The Voice - December, 2012 by Pembroke Hill Voice

VOICE

the Youth in Government

December 2012 Volume XXIX, Issue IV

Maya Patel Managing Editor Pembroke Hill Upper School students recently ventured on City for Youth In Government on November 29th. Several students participated in the threeday convention in Missouri’s capital city where they had the opportunity to participate in legislative, judicial, and executive events. included the executive branch where students run for governor, the legislative branch with the House of Representatives and Senate where bills are debated and passed, and the judicial branch where judges, lawyers, and witnesses participate in mock trials. Sam Jones ’14 and Kathleen O’Keefe ’14 were representatives in the legislative branch. Jones explains, “We were joint bill [Continued on Page 7]

Photo Credit to Caroline Brooks

Inside the Issue

‘Tis the Season

Favorite Holiday Traditions . . . . . . Page 13

The iPad Venture The sixth grade iPad program after one semester and its possible Upper School expansion. Pages 16 & 17.

Athlete of the Issue: Kiara Lewis . . Page 14

Final Exams

Hurricane Sandy Relief . . . . . . . . . . Page 4

Seniors on the College Process . . . . Page 19

Page 10

Page 6.

2 Feature

A Common Connection “We still have a long way to go, but I know that every step we’ve taken has had a positive impact on students and mentors alike.”

Grace McFee and Emily Beasley Staff Writers In an attempt to involve the Pembroke Hill student body in the community, Pembroke Hill students Hosain Ghassemi ‘13 and Bill Doane ‘13 teamed up with Shawnee Mission East student Jayden Roberts to found the Kansas City Education Foundation. When talking about their initial goal, Ghassemi said: “Rather than attempt to facilitate a means to reach the graduation requirement for community service, we wanted to do something that gave people an understanding of what community service is; not some arbitrary number, but a connection with people in our community.” The Kansas City Education Foundation recruits high school students to mentor middle school students attending Turner Middle School’s Academic Enrichment Program. This program provides support to mostly seventh and eighth grade students who are required to attend the program due to failing grades or incomplete work. The program was originally thought to have about twenty students, but to the surprise of Ghassemi, Doane, and even the principal, the program holds well over fifty students per day. Because of this spike, more mentors are needed, and the pilot program has been extended from a semester to a year.

Ghassemi says, “Our work is nowhere near finished, and we hope to expand our program to more schools in the future. We still have a long way to go, but I know that every step we’ve taken has had a positive impact on students and mentors alike.” What began as a simple idea-- to provide mentors to a school-- gained support from community leaders in Turner, who knew Ghassemi because of his summer volunteer work at the Turner Community Garden, which had previously been an illegal dumping site. He told some of the community members about their idea, and before he knew it, they met with the superintendent of the Turner School District. Ghassemi, Doane, and Roberts then began the harder work: recruiting mentors, drawing up liability waivers and applications, and starting their first initiative. The program has since been thriving. However, the success of the program has involved setbacks. Because the number of students exceeds the amount originally expected, there is a great need for mentors. Currently, there are volunteers from Pembroke Hill, Shawnee Mission East, and Turner High School, but not as many as the group had hoped. Ghassemi and Doane are looking for any volunteers from Pembroke Hill that are interested and willing to commit to a semester of service to the foundation.n

Holiday Recipe

Apple Pie Egg Rolls For egg rolls: 5 Honeycrisp Apples, peeled, cored and diced Juice of 1 lemon ⅓ cup sugar ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 (16-ounce, 15-count) package egg roll wraps For the topping: ¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon ¼ cup butter, Melted Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour and cinnamon. 3. Place 1 egg roll wrapper on work surface. Place a heaping tablespoon of apple mixture wrap on the side of the wrap closest to you, leaving a 1-inch border. 4. Fold in left and right sides of wrap and starting with the side closest to you, roll the egg roll tightly away from you. 5. Place filled egg roll, seam-side down, on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the filling and egg roll wraps have been used. 6. Bake for 20 minutes. 7. While baking, prepare topping by stirring together sugar and cinnamon. 8. Remove from apple egg rolls from oven and brush the tops with melted butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. 9. Serve with fresh whipped cream. From Paige Pepitone

Feature

Jason Kander Speaks with Upper School Kander talking with Riley Sloan ‘13, photo credit to Beth Bryant

Cormac Chester Staff Writer On Tuesday, November 27, Secretary of State-elect Jason Kander came to the Upper School to speak with students about Missouri politics and what needs to be done when he takes office next year. Kander grew up in Kansas City, attending Bishop Miege and then American University in Washington D.C. for his undergraduate degree. After 9/11, he decided to enroll in the US military and became a military intelligence officer in the Army Reserve. In 2006, he went to Afghanistan as a Human Intelligence Officer, with the job of anti-corruption and anti-espionage. Eventually, he received a law degree from the Georgetown Law School. In 2008, he ran for a state legislative seat at 26 years old,

and got 68% of the vote in the Democratic Primary. Upon the retirement of the soon-to-be previous Secretary of State of Missouri, Kander decided to run for the job and was elected. At first glance, the job of Secretary of State might seem obscure, even pointless. However, there are several different jobs when elected to that position. According to Jason Kander, the Secretary of State of Missouri is the Chief Elections Officer, writing the language of policy changes on ballots for each election, managng business registration as well as securities regulation. As Secretary of State, Kander, a Democrat, will face many issues. One issue is the prevention of voter fraud. To address this issue, Republicans have suggested that you have to show your ID in order to vote. How-

ever, the courts have blocked many of these proposals and the previous Secretary of State was also against the idea. One side of the suggestion is that the constitution does not require voters to have voter ID, and therefore it is not needed. However, the other side says that having your ID when you vote is a key solution to preventing voter fraud. An example of the implementation of this law in other states is in Idaho, where if you don’t show up with your ID to vote, you have to sign an affidavit in order to vote. While this is a great solution, according to Kander, the Missouri proposals have not been as practical. Another issue is the prevention of corruption in Jefferson City. “The corruption is like erosion,” said Kander, a sentiment many other politicians in Missouri agree with.

