Issue 6

Volume 119 Issue 6

The Record Horace Mann’s Weekly Newspaper Since 1903

Alex Lautin Staff Writer

ON FRIDAYS WE WEAR PINK Library goes all out with Pink Week decorations.

“Pink-Out:” CAC hosts Pink Week to raise awareness To bring students together in support of the fight against breast cancer, the Cancer Awareness Club (CAC) hosted Pink Week beginning this Monday, CoPresident of the CAC Miles Kuhn (12) said. Pink Week’s events and activities include decorating Katz Library with pink decorations, handing out pink snacks during break, hanging posters with information about breast cancer, and staging a pink-out, a day where all students dress up in pink.

Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, students are encouraged to wear pink throughout the week in order to show their support to the cause. “Pink week is about raising awareness for breast cancer and also remembering people who have gone through breast cancer,” Kuhn said. “It just brings the community around the cause.”

On the second floor of Tillinghast, the CAC installed a board for students to take a pink paper heart, write the name of someone they know who has had breast cancer, and put it on the

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Week. “When people see many of their friends in pink, it starts an important conversation on the cause we are supporting.”

During break, the club also worked with Director of UD Student Activities Caroline Bartels to bring pink treats to school. On Monday, they handed out pink frosted cupcakes, and today they will distribute pink ribbon cookies since that is the symbol for breast cancer, Co-Vice President of the CAC Spencer Rosenberg (12) said.

This week, the walls and ceilings of Katz Library were also embellished with pink banners and decorations.

Ariela Weber (10), a coordinator of the Events and Entertainment committee of the CAC, spent last Friday helping to set up for the upcoming week, she said. “I decorated the library by putting up the big pink week letters outside the entrance and hanging up banners,” she said.

Weber also made posters that shared statistics on breast cancer and its impacts, she said. By researching information in order to create posters about the cause, Weber learned how common breast cancer is and how there are so many women affected by it.

“The most impactful part of my

“I just hope that people take time inwards to reflect on anyone they know who has fought against breast cancer, and either honor their fight or honor their memory.”

- Dalia Pustilnik (12) wall, Co-President Dalia Pustilnik (12) said. “Our hope with that is that by the end of the week it will be filled with all of these different hearts and all of these different nicknames so that people putting a name up on the wall can take a moment to really think about this person in their lives.”

The bulletin board is impactful because it allows students to see how breast cancer impacts the community, Laine Goldmacher (10) said. “This raises the entire school’s awareness because it brings many different perspectives to the cause,” she said.

Goldmacher believes that sharing personal experiences with breast cancer is the most effective way to raise awareness, she said.

Today, the club is hosting a “PinkOut” event, where students all show up to school wearing pink in order to demonstrate the community’s support of the cause.

Goldmacher said wearing pink is one of the most effective ways to increase student involvement in Pink

October 22nd, 2021

Me2/Orchestra bridges music and mental health at assembly

Ailill Walsh/Photo Director

Divya Ponda and Neeva Patel Staff Writers

record.horacemann.org

experience was seeing how many people cared about the cause by showing up to the library to decorate and show their support,” Weber said.

Vivian Coraci (10) stopped by the library last week to help decorate during one of her free periods, she said. “It was really fun to help prepare for the week behind the scenes, and it made me very happy to see so many kids involved with a week I helped prepare for.”

Beyond decorating the library, the CAC had to prepare weeks in advance for the event. The leaders of the club communicated with Bartels to organize the themed snacks during break. They also worked with Library Assistant Sandra Duran to help get the pink hearts board set up, Rosenberg said. “Overall, preparing for the week was a community effort, but hats off especially to Ms. Bartels because this week could not have been done without her,” Kuhn said.

In comparison to last year’s Pink Week, Rosenberg believes that having fewer Covid restrictions has helped

students become more involved with this year’s event, he said. Because the rules about Covid were stricter last year, the CAC was not allowed to bring pink treats to hand out during break or create a wall with everyone’s hands touching the pink hearts, so all the students could do was wear pink.

This year, however, the club was able to put up posters about breast cancer and pass out flyers around the school so that everyone could understand the true meaning and representation of the week, Rosenberg said.

The CAC leaders hope that Pink Week motivates students to join the club and look into how they can join the fight against breast cancer in any way possible, Kuhn said.

Rosenberg hopes that students recognize that breast cancer is something that impacts many lives. If they do not know someone personally who has been affected by breast cancer, their friend or someone else they know most likely has, he said.

“It’s a nice way to participate in something larger than ourselves,” Pustilnik said. “To organize this week where people are encouraged to think about those they love and reflect on their lives and the fight against cancer and see everyone else who has been affected, I think that’s a very powerful thing to do as a whole school community.”

Rhea Singh (9) said the CAC did a wonderful job hosting the event this week because they combined breast cancer awareness with daily student activities, she said. “As someone who is not that involved with the CAC, Pink Week and its celebrations have motivated me to attend their next meeting,” she said.

The CAC tries to raise awareness and accumulate donations that would be given to cancer research, which is why alongside Pink Week, the club has two big events coming up: Cycle for Survival and Relay for Life, Rosenberg said.

While the CAC’s bigger events help accumulate donations that go towards specific cancers, the smaller events during Pink Week are also extremely effective, Rosenberg said. “By creating smaller events, the student body doesn’t have to put in too much effort or commitment, but they can still learn about breast cancer and show their support during the month of October,” he said.

Pustilnik also hopes that Pink Week sparks a moment of reflection, she said.“I just hope that people take time inwards to reflect on anyone they know who has fought against breast cancer, and either honor their fight or honor their memory.”

Members of the Me2/Orchestra discussed the stigma around mental illness at an assembly this Tuesday.

Music Director Ronald Braunstein and Executive Director Caroline Whiddon co-founded the organization to create a judgement-free environment for musicians with and without mental illness. They spoke about their experiences with mental health along with bass player Rusty Chandler and violinist Roya Moussapour ‘13. After the assembly, the four speakers held a talkback and visited the school’s F period orchestra class.

The Wellness Initiative Club (WIC) hosted the event. Co-presidents Sophie Gordon (12) and Riya Daga (11) introduced the organization and Avani Khorana (11), Tess Goldberg (11), and club advisor Dr. Liz Westphal moderated the discussion.

The assembly began with students and faculty reading anonymous answers to a survey question about the meaning of wellness. The club then presented one of Me2’s virtual recordings recorded during the pandemic, followed by a Q&A with the musicians. In the Q&A, Khorana and Goldberg asked questions about how the musicians live with their mental illnesses and what music means to them.

Larry Tao (11) enjoyed the video of the orchestra playing at the start of the assembly. He also found it important

In the F period orchestra class, students played Little Serenade by the Swedish composer Erik-Lars-Larson, music teacher Nathan Hetherington said. Braunstein talked about the dramatic shape of the piece, giving students an overarching view which will undoubtedly and positively affect their final performance, Hetherington said.

Braunstein talked about the dramatic shape of the piece, the placement of notes in the beginning and end, and gave an overarching view of the piece which the students hadn’t done in rehearsal before, Hetherington said.

Braunstein conducted the orchestra and gave them comments about the dynamics and their entrances for parts of the song, Steve Yang (11) said.

“As a musician, it was really wonderful to hear other musicians talk about their journey with mental health and how it’s affected their lives,” Yang said. Hetherington also thought it was heartening to hear how being a musician has helped the members of the Me2/Orchestra face their mental health issues.

“The overarching goal [of the Me2/ Orchestra] is to destigmatize mental health and spread the message of their organization to other people,” Khorana said. The orchestra creates a safe space where they can give each other support which expands the community that accepts people with mental disorders, she said.

“One of our primary goals as

Courtesy of Barry Mason

ME2 AND MENTAL HEALTH Me2 orchestra members share their mental health journies. that the orchestra breaks economic, social, and racial barriers to foster equality through their music.

The musicians shared their diagnoses and their personal struggles with mental health. Braunstein and Chandler spoke about their experiences with bipolar disorder and Whiddon spoke about her anxiety diagnosis.

Moussapour does not have a diagnosis — she joined the orchestra because of its judgment-free nature and her desire to work with Braunstein, she said.

During the assembly, Widdon said that the orchestra has a sign that reads “You are entering a stigma-free zone” on its door. When people walk through the door, their minds are reset so they do not judge others, she said.

In the talkback, students who are competitive musicians asked about how the stress of competitive music can impact mental health, Westphal said.

