The Horace Mann Record, Issue 16

The Horace Mann Record HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019 || VOLUME 116, ISSUE 16

RECORD.HORACEMANN.ORG

Poly Prep video sparks conversations and outrage Mayanka Dhingra Staff Writer

Courtesy of Jasmin Ortiz

News of a blackface video recently circulating on social media at the Poly Preparatory School in Brooklyn has caused discussions within the school community about racism.

The video, filmed three years ago, features two former Poly Prep students in blackface making animal-like noises and gestures. After resurfacing earlier this month, the video became a widespread story both online and within local media.

Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly was the first to address the incident at the school and encouraged community-wide discussion in a forum held during Unity Week. At the forum, Kelly emphasized the school’s own policies for addressing and confronting racism.

“The school’s Mission Statement, Core DEBRIEFING Kelly addresses video at Unity Week forum.

Values and the behavioral guidelines referenced in our Family Handbook are clear on this Courtesy of Jasmin Ortiz matter: racist behavior is unacceptable and will result in a consequence when reported,” Kelly said.

Co-Director of the ICIE John Gentile believes that the underlying culture of racism recently brought to light is a widespread rather than isolated issue, he said.

By having conversations, unpacking these issues in classrooms and during Unity Week, sending kids to the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), and engaging with the ICIE, the school proactively works to create patterns of behavior that limit the possibilities of such incidents, he said.

“And yet, we are a school that is in the country and not outside of the scope and sequence of the legacy of racism,” Gentile said.

The school has experienced racially BLACK BOX DISCUSSION Students gather to listen to speakers. insensitive incidents in the past, including a Student Body President (SBP) video three

years ago containing racial stereotypes as well as a joke with historically racist connotations at an SBP assembly last year.

History Department Chair Dr. Daniel Link believes that the recent video is yet another example of the need for a robust history education starting at a young age, he said.

Blackface first began in the 1830s and 1840s in performances known as minstrel shows, which were designed for white Americans to feel a sense of racial solidarity and superiority while also mocking African Americans and depicting them in negative and stereotypical ways as being lazy, slow, and stupid, Link said.

When he saw the video, Darius McCullough (11) initially thought that the clip was from when Jim Crow characters dominated the realm of popular culture in the United States, he said.

“I was shocked as to how anyone in our New York community today could be so ignorant or find something like this amusing,” McCullough said.

Recently, incidents and discussions of blackface have continued to surface nationwide.

Last year, American journalist Megyn Kelly was fired from her talk show after failing to admit the problem with blackface, Link said.

Recently, the University of Oklahoma expelled a student who was seen in blackface using a racial epithet in a video that went viral on Twitter, according to an NBC News article.

“The fact that we keep seeing these incidents of blackface shows the persistence of what may be charitable ignorance of history but is far more likely continued racial anxiety,” Link said.

With people of color forming a larger share of the population, there is a lot of apprehension among whites who are concerned about their status in the United States, he said.

Combatting such a culture of ignorance requires awareness from all community

members and especially those with racial privilege, Gentile said.

“It takes white students and adults starting in their circles of influence to interrupt, to question, and to raise the bar for what is funny, what is valued, and what is worthy as a basis for building relationships,” Gentile said.

Along with many other students, Juliette Shang (9) took to social media to express her opposition to the incident, she said. “It felt good to see that students have a voice and that so many came together to stand against such a blatant act of racism,” Shang said.

For many students, the situation has prompted consideration on how quickly or effectively the school responds to such incidents involving race and discrimination.

Dalia Pustilnik (9) feels secure in the school community because the administration has addressed such issues in the past with measures such as mass emails, discussion forums, and assembly time, she said.

In his Comparative Race and Ethnicity class, McCullough engaged in a class devoted to discussion of the issue but was disappointed that in many of his other classes, as well as in the most recent assembly, the issue went unmentioned, he said.

Jessica Thomas (11) believes the school does a good job of creating spaces for discussion, but the students who are already well-versed in these issues are the ones attending, she said.

The Union will hold a meeting next week for further discussion of the Poly Prep video as well as a recent incident involving teens mocking a Native American elder.

“An apology is a beginning,” Gentile said.

“Actions are the next step. And consistency to establish a practice of awareness and antiracist behaviors will show our commitment to change.”

Coalition and Union host Black History Month movie screening Madison Li Staff Writer

INSIDE

The Hilltop Diversity Coalition (HDC) and the Union will join forces to host a screening of the film Fresh Dressed and a panel discussion with prominent Black figures in the fashion industry today in honor of Black History Month.

The night will begin with the featured documentary, Fresh Dressed, which “chronicles the history of hip-hop’s urban fashion from its early beginnings to the catwalks of high fashion,” according to an announcement email sent out by the Union.

A talkback in the Recital Hall will follow the screening, led by speakers featured in the film including Dapper Dan, a Gucci collaborator, April Walker, the founder of Walker Wear, Chris Latimer, the creator of the African American College Alliance clothing brand, and Guy Wood, the founder of 5001 Flavors and owner of Harlem Haberdashery, a boutique clothing store, Union Board Member Taussia Boadi (11) said.

Dinner at the event will feature a wide representation of the African diaspora through African food, Afro-Caribbean food, and soul food, Boadi said.

This event is the HDC’s first celebration of Black History Month, which consists of students from Riverdale, Fieldston, and the school, HDC Founder and co-President Dakota Stennett-Neris (12) said.

The HDC proposed such an event after it noted that the school did not have a formal celebration last year. Kelly was extremely supportive of hosting an event for all three hill schools, StennettNeris said.

“We wanted to do something that would empower and uplift Black people. The movie we picked, Fresh Dressed, depicts the institutional inequity and injustices that black people face, but in addition to that it shows how black people combat these forces through various art forms including music and fashion,” she said.

“With all the recent heart breaking and demoralizing events taking place, we choose to celebrate by acknowledging all the fresh, fabulous and fantastic ways black culture has influenced the American landscape,” Union Advisor Dr. Rachel Mohammed said.

Breaking News

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Gabby Kepnes discusses news media as the daughter of journalists.

In addition, the event was a reaction to the curriculum at the school and how it rarely focuses on the culture of people of color, Stennett-Neris said.

“Many of the people that attend our schools don’t have exposure to those minorities outside of school, so their perception of black people will come from the exposure they gain from the curriculum and pop culture. Unfortunately, in many cases this leads to the normalization of black people as subordinate to their white peers,” Stennett-Neris said.

To both celebrate and provide exposure to Black culture, the film will spotlight local experiences of people of color, discuss racism inside of the Bronx and New York area, and show how Black clothing and music were “used as an expression of our opinions, power, and voice against police brutality,” Stennett-Neris said.

The film also discusses how many Black people were never able to obtain high-class designer brand clothing due to financial reasons and stigmas, Boadi said. As a result, the stars of Fresh Dressed decided to create their own brands or collaborate with other designers to make fashion accessible for people of color who felt excluded from the fashion industry at the time, she said.

“What people are going to take from this is that although Black people have suffered oppression for numerous years, they were able to create a fashion that still ‘sticks’ to this day,” Boadi said. “We don’t really hear much about the history of Black fashion in New York, and this event can educate people on the topic as well as foster a sense of community,” she said.

As diversity clubs generally don’t have as much participation compared to other clubs, events like the screening are a nice boost for the clubs, Faijul Rhyhan (12) said.

“I hope that attendees find a new understanding for African American culture beyond just rap and music,” Union member Eric Ohakam (12) said.

Lou Royer P’20 will attend the screening to learn more about the African American experience, he said.

“You can’t see everything in your own life, so it’s fun to see the world through the eyes of other people, and I think this event is a good opportunity for that.”

Global Student Body

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Exploring the experiences of immigrant and first generation students.

Girls Welcomed?

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Girls jump through hoops to join traditionally male teams.

