THE VOICE May 2017
the voice: may
table of contents
4. capstone reflections 7. art in life: a year of reflection 9. where we stand 13. teacher feature: ms. taber 15. big data is watching 18. may day 21. college list 24. personality quiz
cover by christine seo ‘17
buzz Consensus: Despite its color and flavor changing abilities, it has been concluded that the Unicorn Frappuccino is pretty to look at, but not near as fun to eat.
Randomfacts According to Starbucks the beverage “is made with a sweet dusting of pink powder, blended into a crème Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle. “It is finished with vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of sweet pink and sour blue powder topping.” Like its mythical namesake, the Unicorn Frappuccino comes with a bit of magic, “starting as a purple beverage with swirls of blue and a first taste that is sweet and fruity.” Starbucks said in a statement. “But give it a stir and its color changes to pink, and the flavor evolves to tangy and tart. The more swirl, the more the beverage’s color and flavors transform.”
BaristaOpinions Barista’s gave us the lowdown on the Unicorn Frappucino and let’s just say, it isn’t pretty. Barista Braden Bruson remarks in a recent video: “I have never made so many Frappuccinos in my entire life. My hands are completely sticky. I have unicorn crap all in my hair and on my nose. I have never been so stressed out in my entire life.” Burson also discloses that “If you love us as baristas, don’t order it. For the love of God and everything that is good, don’t get the Unicorn Frappuccino!” He explains that he did not intend to “downgrade” the drink and that he did not foresee the popularity of his rant video. Another barista claims in a tweet that “@Starbucks YOU HAVE NO IDEA. MY HANDS ARE STAINED PINK. I AM COVERED IN UNICORN BLOOD. AND I’M SURE I LOOK INSANE IN 75 DIFFERENT INSTA[GRAM] PIC[TURE] BACKGROUNDS.”
In a Grande there are: 410 Calories, 5 g protein, 6 g fat, 62 g carbohydrates, 45 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 59 g sugar To put this into perspective, that’s In conclusion, the sole way to save a nearly 1.5 times the maximum amount of barista’s sanity is to not order a Unicorn added sugar that’s recommended for your Frappuccino. body per day. The drink is considered to be an outrageous concocWhen asked what a Starbucks Unicorn tion of sugar, food coloring, sugar, sprinkles, and, oh Frappucino is yeah, more sugar. 16% say it’s like tasting magic 28% say it’s like unicorn vomit It was only available for a few days, but do not worry 55% say it’s pretty to look at if you never got your hands on one. The viral images are all you really need to experience.
3 Student
Life
What’s the Word?
A view From Each Grade on: Academic Excellence Day
Charlotte Henry Columnist
Jay Metha Columnist
Award ceremonies such as Academic Excellence Day are few and far between at Pembroke Hill, but when they do come around we get to catch a glimpse of some of the amazing work our peers are doing. It is incredible how much students have accomplished in a single school year, and it is especially exciting to watch as members of your own class cross the stage to be recognized for their achievements. Although the majority of awards are received by upperclassmen, our very own Nora Sjue accepted the welldeserved freshman award for her spirit, pride, and leadership. In her words, it was not, “the actual receiving of the award that was so special, it [was] the support of my friends and classmates that made the difference.” Amazingly it is not the receiving of the award that makes the moment so meaningful but the support from people behind the scenes that can make all the difference. It is a truly incredible thing to witness your peers being recognized for everything they have achieved in their freshman year, and the recipient of this years freshman award could not be more deserving. n
Don’t we all love a good party? Every year, the whole upper school dresses up and gets together to celebrate academic success and praise our glorious seniors at Academic Excellence Day. The awards ceremony is quite senior-centric, and, to me at least, that is a very good thing. A sophomore’s high school story is not yet written. A senior, on the other hand, has really had a chance to prove him or herself. In addition, it really is a day to honor our seniors, especially as the ceremony is followed, for each and every one of them, by a capstone presentation. I would also be remiss in omitting the fact that a day off from school with the opportunity to go watch capstones is surely a welcome diversion for the entire student body. Suffice it to say, Academic Excellence Day is not a source of too much controversy. n
Caroline Salzman Columnist
Alex Hrinya Columnist
The best part of Academic Excellence Day is the fact that the awards assembly does not start until 8:30, so you get an extra 30 minutes of extremely precious sleep. The juniors were well represented at the awards ceremony this year. Aaron Swartz said that “it was a great day for the class of ‘18 and [he] was very impressed with the high number of awards [his] class won. Although the junior class ended up winning a total of 16 awards at the assembly, everyone was a little disappointed when Connor Jordan-Hyde did not win the award for best capstone as he was the first junior in Pembroke Hill’s history to complete this daunting task. However, Julia Rosher got to see the award winning capstone by Catherine Dema saying “it was amazing to see how much research and effort Catherine put into a topic she obviously extremely cared about.” n
Anonymous thoughts from Seniors, reflecting on Awards Day and Capstones: “I would tell juniors that even though the Capstone process seems really intimidating at the beginning of the year and when you have to actually write the paper, it is really satisfying at the end to have learned so much about your topic and to have put so much work into it.” “I would tell the Juniors to pick a topic that they genuinely want to learn about or are interested in. If you chose something you want to learn about, the Capstone work will seem less like work and more like a hobby.” “Overall, my capstone experience was fun and exciting. All of the hard work put into my capstone paid off, and the anticipation was worth it. I loved doing my capstone and I would definitely do it again.” “Overall I would say that the process was long and difficult but in the end it was worth it.” n
Student Life 4
Capstone Reflection What Juniors Can Learn From the Class of 2017
Rachel Colligan Staff Writer Every year at Pembroke Hill, juniors observe the capstone presentations of seniors who are also their friends, role models, and leaders. Although most seniors are relieved to have the nerve-racking capstone presentations behind them, juniors who saw capstones were inspired for their own next year. With topics varying from hip-hop culture to sustainability to mass incarceration, this year’s seniors channeled their passions into engaging and diverse Capstone presentations. Due to shared interests among the senior class, many capstones related to one another in fascinating ways. Olive Honan’s presentation dealt with the relationship between endangered languages and culture, pointing out the importance of maintaining languages in order to preserve corresponding cultural diversity. In the same panel, Max Keeney explored both effective and ineffective ways of preventing the death of language; presenting practical strategies to preserve endangered languages through federal and municipal programs. Olivia Lesley’s capstone, although in a different panel, also dealt with language and how it affects the mentality of humans. Many seniors were also able to use their passions outside of the classroom to create engaging capstones. Junior Hannah Buttshaw admired how debate students used their skills in presentations, explaining “I was very impressed by how eloquently debaters could convey the messages of their projects. It definitely kept me engaged.” Debate isn’t the only activity that translated into a great capstone. Building on her love of dance, Maggie Burke shared her experiences with using dance education to help children on the Autism spectrum develop many skills such as focus, control, and listening. Natalee Merola, channeling her passion for theater, pointed out the benefits of art therapy in dealing with modern-day issues such as depression and anxiety. For seniors, following their passions paid off, as junior Darcy Bond states that, “I could tell that all the seniors were passionate about their projects, which made the presentations a lot of fun to watch!” Through engaging presentations and dedicated research, seniors used the capstone project to explore their own unique interests. Parents, teachers, and juniors were all greatly impressed by this year’s capstones, which cemented the admirable legacy of the class of 2017. n
Art In Life: A Year of Reflection
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Nurul Zamzami Contributor Speaking personally, living as a social being and interacting with people is an art by itself. My status as the new kid at Pembroke provides me the spot to fully begin with self-introduction, the beginning of every conventional social interaction. Repeating my name a dozen times a day made it taste like something foreign on my mouth, but after that phase passed, came the process I enjoyed most, getting to know others. Getting to know other people has allowed me to think of socializing as an art. Human beings are like blank white canvases. They are generally taught with similar moral values such as respect, politeness, tolerance, and hospitality which, in a sense, equalize the colors covering the white space on the canvas. However, though these canvases may originally exhibit similar colors, each is done with different techniques. The same idea proceeds with human beings. Different people have contrasting paint strokes and prominent colors with varying consistency and different personalities. I’ve found that knowing how to mingle requires a whole new set of social skills for me. If human beings are like blank white canvases with splatters of vibrant colors, socializing can equal handling artworks. I like to think that perhaps everyone is an artwork, in all mediums and all materials. What works for this artwork will probably destroy another artwork. Fire helps a lot in glassmaking, but if you set a drawing paper on fire, it will be unusable. Consistent with the artworks parallelism, some people will like you and some simply just won’t, but it does not make you a horrible piece of artwork.
