Crimson Sun - May 2018 Edition

The

C r i mson Sun Vol. 19, No. 4

The Student Newspaper of Morristown-Beard School

May 2018

70 Whippany Road, Morristown, NJ 07960

Taking a stand:

school-wide walkout

By SARAH YAMASHITA

For the first time in 35 years, MBS students walked out of class. Approximately 100 people gathered on the quad on Friday, April 20, the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine shooting, to participate in the National School Walkout calling for tougher gun laws.

17 empty desks were lined up by the dining hall, each with the name of a victim of the Stoneman Douglas massacre.

In addition to five students speaking at the event, Kailyn Williams ‘21 and Deborah Ode ‘21 performed an original song, entitled “You and Me,” about making change in society. There were also voter registration forms for those 17 and older, and comment cards so students could offer insight into the school’s mental health services. The event was student-run with support from the administration.

Rachel Stulberger ‘19 read the names of the lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

A six minute and twenty second moment of silence ensued: the time it took for those lives to be lost. It felt like a lifetime; one could not imagine how long it would feel to be hiding from a shooter during that silence. Some students cried. After the silence, Stulberger revealed her connection to the Florida tragedy. “On February 14, my best friend, Jayden, texted me saying that she was hiding in a closet with her friend, but right now she is okay. Someone just like me, and all of us, never thought that her school would be on national television because an active shooter went in and killed seventeen people,” she said.

Lily Solomon ‘21 knew Jamie Guttenberg, who was killed in Parkland in February. “She was a 14-year-old freshman, who danced passionately with a big personality. We were in the same bunk during our first year at summer camp. When I first heard that she had passed away, I was in shock. Words couldn’t describe how sad I was. Having a personal connection to this situation made me feel even more passionate about having stricter gun laws,” said Solomon.

Beyond books: a new chapter for the library

By ANIKA BUCH

Over the past two years, the Anderson Library has been reinvented. Since her arrival at MBS, Head Librarian Erinn Salge has implemented multiple positive changes to the library, the most prominent of which being to broaden the collection of pleasure reading.

“I’ve tried to really diversify the collection to reflect not just our school’s population, but the world at large,” she said. Respect for other viewpoints is a cultivated skill which is simply necessary for the modern workplace. By creating a set of pleasure books which tell stories from the points of view of “a variety of people,” new perspectives are exposed, which can shape opinions and voices.

“I think that high school, middle school, can just be such a formative time to be deciding who you are, and becoming comfortable with your voice, and I wanted this to be a place where your voice is welcomed,” she said.

Continued p. 2

MBS students reflect on the lives lost in school shootings across the country in a moment of silence at the school-wide walkout on the quad.

By SARAH YAMASHITA

Students expressed that they should never have to receive news like that, nor should they feel afraid to go to school every day. “It’s wrong that I have to be more cautious and aware walking across this campus than I am on my 10 mile drive here,” Blake Kernen ‘18 said. “It’s wrong that I spent six minutes and twenty seconds in silence because 17 kids in Parkland lost their voices forever. It’s wrong that someone as troubled and lost as Nikolas Cruz was able to fall through the cracks of society and nobody did anything.”

Some students expressed outrage at the failure of Congress to reach a consensus on gun control. Jonathan Kay ‘20 said, “I refuse to die here. I refuse to become a martyr for a cause that is so preventable. I refuse to accept inaction and gridlock when I know a consensus can be reached. And that consensus lies not through extremes of giving everyone guns, or taking guns away from everyone, but rather common sense compromises. Because this current standoff will only lead to more tragedy.”

James Cunningham ‘19, SGA President-Elect, told the crowd that there had been a shooting at the Forest High School walkout in Ocala, Florida earlier that morning. “I remember, a few weeks ago, listening to Emma Gonzalez on the radio as I drove to school,” he said. “All I could think about was how normal this girl was. She’s a national figure now, speaking in front of millions in Washington— but she also spent her year worrying about getting into college, about SAT scores, about financial aid, and about her AP exams. And this girl got on the radio and was everything that we are: tired, angry, scared, and powerful… We are powerful, more than we know. But if there’s going to be real change, it has to come from all of us. It has to start right now.”

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Gun Control Op-Ed (p. 2) MBS Abroad (p. 7) SGA Changes (p. 4) Black Mirror Review (p. 6) Girls’ Golf (p. 6)

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C r i mson Sun

May 2018

COMMENTARY The Crimson Sun 70 Whippany Road

Morristown, New jersey 07960 973-539-3032

Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Tone Editors Anika Buch Julian Levy Whitney McDonnell Ari Bersch 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.