@hm.record @thehoracemannrecord Horace Mann School 231 W 246th St, Bronx, NY 10471

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THE RECORD OPINIONS FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019

Comparative Race and Ethnicity: studying black culture in a safe space

Taussia Boadi When I think about black people and our history, my mind immediately jumps to the Triangle Trade and slavery in America, as if the history of black people began when American chattel slavery did. I often forget about the rich history and culture that existed in Africa outside of slavery. I forget about the rise out of oppression and the birth of modern African nations.

In Atlantic World and US History at school, we are taught about black people in the context of oppression. There were times in those history classes when I felt that students, along with myself, were neglecting the full history of black people.

I sometimes thought about addressing this by throwing in a quick comment about the fact that there is more to black history than oppression, though I never did in fear of judgement. I did not want to be viewed as the black student who felt the need to be the spokesperson for all black people.

This made these spaces feel less “safe” for me. I

only noticed this unfortunate reality when I began taking Comparative Race and Ethnicity (CRAE).

CRAE is a course at our school that, according to the program of studies, “examines race and ethnic relations in the United States and in other contemporary multiethnic/multiracial societies in the Americas (Brazil, Canada, the Caribbean), Asia, and Africa.” What the course description doesn’t give you, however, is a description of the space the class takes place in and the way it changes your thinking.

The first book we read in CRAE was Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane. In his powerful novel, Mathabane describes his experience growing

“Since taking CRAE, I find myself feeling unusually comfortable in class, participating in the discussions without feeling like I have to censor myself.” up as a black boy in apartheid-era South Africa. While the book describes the realities of apartheid in raw, descriptive detail, it also shows the various cultures and customs of South Africans at the time, such as the ones involving witchcraft and healing which were brought to urban areas from the homelands. The book also

discussed the black customs that were kept alive despite oppression by the white ruling class.

Before reading Kaffir Boy, I barely had any knowledge of South Africa outside of apartheid.

I didn’t know anything about the persevering black leaders that brought the country out of the darkness it was in. CRAE opened my eyes and allowed me to see Africa in a different light.

I find it surprisingly easy to exclusively focus on black history that pertains to the construction of America. CRAE helped me realize that is a flawed way of thinking because it helps to perpetuate negative stereotypes about black people today.

In learning about the glorious parts of black history, I find myself more willing to embrace my history rather than trying to avoid conversations about it. As humans, we tend to subconsciously associate ourselves with people who are similar to us. For example, I often associate with my people of color (POC) schoolmates outside of the classroom, mainly because in the classroom there aren’t many of us. I find that conversations involving race flow easily because there is an innate sense of understanding since we may share similar experiences and struggles.

Since taking CRAE, I find myself feeling unusually comfortable in class, participating in discussions without feeling like I have to censor myself. I attribute that, in part, to my teachers who create a respectful environment and lead meaningful conversations. I also attribute this to the racial diversity of the class itself.

The class gives students a space to learn about and unpack the race relations that we

don’t get to talk about in ninth and tenth grade history classes. I believe that aspect of the class attracts POC students. Being in class with other black students is extremely empowering because I know that in the space, there will be people who can relate to what I say.

Additionally, unlike Atlantic World and US History, there is a mutual understanding between students of the necessity of a safe space. To me, a safe space is a place where we actively listen and try to understand what others say instead of trying to craft a response. People can express their opinions without fear of being attacked. This aspect of the class is responsible for making me feel more comfortable discussing such heavy topics.

My experience in CRAE has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve learned to lean into discomfort. When I speak up, I have no fear of being judged, nor do I find myself censoring what I say the way I used to.

CRAE made me realize the importance of safe spaces in the classrooms and in school in general. Knowing that judgment won’t be passed and my opinions won’t be shut down when I say “controversial” things gives me courage. Knowing that my classmates will try to understand what I say, even though they might not relate, is reassuring. We need to work on establishing safe spaces in all classes because I know that there are still people who are afraid to contribute in sensitive conversations. When safe spaces are established, students will finally feel like they can use their voice without fear.

conversations in the classrooms and hallways.

I always got a head start on things. Having my mind already coated with the daily news first thing in the morning has turned out to be very helpful.

Before I am forced to engage in a conversation about a topic, I am able to come up with my opinion having

everything was fine. But, even though I was exhausted by upsetting news, my parents still refused to let me shy away from being informed.

Once they arrived home from work, my parents would continue to follow the latest stories.

Confronting the news, even when you don’t want to, is important. If you’re able to keep up with the craziness this world holds, you will be able to develop an informed opinion, think deeper about current problems and work towards solutions. Following the news widens your perspectives on both political and cultural problems. From there, you can share your perspective with others, creating a more engaged society. Discussing the news is a way that our community can unite during difficult times.

Knowing who our leaders are and what decisions are being made for our country affects everyone. Even the terrifying pieces of news that crash on the world unexpectedly are necessary to know because it reminds us to be conscious of problems in society. Don’t disregard the mass tragedies just because it saddens you.

Even if the news seems overwhelming, it’s necessary to find ways to engage yourself.

Whether it be reading the newspaper, participating in a conversation about current events, or flipping the channel to a news station, knowing the news gives you the power to think critically and be an advocate for change.

Consuming the news as the daughter of two journalists

Gabby Kepnes The news cycle controls my life. From the time I wake up in the morning to when I go to sleep at night, Joe and Mika on MSNBC and Rachel Maddow are key components of my daily routine.

Growing up, it was never a fight for the remote over Disney Channel or Cupcake Wars, but a decision of which network to hear the world news from. My brother and I don’t have a choice. Since my parents both work in the media industry, my mother as a news anchor and my father a special events producer, the news is inescapable in my house.

When I was younger, my parents made endless attempts to weave their careers into my impressionable world. Whenever I had friends over, my mom’s “TV personality” would suddenly appear. She turns everything into an interview, bombarding my friends with questions. “How

are you?” “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “Do you like to sing?” She carries her natural curiosity home everyday from work.

My dad made journalism a part of his parenting as well. When I had school projects pertaining to any type of production, his realm of expertise, he was always eager to help. I remember for one project for my film class, my dad took me to his office at CNN. He helped me add “TV jargon” like political jokes and social media puns, coached me on delivering the lines, scheduled a teleprompter operator, and recorded the entire segment with the help of a professional cameraman on the very set real CNN anchors used.

On the way to school my parents would make my brother and me listen to the news on the radio. Every so often my mom would turn the volume down and ask us our thoughts on what we were hearing. While I often found these early morning conversations annoying at the time, over the years, I’ve realized how much this discussion about the news has made me a better reader, writer, and listener. During those car rides, I began grappling with hard questions regarding our country, government, and our world, ones that I never thought I would be interested in.

Having two parents in journalism taught me the value of being up-to-date on current events. Each day there’s always something new occurring that can spark engaging

Editorial: Embracing Black History Month

The start of February today signals a variety of different things for members of the community. It may mean bracing ourselves for increasingly frigid weather or thinking about Valentine’s Day. For seniors, perhaps it means easing up on work ever so slightly. For all of us, however, February should signify the beginning of Black History Month, especially in light of the deeply offensive video that recently surfaced from another New York private school. As members of the Record board, we would like to openly condemn this racist behavior. Our actions, no matter their intent, have the ability to deeply harm those around us. We urge members of our community to remind ourselves of the racism that taints our country’s history and use this opportunity to celebrate African-American people and culture.

February has been designated Black History Month by every president since 1967 to honor the Volume 116 Editorial Board Managing Editor Betsey Bennett

Editor in Chief Lynne Sipprelle

Features Abby Kanter Megha Nelivigi

News Katie Goldenberg Surya Gowda

Lions’ Den Natasha Stange Brody McGuinn William Han

Photography Abigail Kraus Ahaan Palla Jake Shapiro

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Issues Editor Sadie Schwartz

Opinions Rebecca Siegel Abigail Goldberg-Zelizer Art Directors Juli Moreira Jackson Roberts

Middle Division Sandhya Shyam

A&E Peri Brooks Jeren Wei Design Editors Allison DeRose Caroline Kaplan

Online Editor Henry Wildermuth

Juli Moreira/Art Director

already considered the arguments on both sides.