If anything, it only makes you an artwork that people can like or not like, and sometimes, outside validation does not matter. With that being said, I have lived a pretty artsy exchange year of getting to know numerous people with their distinct arrays of personalities. Since the beginning, I have been granted a rare opportunity to see a culture contrasting my own, in which people are reserved, as well as affectionate in their wordless and dearly surreptitious ways. There is something enchanting about the openness and the carefree upbringing that most of my friends here tend to emit; an air of certainty and assurance that I enjoy observing. So here’s to you readers, each an original artwork, whose unique personas always fascinate and provide me hundreds of different things to ponder about at home. Thank you for giving me this chance to discover the most miniscule concept like humans as artworks. As cliche as it might sound, you are an artwork. Maybe not yet done, but a progress nonetheless.To the new AFS students, if by any chance a strange twist of fate delivers this little article to you: Hey. I’m Nurul, and I went to Pembroke as a senior from 2016 to 2017. Definitely read The Great Gatsby, play soccer, write for The Voice, and take Visual Arts. Don’t just blindly follow an instruction by someone you have never even met. Also, find Daniela Rodriguez-Chavez and Peter Gado and befriend them, although they probably will reach out to you first anyway. Have a good year. I know you will. n
PERSONALITY QUIZ: Which Caroline Are You? Jack Bartlett Contributor
What is your favorite spring sport? 1. Soccer
2. Lacrosse
3. Track
What is your favorite thing to do in spring? 1. Go to Loose Park with my puppy
2. Hang outside with friends
3. Attend concerts
What is your favorite spring memory? 1. Going to State for soccer last year
2. Driving up to Washington DC with my family
3. Watching Walter Fromm sing karaoke to ‘Pants on the Ground’
Mostly 1’s: Caroline Salzman
Mostly 2’s: Caroline O’Shaughnessy
Mostly 3’s: Caroline Fromm
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Columns
Where we stand: Wil Rowland Columnist The time has come to reflect on the year that has passed. With the upcoming summer and the mental relaxation it brings, feelings of nostalgia, or perhaps, more fittingly, regret are sure to arise. In a year that seemingly lasted the length of two lifetimes, our country went through an election, a health care fight, the legalization of marijuana in four new states, exploding phones, warden-style flight attendants, and Kendrick Lamar’s feud with Big Sean. In this, my final column of the year, I hope to provide some closure for this year and a few predictions for the upcoming months. Let’s start with the big guy and all my hopes for the politics/entertainment category of next year. Last January, Donald Trump’s campaign was gathering some steam. While many refused to consider him a major contender for office, he kept on moving; scheduling rally after rally encouraging everything from mob mentalities to no-nonsense foreign policy featuring a thrilling lack of foresight. He marched his way straight to the White House and has made his first 100 plus days about as
thrilling as they come. His moves on immigration, healthcare, and foreign bombings have all displayed a charming misunderstanding of the abilities of the President. However, if these few months are any indication, the nation could be staring down a tumultuous path for the next four years. My hopes for the next year are that the American political system will continue to check his extreme views and provide some moderation in Washington. Truthfully, no matter what many say, the odds of his impeachment seem so improbable that the only reasonable hope that we can have is that we are able to get through the next four years without starting a war or destroying the planet. The last year has not been centered solely around Trump, though he may have wanted it to be. 2016 was a groundbreaking year for some of the social issues so important to America. One thing I have observed is a stunning reaction to the social equality issues of the year. There seems to be no lack of people complaining about civil rights that have no effect on their own lives. I
hope that in the next year we as a society can accept that every individual should get to determine their own life.
“if these few months are any indication, the nation could be staring down a tumultuous path for the next four years.” I think my hopes for next year boil down to one idea, really. Saying that everyone should just be nice to one another or be happy is an oversimplification of the world. With that being said, I have not yet experienced the country in as great of a divide as it is today. In the next year, I hope we can come together collectively. Although this sentiment may be a cliche, it is so for a reason. If there is only one goal for us over the next year, it should be trying to solve the problems that divide us and, eventually, uniting as one. n
Left: A Hillary Clinton campaign rally held in the late stages of the presidential race. Right: Protesters marching for LGBTQ rights outside of the Russian embassy. Photo Credits: Flickr and BBC
Columns 10
Our Hope For America Grace Parkerson Columnist I have really enjoyed this year on the voice; I appreciate the ability I have been given to write these articles, express my opinions, and further explore complex issues with my classmates and teachers. This year did not leave us short of topics to write about - Donald Trump is our new president, terrorist attacks continue to plague the world, and division within American society grows every day. America was given many opportunities to disagree this year, and we did. After this turbulent year in American politics, people are beginning to doubt the future of America. Today, I am tasked with giving you my own hope for America, and I do believe there is hope. In 2016, tensions between conservatives and liberals raged high. Divided doesn’t even begin to describe the current state of the country. This year, however, I hope that all Americans can remember one thing: republican or democrat, we are all on the same team. Really - we are all playing for team America. And even if you’re on the bench right now, don’t root against your
own team. I promise, if your political party is currently on the bench, it will come back to power in 4, 8, or at most 12 years. During this time it is important to remember how you want to be treated when you are in that position of power. The truth is, we all have the same goal. Yes, we have very different ideas about what we think is the right way to improve America, but everyone’s final goal is to improve the nation. We have to respect and listen with open minds to every perspective on how to improve the lives of Americans.
“We have to respect and listen
with open minds to every perspective on how to improve the lives of Americans.”
litical party than anything else, and the goal of beating the opposing political party seems to be more important than actually bettering America. There is a take no prisoners attitude with politician’s attempts to move agendas forward. But America must move forward with compromise on everybody’s part. Nobody and no political party should be getting everything they want each party should be a little happy and a little unhappy, as compromises go. Americans do not need to take a divisive stance against one issue or one party. That might sound hypocritical, as I write monthly articles doing exactly that, but it’s true. Leave behind the staunch love for your political party and leave behind the demonization of your opposing political party. People must continue to criticize the government and voice their opinions, but they must not forget to listen tolerantly to their opposition. n
American politics today seem to be more about winning an advantage for one’s po-
Left: Division of party lines in the 2016 Presidential Election, shaded by county. Right: President Donald Trump being sworn into office. Photo Credits: United States Secretary of Defenese
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Columns
Race for NBA MVP:
Westbrook vs. Harden Jacqueline Kincaid Columnist In one of the tightest MVP races in the history of the NBA, it all comes down to what’s more important: putting up the numbers or sacrificing your position to help the team. The numbers: Although Harden leads Westbrook in FGP, FTP, APG, and BPG, his turnovers and personal fouls leave Westbrook in the lead when basing the MVP race solely on statistics.
