen as outcasts, and LGBTQ+ people found solace in that. As McBrien said, even though Rowling created the world, the fans created the magic, and Rowling’s comments cannot take away from that.

DANIEL OGREN/FLICKR

ONCE KNOWN FOR HER Harry Potter novels, J.K Rowling is now synonymous with controversy and the Harry Potter fanbase is separating from the creator of the series.

You need small businesses; they need you TARA PHILLIPS Staff Writer

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ig businesses are dominating the economy and destroying small, locally-run businesses. Although supporting bigger businesses is easier, neglecting local store fronts is causing the neighborhood store to go out of business. Large companies tend to be more accessible and less challenging. For many, sitting at home and ordering online with the push of a button is more convenient than driving to a store, but local-run businesses are the foundation of our economy.

They ensure that economic power is divided, while also providing local benefits.

Entrepreneurship drives America’s economic prosperity and fuels innovation.

When you shop at small businesses, you not only support the dreams of others, you also create jobs. Small businesses in the U.S. cre-

ate nearly two-thirds of private sector jobs.

Shopping at independent businesses helps your community thrive. 75% of small business owners donate an average of 6% of their profits to charitable organizations annually. Over half encourage their employees to volunteer their time. Many support local causes. Being a customer at a community retail shop helps strengthen local influence, and allows important decisions to be made by people who live locally.

Many small businesses offer locally-sourced products, and their carbon footprint for packaging and transportation is reduced. Small businesses help the environment and provide more personalized customer service.

Although large businesses have cheaper, and sometimes more accessible products due to their faster production, they are huge contributors to pollution. Corporations cause 2.2 trillion dollars in environmental damage annually. Additionally, just 100 companies have been

COURTESY OF AIMEE AYALA

EMPLOYEES AT MELA’S CAFE - a small local deli in the Bronx run by the mother of Masters student Aimee Ayala - display recently baked goods. The deli strives to employ locals according to owner Elise Ayala.

the source of over 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988.

Big companies provide many new jobs, but they often have bad pay and poor working conditions. Along with taking over small businesses, large companies tend to exploit their power and influence because of their control in the economy.

Large businesses leverage their market power which enables them to manipulate supply and demand. They can afford to sell products below market value which allows customers to save money and encourages them to return. Many small businesses can not afford to provide such drastic discounts, making it very difficult to compete. Roughly 40% of Americans say they have little or no confidence in big business, up from just 24% in 1985.

Elsie Ayala, mother of Masters student Aimee Ayala, runs a small local deli in the Bronx, called “Mela’s Cafe.” Opened in 2010, Ayala said, “We wanted to provide an alternative to fast foods. We offer fresh and hot food, made daily. So locals don’t have to be stuck with Wendy’s and other quick fast foods that are not healthy options.”

Unlike a large corporation Ayala said, “We tend to employ the locals in the area.

Our business relies on repeat customers, so we have a more personal relationship with the people that come in.” She noted that they know dedicated customers by name and their orders. Adding, “It’s a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Small businesses help to keep neighborhoods alive and thriving. They support a local economy for the younger kids in the area.”

As consumers, we have a choice. Choosing to support small businesses has social, environmental and economic benefits.

Deciding to back local businesses builds community and generates wealth locally.

CAROL QUEIROZ/TOWER

THE CLASS OF 2023 received legacy stones to help them appreciate their high school experiences.

MASTERS IN PHILANTHROPY

Smith lends a hand to Jack and Jill HANNA SCHICIANO

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unior Camille Smith has known the importance of philanthropy from a young age. Whether it’s packing food, assisting at a soup kitchen, or providing clothing to those on the streets of New York, Smith said the smiles that she witnesses when giving back to those in-need brings her so much joy.

Since 2018, Smith has been a part of the Mid-Hudson Valley Chapter at Jack and Jill, an African-American organization that strives to bond children and families through leadership development and volunteer work.

Smith participates in the Light the Night Walk, a yearly event that raises funds for leukemia in honor of Monique Williams, a member of the Mid-Hudson Valley Teen group who passed away of the disease in 2012.

“I’ve done Midnight Runs where you get to meet people and hear their stories which are always very heartbreaking.” She continued, “In seventh grade, I went to a children’s hospital and I hung out with kids who had cancer and played with them.

We made the kids feel ‘normal,’ not that it’s okay that this is happening to them, but [reminded them] that there are people out there that are trying to do better by them.”

On Martin Luther King Day in 2020, Smith helped-out at the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie.

“We drew on bags and packed them with fun activities for little children, like coloring

books, bubbles, and notebooks,” she said.

The pandemic caused many soup kitchens to close their doors to volunteers, as well as paused other in-person events. Smith said that in an online setting, fundraising is the primary focus.

“You’re still able to give back, but I feel like it’s not the same thing as actually being in-person and talking to the people in-need and hearing their story,” she said.

Smith decided to take-on her own initiatives in addition to her work with Jack and Jill.

“We went out and bought clothes and school supplies, which was very inspiring because all of the girls that we were sending these clothes to were in orphanages in Jamaica. I just wish I could actually meet these girls,” she said.

Smith hopes to create a soccer program for young girls in Jamaica. As a forward for the Masters girls’ varsity soccer team, Smith said her passion for the sport and the urge to break gender barriers faced by many girls in sports have kept her inspired to help the next generation of athletes.

“I think finding something that you really enjoy and bringing it to somebody else who may not have the same opportunity is the most satisfying thing to do,” Smith said.

NOTE: If you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved with Jack and Jill, email: camille.smith@mastersny.org.

COURTESY OF CAMILLE SMITH

JUNIOR CAMILLE SMITH (FAR right) has been a member of the Mid-Hudson Valley Chapter at Jack and Jill for a number of years, helping to bond children and families through leadership development and volunteer work.

FEATURES&ARTS

TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

FEATURES

Student-teacher boundaries Defining fine lines

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Kira ratan Editor-in-Chief

ollowing the separation of former Upper School Science Teacher Andres Cárdenas from the Masters community in April 2021, for what Head of School Laura Danforth called in a community-wide email, a “pattern of boundary-violating interactions” with students, many began to reflect on their own teacher-student relationships, and how exactly these boundaries are defined and managed, by both individuals and larger school communities.

The majority of teachers and students at Masters believe that building connections with one another is an integral part of learning at school, and when done properly, can have benefits.