More and more recently, however, even the wisps of good news have been shredded by divisive, negative, and often devastating headlines.

Since entering high school, I have been further exposed to tragic and horrible events that have made me not want to follow the news at all.

After spending an entire day discussing the Parkland shooting, I wanted to come home and take a break from reality and pretend that

contributions and accomplishments of black individuals in American society. Instead of focusing on the black narrative as a story of slavery, racism, and oppression, let’s aim to achieve a fuller understanding of black history. Let’s appreciate every aspect of black history and culture--arts, politics, science, religion, and more. Tonight’s Black History Month film screening and panel discussion, for instance, is a great place to start.

This February-- and last week’s inspiring Unity Week-- should act as the jumping off point for these conversations of racism, equity, inclusion, and justice. Let’s strive to include others, reflect on all aspects of history, and consider our impact each and every day. Because when we can achieve this, we can become a stronger and more cohesive community.

Staff Writers Malhaar Agrawal, Laura Bae, Andrew Cassino, Mayanka Dhingra, Victor Dimitrov, Amelia Feiner, Mark Fernandez, Nelson Gaillard, Leonora Gogos, Jude Herwitz, Edwin Jin, Spencer Kahn, Samuel Keimweiss, Gabrielle Kepnes, Suraj Khakee Madison Li, Darius McCullough, Noah Phillips, Eliza Poster, Julia Robbins, Kiara Royer, Abigail Salzhauer, Ranya Sareen, Nishtha Sharma, Griffin Smith, Benjamin Wang, Robbie Werdiger, Simon Yang, Isabella Zhang, Bradley Bennett, Sogona Cisse, Jack Crovitz, Jackson Feigin, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Henry Owens, Emily Shi, Samuel Singer, Sasha Snyder, Vivien Sweet, Natalie Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky Staff Photographers Eva Fortunato, Iliana Dezelic, Griffin Smith, Harrison Haft, Andrew Cassino, Julia Isko, Julia Robbins, Daniel Lee, Ava Merker Staff Artists Elizabeth Fortunato, Alexandra Crotty, Gabrielle Fischberg, Annabelle Chan, Julia Roth

Editorial Policy ABOUT The Record is published weekly by the students of Horace Mann School to provide the community with information and entertainment, as well as various viewpoints in the forms of editorials and opinion columns. All editorial decisions regarding content, grammar and layout are made by the editorial board. The Record maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association.

EDITORIALS & OPINIONS Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the senior editorial board. Opinion columns are the sole opinion of the author and not of The Record or the editorial board.

NOTE 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. The Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and content of The Record, and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed therein.

LETTERS To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters to the editor should be submitted by mail (The Record, 231 West 246th Street, Bronx, NY 10471) or e-mail (record@horacemann.org) before 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. All submissions must be signed and should refer to a Record article. Letters may be edited for grammar, style, length and clarity.

CONTACT For all comments, queries, story suggestions, complaints or corrections, or for information about subscribing, please contact us by email at record@horacemann.org.

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HORACE MANN NEWS FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019

Interfaith Group hosts Al-Noor students Kiara Royer Staff Writer The Interfaith Group invited high school students from the Al-Noor School in Brooklyn to visit the school for a day of friendship and cultural discussion last Wednesday.

The Al-Noor School is the largest Islamic school in New York, according to its website. Founded in 1995, the school emphasizes academic excellence as well as Muslim identity in a safe environment conducive to their learning.

Created at the school a few years ago, the Interfaith Group promotes cross-cultural events to allow for constructive dialogue sessions between students of various religious and cultural beliefs, co-President of the Interfaith Group Nader Granmayeh (12) said.

Since its creation, the club has grown

to involve a group of 15 to 20 students that have formed a close relationship with students from Al-Noor, he said.

Members of the group gave the Al-Noor students a tour during C period and ate lunch together D period, co-President Diana Shaari (11) said. The Al-Noor students then attended a Unity Week workshop about the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and the Global Refugee Crisis hosted by Yana Gitelman (10) and Henry Owens (10).

History teacher Dr. Elisa Milkes, who was the advisor for the workshop, believes that the Al-Noor students made the workshop a very memorable experience for everyone as they shared meaningful family stories and perspectives, she said.

“We sent them to classes we thought they would be interested in, so after we brought them to the Unity Week workshop, we split

Courtesy of Diana Shaari

BONDING TIME Al Noor students hang out with the group.

Amleia Feiner Staff Writer

them up and they went to one STEM class and one humanities class,” Granmayeh said.

Some of these classes included English teacher Dr. Andrew Fippinger’s senior elective, science teacher Dr. Rachel Mohammed’s chemistry class, and science teacher Oleg Zvezdin’s physics class, Shaari said.

“When they were here, the students also had to have prayer twice; the first time, we brought them to the Stupub at noon, and then we took them to the Black Box around 2:45,” Shaari said.

Shaari hopes the students enjoyed and learned a lot from the classes the group chose for them, she said.

“I know that one girl that visited Mr. Bauld’s English class last year was here this year, and she went to his class again, so it was nice that she had that continuity,” Shaari said.

Roey Nornberg (11), a member of the group, believes that since school is a big component of one’s life, visiting each other’s academic environments can allow the students to get to know each other better, he said.

“Still, the visits are all part of a bigger idea, which is to see and talk to people who are brought up in a different lifestyle than you in order to understand that we’re all really similar, and this can help foster more communication between everyone,” Nornberg said.

Creating cross-cultural dialogue sessions between students from other schools was the main focus of the Interfaith Group’s creation by Daniel Posner ’18 and Amir Moazami ’18, who, with the help of Granmayeh, began the club two years ago.

For Nornberg, the club has helped him meet new people and have stimulating discussions about prevalent topics, he said.

Students participating in the Interfaith Group will visit the Al-Noor School later this year to sit in on their classes, he said.

“We stay in touch and meet up [with the students] four or five times a year, and it’s great

Courtesy of Diana Shaari

VISITING THE SCHOOL Al Noor students pose. because we’ve had a lot of very thoughtful and insightful conversations,” Nornberg said. “Some of [the conversations] are just about school, but we also talk about how being Muslim has affected their lives, how they’ve experienced New York City, and how that’s different from what we’ve experienced, and we’re working together to make sure that we can make it as inclusive as possible for everyone,” he said.

In the future, the group wants to get other schools involved and connect them with other religious schools in the area to start their own dialogue sessions, Shaari said.

“The entire point of the group in the first place is to interact with students of different cultures and backgrounds and recognize that they’re very similar to us despite these differences, and the conversations let us appreciate these differences while celebrating our similarities,” Granmayeh said.

School celebrates Japan Day

Today, students will present plays with their Japanese classes and enjoy a schoolwide celebration of Japanese culture as part of the school’s annual Japan Day. Japanese teacher Mami Fujisaki started Japan Day about 25 years ago when she first came to the school, she said. “I wanted [the students] to enjoy speaking Japanese and then using it,” she said.

The day begins with each Japanese class performing a Japanese play in the Recital Hall.

These performances are open to the whole school to come watch and support their classmates, she said.

After Japanese students perform their plays from B through C periods, they will enjoy bento boxes and a yakisoba tasting, a traditional Japanese bon-dance, a tea ceremony, and origami, Japanese teacher Reiko Kawahara said.

Theater is a great way for students to study Japanese because they are able to incorporate so much of the vocabulary that they are studying in class into the plays, Fujisaki said. Even if a student is shy or not a theater person, they still have to be on stage, she said.

“It is really heartwarming to see some of my Japanese 1 students that came to class on the first day not knowing any Japanese now being able to write and speak Japanese.

I cannot wait to see them perform,” Kawahara said.

As students mature in their study of Japanese, the plays become more sophisticated, Claire Yoo (12) said. “Everyone their freshman year does the 12 animals. You tell the story of how the zodiac animals came to be, and it’s a starting point for everyone. I think it’s really cool because everyone

Kawahara has been working intensively with all of her classes to perform five plays, she said. “We have had many table readings in our classrooms to ensure that my students have a clear understanding of their characters and the story they are performing,” she said.