The points per game stat could be the deciding factor in the race for MVP... here’s why: Since Harden has played an average of 36.4 minutes per game and Westbrook has only played an average of 34.6 minutes per game, Harden should have a higher points per game average than Westbrook because he’s in the game for a minute and 40 seconds longer than Russell. This stat shows that Westbrook still averages 2.5 points per game higher than Harden even though Harden plays a minute and 40 seconds longer than Westbrook every game. It seems like Westbrook just makes every minute count when Harden can’t execute nearly as well as Westbrook can, especially since Russ set the highest single season triple-double record. Who’s the better team player?: MVP is based not only on stats, but on what the player did for their team throughout the season. Westbrook: In the wake of KD’s switch to the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook was left to lead the team on his own. Teammate Enes Kanter wrote, in The Players’ Tribune, that Russ should be the next MVP because of the way he led the team in the midst of KD’s leave: “And of course — I mean, come on, of course — you knew that Russ was going to play with an extra edge this season, and try to prove all the haters and the doubters wrong. But what’s been so great about this year, and what has been the real difference-maker for us… is how Russ has made our whole team play with an extra edge. Suddenly we are all playing with this big chip on our shoulder. Suddenly we are all taking the haters and the doubters very personally.” Harden: Last year, the Houston Rockets lost in the first round of the playoffs, in the 8th seed. This year, they destroyed the Thunder 4-1, sending the Rockets on to the Western Conference semifinals. Last summer, Harden switched to point guard after playing shooting guard for his whole career, where he had more opportunities to score. Teammate Trevor Ariza, via The Players’ Tribune, commented on this transition: “There’s usually a period of adjustment after you make such a drastic position change like that — you gotta give yourself time to make mistakes. But even with all that was going on, his points per game average didn’t fall off from last year... By moving to the point, James showed that he’s willing to make personal sacrifices to make us a winning team.” Westbrook may have given hope back to his team and his city after KD left, but Harden switched positions over the summer and still beat Westbrook 4-1 in the series. Westbrook wins the stats, but Harden wins the typical MVP narrative. So, who deserves it more?
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Student Life
MAY Maggie Burke ‘17 is voted as May Day Queen
20 exchange students from Graz, Austria visit Pembroke for a week on the annual Graz Exchange program
Spring Sports honor and celebrate their seniors on senior night.
At our annual Accademic Excelence Award Assembly, students Gina Pepitone ‘18, Olive Honan ‘17, and Sydney Woods ‘17 are pictured with their awards.
PHOTO POLL:
Student Life 6
What are your plans for the summer?
Spencer Steer ‘18
I will be going to LMU for a screen acting summer program.
Haley Harvey ‘18
I am going to SCAD rising star program where I will take two college art courses for five weeks. I’m taking Intro to Architecture and Photography.
Kate Stokes ‘19
I am going on the Graz exchange. We will visit both Graz, Austria and Italy.
Matheus Ramos, Lindsey Luchinski, and Natalie Kiersnowski ‘17
We are going to backpack through Europe for two weeks through Italy, France, Switzerland, and Portugal.
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Feature
Big Data is
Watching
Lauren Washington, Sophie Utz, and Gina Pepitone Managing Editor, Staff Writer, and Editor-in-Chief This spring, upper school students were required to take a comprehensive survey during advisory that asked very personal questions about a student’s life. The topics included the consumption of alcohol and drugs, family life, social life, and romantic interests. These subjects puzzled some students, and many found themselves asking as to why the school needed to know such personal details. While the survey was deemed anonymous, it required details such as gender, age, and grade. We often receive surveys from our peers or teachers, like those for capstones or for yearbook, but this survey was constructed and distributed by a mass corporation. This survey led to a lot of questions by the students, so we took The Voice to the people. When asked of her general opinion on the survey, Kate Kramer ‘17 said, “I like the fact that it was anonymous because it allows the student to be more honest. However, I’m not really sure what the school is hoping to get out of it.” Similarly, James Young, ‘18 says Pembroke seems to have good intentions, but students are confused about the true motives behind the survey: “I don’t know what they would use the results for.” Taking these questions and concerns to Ms. Lamb, the coordinator of the survey, the purpose of such surveys becomes more clear. Overall, the data collected serves as a foundation to better understand the student body. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a similar survey to the one Pembroke students took, except it is administered to public schools. While Pembroke could use the findings and statistics
Feature 16
“Pembroke’s intentions...were clearly not nefarious, but many students still did not feel entirely comfortable detailing their personal life to a seemingly random company.”
of the YRBS, the information would not be entirely applicable to our student body. This said, Pembroke turned to the Independent School Health Check (ISHC) to make a survey tailored to our school. Julia Pfluger ‘18 enjoyed taking the survey because although “the survey was very long, it made people realize some things about themselves which they may not have realized previously.” For example, the survey can help students address common concerns, and if the school sees such trends in the responses to survey questions, it can focus school health education on issues more specific to the Pembroke Hill community. The results of the survey provide a complete spectrum of informative data, which analyzed, can be used to better understand the school environment and issues unique to Pembroke students. However, it is quite a lot of data to interpret and sort through, and a thorough analysis of the data is an extensive process. Ms. Lamb explains there are many ways to interpret the results such as by grade, gender, homelife, and more. The results will serve as a guide for health education sessions tailored to each grade and as a guide for the issues discussed by the Student Health and Wellness Committee. Pembroke’s intentions for administering this survey were clearly not nefarious, but many students still did not feel entirely comfortable detailing their personal life to a seemingly random company. Students were not told what the survey was for, just that they had to take it. If more information was given about the purpose of the survey, many students agreed that they would have felt more
comfortable. In light of continued concerns about privacy rights on a more broad scale, President Trump recently repealed online privacy protections created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Obama Administration. Previously the FCC forced internet providers to ask for the permission of their customers before they collected and stored personal information, but the new bill doesn’t require this step anymore. Thus, personal information can be accessed by information-storing companies. The themes of systems dissuading free thought spark comparisons to the ever-lasting fears of the government undermining personal liberties. Although the ISHC won’t be accessing or misusing personal data, it does cause us to question how a variety of companies can obtain information without warning. The students can only anticipate how the school will interpret and apply the results of their data, and as George Orwell warns from 1984, “Big Brother is Watching You.” n
13
Columns
Ms. TabeR
We just wrapped up another year of Capstone presentations-research on everything from alternative sexual education to the dangers of social media to the plight of North Korean refugees. This year, seniors had a more forceful push from the English department to find relevant field experience that would inform their understanding and bring theory to life. Some students balked at this requirement, some complained there was not anything they could do, and some plainly said they did not have time to complete it. I would argue that the field experience is not only necessary, but should take a larger role in the future of the senior project. I offer the following story, that of seven Pembroke Hill seniors and two teachers, as evidence. We arrived at Manzanita Ridge, California, in the middle of the night. It was impossible to tell just what this place was. Stars only lit our path and while our headlamps revealed hints of vegetables fit for Tolkien’s giants, it wasn’t until roosters began crowing that we all emerged from our retrofitted 1960s camper trailers to see the foothills of the Sierras encircling us. Kansas City subtly fell out of our consciousness, and soon we were hiking a lush farm, milking Suiza the cow, and building a fire in the stone oven. An unbashful llama named Pedro and an Australian sheepdog named Finley greeted us with friendly sniffs as Sean Kriletich, the farm’s owner and Renaissance man, explained why he moves the pigs every week, how he grows fungi everywhere, and why he chooses to live a life where permaculture exceeds pop culture. We sat in the house he built and learned about his Portland clay walls, his self-designed irrigation system, and his mycorrhizal fungi/bush bean/winter squash/peach tree coupling. On the first night, we foraged his farm for our dinner, picking squash,