Library (continued)

Salge has dedicated time and effort to transform the library into a safe space for all points of view, but most importantly, she has rendered herself indispensable as “an ally on campus.”

“Especially if you are slightly off the beaten path, if you don’t fit in with the usual groups, I want this to be a place where seeing representations of yourself and feeling like you’re welcome in that place are crucial in a time for forming your identity,” she said.

By diversifying the collection of books, Salge is presenting all students with an opportunity to widen their horizons and knowledge.

While Salge acknowledges that she still has work to do in terms of making the library “calmer,” she has made strides in turning the library into a safe space, where all perspectives and opinions are welcomed.

Her own accessibility places her in “a unique position” because she frequently meets with teachers and presents to classes, but she is also available for students individually.

Explaining her decision to diversify the reading options available in the library, Salge relies ultimately on her own judgment. Salge said, “it’s what I personally feel is right. It’s the books that I read myself, it’s how I treat other people, and it’s part of my educational journey which is learning about how important diversity is in any way, shape or form.”

Protect Lives, Not Guns: Op-Ed

By REBECCA TONE

Since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, 210,000 American students have experienced school shootings. 210,000 children have been forced to cower behind mountains of desks and chairs, terrified, desperately trying to stay silent.

210,000 children have attended their classmates’ funerals, simultaneously grieving the loss and guiltily thanking the universe their own coffin wasn’t the one being lowered into the earth. 210,000 children have had their lives flash before their eyes in a place where they go to prepare for their futures, futures some were never allowed to fulfill. 210,000 children have been traumatized, never to see the world the same way again. And that’s only the beginning.

Students all across the country are terrified for their lives. It feels like every day, we read a new article about teenagers just like us having everything they ever knew ripped away in seconds. There’s nothing that separates the kids who die from the kids who live. It’s all pure chance. It could just as easily have been us.

I am writing this because I feel that opposition to gun control in the United States has become zealous to the point of losing sight of what’s truly important.

We practice active shooter drills at school, and we laugh to mask the fear. We tell ourselves it’s impossible, there’s no way it could happen here, it’s not that kind of place. We say that, but can we ever really believe it? No. We can only hope.

Schools are supposed to be places for us to learn. It’s where we should be able to push the boundaries of our minds while feeling safe and supported by our teachers. We should be having unique and exciting experiences and enjoying what’s left of our childhood. And when I say “unique and exciting experiences,” I mean meeting new people and trying new things, not staring down the barrel of a gun.

Enough is enough. So many people have died at the hands of school shooters, and we need to make it stop. We need change.

I’m sick of hearing about how it would be “unfair” to take away the “right to bear arms” provided by the Second Amendment to the US Constitution. Is it “fair” that 131 innocent citizens, most of whom were only children, have been shot dead in school in the past 19 years, and another 273 were injured? I don’t think so.

When the Second Amendment was written, slavery was legal and women couldn’t vote. Child labor laws didn’t exist. Native Americans were seen as barbarians and systematically driven off their land. Gay people were not recognized by society, much less allowed to marry who they loved. Clearly, laws can change.

We no longer live in a time where citizens need to raise militias to defend themselves. Sure, that might have been useful in the post-revolutionary era when Americans felt the need to fight off militant Native American tribes. At the birth of the Constitution, the idea of revolution was still fresh in the minds of the founding fathers; militias were what had allowed Americans to rise up against tyranny, so they seemed necessary to democracy. Now that we have a very firmly established army, militias are obsolete, and consequently, so is the second amendment.

No one is trying to take away anyone’s ability to go hunting. Hunting rifles are not the issue here - they can only fire one shot at a time, work relatively slowly, and could only do so much damage if they were turned against a crowd of people.

The real issue is the widespread availability of semi-automatic weapons like the AR15. The AR-15 can fire ten rounds per second — that’s ten dead in one second.

When hunting, there’s no use for brutality at such high speed. AR-15s have been classified as assault weapons for a reason. They serve no purpose, except that their legalization allows new levels of death and destruction which would otherwise be impossible.

