Issue 4

Volume 118 Issue 4

The Record

record.horacemann.org

Horace Mann’s Weekly Newspaper Since 1903

October 2nd, 2020

Student Body and Class President positions FLIK dissolved increases plastic use by an estimated 65%

Courtesy of Flickr

FORMER SBPS SPEAK Isha Agarwal ‘20 and Roey Nornberg ‘20 lead an assembly. there will be greater potential for progress, Justin Katya Tolunsky and Clementine Gurvitch (11) said. “It’ll open better channels of communication with the administration so that Bondor initiatives can be done collaboratively,” he said.

Staff and Contributing Writers Roey Nornberg ’20, who was SBP last year, The school eliminated the Student Body thinks that the administration’s motives behind President (SBP) and Class President positions, the decision are valid. “When I was SBP, I Dean of Students Michael Dalo announced in definitely felt like I was able to collaborate and an email last Thursday. Instead, there will be work with the CC at times,” he said. “However, six elected representatives from the freshman, I think that was something that we needed to sophomore, and junior grades and two more actively think about as opposed to something for the senior class on the Community Council that was already a given and instilled in the (CC). Once elected, the CC will vote on two structure.” seniors for the position of Community Council Madhav Menon (12), who has been his class’s Co-Chair, Dalo wrote. president for the last two years and who was The reasoning behind the changes was planning on running for SBP this year, was taken partially based on the CC and president positions’ aback by the administration’s decision, he said. inability to work together effectively and the “The part that really shocked me was that they frequent miscommunications that would arise openly admitted to thinking about this for a from the two independent governing bodies. long time,” he said. “The most frustrating thing “All of them are working towards great goals, but is that I had been thinking about this election they are working in isolation,” Dalo said. “This for months now. If the school had just told resulted in uncoordinated efforts and in adults us this five months ago, or that it was even in in the community being approached by multiple consideration, they could have saved me a lot of student leaders about similar issues.” time and planning.”

Dalo also cited the competitive nature of the To alert members of the student government elections for SBP and Class President as part of the changes, Dalo hosted a Zoom meeting of the reason for eliminating the positions. with the CC and class presidents the same day “Perpetuating a system that creates competition that the email to the UD was sent out. “I didn’t and stress (elections) and results in certain want them to find out about the change via email students receiving titles and others not, therefore with the rest of the student body and not have an prioritizing certain voices over others, is not opportunity to ask questions if they had them,” a way to unite us or to practice the values that Dalo wrote. we believe should define us as a community,” he At the meeting, Dalo also discussed the wrote. potential addition of initiative- specific Steve Yang (10), who was the Class of 2023’s committees to the CC, Rowan Mally (11), a Class President last year, said although the old member of the CC from last year, said. “For system worked pretty well, he understands the instance, CC members who are interested justification behind the new system. “There will in cafeteria initiatives can form a cafeteria be a more unified front and strength in numbers, committee to work directly with Ms. Cohen so that may help,” Yang said. “When there’s and the FLIK staff, rather than getting every CC multiple people working on the same thing, it member involved,” Mally said. “I think it’s a great might be more conducive to more change.” idea because if I am interested in a specific topic, The new system will allow for all members of such as voter turnout among the student body, I student government to be on the same page, so can work with a smaller more initiative focused

collaborative group, rather than the entire CC, which I think will be more effective.”

Menon was frustrated that the meeting wasn’t held earlier and that the administration didn’t discuss possible solutions to their concerns with the student government before making their decision. “It was just shocking to me that it wasn’t really a discussion,” he said. “It was kind of just a call to let us know that they had changed it a minute or two before everyone else found out.”

Dalo chose to announce the news to the student government at the last minute out of fear that if he told them any sooner, the news would spread around the school, he wrote. “Had I met with them a week, day, or even hours before emailing the student body, the plan would have been shared amongst the entire UD and there would have been too much potential for the plan and reasons behind it to be explained in ways that were incomplete or, worse yet, inaccurate,” Dalo wrote.

Although Menon is upset that the decision was announced so last-minute, he feels there is some truth to the reasoning behind the changes, he said. “The Community Council, the SBPs, and even the class presidents haven’t communicated the best with each other,” he said. “I just disagree with the solution to that problem.”

One potential negative of the new system is the loss of the bonding aspect of class presidents, Yang said. “One downside would be the partnership and the working-together feel of the SBP’s or the class presidents — me and my partner, we worked really closely, and we grew much closer than we were before,” Yang said. “That working together in one position, that sense of collaboration, that aspect might be diminished.”

Nornberg said that another negative aspect of the new system is that no position is elected by the whole student body. “I thought that was something that I really valued when I was SBP, knowing that the whole student body elected me and it almost gave me a larger responsibility to advocate for everyone at every turn,” he said.

Student presidents and SBPs are necessary for student government to function well, Menon said. “Any club you’re in, it’s important to have leaders, to lead the club,” he said. “I view it as the same thing — the student body needs a leader.

Maybe, in some aspects, that creates a hierarchy, but it’s necessary to allow the system to work.”

The SBP and class president positions created an unnecessary hierarchy, Dalo wrote. Certain students held positions that, by virtue of a title, afforded them a sense of more authority or high standing over others. “Why should there be two class presidents who, in title, have more authority or high standing over matters related to their class than the representatives? Instead there can be six representatives who divide the work and initiatives related to their grade,” Dalo wrote.

Gurvitch described the new system as a mirror of American democracy, he said. “It’s a sort of representative democracy, in that each group elects their own representative and then those representatives elect a chairperson,” he said. “In the long term, I think these changes will definitely benefit the student body.”

Claire Goldberg Staff Writer Every day, the FLIK staff package countless meals in grab-and-go containers and distribute many single-use utensils, enabling students to safely attend school in person.

However, this system causes a dramatic increase in garbage, raising sustainability concerns within the community.

With the additional containers and packaging, Director of Dining Service Brenda Cohn estimated that there has been a 65% increase in plastic use on campus, she said.

Though an increase in plastic usage is inevitable, the school is trying to choose sustainable options where possible, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly wrote in an email.

“This year will be a year of trade-offs,” he wrote. “But even within each trade, we’ve done our best to minimize the impact on the environment.”

“This year will be a year of trade-off. But even within each trade, we’ve done our best to minimize the impact on the environment.”

-Dr. Tom Kelly Currently, there are varying levels of sustainable packaging across campus, Cohn said. For example, aluminum containers and beverage cans are 100% recyclable. Cardboard containers used at the pizzeria can also be recycled. However, containers at the salad station are plastic, because the liquid residue of dressing would not allow the containers to be recycled, even if they were cardboard.

Jackson Feigin/Photo Director

LESS GREEN IN COVID-19 Utensils provided.

Continued on pg. 2

Editorial: Student government needs real power Although the abolishment of Student Body President and Class President positions will change the nature of student government at the school, neither will fix the primary problem of the Community Council (CC): The CC has no unique authority and therefore is not taken seriously by the student body or its members. Any Horace Mann student can spearhead initiatives — and the bureaucratic nature of the CC means that those initiatives are generally easier done apart from student government.

The Record proposes that as our school rethinks which positions are necessary and which are not, we also reconsider

the purpose of such positions. We believe that the CC has the potential to serve as the much-needed link between the student body and the school’s administration. To fulfill this purpose, the CC should meet with the administration — including the grade deans and division heads — regularly. When possible, the administration should hear feedback from the CC before making major decisions concerning the Upper Division. The decision to remove SBPs was shocking not only because of the position’s legacy but also because the administration did not ask for student input about a matter that directly concerns us.

