Crimson Sun - January 2018 Edition

The

C r i mson Sun Vol. 19, No. 2

The Student Newspaper of Morristown-Beard School 70 Whippany Road, Morristown, NJ 07960

Left and Bottom Right: students enjoying the accepting atmosphere of The Intersection Top Right: Posters advocating for human rights

photos by

January 2018

PERRI EASLEY and SARAH YAMASHITA

Bridging the gap: diversity at MBS

By ANIKA BUCH and JULIAN LEVY

The lower floor of Grant Hall has never lacked energy, but it’s not just the Student Center that’s buzzing these days. At The Intersection, students find a safe space where they can voice their ideas freely and be understood. At all times of the day, The Intersection is filled with students. The Intersection serves as the office of MBS Diversity Coordinator Ms. Klarissa Karosen, who wants each student to feel safe and respected. The problem is that students of racially and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds “have to adapt and assimilate the environment they are in - which could mean modifying their humor, modifying the volume of their voice, the tone, who they are, what they express in class, so it’s pretty exhausting for a student to modify all of those things,” Karosen said. “I think there is some sense of unawareness, in that I don’t think that some of the other kids are aware of what that student has to transition from on a day to day basis.” This is why Karosen introduced The Intersection: a place where students can be who they are. (cont. on page 5)

It’s not writing on those walls

By TALIA GOLD and ALI STECKER

The hallways of Morristown-Beard School’s Beard and Grant Halls look different this winter, after teachers in the World Language and Humanities programs spent the autumn selecting prints to hang on the walls. The prints show famous images from around the world. There are differences, however, in how teachers in the two departments settled on which prints to display.

The English and History departments chose their pieces based on their relevance to the curriculum, but Dr. Amanda Gregory, a Latin teacher who had the idea for hanging prints on the walls, explained that the World Language department’s approach differs from the others. “My understanding is that in the Humanities wing they selected major works of art in general. In the World Language department, faculty members selected some of their favorite works of art by either a French artist, Italian artist, a Latin American or Spanish artist, or a piece from the ancient world,” she said.

Each faculty member of the World Language department sponsored a piece of art created by a native speaker of their language. You will find bilingual plaques written by the language teachers next to every piece of art, explaining the background of the painting.

“My piece is the only one that is cheating a bit,” Gregory said. “I selected the ‘Oath of the Horatii’ by David, a French artist not from the ancient world. I picked it because it depicts a famous and exciting episode from Roman history, written about by the Roman author, Livy.”

Since their department relocated to Beard Hall this year, the World Language teachers wanted to make the space feel more like home. (cont. on page 6)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Commentary: The “existential crisis” crisis (p. 2) Philosopher’s Corner: The purpose of a poem (p. 3) Advice from L. (p. 4) Feature: Mr. Wilson drops marker (p. 5) Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball (p. 8)

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C r i mson Sun

January 2018

COMMENTARY The Crimson Sun 70 Whippany Road

Morristown, New jersey 07960 973-539-3032 Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Tone Managing Editor Anika Buch Ari Bersch Editors Julian Levy George Burke Whitney McDonnell Chloe Van Der Poel Faculty Advisor Dr. Owen Boynton Thanks to: Bruce Adams, Barbara Napholtz, Steve Patchett, Carol Wooldredge, Mark Clar, Darren Burns, Darren Lovelock, Dr. John Mascaro.

We welcome letters to the editor, opinion pieces, stories, cartoons and photographs. To contact the paper regarding submissions, send an e-mail to either rtone@mbs.net or oboynton@mbs.net.

The Crimson Sun corrects its factual errors and accepts corrections.

The Crimson Sun is a 4-16 page newspaper, available in print and online through the mbs.net website. It is written primarily for the approximately 572 students attending MBS and the approximately 100 faculty and staff members, and is distributed free of charge to all members of the school community.

The Crimson Sun provides information and entertainment in addition to various viewpoints on debatable issues. We will not print anything that is deemed libelous, obscene or in poor taste.

We reserve the right to edit or withhold anything submitted and correct spelling, grammar and punctuation when necessary.

On accountability

By IZZY SILVER

On November 3, 2016, Harvard University cancelled the men’s soccer season due to the discovery of a vulgar scouting report evaluating each member of the women’s soccer team; the report had been assembled by the players on the men’s team. The administration was shocked to find objectifying, sexual accounts of the soccer players. The story broke, gained national press attention, and shed a new light on the presence of sexism on college campuses.