peppers, and mushrooms, then making pizza crust with grains he had milled. Dessert was a spoonful of honey from native Toyon, a shrub with medicinal properties. Choosing to live a rustic life on the farm seemed idyllic, but the longer Sean explained his efforts to co-op with local farmers, or his fight to protect the water on his farm, or even his struggle to use local radio as a source to get more voices heard, the more we realized his life was a sacrifice in attaining his ideals as well as improved standards for his community. Sure, he woke up every morning surrounded by the foothills and only had to walk about 20 steps to collect a dozen muscovy duck eggs for his morning omelet, but this life was mostly a singular, difficult existence. Sean has been able to make a good income from his peach orchard, consulting, and some farmers’ market sales, but he said the farm would not sustain a life that most middle-American families expect nowadays. He uses no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, instead relying on the various systems within his farm to feed and support each other. While everything he was doing seemed right from many standpoints--environment, animal welfare, individual human purpose--it was disheartening to realize that such a life is not enough for most people anymore. Sean left us wondering how we’ve gotten so distant from an existence synced with the land, animals, water, and air that sustain us. The seniors on this trip all know their way around scientific theories and literary criticism, yet they were impressed with Sean’s whole systems approach to life. He acted on his ideas, they agreed. Sean not only knew the finer points of the water conflict in Alameda County; he was obtaining a law degree so he could fight the water war on a larger scale. He not only explained how
Columns 14 radio stations monopolized the radio waves, leading to a single, corporate voice on issues, but he established a local station to broadcast the small-business-owning local voices. Coupled with his intelligence, Sean’s hands-on approach to living inspired something in us all, something latent that gets buried in the urban landscape, in the classroom even. Time slowed for us during our stay on the farm in a way that felt more healthy and balanced. I watched students who I normally see stressing over reading quizzes and essay deadlines chopping vegetables while discussing global politics. We didn’t all agree, but we took the time to listen to each other and felt comfortable debating the merits of a banana boycott one afternoon. We even jumped in a pond on New Year’s night after dinner, all before hitting the card table. This felt like living. When I think about my students who say they don’t have time to seek out and complete field experience for their capstone projects, I have to remember that they have created a narrative and sense of time in their lives that doesn’t allow for time spent observing a city council meeting or shadowing educators in alternative schools. While our experience took place over Janterm, these experiences don’t have to occur over an entire week or in California; Pembroke Hill students just have to seek out opportunities in their own community that would offer them real-life problems and applications. Alaina Benson’s work with veterans, Stephanie Alba’s time spent with refugees, and BeKa Leuschen’s hours on a Native American reservation exemplify PHS students combining meaningful research with action. Furthermore, with the community service requirement, I don’t see why students aren’t combining an identified problem, their community ser-
vice, and their capstone project into one cohesive experience. Lately I may not be getting as many essays graded in an evening, but I’ve found the markets in my neighborhood that sell local produce and met the neighbor starting a community garden. I’m growing herbs in my apartment kitchen and this week alone I’ve cooked a meal from scratch on three evenings. One of those evenings my daughter helped me, and we not only discussed a book she’s reading, but she also learned to cut up a chicken. Prioritizing our time and activities means identifying what is most beneficial. I had to consciously choose food preparation over grading essays or reading interesting articles. All three were good choices, but I chose an experience that was beneficial to me, my family, and my community. Similarly, students can shift their thinking and begin to view their senior project experience as equally beneficial as their reading of JStor articles. When I think of Manzanita Ridge--Brooke and Kate chopping squash, Bella chatting intently with Mrs. Abernathy on a hike, Brett building a fire, Harry and Parker learning angles on the climbing wall, or Kathryn taking photos of the drought-ridden Yosemite Valley--I think of experience that helps us understand ourselves and the world better. The capstone field experience-and the four-year community service requirement--have the potential to complement our classroom education with a handson approach that ultimately provides a richer existence for ourselves and helps solve some of the problems ailing our communities. n
Upper Left: The symbiotic pig-sty at manzanita ridge. Upper Right: “Our crew” Bottom Right: Manzanita Ridge, California Photo Credits: Ms. Taber
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Student Life
May Day: A Time Honored Tradition Ellie Burke Copy Editor First appearing under the reign of the Roman Republic, May Day is a time-honored tradition, which continues to thrive even in the contemporary world we live in today. In fact, the celebration can still be found in a wide spectrum of countries, from France, to Estonia, to -- most notably -- Great Britain. However, despite its constantly shifting setting, the festival itself is concrete, including all the same fan-favorites year after year: dancing around the Maypole, gathering newly-bloomed flowers from the fields, and, most importantly, crowning a May Queen to rule over it all. Seems innocent enough, right? Well...sort of. While common perception deems the festival a celebration of spring, May Day is actually a fertility ritual, which aims to impregnate the soil, livestock, and people of a village. So, with that little fact in mind, can you guess what the Maypole really represents? Yeah, I’d rather not go down that road, either. How about we just keep Pembroke Hill’s version of the festival -- you know, the one where little kids dress up in adorable Robin Hood costumes -- in our hearts. Now, I know what you all might be thinking. Why is Ellie Burke writing this article? She’ll be totally biased! After all, her older sister won May Day Queen! And, to those voices, I say: sorry not sorry. After all, precisely because my sister was named to the court this year, I was able to attend the festivities -- and, wow, was I shot down memory lane. For, if one thing is true about May Day, it is this: quite possibly, it hasn’t changed since we were kids. Oh, yes. It’s all still there. The hand-me-down dresses. The squirming
boys sitting on the poles. The kindergartens scrambling to ensure their flower makes it to the Queen. And, most of all, the music. The 1985 chronicle, A History of Sunset Hill, describes the power of these tunes best when it exclaims, “Long before rehearsals ended, the neighbors probably could have sung all the music by heart.” Oh, how right they are. During each and every number of the celebration, I couldn’t help myself from tapping my feet to the classic music, humming the next note before it even hit the air. Moreover, I caught a glimpse of more than one senior performing the dances they had so long ago been forced to memorize. There’s just something about May Day. Despite the grandeur that us survivors often associated with May Day, however, the festival has actually decreased in scale throughout the history of our school. Parents and children alike used to spend months in preparation for the day, constructing an elaborate stage for the queen and incorporating roles that are currently nonexistent. To explain, the young girls of SHS would dress up not only as the small maidens we are accustomed to today, but as noble knights and playful jesters. Each and every costume out on the field would be intricately sewn, including full-length capes, beaded caps, and even faux horses for the knights to “ride.” In short, the Pembroke of the past sought to honor May Day to its full extend, taking spectators back to the merry and simple days of medieval Europe. Besides this authenticity, however, the senior girls were tasked with dancing Tchaikovsky’s “The Waltz of the
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Flowers�; thus, the dance was much more of an extravaganza than it is today, for it was seen as the girl’s last hurrah before they left for college. Regardless of our modern shortcomings, though, students still view May Day as one of the most magical afternoons of the year. As the children dance, they often feel as if they are transported into a sort of fairyland, where they are allowed to walk in the shoes of kids who lived 1,500 years before them. More than providing this whimsical aura, however, is the sacred hierarchy that the festivity boasts. Each year, the dances become more complex, more polished, and, especially, more fun...until, finally, students top off the whole shebang with the crown jewel of it all: wrapping the Maypole. A right reserved only for the senior classes of both campuses -- or, in other words, the fifth and twelfth grades -- winding the pole is considered the fiercest five minutes of the entire year, sending students into a frenzy as they eagerly duck under and over one another in a race towards the finish. In fact, the contest is so heated that kids even develop strategies to beat one another, such as moving slowly during the wrapping so that the unwrapping is quicker later on. Nevertheless, the real competition exists only between the fifth graders and seniors; and, it is with the utmost pleasure that I can announce the fifth graders emerged victorious this year. Sorry, class of 2017. You had to lose at something eventually. All in all, May Day stands as a timeless tradition at Pembroke Hill, representing a sacred rite which has been around for centu-