Another issue that contributes to the widespread devastation of gun violence in modern America is how the government refuses to take sufficient action in supporting citizens with mental illnesses. Since therapy and treatment for mental illnesses are not generally covered by healthcare programs, people are often left to suffer entirely unsupported. Not only does the stigmatization and neglect of mental illness harm the individuals with the illnesses, but it leads to increased gun violence.

With firearms so readily available and present in many homes across the country, people experiencing severe mental illness or disillusionment with society have no trouble finding a way to exert their anger towards the world. Relaxed gun regulations make it simple for unstable people to get access to weapons and kill numerous people before having a chance to really think things through. Continued p.3

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May 2018

FEATURES Walkout Photo Essay Op-Ed (continued)

By SARAH YAMASHITA

Rachel Stulberger ‘19 speaks at the MBS walkout.

Students listen to their classmates speak about violence in schools.

If the nation tightened gun laws to make it more difficult to purchase weaponry, impulsive decisions to take out emotional problems through violence would be curbed significantly. If guns weren’t sitting invitingly in the basements of so many American households, troubled teenagers wouldn’t have such an assured way to end their lives in mere moments; abusive husbands would not have the chance to inflict such fatal damage on their wives; uncoordinated toddlers wouldn’t be able to accidentally pull a trigger and harm their families; angry people who feel wronged by the world would no longer hold hundreds of lives at their fingertips.

Sure, you’ll have to go through some extra steps before buying your new hunting rifle. But if hunting is really one of your passions, you will take the time to go through the process, and your life will remain fundamentally unchanged. It’s a small price to pay for the safety of countless citizens across the nation.

America, we have a problem. When the desire to own weapons takes precedence over the right to learn and live, when the NRA’s selfish agenda comes before the safety of every child in this country, when arbitrary defense of outdated legislation is chosen over progress: we have a problem.

Everyone should be able to live safely. They should not be afraid to enter schools, malls, movie theaters, concert venues, or bars. They should not have to teach their children what to do in case they someday become an unlucky target of a school shooter. They should not be forced to live trapped in their own minds, unable to afford help or therapy, driven to the point of no return. They should not be subjected to the tyranny of a government that cares more about its own polarized interests than the survival of its citizens.

In order to enjoy the freedoms of “liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” we must first be given the “inalienable right” to life. We deserve a change. We deserve a future.

Habitat for Humanity

By RYLAN DeSTEFANO

Deborah Ode ‘21 and Kailyn Williams ‘21 perform an original song.

Students register to vote and fill out mental health suggestion slips.

Students embrace after hearing heartfelt speeches.

From March 15 to March 23, fourteen Morristown-Beard School students and three teachers traveled to Mobile, Alabama for the annual Habitat for Humanity trip. The group spent most of their days constructing houses for people in need and spending time with one another, fueling the start of new friendships.

Liana Tizzio ‘19 said, “my favorite part of the trip was bonding with the chaperones, along with all of the students in Alabama.” Maggie Cotter ‘19 said, “Habitat allowed me to become friends with people who I never really interacted with before and also become friends with people who I never really thought I’d be friends with.”

After working in the heat for seven hours each day, relaxation and activities were much needed. The group spent nights buildings fires and enjoying each other’s company, which was specifically unforgettable for Dan Levine ‘19, who said, “activities like that made the trip even more memorable.”

Blake Kernen ‘18 felt she benefited so much from her two Habitat for Humanity trips that she plans to stay a part of Habitat in the future. She said, “there is no excuse for me not to stay involved. You can help Habitat in your own town in the states or even in like Guatemala if you wanted to, so yes, I would definitely do it again.”

Mr. Zachary Mazouat, a chaperone on the trip, mentioned that he would participate in another trip as well. He said, “we got a lot of good work done for a really meaningful and helpful cause.”

Habitat for Humanity has been a remarkable opportunity for the Morristown- Beard community. It allows students to view the world with a new perspective and meet new people and explore new places. Habitat has a strong presence in the United States and all over the world, bettering the future for those in need and raising awareness with the help of donations and volunteers.

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May 2018

FOCUS ON SGA Changes to the SGA Constitution

By ARI BERSCH

After much deliberation, the SGA cabinet decided upon significant changes to the SGA consitution that will be implemented for the 2018-19 school year.