Students also asked how to be equitable and fair to people with disabilities, she said.

a department is to educate the community about mental health and wellness, and [to] destigmatize mental illness,” Westphal said. “It is important to give the community an opportunity to hear directly from people suffering from mental illness who have found ways to live meaningful lives and continue doing the things they love.”

WIC is different this year because they switched from one Wellness Week to multiple Wellness Wednesdays, Khorana said. The recurring events will help keep the club’s presence more consistent and prominent, she said.

“Students will say they’re stressed all the time, but there’s a certain point [where] it reaches a level where it isn’t normal,” Khorana said. Wellness Wednesdays create a space for people to talk about mental health. The club will also incorporate activities throughout the year to help students relieve stress.

Khorana hopes that the assembly sparks a discussion about what people can do to help their friends if they’re struggling with their mental health.

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THE RECORD OPINIONS OCTOBER 22ND, 2021

Make time for the History Speaker Series

Allison Markman We all have copious amounts of homework, tests, and extracurriculars after school, but the speaker series installments are truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. The history department Speaker Series on Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality provides students with a chance to hear from renowned professors who are experts in their fields. At HM however, we often take for granted the education we receive at the school and the opportunities associated with it.

Attending the speaker series is one of the ways our community can take full advantage of our distinguished academic experience.

To become responsible and active members of society, it is important that we are aware of

intersectionality so we can better acknowledge the differences among us. Intersectionality provides a lens through which we, as students, can examine societal practices and structures in a more expansive way. Furthermore, it can also be a lens through which we approach our studies and the complex experiences presented in our own curricula. In several of my classes, not just history, we have discussed issues which require us to utilize an intersectional framework.

Adopting an intersectional mindset can allow you to understand how things work in tandem, creating a radically different view of the processes that surround us. These intellectual conversations are critical in broadening one’s scope and engaging in important political dialogues.

Intersectionality is often misunderstood. It has been used in politics to fuel a larger culture war and evoke strong emotions from both sides of the political spectrum.

The speaker series discusses these instances of discrimination in a more enlightening manner, demonstrating intersectionally is not a negative concept. In the last session, Dr. Capó discussed how for many immigrants, a pathway to citizenship was through marriage.

When gay marriage was not recognized by the government, he argued that it prevented a minority group from the means of achieving citizenship. Dr.

Capo’s example exemplifies how laws can unintentionally result in prejudice and unjust results. In this way, speakers who specifically focus on the interconnected nature of identities as well as the interdependent systems of disadvantage and prejudice will not only help in the classroom but beyond as well– therefore, those who do not attend the speaker series are missing out.

Moreover, in this year’s first Speaker Series installment, the professors shared skills regarding how they find sources in their research. The speakers Dr. Capo and Dr. Sueyoshi explained how they turn to cultural sources such as music and letters for a more substantial understanding of historical context. These experts’ firsthand accounts about how they conduct their work can be eye-opening and inspirational for many who are beginning to write year-long papers and theses. The Speaker Series has inspired me to go beyond my usual research such as databases and scholarly articles, and push myself to find unconventional discoveries such as delving into the social, cultural and artistic spheres of a subject.

This methodology also extends far beyond the

realm of what one would consider historical research. These insights are not just important for history courses, but for languages, sciences, arts, and English. In English, one can better understand a character by analyzing their intersecting identities.

With the speaker series, students have a chance to ask questions to leading historians in the country, yet do so only out of obligation to fulfill an assignment rather than intellectual interest. Students who dropped their history classes tend to not go to the speaker series.

Additionally, I often hear my friends talk about how they will not attend because there is no homework to hand in. Students who choose not to participate simply because they have no assignment related to the discussion are discarding the

chance to hear from professionals offering a personal and transparent account of their line of work. It is just one hour once a month.

The history department works tirelessly to cultivate a group of specialists to enlighten us about their field of study– people you might never get to hear from again. We must thus reframe our understanding of the event as an opportunity and not solely an academic obligation. In January, when we have the next speaker series, I urge everyone to attend.

Privileges like the speaker series are rare, and, though we as Horace Mann students can feel oversaturated with obligations, it’s vital that we take every moment we can to better ourselves as students and members of society.

Appreciating renewed traditions through field hockey

Emily Salzhauer Sports, and other extracurricular acSports, and other extracurricular activities are part of what makes our school so special. Clubs are a way for students to connect with other students who share the same interests and spend time together.

There are so many different choices of clubs, depending on the topic and time commitment you’re looking for. Finding a club and a community that is right for you can make your time at HM all the more worthwhile. As we start to return to a semi-normal school year, seize

the opportunity to find that space and commit to taking advantage of the returning traditions.

For me, the Varsity Field Hockey team has provided a sense of normalcy and something to look forward to each day. As school began, I came to understand that playing field hockey with my team would be one of the only times on campus during which I could live in the moment.

All things considered, Field Hockey this year — without masks or strict social distancing — has felt much closer to the way it did before the pandemic.

After losing many of the traditions and ‘normal’ parts of school last year, field hockey practice allows me to relax and have fun. I know that those few hours after school are a time for me to hang out with my friends and teammates. Practice is also a welcome distraction from the regular non-COVID related stress of being an HM student. It’s a time where I don’t have to worry about the homework I have to do, the test I have the next day, or the grade I haven’t gotten back yet.

After coming back to practice,

Volume 119 Editorial Board Editor in Chief Hanna Hornfeld

Managing Editor Liliana Greyf

Features Mia Calzolaio Emma Colacino

News Claire Goldberg Katya Tolunsky

Opinions Devin Allard-Neptune Yin Fei

A&E Purvi Jonnalagadda Arushi Talwar

Middle Division Jade Ciriello

Lions’ Den Lauren Ho

Art Directors Vivian Coraci Lauren Kim Riva Vig

Design Editors Avani Khorana Myra Malik Arin Rosen

Photography Daniel Schlumberger Ailill Walsh Sean Lee

Online Editor Lucas Glickman

Head of Design AJ Walker

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

I was just excited to have the ability to play on the team again.

After a year with no games, I truly appreciate the ones that we do have.

Similarly, after limited meetings and events for clubs on campus, most clubs will be able to return to a much more normal schedule and host events throughout the school year. For this reason, now is a great time for students to get involved in new clubs, teams, or publications.

Club and team traditions and events that would have seemed normal two years ago should now be appreciated more than ever.

One of the most important traditions for all sports is Homecoming. The players dress up in different costumes that all have one theme for the whole team the day before Homecoming. Field Hockey dressed as Snow White and the seven dwarves. Every time I passed a bearded person in the hallway, I could say hi to them and know that was my teammate.

These little moments, which I did not experience last year, brought so much joy to my day.

This year’s Homecoming was one of the first big events that has

been open to the MD and UD since the start of the pandemic. The field hockey team had breakfast together in the cafeteria before our game and gave the seniors the posters that the team had worked on at school on Friday. It was also the freshman and sophomores’ first time experiencing and playing at Homecoming. By bringing back these homecoming traditions, it felt like we were back to pre-pandemic life at HM. Despite having a limited number of visitors watching us play, the energy on the field during Homecoming was amazing.

Everyone seemed excited to play and cheer from the sidelines. When we won our game, the whole team celebrated. We all ran down to get our goalie and everyone cheering.

It definitely brought the team closer together to have such an amazing memory at Homecoming all together.

Most clubs have something that they work towards and have traditions, similar to how fall sports have homecoming. For some clubs, it’s an event, speaker, or assembly, and for others it’s a tournament or game. The aspect that they all

Staff

Staff Writers Rachel Baez, Audrey Carbonell, Max Chasin, Jiya Chaterjee, Cecilia Coughlin, Owen Heidings, Hannah Katzke, Vidhatrie Keetha, Celine Kiriscioglu, Zachary Kurtz, Alex Lautin, Jillian Lee, Sean Lee, Allison Markman, Audrey Moussazadeh, Divya Ponda, Clio Rao, Emily Salzhauer, Ayesha Sen, Aden Soroca, Emily Sun, Madison Xu, Alexandra Yao, Ariella Frommer, Athena Rem, Ben Rafal, Etta Singer, Lucy Peck, Neeva Patel Staff Photographers Sam Siegel, Aanya Gupta, Anna Miller, Catherine Mong, Nicole Au, Aryan Palla, Jorge Orvananos, David Aaron, Harper Rosenberg, Zack Keirstead, Allyson Wright, Matthew Jacobson, Jiwan Kim, Amelia Hirsch, Oliver Konopko, Dylan Greenberg Staff Artists Tatum Behrens, Felix Brenner, Kayla Choi, Amira Dossani, Ishaan Iyengar, Isabelle Kim, Dylan Leftt, Sophia Liu, Samuel Stern, Sammy Underberg, Aimee Yang

share is that it’s something that the members of the club can all look forward to and get excited about during the school year. A lot of these events were put on hold last year, but are beginning to come back.