This shift in purpose would better define the role of the CC in the UD. It would legitimize the CC as an organization, as its members would have greater agency. Furthermore, a CC with influence would improve transparency between the school and students; it would signal that the administration values student input.

The new structure of student government may clarify responsibilities for elected representatives, but the CC needs real authority in order to represent its students.

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THE RECORD NEWS OCTOBER 2ND, 2020

Jackson Feigin/Photo Director

HOT LUNCH In the cafeteria, students and faculty may pick up pre-packaged food that is available for preview on FLIK’s app. from Lunch Sustainability on pg. 1 While health concerns necessitate the use of containers, the school is trying to use sustainable containers where possible. “FLIK has been asked to purchase sustainable singleuse containers and to continue to use napkins that are ecofriendly,” Kelly wrote. The school has also decided not to return to plastic water bottles, he wrote.

As the school is primarily focused on staying open safely during the pandemic, Willa Davis (10) said it is the students’ responsibility to try to be more sustainable when they can. For example, even if the school supplies single-use cutlery and canned-water, students should still bring their own reusable silverware and water bottle, she said.

While aluminum cans are better than plastic water bottles, Dalia Pustilnik (11) still encourages the usage of reusable water bottles, she said. “No waste is always better than any waste, so people should definitely try to bring reusable water bottles instead of getting water at school.”

Member of GreenHM Sabrina Freidus (12) said she is pleased that a lot of the grab-and-go containers are not plastic.

“When I saw that the barbecue was using cardboard boxes and tins on the first day of school, I was so excited, because that is way better than plastic,” she said. However, Freidus wishes there were a place to wash out the tin containers, as they have to be cleaned out before they can be recycled. “If we recycle a

dirty container, we could end up ruining all of the recycling, which would definitely be counterproductive,” she said.

While the waste produced from grab-and-go containers is undeniable, cutting out reusable plates and silverware does have some benefits, Kelly wrote. Without having to wash dishes and utensils, the amount of heat and water typically used to clean and sanitize dishes is exponentially lower than in previous years, he wrote.

However, the plastic cutlery also comes with its tradeoffs, Freidus said. “I totally understand why we need to have singleuse plastic, but I wish that it were made out of more ecofriendly material,” she said. Another problem is that because all three utensils are packaged together, students often waste the ones that they don’t use, she said. “But, if you did individual packaging for each utensil, then you end up with more plastic from the packaging, so it’s just a difficult scenario.”

With the additional packaging, recycling is a top priority for GreenHM member Ermeen Choudhury (12), she said. “A lot of kids are just not recycling all of these packaging materials, which only adds to the waste this year,” she said. Educating the community on the proper recycling methods could serve as a solution to this problem, she said.

Oftentimes, Steve Yang (10) has difficulty determining what can be recycled and what cannot, he said. “I’ll walk up to the waste bins and hesitate, wondering which thing to put in which bin,” he said. Posting clearer signage above waste bins could be the solution, Yang said. “With better signs, we

could limit the sort of things that could be recycled that end up going to the landfill.”

Choudhury wishes that there were compost bins at the school too, where students could dispose of their food before recycling their containers, she said.

Using the FlikIsDining app also decreases unnecessary waste, Cohn said. Currently, students who do not use the app might go to one station and pick up something to eat, only to find that they actually want something else from a different station, she said. If students used the app, they would only select their most favorable option, decreasing the amount of food wasted, she said.

Freidus is glad that there are fewer snacks and less candy, because it decreases the packaging for each individual item, she said.

Choudhury said though the school has supplied a variety of food options, it should source their food from local farms to provide more sustainable options. She wants the school to participate in local Misfit Markets, which are markets that buy food from farmers that would be thrown out at supermarkets because they do not look as appetizing, according to their website.

Sourcing food from local farms would also decrease carbon emissions, because the food does not have to travel as far to arrive at the school, Freidus said. However, supplying food for the whole school from local farms is most likely costly, so it might not be feasible, she said.

To make sure the school continues to move towards a sustainable future, educating the community is the most important item on the agenda, English teacher Rebecca Bahr said. “As of now, most people really don’t think about things like recycling, and educating them about it could help to really get through to them,” she said. “Ultimately, I’d like the school to bring in somebody to give us some really concrete suggestions about the things we can do right now and things we can plan to do in the future.”

Ultimately, FLIK is constantly upgrading their practices to Jackson Feigin/Photo Director

METAL CANS Drinks are distributed to students and faculty. respond to the community’s concerns, including ones over sustainability, Dean of Students Michael Dalo said. “Now that we’re actually here and we’re starting to get a sense of all that is working, we can start thinking about what needs to be tweaked,” he said. “The food situation and sustainability will definitely be one of those things.”

Rachel Zhu/Art Director

Julie Lynthcott-Haimes discusses anti-racism with parents Alexander Lautin Staff Writer Julie Lynthcott-Haimes, author of “How To Raise An Adult” and “Real American: A Memoir,” spoke about racism and discrimination to the HM Parent Institute over Zoom on Wednesday. LynthcottHaimes described her experiences of people being racist towards her and her family, especially when she was at school.

The Parent Institute is a two-year-old program founded by Director of HM Parent Institute Wendy Reiter. The program aims to form a greater sense of belonging for the parents of the school community and to educate the parents on topics useful for the upbringing of their children, Reiter said. This year, the program has a goal of addressing the themes of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion because of

Courtesy of KUOW Newsroom

ANTI RACIST GUIDE Lynthcott-Haimes speaks. the recent events concerning racism, she said.

Reiter reinvited Lynthcott-Haimes to the

school after she presented to HM faculty, administration, and staff three years ago on her book. “[Lynthcott-Haimes] has a commanding presence about her that captivates an audience,” Reiter said. “You come away feeling like you’ve got a lot more resources, a lot more [parenting] skills in your toolkit.”

All parents, Nursery Division through Upper Division, could attend the presentation via Zoom. “In a way, [having the event virtually] offers us more flexibility because we don’t have to limit the number of attendees,” Reiter said.

Lynthcott-Haimes, who had both white and Black parents, went to Stanford for college, and was the Dean of Freshmen at Stanford. She is well-educated and has had incredible academic success, Reiter said.

When she tells the story about her struggles with her relationships and with her struggle of developing her own identity, she has a

powerful, personal story to tell, one that people will be empathetic toward, Reiter said.

Lynthcott-Haimes spoke of a high school experience when her classmate’s father questioned her how she got accepted into Stanford but his son hadn’t. He said that she stole his son’s spot at the school, and that somehow she was less deserving of it because of her ethnicity.

This is one of the many events that the Parent Institute has scheduled on racism for this year. “[Lynthcott-Haimes] is in many ways a kickoff event for parents to start to hear and be part of a conversation about how you talk to your children about race,” Reiter said.

The HM Parent Institute hosts LynthcottHaimes again in late October to speak about her book, A Real American: A Memoir, Reiter said.

HORACE MANN NEWS OCTOBER 2ND, 2020

Ivy prepatory schools adapt to COVID-19

3

Yin Fei and Emily Salzhauer Staff Writers

RIVERDALE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

TRINITY SCHOOL NYC

Trinity School has been remote ever since September 8 but plans to begin in-person learning for 9th grade for the week of October 14, 12th grade for the week of October 26, 11th grade for the week of November 2, and 10th grade for week of November 9, Upper School Principal Stephen Kolman wrote in an opening letter to the community.

Prior to students’ return, Lauren Khine (Trinity 11) said COVID-19 initiatives will mainly entail temperature checks, masks, negative coronavirus tests, and ability to quarantine for 14 days.

Unless the entire class is present, most classes will run on a hybrid basis: students or faculty who are not in the building will Zoom in, according to the letter.