“There is not one massive fraud, it is just a general erosion,” he reiterated. “If the only people [politicians] hang out with are lobbyists, then they forget about the people they met,” said Kander, referring to the people politicians would meet when they knock on doors in order to get elected. The ideal situation for Kander would not be for lobbyists to stop existing, but that rather there be a “fair voice [of the citizens] which ultimately produces better laws.” When all is said and done, Missouri can look forward to having a very good new Secretary of State. Kander is committed to preventing voter fraud and getting rid of corruption, and will always remember that his job is one of public service, not political gain. n

4 Middle School Feature

Middle School Students Helps Sandy Victims

Isabella Way Staff Writer Hurricane Sandy violently struck the north-eastern United States on October 29. The storm has been declared the largest recorded in the history of the Atlantic Ocean’s storms. Afterwards, states quickly shut down public schools, businesses, and subways. Some survivors were without electricity for weeks. There were two hundred and fifty-three deaths in total. In response, Pembroke Hill Middle School students sprang into action. In the past, advisories have organized community service projects to help teach kids about volunteering with the goals of showing how rewarding it is to help others. This year, we did a community service project that has not been done often before in Pembroke’s history. Instead of helping to volunteer for other organizations, we all helped Heart to Heart, a local organization dedicated to helping out communities in need. One morning in November, Middle school students and faculty gathered in Pierson Gym to put together care packages. Tables were lined across the gym floor with boxes of different items, like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels, to put in bags. The finished bags were put into boxes and loaded on a truck that was driven to Heart to Heart, from where they were shipped to New York. That day left an impression on everyone by showing them that they can make a difference in the lives of others. At the Middle School, three words represent our school and influence the behavior at school: scholarship, integrity, and compassion. Every student in the school is expected to exhibit the three words every day, and assembling these care packages is an example of students demonstrating those characteristics. Sra. Wolfe, who organized the project, said, “We wanted the students to actually go through the process of putting together the kits so that they could see how many they could make if we all work together. We also wanted them to feel good about helping people in our country that were affected by a natural disaster.” The kids felt very happy knowing that the kits they made are impacting someone’s life in New York. Every care kit that we helped build is going to help a family that needs it, and that is what touched our hearts. We can all think about the part we have played in helping others by making these kits. n

“The kids felt very happy knowing that the kits they made are impacting someone’s life in New York”

Feature 5

An Entrepreneur’s Triumph

Emily Dema Staff Writer Most students typically spend their free time watching television, sleeping, playing sports, etc. However, Maya Patel ’14 devotes her time to making jewelry. And she really excels at it. Recently, Patel created her own jewelry line called “coralverde”. So far, her business appears to be remarkably promising. Patel became interested in fashion and jewelry when she was just a young kid. Any picture of her from her childhood features a variety of earrings, bangles, and necklaces. However, Patel’s love of jewelry is not the only thing that influenced her business. Indian culture actually prompted the start of Patel’s business. She came across a tutorial book for making statement necklaces when she was at a store buying thread to make a bracelet for her brother for an Indian tradition. (In this tradition, the sister ties a thread bracelet on her brother each year to thank him for protecting and taking care of her.) This stumbled-upon book launched Patel’s business, which has grown immensely since the summer. Patel incorporates Indian designs in a considerable amount of her jewelry. She explains that Indian jewelry is “big, colorful, and sparkly”, so it helps to make her jewelry fancier and a bit more feminine. In addition to Indian jewelry, Patel uses jewelry sold in stores and online as inspiration.

Photo Credit to Maya Patel

Currently, Patel focuses on hosting home shows and selling jewelry to friends, but she also has a collection of her necklaces at a small boutique in Boston, where she has had a few sales. She has high hopes for the business. “I’m really just starting out, but hopefully my business grows and the word spreads and I can eventually make this into something bigger.” One of her future goals is to create a website to conduct online sales. However, she acknowledges that this could be impractical at this time because she says, “I really want to focus on making truly unique jewelry…with myself as the sole artist.” Her first home sale took place on Saturday, December 1st. Patel says that the sale went very well and was “so much fun to be able to showcase what I’ve been spending all of my (very little) free time doing since this summer.” In addition, a portion of her proceeds will go to a retirement home that she volunteers at. She plans to hold another sale in the spring. Cynthia Wang ’14 also attended the home

show, and says “[the show] was really cool…and it was really professional.” Patel is available to custom-make jewelry, which is a great gift idea. If interested in ordering jewelry, she can be contacted through info@coralverde.com. The future of “coralverde” seems to be very bright, and it is very inspiring to see one of our own classmates achieve success through her hard work outside of school. Congratulations, Maya, in the present and future achievements of “coralverde!” n

6 Student Life

It’s the Final Countdown

As the end of the semester approaches, teachers weigh in on the concept of final exams. Paige Pepitone, Andrea Lu, Megan Faber Staff Writers Contrary to popular be- prepare the students for collief, students are not the only lege. Generally speaking, in ones preparing for finals this college, about fifty percent of winter. Teachers also must the grade is determined by begin writing the tests that two huge tests in the middle cause students an exorbitant and the end of the semester. Aside from Pembroke’s amount of stress at the end responsibility to prepare its of second quarter. While some students dis- students for college, finals pute the necessity of having also provide students with finals each semester, most skills needed to retain large teachers are in accordance quantities of information, that finals, if administered which is essential in everycorrectly, can be beneficial day life. As French teacher Mlle. and can enhance the stuCroibier-Muscat, points out, dents’ learning.

guage and math, the classes are cumulative, and a final is necessary to solidify important topics. Although some question whether non-cumulative finals like English and history actually help students learn, these finals can be beneficial if they allow the students to think critically. Perhaps one of the most daunting aspects of final exams is the portion of each student’s semester grade they comprise. Teachers decide how much their final is worth within a range of twelve to thirty percent of the semester grade. Most teachers agree that the final should not be able to completely destroy a student’s semester grade if the student scored poorly. Mr. Christian says, “I think that the final should be worth approximately a little bit more than a major paper or a major test. But I don’t think it should really affect the grade substantially. I don’t think the semester exam should be able to make or break your semester grade. I think that the semester grade should reflect what you’ve done during the semester.” As the week of finals approaches, students should bear in mind that teachers try to create finals that emphasize the main points of the year in order to help the students see how all the information connects. n

“In general, nobody’s going to assess you on one chapter in your life; your knowledge is what you keep adding and adding to, especially with languages and traveling.”