ries. However, the modern-day festival puts its own flair on the pagan ritual, adding on little details such as recognizing our school’s lifers and holding a free-for-all field day after the dances. In this way, May Day preserves the past, while simultaneously using the present to create a contemporary celebration that leaves its mark on hundreds of lives. And, for that, we say: never let it die. n
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Columns
The Sundry
1706 Baltimore Ave, Kansas City, MO 64108
Emma Knopik Columnist
One rainy Saturday, I wandered into The Sundry, in the heart of the Crossroads, to talk with Joel McGuire about what the local business is doing to stand out as a sustainable restaurant and market. V: Could you talk to me about the concept of The Sundry? J: Sure, so the owners originally met at Johnson County Community College in a sustainability program. And so originally The Sundry was made to be as sustainable as possible. We are completely electric. We have no gas. We are actually a zero-waste facility which means that we don’t have a trash truck that comes. It’s all either compostable or recyclable. And anything that is actually trash we send to a facility called Waste to Energy and it actually burns it for fuel. So I guess that’s the basic premise of what we’re about is sourcing local goods and making sure that everything is as sustainable as possible. We have solar panels on the roof, and so that’s pretty much it. We have evolved more from having your typical grocery items, into servicing the area for the offices that have lunch breaks and people that need sustenance for the work day. V: I was wondering about that. Does your lunch counter or market typically get more business? J: The kitchen side gets most of the business. We do have certain local goods that people do come in for, and we’re going to be refocusing on that once our new bar gets up and running. I would say probably 80/20
kitchen. V: What is the most popular item on the menu? J: That changes because our menu changes seasonally. But right now I would say the banh mi or the falafel, but also the curry is really popular as well. V: Do you guys specialize in local products? J: Yeah as much as we can. During the growing season we get as much of our produce locally as we possibly can. During the winter, you know, it’s a little bit rougher on that kind of thing so we do have to source from other vendors. But as much as possible we source from local farms. V: Could you talk to me about your craft sodas? J: Yeah, so we make them all here in the house. They’re made with 100% natural ingredients. We use cane sugar, and if, say for instance, the Basil Mint Ginger Ale. People will say, okay what’s in that? Well, it’s literally basil, mint, ginger, sugar, and water. So we pretty much get a little creative and figure out what might sound good, what tastes different with the seasons. We just put the rhubarb soda on because rhubarb’s in season right now.
V: How long have you guys been open? J: Two and a half years. V: What’s it like being in the Crossroads? J: The Crossroads is always changing, especially in the past three years. I actually live in the Crossroads as well. We are still trying to nail down exactly what it means to be right here in the middle of the Crossroads, except for on a First Friday because everyone knows what First Friday’s are. But the population here is rising every year so we are trying to always shift with what the public wants. V: This a pretty cool space. Do you know what it was before it became The Sundry? J: Yeah, it originally was part of film row. Back in the 20s and 30s, KC had a bunch of film production facilities and it was right along here on 18th and 19th. After that it became a Jazz Club called the Stork Room. They used this space specifically for big band concerts because of its big space. We actually have an upstairs space that we use to rent out for art openings and stuff like that called the Stork Club. V: Do you guys do any other events here? J: We have in the past. Normally, it coincides with First Friday. n
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My parents are trying to choose my colleges for me. How do I get them to let me apply to where I want to go? They want me to be a doctor, but I know that’s not what I want. I know it’s cliché to say so, life is short. Not only is life short, but your life is the only life you have to live. When you’re thirty, in med school, and dreading residency, your parents don’t have to be there suffering through the experience. The last person I want cutting me open is someone who doesn’t want to be doing it. As much as Pembroke tells us we get freedom with responsibility, let’s be serious, our lives are full of rules. College is your first chance for real freedom, so fight for it. This isn’t easy to do when your parents are your sole source of money, but I am pretty sure you will be more financially successful doing something that you are actually passionate about than what your parents want you to do. Pembroke parents (if you’re reading this, you should listen up) are infamous for trying to control their kid’s future. In reality, they’re just trying to make their kids happy, but they don’t usually manage to do so. If you don’t want to end up being your parents when you grow up, don’t go down their life path. Pave your own. n
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Have a question you’ve been dying to ask? Email voice@pembrokehill.org and we might answer...
Congratulations to our seniors!
Columns
The College List:
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Popular Destinations: American University: 2 Dartmouth College: 2 Duke University: 2 Georgetown: 2 K-State University: 2 Reed College: 2 SMU: 2 Stanford University: 2
Tufts University: 2 UMKC, School of Medicine: 2 University of Kansas: 9 University of Misouri: 2 USC: 2 WashU: 2 Yale University: 2
Luis Alanis Stephanie Alba Spencer Allen Matthew Bailey Ramona Bailey Brett Barnow Brooke Bethune John Black Gregory Bortnick Joshua Bortnick Senn Boswell Ashley Bough Davis Brooks Meg Burditt Maggie Burke Sujung Chung Jason Cobb Kennedy Coleman Robert Cuddy Natalie Dameron Catherine Dema Kieffer DeMayo Emma Depp Alexander Dickey Nick Dowling Daniel Duffy Josh Eisemann Parker Elsberry Nazr El-Scari Jalynn Ervin Meg Esrey Shannon Fang
Johnson County Community College UMKC, School of Medicine Undecided University of Kansas Agnes Scott College Belmont University University of San Francisco University of Kansas University of Kansas University of Arkansas Roanoke College University of Georgia Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University Bowdoin College UC Davis University of Notre Dame Middlebury College Depauw University Dartmouth College William Jewell Arizona State University School of the Art Institute of Chicago Stanford University Purdue University Rhodes College Brandeis University Westminster College Lehigh University Mid-America Nazarene University Duke University Duke University
Clayton Forsee Alec Frank Saptarshi Ganguly Tessa Gittings Ellie Gorny Hank Graves Macauley Greif Evan Hesse Olive Honan Sam Hrabko Alex Hrinya Charlie Ingram Jake Jones Marko Jovanovic Derrick Kagwanja Max Keeney Zair Khan Nathalie Kiersznowski Riley Kivett Kate Kramer Jada Large Grace Lattan Lindley Legg Ashlee Lehr Olivia Lesley Rebecca Leuschen Curtis Lewis II Molly Logan Meghan Long Lindsay Luchinsky Clayton Lundgren Jason MacMillan Duncan Matthews Will McConwell Benjamin McDermott Natalee Merola Alec Mitchell Kathryn Miyawaki Chloe Montague Avery Mooney Sydney Nager Schen Ong Luke Ossie Raghav Parikh William Park Vishesh Patel Emerson Peavey Emily Penning Justin Pierre Eleanor Powers Abigail Pritchett Matheus Ramos Andrew Reardon Roxanne Reasco Drake Ronan Nelson Sabates Ellie Rose Sachs Laina Sanders Spencer Schmid Will Schmitt Travis Sedlock Daniel Spertus Ethan Starr Matthew Styslinger Harrison Swartzman Momin Tahirkheli Preston Thomas Thomas Thornton Michaela Tinoco Victoria Wall Cassie Wang Brandon Washington Isabella Way Sydney Woods Stella Wroblewski
Northwestern University Columns Carnegie Mellon University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Chapman University University of Wisconsin University of Missouri Auburn University University of Notre Dame Minerva Schools at KGI Kansas City Art Institute University of Michigan University of Kansas Washington and Lee University Indiana University Rice University Georgetown University UC Davis Stanford University American University George Washington University Emory University New York University Xavier University American University University of Glasgow Simpson College Rockhurst University Elon University University of Chicago University of Southern California Stevens Institute of Technology Chapman University Creighton University Kansas State University Tufts University University of Minnesota Georgetown University Yale University Vassar College Indiana University University of Boulder Marist College University of Southern California University of Kansas Dartmouth College Washington University in St. Louis University of Kansas Santa Clara University University of Kansas Lafayette College University of Missouri Loyola Marymount University Yale University Undecided Earlham College Texas Christian University University of Kansas Harvey Mudd College Tufts University Loyola Marymount University Denison University Reed College Boston College Brown University Lehigh University UMKC, School of Medicine Baylor University Washington University in St. Louis Kansas State University University of Kansas Pomona College Valparaiso University Bowdoin College Haverford College Reed College
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college athletics:
Do you have what it takes? Jacqueline Kincaid Managing Editor Ten Pembroke Hill seniors have committed to playing their sport in college, after years of practice and preparation for collegiate level athletics. Reflecting on how far they’ve come, the student athletes have answered questions about the process of becoming a college athlete.