Each student in the room will have a computer, and they will be simultaneously Zooming with their

POLY PREP COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

colleagues at home and those in the classroom.

Khine said each class will meet three times a week instead of four.

Classrooms will favor “Jumbo” rooms that can accommodate 15-16 students and account for six feet between desks, Kolman wrote.

These rooms will be shared by disciplines and will be regularly cleaned by maintenance staff and students who will wipe down desks after class.

Students, faculty, and staff will select their cold lunch choices, pick them up in a select location, and either eat in the classroom spaces or outdoors, Khine said.

However, Trinity’s reopening plans will ultimately depend upon New York City’s ability to keep COVID-19 under control, Kolman wrote in the letter. “We simply cannot move forward if we feel we are no longer behaving responsibly for the good of all,” he wrote.

Riverdale Country School began their school year online two weeks earlier than usual, allowing students to visit the campus, attend meetings, and learn new health protocols. After Labor Day, Riverdale switched to a hybrid schedule. Students, staggered by grade level, come to school for one or two days but remain online for the rest of the week, according to the school’s website.

Before arriving at school, all community members are required to complete a daily health screening, using a program called Ruvna, to check for COVID-19 symptoms and get a unique code, Stella Michel (Riverdale 11) said. When they then get to school, students enter a tent to check their temperature and scan codes to confirm their attendance, she said.

To maximize time outside, Riverdale is using a total of 55 tents. Each building has dedicated entrances and exits, with one-way hallway routes and socially distant desks. According to the website, the school has installed new equipment, such Cou as electrostatic disinfection machines, rtes y of outdoor sinks, and touchless the Riv erd dispensers, to prevent ale Day Sch the spread of the ool web site coronavirus.

There are

HACKLEY SCHOOL

Hackley School students have been back on campus since August 31. Students and faculty are required to wear a mask and maintain social distancing at all times, according to the school’s website.

The school is taking precautions, such as spacing out the desks and using plastic barriers in the classroom. Students and faculty have their temperature taken upon arrival and complete a health questionnaire before school each morning. The school has also added HEPA air filters to each classroom to help with the air filtration, according to their website. Hackely has also set up tents on their field that can serve as outdoor classrooms.

Each classroom now has a camera and microphone, so students can Courte learn remotely via Zoom and other sy of th e Hack ley Sch platforms, according to the school’s ool we bsite website.

“School must go on,” Poly Prep Co ur Country Day’s website says. “That’s been tes yo ft our community’s guiding thought every he Tr in time a new safety, teaching, planning, ity Sc ho transportation, or operational challenge has ol we been posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” bs ite Poly Prep Country Day reopened their campus for all students to attend outdoor school on Tuesday, September 8. According to their website, the school has reimagined their classroom spaces, using their additional open spaces, such as the library and dance studio, as classrooms. The school is also utilizing their 25-acre campus to set up 70 socially distanced tents.

“As important as any lesson, our students will play and be active in bsite ool we ay Sch the open spaces of our campuses ntry D u o C p oly Pre and Prospect Park,” the website sy of P Courte says.

COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

THE DALTON SCHOOL

Collegiate School students have been learning remotely since the beginning of the school year, but the school is now phasing in live regularly on instruction. On September 29, 12th graders returned Zoom.

The to campus. Eleventh graders will return on October 2, Dalton School 10th graders will return on October 7, and 9th graders will has a new club return on October 13, Head of the Collegiate Upper School created this year Ben Temple wrote in an email to the families. where students can During online school, students have classes three times a sign up to do workouts week for 50-55 minutes at a time, a change from the previous four together in Central Park Courtesy of the Ethical Culture Fieldston School website meetings a week for 55 minutes, Jacob Markman (Collegiate 10) said. or Randalls Island, Mortman Students may arrive at school no earlier than 8:30 a.m., and at 9 a.m. said. Students have enjoyed being a part of this club school starts. Students must go immediately to their classroom when they because it helps give a sense get to school, Temple wrote in the email. Students whose classes start later of community, she said. in the day may not arrive until at most 30 minutes prior to their first The Dalton School class of the day. Students are also encouraged to leave early if they do The Ethical Culture Fieldston online, according to the hopes to reopen soon, not have class at the end of the day, the email said.

School (ECFS) prioritized a school’s website. After a but no earlier than the The school is providing each student with a boxed lunch phase-in period for their academic careful evaluation of the end of the trimester, that will have a sandwich, fruit, chips, and dessert. The food is the email said. program and conducted all classes initial weeks, the school plans delivered to the students in their classrooms, where they must remotely in September, allotting a few to then proceed with phase two eat at their desks. No other snacks or food is offered during days for students to return to campus which will allow 50% students to the day. Students are encouraged to bring water bottles to for orientation, Isaac Holtz (ECFS 10) learn on campus at any given time. stay hydrated during the day as all water fountains have For those on campus, ECFS said. In October, however, a transition been closed due to the possible risks they could cause. to a new learning model, which Fieldston students will attend school wearing Sports teams and clubs are also meeting virtually to is calling Hyflex, will be implemented for as masks, in tented outdoor areas and continue their activities. many academic and non-academic classes as repurposed indoor spaces, and surrounded After each class period, students and faculty possible, according to the school’s reopening by physical barriers, such as strip curtains must leave the classroom so it can be cleaned. guide. and plexiglass. Students online will use Google During that time, the students and faculty In order to adhere to the physical distancing Classroom to access all of their coursework and must remain on socially distant spots in the requirement, the Hyflex model is set to reduce Google Meet to attend class virtually, according hallway, Temple wrote in the email. individual in-person classroom sizes by half—or to to the website.

Students are required to wear a mask around 12 students per class—according to the school’s All food and beverages will be grab-and-go meals for the school day and must have website. As a result, the school will use alternating A/B in disposable containers, as there is not enough space a negative COVID-19 test before weeks to facilitate half of the students coming on campus, for proper social distancing in the cafeteria, Holtz said. returning to school. Students must while the other half access their classes virtually, Holtz said. Students will then eat meals in advisory rooms or other also maintain social distancing Phase one of the Hyflex system will start alternating with predetermined locations, according to the reopening guide. whenever possible, Temple wrote 25% of the students attending and the remaining 75% staying in the email. ool Sch

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At The Dalton School, students are learning remotely until at least the end of the trimester. The school gives students who are unable to work at home the option of joining the class on Zoom from campus, Arielle Mortman (Dalton 10) said.

The school has made many changes to the online schedule, including extending the classes to 80 minutes two to three times a week. On the other hand, in the spring, classes were 30 minutes three to four days a week for both semesters, Mortman said.

The school has also made classes meet two out of three trimesters, allowing more free time in the schedule.

With this extra time, the students will have more options open to them. The Dalton School has begun to add in new electives in the arts and other subjects so students can take in the trimesters without some classes to fill their schedule, Mortman said.

For now, the school’s clubs and sports teams have also been moved to a virtual format.

The clubs and teams all meet

also isolation rooms on each campus that are used to care for any sick community members awaiting transportation home.

Most classes meet once a week in person and twice a week remotely, and classrooms are configured for about half of the typical enrollment, Michel said.

Remote students receive instruction online while following a similar schedule. Last year, the virtual platforms used for each class were selected based on the teacher’s preference, but now all of the students are using Zoom for increased uniformity, she said.

For lunch, students fill out a form every week and then pick up their orders in front of the main buildings in the plaza, but they are also allowed to bring lunch from home, Michel said.

Riverdale is prepared to convert to remotelearning if COVID-19 cases spike or if the weather is too cold for outdoor activity, the website said. The daily schedule, though, would remain the same; classes meet three times a week, with three nights of assigned homework.