Former (2013)

Revised (2018)

Six bodies in Executive Council (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian, Middle School Representatives)

Executive Council renamed Executive Cabinet (accounted for in oath); Historian title changed to Public Relations; Middle School Representatives eliminated No clause to account for extraordinary circumstances delaying the Clause account for extraordinary circumstances preventing the annual SGA presidential election or campaign speeches from oc- SGA presidential election taking place in April; identical clause curring in April added for campaign speeches Minimum voting members to constitute a quorum is three voting Quorum eliminated, class no longer has to forfeit vote if fewer members of each cabinet, or else class forfeits vote than three voting members are present SGA President is a member of the Executive Council SGA President is a voting member of the Student Government Financial accountant called SGA Treasurer Financial accountant renamed Executive Treasurer SGA votes to approve requests from the Treasurer’s Union SGA Advisors give final approval for Treasurer’s Union requests Vacant officer slots filled by election of the constituency of the va- Vacant officer slots filled by election of the constituency of the vacant officer at the discretion of the Student Government Advisors cant officer at the discretion of the Student Government Advisors, and the Head of School Officers can be removed from office by a petition signed by three- Officers can also be removed at any time from their position by fourths of their constituency and three-fourths of SGA officers the SGA Advisors, their Grade Deans, and/or the Head of School for “conduct unbecoming of a Student Government Officer” Candidates have one week until an election to apply for office, and SGA Advisors set deadline for those applying to office, no faculty need a faculty sponsor sponsor needed

Q&A with the new SGA President: James Cunningham

By WHITNEY McDONNELL

Why did you first become interested in the SGA? Trying to make my school better. I tried to go in freshman year, and Grace Goodman beat me. I wanted to be in it because I wanted to do something for the junior class and get us more money for class fundraising. Freshman year, I was in a shell and I didn’t talk to anyone.

I took on a bigger role in the community this year, and I’m really glad I did.

What do you hope to improve? What is something unique you will bring to this position?

What I love about MBS is the pep, the spirit...which has really been going away. I remember my freshman year, it was a lot of fun to go to the games. But it’s been going away, and that’s what I really want to bring back. I know it’s hard to say that I want to bring people together, but that’s something I want to do. I don’t like how we’re divided; it really bothers me. Half of the kids who hang out in the What extracurriculars do you participate in? student center don’t know the kids who hang out in Founders, and no one comes to each other’s events. I want to fix that. I want to foI do Latin Club, I’m a Crimson Event Ambassador, peer tutor, and cus on community.

I’m going to be a peer leader next year. Outside of school, I do hockey and I’m involved with my church group.

What does your ideal MBS look like?”

How did you prepare for the SGA speech and debate?

I was thinking about what presidents wear for debates, and it’s either a red or blue tie. So I did some research, and I found out that blue is ‘trustworthy’. I looked at what the past SGA presidents had worn for their speeches, and it checked out: Ryan and Matt had both worn blue ties. I texted all my friends in search of one.

It looks pretty similar to what it is now. I think we have a good foundation that Matt Smith and Ryan Waters set up for me to go off of.

They connected with the middle school, and if they hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be able to make the connections I want to with the middle school. What I really want to see is unity: I want people to come out to the games, I want people to come out to the plays and the musicals and theaterfests...I just want students to have a lot of fun.

What aspect of this job is most important to you?

Message for MBS:

When I first got the job, I didn’t really believe I was president. I looked up to Ryan Waters when I was a sophomore, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool, what he has.’ And now, it’s taken so long to sink in (it still really hasn’t sunk in) that I’m president. I stay after school a lot, and I look around and think, ‘I’ve got to run this place.’

It’s an honor, and I’m really excited for it, especially after my dad and my uncle went here. It’s unreal that I’m doing this.

I want to tell them that although the SGA president may not look like they’re doing a lot, they are. I have a plan of what I want to do and when, and I really do want to make a change. I want to make this school a better place, and I’m open for ideas. Anyone can come up to me and let me know.

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May 2018

FEATURES

Data-mining furor

The School Antiquarian

In the past few weeks, everyone from Elon Musk to Cher have been deleting their Facebook accounts, thanks in large part to one name: Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica is a British company that consults with politicians about elections. They are responsible for collecting data on citizens used to help elect public officials, promote causes, and advocate for new policy. Politicians like Ted Cruz and Ben Carson have also used them in presidential campaigns, but by far the most famous individual to make use of their services is President Donald Trump.

On March 17, 2018 The New York Times reported that Cambridge Analytica had used data from Facebook to build voter profiles.