Francesca Gossett, a new junior at Masters, said she feels appropriate student-teacher relationships have their place in school communities and should be encouraged.

“I feel like people don’t sign up to be teachers simply to teach. I feel like they’re there to make connections with students and help them learn both school material and life skills. There needs to be a place for that sort of connection and emotional awareness between teachers and students,” Gossett said.

In order to keep these relationships healthy and clarify boundaries within communities, there are experts who meet with schools to make guidelines as clear as possible.

Consultant Katie Koestner, who has already worked with Masters to transform policies and procedures surrounding sexual misconduct and assault, works with schools and administrators to help them develop policies that are as effective as possible, both in line with legal guidelines and more personal community guidelines.

Koestner explained how she would help a school develop a policy for teachers texting students at midnight, as a random example.

“It’d be pretty weird if a teacher texted a student at midnight, even if it was about algebra, and it may not have been against the law, but it could’ve been preventable,” she told Tower.

Koestner said that if she were to be called into a school for a case involving student-teacher boundaries, her goal would be to help that school shape a policy based on the incident and her previous experience, in tandem with legal backtracking, if necessary, to analyze what exactly could have been prevented.

Many teachers, like English Department Chair Geoff Nelson, find themselves grappling with how to be a caring teacher and support their students, while making sure to draw necessary lines and maintain professionalism at the same time.

“There’s this thought process for teachers of having to balance wanting to care for students and being emotionally available, while also not crossing any boundaries,” Nelson said.

Masters does provide training and guidelines to teachers about appropriate boundaries, according to Masters’

Director of Human Resources Connie Hewitt. She said Masters asks that all faculty and staff complete two online training courses: “Protecting Children: Identifying and Reporting Sexual Misconduct,” and “New York United Training: Prevent Discrimination and Harassment.”

Proof of completion is required every academic year for all employees and new hires must complete both courses within one week of joining Masters. The trainings are provided by the company United Educators.

Danforth’s email included examples of unacceptable boundary violations at Masters such as, “communicating in an intrusive and unprofessional manner with students (in conversation, through social media or via text) about intimate topics and inappropriately sharing highly intimate details of one’s personal life with students.” These guidelines fall in line with many similar school district policies in the area.

Stefanie Carbone, an Upper School counselor at Masters, said that she believes when these types of emotional and physical guidelines are set in place and acknowledged, it can be reassuring for the entire community.

“As humans, we are wired for predictability and planning, and those boundaries and expectations give us a sense of security and scaffolding, especially during times of uncertainty or increased stress,” Carbone said.

Nelson added that he thinks there are several different ways schools can make sure transparency and empowering the usefulness of reporting these types of violations as soon as they are realized are utilized to the fullest extent.

He said, “I think openness and accountability at schools are key. In a good institution, students will feel comfortable reporting what makes them feel uncomfortable. Organizational structures that make it increasingly easier to catch violations before harm is done and that make sure students are protected are most important.”

Assumptions about student-teacher relationships and what it looks like when someone may be violating a boundary remain prevalent today. Beyond Masters, oftentimes inappropriate student-teacher relationships that have been widely publicized and discussed more often than not involve a male teacher and a female student.

While these specific types of violations may certainly be common, schools, especially recently, are being reminded to remain unbiased and consider every possibility in such a circumstance.

Koestner explained that many times, schools are reluctant to adopt harsh policies regarding student-teacher relationships, because they want their students to feel that there aren’t walls being put up and they can talk to a trusted teacher. In short, they don’t want to make the faculty seem “less friendly.” Private schools especially are often slower to change because parents are paying in part for a closer relationship with the school, faculty and staff. Recently though, the tone at many institutions has shifted, as more and more schools see the necessity for clear policies regarding these types of boundaries.

Koestner said, “More and more schools are realizing that you just can’t be friends with your teachers. They should be your mentors, but not your friends.”

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TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

FEATURES

Masters’ Pandemic Finances, Part 3: Approaching a Return to Normalcy The final segment of Tower’s three-part report of Masters’ financial response to the Covid crisis. Parts 1 and 2 can be read on tower.mastersny.org LOGAN SCHICHIANO TBN Producer

CONCLUDING THE FISCAL YEAR AND PROJECTIONS FOR A NEW FISCAL YEAR

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fter a year during which the school made a number of pandemic-related upgrades – such as new furniture in classrooms, plexiglass in the dining hall – to outfit the campus for a safe return to in-person learning, Biddle said Masters is planning for a return to near normal next year and at this time does not anticipate any additional “special capital purchases.”

Biddle also said he does not anticipate that the school will need to continue weekly pooled testing next year.

“My assumption is that we will have enough of our employee and student population vaccinated that we will not need to do the surveillance testing,” he said. “But if we do have to do it, we may need to consider conducting it in a different way where it’s not a cost that is entirely borne by the school.”

Weekly pooled testing has cost Masters anywhere from $15-20 thousand a week, as detailed in Part 2 of this report.

On Thursday June 3, Head of School Laura Danforth announced that “Before the opening of the 2021-2022 school year, The Masters School will require all members of its professional community and all students who are eligible to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.”

This year, Covid-related expenses are projected to total between $1.85-2 million for the school; yet, Biddle said he believes the school “may be able to break even” at the end of this fiscal year (which ends on June 30). This is largely due to a $450,000 surplus from the 2019-2020 fiscal year that was utilized as a COVID-19 spending reserve as well as several areas where the school saved money, such as on dining services, transportation and special events in the past year.

According to a recent article published by the National Business Officers Association that was co-written by Biddle and two other CFOs, in October 2020, almost 60% of schools projected an operating deficit in 2020-2021 fiscal year; however, if schools combine their operating results from the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 fiscal years, “the operating expenses have been whipsawed in opposite and offsetting directions.”

This assessment is in-line with Masters’ overall “pandemic finances,” according to Biddle.

LOGAN SCHICIANO/TOWER

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ED Biddle converses with Head of School Laura Danforth and Dean of Faculty Sam Savage in Danforth’s office. The three administrators, along with members of the board, have worked collaboratively to make a number of key financial decisions to support the school throughout the pandemic.

RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO RESUME

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he school will resume employee retirement contributions during the 2021-2022 fiscal year after Masters suspended contributions during the past year. The new plan falls short of pre-pandemic levels, but encourages more employee involvement, according to Chief Financial Officer Ed Biddle.

Masters employees previously received a retirement contribution worth 10% of their annual salaries that was invested annually by the school, into each faculty, administrator and staff members’ retirement fund as noted in Part 1 of this report. Beginning next fiscal year, Masters will only contribute up to 7% for each employee’s retirement fund – 5% will be based on an employees’ salary, and the other 2% will be made up of an employee-employer match, Biddle said.

He explained why the “match” aspect of the plan is advantageous.

“A match is considered a best practice in retirement plan design because when your employees are contributing money of their own, they end up with a larger amount at retirement than if it’s just the employer contribution.” Biddle added, “An additional plus of matching is that employees tend to be more aware of their retirement plan options, and their choices when they are putting their own money into the plan.”

Despite the decrease in total contributions, Biddle said he does not believe it influenced teachers’ decisions to leave Masters at the end of this year. A total of 11 Upper School teaching faculty are departing this June, according to Dean of Faculty Sam Savage, as well as four additional student-facing Upper School employees, according to Tower’s count..

“I don’t know of any instance where anyone has raised that issue to me as the reason they made a decision to leave,” Biddle said. “If there are examples of that, it’s disappointing, because I think what we offer here is a compelling opportunity to be part of a community and I would hope that would outweigh our response to a one-year economic disruption.”

SOME TEACHERS TROUBLED WITH SCHOOL’S HANDLING OF COVID FINANCES

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ultiple teaching faculty expressed frustration over the school’s suspension of retirement contributions for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

One teacher, who is leaving Masters at the end of this year in part due to the school’s handling of their retirement fund, said the decision to halt benefits was “unfair” because of the fact that the expected 10% contribution was a huge chunk of money that they lost out on this year.

The timing of the announcement, which came in late May, 2020, after teachers had signed their annual letters of agreement (in March) in which the 10% contribution was ensured, upset the teacher.

The departing teacher, who agreed to speak to Tower on the condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize future job references, said, “They [administrators] are contractually obligated to offer our retirement fund.

We signed an agreement and the majority of us cannot just afford not to count on it.”

Savage acknowledged that the benefit terms of employees’ letters of agreement were changed, but explained that from an institutional perspective, the financial sustainability of the school and support of the academic

program took priority amid the Covid crisis.

“I understand the perspective of the faculty who have spoken to me about this decision, and I also understand that school’s need to grapple with real-time problems and challenges they face in order to ensure financial sustainability,” Savage said.

Biddle added, “The timing of notification on retirement was difficult, but we had two inflexible dates to work with: our letters of agreement schedule and our retirement plan year.”

Another teacher, who is new to Masters this year, said they were not even notified of the decision to suspend retirement contributions by the school, but found out second-hand through colleagues. The teacher also said they feel that new faculty should have been informed at the same time as the rest of the faculty.

“We were not part of the meeting and that was my first bit of frustration with the school,” they said. “Making decisions about our livelihoods, but not inviting us to the meeting where these decisions are explained – that’s a major problem.”

The first teacher said these issues and other school-related financial concerns ultimately created a situation that was not financially sustainable; they made it clear that their decision to leave was not at all related to the academic aspect of their job.

“As teachers, we are not in this profession to make money. We do this out of real passion for our subject and out of the love for education,” they said. “Having said that, it is very important that at the very least, I have some sort of financial sustainability in the overall compensation of my package. Despite the fact that I am really dissatisfied with the financial decisions to counter the pandemic, I have always appreciated my colleagues and my students and I will miss them deeply.”

The teacher said they met several times with administration to voice their apprehensions, but said administrators continually put off their concerns.

“Every time, it was always the same.

They would say ‘We are working on things,’ but nothing would ever change,” they said.

In response to teachers’ dissatisfaction with the handling of retirement contributions during the past fiscal year, Biddle doubled down on comments from the first segment of this report, explaining that the decision affected all employees, from high-level administrators to custodians at Masters.

“It was deemed the fairest way for the school to save money because it has no current impact to program or household budget,” he said.

Savage said, “The institutional move was one of equity. While I can appreciate that different people have different relationships to compensation depending on a whole variety of factors, I would say that it [losing the 10% contribution] is something that we all faced together.”

Additionally, in late fall of 2020 the school issued $2,000 stipends to full-time teach-

ing faculty in recognition of their additional work during the pandemic, Savage told Tower.

PANDEMIC IMPACTS MASTER PLAN

T

he pandemic has impacted the school’s efforts to break ground on the new innovation and entrepreneurship center, the next major aspect of the school’s Master Plan.

The school is currently in the planning and permitting phase, according to Biddle, which requires approval from the Dobbs Ferry Building Department.

“The process has gone a lot slower,” Biddle said, noting that the Dobbs Ferry building team has been overwhelmed with the influx of home renovation and commercial projects during the pandemic, which have all required approval from the village as well.

Biddle also explained that beginning a project at this time would have the added challenge of dealing with supply shortages caused by the pandemic.

He said, “As of right now, there is a severe shortage of building materials, which would make proceeding with the project right this minute extremely perilous.”

The school did complete a major renovation of the library in Masters Hall as well as garden level spaces that began at the end of the 2019-2020 school year and opened to students in mid-January.

The pandemic affected all components of the project including availability of construction resources, health and safety of workers, donor relations and finances, according to previous reporting by Tower.

Masters’ Director of Institutional Advancement Seth Marx compared the pandemic’s impact on both projects.

“The Masters Hall renovations saw supply chain delays as one of the major unpredictable aspects of the project, but I think what we’re seeing right now with the next project, especially with regard to lumber, is this remarkable production scarcity,” Marx said. “I also think that the impact of Covid on small towns or village offices can’t be taken lightly.”

Despite the fact that the Dobbs Ferry Building Department offices were closed for a period of time due to COVID-19, Marx and Biddle remain confident in beginning the IEC construction on schedule.

Biddle said, “We are hopeful that we can stay on the late summer/early fall time table [to begin construction] but there are also some procedural obstacles, not insurmountable, but significant, for us to get over.”

“I’m not nervous or anxious about it. We’re actually still within the timeline that we developed initially,” Marx said, adding that the anticipated opening of the building will be in 2023.