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THE RECORD OPINIONS OCTOBER 2ND, 2020

“Wisdom knows bounds”:

A step-by-step guide to building community question our intelligence, and that undoubtedly has detriments.

We must listen to learn and understand, not only to respond. In order to foster a welcoming environment, we cannot invalidate the experiences, identities, and lives of others by assuming that we know more. For example, if someone says that they have a hard time trusting the police and judicial system, do not refute their experiences simply because you have not experienced this.

In addition, if an individual expresses discomfort with something

“In order to foster a welcoming environment, we cannot invalidate the experiences, identities, and lives of others by assuming that we know more.”

Destiney Green and Nshera Tutu As poet Matthew Stepanek once said, “Unity is strength, [and] when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” Such ideals are necessary as we return and adapt to a new Horace Mann. As a community, it is imperative that we come together. However, the uncertainty within our school also captures the environment of the world around us. Amidst everything that has transpired this year, from police brutality to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a supportive community is now clearer than ever.

At Horace Mann, we are accustomed to forming an argument, acquiring the evidence to support it, and then rebutting. Our school has taught us to always believe in ourselves and to never

that has offended or invalidated parts of their identity, it again is imperative that we take a step back to listen and empathize. We must acknowledge that our wisdom knows bounds. We are not equipped to speak on every issue, let alone attempt to explain the issues that another person faces. We need to support those affected and trust the information that they share.

At the same time, we cannot remain ignorant and uneducated about social issues in our world that undoubtedly affect our community. Just as we delve into academic topics by pulling from a wealth of the school’s resources, the same must be done to

learn about the world around us. As we engage in conversations about vacations, clothes, shoes, and grades, it is important to engage in more serious conversations that help us understand the world around us and the way in which our peers might be affected. Ignorance is bliss, and it is easy to retain a false sense of togetherness by choosing not to acknowledge blatant issues.

It is necessary for us to educate ourselves through conversation, individual research, and constant attention to the world around us. If we do, we can validate each others’ experiences and accept everyone and their identities.

We must actively uplift one another. Due to our circumstances, many of the familiar ways we fostered community in the past are no longer available to us. Although it is harder to create new relationships and strengthen existing ones, we must make the effort to get to know people we may not regularly associate with.

We should try to understand who they are and how their identity and background affect their life experiences. One of the best ways to broaden our worldviews is to directly hear from people who experience life differently. In doing so, we can show up for and assist our peers in whatever ways they see fit. Whether that means supporting their initiatives, learning about an issue they are passionate about, or merely listening to them rant about what upsets them, make the effort to truly be there for them.

In a year marked with unrest and sorrow, we have a unique opportunity to build unity and joy within our community. By listening, learning, and supporting, we can create a friendly, ethical, and welcoming environment where individuals of marginalized identities feel included and valued.

The freshman experience amidst COVID-19

Nia Huff With the change from online learning to inperson learning, the “freshman experience” that the Class of 2024 originally expected has changed dramatically. Entering a new division can be challenging for many reasons: students need to make new friends, adjust to a new workload, meet new teachers, and acclimate to a new environment.

This year, however, many of the events that once eased the transition from middle to high school have been reimagined, rescheduled, or cancelled, making the jump more difficult than I envisioned.

Before joining the Upper Division (UD), I pictured my high school experience as if it was a movie, perhaps similar to High School Musical. I imagined the lunchroom filled with commotion as the next hot topic was discussed, football games every Friday, intense school spirit, and stylish outfits. However, the UD is completely different.

The vibe is much more laid back than the Middle Division (MD), which is surprising; I thought it would be more intense than the MD because of the increased workload. However, because of our current situation, much of what makes high school at Horace Mann is no longer present, changing my impression of the UD so far.

What makes the school so special to me are the amazing teachers that come here every day ready to teach, assist, and support every student. However, relationships between the students and teachers have changed. Before COVID-19, it was easy to drop by the department offices and say hi or ask a question. Now, it requires more planning to meet with a teacher. It has been harder to get to know my teachers because our masks take away from the person-to-person connection we would usually experience. During the first few days of school, my teachers expressed the difficulty of remembering our names and getting to know all of us, due to the obstruction of half of our faces. I also felt like it was quite a challenge to get to know all the new ninth-graders in my classes without yelling due to the plexiglass barricades and masks.

These difficulties have posed some challenges, but they have also prompted more icebreakers and team building activities in class, which I feel has helped everyone become acclimated to each other in this new environment. Although this new norm has presented a few challenges, I still feel as connected to my teachers as I did in the MD. The new coronavirus policies have also drastically affected the way my grade has socialized and interacted with each other in the classroom.

Throughout my time at the school, I have made most of my friends from my classes, rather than from lunch or free periods. Additionally, with the new structure of the classrooms, I have not really been able to meet anyone new. The desk configurations and limits on collaboration in the classroom have all hindered my ability to meet new people and to get to know others.

Because I was a mentor, I was able to attend virtual UD Orientation (UDO) and meet the incoming freshmen a few days before school began.

Even though I felt like UDO allowed me to meet

Features Henry Owens Emily Shi Vivien Sweet

only on a recommendation from a peer or a video from the club leaders. I am so excited to try new things and expand my horizons; nonetheless, this unconventional year has made it a little bit more tricky to know where to start.

Regardless of the changes to the UD experience, I am hopeful that this year will still be as amazing as I once envisioned. Over the past few weeks, I have witnessed small acts of kindness from many of my peers. From waving to a new ninth-grader in the hallways, to including one another in conversations, the Class of 2024 has truly shown the importance of inclusion. I am so amazed at how well the ninth grade class has come together, despite these unprecedented circumstances. I am confident that the Class of 2024 will make the best of this year and support each other to make everyone feel included.

Rachel Zhu/Art Director

Volume 118 Editorial Board Managing Editor Talia Winiarsky

News Sam Chiang Yesh Nikam Marina Kazarian

new students, I didn’t feel I was able to truly get to know my peers. When school began, this became even harder because of social distancing measures and different schedules — I had few opportunities to meet many of the classmates I had previously met virtually on a deeper level.

Finally, the absence of a sports team dynamic and a genuine club experience has also affected the way I have integrated into the UD. Prior to the pandemic, I looked forward to fun bus rides, close relationships with teammates, and the chance to meet students from different grades. During eighth grade, I looked forward to joining the soccer team in the fall; however, because of COVID-19, I knew the experience I was looking for wouldn’t be there this year. The way clubs will meet this year has also altered the way I have acclimated to the UD. It’s amazing how many different clubs the UD has, but it has been quite overwhelming trying to figure out what clubs will be best for me based

Opinions Maurice Campbell Avi Kapadia Natalie Sweet

A&E Izzy Abbott Abby Beckler Oliver Steinman

Editor-in-Chief Julia Goldberg Lions’ Den Yotam Hahn Alison Isko Josh Underberg

Middle Division Adrian Arnaboldi Bradley Bennett Jack Crovitz

Staff Staff Writers Devin Allard-Neptune, Chloe Choi, Emma Colacino, Yin Fei, Lucas Glickman, Claire Goldberg, Liliana Greyf, Lauren Ho, Hanna Hornfeld, Oliver Lewis, Rowan Mally, Walker McCarthy, Morgan Smith, Arushi Talwar, Katya Tolunsky, Nathan Zelizer, Max Chasin, Alex Lautin, Jillian Lee, Hannah Katzke, Vidhatrie Keetha, Louise Kim, Clio Rao, Ayesha Sen, Emily Salzhauer, Emily Sun Staff Photographers Kelly Troop, Sophie Gordon, Amanda Wein, Emma Colacino, AJ Walker, Lucas Glickman, Lauren Ho Staff Artists Eliza Becker, Felix Brenner, Riva Vig

Issues Editor Adam Frommer Design Lowell Finster John Mauro Sarah Sun

Art Annabelle Chan Gabby Fischberg Lauren Kim Rachel Zhu

Photography Jackson Feigin Julia Isko Maxwell Shopkorn

Faculty Advisor David Berenson

Editorial Policy About Founded in 1903, The Record is Horace Mann School’s award-winning weekly student newspaper. We publish approximately 30 times during the academic year, offering news, features, opinions, arts, Middle Division and sports coverage relevant to the school community. The Record serves as a public forum to provide the community with information, entertainment, and an outlet for various viewpoints. As a student publication, the contents of The Record are the views and work of the students and do not necessarily represent those of the faculty or administration of the Horace Mann School. Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and contents of The Record and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed therein.