Cheering for my friends during games and spending time with my team at practice are the highlights of my day. It’s always fun to dress up in whatever theme the seniors decide on for team spirit and to bond with the team during preseason brunches outside of school. For me, it’s the moments like these that make going to practice every day worth the time commitment.

I hope you can find your own place at HM, whether it’s a team, club, or even a specific class. Clubs are returning to a more normal schedule and hosting events throughout the school year, so try to actively engage with those that sound exciting to you. Now is a great time for students to get involved in extracurriculars and truly dedicate themselves to taking part in various traditions. It may not be athletics, but it’s never too late to find your team.

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.

THE RECORD NEWS OCTOBER 22ND, 2021

Debate team competes at New York City Invitational Debate and Speech Tournament Ariella Frommer and Etta Singer Staff Writers Junior Varsity (JV) and Varsity Public Forum debaters competed at the New York City Invitational Debate and Speech Tournament hosted by Bronx Science High School last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sophomores and

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rounds, and those who do well move on to the elimination rounds. All four of the JV teams that competed made it to the elimination rounds, where they competed in the octofinals, Buluswar said.

Naomi Yaegar (10) and Elise Kang (10) made it to the quarterfinals in the tournament. Yaeger noticed the pair’s improvement this year, she said. At this tournament, Yaeger and Kang won

“The biggest thing that you get out of debate is public speaking skills, and one of the big parts of public speaking is being able to speak to an audience in person, which we just don’t get over Zoom.”

- JoJo Mignone (10)

juniors debated at the tournament, Copresident Rohan Buluswar (12) said.

The school’s JV division, which is composed of sophomores, did very well, Buluswar said. For JV, each partnership debates six pre-elimination

against a team to whom they had lost at last year’s Harvard tournament, she said.

In Public Forum debate, participants debate the same topic for a certain

period of time, Buluswar said. The resolution for September and October, which students debated at this tournament, was “The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should substantially increase its defense commitments to the Baltic states.”

Some students had already debated this topic at the Yale tournament a few weeks ago, Buluswar said. “Our preparedness for Bronx Science was much higher [than for Yale] and it’s displayed in the results because we’ve had a chance to go over our research and improve on it since then,” he said.

The students researched and debated the topic well, Buluswar said. “Everyone has come to a better understanding of the geopolitical factors influencing stability and policy in that area, especially because this topic is related to a topic we debated last year, so a lot of the students were familiar with the topic and took their understanding of the issue to a new level,” he said.

JoJo Mignone (10), who debated the topic at Yale and UCLA over the summer, had a better understanding of both sides of the argument by the end of the tournament, she said. “In rounds, during cross or rebuttal, you will get arguments that you have not

seen before from the other side, so if you are not very familiar with the topic, it is more difficult to come up with arguments,” she said.

The school’s varsity division consisted of three teams of juniors and one team of sophomores. Debating in the varsity division is more difficult than in JV because the competition is more advanced, but two of the teams still had positive results, Buluswar said.

JoJo Mignone (10) and Naomi Gelfer (10) as well as Celine Kiriscioglu (11) and Giselle Paulson (11) each won four rounds and lost three. “They were very close to making the elimination rounds, which is still a great job for the beginning of the year,” he said.

This tournament was Mignone and Gelfer’s first time debating in the varsity division, Mignone said. “It was hard debating against people who were at a higher level than us, but we exceeded our expectations for ourselves, especially for the first time,” she said.

Another challenge for Mignone was keeping her morale up, she said.

Because she and Gelfer had already lost three rounds, they could not make it to the elimination rounds. “We already knew we wouldn’t break [make it to the elimination rounds], so it was difficult

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to know that we didn’t have an end goal,” she said.

Debating online has been challenging because it limits team bonding, CoPresident Brett Karpf (12) said. “We’ve worked really hard to build a fun team atmosphere while still having an online Covid safe environment,” he said. The team takes time to play games and destress together after hard rounds, Karpf said.

In addition, coaches cannot spectate rounds because of the virtual system they use, so it is harder to give feedback to their teams, Buluswar said.

Debating online also reduces the number of skills students can learn from debate, Mignone said. “The biggest thing that you get out of debate is public speaking skills, and one of the big parts of public speaking is being able to speak to an audience in person, which we just don’t get over Zoom,” she said.

Rizaa Fazal (10) and her partner Athena Rem (10) made the octofinals of the JV tournament and Fazal is excited for future competitions, she said. “There’s always a lot everyone can improve on and that’s the beauty of debate. You can always grow and get better at it.”

“Empowering people to make a change in the world:” School hosts 36th annual HoMMUNC

Lucky Peck and Naomi Yaeger Staff Writers

Students from 46 schools — reaching as far as Los Angeles and Canada — competed in the annual Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference (HoMMUNC), hosted by the Model UN (MUN) team over Zoom last Saturday. The upperclassmen moderated and chaired the event while underclassmen and Middle Division (MD) students participated.

Multiple of the school’s student participants, called delegates, won awards: two MD members won best delegates in their committees and a few participants won “outstanding delegate” and “honorable mention” awards, SecretaryGeneral (SG) Ria Chowdhry (12) said.

“Outstanding delegate” award winner Nate Chiang (10) said he felt accomplished when he won. “I felt super happy and that all my work had paid off,” he said.

Upperclassmen assigned each delegate one country to research, Miller Harris (11) said.

At the conference, delegates were sorted into committees where they debated specific topics.

The committees ranged from the Disarmament and International Security Committee, which debated bioterrorism, to the World Health Organization, which debated the vaccine rollout, Chowdhry said.

Within the MD committees, delegates separated into blocs, groups of countries that shared similar interests, to draft resolutions,

Emily Park (8) said. “I thought that bloc work was the best part because you could really see each delegate’s critical thinking, what their solutions were, and their perspective on the topic.”

At the end of the conference, delegates participated in “fun MUN,” where they gave each other superlatives, told jokes, and played a Kahoot, Park said. She enjoyed this part of the conference because it let her see a new side of her fellow delegates.

While HoMMUNC took place over Zoom, the school’s Upper Division (UD) team participated together at the school, SG Corey Brooks (12) said. To do this, the upperclassmen reserved a space and got approval from Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly and Dean of Students Michael Dalo. “We wanted to have some sort of in-person aspect, but what’s most important to us is the safety of ourselves and the team,” Brooks said.

Being in person allowed the team to participate in activities such as MUN moments, where members shared fun moments they had with one another from current and past conferences, Chowdhry said. The activity gives new members of the team a glimpse into what future conferences will look like, she said.

The in-person aspect of the event made it more fun, Hannah Moss (11) said. “Just being in school, as opposed to being at home on Zoom, made it a lot more enjoyable.”

Ailill Walsh/Photo Director

BUSINESS CASUAL MUN delegates together at school.

Leading up to the event, upperclassmen wrote background guides, which include information about the topics debated in their designated committees, Harris said. They also contacted other schools with an invite and created the committee assignments for the school’s delegates, he said.

The SGs updated the HoMMUNC website, researched new schools and invited them to the conference, contacted MUN’s faculty advisors, and set up Zoom accounts for all the committee chairs, Brooks said. “You could write an entire paper just on the mass coordination effort,” he

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of course, but we worked them through. It was a really enjoyable event overall,” she said.

Harris also found the event fulfilling. “It was rewarding to see our hard work pay off after seeing the event run smoothly.”

The juniors proved their leadership skills at the conference, Brooks said. “This was their first opportunity to show leadership and all of them did stellar.”

One of the responsibilities the juniors held at the conference was judging, Chowdhry said.

“The judging process is a lot of listening to and observing delegates and their ability to form

“Being in person allowed the team to participate in activities such as MUN moments, where members shared fun moments they had with one another from current and past conferences.”

- Ria Chowdry (12)

said.

The moderators also helped prepare the school’s team, Harris said. “I helped the participants bounce ideas off one another as well as develop their existing ideas.”

Moss said she helped the new members of the team get acquainted with MUN prior to the event.

“Especially for the freshmen, we just walked them through the process of competing in a Model UN conference.”

Each participant was tasked with researching their assigned country beforehand. Chiang researched China’s efforts to develop their own vaccines, he said. Another participant, Lily Wender (10), researched how China responded to bioterrorism — the topic her committee focused on — and possible related policies, she said.