It is important to establish WHO we are talking about here. These are men (probably more boys), who play soccer at Harvard. No, these are not your criminal outlaws, or white supremacists. These are boys who grew up going to private schools and public schools just like the ones I attended. These boys could easily be your peers, neighbors, teammates, relatives. Not only that, but these are boys who excelled highly in academics, were involved in their communities, and stood out enough to a group of admissions officers to accept them into one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Objectively, they are the potential leaders of our society. If these people had been white supremacists, or less fortunate in their education, would we have had the same reaction? No. So, the rude awakening is not in what happened, but WHERE it happened.

Perhaps looking at this controversy from the outside, we may all hop on a moral high horse and note the preposterous actions of (cont. on page 3)

The “existential crisis” crisis

By COURTNEY NORTEMAN

The Silent Generation. The Baby Boomers. Generation X. Millennials. Classifications riddled with stereotypes, expectations, economic implications, history, and, perhaps most notably: conflict. Issues. For the Silent Generation, it was the Great Depression and World War II. For the Baby Boomers, Vietnam. Generation X was plagued with news of Russia, the Cold War, nukes. Every generation in the past has had a threat, some grand, looming doomsday prediction that supercharged the need for stances to be made and chances to be taken.

There was a purpose, a “bad guy” for people to rally behind and ground themselves in the shadow of. In the face of imminent doom, either for themselves or others, individuals accepted their own mortality and insignificance before plowing forward in everyday life.

It is now 2018. Millennials and Generation Z run rampant. There is a good chance the Earth is melting. Not enough people are going vegan to save the ozone layer and combat the cowspiracy. On an ironically unrelated note, North Korea wants to nuke L.A. Ebola. Zika. ISIS. Guess what hasn’t been created yet? A nuclear waste toilet, and the cure for cancer. Kylie Jenner might be pregnant. Jelena. The internet can and will make memes about every single topic, at any person’s expense. There is no hiding from the inescapable reality of problems.

Information floods every capacity of our minds. When we are expected to have strong opinions on such a vast quantity of things, it is no wonder we struggle to focus on any of them. It is much easier to ignore the overwhelming chaos of the world, including issues that barely hold relevance to our lives, in favor of framing our sense of self against the backdrop of “everything else.” Society has shifted its focus to selfdiscovery in a way unprecedented in force and magnitude, not because individuals make any more sense than the world does, but because of the belief that individual improvement and discovery are more easily addressed than other challenges.

Discovering your identity has become a pseudo-subsection of “The American Dream.” The new wave of self-help books and yoga: to look good and feel bet-

ter, to be “a better person” and “reach your full potential in life” is, at times, a twisted reflection of the days of predestination, when living a good life might indicate a person was “saved” (and could go to Heaven).

Focusing energy and resources to get every willing individual as close to perfection as possible is dangerous in that it elevates the struggles of every person to the level of a worldwide issue for that individual.

With everything people do, they must come to terms with their own motivations. When teenagers go on trips to third world countries to help the indigenous people build a school, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if those teenagers went to help others, to get the label of “a good person,” because it would look good on a college application, or if it was a little bit of all three. If it doesn’t matter why you do something, doesn’t it mean less when you do it? Whatever the issue of sustainability or poverty that was addressed, it is often secondary to the focus on individuality that dictated the change in the first place.

It is important to recognize that the global phenomena of self-improvement and self-discovery have implications that affect the world and ourselves. For all the hype around the idea of seizing your own path in life, when we hold it, we are subservient to the very forces that planted that idea in our heads. Being the master of your own destiny and forging your own path really only works if you can see the future.

Otherwise, you’re just like the rest of us: doing the best you can at every moment of the present. So maybe we’ve been overthinking it.

The secret to “winning at life” doesn’t start with solving the world’s problems. It doesn’t start with solving our own, either.

Neither one of those things could ever be perfected, and due to their complexities, neither one could ever make us feel complete. At the end of the day, accepting our lack of control accomplishes more than trying to exercise control we don’t have. If it’s true you find what you’re looking for as soon as you stop looking for it, it is possible the road to our identities is the same welltrodden path that guided the generations before us: time. And maybe a nuclear threat or two.

“If it doesn’t matter why you do something, doesn’t it mean less when you do it?”

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C r i mson Sun

January 2018

COMMENTARY On accountability (cont. from pg. 2)

these men on the soccer team. However, each and every person can note a time when they said or did something in front of a group of people, whether it be for attention, or to be liked, that they later regretted. Maybe it was a joke that came off as too harsh, or a tease that went too far, or a punch on the arm that was a little too hard. It happens to all of us.