Editorials All editorial decisions regarding content, grammar, and layout are made by the senior editorial board. The unsigned editorial represents the opinion of the majority of the board.

Opinions Opinion columns represent the viewpoint of the author and not of The Record or the school. We encourage students, alumni, faculty, staff, and parents to submit opinions by emailing record@horacemann.org.

Letters Letters to the editor often respond to editorials, articles, and opinions pieces, allowing The Record to uphold its commitment to open discourse within the school community. They too represent the opinion of the author and not of The Record or the school.

To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters should

be submitted by mail (The Record, 231 West 246th Street, Bronx, NY 10471) or email (record@horacemann.org) before 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. All submissions must be signed.

Contact For all tips, comments, queries, story suggestions, complaints and corrections, please contact us by email at record@ horacemann.org.

5

HORACE MANN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 2ND, 2020

From Hawaii to Horace Mann, Ho pursues music Lucas Glickman and Zachary Kurtz Ho is the youngest of five children in his family. By the time he was in fourth grade, Ho Staff Writers “It’s impossible for me to separate myself from my Hawaiianess,” Music Department Chair Timothy Ho said. “The way I relate to music and the way that I have learned to teach music is from a significantly Hawaiian perspective.”

Ho was first exposed to music through the Diablo Valley Hui o Aloha, a Hawaiian civic organization to which his parents belonged in Napa, California. Ho and his family would attend events hosted by the organization every Friday night. Adults and older children would sit in a circle and sing traditional Hawaiian music with guitars and ukuleles, he said.

Growing up, Ho was also exposed to another genre: classical western music. In fourth grade, Ho began his classical western music training, learning to play the piano, the flute, and the tuba. “It was sort of like these parallel tracks where in my brain [Hawaiian and western music] are always divided,” he said.

would practice piano, flute, or ukelele to help fill the quiet in his parent’s house after three of his older siblings had left home, he said.

In ninth grade, Ho left California to attend Kamehameha Schools, a private boarding and day school in Honolulu, Hawaii. There, he was selected by his peers to lead his grade in Hawaiian choral music in the Kamehameha School Song Contest, a televised singing competition. Ho conducted his grade’s choir in this contest for the following four years, making him the only student in the school’s 100-year history to do so. For this accomplishment, he received the Louise A’oe McGregor Award.

It was only after he began directing choir that Ho felt his Hawaiian sensibility fuse with his Western sensibility, he said. “That’s where that kind of stopped being so separate,” he said.

Throughout Ho’s choral career, Dr. Randie Fong has been one of his most influential musical inspirations. Fong was the performing arts department chair, choir director, and

Courtesy of Timothy Ho

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOL Ho conducts performance at his Alma Mater.

traditional hula instructor at Ho’s high school.

He mentored Ho in everything from teaching strategies to Hawaiian cultural practices to Hawaiian choral arranging, Ho said.

Ho was initially interested in ornithology, the study of birds, and was admitted to Columbia University to study biology. However, he was encouraged by his “kumu,” or teacher, Fong, to consider going into music education so that he might eventually return to Kamehameha to teach their choirs, he said.

Ho was also accepted into Pacific Lutheran University’s top choir, and he attended with the intent of becoming a band director. The choir was directed by Richard Sparks, one of the most recognized choir directors in the United States.

“It was sort of an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Ho said. “Randie Fong is one of the most highly regarded Hawaiian musicians. Period.”

The first piece he performed in college was called “Les noces,” a Stravinsky piece with four pianos, a choir, strings, soloists, and percussion orchestra. “I think it was significant because it really showed what I was capable of doing,” Ho said.

Ho felt fortunate to be able to spend time learning music and lessons from Fong, including to be a leader, how to talk to others, and how to always prioritize kindness, he said.

Under Fong’s guidance, Ho took up a job teaching choir at a high school in Lakewood, Washington before going on to direct the Concert Glee Club at his alma mater, Kamehameha School.

After teaching there for over eight years, his choir was selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association National Convention in 2005. Due to the intense entry requirements, most accepted choirs have directors aged between 40 and 60 years old. Ho’s choir, on the other hand, was selected when he turned 30, which was a huge accomplishment, he said.

Before marrying his partner Michael Jaros, the couple decided to move back to California to take care of Ho’s parents. Soon after, they married. Jaros moved to New York City to attend a master’s program at Columbia and

Courtesy of Timothy Ho

BRAVO! Ho projects his voice. accepted a position at Horace Mann. In April of that school year, Ho applied to be the school’s Choir Director.

Before Ho came to the school, the choir program had shrunk dramatically, as it lacked a long-standing choir director. Ho not only rebuilt the choir but also added a Middle School music program, he said.

“I’m immensely proud of the Horace Mann’s choir program in terms of the students who have committed to it and the beauty of the singing,” Ho said. “Every Horace Mann student I have taught Hawaiian music to has grasped it with open arms and with love and amazing respect, and that, to me, is the most amazing thing I could ask for in my career.”

Courtesy of Timothy Ho

4...3...2...1... Ho leads school choir.

Paulson (10) Turns Doodles Into Dancers Ayesha Sen and Madison Xu Staff Writers When Giselle Paulson (10) began scribbling dancing stick figures into the corner of her French textbook in fifth grade, she didn’t realize that the hobby would later become a cherished part of her life. Within a week of experimental doodling, Paulson found herself choreographing technical dance routines for her stickfigure characters.

When Paulson danced with the School of American Ballet, she had to practice for 12 hours a week and attend additional rehearsals and performances with the New York City Ballet. After she quit in seventh grade due to the intense time commitment, she knew that she wanted to remain involved in dance, so she began to make simple animations and incorporate advanced dance techniques that she used to perform herself, she said.

Alison Kolinski, Theatre, Dance & Film Studies Department Chair was amazed by the technical accuracy in Paulson’s animation, The Clock, which was shown at the school’s opening assembly. “I was blown away by how intriguing and thought out the storyline was,” Kolinski said. “I got chills watching it, because it really is terrific work.”

Megumi Iwai-Louie (10) was shocked by the level of detail shown in The Clock. “I am a violinist, so I especially appreciated that her song choice was so deliberate,” she said.

Paulson chose to use the song “Nuvole Bianche”

by Ludovico Einaudi because it reminded her of the

fluidity of water, she said. “The song also reminds me of time passing, which was the reason I decided to feature an actual clock with the dancers performing along with the hands.”

The process of combining each individual drawing is quite tedious, Paulson said. She begins with a single drawing on a post-it note and lines each sketch up with the previous one. The Clock includes 625 individual sketches. Depending on the specific animation, Paulson draws up to 1,500 frames. After drawing each frame, Paulson combines the photographs of her

Courtesy of Giselle Paulson

GRAND JETÉ Doodles dance into existance. sketches through an app called Stop Motion.