In addition to researching their country, delegates also prepared speeches for their upcoming committees. Park said she pre-wrote speeches on common topics relating to her committee’s focus. For help, she turned to the MUN MD mentors, she said. “They looked over my solutions and gave me new ideas and ways to expand upon them.”

The event was successful under the upperclassmen’s leadership, Moss said.

“There were a few technical difficulties

blocs and speak confidently,” she said. Judges factor in speech work, preparation, active participation, and collaboration with other delegates in the committee, she said.

Brooks also appreciated how much the sophomores and freshmen were able to accomplish, he said. “It’s an amazing learning opportunity for them.”

The conference gave middle schoolers and high schoolers the opportunity to discuss world issues, Park said. “There are a lot of crises in the world that aren’t solved, and through solving them, we are empowering people to make a change in the world,” Park said.

Chiang found the conference informative, he said. “I definitely learned a lot about working with others and building consensus as they do in the real United Nations,” he said.

For Moss, a highlight was seeing people from different committees come together to support each other when submitting awards, she said. “It just showed the importance of teamwork within the club.”

Brooks was similarly excited about the team building in the club. He was thrilled that two resolutions, ten-page papers written by the delegates, passed in his committee, he said.

“They require a lot of work and research, so when one does get passed, it means a lot to delegates.”

“It was a lot of fun, and for what it was worth, HoMMUNC could not have gone better,” Brooks said.

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THE RECORD FEATURES OCTOBER 22ND, 2021

Helicopters, snowplows, and hot potatoes: Zack Kurtz Staff Writer “While we feel that we are more accommodating parents, there is unfortunately a certain level of expectation that things need to get done,” Fernando Romero P ‘22 ‘25 said.

Fernando and his wife Michelle place some pressure on their children when a timeline needs to be met and expect that their children try their best in whatever they pursue, he said.

Parents have various levels of involvement in their children’s academics. “We run the range from parents who, once they have signed a contract to send their children to school, trust the school to do their best by their child, and then they encourage their child to seek whatever help they might need,” Head of Upper Division (UD) Jessica Levenstein P ‘23 ‘26 said. “On the other end of the spectrum are parents who are deeply involved in every test, quiz, interaction, and are trying to run interference for their children.”

Sometimes, parents can be on one side of that spectrum until they are faced with a situation that they feel deserves more involvement on their part, she said. While the amount of involvement in a child’s academics can differ from parent to parent, all parents have some degree of influence on their child’s academics, Levenstein said.

Helicopter parenting is a style of parenting in which a parent “hovers” inordinately, taking an overprotective or excessive interest in the life of their child or children. Sophia Liu (10) describes a helicopter parent as someone who is incredibly overbearing, constantly pressures their child academically, has very high expectations, and is overly involved in their child’s life, she said.

Snowplow parenting is another parenting style in which a parent actually does the work on the student’s behalf and “plows” any obstacles out of their way, Executive Director of College Counseling Cahn Oxelson said.

The least effective form of parent involvement in a student’s academic life is the “hot potato” method, Levenstein said. “Their child has just come out of a test, is super upset, and calls their parent sobbing on the phone,” she said. “The parent immediately takes all that distress, and, like a hot potato, throws it to an adult at the school.”

Parenting styles such as helicopter parenting are more common today than when Marnie Rukin P ‘24 ‘25 ‘28 was growing up, she said. “We are sending our kids to a rigorous school, so you are going to get a subset of parents who are more focused on academics and their children’s performance,” she said.

“The parents [today] are really involved and try to make sure that their kids are doing okay academically, socially, and psychologically.”

Helicopter parenting has also grown as a result of how schooling has developed since parents’ respective childhoods, Michelle said.

“The intensity is greater. The volume of work is greater. The level of competition is greater,” she said. “No parent

wants their kid to fail, but setting them up for success in today’s day and age with all the other external factors is really a much trickier balance.”

There are many different levels to helicopter parenting, Oxelson said. “It’s possible that there’s healthy helicoptering going on, as in parents who are hovering at a fairly high altitude,” he said. “But it’s also possible that their parents are hovering at a very low altitude to the point where it’s actually upsetting the student and not allowing the student to make decisions.”

Fernando and Michelle try not to be helicopter parents because they agree with the school’s philosophy of letting students do their own learning, Fernando said. “You have to struggle a little bit in order to learn the lesson and achieve and grow,” he said. “You don’t know until you try, and you have to fail a little bit in order to succeed to the next level.”

According to the Horace Mann School Family Handbook, parents should not give students inappropriate help with their work and should not, under any circumstances, do work on their child’s behalf. If a student receives help from their parents, the student is expected to give credit to their parents to maintain academic honesty. This policy is the same for students who receive help from a tutor or from the internet.

“We’re looking to make sure that students are doing their own work and different departments describe what that means in slightly different ways,” Levenstein said.

“There isn’t a blanket policy about it, there is just a desire for students to be the ones who are doing the learning.”

It is fine for a parent to read over an essay for grammar, but once the parent essentially has “co-ownership” over it, the

them first, Levenstein said.

Sometimes a parent may have to wait and step back until the child sees the need for their advice or involvement, Director of Counseling and Guidance Dr. Daniel Rothstein wrote. “It always goes better when a student feels the need to seek out advice rather than when they feel it is being imposed on them.”

Jason Caldwell ‘97 P ’28 ’33 tries to give each of his kids independence in the work that they are doing for school, he said. “I’m there more for support and to check that the work has been done.”

Caldwell formed this opinion on the importance of independence while he was a student at the school, he said. However, he also thinks that collaboration and knowing when to get help is very important. “Making the decision about which is applicable is very important and a skill one learns over time.”

Caldwell’s daughter, who is in sixth grade, is quite independent: he checks in with her consistently to get a sense of what her week looks like, but he does not have a direct hand in her work, he said. If she ever needs help, he and his wife will find her the support she needs, he said.

Ryan Finlay’s (12) parents support him by finding external resources for his struggles.

“In the past I’ve had subjects at school that I’ve really really struggled in,” Ryan Finlay (12) said. “[My parents] saw that and sought me out and asked if I needed a tutor, and sort of coaxed me into admitting to myself that I needed help.”

Whenever Finlay has trouble with something or needs advice, his parents are the first people he goes to for help, he said.

“If they notice that I’m really struggling with something or not managing my time wisely, then they are going to seek me out to

“We are sending our kids to a rigorous school, so you are going to get a subset of parents who are more focused on academics and their children’s performance. The parents [today] are really involved and try to make sure that their kids are doing okay academically, socially, and psychologically.”

- Marnie Rukin P ‘24 ‘25 ‘28 English Department draws the line, English Department Chair Vernon Wilson said. “Too much help can ultimately have a detrimental effect on your children’s sense of confidence and the development of their critical thinking,” he said. “They begin to believe that only mom, dad, or an older sibling is capable of generating a worthwhile idea.”

According to an anonymous poll of 149 students conducted by The Record, 36.9% of respondents have had their parents read over their papers before they submit them. It is hard to know how a parent has been involved in their child’s paper, Wilson said. While some parents may not even look at their child’s paper, others may be involved in every step of the process, he said.

“In order to grow into self-sufficient adults, children need to begin to learn how to solve their own problems,” Levenstein said. If parents are still calling the school on behalf of their children by the time the child is in 10th grade, she and the grade deans try to remind them that their child should have had this

Vivian Coraci, Lauren Kim, Riva Vig/Art Directors

conversation with

have a conversation about that.” His parents mainly act as advisors, rather than directly participating in his academic work, he said.

Lynn Egan’s (10) parents are more distanced from their children’s academics. “Of course they support me, but in terms of my work, I mostly do it by myself,” Egan said. “They would like me to do well, but they mainly care about how I feel about my own grades and if I’m happy with them,” she said. As such, Egan mostly feels pressure from her own values and beliefs, she said.

Chloe Trentalancia’s (11) parents are also distanced from her academics and always remind her that they should be her last resort.

They consistently recommend that she utilizes her teachers, friends, and the academic resources that the school provides, she said.

After they referred her to the academic center, Academic Center Associate Adam Resheff tutored her, she said.

This approach has allowed Trentalancia to be more independent and appreciate the programs that the school provides, she said.

“They set me up with future general life strategies that can help me be independent and know that there’s always something that I can utilize.”

Rukin’s involvement in each of her kids’ academics depends on both the age and personality of the child. “With my sixth grader, I’m incredibly involved especially because he’s a new student, so he’s just learning the ropes and figuring out how to deal with the intensity of the work,” she said. “He does his homework and then if he has a question I look it over, but I just make sure he gets it all done.”