When the current high school students were in middle school, they took finals in sixth grade, but, last year, the sixth grade staff decided to discontinue finals for their students, sparking controversy. Mrs. Mohr, a sixth grade math teacher, explains the reasoning behind the decision: “Frankly, as an educator, people have always known that it’s just not developmentally appropriate to put the sixth graders through that kind of experience where they’re just going from one assessment to the next and then going home and studying for the next one. They’re just not ready for it.” Meanwhile, in the high school, finals have always been required for all grades. Above all, Pembroke Hill is a college-preparatory school with the primary function to

“In general, nobody’s going to assess you on one chapter in your life; your knowledge is what you keep adding and adding to, especially with languages and traveling.” Being tested on all the knowledge that students have accumulated throughout the semester provides students with the opportunity to reflect on all they have learned over the course of the year. With the right mindset, students are able to begin preparing for finals in a way that helps them connect all the information they have learned, rather than just re-memorizing a bunch of facts. Particularly in lan-

Teacher Voices “It could be a very good feeling to realize that they’ve covered so much and they know so much. Kind of having that self- reflection that nobody seems to have anymore because we’re going day by day and thinking more of the future than looking back.” -Mlle. Croibier-Muscat, French Teacher

“I hope that history and English finals would be more or less something about critical thinking and putting together all that you’ve learned, which is, I think, the reason a lot of those finals have essays.” -Mrs. Williams-Griffin, Dean of Students

“What I would like my students to be able to do is to apply the concepts of conflict, plot, theme, and tone that we’ve talked about all semester to a poem or a short story, so to be able to talk about the things they’ve been doing all semester with a new piece of literature is important.” -Mr. Christian, English Teacher “I personally question the idea of having a massive final. However, we are a college prep school, and as a college prep school, a lot of our responsibility is to prepare you for college. From a pedagogical standpoint, going through the process of preparing for a big massive test has a certain value to it.” -Mr. McGee, Social Studies Teacher

Continued From Page 1:

Youth in Government

Student Life 7

Jon Chu

on this...

partners, and we got to argue our bill on the floor in front of over a hundred people. People made speeches either for or against it. We got our bill passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and then it got signed to YIG law.” In the Judicial program, Aden MacMillan ’14 and Arianna Lane ’14 were judges, while several other Pembroke Hill students were attorneys, including Julia Depp, who argued in a total of four trials and was named “Best Attorney,” meaning she was the best attorney out of everyone in judicial, not including the judges, and Kit Frazen ‘16 who received an honorable mention for “Best New Attorney.” On top of being a judge, Lane also acted as witness for what are called “Moot Trials.” She was chosen to participate in the Moot Finals amongst the best attorneys and witnesses, and she won the award for “Best Defense Witness.” Amongst the many students who participated, there was great success, and, as always, everyone had a blast. Depp says, “Overall, YIG was so much fun (I know everyone says that but it's true!), and I'm really excited to go back next year.” In addition to

I doubt many people can remember a winter that has been as warm as this one; I know I can’t, although my memory of winters past is relatively limited. Whether this weather is attributable to global warming or not, it is surely strange. While I do enjoy running in nearly seventy-degree weather in December, this warmth isn’t my favorite. For me, it doesn’t feel that much like Thanksgiving or Christmas without cold, even frigid air. Imagine getting a Christmas tree and breaking a sweat because it was so warm out, it just wouldn’t be the same. Plus, when it’s not cold there isn’t any reason to drink hot cider or hot chocolate. Sadly, these classic warm beverages are rendered moot. But the most critical part of winter that won’t be possible in this weather is obviously the snow. Not that I’m dreaming of a white Christmas or anything, but I do enjoy it when it snows a few times throughout the winter. Snow is what differentiates us from places like Florida; the problem is we don’t have the beaches to compensate if it doesn’t snow here. Who knows, I may regret saying this, but right now I wish it would get a lot colder so that it could actually feel like winter. n

Library Lookout

how fun everyone says YIG is, it is also a great learning experience. Jones remarks, “It’s a lot of fun to see how [our government] actually works and

to get to participate in it rather than just learning about it in a classroom.” n

Emily Beasley N o wa d a y s , students rely mostly on websites and other electronic references for sources in research required assignments. Yet, an ever-present and reliable resource is the Encyclopedia Britannica. The Encyclopedia Britannica is the oldest updated Encyclopedia collection in the world. The Kemper library in Pembroke

holds all 29 volumes and 4 indexes of the encyclopedia Britannica collection in the central reference section of the library. If you have any questions concerning the Encyclopedia Britannica collection, feel free to ask the librarians: Ms. Erickson and Ms. Tullis. n

8 Arts

Artist of the Issue:

Brittany LaPointe

Riya Mehta Managing Editor One of the younger AP Studio Art students, Brittany LaPointe ‘14 is working hard to develop both her technique and personal style. Spending at least five hours outside of class per week on each individual piece, she is enjoying her experience as an art focus student. Having first become interested in different mediums of art during a Middle School art class taught by Mrs. Loeb, LaPointe decided early on to join the art focus program. She knew “it would be a great way to be able to take a lot of art classes that [she] wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.” After taking numerous art classes the past three years, she is now beginning to find her own style. “I really love to use graphite and chalk. Plus, one thing I really love drawing is animals because each animal is so different from the other.” Ms. Creek, the leader of the intrepid AP Studio artists, comments, “Every artist has a particular strength and Brittany’s is in her ability to draw from life. She has a really remarkable understanding of proportion and dimension and that quality gives her work a real presence.” As she continues to explore her own artistic talents, LaPointe already knows that she “will definitely be continuing art outside of high school.” Having found something that she not only has a talent for but also is passionate about, LaPointe is certain that “art will stay with [her] for quite a while.” n

Photo Credit to Brittany LaPointe

Middle School Arts 9

Melodrama For a Mission Middle Schoolers put on a play to raise awareness for the Shawnee Indian Mission Isabella Barnes Middle School Staff Writer This year’s performance of Badness on the Banks of Brushy Creek was one of the best yet. Seventh grade civics students in both Mr. O’Connell and Mr. Wilson’s classes participated in the show, which is performed annually by the seventh graders as a way to raise money for the Shawnee Indian Mission. Founded in 1839 by Methodist missionary Reverend Thomas Johnson and his wife Sarah, the Mission was built to teach Indian boys and girls living on the Shawnee Indian Reservation and its surrounding lands. The Mission taught children from many different tribes, including the Kaw (Kansa), Chippewa, Osage, and Kickapoo. The children were taught to practice Christianity, read and write, and learn other basic skills. The Mission also had a manual labor school where children would be taught a trade. The show was performed on December 1st and 2nd at The Shawnee Indian Mission in Fairway. The performances raised $1,100 for the Mission. When asked about acting in the show, Teresa Shockley, a student in Mr. O’Connell’s class, says, “It was a great acting experience and it was fun to be able to support the Mission in such a fun and creative way!” Badness on the Banks of Brushy Creek was written and directed by longtime Fairway resident Don Carlton. Inspiration and influence for his show was drawn from the history of the Mission land and the state of Kansas. “The history of Kansas and the Shawnee Indian Mission truly interested me when I started volunteering here at the Mission,” Mr Carlton says. Further, he adds,“I attempted to put as much of that history as I could into

Four Middle Schoolers pose for a picture after their melodrama performace. Photo credit to Isabella Barnes

my melodrama.” An actor himself, Mr. Carlton never dreamed of directing. “Frankly, directing looked boring, but, after writing Badness on the Banks of Brushy Creek, I started to direct. It’s fun to see [my show] come to life,” he says. Nowadays, the Shawnee Indian Mission opens its doors to schools and other groups who would like to learn about the Mission and the history of Kansas. In November, the entire seventh grade visited the Mission and learned about its past and about the tribes that lived in or around Kansas. The Mission greatly benefits from the groups that visit, but it still needs

Want to help Shawnee Indian Mission? Use this QR Code to check out their website support. Mr. Carlton says that “there are very few genuine historic sites left in the U.S.” and emphasizes that “many historians believe this was where the Civil War began which is why I believe [the Mission] should be supported.” Seventh grader Delaney Northington agrees: “Generations to come need to know about this Mission. It cannot be forgotten. So much has happened here!” Fellow castmate

and seventh grader Garrett Kincaid adds, “This is an important site, and describes how Kansas came to be.” You can help preserve the Mission by donating or volunteering. More information about the preservation of the Mission and how you can help will be found at the Mission’s website (scan the QR code) or simply by visting the Mission and speaking with Mrs. Anita Faddis, the Site Administrator. n

The Holiday Spirit E

id al-Adha is celebrated worldwide by the Muslim community in honor of the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Men, women, and children all dress in their finest clothing in order to perform prayers in a large congregation in a open field. Muslims who can afford it will sacrifice their best domestic animal as a symbol of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son. Over the two days of Eid al-Adha, Muslims slaughter over one hundred million animals for sacrifice. Eid al-Adha is a very important and spiritual holiday to the Muslim community that links the Islamic people to their ancestors’ loyalty and devotion to God.

Eric Koch, Mikey Geduldig Staff Writers Viraj Sahgal, Simon Jahke Contributors

nce upon a time, the Holiday season included just a couple important dates: Christmas and New Year’s. Today, however, we are far more progressive. To allow for diversity, we have begun to recognize the importance of far more holidays, and how critical the understanding of these holidays is to the unity of different peoples. So, we have compiled a list of the various influential holidays celebrated by the diverse groups in our school, our country, and throughout the world. We all know about Santa, but did you know he has an evil twin? Every December 5, many Austrians and central Europeans celebrate Krampus, a beast-like monster who is in every way the opposite of Santa. Where Santa rewards young children for acting nice (well, he does give coal), Krampus beats children with his stick for being naughty. So, to celebrate Krampus’ holiday, Krampus Night, revelers drink copiously while dressing up as Krampus and running around hitting people with sticks. For many, this tradition is a core part of the Holiday season, and participators hold it close to their hearts.

he holiday of Kwanzaa is a week long celebration that honors African heritage. Many African Americans as well as African-Canadians celebrate this holiday from December 26th to January 1st of each year by having a feast and giving lots of gifts. The day was created to be the first specifically African-American holiday in order to give the people an alternative to the existing holidays and also a link to their traditional culture and history. Today, many proud African-Americans continue to celebrate this unique, ethnic holiday.

he Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, is one of the most ancient Winter holidays. It is celebrated for eight days and eight nights, beginning on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, which can be anywhere from late November to late December. There are several major customs practiced during Hanukkah. Traditionally, the main ritual observed is the lighting of the menorah. Also, children who take part in Hanukkah will play with a four-sided top called a dreidel. The children make bets on which side the top will land on, normally using money or gold coins filled with chocolate. Some families partake in a less popular tradition of spinning the dreidel on their child’s stomach. These small traditions mean a great deal to those who celebrate them. As PHS student Walter Fromm says, “Hanukkah is a spiritual and religious journey sacred to my people.”