From 3,308 miles away, Machado arrives at last ANDREW MITCHELL Sports Editor

S

enior Gabi Machado stepped on to the Masters campus for the first time in 2019 during her spring break vacation to New York from Brazil. Her mom, a Masters alumna, had told her stories of her life on campus in the 90s ever since she was a little girl. So, when Machado arrived on campus and the beautiful architecture of Masters Hall matched the pictures she’d seen, the stories materialized around her and she could finally dig her feet in the dirt of the Masters campus she had only imagined, she fell in love. After having been on campus for only a few hours, Machado left saying, “I want to apply.”

Two years later, in April of 2021, Machado was finally able to return to campus after months of eagerly awaiting the go-ahead to travel 3,308 miles from Fortaleza, Brazil to Dobbs Ferry, New York. Machado explained, however, that the process was much more complicated than just waiting for the dorms to open.

Machado initially applied for a visa in Brazil in

June 2020, a request that typically would have been approved with ample time left before the beginning of the school year. However, due to complications caused by the state of the pandemic in Brazil, all of the consulates in Brazil were shut down.

“The would tell me they would open in a month and then ‘oh no, nevermind,’ and then,

“

We spoke to basically every country in South America, from Peru to Argentina, and even to England.

None of them worked.”

- Gabi Machado

a month later, ‘Oh no, nevermind.’ Eventually we tried applying in other countries. We spoke to basically every country in South America from Peru to Argentina and even to England.

None of them worked,” Machado explained.

Eventually, Machado’s parents had scheduled a dinner to break the news that she would never be able to step foot on campus,

and she would have to finish the year online.

“But at the very last minute, I got an email from Panama saying I could go there and get my visa. I had to physically go there, quarantine for three weeks, interview for my visa and fill out all the paperwork,” Machado said.

In preparation for the trip to Panama, Machado and her family went for their routine Covid testing the day before the flight was scheduled.

On the day of departure, Machado awoke to her dad telling her that they had tested positive, despite the rest of the family testing negative.

“It felt like the world was conspiring against me,” Machado said.

With just hours left until Machado’s 4 p.m. flight from Brazil to Panama, she drove to the testing lab with her father, desperately trying to find a flaw in the testing procedure.

After minutes of arguing, the facility agreed to retest her sample: it remained positive.

Undeterred, Machado got another test at the same facility, and while waiting for the results, she received an email informing her that her flight was being moved earlier to 3 p.m.: she had less than three hours until take

off. The test came back negative.

In order to confirm the results to legally fly, Machado raced to another testing facility and got another test: negative. With just under an hour until take off, Machado sped home, packed her entire life into a suitcase and made it to the airport with minutes to spare.

Upon landing in Panama, Machado and her family had to quarantine before any of the proceedings at the consulate could take place. After two weeks, she interviewed, filled out all of the paperwork and boarded a plane to the United States.

Two days later Machado arrived at Masters.

While Machado was figuring out the logistics of making her way to Masters, she completed nearly three quarters of her entire Masters experience without ever stepping foot on campus. When she finally arrived at the school, Machado explained the overwhelming sense of community that swallowed her up after months of being isolated in a different continent from the rest of the school.

“I just felt such good energy on campus. Everyone is so kind and genuine.” She continued, “One of my favorite parts was figuring out how

tall people actually are versus what I assumed through a computer. Some people are much shorter than I expected,” she said.

However even more exciting for Machado was her mom’s reaction to seeing her here. “She sees pictures of me

around the school and is like, ‘Oh my God! I remembe walking up those stairs!’ It’s so exciting to actually see the places that she used to walk around and she was my age. It’s very special.”

Machado said.COURTESY OF GABI MACHADO

GABI MACHADO IS A member of Masters Dance Company. She has attended most rehearsals online this year.

TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

FEATURES

9

Once in a flu moon

1918 pandemic’s impact on campus and Westchester

W

hen Elizabeth Larter Riker finally received her diploma from Masters, over six decades had passed since she first enrolled at the school as a sophomore in 1917.

Riker was expected to graduate in 1920, but dropped out of school unexpectedly in 1918 during her junior year. Accord-

Written by Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Mitch Fink Newspaper records accessed through the Westchester Historical Society. Archival research by Judy Murphy, and the Hastings Historical Society

ing to a personal notebook of her recollections, Riker fell ill with the “Spanish” Influenza, the 1918 pandemic that cost approximately 675,000 Americans their lives – nearly 100,000 more than the COVID-19 pandemic has caused so far.

Charlotte Larter, Riker’s older sister, tragically died of an unrelated ailment in 1916, just one year after she graduated from Masters.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANN EDMONDS

ELIZABETH LARTER RIKER POSES for a picture around the time that she was a student at Masters (1917-1918).

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An infected campus

hough Riker’s encounter with the Spanish Flu at Masters was unique, her notes and other school records indicate she was one of many students who were infected by the virus while on campus.

Riker wrote in her notebook of the spread at the school.

“So many were ill that the infirmary was full and the school had to put nurses on the residence halls,” she said.

“The Masters School: A Retrospective Portrait”, a book written by Pamela Daly Vose ‘47 chronicling the first 100 years of the school’s history (from 1877 to 1977), is another of the few sources of information on the Spanish Flu outbreak’s impact on Masters. In it, Vose confirms Riker’s record that the school infirmary was filled, and added that there were “several girls sent home,” which may well have referred to Riker, among other students. She also recorded that no one at the school died from the flu.

A report of the “Misses Masters School Society” from April 1, 1918 to April 1, 1919 also noted that a “convalescent home” denied admission to some patients in the fall of 1918 due to the influenza outbreak, and that the home gave nearly 2,000 total days of care between 76 patients that year. It’s unclear whether the convalescent home referred to in the report is the same facility as the infirmary Riker and Vose wrote of, but regardless, both records point to a high number of student infections from the influenza.

Eliza B. Masters, the founder and name-

sake of the school and headmistress at the time, addressed the outbreak in an introductory letter to the 1919 edition of The Bulletin.

“We began the school year 1918-19 with a sharp visitation of the influenza, which was brought to us on the opening day,” Masters wrote. “We summoned all our courage and fought it through most successfully.”

The letter went on to state that “no one had the dreaded pneumonia and in a month nearly all were well enough to return to school,” continuing that school activities “went on as usual and, as only about a fourth of the girls were really ill, the work was soon made up.”