With her ninth grader, James, Rukin tries to remind him about his work and major assessments. However, she is not involved with the schoolwork for her 10th grader, Sophie, at all. “Sophie would not be happy if I was involved,” Rukin said. “I think James and David welcome it because it kind of keeps

them on track, so I think it also depends on the personality of the child.”

Being a parent is an incredibly challenging job, so Levenstein does not fault parents for some of their worst moments, she said. “I am inclined to cut parents a lot of slack because it is not an easy gig, and it is not easy to be parents of children who are as ambitious and motivated as Horace Mann students are because you really can tell how much your child wants something.”

Children can also feel when their parents want

something f o r them.

Children are e x t r e m e l y sensitive to their parents’ emotional states, Levenstein said. “If a student is already feeling anxious and then the parent ratchets up the anxiety that can’t possibly be helpful for the child.”

Levenstein believes that it is very rare for a child to not want to please their parents.

“Even if the parents have never stated explicitly what their expectations are for their children, students don’t want to disappoint their parents.” This desire to please is precisely why parents explicitly stating the grades they expect their child to bring home is destructive, she said.

Sophie Q. Li (10) wants her parents to be proud of her and as such fears disappointing them, she said. “I feel like people here, including me, are so terrified of getting bad grades because they’re terrified of how it will affect their college process and a lot of those fears are instilled in you by your parents.”

Sometimes a parent’s perception of the very best their child can perform does not align with how the student is actually performing in the moment, Dean of the Class of 2024 Stephanie Feigin P’21 said. This misalignment can cause the child to feel pressure, even if the parent has good intentions, she said.

A very small number of parents at the school hold their children to extremely high academic standards and expect their children to come home with certain grades, Levenstein said. If a child brings home a grade that the parent is not satisfied with, the parent could be angry and put more pressure on their child to do better, she said.

Taylor* (11), who chose to remain anonymous because she is worried about her parents’ reactions, has parents who are incredibly hands on and want to know every time she gets grades back. They get angry with her when she does not tell them about a grade, even if she did well on the assessment, she said.

Taylor also has a sibling who is held to very high academic standards by their parents, she said. They have different strengths and weaknesses and each performs better in certain subjects and worse in others. “My sibling and I both take the same course and one of my weaknesses is something that my sibling is excellent at,” Taylor said. “If I get a subpar grade while my sibling performs very well, my parents will say ‘well clearly it is not that the test was too hard because your sibling performed excellently.’”

Parents must learn to understand that their child is trying their best, and that the outcome is what it is, Levenstein said. “I don’t think a fixation on outcomes is a helpful parenting tool, and I also don’t think having a distorted sense of what your child should be getting is helpful for that relationship.”

5

THE RECORD FEATURES OCTOBER 22ND, 2021

: Parent involvement in student academics Liu’s parents are also fairly vigilant about her grades, she said. They consistently ask her about her grades and how she’s doing academically and have “passive aggressively” encouraged her to do what they want her to do and stick with activities even if she doesn’t enjoy them, Liu said.

For example, in eighth grade, Liu wanted to quit travel soccer because she did not think she loved the sport enough to play five times each week, she said. “They wouldn’t let me quit because they thought that it would be good for my college applications.” Liu still plays soccer due to her parents’ wishes, she said.

According to The Record’s poll, approximately 60.8% of students have parents who involve themselves in their child’s extracurricular activity decisions.

Feigin has noticed that in meetings with students about scheduling, the

“In order to grow into selfsufficient adults, children need to begin to learn how to solve their own problems.”

- Dr. Jessica Levenstein student may say that their parent is pressuring them to take a specific honors class or continue playing in the orchestra, she said. Feigin wants to make sure that the student is doing what they want to do so that they feel good about their academic experience at the school, she said.

There is nothing wrong with the motivations of parents who are concerned about their child, Levenstein said. “[Calling me] is a very normal reaction for parents to have if they see their child in distress, as they want to try to solve that problem,” she said. “It is always coming from a good place of wanting your child to be happy.”

As a parent herself, Feigin knows that many parents are desperate to be connected to what their kids are doing, she said. “When we do have a parent that seems to be trying to be overly involved, I get it, and we try to help parents figure out the right balance in order to aid both the student and the parent,” she said.

Even when parents pressure their children, they are looking out for them and just want them to put in their best effort, Feigin said. “I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a parent who is upset with their kid or is angry about a grade that their kid earned,” she said. “They’re more upset that the kid is upset that they earned a particular grade.” She believes that most often, parents are more concerned about their children’s mental health and feelings rather than the grade itself, she said.

In Samantha Pruzan’s (10) experience, her parents just want the best for her and want her to succeed in whatever she sets her mind to, she said.

However, her parents do put pressure on her.

“If they’re stressed about [my academics] it’s because they want me to do better, not because they’re disappointed,” she said. Her parents will put more or less pressure on her based upon what is going on at school, such as when she has a large number of tests or papers.

Pressure is necessary to a certain degree, Li said. The pressure that her parents put on

her is essentially one way they show that they care about her academics, she said. “They try not to cause unnecessary stress for me, but sometimes, inevitably, they do, and their pressure does cause a bit of stress.”

Parents are also sometimes unaware of the pressure that they are putting on their child.

Rukin’s son, James, has informed her that her academic expectations are a source of stress for him, she said. He told her, “‘If I do poorly on a test, I know you guys will be upset,’” Rukin said.

Even if they stress their children out, parents are just trying to do what they think is going to be best for their child’s happiness in the long run, Rothstein wrote. “What they miss sometimes is that their worry can end up causing more stress than success.”

While Pruzan’s parents do care about her grades, they pay more attention to how much effort she is putting in and the amount of time that they see her spending on work, she said.

If she was getting bad grades due to a lack of effort, that would make them more upset, she said.

Every family has to find a balance between the parents’ and students’ different thinking styles and motivation, Rothstein wrote. “For some students, getting a little ‘push’ from parents at the right moments can be helpful,” he wrote. “For others, anything that intrudes on their self-management is unwelcome.

Communication in families — really listening to one another — is key; otherwise parents and students can keep repeating the same stressful interactions.”

When Rothstein meets with parents about their involvement, he always asks if what they are doing is working, he wrote. “If they indicate that there is a continual tug of war at home over work and grades and everyone is frustrated, it could be time to rethink things.”

Ultimately, Rukin hopes that her kids go into high school and

academic lives. The college process can be a stressful situation for both parents and students, Feigin said. During this time, students worry about identifying activities that are important to them, completing standardized testing, and

college feeling confident in their ability to handle their work on their own, but understanding that help is available if needed, she said. She does not care what grades they get, just that they try their best. “I hope they feel content and happy and motivated by their academics.”

College applications are a time when parents may become more involved in their children’s

i n t o t h e ultimate endgame of ‘where do you want to go to school,’ ‘what do you want to study,’ and ‘what do you want to do after that.’”

That role has evolved into helping manage timelines and deliverables as well as sometimes being a bit more forceful and rigid to ensure that deadlines are met, Michelle said. Children are not always on top of everything and so

Have your parents ever contacted an Upper Division teacher regarding your performance in class?

Based on anonymous UD poll of 147 students.

Yes 28 (19%)

No 119 (81%)

writing essays.

“Parents are stressed in different ways. There’s a whole other level of the applying process: their kid going away, the financial obligations,” she said.

“All o f these things are other concerns that parents might be feeling that are not necessarily what their kid is feeling, so [both the parent and the child] might be equally stressed.”

When parents call in regards to the college process they are usually hoping to get some confirmation and check that they are not making what they might see as a mistake, Oxelson said. “They’re most interested in making good and thoughtful and sound decisions.”

Michelle and Fernando tried to keep the process very open-ended at the beginning and let their son, Elias Romero (12), lead the exploration, Michelle said.

“When we saw he was being interested or swayed by something, we dug a little deeper and we would guide h i m

they have to remind them of what they need to be doing, she said. Other times their role is to help their son pull back and see the bigger picture of the process as a whole, she said.

Fernando feels that he a n d his wife need to do a little bit of work to help move the process forward, he said.

“Time management is a reality that I think all of us as humans need to keep in mind, but especially as teenagers, you’re just learning the value of time management, and this is one of your first major milestones,” Fernando said. “You don’t want to miss a deadline and you don’t want to miss an opportunity to make a first impression.”

F i n l a y ’s parents have given him plenty of advice about college, he said.

T h e y a r e his biggest supporters and helped show him that college admissions goes beyond grades, he said.