Some of us never seek approval enough to commit acts of hate; some, evidently, do. How do we as humans commit these acts of hate? Perhaps this is a social problem, owing to the immense pressure to fit in, for everyone to act alike. We let our desire to be liked by others supersede our own morals.

The players on the soccer team were being praised by their teammates for their remarks on these women. The instant gratification of being glorified by others led to many misguided decisions. But the term “misguided” feels like an understatement. The “high” of being accepted by their teammates, and impressing others completely blinded them to the extreme risk that came with publicly posting these sexist, objectifying comments online. They could not see the long term consequences that lay beyond the satisfaction of being included. In a way, however, these men were victims of a trap that we all seem to fall into.

This is a risk not just at Harvard, but in every social situation, in institutions and movements around the world. The case is a reflection of how the need to fit in can take a disastrous turn. But, in less extreme cases, we all face the same decisions every day. If we can think about what our own opinion is, and take a little bit more time before simply agreeing with what somebody else says, imagine how many fewer rumors would be spread, how many fewer feelings could be hurt, and how many more productive conversations could be had. If we take a little extra time in our day to think about how the other people around us are feeling, and think about what we say, imagine how many people you would make feel heard. On top of this, how might this attitude affect our opinions about all issues? It seems that these qualities lacked so much in these men that it turned into their sabotage of their own team, and the conformity of others in many areas of society.

In my own life, I often feel threatened to voice my opinion about issues such as women’s rights, abortion, and our president. I often find myself frustrated by groups of people and myself by the monotony of everyone agreeing with each other. The issue of conforming to others’ ideas takes form in many scenarios, not only the extreme case of this soccer team.

In no way is there a justification for these boys’ actions, and the public’s reaction is a clear reflection of that. I believe it was completely appropriate to cancel the remainder of the men’s soccer season.

These men prioritized their social inclusion over the future of their soccer career. If making this spreadsheet was worth running the risk of getting caught, then they do not deserve to play in the league. They showed disrespect not only to women, but to their sport. There would be no honor in letting these men continue their season, after seeing how they could abuse the privilege of being able to play on the team.

But in the failings of the men on the Harvard team, we can learn to look more carefully at ourselves.

By KAILYN WILLIAMS

Philosopher’s Corner

By JESS ROITMAN

To “understand” is to infer something from information received, either through the senses or logic and reasoning. But understanding does not merely come from being aware of information. Understanding is the ability to analyze and interpret information correctly. For example, if one claims that the grass within Senior Circle is orange, other people may assume that person is colorblind. Therefore, the person does not have a reliable understanding of colors because they do not have the ability to interpret the colors in front of them correctly.

In other cases, when people say “you don’t understand” they mean “you do not interpret my situation correctly” or more accurately: “you do not interpret my situation how I interpret it” or “you do not interpret my situation how I want you to.”

But understanding a poem is not the same as understanding the color of grass or a situational problem. Why? Unlike the color of the grass, which is something enough people perceive and agree upon to be deemed a fact, a poem is an account of someone else’s perception that isn’t so black and white. One cannot just read a poem and say “the way the author perceives the world is incorrect.” There is no right or wrong way to be sad or happy or curious.

Instead, to understand a poem, people try to imagine the author’s reasons for the language that is being used. It is not as simple as flipping to a page in a textbook and knowing that the purpose of chapter 3 is to teach you about Lewis Structures.

A textbook has a rigid, conventional purpose — everyone knows what it is meant to accomplish. A poem’s purpose on the other hand, is not as easily distinguishable. No one just comes out and tells it to the reader unless the author actually writes “Purpose: xxxx” at the top of the page. But even then, more questions would arise.

What reason did the author have for writing “Purpose: xxxx” at the top of the page?

Does the written purpose resonate with the rest of the poem?

Why would the author tell us the purpose at the beginning instead of the end?

Does the author want the reader to take the written purpose at face value or read the poem and figure out a completely different purpose?

In the end, one would go around in circles asking questions about the reasons for writing the purpose. The reader must infer the reasons behind the poem on their own to learn what the author wanted them to take away from it. One must not merely understand the poem by using their own thoughts, but by positing the thoughts of the author or society at the time it was being written (yes, even if the poem was written in 2018). Every poem is written during a time period — the language of the poem is the Tupperware that preserves the thoughts, beliefs, and feelings of a specific time.

And by imagining the author’s reasons, one is able to understand the world through a different person’s lens. Unfortunately, taking a step back and allowing yourself to think the way someone else thinks is not an easy skill. But when you finally allow yourself to break free from your own ideas for a second, you are able to learn so much more about the world around you.