Masters’ note that no students had the “dreaded pneumonia” is directly tied to the absence of death from the influenza at the school. The pneumonia, a common complication of the influenza that spread in 1918, was what caused most of the deaths during the pandemic, according to a National Institute of Health report.

There was no mention of mask-wearing, or any photos of students wearing facemasks from the 1918-1919 school year, although masks were a common preventative measure used to fight the flu in 1918. “The Masters School: A Retrospective Portrait” does briefly mention that both students and teachers were required to wear “heavy flannel night-gowns and underclothes,” which some believed to be the reason behind all students and faculty at the school surviving the flu.

In her notes, Riker recalled that she attempted to retake her junior year at Masters, but that the “powers that be at the school kindly requested that I not come back, because they had not the ability to take care of ‘health problems.’”

According to Ann Edmonds ‘70, Riker’s granddaughter, the family’s belief has long been that the school was well aware of Charlotte Larter’s passing, and even though Larter did not die as a student at Masters, the school did not want to risk losing a second Larter daughter “on their watch,” especially since the 1918 flu was known to be particularly dangerous for younger adults like Riker at the time.

It wasn’t until Riker’s granddaughter, Barbara Edmonds, daughter of Louise Riker Edmonds (class of 1946 and a teacher at Masters), graduated from Masters in 1978 that Riker was finally awarded her diploma (as a member of the Class of 1918). ◄ ANN EDMONDS,‘78 DISPLAYS ELISABETH Larter Riker’s diploma from Masters. Riker received the diploma in 1978, 60 years after she left the school in 1918 after coming downwith the Spanish Influenza.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANN EDMONDS

THE MASTERS SCHOOL ARCHIVES

MASTERS’ CLASS OF 1917. Elizabeth Larter Riker, who was a sophomore at the time, is highlighted in the third row up from the bottom, second from right (according to her granddaughter Ann Edmonds).

I

Medical disaster in Westchester and beyond

n October 1918, at the height of the pandemic’s brutal second wave, Dobbs Ferry Board of Health Official Robert Denniston published a memo in The Dobbs Ferry Register with several preventative measures against the flu, including washing out ones nose and throat several times daily, and a ten-day isolation period for families who suffer one or two cases.

However, an article in the Oct. 25 issue of The Mount Kisco Recorder covered a warning issued

by New York State Commissioner of Health Hermann M. Biggs, who argued that quarantine measures were unrealistic given the highly contagious nature of the flu.

In her memoir Reminiscing Hastings, Hastings-on-Hudson businesswoman Josephine Dos Santos recalled parents forcing their children to wear sacks of camphor – a natural extract often used to relieve irritation – to prevent the flu in 1918.

Many across the nation turned to methods of protection such as camphor sacks, heavy clothes, hygiene and isolation, because a pharmaceutical response to the pandemic, such as a vaccine or antibiotic, did not exist.

Because the public knew so little about the flu, or how it was transmitted, salesmen clamored to pitch “miracle” drugs, which claimed to be capable of thwarting the virus.

The Nov. 1, 1918 issue of The Recorder published an ad offering an olive and pine vapor as an “absolutely safe” method to “overcome the Spanish Influenza;” another from the newspaper’s Oct. 18, 1918 issue suggested “Father John’s Medicine” as an antidote for the flu, and the deadly pneumonia which sometimes came with it.

Ironically, an article published in the same Nov. 1, 1918 issue of The Recorder informed readers that there was no cure for the influenza, and that “the disease must run its course.”

The struggles Masters faced with the pandemic only scratched the surface of the impact felt by the

local area surrounding the school. Hastings, for taking place in Europe at the time. When local example, suffered so many fatalities that church newspapers did cover the influenza during the bells were stopped during funeral ceremonies, second wave in the fall of 1918, nearly every other because those sick from the pandemic would be headline in the paper covered World War I, and discouraged by hearing the constant ringing of advertisements for wartime “liberty loans” domibells due to the large number of funerals resulting nated the pages. from locals dying from the flu, according to RemiSome historians have claimed that in order to niscing Hastings. maintain a positive image of the nation during There is no clear record of the number of cases, wartime, or for other reasons, news of the panand deaths, in Westchester County, but the bits demic was stuffed beneath the heavy coverage of and pieces of information scattered throughout the war. local newspapers and other records at the time Joe Barbieri, a history librarian at the New City painted the picture.

Library in New City, N.Y. who recently dug into One news brief from The Recorder’s Oct. 18, the history of the 1918 pandemic in Rockland 1918 issue reported that five girls had died in County, said he agreed that the war likely played White Plains the previous Monday from the influ- into the reason why information on the pandemic enza after clerking in various local stores. was so underreported.

Another mentioned the names of the Mount “We probably did experience some ‘keep moKisco women suffering from severe cases of the rale high for the war,’ and ‘we’re only going to run flu that week (there were multiple). certain kinds of stories,’” Barbieri said.

The following week’s issue reported 40 cases of the influenza, and around 10 cases of the pneumonia in the village of Mount Kisco, which had just under 4,000 residents, according to historical data from the Westchester Department of Planning.

And though it seems evident that the pandemic had a crippling impact on Westchester county, some have argued that the lack of information and writing on the flu, both locally and nationally, may have been an intentional step to downplay the pandemic.

THE YONKERS STATESMAN (FROM FULTON HISTORY) In the fall of 1918, all A POLITICAL CARTOON FROM the Oct. 8, 1918 issue of eyes were focused squarely The Yonkers Statesman warns of spreading germs. It was part on World War I, which was of an article about protections against the Spanish Influenza.

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TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

FEATURES

Bidding farewell to Masters faculty

Brendon Barrios

Judy Murphy

“

I see my job as very responsive.

If there was an inquiry that came in from a student like ‘Oh, do we have a book on such and such?’ then I will go and fulfill whatever inquiries that might come up during the day. I love engaging with the middle schoolers, too, because they are still really avid readers. I love when they come up and offer me suggestions of what books we should have [in the library].”

Ladane DuBoulay

“

It was a rather positive experi -ence because me and my kids have had a lot of really formative experiences on such a beautiful campus.”

Sue Greally

“

I will miss the kids, the girls in the dorm, and seeing them out of their school environment.