“Giselle is a passionate and talented student, which are wonderful qualities,” Kolinski said. “She doesn’t need to be pushed, because she’s got the motivation in her.”

Anyone can doodle, but Giselle’s commitment sets her aparts, Iwai-Louie said. “She was so busy over the summer, but somehow she still found time for her

doodles. That is dedication.”

Paulson said her mother has been one of her biggest mentors throughout her creative processes. “My mom just knows when I’m in the zone and exactly how long I will take,” she said. Her mother understands how emotionally and physically draining it is to sit and work for an extended period of time, Paulson said.

Bela Tinaj (10), a dancer, is astounded by Paulson’s ability to bring her art to life through dance. Paulson’s advanced choreography and the technicality of her doodles are impressive, Tinaj said.

The emotions evoked by Paulson’s animations are unique to each dance and song, and every viewer can interpret it differently, she said. For Tinaj, the message behind The Clock was about falling and having people there to catch you and pick you up, she said.

Paulson created her Instagram account, @doodles_ into_dancers, a month ago to showcase her animations.

She initially had the idea to start a social media account a few years ago, but she knew that she needed to have several animations stocked up before she opened up the account so that she could post regularly.

Now that she has started the account, Paulson wants to post every one to two weeks so that she can keep her followers engaged. In the future, she hopes that her animations will reach a wider audience, consisting of those who don’t know her personally.

“It really takes a lot of patience, but the thing that keeps me going is imagining how the finished product will look and how fulfilling and exciting it will be to see it completed,” Paulson said.

Art by Giselle Paulson

6

THE RECORD THE RECORD FEATURES OCTOBER 2ND, 2020 Nearly two hundred pictures of white text against maroon backgrounds flooded Instagram feeds this summer. In these posts by @hmspeaksout, past and present students spoke about their experience with racism, sexism, homophobia, islamophobia, antisemitism, and other forms of oppression at the school until the account became inactive on July 25.

Alumni of the school started @hmspeaksout on June 17. They wanted to raise awareness for the marginalized students’ experiences and pressure the school to change so that these incidents do not reoccur, said Sal* ’19, one of the account’s administrators.

The alumni behind the account wanted to stay anonymous for their safety and because they do not want contributors to feel judged — nor do they want praise for the account, Sal said.

Most accounts for other predominantly white institutions (PWIs), such as @ blackatchapin and @blackatdalton, center around Black students and students of color’s experiences with racism because they were made in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

However, @hmspeaksout wanted the account t o be intersectional since a student’s time at the school is not only shaped by their race, but also by their gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic class, and religion, Sal said.

“There are times where I wish [the account] was more focused on Black experiences because of everything that was happening within the nation,” Nshera Tutu (12) said. Despite that, she thinks its a d m i n i s t r at or s made a conscious effort to highlight Black stories, both in general and when they shared appreciations for Black faculty members on Juneteenth.

Before @hmspeaksout, @blackat_horacemann posted several stories, but the administrators deactivated the account in early June, Sal said. @blackathoracemann2 started after @ hmspeaksout for Black students to share their experiences with racism. “That account fizzled out after a bit, so everyone turned their attention back to @hmspeaksout,” Jaden Richards (12) said. @hmspeaksout had amassed 1,543 followers and 193 posts before it stopped posting on July 25.

The owners were worried about the potentially libelous nature of the posts and wanted to be cautious of the risks in running it, Sal said. “We are a bunch of alumni without any real knowledge of how to work this, and there are some legal dangers to posting names of people or accusing people of stuff,” she said. “But we do want to keep highlighting these stories in as safe a way we can.”

When asked about the future of the account, the alumni running it did not comment on their course of action.

Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly wrote that @ hmspeaksout is independent of the school and those who run it are free to do

WHAT HAPPENED TO @HMSPEAKSOUT? The Record examines the reactions and ramifications of this summer’s controversial Instagram account.

Emily Sun and Emma Colacino Staff Writers

Rachel Zhu/Art Director

so. The school notified its employees and the Board of Trustees about the account; however, they decided not to inform parents or students due to concerns over the validity behind some posts on the account, Kelly wrote. “Given the hurtful and rather malicious nature of portions of the website, sharing it with the community at large was not appropriate.”

Additionally, Kelly said that while some posts on the account warranted a public comment, the school found others to be untrue. “In some instances, the school has spoken publicly about the need to address a particular instance,” he wrote. “In others, the information presented is incomplete, and we would appreciate a more in depth conversation with the individual who posted. And in still others, we found material to be inaccurate and even malicious.”

On July 12, the administrators of @hmspeaksout sent an open letter to Kelly and the Board of Trustees. Since the school had not formally addressed the account, the alumni wanted them to come out with a plan for tangible and long-lasting change, Sal said.

“How can we trust new initiatives to fight bigotry at the

“The value of the account, even if this is the only thing that it accomplishes, is to give people a voice.”

- Rebecca Four P’22 school will work, given that previous initiatives have failed?

How can we trust the school to hold itself accountable?” they wrote in the letter. “We need to know that Horace Mann is committed to not only taking the required initiatives but also acknowledging its neglect of the pervasive bigotry that has existed in the school.”

The letter compiled stories of racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, sexual harassment, and sexual assault from the account. It also included 663 signatures from alumni, students, faculty and staff, parents, and friends of students and alumni.

Nusaiba Ashraf (9) signed the open letter because the school would be more pressured to respond if there are many signatures behind it, she said. She hoped to show that people want the school to enact changes, so future students will not experience the bigotry highlighted on the account.

However, English teacher Jennifer Huang did not sign the letter because she felt that it was addressed to her, not something she should address to someone else by adding her name to it. Faculty and staff have a responsibility to improve the culture of the school and the well-being of students, she said. “I myself can and should and must work harder to support students who feel scared, threatened, marginalized, diminished by their experiences at school.”

Rebeca Four P’22 signed the letter, but she thought it was not strong because it did not articulate specific demands, she said. Instead, the administrators of @hmspeaksout m a d e general calls for accountability and left it up to the s c h o o l to decide what that meant. “You have to call [the school] to task and show them what accountability is, what it looks like, and when it needs to happen,” she said.

Kelly replied to the open letter with an email to the account, he wrote. In it, he invited any member of the school community to meet with him about the account, whether they had submitted to it or not. The administrators of @hmspeaksout appreciated his response, but they did not post it because it was a private conversation rather than the public statement from the school they had wanted, Sal said.

Given the amount of hurtful situations detailed in the posts on the account, Richards thinks the school should have publicly addressed the account, he said. “Them not responding is quite literally part of the problem,” he said. “You have 200 plus kids saying that they’ve had all these traumatic experiences at your school and not even saying, ‘We hear you’ is disappointing.”

Similarly, Ericka Familia (12) said that addressing the account would have been the appropriate course of action for the school. “Almost every student knows about it and we know the school knows about it, so acknowledging it and discussing ways to move forward would be the best response,” she said. “I don’t think ignoring it is going to fix the situation.”

Like Familia, Destiney Green (11) had hoped for a statement from the administration before September so that students, especially those who posted to the account, would feel more comfortable returning to school, she said. “I’m really, really, really disappointed [that there hasn’t been one], and really questioning why,” she said. Whether or not it was the school’s intention, Green said the message she received was that they do not care about the stories.

Sal said she expected the school to acknowledge and apologize to the community for the s t o r i e s .

Instead, she felt like the school was ignoring @hmspeaksout.

“They would rather try to cover up this account and wait until

7

HORACE MANN FEATURES OCTOBER 2ND, 2020 Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

the stories died down, rather than acknowledge that they have happened and are currently still happening,” Sal said.