nother winter celebration is New Year’s. New Year’s is celebrated worldwide, and has been since the calendar was first invented. Due to the New Year’s ubiquity, people practice numerous traditions both large and small for the holiday. In America, New Year’s is celebrated with widespread partying of every kind. In China, people celebrate by dressing up in dragon and lion costumes and parading through the streets, while setting off fireworks and firecrackers in a huge cultural festival. In Japan, another notable Asian country, the people will clean their houses from top to bottom. The people believe that this cleaning cleanses their houses of evil spirits. For African-Americans, the first of January is known as Emancipation Day, during which they celebrate freedom from slavery. On Scottish New Year’s, Hogmanay, revelers ignite paper balls at the strike of twelve and run down streets swinging their burning balls around their heads. These diverse traditions, among others, fill the world around us, and show the amazing individuality of its many cultures.

veryone knows the general idea of Christmas, but some regional traditions diverge from the norm with outstanding peculiarities. One such strange celebration is that of the Yule Cat, Jolakotturin, in Iceland. Icelandic families tell their children that if they don’t work hard before Christmas, they will sacrifice the kids to the Yule Cat, a tradition that was started to encourage children to finish making clothes before the cold winter. Just like the parents tricking children in Iceland, KFC has used advertising to convince many of the Japanese that Westerners celebrate Christmas by eating fried chicken. So, it has become customary for many Japanese to reserve KFC buckets and wait in long lines for some crispy Christmas chicken. Another national oddity appears in the Lowlands; despite years of change and progress, we still see the remnants of past racial tensions in the Dutch version of Santa Claus. Sinterklaas comes into town in a steamship, but instead of bringing elves to do his work, the Dutch Santa has Zwarte Pieten, African American servants. These unique takes on Christmas reflect the many diverse cultures of our world, who each celebrate the Christian holiday in their own special ways.

a Virgen de Guadalupe is one of the most popular religious holidays in Mexico. It’s celebrated on December 12th to commemorate the Virgin’s appearance to Juan Diego. Every year many peasants go on a pilgrimage and gather at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which was built near the spot the miracles were thought to have taken place. Some even get on their knees to celebrate, showing their deep dedication and gratitude for favors. The Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe is a sacred holiday observed by many native Mexicans, who wish to honor their unique culture and history.

e know these holidays are all special in their own ways, but they share in common the ever important bond of humanity’s love of celebration. Throughout the world, or even Pembroke Hill, you will find diverse cultural traditions, but each will have something to celebrate from this vast pool of festivities.

The Holiday Spirit E

Eric Koch, Mikey Geduldig Staff Writers Viraj Sahgal, Simon Jahke Contributors

12 Opinion

hyper

COMPETITIVENESS “The problem with the status quo philosophy of hyper-competition is the way it approaches winning”

Raymond Fang Assistant Editor We live in a culture dominated by a drive to “succeed.” You see it in school mottoes (“celebrate success!”), academics (gotta get that A), college applications (I hope I get in to Hah-vahd!), sports (we went to X and won!), and other extra-curriculars (debate team rocks!). But when does this desire to get the “win”, that pretty little “W” on your record, become too much? When does healthy competitiveness turn into unhealthy hyper-competitiveness? I’m not knocking competitiveness, here. Success is undoubtedly a good thing. The problem with the status quo philosophy of hyper-competition is the way it approaches winning, on both a macro and micro level. Rather than positing “the win” as a goal, it becomes the goal. Despite what parents and coaches may say—just go out there and have fun!—does anyone really care if you have the time of your life playing sport X, but end up losing badly? Or if you spend your entire summer (and a ton of money) at a debate camp, and then go 1-5 at your first tournament of the season? Placing success on a golden pedestal has devastating effects on a personal and societal level. On a personal level, it can devastate you, and make you forget the very reason you ever did X activity in the first place. This single-minded focus on success

has destroyed in the past—I became obsessed with finding cheap and tricky ways to win, rather than enjoying the very act of debating itself. Debate lost its value: it was no longer a fun activity, but instead an obstacle I had to defeat to obtain the unobtainable—“success”. Yes, I was winning rounds and clearing at tournaments regularly my senior year—a vast improvement over my junior year— but I still felt empty inside. Winning didn’t feel good anymore, like it was supposed to. No matter how well I was doing at tournaments, I always focused on that last loss - I was never satisfied. And that’s what hyper-competitiveness does to you; not only on a personal level, but also on a societal level. Though some people like to think we live in a society where “everybody wins,” I believe this idea is merely indicative of a deeper problem with society. Yes, this surface culture of “everyone wins!” is bad, but what are its origins? The answer: a deeper (perhaps darker?) desire to win. The narrow focus on winning clearly affects individuals later in life. When they enter the “real world” (see: hyper-competitive job market, college applications, etc.) winning itself is devalued to the point of becoming meaningless. Ironically, in an attempt to save what they thought was most valuable, those who seek to “save success” end up destroying it entirely. “Real success,” i.e. making a six or seven-figure salary, living in a big house with a family, suddenly appears to fill the vacuum

left by “false success.” Then, in striving to meet society’s definition of “success,” people become utterly consumed by it. “You need to study science or math in college; that’s the only way you’ll make money!” How many of us have heard this line before? If you truly love and enjoy science and math, then go ahead and study it. But if not, then don’t do it merely out of some vague societal conception of “success.” Study what you want to study, not what society wants you to. Otherwise, your 80 years on this planet will be pretty terrible, regardless of how much money you have in your bank account. Does anyone know who won the state championship in boy’s tennis in 2001? How about the state champion in debate in 2003? Who was the lead in the fall play in 2007? The fact that you don’t know the answer to these questions is indicative of the fatal flaw of hyper-competition: winning is fleeting. The ephemerality of success is what drove me to begin enjoying debate for what it is: a battle of words that finds its beauty in the very exchange of words, not in some glorified piece of plastic. 5, 10, 20 years from now, everyone forgets the “winners.” What do we remember? The fun, the friends, and maybe the skills we learned from the activity. So celebrate success—but also celebrate the intrinsic fun that accompanies whatever activity you do. Otherwise, you’ll be mired in hyper-competition. n

t n e d u t S l o o h c S r e Upp

Voices 13

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“Looking throu gh ornaments. And tinsel!” - Erika Turner ‘13