“It is equally important to ensure that the students have clear pronunciations as well.”

Juli Moreira/Arts Editor

has the same base for their Japan Day experience,” she said.

“I have been a part of Japan Day plays since eighth grade and every year it just gets better. More and more kids take Japanese and the plays become popular,” Allen Park (12) said. “I love seeing other classes perform plays that we once performed and see their take on it.”

Yoo, who has taken Japanese since her freshman year, believes that Japan Day has helped her to celebrate and appreciate Japanese language and culture, she said.

“In the beginning when you’re just starting to learn, it is hard to truly appreciate Japanese culture because you are just trying to learn a language,” Yoo said. “I think now as a senior, because

I’ve had four years of experience and I’ve been through so many different classes and teachers, I definitely get to appreciate the culture a lot more.”

To celebrate their last Japan Day, the seniors will play taiko drums, a traditional form of Japanese percussion, Kawahara said.

“Because it is my last Japan Day I definitely appreciate the event and celebration a lot more than I did when I was a freshman,” Yoo said.

Park is also excited to have fun and act with his classmates for one last time, he said.

Meanwhile, freshmen are excited for the celebration as well. Ashley Chung (9) is looking forward to watching her friends perform in their various shows, she said. Valerie Zeitlin (9) cannot wait to try the bento and yakisoba and experience Japanese culture, she said.

Besides taiko, Japanese drums, Yoo is looking forward to the games, calligraphy and tea sampling ceremony after lunch, she said.

“Japan day is so important because it represents a culture that is often overlooked,” Park said. “It is a lot of fun to be immersed in the culture, even if it be for just four periods.”

“An event like this for students is incredible,” Kawahara said.

“I’m really excited to present students with this very rare opportunity to truly experience and understand Japanese culture.

I really hope that the students find Japan Day meaningful.”

Juli Moreira/Arts Editor

We’re proud to present the second installment of the Community Council Corner! We wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to all of you and give an update on how the Community Council has been working hard behind the scenes to improve student life. Below are the initiatives we’ve accomplished since the last CC Corner: 1) Project X: Get ready to begin a week of exciting spoon tag! Don’t forget to sign up through email! The game will start on Monday, February 4 at 8:30 AM, and end Friday, February 8 at 4 PM. 2) Career Lecture Series: As part of Unity Week, graphic designers Wael Morcos and Jon Key came to share details and experiences about their profession. Keep an eye out for our next guest lecturer, Tony Award winner and musical director Ted Sperling, who will be visiting Horace Mann during Music Week!

3) Assembly Polls: We are collecting data to help inform the planning of future assemblies.

4) Bring Back the Tap: Each week, water has been provided in the cafeteria to encourage sustainability and reduce plastic bottle use.

5) Bubble Tea in the Library: With the help of Ms. Cohn, the community council served bubble tea in the cafeteria.

If you have any questions regarding the Community Council or have any fun initiative ideas, feel free to contact your CC Chair, Jeren (jeren_wei@horacemann.org), your CC Secretary, Julia (julia_robbins@horacemann. org), or your grade CC representatives.

Love, The Community Council

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Julia Robbins Staff Writer

THE RECORD FEATURES FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019

The Immigrant Experience Students of immigrant families reflect on the transition to life in America

For many immigrant families, changing location does not mean abandoning their heritage; these students often have unique perspectives about education and culture.

In an anonymous Record poll answered by 212 Upper Division students, 6% reported that they were born in a country other than the US, and 49% reported that their parents were not born in the US. Many students cited higher education and economic opportunities as the primary reasons for immigrating to the US, while some also mentioned revolutions, communism, apartheid, and religious discrimination. These are some of their stories.

When Meryeme Elalouani (11) was four years old, she moved to New York from Marrakech, Morocco with her mother. Elalouani’s father moved to the US for college, and, a few years later, he applied for permanent American residency. Permanent residents are legally allowed to bring their spouses and children to live in the US, so when Elalouani was four, she moved with her mother to join her father in New York.

Young Joon Kim (12) still remembers going to a small convenience store next to his apartment in South Korea when he was around five years old, he said. Every day he would buy the same snack, shrimp chips, and usually he would return home to play videogames with his close childhood friend.

Kim left South Korea after his mom was offered a higher work position in the US that allowed her to be more creative. He was five years old when he left and hasn’t returned in six years.

Simon Yang (11) moved to the US from Seoul, South Korea to start eighth grade at Horace Mann. The transition was easier than expected, but he still had to adapt to new educational customs, Yang said.

“I thought it was going to be very challenging considering that I had never really been in an American school type of environment,” Yang said. Having to meet new people was intimidating as well, he said.

“I needed to get used to participating in class,” Yang said. In Korea, students are not expected to speak up in class or talk with teachers outside of class, he said.

Pana Persianis (12) has also found that the American education system places more of an emphasis on participating in class. Persianis was born in the Netherlands and has lived in Poland, Italy, and Greece depending on where his parents’ work took the family. He eventually came to the US so that his mother could attend graduate school at Columbia University.

Kim has found the education system in the US to be less intense than in Korea, he said. South Korean students work until 12 or one A.M. at an afterschool center before coming home to work until about two or three A.M., he said. “My brother and I are both grateful that we didn’t have to go through what those kids are going through.”

In Korea, students’ entire academic performance is based on two tests per semester that students study for at academies every day after school, Yang said.

Along with the positive aspects of living in America, students have also experienced difficulties with language and the college process.

Not having legacy status at American universities is an obstacle that almost all first generation students have to face, Yotam Hahn (10) said. Hahn’s parents moved from Israel in their early twenties to attend graduate school in the US. Persianis was surprised to see how much legacy status is part of admissions in America because the idea of legacy doesn’t exist the same way in other countries, he said. The US is normally seen as a meritocratic country, and legacy status does not live up to those meritocratic ideals, he said.

“There are times when I think it would’ve been easier if I had a parent that grew up here and went through the whole college process when they were in high school,” Elalouani said. But, overall, she has not found anything particularly surprising about the college process, as both of her parents work in the education system, she said.

Besides the college process, Elalouani also confronts other obstacles in the US that she wouldn’t have encountered in Morocco, she said. “I have faced people coming up to me and ranting about how Islam and Muslims don’t belong in Western society and that I need to go back home,” Elalouani, who wears a hijab, said.

“Even reading or hearing about racist attacks that have happened makes me think about the obstacles Courtesy of Janvi Kukreja

A MARRIAGE OF CULTURES Janvi Kukreja (12) and her family attend a cousin’s traditional Indian wedding.

my parents had to go through as immigrants in this country as well,” she said.

Additionally, there are many ways in which students need to adjust to everyday aspects of life in the US besides dealing with the obvious positive or negative aspects of American society.

The rhythm of life is much faster in New York City than any of the other countries that Persianis has lived in. People in the US have an almost religious belief in hard work and capitalism, he said.

Persianis still hasn’t grown fully accustomed to the speed of New York. “Naturally, I adjusted slightly in terms of pace; I now have breakfast on the go, but nothing major,” he said.

Yang has noticed that, compared to Koreans, Americans are much more willing to talk with people they don’t know. “To me, that was something really new [which took] some time to get used to,” Yang said.

Unlike in Korea, Yang’s neighbors in the US often greet him and say “hi” when they see him, he said.

However, for Alex Binnmyr (12), it was easier to connect with people more quickly in Russia, where he is from, he said. Binnmyr emigrated from Russia to receive a better education and so that his family could escape the struggling Russian economy.

“People in Russia were far more receptive to being open with a stranger. While Americans are very friendly, they are not as open with new people,” he said.

Still, Russians smile much less frequently than Americans, he said. “Culturally, smiling in public is seen as something an insane person would do,” Binnmyr said. “But it’s not necessarily because people are cold, it’s just the way the culture happens to be.”

Hahn also notices distinctions in how people interact with one other in America versus Israel.

Courtesy of Meryeme Elalouani

FAMILY FIRST Meryeme Elalouani (11) and her parents in her hometown of Marrakech, Morocco.