Although the school has not spoken openly about @hmspeaksout to the community, they have worked with Black Students Demanding Change (BSDC), an organization that advocates for anti-racist reform in private schools, on initiatives that address racism and other types of discrimination that the account brought to light.

Tutu, a BSDC representative, used @hmspeaksout to identify problems that the school needed to fix.

“Having a wide array of experiences and stories to draw from made [our demands] more equitable and representative of everyone in the community,” Tutu said.

One of BSDC’s demands was to improve the system for reporting racism, sexism, homophobia, and other discrimination, Tutu said. They worked with the school administration on a policy titled “Reporting Incidents of Bias.”

Page 55 of the 2020 Family Handbook states the new guideline: “If students experience any harassment or bullying by any other member of the community, on the basis of any aspect of their identity or any other basis, they should immediately report the incident to a trusted adult, who is then obliged to bring the incident to the Upper Division Head.”

From her experience at the school, BSDC representative Lauren Gay (12) saw that many students believed the only way to report their experiences with discrimination was to speak with the administration, and many did not feel comfortable doing so, she said.

Richards, for instance, has had experiences with administrators at the school that made him reluctant to seek help from them, he said. His Middle Division Dean said he and another Black student looked like twins and called them by each others’ names for two years, even though they looked nothing alike. “If you can’t even identify me as an individual, then why the hell am I going to go to you when something bad has happened to me? You don’t even know who I am,” Richards said.

Gay hopes that the new policy encourages more people to report their experiences, she said. “We wanted to make it clear that you could go to any teacher you feel comfortable with, it doesn’t have to be Dr. Levenstein or Dr. Kelly.”

Some students may also feel uncomfortable coming forward because they do not want to get a peer or adult “in trouble” or be proven wrong after an investigation, Kelly wrote. In other cases, students might think they reported their concern correctly but see no action from administrators.

“This additional level of record-keeping will afford the administration the ability to intervene with a better understanding of past incidents, founded or unfounded, specific to a particular student or employee, as well as ensure a more consistent system for following up with the student voicing the concern,” Kelly wrote.

Ashraf appreciates that the school takes students’ experiences seriously, but said she wished the policy was clearer about the repercussions of discriminatory behavior. “If someone were to report [an incident of discrimination] to the administration, I want to know what accountability looks like for the person who said or did something,” she said. @hmspeaksout was the first step in improving the school’s culture because it raised awareness about racism and other forms of oppression, Nitika Subramanian (10) said. “I don’t think the HM

*Any name with an asterisk represents a student granted anonymity.

community truly understood the scope of our problem, so it would’ve been impossible to even begin to fix it.”

Subramanian wishes the account was still active b e c a u s e it would’ve kept people talking about r a c e , gender, and sexuality. “I don’t think we’re done learning about the issues within our community,” Subramanian said. “I want us to have more conversations on a more personal level. What am I doing to support people who are victims of this?

What am I doing that hurts people?”

After reading the stories on @hmspeaksout, Stephen Chien (11) realized the severity of the inequity at the school and the need for racial justice, he said. “Being Chinese, I’m not really aware of the racism that my Black classmates or [other] minority classmates experience.”

Eli Bacon (12) hopes that people who do not experience discrimination read the posts, put themselves in marginalized students’ shoes, and work to make their classmates’ time at the school less difficult, he said. “The account opens the narrative about what it means to be not straight, not white, not male, and not wealthy at a school like HM.” @hmaspeaskout proved that even though the school strives to foster an inclusive environment, many students still feel ostracized, Familia said. Every student, faculty, and administrator needs to read the posts and understand how much more work the school has to do to make that a reality, she said.

Familia said that one way to do so is by holding difficult conversations in English, History, and Seminar on Identity (SOI). “By ensuring that everyone participates in these discussions in their classes, it more strongly conveys that the school acknowledges the seriousness of these issues,” she said. “It creates a more conscientious student body that is more likely to think deeper about how their words and actions affect those around them,” Tutu said she also thinks the school should incorporate topics from the account into classes or community meetings. She felt frustrated when she saw that students of color and female students make up the majority of people who like and comment on the posts. Marginalized people engage with social justice issues more because they are directly impacted by them, but everyone should be active in these conversations, Tutu said.

Since Instagram is a platform people use voluntarily, Green worries that those who perpetrate

“To see a social media platform calling for zero tolerance across all forms of harassment, only to maliciously attack others in doing so, does make one wonder about the sincerity of those operating the site.”

-Dr. Tom Kelly bigotry highlighted on the account can choose to ignore the stories. “I fear that they feel this is not applicable to them and they don’t need to care about it,” she said.

Tomoko Hida (11) had posted a story on @ hmspeaksout, but those who she wanted it to reach did not like the post or follow the account, she said. “I wish that people would understand that if they don’t go through things that other students experience, it’s their responsibility to be there and be an ally.”

Hida said that SOI classes could look at posts from the account and listen to one another. “If all of the people in our grade and in our school are forced to look at them, face the hard truth, and discuss them in class, that would be ideal,” she said.

Four said that looking at the posts will spur students to be more vigilant in calling out racism, sexism, homophobia, or other oppressive behavior, now that they know the extent to which it happens on their own campus. “The value of the account, even if this is the only thing that it accomplishes, is to give people a voice,” said Four, who would often comment on the posts.

Nia Huff (9) said that viewing the posts showed her how other students have had similar experiences as her own.. “As a Black girl, I can relate to some of the stories that have been told,” she said. “It’s really sad that we have to go

through this. But it’s also empowering how finally our voices are being heard and people are finally recognizing the true experience of being non-white at a PWI.” Like Huff, Green appreciates how the account amplifies the voices of female or LGBTQ students and students of color. “That’s needed because we’re in a community where white cis males are running [the school] and have power in [it],” she said.

The option to post anonymously also creates a safe space for people to share their feelings, Green said. It takes away the pressure to stay silent for fear of how other students or the school would react.

However, some students chose to publicly post their stories of bigotry they faced at the school.

When deciding whether to put his name on his post, Richards realized he wanted people to picture his face when they read his story. It would be easier to brush it off if they do not know who it happened to, he said.

“By having the teachers in the Upper Division and the heads of school see my name, it might hurt a little more to know that a kid they taught had one of the most traumatic experiences of his life on this campus,” Richards said.

Tiger Moreno ’20 also spoke publicly about her experience with a former faculty member who spoke to her and touched her inappropriately. “He hugged and then kissed me on top of my head after telling him about family troubles,” she wrote in the post.

People often treat sexual harassment like gossip rather than take it seriously, Moreno said. “This is an opportunity to show that I’m a real person, I went through this terrible thing, and I was one of your classmates.”

Additionally, Moreno wanted to let survivors of similar situations know that it is possible to walk away from it and speak about it openly. After she posted her story, people she did not know reached out to her saying “thank you for doing that” and “that was really brave.” “It was really comforting,” Moreno said.

While anonymity has benefits for those who submit their stories, Evann Penn Brown (12) saw drawbacks in the administrators of the account being anonymous, she said. Penn Brown finds it problematic that people could not hold them accountable for what they post. She also does not like how they know the identity of each student who sent in a submission, yet students do not k n o w who they are, she said. “It is important to h a v e a face on an account like this, especially with such delicate issues that people find so hard to talk about,” Penn Brown said.

Additionally, there was also a lack of communication between the administrators and the accounts’ followers. Penn Brown did not know if they sent the open letter or if they received a response from the school, she said. She also thought its tone was accusatory and challenging and did not show that the administrators of the account were willing to work with the school.