I’ll miss coaching, because I love coaching, and I just hope that the swim program continues to bloom like it has been.”

Elizabeth Merrill*

*Merrill is taking a one-year sabbatical to further research DEI in the science field.

“

In biology, a lot of [DEI] issues come up. It comes up about the difference between sex and gender; it comes up about racial inequities; it comes up when we talk about environmental racism or… medical apartheid.”

“

I was lucky when I got here that the school was really willing to allow me to do whatever I put my mind to. I got to create new courses that the school prides themselves on today.”

Jayanti Nerurkar

“ “ “

I have been impacted by my supportive colleagues. The Science Department is very supportive and so is everyone in Morris Hall.” She added, “[the community] has helped me learn a lot of new things and grow as a teacher.”

Dena Torino

We’ve lived on boarding school campuses for the last 19 years so it’s going to be really different than what we are accustomed to and I will definitely miss it.”

Caroline Dumaine The writers’ voices are really strong and authentic. I love teaching that course and that’s going to be tough to give up.”

Smith

“

There has been real patience and kindness from the students and from colleagues with me as I’ve been new and trying to figure things out, and that’s been a real gift.”

Sydney Kadiyala

“

I feel like real learning is where students are comfortable in the classroom where students don’t feel like they need to feel their fake self, where they can be authentic and real.”

Matthew Kammrath

“ “ “

Masters admits really good kids... students that you want to help, you want to work with, that you are motivated to be around.”

Frank Greally When I came to Masters, I embraced the idea of being a teacher more than a chemist.

The Harkness table helped me think about the craft of teaching. It helped me align my background in chemistry with how to teach around a table. The unique format of Masters classes helped me open my eyes to handson activities.”

Brian Cheney

When I think back through my time at Masters, I feel so privileged to have been able to facilitate so many serious, important conversations about faith in the classroom, about what we most believe, and then, peppered into that, are all those fun, lighthearted moments where we could just enjoy laughing together.

I am so glad I was able to be part of that balance with students– between real introspection and the joy of spending time with each other.

TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

SPORTS

Softball swings for the fences--and ice cream GISELE CESTARO

Contributing Writer

F

or their first game of the season, Masters’ girls varsity softball team went up against Rye Country Day on Wednesday, May 19. It was their first game back since the start of the pandemic, and while they lost 15-0, they maintained a positive attitude.

Although this was their only game of the season, the team is still content to be back on the field bonding with one another.

During this difficult time, the girls’ softball team has been exceeding at keeping up morale by playing mini-games within the sport.

“We play a game every Friday. We hit the ball to see if we get it over the fence, and if we do they will buy us ice cream.

Only one person has gotten it so far,” junior right fielder Talia Cohen said. “The three coaches also have a game where if someone catches five pop-ups, the player will get a free Starbucks drink. These games both bring the team closer together, and help them play better,” she said.

To boost team spirit, they cheer each

other on during practices. “I think the juniors do an especially good job of keeping morale up. We try to hype up our team and get them excited for sports, because it’s difficult when everyone is so worried about Covid right now,” catcher Sasha Sinel said.

With twelve people on the team, practices run Monday through Friday for an hour. The attendance tends to be low sometimes, due to players either being remote or injured. Whether the whole team is or isn’t present, the coaches have them stick to the same routine. For warming up, team members run and stretch beforehand so no one gets injured. After warming up they alternate what they practice on a given day. “Some days we focus on fielding, other times we practice cut, headings, and running techniques,” Cohen said.

With COVID-19 still prevalent, players are required to wear masks and social distance to stay safe. At the end of their game against Rye Country Day, precautions were taken by not shaking hands at the end of the game. Regardless, just getting to be on the field playing feels like a step back to normalcy for the team. “I’m happy we are finally back. I would say we are pretty close, because now we get to joke around together during practice again,” Cohen said.

11

TARA PHILLIPS/TOWER

THE GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAM warms-up on Evans Family Field by tossing the ball to one another. This year, with limited games, the team has found other means of motivation to keep morale up.

Asynchronous PE offers new route to credit CAROL QUEIROZ

Ad Manager and Copy Editor

A

lmost daily, senior Teddy Masters takes a long, fastpaced walk down to the Dobbs Ferry aqueduct and back to his house. After finishing his walk, ready to continue his workout, he rides a stationary bike before documenting his exercise routine for the day. But unlike a typ-

ical home workout, this is just one example of how Masters and 82 other students receive their physical education credits for the Spring semester.

As part of the athletic department’s adaptations to the COVID-19 pandemic, mandatory P.E credits can now be acquired asynchronously through a new elective,Asynchronous P.E., led by Coach Maria Nardulli. All students who participate are required to complete a minimum of three hours of exercise per week and

CAROL QUEIROZ/TOWER

SOPHMORE AMELIA VON JAN planks as a part of her asynchronous PE. This year, many remote students have resorted to asynchronous PE to fulfill their sports requirement.

detail their workout routines in weekly emails to Nardulli. The athletic elective, unconventionally, does not take place during Panther Time, and can even be done from the comfort of a student’s home.

Nardulli expressed having a positive experience in coaching this elective for the first year, mentioning that it is a “great option” to gain credits during the pandemic, especially for those who are hybrid or remote.

“It brings a sense of normalcy, because it gives everyone who isn’t in our area or remote the option of doing their P.E or co-curricular classes that they would normally have in school at a normal time,” Nardulli said.

Masters is thankful for the opportunity to get his P.E credit remotely. For him, Panther Time is occupied with spring play rehearsals, meaning that participating in any in-person P.E credit electives would take him away from the theater for two rehearsals a week. However, with the Asynchronous P.E elective, he has been able to be present at rehearsals for five days a week rather than three.

“Being able to do more activities during school hours and taking the time that I have free to do my exercise is very beneficial. It gives me flexibility with my schedule, and I would like to see this elective in future years.” Masters said.

While many students enjoy the benefits of Asynchronous P.E., one main chal-

Students turn to fitness in times of hardship BRODY LEO

I

News Lead Editor

n the late summer before his junior year, current senior Mariano Russo was pulled aside by a college program soccer coach and told that if he wanted any chance of making it onto any college team, he would need to put on a couple dozen pounds.