“The way we talk with each other is a lot less formal than the way I find my American friends talk with their parents and their family,” Hahn said.

Compared to American children, Greek kids are more open to talking with their parents about what goes on in their lives, Persianis said.

Grace Ermias (11) has noticed how her extended familial relationships have been affected by being a first generation American. “When you come to a different country, you need your family,” she said. “Versus when you’re already here, you’re established and you don’t need the support of your family.”

Ermias’ mother moved to the US in 1991 to join her family members who already lived in the US. Her father escaped Ethiopia as a political refugee in 1994 due to the country’s oppressive regime, the Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia (the Derg).

“I can’t imagine not having the massive family that I do,” Ermias said. “My dad has ten brothers and sisters and my mom is one of six.”

While most of Ermias’ extended family lives in America, that is not the case for Elalouani.

Growing up in Morocco, Elalouani lived nearby much of her extended family and saw them frequently.

But in America, Elalouani’s only family members are her immediate family and one aunt. “Now, we see each other every summer [when] everyone travels back to Morocco,” she said.

Cuisine is another distinguishing cultural factor for immigrant and first generation students.

Elalouani’s parents often cook Moroccan food for dinner, including couscous or tajine. Every day at five o’clock, her family comes together for caskroot, the Moroccan equivalent of British tea time, to drink tea and eat pastries, Elalouani said.

Both Yang and Kim often eat Korean food their parents make, while Ermias’ mom cooks Ethiopian food once every few nights for her family.

While food is one of the main ways that students from different cultural backgrounds preserve their heritage, families also use traditional furniture and room designs.

“We have a Moroccan living room, and we also have a more Western style living room,” Elalouani said.

The living room, which is filled with traditionally detailed Moroccan upholstery, tables, and carpets, serves as a welcoming room for Moroccan visitors, she said. It also serves as a reminder for Elalouani about the country she was born in. “This is what it would’ve been like if I’d grown up in Morocco,”she said.

Being a first generation or immigrant American also draws most young people to think about their families’ pasts and how their parents’ journeys have impacted them.

Janvi Kukreja (12) is a first generation Indian-American whose parents met in India before marrying and coming to the US. “My dad has worked so hard for his life,” Kukreja said. “He’s given me everything, and he has literally gone from the bottom to where he is now, which is really impressive to me.”

Kim is also very appreciative of the situation that his parents have put him in, he said. “I want to make my parents happy,” he said. “[Being raised in America is] something that they didn’t go through, so they’re jealous of what I’m going through, and I want to make the most of that.”

One of the ways that Kim has tried to make the most of his opportunities is by rowing on the crew team, an activity that most Koreans don’t have access to, he said.

“I think that part of what New York City has taught me, and what my parents have taught me is to be open to anything: open to opportunities, open to cultures, open to people, open to different perspectives and views,” Elalouani said.

“I consider myself a New Yorker, because there are certain things you do as a New Yorker that make you a New Yorker,” Elalouani said. “It’s like risking food poisoning by buying from a hot dog truck; it’s those sort of things.”

Allison DeRose/Design Editor

Immigrant and first generation students trace their heritage to these countries.

Based on a Record poll with 213 responses.

5

HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019

Students make organization fun in new club Kate Feiner Contributing Writer

Middle Division (MD) psychologist Dr. Christina Nichols shares her love of washi tape, cute planners, and organization with students during the Planners for Days club meetings every Monday. The club was created after co-founders Jiwan Kim (6) and Catherine Mong (6) designed their own planners with Dr. Nichols.

“When my friends saw my planner, they wanted one too,” Kim said. “So we decided that we should make a little club where we could gather everyone’s ideas and make a bunch of planners.”

During club meetings, students design and laminate covers, print out calendar pages, and bind planners for themselves and their friends. The club allows Middle Division students to have fun with friends while developing strategies to manage their work, Kim said.

Now that they have finished making planners for the interested students, they want to do a collaboration with Mercy Center, an organization that supports

women and children in the South Bronx.

They want to make planners to give out at a booth during a carnival which the sixth grade hosts in support of these families, Mong said.

“I joined the club because I wanted to be more organized.” Valentina Perez-Merlo (6) said. “It makes me more aware of what I have to do.” For example, the club members make bound flashcard holders, which can keep your studying organized, she said.

The students in the club feel like it is easier to be organized when they have colorful planners with fun designs.

“I love planning, and making planners is my favorite thing to do,” Nichols said.

Since the commencement of the club in November, Nichols has spent time meeting with teachers from other schools in order to come up with new ideas for club activities, she said.

“Some kids don’t naturally take to planners,” Nichols said.

“But if they customize the planners with colors and tape, it makes them want to open them.” The club is a place where like-minded students can come together and collaborate while playing

with tape and glitter, she said.

Kim loves that everyone is included and all of their ideas are incorporated, she said. “It is a club that works very hard,” she said. “When we come in every Monday, we have fun and talk while doing the work,” she said.

“I love these kids,” Nichols said. She enjoys watching them work together to create planners which they are all excited about and is amazed by the number of students who show up to each club meeting, she said.

The only thing that Kim would change about the club would be to install an organizational system to prevent distractions by friends and keep them working on schedule, she said.

However, many students such as PerezMerlo and Mong say that their favorite part of the club is having fun with their friends while participating in an activity which they love, they said.

Planners for Days is a club based on community, and they welcome new members. “The more people, the more fun we have,” Perez-Merlo said.

Juli Moreira/Art Director

Student Reflections on Unity Week “Unity week really helped the community and showed why we should care for each other, no matter the ethnicity or race.”

- Ethan Katz (7) “I went to a lecture about zaidism where I learned information that I did not know, which was very interesting.”

- Harry Lowy (8) Interviews conducted by contributing

“It was a very cool experience because it’s my first year here and I got to learn about all the imbalances in society, and what we can do to make our school community better.”

- Lexi Gordon (6)

“I really enjoyed doing Brazilian jujitsu, which I would have never thought about doing.”

- Logan Charlotte (6)

writer Lucas Glickman.

Mock Newberry club awards Poet X as winner Dallas Dent Contributing Writer Andrew Cassino/Staff Photographer

MAKING LITERARY CRITICS Students discuss Newberry award finalist books.

The Middle Division (MD) Mock Newbery Committee spent D and E periods last Tuesday reviewing several books that qualified as finalists for the Newberry Award, with the 36 students from grades six to eight engaged in spirited discussion over which finalist they thought should win the award.

“Each eager committee member has the opportunity to debate which book should be the winner,” faculty advisor Rachael Ricker said.

Maeve Goldman, a member of the club, was hooked onto the discussion and loved to engage in the debates to convince others which books were best, and equally enjoyed hearing others voice their opinions about their favorite finalists, she said.

“There were definitely many tough moments during the event because unlike last year where one book clearly stood out above others, so many good arguments were made for each book, and in the end any book could have

won,” Larry Tao (8), another member of the club, said.

Students loved the book options so much that through a series of five rounds of elimination, there was a tie that narrowed down the finalist to six books rather than the usual five, Ricker said.

The committee ended up choosing the book Poet X written by Elizabeth Acevedo as their unofficial winner of the award. The book is about Xiomara, a teenager growing up in a strict Catholic household in Harlem who finds her voice in slam poetry. The novel was also recently awarded the Michael Printz Award that exemplifies Young Adult Literary excellence.

Poet X was chosen because the group felt that it encompassed the pains of growing up and using your voice through adversity to do what you love, Ricker said.

The other finalists included Amal Unbound

by Aisha Saeed, Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty, The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang, and The Night Diary

by Veera Hiranandani.

Club member Camila Florencia (7) chose Poet X because she felt a personal connection to the it, she said. “My mother grew up in a strict Catholic household and attended Catholic schools throughout all her life,” she said.

Florencia also felt that Poet X was beautifully written and that the main character’s rebellion felt organic rather than forced, she said.