Since then, more information has come out making it clear that what had happened was not a hack, but a loophole in the system. The New York Times said that the idea to use Facebook’s login software to acquire data came from an employee of the American-based analytics firm, Palantir. He worked on Cambridge’s “psychological profiling technology,” to use “a mobile-phone-based personality quiz — to gain access to Facebook users’ friend networks.” According to Recode, a Cambridge University professor by the name of Aleksandr Kogan created an app called “thisisyourdigitallife,” which made use of one of Facebook’s most popular developer tools, Facebook Login. The login software allows users to sign in with their Facebook accounts.

When Facebook Login is used, Recode explains, it gives the app developer access to “information about people’s locations and interests, and more granular stuff like photos, status updates and check-ins.”

Many people use the login service as it only takes a couple of clicks instead of having to create a whole new account for that site. Since then, the number of affected individuals has only risen. It was once believed to be in the range of 50 million, but new estimates have it around 87 million. The Guardian reports that all 87 million people who had their data shared will “receive a detailed message on their news feeds,” but that all Facebook users will receive a notification called “Protecting Your Information.” It will include a link listing the third party apps that Facebook uses to collect data and what data they collect, allowing users to individually opt in or out.

Mark Zuckerberg visited the House of Representatives on April 10 and the Senate on the 11th, with the aim of explaining to Congress how Facebook collects data on its users. In his statement and response to questions, Zuckerberg dispelled the conspiracy that Facebook listens to you through your microphone, and also said that messages sent on “WhatsApp,” the Facebook owned texting service, are not read by Facebook to build data profiles.While he stated multiple times that the Cambridge Analytica situation was not a “breach,” he acknowledged that “when we heard back from Cambridge Analytica that they had told us that they weren’t using the data and deleted it, we considered it a closed case. In retrospect, that was clearly a mistake. We shouldn’t have taken their word for it.”

Though Zuckerberg said that they were dedicated to improving their business model to improve user privacy, most of Congress still wants to regulate the internet. Congress is adamant that regulations need to be put in place to protect the privacy of Facebook’s 2.3 billion users. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) presented Facebook’s CEO with a choice: “Here’s what’s going to happen — there are going to be a whole bunch of bills introduced to regulate Facebook. It’s up to you whether they pass or not. You can go back home [and] spend $10 million on lobbyists and fight us, or you can go back home and help us solve this problem.”

As Facebook attempts to regain trust from the public, it seems likely that more tech CEOs will be brought before Congress. Congressman Greg Walden and Frank Pallone have both expressed interest in bringing other CEO’s to testify. Don’t be surprised if the leaders of Google or Twitter are sitting in front of Congress in the near future.

After attending his Independent Study presentation on World War I, I was compelled to learn more about Alex Rebhun -- who is this sage, quirky, well-dressed, blonde-haired student with a passion for war history and digging through the Alumni House archives?

I started off by asking him to describe himself in three words. After considering the question for a while (“Ooh, this is a hard one”), he said, “thoughtful, witty, and contrarian.” It’s no wonder he assesses himself this way; his Independent Study was unique in MBS history. After wondering “what this school did for the war,” Rebhun researched eight Morristown School alumni who fought and died in WWI; eventually, he discovered that their stories were not so different from his own: one soldier, Christopher Warner Plummer, shared Rebhun’s birthday.

When asked about what motivated him to explore the topic, he said, “I wasn’t taught about it...I got to teach myself, and it’s fun to be able to teach other people in a way they’ll enjoy and they aren’t being forced to listen to.” He took a trip to further engage his interests on the subject: “I went to Governor’s Island.

It was for the World War I history weekend. It was ‘Gov ball’ for me,” he said.

I closed our visit by having the wise 11th grader recount some of his favorite experiences at Morristown-Beard. His highlights were: “the writer’s retreat where I had a snowball fight with Dr. Boynton, Mr. Fisher’s ‘Space Flight Engineering and Design’ class (which I highly recommend), and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum...because I got to be old.”

The inquisitive, pensive “old man” who never stops broadening his horizons, Alex Rebhun is the picture of individuality.

Take a leaf from Alex’s book and reach out to the past; you might even share a birthday.

By JULIAN LEVY

By WHITNEY McDONNELL

Alex Rebhun ‘19 stops to smell the flowers.