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(1) LA: Luis Alanis- playing soccer for Johnson County Community College (2) DD: Danny Duffy- playing baseball for Rhodes College (3) SS: Spenser Schmid- swimming for Tufts University (4) TS: Travis Sedlock- playing football for Denison College V: What is the recruiting process like for your sport? LA: It all depends on the skill level the athlete possess. If the athlete is a stand out athlete at all levels, then the offers will ring in automatically one way or another. If the athlete is still developing, but showing the potential to be a role player at the collegiate level, then generally these athletes have to show interests in colleges and reach out to the coaching staff. They’ll have to send in game film and see if the coaches see a benefit for his/her program. This will begin to put said athlete on the radar for other coaches because coaches talk amongst each other as well. Regardless of the skill of the athlete though, academic standing is a big emphasis. Having good grade reports will make getting offers easier. Coaches like athletes who can help them make the most of their available scholarship money, so if you have an athlete with potential and who is discipline in the classroom, then this allows for the college to give them half merit, half athletic scholarships which allows the coaches to recruit more because they have more money to offer. Additionally, coaches recognize that we won’t be athletes all our lives and need an education to make a life after sports. DD: For baseball, to get recruited you must travel around to showcases all summer to be seen by college coaches. I had to go all the way to New York to meet the coach I will be playing for next year (in Memphis, Tennessee). Once you’re seen you have to contact and follow up with coaches. It’s a lot of work. SS: For swimming (and most other sports) it is a good idea to create an account on a recruiting website. This way it’s easy for you to find coaches/schools and they can find you easily with most of your information. Most of the time the coaches will ask to look at your standardized test score, grades, best times, etc. which are usually already on your created account. Sending out emails and phone calls to coaches is very important, and the main thing that gets you in the loop with a coach. After a few emails or a good talk with the coach, they might invite you to visit the school or give information for a recruiting trip. This is a good way to see the school and also meet the team and coach. The whole process can be a little stressful because the coaches still keep in mind the standards for the school and whether you would be a good “fit” for the team
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TS: The recruiting process for football is very involved for the athlete because you constantly have to show schools that you are interested in playing for them. I think the most important thing you need to get recruited is a highlight tape. The big showcase camps mean nothing unless you have a quality highlight tape. V: What aspects of college athletics are you most nervous for and which are you most excited for? LA: I can’t say that I’m nervous for any of it. Soccer is soccer at any level. I hold the same standards for myself at any level. If anything, I am extremely excited and anxious for the season to roll around. DD: I’m nervous about the time management and balancing academics with a heavy baseball schedule. I’m most excited for the competition level I will see in college and fighting for a starting job. SS: I’m most nervous about competing in college meets and if I can keep dropping time. I am most excited to be a part of the fun and enjoyable team. TS: I think I am most nervous to come in as a freshman and see how my talent stacks up against the other players on the team. I’m most excited for the opportunity to play four more years of football.
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(5) KC: Kennedy Coleman- running cross country and track for Middlebury College (6) AF: Alec Frank- swimming for Carnegie Mellon University (7) BW: Brandon Washington- playing soccer for Valparaiso University V: When did you know that you wanted to play college athletics? KC: I knew I wanted to run in college when Evan Peterson committed to run for West Point. Evan was a teammate of mine for three years and one of my best friends, and I always admired his talent and dedication to running. When he and I talked about his excitement surrounding running in college, it got me thinking about the prospect of continuing to be part of a team into college. AF: Swimming has been a large part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I wasn’t willing to give that up. I still have passion for the sport. BW: I have wanted to play college athletics pretty much since I was three years old. I have a dream of not only playing at the college level, but hopefully the professional level as well. Since my family and I prioritize education, of course, I want to earn my degree and continue my academic career as well! So in a way, college has always been viewed as one step closer toward my ultimate goal. V: What is your training schedule while preparing for college athletics? KC: My training schedule honestly isn’t a lot different than that of everybody else on the team. I run about 35 miles over the span of 6 days every week as of now. Around this time last year, I was running closer to 50 miles, but injury and frankly exhaustion has made me scale back my training which I’m hoping will have positive effects on my body and, contingently, my racing. AF: For most of the year, I have 9 practices a week, totaling around 24 hours. Most of that is in the pool but some of that is in the weight room or on the pool deck doing core work. 5-6:30 AM every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday would have to be the hardest part. BW: To prepare for my first season at Valpo, my training schedule is a combination of weight/strength training and conditioning with a personal trainer named Michelle. I am also still playing with my club team to maintain my touches and hopefully win the state cup this year to make it to regionals.