Unlike previous years, each novel was told through the eyes of diverse characters with different backgrounds, Ricker said. “This change undoubtedly gave way to different

expressions, experiences and an ultimately difficult final choice for the committee,” she said.

Ricker created the club to address the needs of students that wanted a more formal alternative to the Reader’s Forum, another MD book club, she said. The need for such a club is apparent as it grows larger every year, she said.

“What makes this committee unique, aside from their ability to award a Mock Newbery medal, is their general love for shared reading coupled with active discussion and discovery into the author’s intent,” Ricker said.

Wilder Harwood/Staff Artist

6

THE RECORD FEATURES FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019

No longer a boy’s club: First class of women to attend HM

1 9 7 7

Nishtha Sharma Staff Writer

When Liz Baum ’78 entered the school as a junior, she was humiliated and intimidated when a foreign language teacher looked right at her and said “this is Horace Mann School For Boys.”

Baum was one of the first 47 girls admitted as incoming sophomores and juniors to the school in 1975, following the school’s 88-year history as an all-male private institution.

The decision to become co-educational happened when the school merged with Barnard school, a school that was located at what is now the Lower Division campus.

The school had announced plans to begin the admissions process for female students about a year before they were admitted.

Gary D. Miller, the Director of Admissions in 1974, expressed that the school planned to publicize their plans for coeducation via the news media, according to an article published in vol. 68 of the Record.

However, many women had expressed interest in the school prior to plans becoming public.

Some women, like Margaret Spring ’78, chose to attend the school because they wanted to be in a new, academically challenging environment, she said.

“We had heard a rumor that [the school] might be open to girls, so I applied and I got in. It was a real relief for me to move from a large, rambunctious school to one more academically-oriented,” Spring said.

Likewise, Karen Davis ’77 fell in love with the “gravitas of Tillinghast Hall” when she first visited the campus. “It felt like a place for learning and I had been in a public school where being smart was not always the best thing.”

Cynthia Steelman ’77 was taking summer geometry at the school between her freshman and sophomore years of high school when she was encouraged by the school to apply for the following year. “They made it seem like it was competitive, but looking back, you can see they got a really diverse group,” she said The new female population challenged the presiding and social norms. “Girls came in as a huge social force and were kind of disruptive in the way things had been forever,” Baum said.

“The physical changes were minimal,” Lawrence Golub ‘77 said. However, socially, it was a big change on campus, he said.

“Think about going from all boys to a campus where there were sometimes boyfriends and girlfriends holding hands. [It was] shocking.”

During her first day at the school, Marjorie Kaufman ’78 P’18 Courtesy of the Mannikin

IN THE CLASSROOM Girl engages in classroom discussion in 1978.

Courtesy of Cynthia Steelman ‘77

GRADUATION Cynthia Steelman celebrating her graduation in 1977.

P’19, was bewildered along with the other girls in her English class when she saw all the boys in her class stand up when their teacher walked in the room, she said. The next day, people stopped standing up, she said.

“Men are taught that if someone walks into a room, you have to stand, so teachers were almost embarrassed when women had to stand,” Davis said. “They didn’t know how to deal with that and got very flustered.”

Kaufman felt that girls brought a more relaxed culture to the attitude of the school, she said.

However, while the dress code was rather lax, women weren’t always allowed to wear certain things they wanted to, Valerie Kossar ’78 said. “One time, a girl showed up in a nightgown and the school almost had a heart attack.”

“We were on the fringes in a lot of ways,” Baum said. “The girls bathroom, which was originally a boys’ bathroom, didn’t even have a tampon machine.”

Several members of the community were reluctant to the change. In one issue of the Record, Kaufman recalls an article published questioning if the school had reached down to the “bottom of the barrel” to bring girls in, she said.

Teachers were not used to paying attention to what they sounded like with females in the class, Baum said. She recalls an English teacher telling her class, “Boys, just make sure you look at your girlfriends’ mother because that is what your future wife is going to look like.”

Kossar sensed that teachers were impatient at times, she said.

Courtesy of Cynthia Steelman ‘77

TEAM PARTY Soccer team gathers for a group photo in 1977.

“Overall, you could say [teachers] were more nurturing to the male students. Some didn’t give us [women] the same priority.

You just felt it when you walked into a room.”

“Some did treat us differently,” Davis said, “There was grumbling too, and they would say it to your face too. There was the notion that [the school] has lowered standards by letting girls in.”

On the other hand, Kaufman felt that she did not face any discrimination on a large scale, she said. “Whatever the negative attitude was, it was individual. Maybe some of the guys felt that resources were being taken away from them; some didn’t always extend friendships to girls.”

The male students were reluctant to interact with the female students at times. “For the most part, guys were unaware and most had not had much experience interacting with females. It was an insular society,” Baum said.

While Joe Rose ’77 felt that the male students were not entirely welcoming, he did not think that the environment was hostile towards women, he said. “The guys, in most cases, were accepting.”

Apart from the occasional antagonism from some, many women felt welcomed and appreciated their time at the school.

“It was a decision that was most definitely endorsed by the student body,” Margaret Spring ’78 said. Spring found that the welcome from the boys was unbelievably warm, she said. “I was kind of stunned, but in a positive way. I felt like I could compete on a leveled playing field.”

“I think we were uniformly welcoming in spirit and intention.

Some of us, the shy ones like me, were maybe not so great at expressing that sentiment,” Golub said.

Spring was glad she got to experience all the school had to offer, she said. “Sometimes you feel like you’re not in the ‘cool’ clique, but I never felt intellectually shunned, or bereft of opportunity.”

Steelman felt that the programs for girls were small, she said, but “because there were so few girls, if you felt passionate and wanted to make something happen, you basically could.”

Baum found many male students to be welcoming, she said.

“While there was not always a lot of sensitivity on the part of some professors, on the flip side, many were encouraging and made themselves available and supportive to me.”

Baum recalls her health teacher allowing her to teach some sex-ed classes when she was the only girl in her health class. “I literally brought a shoe box with all sorts of contraceptives and showed everyone. Looking back, he let me do that because there was no awareness among the boys,” she said.

In terms of accommodating female students, the school went to great lengths to make them feel at home, Davis said. “It started with our weekend at Dorr. They had also asked some of

Courtesy of the Mannikin

GIRL POWER In 1978, quill humor magazine board, led by two girls, poses for club photo. the junior and senior boys to join us because they wanted us to have a social and emotional experience,” she said. “We all felt very welcomed and excited and challenged.”

Similarly, Kaufman has fond memories of spending time at Dorr, she said. “I thought [the school] did a pretty good job trying to pull us all together. I remember sitting around outside, listening to others play guitar, and all of us were just bonding and getting along.”

Richard Zinman ’78, felt that while there were some basic adjustments for the male students to get used to, such as smaller locker rooms and fewer bathrooms, everyone thought that the transition was a “complete breath of fresh air,” he said.

There were also several other changes happening within the school during that time, Zinman said. “[The school] became much less of a dead poet’s society. The dress code, for example, was abolished. Even the colors became more vibrant. It was a natural progression to have women come.”

Baum developed a strong relationship with her female gym teacher over the course of high school, she said. “She knew we needed a place to sit and talk about the unfamiliar situation we were in. It was kind of normalizing for us.”

However, athletics were not entirely accommodating for women, Kossar said. “They didn’t have a single thing when we came. I got them to start basketball and tennis teams, but we still had to find teachers ourselves to coach.”

The biggest challenge with girls sports teams was that the school did not want to give the teams the same facilities and equipment as the boys teams, Kossar said. “We never got the new gym because they felt the boys teams were more important and drew more people.”

Additionally, “sports were abbreviated with the number of girls we actually had to play,” Baum said.

However, Baum saw her sister, who graduated four years after her, have an entirely different high school experience, she said. “Our worlds were like night and day…they had caught up on sports teams and hiring.”

When Baum started, it was normal for her to be the only girl in a class of 20 students, she said. However, her sisters commonly sat in classes that had even gender splits.

“I felt like I was the pioneer. We were ‘the girls’ and kind of like tokens,” she said.