“We found the letters off-putting and not solution-oriented,” Kelly wrote. “To see a social media platform calling for zero tolerance across all forms of harassment, only to maliciously attack others in doing so, does make one wonder about the sincerity of those operating the site.”

Richards thinks that the administrators’ anonymity prevented them from working with the school on policy or curricular changes, he said. The account framed itself as a forum for marginalized students to share their experiences, not an organization that will use those stories to make demands of the school like BSDC, he said.

“If this were to accomplish anything, then someone should take the posts on the account and make some sort of plan to make sure those experiences are never witnessed again on Horace Mann’s campus. But @hmspeaksout isn’t the person to do it,” he said.

For example, Penn Brown, president of the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club that advocates for LGBTQ+ students, thought stories on the account of queer people being outed or fetishized showed there was not enough education about LGBTQ+ issues in the school, she said.

“I hope the GSA will continue the work that @ hmspeaksout was trying to do: talk to students and hear their stories then work with the administration to create a more comfortable place for queer students,” Penn Brown said.

Even though the account is inactive, systems of racism, sexism, and abuse persist and people must work together to tackle them, Moreno said. “We’re still here, the people who are walking around you in the hallways are part of those stories, and there’s still stuff that hasn’t been talked about.”

Courtesy of Instagram

Courtesy of Instagram

SPEAKING OUT Posts from @hmspeaksout.

Lions’ Den Record Sports

OCTOBER 2ND, 2020

Olympian hosts water polo clinic

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

Rowan Mally and Audrey Carbonell Staff and Contributing Writers The Varsity and Junior Varsity water polo teams attended a Zoom clinic on Tuesday led by Tony Azevedo, an eight-time world champion, five-time Olympian, five-time Pan American Games Gold Medalist, and former captain of the United States Men’s Water Polo Team.

“He was probably the best water polo player to ever play for our country, so I was incredibly lucky to have known people in the water polo community who knew him,” Varsity Water Polo Coach Michael Duffy said. Duffy was able to use his connections in the water polo community to reach Azevedo and invite him to the school, he said.

Given that the team is still unable to enter the pool, Duffy thought this would be the perfect opportunity for the team to learn from Azevedo in an out-of-water clinic. “When Azevedo came in the summer of 2019 for his clinic, he was so good with the players that it was such a natural fit,” Duffy said. “Even

though we can’t practice in the water just yet, I knew even just learning from his drills and work ethic would exponentially benefit our team.”

While on Zoom with the team, Azevedo was broadcast on the Loria Family Scoreboard. Although the team did not enter the pool during the clinic, Azevedo demonstrated many of his fitness and wellness techniques while the team followed along on the pool deck. The exercises, which included sets of burpees, full-body sit-ups, and shoulder and back exercises, allowed for the isolated activation of muscles which, with persistence and repetition, will elevate the strength and flexibility of the players in the pool.

Ari Salsberg (12) said he would continue doing the exercises in the future. “Clearly, his practice has paid off, so of course to be the best we can his advice is incredibly valuable,” he said.

During the clinic, Azevedo stressed the importance of making connections between the exercises he assigned and the game itself. Even though the drills were done on land, he explained what group of muscles each exercise targeted and how it would help the players become stronger and more mobile. Through this, the team would be able to understand each exercise and the benefits it would provide for them when they return to the water.

“I know how great of a player he was and it was great to be able to learn how he trained to become the best,” Spencer Rosenberg (11) said. “It was also really nice to be able to personally ask him questions. It is not everyday that you have that type of access to information.”

Duffy found the clinic inspirational. He said Azevedo’s connection with the team exceeded his expectations. “He told a team a very personal story from his childhood: he went into a coma at the age of four,” Duffy said. “He used this as an example of just one of the many challenges he had to overcome and explained how he set an ascending list of achievable goals with an Olympic gold medal at the top.”

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Rosenberg said he was also inspired by Azevedo’s stories about his personal life and struggles. “I had no idea what he had to go through,” he said.

“As he was speaking to us it really struck me that he was one of the best to ever play water polo,” Walker McCarthy (11) said.

“A world champion athlete took time to hold a personal clinic for us over Zoom. That’s definitely not something I will get to experience again.”

Duffy hopes the team can learn from the work ethic that allowed Azevedo to become a great water polo player, he said.

“He is an inspiration to so many kids and his main message has been to work harder every day to become the best player that you can possibly be,” he said. “Even outside of water polo, Azevedo has stressed the importance of trying your hardest at whatever you may love to do.”

Courtesy of Getty Images

STARS AND STRIPES Tony Azevedo poses.

Students fixate on fantasy football season Max Chasin Staff Writer Leyli Granmayeh (12) has been immersed in the world of football since middle school, when her older brother would quiz her on members of the Philadelphia Eagles football team.

Fantasy football, a game played nationwide, involves people drafting their own NFL teams and competing weekly. Fantasy is a math-based game based on the real-life production of NFL players, according to the National Football League. Each week league members fill out a roster by starting players at the various positions allowed based on league settings.

Competing in fantasy football makes watching football more interesting, Granmayeh said. “I’m an Eagles fan, so I’m mostly invested in those games, but when I play fantasy I get more invested in the season as a whole,” she said.

The competitive aspect of fantasy football keeps Eshan Mehere (10) engaged, he said. “When you play against friends from school, it makes things way more heated and gives everyone more motivation to win,” he said.

Prior to the fantasy football season, each league must hold a draft, in which the teams pick their players. Kush Malhotra (12) always enters his drafts with a specific strategy, he said.

Malhotra selects running backs first and then picks players that help with his depth. These players help to strengthen his bench, ensuring that he always has extra players to put in.

Brandon Kuo (11) said the fantasy draft is the most important thing that a manager has to do for their team because the players that a manager chooses in the draft remain on the team for the entire year. This can ultimately determine who wins the league, he said.

Typically, fantasy football participants complete the draft in-person, Malhotra said. However, due to the coronavirus, students such as Malhotra have been deprived of that opportunity. “It was easy to connect by Zoom, but it would have been more fun had we hung out in person,” he said.

Granmayeh’s draft, on the other hand, was not as heavily impacted by the coronavirus because her league has always drafted over FaceTime, s h e

said.

Since all NFL players and teams are incorporated into fantasy football, fantasy team owners are often faced with the decision of whether to root against their favorite teams in the interest of their own fantasy football teams.

In the NFL, a team’s draft pick corresponds to the number of wins they had the

Felix Brenner/Staff Artist

previous season; the fewer wins they had, the earlier the pick they would have in the draft would be, and vice versa. Because of this rule, Mehere wants his team to lose in the interest of their draft pick in the next season, as it allows for him to prioritize his fantasy team over the Jets.

“My favorite team in real life, the New York Jets, have not been particularly good since I started watching football in 2011,” Mehere said. “In most cases I want them to lose in order to attain a higher draft pick in the upcoming season’s amateur player draft,” he said.

Ryan Lutnick (9) said he frequently finds himself in a similar circumstance. “Since I’m a Giants fan, my team is generally losing,” he said. “If I find my Giants down by a lot, I will probably start rooting against them for my fantasy players.”

The coronavirus has caused some fantasy football participants, like Granmayeh, to become less engaged in their matchups, she said. “The season in general is a little funky and a little less exciting,” she said. The lack of fans this year is the main reason the season is more boring, Granmayeh said.

The pandemic had the opposite effect on Mehere’s involvement in fantasy football, however. “Coronavirus started to spread right after the NFL season ended, so it did not have much impact on the amount of Fantasy Football I played at first,” he said.

“However, once the fantasy football season started to gear up towards the later part of the NFL offseason in late July, I did have more time to spend thinking about fantasy compared to a normal summer.”