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(8) JB: Josh Bortnick- playing tennis for University of Arkansas (9) JE: Jalynn Ervin- playing basketball for MidAmerica Nazarene University (10) BL: Beka Leuschen- playing soccer for Simpson College (11) CL: Curtis Lewis- playing basketball for Rockhurst University V: What is your favorite moment of your high school athletic career? JB: My favorite moment in my high school athletic career was competing in the state doubles tournament my freshman year with my older brother who was a senior. JE: My favorite moment in high school was winning the district championship in 2016 against our rivals O’Hara. After losing the year before, I felt so proud of the team that we accomplished such a great feat. BL: During my freshman year, I had the opportunity to play in the field rather than in the goal and during the game I scored a goal. This was especially exciting because goalkeepers rarely have a chance to score. CL: My favorite moment in my high school career would have to be scoring one thousand points as a junior. V: Do you have any advice for aspiring college athletes? JB: I would tell all aspiring college athletes to not be scared of failing. Too many people are too scared to try because they are scared they could try and fail. Just reach for it with everything, make time to put in the extra work, and you will be surprised how far you get. JE: If you plan to play collegiate sports, just know it takes a mature mindset to be in a new environment with a different coach and teammates. One must be prepared to be the rookie after coming from being the oldest on the court or field. CL: My one and only advice I would have to give for aspiring athletes would be you have to put in the work in order to be successful at what you do. If you practice hard, workout hard, and play as hard as you possibly can, then I believe you can achieve what you want, whether its Division I, II, III, NAIA, JUCO, etc. But once you achieve that, my advice would be, go where YOU are wanted. A lot of colleges promise you certain things or tell you things you might like in order for you to want them, but go where YOU are wanted by everybody on the athletic and coaching staff. BL: Never give up. Even after a horrible concussion and ACL tear, I have been surrounded by support from my coaches and teammates. This support has helped push me towards returning to my sport in better condition than before my injuries. n
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Reviews
Movie Review: Sing Street Paolo Laskero Copy Editor Generally, I like to review movies that have come out fairly recently, but this time I have decided to talk about something different. While it may not be recent, it is a movie that is likely new to many of you. If you haven’t heard of Sing Street, you certainly are not alone. But, let me just tell you: you are missing out on something great. John Carney’s 2016 Irish film follows the story of Conor, a teenager in 1980’s Dublin, as he faces the challenges of school, family, and love through the creation of a band. I have a certain affinity for coming of age stories, and Sing Street instantly became a favorite of mine. It is truly one of the most charming movies I have ever seen. From the impressively skillful acting of a young, inexperienced cast, to the incredible original songs, to the masterful direction of John Carney, it is a difficult movie to find flaws with. The story makes you laugh, cry, and, well, sing...but, most importantly, it balances all of these emotions beautifully. I received a recommendation to watch this movie, and I waited far too long before watching it. Don’t make the same mistake. It’s on Netflix. Just watch it, and help it gain the recognition it deserves. n
Game Review: Ballz
Baylor McCrary Managing Editor
If you haven’t heard about or seen people playing the iPhone game Ballz, you’ve probably been living in a cave for the last semester. Rated #1 on the Free Top Charts, Ballz has become a widespread stress reliever and a quick, convenient way to avoid homework. However, there is controversy surrounding the game, for users argue whether or not closing out of the app and opening it back up to restart a round is cheating. Nevertheless, on whichever side you fall, almost everyone can agree that playing Ballz is both satisfying and addicting. While some games become very popular for a short amount of time, I think Ballz will stay on the Top Charts for a while. n
Caroline Fromm Contributor
Music Review: digital druglord
It takes the hot new artist Blackbear, aka Matthew Mutso, three minutes to drop a beat on his new album digital druglord, but he makes up for it with 29 minutes of highintensity rapping with exuberant beats and intelligent lyrics. Blackbear’s opening song, “hell is where i dreamt of u and woke up alone,” is the slowest of the 10song album and is an interesting way to start. This strange interpretation of a love song does a superb job of not getting gushy and romantic, while still getting the artist’s point across. The defining lyric, “...And I swear to God/If the alcohol and drugs don’t kill me/ I don’t know what will/Other than you,” perfectly portrays Blackbear’s infamous writing style. Blackbear is known for including drugs in his song lyrics, which creates a dark, somber tone throughout the lines of most of his songs. Besides all of the drug-filled lyrics, Blackbear still manages to create songs with fun beats that successfully distract from his borderline bothersome words. In his smash hit, “if i could i would feel nothing,” Blackbear writes about how he feels the need to mask his feelings by pretending to be constantly happy and is “sick of being tired and tired of being sick.” In this way, Blackbear raps about his mental health multiple times throughout the album. Another standout line regarding Blackbear’s mental conditions is in the popular song “make daddy proud,” in which he eerily repeats, “how do you cope with it/how do you sleep with yourself at night”: a question he seems to be asking the woman that is referred to in the song, the listener, and himself. Throughout the entire album, Blackbear’s standout style shines through and his lyrics gives a deeper meaning to a song that you might hear at a party. Overall, the album is enjoyable and extremely catchy, and I strongly recommend it. n
Feature 26
East Coast V. S. WEst Coast
Lauren Washington Managing Editor To say that this year in music has been exciting is an understatement. With four months into the new year, there’s been new music releases left and right. Personally, to name just a few that I’ve enjoyed, Syd’s Fin, THEY’s Nu Religion, Kehlani’s Sweet Sexy Savage, Iceberg by Oddisee, Culture by Migos, You Only Live 2wice by Freddie Gibbs, Drogas Light by Lupe Fiasco, and many others. Just when I thought things were settling down, two top hip-hop artists, Joey Bada$$ and Kendrick Lamar, released their albums one week apart from each other. Joey released All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ on April 7th, while Kendrick released “DAMN” on April 14th which gave a glimpse of another classic East vs West coast battle. So let’s take a closer look at the past history between the two legendary coasts. The East Coast is famously known their lyrical wordplay and aggressive music with many MC’s, while on the West Coast, it featured grimy melodic beats with up tempo styles that reflected the warm weather and laid back environment. The West Coast’s lineage of rappers includes Tupac, Dr. Dre, NWA, Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg and many others. On the East, it includes a legendary group including The Notorious B.I.G., Mos Def, Rakim, Nas, Wu Tang Clan, and countless others. Although there are debates over which Coast reigns as the best, for Joey, the East is the Beast Coast. The Beast Coast movement is a collective of rappers from the new generation of the East such as, to name a few, Pro Era, The Underachievers, Flatbush Zombies, and Phony Ppl. Outside of the Beast Coast movement, other East Coast artists that represent the East include Nas cosign, Dave East, who’s a rising MC, A$AP Mob with artists like Asap Rocky and Asap Ferg, and others. To take a closer look at the East Coast’s massive spread of artists, let’s start with Pro Era. Pro Era consists of Joey Bada$$, Nyck Caution, Kirk Knight, CJ Fly, Capital Steez, who passed away, and others. The group is renowned for their throwback style and sounds that resonates with 90s hip hop. Joey’s song, Brooklyn’$ Own, that was released in 2016 celebrates the East Coast and the legendary Notorious B.I.G. Another group that’s taking NY by storm, the Underachievers, are a hip hop duo named Issa Dash and AK with abstract lyrical flow. Issa and AK’s music is one of enlightenment, “to open your chakras,” while also producing lyrical bangers. The group’s most recent mixtape and album, It Happened In Flatbush, and Evermore: The Art of Duality, showcased these qualities heavily, and keep an eye out for their new