By WHITNEY McDONNELL

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May 2018

FEATURES

Girls’ Golf finds its swing

By REBECCA TONE

Three years ago, a group of four senior girls came together to petition for the creation of a girls’ golf team at MBS. Previously, any girl who wanted to play golf for MBS had to join a team that, though technically co-ed, was predominantly a male team. Few girls ever joined, and those who did were relegated to the JV team. When the separate girls’ golf team was established, the problem was redressed and today, girls at MBS interested in golf have the chance to play the sport to their potential and to compete at a high level.

“Girls’ golf teams were being established by other schools in the area, both public and private, so the time seemed right to start our own team,” said Varsity Girls’ Golf Coach Cathy Kellstrom, looking back on the early days of the program. “Through some friends, I got our team involved with the loosely organized North Jersey Girls Golf League.”

As with any new program, the girls’ golf team started out slowly. The team attracted over twenty players in its first season, but the majority of girls who signed up were beginner or only occasional golfers. “For me, the first season was not about winning, but getting exposure to golf instruction by professionals, learning the rules and etiquette of the game, playing competitively, and meeting girls from other schools that also played golf,” said Kellstrom. She also was quick to note that the girls who played were competitive and “a team in every sense of the word.”

Building up the girls’ golf team from scratch provided an ideal entryway into for girls who might not otherwise have thought of taking up the sport. Players received professional golf instruction at Morris County Golf Club, and the low-stakes environment of the team encouraged many to work on their game outside of MBS practices.

Kellstrom said, “the sense of commitment to the team and individual accountability has improved over the three years of the program.” Now, she has a solid group of 8 to 10 players for any competition, with captains who are “solid golfers” committed to the team and the game more generally.

As the team grew and became more competitive, a Junior Varsity team, coached by Mike Sturgeon, was added to the program. The second team has allowed new waves of novice golfers to receive equal coaching attention, work on their games, and play in matches against golfers at an appropriate level of competition.

In the first years of the program, the team sometimes struggled from what Coach Kellstrom calls a “crisis of confidence,” especially when comparing themselves to more established programs at other schools. Being a relatively new program, players have felt intimidated playing in matches against girls who have been playing for many years. “This is where the exposure comes in. The golfers are becoming more ‘tournament tough,’” Kellstrom said.

But confidence is growing. Recent match results demonstrate the immense progress that has been made by the team and the players on it. In its first season, the team only won a total of two matches. This year, the varsity girls’ golf team has already won in multiple matches against Mendham, Chatham, Millburn, Mount St. Dominic, Madison, and Kinnelon.

The continued improvement and growing strength of the girls’ golf program has impacted the school environment as a whole. “I want my players to feel confident in every area of their life and have as many doors open to opportunity as possible,” Kellstrom said. “Having a girls’ program equal to the boys’ is a significant step toward parity in our school.”

Reflections on Black Mirror

By JULIAN LEVY

Black Mirror has sparked a revival in the anthology style TV series popularized

by The Twilight Zone, the show to which it is most often compared. Each episode is standalone, meaning that each episode does not necessarily relate to any other, like a collection of hour-long movies.

Paranoia and fear rule Black Mirror. It takes modern technological concepts to their logical extremes, warning why some of our fantasies of the future aren’t as great as we thought they were. Although the endings of Black Mirror episodes are notoriously grim, the episodes show why it’s not too late to take a different path.

The five episodes of Black Mirror below show the best that the critically acclaimed show has to offer (You can watch all four seasons on Netflix). If you want to watch the episodes with no prior knowledge as to what they are about, I recommend just reading the names of the episodes. Black Mirror, in my opinion, is best experienced by discovering the world through subtle storytelling clues, not a synopsis or analysis.

5: “White Christmas” - Season 2 Episode 4 The episode “White Christmas” takes place in a snowy winter cabin, as two men recount tales from their past. As characters explain what led them to the cabin, we learn to sympathize with them. In signature Black Mirror style, it brings the social media concept of “blocking” into the real world. It shows how the detachment of the digital world can affect people, even those who have made mistakes. “White Christmas” is Black Mirror at its most melancholy and hopeless, in the best way possible.

4: “The Entire History of You” - Season 1 Episode 3 The episode centers around a technological implant that is put inside your head, and it records everything that you see and hear. Throughout the episode, a married couple and their friends deal with the ramifications of being able to analyze every moment of their lives. By exaggerating the possibilities of modern social media culture, the episode asks if we should record our past selves just because we have the ability to do so. The episode shows another couple at a dinner party enjoying their life free from a camera inside their head, obviously hinting towards an underlying message about “unplugging.” “The Entire History of You” promotes living life in the present instead of reminiscing about times past.