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January 2018

C r i mson Sun

STUDENT LIFE

Questions and Quandries

Views from the Library

The semester is nearly over, and I have a lot of work. BUT, I also want to go out and see friends this weekend. I feel like I really need some time off from school work but grades are due soon and I can’t afford to do badly on these assignments. HELP!

The library at MBS is a center of chess-playing, study, collaboration, and occasional social interactions, especially for the class of 2021. The snapshots below capture its distinctive identity.

Questions from students; advice by L.

Photos by SARAH YAMASHITA

Hey Anonymous, that is a common question in high school and a tough decision to make on the weekends. School is important, but your social life is also critical in high school. You are never going to get these four years back.

There is a good balance you can find between your academics and life off campus. My advice to you is crack down on the books during the week and then when it reaches Friday and Saturday you can let loose from school work and have fun with your friends. And use your free periods wisely. If you are partying with your friends this weekend, go to the lib instead of the stu to get some work done. There are ways to do both, so don’t stress about it!!

It feels like a stupid question and it’s not what I’m usually like, but there’s a girl I like and I’m scared to talk her. What should I do to get a conversation started?

Hey Anon, you’re suffering from a common problem in high school. Don’t worry about it! Nerves tend to pop up with everyone when talking to someone you like, but it’s nothing to stop your love life. All you need is confidence.

First step, make contact. Whether it’s with eye contact or body language, let the girl notice that you notice her. Flash her a smile when you’re in the same room, or throw her a wink if she glances at you. This way she knows you’re interested. Step 2: Snapchat her. No half face, no shoulder, no ceiling, a full face picture. Be confident, you’re cute! Ask her how her day is or what she’s doing. Even if it’s not in person, make her feel wanted. Step three, it’s time for the big leagues. Think of conversation starters to talk about with her so there’s never an awkward silence. Comb your hair, tuck in your shirt and pop a mint. You’re ready. Spot your girl, take a deep breath and go get her. You are ready for anything and you got this!

Rachel Monastersky ‘21 faces off against Henry Miller ‘21

I just got mono and I know who gave it to me. Should I be mad?

Hey Anon! This is another tough situation that could leave you with a mix of emotions. Mono is not only gross, but can also be very serious by putting you out of sports for eight weeks! So if you’re an athlete, beware of whose lips you are touching this weekend… Your reaction should depend, though, on if the carrier knew if they were infected or not. So if you find out you have mono don’t go all psycho on the person right away. The first step would be to confront the possible suspects that could have given it to you. Once you have found your culprit, address the question of if they knew they had it when you were with them. If they did know, then you definitely have the right to be mad. If they knew they were carrying a very contagious virus, they should not have gone in for that kiss or shared a drink with you. But if they didn’t know, then no need for beef! It’s high school!! It happens!! You two are both in the same boat and share the same symptoms for the next 8 weeks.

Members of the Class of 2021 during Lunch 3

I sent a screenshot of texts with my friend to that friend instead of my group chat, what do I do? It’s so awkward.

Members of the class of 2021 play chess

Uh oh! That sounds like an awkward situation but trust me, we’ve all been there. No matter what the conversation was about it is quite obvious you were meaning to send the screenshot to someone else. Depending on the person, there are different ways to cover it up. For example, boyfriend being a jerk and you just HAVE to show your friends? Don’t worry here’s a reason: you sent him a picture of his own texts to show him how mean and absurd he is being. “Do you see what you’re typing right now?” You can use that strategy for almost all situations too. Having beef with your “so-called” bff, and sent screenshots to her instead of your real friends group chat?? Don’t worry, here’s another coverup: “Sorry omg, someone took my phone when I was at soccer and sent you that screenshot to stir the pot!!” Clearly a little more obvious, but a good backup to have up your sleeve. And worst case scenario, you can pull the “glitch” excuse. “Oops sorry, my phone glitched it always does that!!” Again, less believable, but still a chance to save you.

Lauren Smith ‘19 works on an essay for history

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Diversity

C r i mson Sun

January 2018

FEATURES

(cont. from page 1)

Karosen said, “I want people to understand that diversity does not equal black.” She feels that diversity is not only important to make all students feel included, but also to make MBS a more positive and productive place for students to learn and grow as individuals. She said, “when you go off into the real world, you are going to be working with all different types of people. Students benefit from hearing the opinions and experiences of others.” By facilitating a diverse environment early on, the transition into working life becomes less of a cultural shock. Diversity plays a role in both enhancing perspectives in the classroom and preparing students for the world ahead.