Russo quickly got to work, researching just about everything he could about how he could gain muscle mass for soccer. He was working out every day as much as he could fit into his schedule, and then the pandemic struck. One silver lining for Russo to the world turning upside down was that he finally would have the time to make fitness an integral part of his life.

After getting to work, Russo began to see fitness as more than a way to prove himself to any soccer coach.

“Fitness very quickly turned into something that I wanted to do for myself. I made it my own thing. I wanted to be my own person and stop listening to everyone else,” he said.

With that mindset, he began working out more than two hours a day, finding it a good way to make it through the difficult stage of early quarantine.

He said, “I felt like it gave me a purpose. I could constantly be improving myself. It filled a big void in quarantine.”

Alongside his daily workout routine, Russo put a large effort into perfecting a diet that would help him bulk up.

“Dieting is almost everything. You can’t expect results if your nutrition isn’t in line, so I track my macronutrients [the balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins] everyday,” he said.

“People typically have a misconception with how you lose or gain weight that generally derives from lack of research, so I just read everything and listened to everyone that was qualified to inform me.”

Despite all of the benefits that Russo has do, and it was just fun,” he said. “But then I startseen since he started, he notes that there is po- ed seeing progress, and I got addicted to it.” tential for a decline in mental health.

To support his passion, Couri began buildHe said, “As you ing his own home gym keep going and you complete with a squat keep going, it someand weight bench – Fitness very quickly turned rack times doesn’t get any which he has now manbetter in terms of how into something that I wanted to aged to transport back you feel about your dorm on campus. do for myself. I wanted to be my to his Though body. No one really he may talks about it, but body own person and stop listening to not have the time to dysmorphia issues can keep up with his quareveryone else. be massive.” antine workout schedJunior Michael ule, the habits he set are - Mariano Russo ‘21 Couri has had a simistill an important part of lar experience with his his daily routine. fitness journey. Like He said, “WorkRusso, he stepped up his fitness game when lock- ing out makes me feel like I’ve accomdown started. plished something. It makes me feel like I’ve “It started because I needed something to done something with my day.”

“

ANDREW MITCHELL/TOWER

SOPHMORE IAN STEIN WORKS out in Strayer Gym after school. Working out has been a source of motivation and control for many students this school year.

lenge with the concept of the elective has arised, diminishing its overall success.

Coaches have no way of making sure students are truly fulfilling their workout plans, and thus are uncertain if students are really getting their credits.

Nardulli states that while skeptical, she has faith that her students work to

Crossword

ACROSS

1. Where the regretful may live 5. 8, 27 or 64 10. Vape capsules 14. Stadium for the US Open finals 15. Pal, in Peru 16. A sign for the superstitious 17. Sorrows 18. Tennis star Rafael 19. The “P” in 8-down 20. Jaguars, Lions and Panthers 22. Term of endearment, from a grandmother maybe 24. Rihanna, on Instagram 25. Notable Harry Potter feature 26. Bottom 29. European vehicle that’s only 8 feet long 33. Humble home 34. Plays the sax with gusto 35. Nickname for Lincoln 36. Word with a misleading homophone 37. Con man’s aide 38. Second word in a story opener 39. Castaway locale 40. Swiped 41. “Oink” 42. Saves gas, maybe 44. Prejudices 45. A steak specification, perhaps 46. 25-down with great pleasure 47. Branch of Judaism with a modern application 50. Word following “love” or “romance” 54. Tools to focus lenses 55. Like the stories on Page 4 57. Singing from 60-across 58. Yawn widely 59. Phone bill statistic 60. Fitzgerald of jazz 61. ____ out (deduce) 62. Ebb-ers and flow-ers 63. Greek money?

Read the entries inside of the shaded “boxes” to reveal this puzzle’s theme.

make this elective funcional.

“When everyone sends me their work of the week, I do question if they actually did what they said they did. But I have to just trust that everyone is putting in that work, that’s the one thing that’s hard about this elective,” she said. “It is all about the honor system.”

Created by Andrew Mitchell

DOWN

1. Chess casualty 2. Since 3. Children’s poet Silverstein 4. Take a new bike for a spin 5. False gossip 6. Savory taste from mushrooms 7. Raises a paddle, say 8. Abbreviated brew 9. Work on a campaign, for many 10. Style for Andy Warhol or Keith Haring 11. Congresswoman Ilhan of Minnesota 12. Place to order a Rueben or Rachel 13. Partner of snick 21. One, in Oberdorf 23. Frost bite prone parts 25. “Cheese!”

26. Insult for a teen, nowadays 27. 2014 virus 28. “D’oh” doer 29. Jib and spinnaker, for two 30. Fatty chicken 31. Word screamed over a walkie-talkie 32. Uses Airbnb or Vrbo 34. Alternative to skim 37. Exit melodramatically 38. Like the recipient of a lame joke 40. Fly like an eagle 41. Byproduct of smelting 43. Talks tediously 44. “Come to your ______” 46. Boy scout’s yearning 47. Sets sail?

48. Biblical twin of Jacob 49. Male fashionistas 50. Flint, Michigan pollutant 51. Non-profit rights-defending org.

52. Dorothy’s last name in the Wizard of Oz (aptly) 53. Flying figs.

56. Last of a rhyming triplet in the Greek alphabet

SPORTS

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TOWER/JUNE 7, 2021

SportS Boys’ lacrosse builds young core; team excited for future games, everybody was working towards something,” said Williams.

While games were not guaranteed Contributing Writer this season, Masters was able to compete twice, with one match against Rye Country he boys’ varsity lacrosse team, a Day and another against Hackley. Masters young squad, has utilized this year’s suffered two rough defeats as the team lost modified season as a time for devel- 19-2 and 14-1 against Rye Country Day opment. With no scheduled competition at and Hackley, respectively. The results the start of the season due to the pandem- were not desirable, but just being able to ic, the normality that many athletes were play competitively for the first time in two used to was absent. The team this year had years was a good moment for the team. a very young roster with 20 players in total, “It was great to get back and test including 11 underclassmen and nine up- ourselves against other teams,” juperclassmen, only nior and captain two of whom are seOwen Higgins said. niors. The team is To further add It was great to get back and test to this unusual and coached by Andrew Young, Tim Custer ourselves against other teams.” difficult season, there and Rico Williams. have been multiple It was ininjuries that have - Owen Higgins ‘22 credibly hard to sidelined players replicate the inthrough practice and, tensity and comin a few cases, the petitiveness that whole season. Senior comes with having a full season. In the Charlie Coleman, sophomore Noah Kasbeginning of the season, the energy was sell-Yung and senior Ben Lavine all suflower due to no games being sched- fered injuries that ended their seasons. uled, but as firm dates were put onto the Due to the build-up of injuries schedule, there was a notable shift as ath- and other various factors that have afletes felt a sense of relief and excitement. fected the team, this season has need“Once we had scheduled ed many newer players to step up and

NOAH KASSELL-YUNG

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“

set an example for the rest of the team.