project coming out this month. Throughout all of these artists and groups, they’re certainly keeping the sounds of the East alive as Asap Ferg characterized perfectly on his recent track “East Coast,” “This that ground zero music, sit and listen to it/This the children of the sewer, finally winnin’ music.” Moving on to a different coast, where the sun is always shining, the West Coast today is primarily known for their smaller pockets of buzzing artists like Vince Staples, YG, Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Hopsin, Ty Dolla $ign, and the dominating group, TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment). TDE holds down the West Coast with group members, Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah Rashad, AbSoul, SZA, ScHoolBoy Q, Jay Rock, and more. The popular group continues their dominance with recent releases from Kendrick Lamar, DAMN, Ab Soul, Do What Thou Wilt, ScHoolBoy Q, Blank Face LP, Isaiah Rashad, The Sun’s Tirade, and SZA is releasing her album sometime this year. Prior to Kendrick’s new album, he released “The Heart Part 4”, along with “HUMBLE” and a fiery new music video directed by Dave Meyers and The Little Homies that has striking imagery and allusions. Additionally, Kendrick championed the West Coast with nostalgic references on his track “m.A.A.D city.” On the song, Kendrick discusses his tumultuous life in Compton, “Live inside the belly of the rough, Compton, USA,” along with a hopeful message to the youth that his experiences and knowledge can help dissuade succumbing to the pressures of the streets. Another top artist from TDE, Ab-Soul, joined the independent label in 2006 when he was just 19 years old which changed his life forever. When Soul was ten years he old, he was diagnosed with a rare disease called Steven-Johnson Syndrome that hindered his vision and skin configuration. At the same time as Soul lost a part of himself, he found success and security with TDE, and his latest album is one of his best with intricate metaphors and lyricism that explores an unconventional love story with war, sexism, drugs, religion, and more. The sounds of the West are simply stated like Dr. Dre raps on Tupac’s upbeat song “California Love,” “Now let me welcome everybody to the wiild, wild West/A state that’s untouchable like Eliot Ness”. Overall, through delving into both coasts, it’s clear that both areas are continuing to strive while still producing classic music. Whichever coast you reign as the best, it should be appreciated either way that Joey and Kendrick’s new albums revitalized the golden era of hip-hop where the East and West Coasts battled for the throne. n
27 Feature
Farewell Gina Pepitone Editor-in-Chief May is always a bittersweet month for students at Pembroke with the school year quickly drawing to a close. APs and finals creep up on students, and the entire Pembroke community breathes a collective sigh of relief when testing finally ends. With the conclusion of the school year, we all naturally rush to embrace summer vacation; however, we must also say goodbye to the graduating senior class and teachers who will not be returning for the 2017-18 school year. After twelve years of teaching at Pembroke, Ms. Ketchum is retiring. With her well-deserved free time, she intends on spending time with her family and looking for new adventures. Ketchum shares that she would like to do some traveling and possibly write a novel. With these exciting plans for her future, Ketchum reflects on her career here at Pembroke and recalls many memorable moments: “I will miss the students, faculty, and just the culture of the school … I feel like we are a family.” We must also say farewell to another exceptional teacher, Mr. Richardson. After being with Pembroke for two years, he has decided to go back to school in order to receive a masters in counseling and guidance. Richardson ultimately intends to transition into public school work, but in the meantime, he will be coaching soccer at Lincoln Prep. From his limited time here at Pembroke, Richardson has managed to challenge and inspire the minds of all his students. A testament to his caring and considerate character, Richardson emphasizes, “I will miss the relationships with students and teachers … I love the students here and am really sad to be leaving them.” After four years at Pembroke, Ms. Taber is also leaving to teach at St. Teresa’s Academy. She fondly recalls memories of students discussing thoughtful and philosophical topics in her English class. “I will miss the culture of inquiry,” Taber shares. “I admire my colleagues’ willingness to take on difficult subjects
in an interdisciplinary way. I think that is one of the best qualities of what we are doing academically in this environment.” While the Pembroke community will feel the loss of all three of these teachers, we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors. More specifically to The Voice, however, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize two seniors that are also leaving Pembroke: Shannon Fang and Davis Brooks. As the former Editors-in-Chief, they dedicated much of their time and efforts to developing this publication and have had an overall successful year. They personally serve as amazing role models and leaders, and we cannot thank them enough for all their dedication and hard work they put in to make The Voice what it is now. Reflecting on her past role of Editor-in-Chief, Shannon shares, “Being a leader of The Voice will always be a great memory looking back because of how much I learned and because I was able to create something meaningful with an amazing group of people. The Editor-in-Chief job is unique because it requires such a wide array of skills, from management to design to innovation. Therefore, the skills I was able to cultivate are ones that I will carry with me forever. And although I missed writing articles, it was incredible to build an issue from start to finish. I will miss the excitement of thinking of a feature and cover idea, spending all day at paste ups, and opening up a new box filled with issues. The Voice is a special platform because it is student-run and everyone has access to it, so it has the ability to impact the school. And so I am thankful I was able to help create something bigger than myself through The Voice.” By saying hello to summer, we must also say goodbye to many influential individuals in our community. Thank you, to each and every one of you, for your contributions to Pembroke Hill. It goes without saying that all of you will be greatly missed. n
Feature 28
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I have had a great journey and have enjoyed what I’ve done. I never planned to be a teacher, but now, I couldn’t think of anything I would have enjoyed more.
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Drawing the Line
By Sam Hrabko
Crossword
DOWN 1 New president of France 2 Juniors Caroline O’Keefe and Gabby Hendren recently created this charity focusing on providing tutoring services and school supplies for students in need 3 Retiring biology teacher who served PHS community for 10 years 5 A wind sculpture was recently dedicated in memory of this wonderful tennis coach 7 Writer and director of Get Out, also known as co-creator of hit sketch comedy show 9 Prolific Nigerian author who just released their newest novel “Dear Ijeawele; Or, A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions” 10 First name of the 2017 May Queen 12 Name of airline in trouble for forcibly removing passenger from his seat 14 Number of awards received by PHS students in UCM’s Foreign Language Film Festival
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ACROSS 4 Last name of the winning horse in the 2017 Kentucky Derby 6 Last name of Chiefs first round pick 8 Last name of the author of the Spring play 11 Environmental science teacher and proud member of the Sourtoe Club in Dawson City, Yukon 13 Pembroke’s Madrigals performed at this famous NYC venue over Spring Break
Letter from the
Editors
Dear readers, Hello! It is truly an honor to be your new Editors in Chief for the 2017-2018 season!! First of all, we would like to applaud our editors Shannon Fang and Davis Brooks for their devotion to the paper and willingness to aid us in all our endeavors.We will miss you both, and we are so excited to see what wonderful feats you achieve. Thank you! Becoming your editors is truly the culmination of a journey that began for us as the sole middle school contributors, covering various happenings in the Pembroke Hill community, to now taking the helm of the publication. From the beginning, we were welcomed into such a supportive community, and The Voice has served as a centerpiece throughout our high school careers. Our vision for the magazine in the upcoming future is to bring the Pembroke Hill community quality, engaging content with artistically inspired designs. In addition to highlighting the events of the Pembroke Hill community, we also hope to incorporate a broader focus on the affairs and challenges prevalent in the broader Kansas City and global communities. By collaborating with Pembroke Hill artists to design the cover, we hope to continue to feature student work of a variety of mediums. We are very excited to bring you our very first addition of The Voice, and many more throughout the year. We hope you enjoy! Gina Pepitone & Bella Barnes
The Voice Podcast By Jay Mehta
iTunes
whispers
erin lowe . . . placed first in the senior news‘18 blurbs from around school individual performance category at the national history day missouri state competition, and going to the national competition in maryland this summer. charlie snell ‘18 . . . designed his own app available on the app store called “Yeah JeCUB.” john robertson ‘20 . . . recently earned his eagle scout award. avery brandmeyer ‘20 . . . and her cheer team placed 3rd in the world this weekend out of 150 international teams. josh bortnick ‘17 . . . was the first recipient of the dale eshelbrenner award for sportsmanship in the annual MICDS tournament in st. louis. Editors-in-Chief Gina Pepitone and Bella Barnes
Soundcloud
THE VOICE
The Official News Publication of the Pembroke Hill School The Voice is published monthly by the students of the Pembroke Hill School during the academic year to inform the Pembroke Hill Community about pertinent 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. 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. Find us online at issuu.com/PHSVoice. The Voice is YOUR publication. Please read responsibly.
Head of Design Hunter Julo
Copy Editors Zandy Swartzman Ellie Burke Paolo Laskero Olivia Sabates Charlotte Henry
Managing Editors Baylor McCrary Catie Franano Jacqueline Kincaid Lily Jiang Lauren Washington Designers Ellie Burke Baylor McCrary Catie Franano Catherine Brooks Jane Markley
Head of Photo Julia Rosher
Staff Writers Ellie Ruland Carmon Baker Ava Sweeney Rachel Colligan Kaitlyn Storm Dasha McDonald Eliza Shaffer
Multimedia Editor Jay Mehta Middle School Coordinator Business Manager Jacqueline Kincaid Bella Barnes Comic Jane Markley
Columnists Anonymous-”Dear Voice of Reason...” Charlotte Henry, Jay Mehta, Caroline Salzman – “What’s the Word” Jillian Jetmore & Caroline O’Keefe – “The Buzz” Jaqueline Kincaid- “Kickin’ It with Kincaid” Emma Knopik –”KC Crawl” Grace Parkerson and Wil Rowland – “Where We Stand” Faculty Sponsors Dr. Matt Clothier and Dr. Kim Banion