3: “Fifteen Million Merits” - Season 1 Episode 2

“Fifteen Million Merits” was Black Mirror’s first foray into a dystopian society.

It satirizes modern society’s reality show and image obsessed culture in a world where adults are forced to exercise all day long to fuel what is possibly an energy crisis, although it is never explicitly said. There is no way out of the stark complex that the characters of the episode are confined to, except for a chance at making it on one of the TV shows used for entertainment. Daniel Kaluuya, who is best known for his breakout role last year in “Get Out,” gives an excellent performance of a person grappling with his resentment toward the societal structure that traps him. Its dark, utilitarian setting combined with its message about fighting the system create a moody and haunting episode of Black Mirror.

2: “USS Callister” - Season 4 Episode 1

“USS Callister” is not shy about taking inspiration from the 1960’s classic TV series, Star Trek. Its intro fits perfectly into the climax of an episode with Kirk and Spock, but how it diverges from Star Trek is what makes the episode so interesting. It is revealed that the aforementioned scene took place in a hyper-realistic virtual reality simulation. The man that controlled the simulation is the head programmer at the large software company responsible for the virtual world that players explore, a la Ready Player One. The intrigue of the episode revolves around the main character’s transformation from the oppressed in the office to the oppressor in the virtual landscape. It turns the hero into a villain, and the villain into a hero depending on the setting, and the fact that “USS Callister” pulls off its goals so well makes it all the more impressive.

1: “White Bear” - Season 2 Episode 2

Like I said earlier, not having any initial idea what is going on is integral to getting the most out of Black Mirror episodes. “White Bear” is a perfect example of how the show relies on disorientation, as the main character of the episode is suffering from amnesia in suburban England and the only people that she finds are taking photos of her. As the character traverses the obstacles the episode throws at her, the terror of discovery is shared by both character and audience alike. “White Bear” is one of the best television episodes that I have ever seen. It may not be the episode of Black Mirror that you want to start out with, but it is one that you will never forget.

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May 2018

C r i mson Sun

FEATURES

Living the Language

By ANIKA BUCH and ASHLEY CHEN

On Saturday, March 10, at 6:30 PM, ten MBS French students and two chaperones, Dr. Gorica Hadzic and Dr. Brian Merry, departed from Newark International Airport on a two week long journey to Nantes and Paris. Upon landing in Nantes, both the students and teachers were greeted by families eager to welcome MBS students for their stay.

Each MBS student had been paired with a host family before the trip.

Sharing in a family’s daily routines, MBS student had the chance to experience French life as it is actually lived, spending time at a French high school and enjoying home-cooked meals. Aline De la Torre, director of the MBS Global Studies program, and Dr. Gorica Hadzic, the French teacher who organized the program, both believe the actual immersion in a language and culture is the best way to learn it. “Going in a family setting, you’re seeing their culture, you’re eating their food, you’re seeing how they live, you’re speaking to them constantly in that language,” De la Torre said.

Students were not immediately comfortable. “It was kinda weird at first, especially because the parents didn’t speak any English,” said Alex Rebhun ‘19. Eventually, however, Rebhun and his French host student, Clémence, became friends. Rebhun was not alone in his positive exerience. “I actually preferred staying in Nantes over Paris just because of that connection I made with Clara and her family,” said Sofea Stanton ‘18.

For the program’s organizer, Dr. Hadzic, the discomfort of constant immersion in a foreign language was the greatest benefit of the student. “By just being in the same house as your host parents and host’s friends and just chatting, you are speaking more French in one day than you would in 6 months in school,” she said. Students on the trip agreed. “I had a much more authentic experience. Absolutely, no question about it,” said Rebhun.

One of the greatest challenges for students was attending high school classes in the French education system. “The school system was the biggest shock. I’ve never experienced that,” said Theo Won ‘19.

Students experienced classes in math, chemistry, philosophy, Spanish, economics, and English, all part of France’s Baccalaureate curriculum for high school. Many of the host students were scheduled to take the intense “Bac” exams in June.

“I really wanted them to experience that and just see the difference.

We teach you how to say pencil and all this, but to sit in math class and to see how the classes are taught, to compare eventually their knowledge, and to admire their ability to follow a class, is something entirely different,” Hadzic said.

Over the weekend, some host families took their students on excursions to amusement parks, gave cooking lessons, and served as expert tour guides of French culture.