Photo credit to Taylor Carr-Howard

14 Sports

Fire on the Stage Kate Berkley Managing Editor Kiara Lewis ’14 has taken leaps and bounds, literally, as a member of the Pembroke Hill dance team. Lewis began dancing at the age of two and performed in her first recital at age three. At age eight, showing outstanding talent as a dancer, Lewis was asked to join a competitive dance team, where she performed alongside people twice her age.“ It was very intimidating at first because I was on a team with high school students and I was [still in] elementary school,” she says. Lewis went on to dance at the Kansas City Ballet. In 2007, Lewis’s mother opened her own dance studio, the Kansas City Metropolitan Dance Theater, where Lewis currently dances. Lewis devotes dozens of hours every week to learning, practicing, and performing many different genres of dance; jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, modern, lyrical, pom, kick, African, and praise dance are all a part of her repertoire. Lewis has been an integral

member of the Pembroke Hill dance community since her freshman year. Isabella Pallotto, a sophomore and also a member of the varsity dance team, explains, “Her dancing is so powerful, technical, and skilled. I love watching Kiki [Kiara’s nickname] dance. Everyone aspires to dance like Kiara.” When asked where her inspiration comes from, Lewis cites her mother as her role model: “My mom is the reason I dance. We perform together all the time…my mom is one year shy of 50 and I’m the one who tries to keep up with her.” Lewis goes on to say, “I love to dance because I can do it anywhere. A turn, a kick, or an arm motion can just make me smile. Dance speaks to me and to others. She further explains, “Through dance I give my audience a visual. When I am done with a dance I want to leave fire on the stage and tears in the audience’s eyes.” n

Elizabeth Starr: Starr of the Game Cynthia Wang Managing Editor Senior Elizabeth Starr is an allaround athlete. During every quarter of the school year, Starr participates in a sport: golf in the fall, basketball in the winter, and soccer in the spring. This school year, she was and will be captain of the golf team, basketball team, and soccer team. Starr’s success is due to her lifelong dedication to sports. She started playing soccer in pre-school and basketball in third grade. With golf, Starr used to play every year in the summer, but only in her junior year did she begin playing competitively. Elizabeth, reflecting on this year’s

“I love soccer in all capacities...it is definitely a big part of me.” golf season, commented, “My favorite part of being on a team is how close we all become. This year, with golf, I was the only returning player and thought it was going to be terrible, but it ended up being the most fun season and team I’ve been a part of at Pembroke.” Elizabeth has accumulated a number of awards and recognitions, including receiving the Raider Award both her junior and senior years of golf. She was also named a member of the All-District soccer team her junior year.

When asked about her favorite sport, Elizabeth replies, “I guess I would say soccer. It’s difficult to give a definite answer as to why. I love soccer in all capacities, it’s not just playing it for me that is fun. I’ve been playing it all my life, and while it isn’t my life, it is definitely a big part of me.” In the future, Elizabeth plans on first seeing where she gets into college, then considering pursuing a sport. Contemplating on her future, she says, “I could imagine myself coaching young teams”n

Top Left: Photo Credit to Kiara Lewis. Above: Photo Credit to Elizabeth Starr.

Middle School Sports 15

Fall Sports Recap

Photo Credit: Mr. Carolan

Jake Jones Middle School Staff Writer As the middle school fall sports come to a close, winter sports are quickly starting up. The fall sports season entailed a variety of different results; although there were a few disappointments, most sports season concluded with spectacular results. The seventh and eighth grade football team had a decent season with a 4-2 record. Coach Steve Trumble mused, “I feel we were slow to pick up the opposing team’s offense, but fast to pick up the defense. We were slow the early part of the season, but later we came together and became a well functioning team. Overall, I am happy with the outcome of the season and I think we will look back on the 2012 season as a very good one.” Another team that had similar success was the cross country team.

Says eighth grader Matthew Styslinger, “We placed in all meets but one. We bonded as a team and that really boosted our chemistry. I wish more of my friends would have participated in cross country.” The team consisted of about twenty members this year. The volleyball team had marginal success as they rolled through the season with a 9-14 record. Numerous players say they enjoy playing for Coach Viene because she is compassionate and a great coach. Player Michaela Tinoco, ‘17, says, “I really liked playing because all my friends played. We had great talent, and everyone had a good time which I think is the most important part.” On the other hand, she feels that the team could have worked better together. “I feel that if we completed this objective, we could have gone undefeated!”

The eighth grade soccer team did not do as well as expected, winning about half their games. Player Will Schmitt says, “We weren’t clicking on all cylinders, but towards the end of the season, we made a huge jump and did much better.” Will also enjoyed how everyone received equal playing time and how no one complained. This year, field hockey did not have much success with their games. However, on the bright side, the players bonded well and had great teamwork. Lizzie O’Connell 17, says, “Everyone is so close and comfortable around each other. I really loved my teammates, coaches and just playing field hockey was a blast! I can’t wait for next season!” Brooke Bethune ‘17, had similar thoughts on the season. She says, “Although we didn’t win most games, the season was fun, and it is so sad

to see it end. Last year our team had very few players, which really helped us bond. This year I was so surprised to see how much team chemistry we had with such a big team! All the traveling and hanging out really built trust and teamwork, which makes the season a success no matter what the record is!” This year’s winter sports include basketball and wrestling. The seventh and eighth grade boys basketball team is large and is seeking even bigger success than last year. Wrestling is also popular in the middle school. Eighth grader Daniel Duffy says, “I’m so excited to start wrestling, I just wish more guys and girls would come out and try! It’s a very fun sport!” So the fall sports end with a success, but even more is to come this winter! n