The school didn’t have a female SBP until about 1989, English teacher Dr. Deborah Kassel ’84 said. “Was there a greater sense of invisibility as a female? I would say yes.”

“Even though HM had been co-ed for several years before I arrived, it seemed to me that most teachers were male and had been around long before female students were admitted,” Kassel said.

Another problem that faced early female students was the inexperience of some faculty members in teaching girls, she said.

“I think the zeitgeist was such that many of these males had been conditioned to teach boys, and I think if you were shy or not aggressive or even assertive, it was harder to stand out in a class that was composed more of male than female students,” Kassel said. “There are a lot of ‘invisibles,’ like not getting called on as much if you were female or shy, that contribute to a culture of difference, but it’s very subtle.”

Since high school, Rose feels that he has gained more perspective on what it meant to be a women in a school that was historically all male, he said. “It’s a big deal to change schools in 11th grade, no matter what…I’ve recognized that it was an impressive thing to do. It took a lot of strength and perseverance on the part of the women who came [to the school].”

Courtesy of Cynthia Steelman ‘77

GOOD READS Friends read The Record in the library in 1977.

7

HORACE MANN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019

Madison Li & Mayanka Dingrha Staff Writers

D iversity in Television

70 percent of 127 students who responded to a Record poll believe there is a lack of representation of people of color in television.

“Whether we are conscious of it or not, so much of what we learn growing up and our subsequent views of the world around us comes from what we see on television,” Alex Nagin (9) said.

Because television has such tremendous influence in society today, it is important for young people of all identities to see themselves represented in TV shows to send the message that being gay or being a person of color is normal and accepted, Nagin said.

Diverse perspectives in media can serve as a window to an experience that’s different than your own and also as a mirror in salient moments of universality, Co-Director of the Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE) John Gentile said.

Nshera Tutu (10) sees a correlation between diversity in television and the advancement of social justice, she said. “Diversity not only makes for more authentic and interesting TV,

If you identify as Asian, do you believe Fresh Off the Boat authentically represents your racial identity?

55% No

Juli Moreira/ Art Director

but it also allows audiences to experience the lives and cultures of those they don’t know firsthand.” By diversifying TV casts, we increase representation and that can foster cultural tolerance, which is so important in this time,”

Tutu said.

“When you have entertainment that isn’t reflective of the world, in terms of human population, it becomes science fiction in a bad

Is there a lack of representation of people of color in TV?

70% Yes

Juli Moreira/ Art Director

way,” Gentile said. “What entertainment has the capability and the capacity to do is to create possibilities for people to see themselves in.”

ICIE associate Sharina Gordon believes depicting a multiplicity of stories to share via television is also really important. “Sometimes, flat caricatures can be more dangerous than having any representation at all, because this puts out a false narrative of certain groups of people that can be hurtful and marginalizing. If this is a person’s only access point to understand different cultures, it can become damaging. At the same time, it is possible to unlearn these ideas and to create space for new, more complete and authentic narratives,” Gordon said.

This is true to some people, but not representative of an entire community,” Associate Director of College Counseling Frank Cabrera said. He believes that a more productive narrative on television would be one in which one’s sexual orientation itself isn’t the core of person’s character, but rather is just one part of their multifaceted identity. “It would be nice to find out mid-season that a character is gay or part of the LGBT community.”

Aside from its comedic appeal, Modern Family sends a great message that shows audiences that one can be gay, of different races, and share love for one another, Nagin said.

Gregorio Florentino (11) said he has experienced a similar frustration with the stereotypes about the Latino community present in shows like Breaking Bad. “Sadly, the narrative that is presented way too often is that Latinos are drug lords, rapists, or murders,” Florentino said.

“Who is always present in these storylines? It’s Mexicans, Colombians, and Latinos in general.”

While not primarily about ethnicity, Florentino believed that Jane the Virgin celebrates aspects of Hispanic culture in a refreshing way, he said. “The show has a very familial theme to it, emphasizing the roles of the mom, Jane, and the grandma as strong women while depicting a value of extended family in a way that is very true of Hispanic cultures,” Florentino said.

For Josh Benson (12), as a white male, his experience was slightly different because “growing up there was always the understanding that I could find people who looked like me on TV,” he said. While Benson is able to find physical resonance with characters on TV, he believes an accurate representation of his Jewish culture is missing, especially during the holiday season when Christmas specials are typically

“ “

problematic stereotypes is by representing the varying different degrees and shades of that experience.

Ashley Dai (11) didn’t realize that she was underrepresented in the shows that she watched while growing up until middle school, where there were more conversations regarding diversity and media representation, she said.

“When I was growing up, I saw all these white kids living their lives on-screen, and it’s nice to finally have myself represented in shows like Fresh Off the Boat,” Dai said. “Seeing people who look like me on TV makes me feel more validated because it’s a reflection and validation of my identity.”

“When there’s a hero in a show that doesn’t look or sound like you, you never think that you could be the hero or that you could do what they’ve done,” mathematics teacher Charles Garcia said. For this, “to see yourself represented in a hero is really nice, because I want to know that I can do what they did. When it’s done naturally and well done, it feels good.”

By seeing trailblazers like Shonda Rhimes, who created an empire of shows where women of color were the focus of their own stories,

Quick Quotes on Diversity in TV How can shows improve representation?

Shows should provide a more diverse and authentic view of different cultures, not simply adhere to or produce comedy from stereotypes. If shows were to include a more varied view of those of different races it would be more authentic since not all people of one race are the same or similar.

This would be almost impossible to do. You cannot satisfy everybody’s demands

“

TV is designed to appeal to a specific audience, and the majority of the US is white. In order to gain viewership, programs must appeal to this majority. That’s just a cold hard fact. It’s not good but it is what it is.

featured instead of ones for Hanukkah, he said.

For example, Benson feels as though in shows like the Big Bang Theory, Jewish people are often portrayed as “impish, conniving, and really greedy,” he said. Benson believes the most important thing TV can do to counter Juli Moreira/ Art Director

ART WORK

young people can see what they accomplish and imagine going beyond the scope of what has already been achieved or create something that they feel is missing, Gentile said.

Growing up with immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, Cabrera was exposed to telenovelas in addition to American TV, but felt that his identity did not fully align with either one he said. Cabrera believes that it was for this reason that he latched on to the hip hop and R&B culture in his Harlem neighborhood. “It felt comparable because the culture was around me, but again was not my own experience,” he said.

Cabrera said that while he doesn’t find many shows that speak specifically to the Dominican community, there are more shows that speak to the broader Latinx community. “It feels like a start,” he said, “In the Latinx community, while there are certainly differences across the diaspora, you do find similarities that at least make it feel like someone is speaking to your narrative or lived experiences.”

Aside from representation within the cast, the notion of who owns the entertainment draws upon the question of who the writers, creators, and producers of a show are, ICIE associate Candice Powell-Caldwell said. “It is so important that there is a greater diversity of representation in the folks on that end of entertainment. Who is behind the camera, hiring the actors, and writing the script is equally as important as the actors represented on-screen.”

“What entertainment has the capability and capacity to do is to create possibilities for people to see themselves in, because if you feel like you aren’t reflected, then it’s as if you don’t exist in the world,” Gentile said.

Lions’ Den Record Sports

FEBRUARY 1ST, 2019

Mixed Competition: Mark Fernandez Staff Writer “One of the beautiful things about our sport is that no matter where you start in terms of physical ability or athleticism, you have just as much opportunity as anybody else to be great,” Jamie Berg (12), co-Captain of Wrestling Team, said.

Jhanae Ottey (9), the only girl currently on the Varsity Wrestling team, felt drawn to the sport. “In Middle School I stopped by one of the [wrestling] meets and I was amazed,” Ottey said.

But when Ottey joined the wrestling team this year, she discovered that the process for girls was far more complicated than that for boys. “I had to run a mile and do push-ups and paperwork.”

Ottey said.

The run and push-ups were part of a physical fitness test that is one aspect of how girls at the school qualify to try out for teams that traditionally consist of boys. For most students, trying out for a team is a simple skill-based process, but it becomes much more onerous if you want to play on a sport not offered for your preferred sex.