When it came time to leave, MBS students found themselves reluctant to do so. The kindness of the host families had made a lasting impact. .

“What made me happy was also to see how MBS students got along so well with their host families, and to see how much they loved them,” Hadzic said. De la Torre agreed, pleased that MBS students experienced something that they won’t soon forget. “These trips have been life changing.”

Whatever initial doubts MBS students may have had, they have disappeared in hindsight. “In the beginning, when my parents signed me up for the trip, I didn’t want to go just because it’s a foreign country and it’s something really different, but looking back, I would do it over and over again. So I want to see more people going on this trip,” said Stanton.

It is possible that similar exchange trips to France will be offered in the future. The next round of exchange, however, will likely consist of MBS students and their families hosting students from Nantes. When that happens, French students will have a chance to experience daily life in New Jersey and at MBS.

France Photo Essay

By REBECCA TONE

Notre Dame Paris stands tall.

MBS students spend time at the beach in Nantes.

MBS enjoys a light show on the Eiffel Tower.

French hosts and students gather at the train station.

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C r i mson Sun

May 2018

FEATURES

Day of Silence, Night of Voices

By BRIANA DIGGS

By ALI STECKER

On Friday, April 27, students who identify or are allies of the LGBTQ+ community took a vow of silence for the entire day, showing that they will not be silenced or tolerate abuse. They were participating in The Day of Silence, an annual, national event to spread awareness about the bullying and harassment that students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, or intersex go through each day.

This event was organized by Spectrum, the group of students who discuss LGBTQ+ issues and work to spread inclusivity at MBS. The students who chose to get involved and vowed to stay silent wore bracelets, while others displayed their support by wearing stickers.

“I hope the Day of Silence will inspire the MBS community to stand in solidarity with those who aren’t able to express themselves or be themselves. I hope that an event like this creates an opportunity for people to learn and show support for their peers,” said Jadyn Lawrence ‘18, co-president of Spectrum, which sponsors the Day of Silence every year.

Spectrum wanted to include not only members of the LGBTQ+ community in the day of silence, but allies as well. “Someone can be an ally by at the very least respecting someone’s gender identity and/or sexual orientation. It’s unreasonable to expect everyone to change their view. However, everyone deserves to be treated equally and with dignity and respect. That is a basic human right that everyone deserves. By simply doing this, everyone can be an ally and make things easier for those around them,” said Lawrence.

This year, more members of the MBS community were aware of LGBTQ+ issues than ever before. “Even though people either participate in or show solidarity with the Day of Silence every year, I think it took on more meaning this year,” said Quiya Harris ‘19, secretary of Spectrum. “For me in particular, even though I’m always silent on the day of silence, it meant more to me this year. I don’t know if it’s because I understand the effects better now or just because I’ve matured more, but participating felt more like a deliberate act that could bring about change rather than something I do out of routine.”

MBS participated in this special day to bring attention to the hardships students in the LGBTQ+ community face every day. “I want students and faculty to understand the significance of the day and why it’s important, but I also hope that this inspires them to find ways to offer continuous support in the future that isn’t solely restricted to this one day,” said Lawrence.

Jill Stecker ‘18, co-president of Spectrum, also wanted the general population of MBS to feel comfortable discussing issues about the LGBTQ+ community in and outside of school. “I want people to be aware that what happens at MBS is not what happens in the rest of the world. For example, there are 8 states in our country that have laws that prohibit the teachers from teaching about the LGBTQ+ community at school. While laws like this don’t exist in our northeast bubble, we should still discuss and try to prevent harassment on LGBTQ+ students in our communities,” she said.

“I think the Day of Silence is effective in raising awareness for people who are bullied for their sexual orientation, but I think as a community we should work on giving everyone a voice every day instead of giving a certain group of people a voice for one day. We shouldn’t see race or gender or sexual orientation as something that separates us, but rather as differences that we can appreciate about one another,” said Sofia Scordley ’20.

“We may not get the message across to everyone in the school, but for those who it does affect, it has a significant impact,” said Stecker.

In addition to the Day of Silence, Spectrum sponsored the Night of Voices, a celebratory night of activities that would lead to discussions about the LGBTQ+ community at MBS. “The event was amazing. So many people from different friend groups came to our celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, and it really warms my heart seeing everyone come together. There was a nice mix of light hearted conversations and heavier topics, which I thought was great,” said Harris. “I definitely think Spectrum should host this event again.”