Captain and goalkeeper Junior, Nate Meyer played two standout games in net.

“Nate has been a superstar in goal,” said Williams. “He stepped up and played some of his finest games.”

Defensemen sophomore Henry Eisenbeis has been one of the standout players this season leading a very young defense. His talents translate to the offensive end as well as in the game against Hackley, he went coastto-coast to score his first varsity goal.

“Henry has been an absolute standout player,” said Williams. He continued, “Once he hit the field he was off to the races.”

Sophomore Baird Hruska showcased his offensive talents, scoring two goals against Rye Country Day. Hruska’s talents and personality have added a lot to this team.

“I love his positivity, mentality, and his abilities as a lacrosse player, but just like everyone else there is a lot of room to grow,” said Williams.

With the majority of players returning next year with more experience under their belt, the future for the boys varsity lacrosse team is promising.

“We are a very young program with a lot of room to grow,” said Williams.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ISAAC CASS

THE BOYS’ VARSITY LACROSSE TEAM huddles up at a practice on Greene Family Field this spring. The team was excited to return to the field, especially after a year-long hiatus. The team boasts a younger foundation with lots of room for improvement.

Girls’ lacrosse cultivates enthusiastic culture despite short season KYLA BARANTSEVICH Web Edtior

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he sun is shining and the sounds of parents and friends cheering loudly in the stands can be heard for one of the first times in over a year. Below the stands, heat is radiating off the turf field, and two teams are participating in a girl’s lacrosse game. This was the scene at Greene Family Field at Masters on May 19, where the girls varsity lacrosse team played a game against Rye Country Day School.

In this hard-fought home game, the end score was 11-3, with Rye winning.

Senior Franny Mann scored two of the goals for the team, one in the 2nd period and one in the 3rd period. Likewise, junior Kwynne Schlossman scored as well, doing so in the 6th period. The game also featured very strong defense from sophomore Camila Arthur and senior Rachel Schwartz, in addition to strong offensive play from Mann and Schlossman.

Due to the circumstances of this year, the match was only one of two games the team was able to play; the other was an away game against the Hackley School, which also resulted in a loss for Masters. The amount of games the team was able to play wasn’t the only aspect of the season that had to be changed due to new COVID-19 safety measures.

The team has been fortunate to be able to meet and play games these past couple of weeks, seeing that last year they did not have the opportunity with the spring season being cancelled.

However, there are now strict rules in place for each practice, from no access to locker rooms, no personal contact, and mandatory mask-wearing. In addition, the school has been following guidelines from the New York State Department of Health and other associations and councils.

The girls’ lacrosse team has also been affected in different ways to fit the new guidelines. In previous years, practices would’ve been around two hours, however they are now only 45 minutes long. Furthermore, the team is much smaller this season, due to the changes in Masters’ sports requirements for students, and the addition of remote options, which have included asynchronous P.E and online fitness and yoga classes, and the smaller number of students on campus. Despite this, the team is hoping to grow next year with an incoming class of freshmen, explained Schwartz, who has been on the team for four years.

Practices have remained relative-

ly the same from seasons before Covid.

Practices entail warm-ups and a multitude of different drills and small-set games, explained head coach Meghan MacWilliams.

In terms of maintaining a sense of community and spirit on the team this year, “It has been hard, if I am being honest, It has been really challenging this year,” MacWilliams explained.

To read the rest of this story and other sports stories, check out tower.mastersny.org PHOTO COURTESY OF SABINE GODWIN

Boys’ volleyball practices with heart (and ball) in hand L. LEYS Accountability and Accuracy Manager; Associate Producer, Tower Broadcast News

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heated back-and-forth had built up between the boys’ volleyball team, who had split themselves into two groups of six for a scrimmage. A player from one side, exploiting the slow arc the volleyball has taken, returned the ball to their opponent’s middle row; two players moved to hit it, but one backed off to let the other pass it into the air. They aimed towards the front row, where one player set up another one for a spike. The ball hit the very back corner; the whistle was blown. Cheers erupted from both teams, equally elated at their teammate’s success.

Due to restrictions on indoor sports not giving them the opportunity to go to many games, the boys’ volleyball team scrimmages amongst themselves once every practice. For the play-

ers, it’s a chance to build their skills; Junior and fellow captain Kyle Benson for team coach Chanel Flowers, it’s emphasized the importance of the next gena chance to see how far they’ve come. eration of volleyball players at the school.

The closing score for the “A lot of long-time players left with practice was 12-10, with the win- the class of 2020, so we’ve been spending ning team being the same one that a lot of time trying to build up some of the made the aforementioned play. younger members of the team. It’s been “At the beginning of the term, we going pretty well. There are a lot more were playing games with 3-4 scores. While standouts now than at the beginning of the it might not feel season,” Benson said. like it, this is a big Junior Caleb A lot of momentum has built improvement.”

Jakes mentioned up over the season, and I’m Flowers said. the explosive growth Team cap- hoping that the team can keep it up next and zeal of the team. tain and only se“The enthusiasm year. nior on the team of the team is infecReed Gilmore tious,” he said. “A - Reed Gilmore ‘21 expressed a simlot of the new players ilar sentiment. were initially ner“A lot of vous of disappointmomentum ing the older peohas built up over the season, and I’m ple on the team. As the season went on, hoping that the team can keep it up next though, they got much more confident. year.” He said. “It’s disappointing that That’s an important thing in volleyball; I’m not going to be able to join next realizing that it’s better to go for the year, but I’m a senior- what can you do?” ball and fail than just not going at all.”

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L. LEYS/TOWER

JUNIORS KYLE BENSON AND Andrew Mitchell high five during a volleyball practice this spring. Despite not being cleared to play games this season, the team enjoyed practicing together.