His father recounts the stories of his own college admissions process to remind Finlay that everything turns out well in the end. “He always reminds me to not be afraid to go after something when I’m not absolutely sure that I’m going to get it.”

Parents still feel pressure from the college process as they want their child to get in where their child wants to attend school, Oxelson said. Parents only want the best for their children, and the child’s stress and the parent’s stress can compound each other, he said.

Parents might have a desire to control their child’s extracurriculars since they think that it will help their application, Oxelson said.

“Over the last 10 years, I have seen a shift where parents are more willing to allow or to encourage their students to pursue their genuine interest as opposed to what the parent might believe strategically is the best course of action.”

When a parent has gone to a specific college, their child can often feel pressure to attend that school, Oxelson said. “I have to cut [parents] some slack, because sometimes they’re not actually issuing any kind of expectation, but the student somehow has manufactured this on some level or feels this on some level.”

In Oxelson’s opinion, students are usually more stressed about the college process than parents are, he said. “[Students] have their own expectations, but they are also feeling the expectations of their parents,” he said. “So they’re feeling expectations on behalf of two different people, and maybe more.”

Whether it is the college process or academics in general, the current level of parent involvement can always change. “All parents at all times work on separating what they can do for their children and what their children can do for themselves,” Levenstein said. “It’s an ongoing negotiation.” *Any name with an asterisk represents a student granted anonymity.

Vivian Coraci, Lauren Kim, Riva Vig/Art Directors

On a scale of 1 to 5, how involved are your parents in your academic life?

Based on responses from 149 students.

50 (33.6%)

33 (22.1%)

30 (20.1%)

23 (15.4%) 13 (8.7%)

1 - Little to No Involvement

2

3

4

5- Extremely Involved

6

THE RECORD ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 22ND, 2021

Concert Glee Club and Treble Choir blend voices in group performances Hannah Katzke Staff Writer For the first time since the pandemic began, the Concert Glee Club and Treble Choir will sing inperson together for performance recordings.

Last school year, members of the choirs recorded their parts at home for these performances, which Assistant Director of the Music Department Dr. Amir Khosrowpour then compiled, Music Department Chair Timothy Ho said. This year, as COVID restrictions have loosened, the school has allowed students to sing together for a live group performance that is recorded by a film crew, Concert Glee Club member Tuhin Ghosh (12) said. “I am really glad that the school’s commitment to keeping us all safe has allowed us to sing again.”

The school will release the recorded group performances in three to four weeks in place of the typical advanced ensembles concert, Ho said.

He also hopes the school will show the choir recordings at an assembly.

For their recording, the Treble Choir is

performing a piece called “Ain’t No Grave Can Hold My Body Down,” which is a “loud and in-your-face” gospel song, with Khosrowpour accompanying on the piano, Ho said. During the performance, the singers stomp and clap to the song, echoing the different notes and upbeat tempo, Treble Choir member Sofia Sepulveda (11) said.

Difficult pieces like this song allow Treble Choir and Concert Glee Club member Coco Trentalancia (11) to be more expressive and venture into capabilities she did not know she had, she said. “It is my first year in Treble [Choir], so I love the difficulty and challenge.”

The vocal sections in “Ain’t No Grave Can Hold My Body Down,” contribute to the piece in different ways, making the song’s dynamic especially interesting, Treble Choir member Molly Goldsmith (10) said.

The Concert Glee Club will perform a large Hawaiian a capella piece called “Ku’i Ka Lono,” Ho said. The song is special to the Concert Glee Club because of the significance behind it, member Isabella Ciriello (10) said. The song is about the

Courtesy of Barry Mason

PITCH PERFECT Treble altos rehearse Ain’t No Grave.

Courtesy of Barry Mason

Courtesy of Barry Mason

PERFECT HARMONY Treble sopranos learn their parts. coronation of a Hawaiian King, which helped the students understand the celebratory feeling of the piece, she said.

“Ku’i Ka Lono” is challenging since the lyrics are in Hawaiian, which requires the singers to use different intonation and pronunciation of the lyrics, Ciriello said. To ensure the singers have proper pronunciation, Ho breaks down the lyrics for the students to repeat back in the song’s rhythm.

The piece is also complicated because there are many splits — moments when tenors, basses, sopranos, and altos sing different sets of notes, Ghosh said. As such, it can be difficult to stay in tune since everyone is singing different notes around him, he said.

Still, Ghosh said he is excited to sing “Ku’i Ka Lono” because it is one of the few a capella songs that highlight tenor voices, allowing Ghosh’s range to shine in the piece. At certain points in the songs, tenors sing a multitude of notes while the other groups hold longer notes, he said.

The choirs use class time to prepare for the recordings by splitting into groups based on their vocal range, Ciriello said. During each rehearsal, the choir practices the song many times to work on their technique and tone. In Treble Choir, they have also been blocking their performance and focusing on the smaller details, Sepulveda said.

These practices take place in the Recital Hall for the Treble Choir and Gross Theater for the Concert Glee Club, Ho said. Although these spaces do not have ideal acoustics for the choir sound, they allow the choirs to practice in masks while properly distancing themselves from one another.

When rehearsing in Gross Theater, the performers blend and adjust their voices by listening to one another’s singing, Ghosh said. Last school year, when they recorded individually from home, they could not adjust their voices to the other singers, which made the experience more challenging, he said. “It is a different experience to be able to sing with everybody else.”

Trentalancia also prefers singing in person, she said. “I feel like you get way more out of the experience, not only with your friends but with all the people who watch.”

While nothing compares to performing for a live audience, the recordings with the professional film crew will be able to capture beautiful shots and angles of the choir’s performance, Ho said.

The recording will make a movie that the school’s community can enjoy online.

Ho hopes that the recordings will allow the singers to find the joy that they were not able to tap into last year, he said. “After a year of not singing, there is a different sense of appreciation for making music together.”

3..2..1...Smile! : Selfie Gallery Opens Kate Beckler and Nia Huff Contributing Writers Entering the Fisher gallery, viewers will find the walls lined with selfies — images, videos, and even a reflection within an image.

The pictures are loosely hung by thumbtacks

the community to get to know each other.

“Doesn’t have to be each other by name — you can get a vibe of what our community is by coming into the room,” Lombardo said.

The gallery, featuring a variety of color palettes, utilizes technology to display photos and videos as well as drawings done digitally, on tin foil, and on paper. The exhibit includes Ailill Walsh/Photo Director

LET ME TAKE A SELFIE! Portraits on display in Selfie Gallery. and represent various interpretations of the selfie. “This is the first time we have a gallery through the lens of the selfie,” Studio Arts Technician Emily Lombardo said.

The art department came up with the idea to put on a selfie gallery show last year. “At the end of the year, we came in and were all still wearing masks, so we thought let’s get to know each other a little bit more,” Lombardo said. “We hoped it would be different than just the quick selfie, thinking about how you are trying to show something about yourself in your selfie.”

Thus, the goal of this art exhibit is for

artwork from Middle Division (MD) and Upper Division (UD) students as well as faculty members such as Music Department Chair Timothy Ho and Head of MD Javaid Khan.

When creating this exhibit, Lombardo had a specific vision she was trying to achieve.

“I definitely wanted to have a looser vibe; I usually hang something in here a little bit neat about it, but I wanted this to have a more ‘in my bedroom’ or ‘up on posters’ a very casual vibe,” they said.

The Arts Department drew inspiration for the gallery show from the difficulties

presented to the school community during the pandemic. “We are going into another year of having to wear masks and not being able to see each other’s faces all the time,” Lombardo said. “This gives people the opportunity to take pictures or show themselves without the mask.”

Like Lombardo, Visual Arts Department Chair Dr. Anna Hetherington felt the gallery would be a good opportunity to see the whole face of students and faculty. “I think I was actually talking to Mr. Khan and Lombardo about how everyone is in masks again and how we never get to see everyone’s faces and how great it would be to have walls full of people’s representation of themselves,” Hetherington said.

According to Lombardo, a selfie allows artists to express themselves in a way that is different from a self-portrait. “It’s a little bit different when you put a selfie in the context of an art gallery, there is no social media, you are not on a device.” A selfie in an art gallery is not the same photo that is posted on Instagram, but a window into the life of the artist, she said.

For Hetherington, a selfie is much more than just a picture. “Any time you represent yourself or anything in the world, it is part of our visual culture, and if it is part of our visual culture, we can consider it art,” she said.

Since the gallery will be up until November 5, the collection of work is still growing.

“We are still totally down to add more selfies everywhere; this selfie show is available to continue to grow in whatever way,” Lombardo said.