Under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, girls must be allowed to try out for boys teams if there is no equivalent sport offered for girls. However, the process by which female athletes join a male team is different in every state. The process in New York State is mandated by the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, Director of Athletics, Health, and Physical Education Robert Annunziata said. According to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s (NYPHSAA) which explains the Commissioner’s Regulations on “Mixed Competitions,” the tests create an opportunity so that “no student shall be excluded from such competition solely by reason of sex.” Even though the school is part of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), they must abide by the Commissioners Regulations if they want to play teams that are not in NYSAIS. Ottey is not the first female wrestler in the school’s history.

Eleanor Lewis and Akeyla Todd both had successful careers as varsity wrestlers. However, Lewis and Todd joined the team without any formal testing process, Varsity Wrestling Coach Gregg Quilty said.

Lewis and Todd didn’t have to take the test simply because it wasn’t enforced in years past, Annunziata said. The school began to follow the policies because as NYSAIS has grown, “More schools are following the Commissioner’s Regulations and Horace Mann is required to follow those regulations,” Annunziata said.

Even though Ottey is the only girl on the wrestling team, she feels welcomed. “We are all friends.” Ottey said.

“We welcome anybody, at anytime, anywhere,” Quilty said.

Liam Futterman (10), Ottey’s teammate, hasn’t noticed a change on the team since Ottey joined. “I thought she could have had some problems fitting in as the team was really close, but she has fit in

Investigating the hurdles facing girls who want to join boys’ teams

great so far,” Futterman said.

Quilty has ensured that Ottey is wrestling a variety of partners; he had her wrestle every member of the team near her weight class at some point. To make sure that Ottey has the opportunity to wrestle both females and males, Quilty has also entered her into an all-girls tournament.

“I think it is really exciting,” Ottey said.

As co-captain, Berg has been impressed with Ottey’s dedication to the sport. “You can see that whenever Jhanae steps into the mat, she is looking to win dominantly, and that’s something we can all relate to,” Berg said.

Annunziata is aware that the Commissioner’s Regulations may create confusion and a double-standard for female athletes. “So joining wrestling, as an example, there may be a boy who can’t meet any of those standards, but because they are a boy the process does not apply to them,” Annunziata said.

“There is definitely an inequality there,” Athletic Trainer Amy Mojica said.

Ahaan Palla/Photo Editor

GOING FOR THE GOLD Jhanae Ottey (9) in practice.

Mojica is a member of the three-person committee panel that “provides a comprehensive assessment of your child’s [the student’s] emotional and physical maturity (including height and weight); as well as athletic abilities, physical fitness, and sport-specific athletic skill in relationship to other students at that level,” according to a letter that Mojica sends to parents of prospective mixed-sport athletes. The committee also consists of School Physician Dr. Adam Cohen and another member of the Athletics Department that changes depending on the sport.

The process also requires that the athlete complete a physical fitness test specific to their sport. According to the Commissioner’s Regulations, the final requirement is that every year the athlete has to redo the test to make sure they are still fit to be on the team.

8

“If you don’t pass the fitness test, it doesn’t mean that you fail,” Mojica said. “It just gives a gauge on the person’s fitness. It’s just a piece of the puzzle.”

Only certain sports require panel review, depending on state regulations, Mojica said. “They should all be in the same boat.. there’s room for more consistency across the board.” Mojica said.

“If we’re going to have a test to see if people should wrestle, it should examine their desire to win and willingness to work hard,” Berg said. It should not be dependent on gender.”

Even though Mojica thinks there is room for improvement, she still believes the tests are useful. “I think it makes sense,” Mojica said. “I think it’s an important thing for safety to have some sort of consideration, and a moment where you are saying ‘hey, you know, if we are going to have mixed competition, are we making sure that this is a safe opportunity, and are we making sure we are considering everyone involved?’” Mojica said.

Two current students have been deterred from joining an athletic team because of the school’s adherence to the Commissioner’s Regulations. “A part of why I didn’t end up joining was because of this process,” Jayla Thomas (11) said. Thomas wanted to join the wrestling team, but the test led to her quitting, as she missed the first practices because of it and fell behind, she said.

Other schools in the NYSAIS league have females on their traditionally male teams as well. Ingrid Simpson-Santaro, a Fieldston freshman, played on the football team last fall after completing the same NYPHSAA process as Ottey. “It is kinda obvious they are just doing it for girls who wants to play male predominantly sports,” Simpson-Santaro said.

This didn’t stop Simpson-Santaro, as she went through the tests, which were “pretty simple and quick,” she said. Originally people thought she was trying to prove a point, but she was just doing it because of her “love for the game,” she said. Like Ottey, SimpsonSantaro doesn’t believe she is treated any differently and has felt very welcomed on the Fieldston football team. “ The coaches made sure I had the same opportunities as the other guys,” SimpsonSantaro said.

Alecia Daley-Tulloch (10) had planned to try out for football at the school like Simpson-Santaro had done at Fieldston. “I thought it was going to be simple; put my name on the sign up sheet and I was in, like the boys had to do,” Daley-Tulloch said.

Once Daley-Tulloch understood the process required to join the team, she was taken aback. “How can a city, or a school, or the coaches at the school, claim they believe in everyone,and tell us we can do anything we put our minds to but still tell us we are not equal to our peers,” Daley-Tulloch said.

“I would be upset if we had a qualified wrestler, but they couldn’t do it [join the wrestling team] because of the test,” Quilty said.

“Wrestling is a sport for everybody,” Berg said. “The mat, rules, and your preparation are the same no matter who you are.”

First of many serves: Varsity table tennis’ inaugural season Adrian Arnaboldi Contributing Writer

Members of the Varsity Table Tennis team rip the ball across the court with laser precision.

The team has thrived with excellent play in its inaugural season, sporting a 2-2 record.

Captain Robbie Werdiger (11) started a ping pong club that met during I periods last year. “We played recreationally with hard paddles and bad equipment,” Werdiger said.

However, after two exciting matches last year, Athletic Director Robert Annunziata and Werdiger created a league and convinced Fieldston, Leman, and Kew Forest to join.

“We are grateful for the school’s administration providing us with the means to start a table tennis, team” Varsity Table Tennis Coach Caroline Surhoff said.

“A lot of students don’t know we are a team and are generally surprised to hear so,” Werdiger said. Werdiger has attempted to garner interest for the new team by writing a Record opinion that was published last year, he said.

Aside from a small roster, the team has faced various other challenges as well. “We got new paddles and balls, only a week ago”

Leonardo Hess (9) said.

In addition, the team’s training facilities are not ideal, as they usually practice in the basement of Lutnick Hall, Werdiger said.

Practices, which are typically an hour and a half, start with rallying drills and end by

playing points, Malhaar Agrawal (11) said.

“We Instagram Live our practices for others to watch,” Agrawal said.

The team attended two training sessions with a table tennis champion from Togo, Africa. “He taught us how to serve, hold the Courtesy of Robbie Werdiger

SUPER-FOCUSED Robbie Werdiger (11) and Aneesh Bafna (11) discussing strategy.

racket, and stand,” Aneesh Bafna (11) said.

“Our coaches have mentored and taught us, and have helped us be better ping pong athletes,” Agrawal said.

“We have made strides in improving our skills and technique, and gained playing experience,” Surhoff said. “We have enthusiastic team members motivated to succeed,” Surhoff said.

Games consist of three singles and two doubles matches that are each best of five sets.

The team plays home matches in the wrestling room or the gym.

“The atmosphere is light-hearted because it’s ping pong’s first year, ” Hess said.

“We have a tight knit group of four juniors and four freshman,” Agrawal said.

Sometimes the more advanced players will give advice on strategies and teach the teammates how to serve as well, Hess said.

The team hopes to compete in the League championship tournament at Horace Mann on February 21-22, Surhoff said.

“We are technically playing as a startup program or club team, but with sustained program interest will function as an official varsity sport next year,” Surhoff said.