The Admissions Office at MBS accepts students from a wide variety of socioeconomic and racial backgrounds because “when you have students who come from different backgrounds and experiences it enriches the community,” said Director of Middle School Admission and Financial Aid Ms. Meg Ahern. She said, “it is important to integrate all students into the MBS community regardless of their level of need. The school wants to make sure that all students have what they need to succeed, and if cost is a concern then I can provide guidance on how to access support.” MBS has made strides in accepting students of different socioeconomic backgrounds into the community. The next challenge is to help these students feel at home once they are accepted.

“When people think diversity, they always think black, Latino, black, Latino, there is never mention of Asians.

And for me growing up with many Asian friends, we don’t even use ‘Asian,’ we call them Indian or Chinese, we made the distinction,” said Karosen. “We are so hyper vigilant of things we think are deficient that we ignore the people that are obviously deficient.” People often associate diversity with specific groups and so they have a tendency to ignore racial groups which are not well represented, or, as Karosen said, “deficient.”

Karosen is trying to broaden the community’s awareness about how a diverse campus can create a better learning environment for everyone. She proposed that students on scholarship or financial aid should stop feeling guilty or obliged to be grateful because scholarships are not only helping the students who get them. Giving more students the opportunity to go to Morristown-Beard creates a more enriching classroom environment.

Trouble arises when students are afraid or reluctant to share those experiences. Karosen said, “there’s all of these amazing things in Newark, but you don’t know it because you drive by and we have a stereotype of what that is.” When asked how others make her feel about living in Newark, Egbefe Omonzane ‘23 said, “they acknowledge it, and they take it and find the stereotypical associations because Newark is a city where black people live. That aspect is sort of given towards my name so I am expected to act a certain way because of where I live.” Dumebi Okonkwo ‘23 said, “I have felt an urge to lie about where I am from.”

Karosen urges the community to remember that diversity is more than color. It is more than a race or an ethnicity or how much money one has. Diversity is a matter of perspectives. If everyone had the same ideas, they would never be exposed to new points of view, thus leading to a world of unawareness. And unawareness leads to ignorance. Though diversity is a difficult topic to discuss, it is necessary in order to unsettle and defy stereotypes and negative expectations that often go unnoticed.

Keeping count

By HALLIE SCHWARTZSTEIN

On the first day of math class, students were befuddled when their teacher dropped his Expo marker and then proceeded to put a line on the whiteboard while letting out a playful grunt. “What is he doing?” said student Joseph Fazio ‘18. The young, bearded math teacher keeps a tally of the amount of times he drops his marker in class.

With five weeks left in the first semester, Mr. Matthew Wilson was up to a record breaking thirty-four tally marks, looking to hit 100 by the end of the school year.

Calculus student Jordan Molloy ‘18 said that she finds it “funny” when he drops his marker. Another student, Alexa Dinorscio ‘18, on the other hand, said that it is a little “strange.” Many students concurred that the reason behind his regular dropping of the marker is due to clumsiness. “He’s just a quirky guy” Molloy said. Trigonometry student Sophie Vardi ‘18 said, “he gets so excited about math he jumps up and down and loses control of the pen.” Molloy speculates that maybe he drops the pen to redirect the attention of the class.

In the eyes of many, including Wilson himself, there is no hidden agenda behind the marker drops. According to the marker dropper himself, he doesn’t drop the Expo because of clumsiness as students have speculated, but he just gets so excited about math that he moves his hands abruptly, causing the pen to drop. This recurring phenomenon that students enjoy and find light-hearted, all started one year ago during period 8. “Last year in one of my integrated math classes, I was very animated when writing on the board, and was continuously dropping the Expo marker, a student then suggested that I keep a tally” Wilson said.

Students are so dedicated and supportive of his aim for 100 tallies that according to Wilson, one of his students checks into his classroom every week to see the new number on the whiteboard. Wilson also finds humor in his perceived lack of fine motor skills. “I laugh about it. I can’t be upset, otherwise I would be a much less bubbly person,” Wilson said. Finally, when asked if he will reach 100 tallies by the end of the school year, he responded with an affirmative “absolutely.” He added that when he hits 100, “we should have a little party.”

Promoting the MBS philosophy

By ARI BERSCH

MBS has developed an innovative method of teaching that helps distinguish it from the pool of independent schools. The MBS educational model focuses less on preparing for exams and more on fostering a deeper understanding of concepts. Mr. Robert Mitchell, Director of Enrollment Management, said, “We have tons of research that supports the fact that teaching to the test, that ‘one size fits all’ approach to teaching and learning, misses the mark.” Additionally, Mitchell said, “when we ask prospective families what motivated them to apply, or where they heard about us, or what was the catalyst in this process, the majority of families say that it was the satisfaction of our current students and parents.”