Serena Bai (10) is one of the artists featured in the gallery. “My drawing was originally a drawing for my art class homework, but when

I heard about the art gallery, I wanted to put more effort into developing the piece,” she said.

The selfie gallery allowed Bai a way into the art community. “Last year because of COVID, I didn’t really participate in any school events, but this year, I really wanted to do more with the activities that I’m passionate about,” she

Purvi Jonnalagadda, Arushi Talwar

said.

The process of creating Bai’s art was lengthy — it included many sketches that adjusted the lighting and style. Over the past ten years she has spent drawing, Bai realized that even with smaller changes, she will never be completely satisfied with her own work. “There comes a point where you have to decide to just let it be and not change anything anymore.”

Bai hopes that viewers will recognize her passion for art and acknowledge the artistic process. “I hope people will see the time and effort it takes to develop a piece of art as well as the inspiration and story behind it.”

THE RECORD MIDDLE DIVISION OCTOBER 22ND, 2021

MD students attend sexual abuse prevention training from NY Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children Sophie Rukin Staff Writer Sixth and eighth graders attended presentations by the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) over the past few weeks. “The overall goal is that we are providing foundational definitions for spotting unsafe behavior,” Head of the Middle Division Javaid Khan said. The seventh grade presentation will take place today.

In past years, the NYSPCC only presented to the sixth grade and new seventh and eighth grade students. Last spring, however, several eighth grade girls spoke to the school about increasing education about sexual harassment, Khan said. As a result, the administration decided to make the NYSPCC presentations division-wide.

The presentations differ from grade to grade. Each covers similar themes, but the curriculum widens the scope with each grade, Khan said. “What starts as being aware of predatory behavior moves into what healthy relationships look like, which moves into definitions of harassment, assault, to get into a much deeper understanding that is ageappropriate,” Khan said.

Through these presentations, the NYSPCC aims to educate and protect children from sexual abuse and its broad impacts. The issue is widely underreported, and education is a good form of prevention, Khan said.

During the presentations, students watched a video that defined key terms, such as “trusted adult,” then transitioned into rooms with NYSPCC members to facilitate discussions. “[Students] get to walk through and talk through their understanding of the thing we’re presenting, and that’s where the learning happens,” Khan said.

“I found it very interesting, but kind of disturbing,” Daniela Wolkovisky (6) said.

She was particularly struck by a woman in the video who spoke about being sexually assaulted by former US Women’s National Gymnastics Team doctor, Larry Nassar, she said.

The workshops gave students language to better identify their trusted adults and when the boundaries of appropriate behavior are encroached. The presenters raised examples of what a trusted adult would never ask a child to do, such as asking them to keep secrets, trying to meet them in private, and connecting with them on social media, Khan said.

The workshop was entirely interactive and the students were well engaged. In several example scenarios, the eighth graders judged the actions of either party, then discussed their different perspectives.

“Kids do not enter these conversations with the same understanding,” Kahn said.

Allison Kim (6) thought it was important for her peers and herself to learn about sexual abuse. She knows that many girls might experience situations of sexual abuse and she is glad to be prepared, she said. Kim has learned a lot about sexual abuse from the internet and social media, but the presentations helped fill in some gaps.

Terrence Lascher’s (8) main takeaway was that there is a drastic difference between flirting and sexual assault, as well as between teasing and bullying. It’s important for the school to educate students on these differences, he said.

“Their main point was that flirting and teasing are mutual and both parties are enjoying it,” Charlie Weidman (8) said. If both parties do not enjoy the teasing and flirting, then it is no longer okay, he said.

After giving students the tools to critically think about the adults in their lives, the speakers debunked “stranger danger” as a myth, Khan said. While a stranger can always harm someone else, the majority of sexual assaults are from someone who knows or is close to the victim, he said.

Bishop Ibrahim (8) was shocked to learn

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Lauren Kim/Art Director

this information, he said. “I thought of how lucky I was to have a good family relationship, and thought more about how I could be of use to people who don’t,” he said. “I could try and converse with my friends about subjects like these and make myself an amicable and open person so others feel comfortable speaking to me.”

Sydney Kurtz (8) learned that sexual assault was a much larger problem than she had realized. Even though she does not know people who experienced it, it does happen frequently, she said.

This workshop is especially significant to the school because it represents the school’s increasing willingness to take accountability for its past, Khan said. “When [sexual assault] lawsuits happen and people come forward with their stories, it really causes schools to hold a mirror up to themselves and say, ‘in what way are we accountable for this past?’” he said.

Students’ learning experience relies on teacher-student relationships, which is why the school needs to ensure they are healthy and appropriate, Khan said. The school currently places great emphasis on proactive measures, such as workshops and faculty

training, as opposed to merely reacting when students are harmed, he said.

In addition to the new policies, the overall atmosphere surrounding such serious topics has moved towards openness and supportiveness in recent years, Khan said. Students have become less tolerant of ignorant jokes in casual conversation and more sensitive to the harmful effects they may have on an individual, he said. “That can be very damaging for people. For years, I don’t think we understood the long-term effect.”

Given the school’s history with sexual assault, it is important to further students’ education and participate in activities, Kurtz said. In her group, her classmates tried their best to make their discussion count, she said.

Today’s seventh grade workshop will be centered around bullying and harassment, Khan said.

These assemblies are important, Ibrahim said. “My largest takeaway was that with all the bad things going on, there are ways to stop it and ways to help,” he said.

Eighth grade lecture combines history of religion and study of art Ceci Coughlin Staff Writer Visual Arts Department Chair and Upper Division art history teacher Dr. Anna Hetherington lectured eighth grade students about art history in Southern, South Eastern, and Eastern Asia on Wednesday, as part of a larger four-part series of art history lectures held throughout the year. The lecture series occurs every year, Middle Division (MD) history teacher Katharine Rudbeck said.

The lectures act as an extension of the eighth grade history curriculum, Rudbeck said. Part of the history course serves to answer existential questions, such as “what comes after death?” through religious and cultural studies with a focus on Hindu and Buddist culture, she said.

The first lecture taught students how to look at and analyze art, with a particular focus on Hindu art, Hetherington said. “It’s an introduction to looking at art but also ties to the curriculum.”

The art piece reflects what students have been learning about Hindu religion and culture and their different social groups and traditions, Julia Lourenco (8) said. “We have to take notes, analyze them, and submit them to our history class,” she said.

At the first lecture, Hetherington introduced the idea of formal analysis of art by explaining how students can think intelligently about looking at art and the visual world, she said. She also spoke about art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) during the lecture, which the students will look at during the year.

Before COVID-19, eighth graders would take a field trip to the Met, Hetherington said. This year, she hopes to bring the Hindu and Buddhist artwork that students would normally see at the museum into the classroom.

Even with field trip restrictions, Pustilnik said. “Students were able to either Hetherington found other ways to help type in the chat of the Zoom or unmute to students approach objects critically, aside answer the question and propose something from her lectures, she said. “The eighth that they had observed,” she said. graders are actually going to have Upper Learning about formal analysis showed Division (UD) students come to them in their Chloe Ludwig (8) there are many ways to classes to write visual cues on posters and interpret art and figure out how to understand scripts to try to engage them.” the story the piece is telling you using angles Those UD students belong to What is and other visual details, she said. a Masterpiece?, Hetherington’s advanced The main piece of art that the lecture art history class. “We were all assigned an focused on was a sculpture of Shiva, one 8th grade class to go to half supervise, half of the principal deities in Hinduism, on support while she was giving the Zoom,” display at the Met, Pustilnik said. “Using the Dalia Pustilnik (12) said. combination of an introduction to formal Using examples from museums, analysis and asking questions, the students Hetherington introduced the idea of formal learned a lot about what different elements of analysis, a way to help students derive meaning Hindu art related to what they were learning from artwork. To do this, art historians use in class about the different deities.” Overall, questions such as: “What is happening here?

What is going on? Even if you don’t remember who this character is from your studies in history, how can you use visual cues to understand what is going on here?”

Hetherington said.

Hetherington asked the students leading questions about art pieces she presented to get them to think more deeply about the object VISUAL ANALYSIS Hetherington teaches eighth graders. in front of them,

the lecture enhanced the knowledge students received in their religion classes, she said.

UD Students in What is a Masterpiece? will also visit eighth grade history classes in the first week of November and present three objects from the Met, she said.

“We are doing pieces from the Met in the hopes that students will go visit them on their own time,” Hetherington said. “This way we are leaving it open so that students will have the skills to look at art, and then when they go to the Met on their own, they can understand the work.”