16 Opinion

The iPad Venture The whole Upper School community will be affected. Megan She and Laura Hibschman Staff Writers Pembroke Hill has already taken a stride with the sixth graders going paperless with their curriculum, and the high school is exploring the possibility of adapting an iPad program as early as the 20142015 school year. The backpacks of Pembroke Hill students are notorious for being extremely heavy. The iPads would eliminate many of those hundredpaged textbooks, saving the backs of many students. iPads would “condense our work into one device,” a student stated in our survey, which is an organizational plus. One concern that many students have is the fragility of these tablets. If this iPad switch does occur, the school will have insurance for each device for the worst case scenario. Pembroke Hill does have the reputation as a tech-savvy school, but not all technology can be beneficial. Usually when you reach high school, you already have a system of how you like to do your work and on what kind of device, such as a laptop. For these people, introducing a mandatory new system could completely mess up their own personal system, which could in turn affect grades. But that is not the only potential downside. Could these iPads encourage

procrastination? As many older siblings of 6th graders say, they often find their sibling playing games or going on social networks on their iPads rather than doing homework. Many high school students also admit that they would not be able to resist the temptation either. Although making this switch would save a forest worth of paper, there are many drawbacks. If everything is typed up and turned in electronically, will the human race slowly start to lose the skill and system of handwriting that took centuries to accumulate? The iPad itself has many issues, too. Many of those who have used an iPad would agree that typing on an actual keyboard is much easier than typing on the on-screen iPad keyboard. Would using iPads to take notes really be more efficient than the old-fashioned paper and pencil way? As one student puts, “My hands need to actually push buttons to type or I enter psychological panic.” Using this new program would have its pros and cons and need to be weighed carefully before coming to a final decision. Whatwever ends up happening, the whole high school community will be affected. Our destiny rests on your shoulders, administration! n

Would having an iPad for school improve your productivity?

Would you be in favor of Pembroke Hill providing iPads to all Upper School students and requiring its use for classes?

Middle School Life 17

The iPad Rev lution Davis Brooks Middle School Staff Writer The sixth graders swarming Boocock have all received their brand new iPads, and the devices’ immediate effect is astonishing. Brian Bartelli, Director of Instructional Technology, who researched technology to find the best possible solution to test at our school, planned and implemented the program because “the iPad allows a decreased cost in textbooks while allowing more access to current resources. [Pembroke] wants to increase communication and digital opportunities for students while at school.” These key points, along with the idea that iPads give students the ability to have their calendar, email, textbooks, notes, and other class projects on the device, are what he used to persuade the Board of Trustees to bring iPads to the sixth grade. In talking with the sixth graders, it is clear that Bartelli’s vision for the iPad is coming true. Student Charlie Thorne ‘19, a new addition to the Pembroke Hill School, showed how his iPad gave him the ability to create footnotes in his English inclass reading book, The Giver. At the tap of a finger, every word he highlighted, every passage he marked, and every literary term he found popped up in an organized list that showed what each item represented. Thorne also demonstrated the flash-

Photo Credits to Davis Brooks

cards app; with just another tap of the finger, lists of studying terms, definitions, and multiplication tables were all pulled up in flashcard form. Quinn Brandmeyer ‘19 presented another impressive application called Cinch. Cinch is

an application mostly used in the math classroom that allows to students to take notes in the online textbook itself. Like any traditional textbook, Cinch explains how to do a problem and lists problems to be solved below. Independently, the students can then solve and check their work on the problems by just hitting the “show answers” icon and have an idea of the what they missed and what needs to be worked on. The last, perhaps most important application available to sixth graders, demonstrated by Kate Stokes ‘19 and Liam Kornitzer ‘19, is Notability. Notability is made specifically for note-taking. Each student has created a folder within this app for each subject. Within these folders, the pupils have the ability to save each piece of material that was covered in class during the day, week, or even semester. Their teachers share with them all the notes, and all the students need to do is save it to Notability. From there, each folder is easily accessible at any time. Day by day, students and teachers alike are learning more and more about the amazing tool they have in their hands. Slowly but surely, Bartelli’s goal of bringing a device into the classroom that allows increased communication, collaboration, and access of digital resources is being achieved. The iPad can change how Pembroke students learn, study, and grow as individuals and together as a school.n

18 Middle School Life

A Mantra for the Future

Olive Honan Staff Writer Every Pembroke student knows our motto: “Freedom with Responsibility.” However, those who are not currently in the Middle School might not know the Middle School character mantra: integrity, scholarship, compassion. Each advisory created a poster, skit, or other way to present one of these three words to the rest of the Middle School. Since this project’s commencement, each student has gained a better understanding of integrity, compassion, and scholarship. The mantra is often the main topic of discussion during the daily fifteen-minute advisory period. Earlier this year, the eighth grade participated in Leadership Day. On this field trip, students had to incorporate the mantra into a series of challenges in order to complete them successfully. Each event required a great deal of thinking, listening, and team-building. After completing these challenges, the eighth graders had to create powerpoint slides describing integrity, compassion, and scholarship. Phrases such as “be honest, do not make excuses” and “respect teachers in the classroom and hallway” were common on the integrity slides. Presentations focusing on scholarship gave advice such as “put your phone down to study,” “do not cheat,” and “pay attention in class.” Finally, a few examples from the compassion powerpoints were “be empathetic,” “see the world through other people’s eyes,” and “do not judge others.” Middle School principal Dr. Susan Leonard said vice principal Mr. Matthew Carolan conceived this idea six years ago. Carolan worked with other members on a character committee to see his idea take effect. The committee wanted this mantra to mature with younger students in the Lower School because the Lower School focuses on life skills. “I want it to really become a part of our DNA,” says Leonard. “This is just who we are.” She explains that

Top: A poster describes the mantra. Below: Two students embody the trait of scholarship. Photo credit to Olive Honan.