At MBS, innovation may be paramount, but it does not come at the expense of rigor. MBS offers an Independent Study Program as well as Advanced Seminars, “that equal or exceed AP courses in terms of conceptual challenge, complexity of material, development of critical skills and overall preparation of college academics,” as it reads on the MBS website. These courses help to fulfill one of MBS’ main missions: to help students design a curriculum around their interests. Associate Director of Admission Mr. Greg Williams said, “other schools will let students create independent studies, but we really have built an atmosphere and a schedule, an expectation that if you have a driving passion, you will find an adult on campus who will help you to do so.”

Look no farther than the Crimson Fall Family Festival to see that this approach to education speaks to the modern demographic. MBS opened its doors to new families, prospective students, and community members on Saturday, September 23, 2017 to unveil the new Math-Science Center and Science On a Sphere. According to Director of Institutional Advancement, Ms. Betsy Patterson, the gathering was a success. She said, “I was very happy with the day. We anticipated a successful event because we planned very, very carefully.” There was a massive turnout of over seven hundred people, some of whom had never visited MBS before.

What Patterson said sums it up best: “If you were a person who had never been on our campus before, and didn’t know anything about our school, you would have walked away impressed with the student body, with the faculty, with the parents, with the campus, and I think you would walk away feeling really, really good.”

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January 2018

C r i mson Sun

ARTS & EVENTS Disney bullies theaters

By JULIAN LEVY

When a film production company makes a 4 billion dollar investment, it has to find some crafty ways to turn a profit. In Fall 2017, Disney decided to take a route that hinders theaters and their fans, imposing strict requirements on the theaters lucky enough to show The Last Jedi.

Theaters typically give about 55 to 60 percent of the profit from a movie to the studio who made it. Disney required that studios give up an unprecedented 65 percent, the most that any studio has ever asked for. Not only that, but the theaters were required to use their largest auditorium to exclusively show The Last Jedi for a minimum of four weeks. The requirement is most detrimental to smaller theaters and theaters in small towns, which will have had most of the population of people that wanted to see the movie see it within the first couple of weeks. What were single-auditorium theaters supposed to do?

If the four-week requirement weren’t already enough, theaters found in violation of Disney’s lofty expectations had to give up an extra 5%, making it an even 70. Larger theaters like Regal and AMC can afford Disney’s hefty tax, but it’s a tough fee for smaller or independently owned establishments. By charging theaters so much to show their movie, Disney has set a dangerous precedent for the industry.

In addition to Star Wars, Disney owns some of the most valuable properties in the world, such as Marvel, Pixar, not to mention Disney brand icons like Mickey Mouse. Who’s to say that they won’t follow suit with the rest of their movies, and make the 65% charge and auditorium requirements a new standard? With other studios seeing that Disney has gotten away with this practice, why not do the same if they could make a couple more bucks?

Though The Last Jedi came short of the record breaking 248 million dollars of The Force Awakens, it still hit 220 million. The figure puts it as the second-highest domestic opening of all time, ahead of The Avengers at 207 million and Jurassic World at 209 million.

The Last Jedi has done exceptionally well. But was it really worth it for Disney to miss out on the small theaters that are deciding to not show the movie?

One frightening possibility is is that if they charge theaters this much, they’re prepared for the fact that some may not be showing it. They surely ran the numbers beforehand, and came to the conclusion that the small and independently owned theaters that they are missing out on are outweighed by the larger cut that they are taking. In doing so, they treated small theaters as expendable.

Continue going to your hometown theaters. They may not have the same amenities as large establishments, but what they do have is a warmth that can’t be found at AMC or Regal.

Support the theaters that are being ignored, because if you don’t, their days are numbered.

Head of English Dept. Mr. Darren Lovelock hangs print

photo by

SARAH YAMASHITA

Art on the walls (cont. from page 1)

More importantly, they wanted to share their enthusiasm for the cultures they teach.

“We all have a deep love of our respective languages, but we aren’t just language teachers; we give our students exposure and access to a wealth of art and literature from cultures and people around the world,” said Gregory.