Since students look at so much art in history class, the knowledge of knowing how to interpret it makes them learn history in a better way, Ludwig said.

Courtesy of Anna Hetherington

Lions’ Den Record Sports

OCTOBER 22ND, 2021

Varsity Water Polo celebrates historic win against Pingry Jillian Lee Staff Writer

Varsity Water Polo had a monumental win this Wednesday against Pingry School, defeating them for the first time in over a decade, after losing 14-20 against Staples High School two days before.

The Sea Lions beat Pingry 15-14 with a shot made by team captain Walker McCarthy (12) in the last seconds of the final quarter. The two teams were nearly tied throughout the game, but McCarthy’s winning buzzer beater secured the Lions’ win.

In the 23 years that Varsity Water Polo Coach Michael Duffy has coached against Pingry, HM only has a few wins against them, Duffy said. This made Wednesday’s win all the more impressive, McCarthy said.

Some notable moments throughout the game included eight goals made by Max Chasin (11).

One of Chasin’s best goals was when he made a swift lob shot – a deliberately slow hanging shot that passes in an arc over the goalie’s head and into the corner of the goal – from the far left of the pool during the third quarter, McCarthy said.

Going into Wednesday’s game, the team knew that Pingry had very fast swimmers, so the goal was to identify the strongest swimmers on Pingry’s team and stop them from making easy goals or counter attacks, where there is a turnover and the defense switches to offense

before the original offense can react, Duffy said.

The team focused specifically on countering drills during practice in preparation for this week’s games which was helpful when playing against Pingry, who is known for having fast swimmers, Noah Castillo (9) said. “They are a very fast team and we were able to minimize the number of counter attacks they got in during the game.”

Since the team was playing strong teams, it was crucial for them to be extremely cognizant of what was happening in the pool, McCarthy said. “We knew that we [were going] into a game where they might be faster than us and we could compensate by being more aware, thinking ahead, and trying to react faster than they did.”

Both Staples and Pingry are outside the Ivy Preparatory League (IPL). “We’re playing the top teams in the tri-state area. Staples is one of the best teams in Connecticut and Pingry is one of the best in Jersey,” Duffy said.

Duffy anticipated that these games would be difficult since both Staples and Pingry have strong teams compared to those in the IPL, Jared Contant (11) said.

The IPL only has four water polo teams and HM is currently standing in first with a total of five wins and no losses in their league. “I can honestly say that right now we’re the best team in New York,” Duffy said.

The benefit of playing against strong teams is that they provide the water polo team an opportunity to identify weaknesses, Duffy said.

For example, the team has learned that in order

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ARF ARF Sea Lions celebrate win. to keep up with the fast pace at which Staples and Pingry play, they must make decisions faster, he said.

Monday was the introduction into one of the hardest weeks of the season based on the caliber of their opponents’ programs, McCarthy said.

The team was able to take what they learned from the game against Staples and apply it to the game against Pingry, he said.

Two of the struggles during the Staples game were the team’s awareness and communication, Castillo said. “A lot of the time we would have an open man and just didn’t see them.” Staples was able to take advantage of this weakness by stealing the ball without the team realizing, he said.

Pingry switches positions a lot so

communicating about who you are defending or being guarded by was key during the game, Castillo said. In comparison to Monday, the team’s communication was significantly better during Wednesday’s game, which helped them win, he said. “Across the team in general we were able to communicate pretty effectively and had good team chemistry,” McCarthy said.

Next Monday, the team is looking forward to their last IPL game against Trinity. The game is a great opportunity for seniors like McCarthy to see how the team will fare next season, he said.

“I’m excited to see younger players, particularly sophomores and juniors who haven’t necessarily played as much in these pretty tight close games, really step up on Monday.”

A week in Girls Varsity Volleyball games: Girls Varsity Tennis loses to Poly Wins and losses Prep despite strong effort Max Chasin Staff Writer

The Girls Varsity Volleyball team played against Portledge School on Monday and Poly Prep Country Day School on Wednesday, winning the first game 3-0 and losing the second game 0-3, Ava Gersten (11) said.

Gersten enjoyed the game on Monday, which went well, she said. “We’ve gotten really close as a team, and everyone was having a great time regardless of whether we were doing well or not.”

Girls Varsity Volleyball coach Jason Torres was pleased with the team’s performance against Portledge, he said. The team came off of a tough loss against Riverdale at Homecoming this past Saturday, and Torres was concerned about how the team would respond, he said. “We weren’t able to practice between Saturday and Monday, and we had no time to debrief about the game, but the team members came in with a very positive attitude and won a great game.”

Gabby Chong (12) played a fantastic game on Monday, especially since she always brings an amazing attitude to the court, Gersten said.

“Gabby played great — she always brings a positive energy to the court, and she’s always so helpful and encouraging.”

The team didn’t go into the game on Monday with a strategy, but they were aware that their game against Poly Prep would be a tough one, Torres said. “It’s difficult to plan a strategy against [Poly Prep], especially since we haven’t played them in two years due to COVID.” To prepare for games, Torres watches the team’s game film to understand what they did wrong

against a specific team and to see what they can work on to prepare themselves for the next game.

On Wednesday, even though the team tried their best, they lost 0-3, Alexa Turteltaub (11) said. “Poly had one particular player that was incredibly advanced, and their whole team overall was very talented.” Even though the team lost, Maddie Kim (10) played an amazing game in the back row on the team, Turteltaub said.

“When they walked in, they were visibly taller than us by 4-5 inches at every position,” Torres said. “We did have some very few blocks though, which I credit our team for.”

Jaelah Taylor (11) played a great game; she had several big spikes and only one or two of her spikes were blocked, Torres said.

During the team’s practices, they work on skills that were weak during games; the practices are tailored to specific components of the game, Torres said. During practice, the team does lots of drills and tries to mimic game-like situations, Gersten said. “For example, our serving at the beginning of the season was very poor, and since then, after working on serves in practice, we have done much better, and we rarely miss them,” Torres said.

With the final few weeks of the season ahead, if the team pushes themselves really hard in practice, they will finish the year strong, Gersten said. “We always end up doing better when we’re more energetic, more positive, and supporting one another; it is also important that we work really hard so we can function well as a team, both emotionally and physically.”

Sean Lee/Photo Director

Athena Rem Staff Writer

The Girls Varsity Tennis team lost to Poly Prep in the first round of the Ivy Preparatory League Tournament last Monday. Despite the loss and windy and cold weather, the team bonded and showed a lot of group spirit, Coco Trentalancia (11) said. “It’s always a great time to be with the girls, regardless of our results.”

Though the weather was not ideal, the team still pulled through and did a good job, Girls Varsity Tennis coach Ken Bruton said.

Though Emily Grant (10) lost her singles match, she still played well, Bruton said. “[Grant] stood out to me on Monday for how well she competed, and for having an amazing attitude doing it.”

The team’s top doubles team, captains Jade Ciriello (12) and Bella Colacino (12), played extremely well and were the only team to win their match, Bruton said. The poor weather did not seem to affect them — their playing was the best Bruton had ever seen from the pair, he said.

To prepare for the tournament, Bruton helped the team develop new strategies and made sure they were mentally prepared, Trentalancia said. One of these strategies was to always get

one more ball in than the opponent, she said.

Getting one more ball in means trying to hit the ball as strategically, rather than as hard, as a player can, putting focus on remaining consistent with shots and power exerted, she said. With this strategy, players can always hit “one more ball” than their opponents, which is what helps players win points, Trentalancia said.

Leading up to the game, the team showed its team spirit by wearing festive Christmasthemed clothes on Monday. The team also enjoys spending time together on the bus to away games, where they can talk about strategy and bond, Trentalancia said.

Throughout the season, Trentalancia felt lucky to be able to play despite COVID-19 restrictions, she said. “Luckily for us we are in an environment in which the courts are pretty spread out, and we only have to really be in communication with our doubles partners or [not at all] if we play singles.”

Bruton is also looking forward to today’s match against Riverdale. The team has had good practices and is working on strategizing to make the next game even better, Brutom said. “We are looking forward to hopefully getting a win on Friday.”

LIONS’ BOX: Results from This Week’s Games Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Poly Prep -- LOSS 1-4 Water Polo vs. Staples HS -- LOSS 14-20 Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Portledge -- WIN 3-0 Water Polo vs. Pingry -- WIN 15-14 Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Poly Prep -- WIN 1-0 Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Poly Prep-- LOSS 0-3 Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Poly Prep -- LOSS 0-3

SPIKE! Team hits ball over net.