scholarship is a main focus of the dent will come to school thinking Middle School curriculum and also of new ways to express the mantra emphasizes that students cannot take through their actions. academic risks and learn well if the Carolan says the mantra exists teachers around them are not equally solely in the Middle School so more dedicated to the pursuit of learning. attention will be brought to character Integrity is expected of all stu- building as students continue to madents, so the Middle School adminis- ture. “The goal of the program is to tration is consisitently trying to think create something that is bigger than of fun ways to ensure the mantra is the school itself and to instill stuvisible in daidents with “The goal of the program i n t e g r i t y , ly school life. Te a c h e r s is to create something that is scholarship, and facilitaand compastors want to bigger than the school itself.” sion during continually their time recognize acts of integrity, compas- here. We want them to treat each othsion, and scholarship among the er well, push themselves in a scholarstudent body. Leonard, however, ad- ly manner, and show compassion at mits that integrity is hard to identify every turn,” Carolan explains. because this attribute requires stuThis mantra will continue to indents to act responsibly even when fluence students’ daily lives and they are alone. She hopes every stu- will stick with the Middle School for

many future years. Leonard and Carolan hope this campaign will give students the ability to demonstrate integrity, compassion, and scholarship long after their Middle School days.n

Voices 19

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Seniors and the College Application Process

ah Koch nkar and Sar tor Ritika Abhya Managing Edi Editor-in-Chief

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Apps Due! January 1 Early Decision t Announcemen from Dream School

December 15

20 Voices Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, The Voice has become vanilla. There is nothing wrong with vanilla, but it’s no red velvet or lemon meringue. Vanilla is that go-to flavor that you know everybody will like, but, most likely, nobody will love. The Voice is vanilla. We’ve put sprinkles on our vanilla ice cream with a fancy cover, but it’s still vanilla. Vanilla is not rooted in an issue about design; it’s rooted in an issue about content. Through countless staff discussions and polls, we’ve come to one conclusion about why the paper is vanilla. Nobody seems to enjoy our articles. People want to be more engaged with their news and not read about events they’ve already heard about weeks before the paper ever hits the hallways of the school. Here’s the issue: only a few of our readers try to become more engaged. The Voice is YOUR newspaper; the staff is simply here to help you voice your opinions. So, now we unveil (or revive) two methods which we hope will facilitate discussion. 1. Letters to the Editor. If you want to hear about

some exciting opinion or thought in the paper, why don’t you write about it? Send us your thoughts on anything, and we’ll publish and respond to them. To make your submissions even easier, we have designed a special online submission form which can be found at tinyurl.com/voiceletter (this anonymous submission form will also be placed on our website, which will be

entire student body to read. Suggestions can be submitted anonymously, under a name, or under a pseudonym. Send us suggestions and thoughts via the Suggestions Boxes. Suggestions and thoughts share opinions. Opinions facilitate discussion. Discussion makes the Voice exciting. An exciting Voice is no longer a vanilla Voice. We’re also working hard within our staff to make changes. Emphasis will be placed on opinion articles rather than simple news stories. We’ll also be working to engage the student body in our articles through an increase in interviews and polls because, let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to see their name in print? Along with continued work on a visual emphasis and the launching of a Voice website, this is our goal for 2013. So, grab your spoon and get ready to scoop into some Neapolitan ice cream where you’ll get a little bit of everything exciting. The Voice, your school newspaper, is no longer vanilla.

The Voice is your newspaper; the staff is simply here to help you voice your opinions.

The Pembroke Hill School 5121 State Line Road Kansas City, MO 64112

released in January). Write us letters. Letters share opinions. Opinions facilitate discussion. Discussion makes the Voice exciting. An exciting Voice is no longer a vanilla Voice. 2. Suggestions. We’re bringing back the Suggestions Box. It is an easy connection between the student body and the Voice. Conveniently located in the Middle and Upper Schools, these boxes will allow students to share their thoughts, opinions, and suggestions about anything. In our next issue, we’ll publish many of these suggestions for the

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Happy Holidays!

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news blurbs about pembroke david burke... submitted an article to be published in the new york times for high school seniors lauren ‘rosie’ rosenfield... (former voice sponsor) is engaged to justin calvert; they live together in colorado talia hubble... was runner-up at the miss kansas teen usa pageant julia depp... received the award for best attorney at yig dance team... did amazingly at their first competition, with jv receiving first place in their category and varsity receiving second teddy thum... is planning on releasing his second album of song mashups in spring 2013 the voice... is going online in january, so look out for the new website

Ritika and Jeffrey

The Voice is published monthly by the students of the Pembroke Hill School during the academic year to inform the Pembroke Hill Community about pertaining events and news. The paper is an open forum, distributed to the students, faculty, parents, alumni, and other members of the Pembroke Hill community. All decisions concerning grammar, layout, content, and photography are made solely by the editors themselves. All comments, concerns, and complaints should be forwarded directly to the Editors in Chief. As an open forum, The Voice encourages its readers to submit Letters to the Editors. The editors reserve the right to not publish letters. The Voice also accepts advertising and like articles. The editors reserve the right to not publish advertisements. Like us on Facebook at The Pembroke Hill Voice and follow us on Twitter at PHSVoice. The Voice is YOUR newspaper. Please read responsibly.

Editors-in-Chief Ritika Abhyankar and Jeffrey Rubel Head of Deisgn Wanda Czerwinski

Faculty Sponsors Matt Clothier and Joel Causey

Business Manager Miriam Swartz

Web Designers Sid Goel Michael Rubel

Managing Editors Kate Berkley Taylor Carr-Howard Sarah Koch Anna Levitt Riya Mehta Maya Patel Riley Sloan Cynthia Wang

Copy Editors Ellen Cagle Aden MacMillan Ben Shadid

Assistant Editors Raymond Fang Arianna Lane Neha Sahgal

Photo Editor Kathleen O’Keefe