Señora Liz Harrison, a Spanish teacher, agrees with Gregory. She said, “I think of art as one of the myriad ways we can learn about the cultures that speak the languages that we teach, and I believe that when we examine art and literature throughout history, it provides us with an ongoing image of people, places, and historical moments that enable us to understand the speakers.” Harrison’s personal contribution to the art on the walls was a piece by Diego Rivera. When she lived in Mexico, she became aware of his work through murals. “When I taught in college, I used an epistolary novel that fictionalizes his relationship with Frida Kahlo and a French artist called Querido Diego, te abraza Quiela, by the Mexican writer Elena Poniatowska,” she said.

By Thanksgiving, the Humanities teachers met their goal of having 75 pieces of art hung along the three floors of Grant Hall. Mr. Darren Lovelock, Head of the English Department, spoke about his favorite piece. “At first, my favorite was the 1980s piece

by Basquiat on the top floor of Grant Hall. Its madness really appeals to me. My latest favorite, though, is the cave painting on the big wall on the bottom floor. This one is just to the right of the big Michelangelo piece. The cave painting is around 30,000 years old.

I like to imagine what was happening in the back of the cave when it was being painted.

Were they just doodling, or was there a serious, maybe a magical purpose to this art?” he said.

Once all the art is displayed, the History and English Departments want to start integrating it into their classes. Lovelock is having English students choose their favorite piece of art and use it as inspiration for a short piece of creative writing. Mr. Christopher Teasdale, a history teacher, spoke about a time when he incorporated the visual arts into his 11th grade classes. “The painting ‘Warrior’s Road’ of the Native American on horseback brings me to the units I taught in 11th grade history on the plight of Native Americans as white settlers moved into and overtook their historic lands across North America,” Teasdale said.

Next time you are wandering through Grant or Beard Hall, take a look at the meaningful artwork displayed on the walls and think what it means to you.

Prints adorn the hallway of Grant Hall first floor

photo by

BRIANA DIGGS

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C r i mson Sun

January 2018

SPORTS

Field hockey team travels to Ireland

By LAUREN SMITH and CHRIS POMPEO

On Sunday, August 6th, 2017, the MBS girls’ field hockey team embarked on a journey 3,200 miles from home to kick off their pre-season. They spent over a week exploring Ireland, competing with local teams, and enjoying the culture and each other’s company.

The girls visited the iconic Irish cities, Dublin and Belfast, where they got the opportunity to see amazing sights and bond with their teammates, as well as participating in a hurling clinic. “The trip was also helpful for the underclassmen to get to know the older girls and the older girls to get to know the younger players,” said captain Katie Wright ’18.

Besides their adventures in the cities and at the stunning Cliffs of Moher, the girls spent a lot of time playing field hockey. They were coached by the Irish National Team’s coach, and even managed to defeat one Irish team, with the winning goal scored by Jenna Pych ’19. Team members saw that victory as the result of their hard work during the time together.

The team discovered new tactics that they put to use throughout the three month season to come, when they achieved a 13-6-2 record. Team member Liana Tizzio ’19 said, “The strategies which we learned were very helpful and we were able to implement them into our games when we returned.”

Wright explains that, more than anything, the trip provided a chance to bond as a team. “The bus rides blasting music or sleeping, hanging out in each other’s rooms, touring around Ireland, eating all the meals together, and the crazy sights we got to see. Returning home after 10 days, we had a lot of funny stories to share with the rest of the team.”

The field hockey team sits on the edge of a cliff admiring the breathtaking view

left: the emerald isle

right: a streetcorner inn

photos by

LIANA TIZZIO

Volleyball: the road to success

By ARIANA MARTINO

The Morristown-Beard girls’ volleyball team is one of the most versatile and resilient teams on campus, experiencing three different seasons with three very different coaches. Their commendable improvement was noticeable to everyone, especially to the players themselves.

That said, an improvement in attendance boosted the team’s morale.

Jasmin Jenkins ‘18, one of the Varsity captains, said, “this season was amazing. The vibe was like no other, and we became a team this year.

There was never drama with anyone, and we played our hearts out every game.”

For the first time in over ten years, the volleyball team advanced to the playoffs. The spirit, drive, and heart the girls displayed that day was more than words can express. It was like watching a whole new team. While reflecting on how this season went, a Junior Varsity player, Nicolette Lewis ‘19, said, “this volleyball season proved to me that the bonds teammates have are worth more than any score. At the end of the day, the score doesn’t matter, but the team does. These friends have changed me and made me better. The seniors gave me people to look up

to, and the underclassmen gave me a reason to want to lead. The girls all have incredible strengths, and hold a special place in my heart. I am heartbroken that the seniors are leaving, but am hopeful and ready for next year.”

This year, Morristown-Beard welcomed new coaches for each team, Coach Jess House on Varsity, and Coach Meredith Locasto on Junior Varsity. Being the Varsity team’s third volleyball in a short span of years made Coach House motivated to turn the team around. Through her leadership, she was able to completely transform the team, and the players’ volleyball skills greatly improved.

The coaches’ ability to connect with the players made the biggest impact this season. A swing player, Jenny Blackwood ‘18, said, “playing volleyball at MBS has given me a group of friends I know I can turn to for anything, and coaches that I can look up to. MBS volleyball has taught me how to work as a team on the court and even in the classroom.” The girls have a positive outlook for next season, feeling more than ready to win and lose as a team, together.

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January 2018

C r i mson Sun

SPORTS MBS Basketball: playing up to expectations?

Let the game begin

Bridget Monaghan working hard at practice

Girls’ Basketball

By BRANDON LEVY and GIANNA RELLA

At the start of the 2017-2018 season, MBS girls’ basketball was in a difficult position. They looked to build on last year’s successful season, when they finished with a record of 15-12. On the upside, for the first time in MBS history, girls’ basketball had thirty participants: enough to fill a freshman, junior varsity, and varsity team. On the downside, the team was facing significant losses.

Before the season began, Captain Bridget Monaghan ‘19 was excited about the hard work the team had put in, and had high hopes for success. “The team is looking strong and works very well together,” she said. “I think that we will be successful this year and make it farther than we did last year!”

The Crimson lost several seniors from last year’s team, as well as key player Nicole Borowiec ‘19, leaving them hoping that incoming freshmen would be able to fill the gaps. Borowiec explained her departure in terms of her broader athletic plans. “Junior year track is very important in my career and I need to train to be at my best for the spring season.” The risk of injury during basketball was getting too high. “There was no other option,” she said.

Coach Michael Sturgeon offered the team reassurance. Though he was concerned about the situation, he said the team would not allow it to affect them going forward.

Sturgeon saw the change as an opportunity for other athletes to become “the next girl up.”

The captains and coaches believed that even without the key players who left, the underclassmen would be able to have a successful season. Captain Sarah Bregna ‘18 said, “I believe the remaining girls will come together and make up for the loss.”

So far, the season has produced a strong winning record, and Monaghan has recently scored a milestone 1000 points. Even in light of recent successes, hopes are high that the best is yet to come for this group!

Gianna Rella practices

photos by

HENRY LARSON

Boys’ Basketball

By GEORGE BURKE

For most teams, the 2017-18 winter sports season has only been in progress since early December, but for the boys’ basketball team, it has been underway since last spring. The team has spent the past year intensely training, both physically and mentally, for what has the potential to be one of the most successful seasons the school has seen in recent history.

“I train on my mindset of the game just as much as I train on my skillset,” said Justin Rodriguez ‘18 of his offseason workouts. He hopes his training has helped him not only physically, but also strategically as a basketball player. A glance into either of the school gyms in the spring, summer, or fall confirms the intense dedication with which the players met their offseason, as they gathered there nearly every day to practice.

Last year was an impressive showing for the Crimson, but this year’s team is confident that they can top last year’s feats. Despite the graduation of impact players like Brian Monaghan ‘17, varsity veteran Raphael Castillo ‘18 is confident that there are “many young players with lots of potential,” including Caleb Moten ‘20.

Having posted a 26-5 record last year, with conference and prep titles already under their belts, the team has had its eyes set on the 2018 Morris County Championship since March. Although it eluded them last year, this year they plan to—as Castillo said— “finish what [they] couldn’t last season.”

So far this season, however, results have fallen short of expectations, posting a record of 3-3. While an even record early in the season would not disappoint most teams, coach Eddie Franz is unimpressed by his team’s performance. Franz has already made several changes to the starting lineup, including giving Moten his first start on January 3rd, and continues to make adjustments. He feels that who is in the game for the Crimson is less important than the attitude with which they play.

Franz said, “it’s not just who we [play] but how we play. We don’t seem to be as confident or as intense about winning as we were even in the last three years.”

He expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership that the starters have shown to this point and cited a lack of experience on their depth chart as a primary causes of their struggles. “Our bench is inexperienced and our starters have not led in a way that I am impressed by.”

The Crimson’s performance in the next few weeks will reveal whether or not this year’s seniors can graduate as the most successful class that Morristown-Beard basketball has ever seen. The players possess the skill and ability necessary to be very successful, as they proved last year, and despite their early struggles, Franz affirmed that the team’s goals for the season remain the same.