The Horace Mann Record HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903
FEBRUARY 15TH, 2019 || VOLUME 116, ISSUE 18
RECORD.HORACEMANN.ORG
A LOSS IN OUR COMMUNITY Beloved French teacher, colleague, and friend Sonya Rotman passes away
Katie Goldenberg and Surya Gowda News Editors To the great sorrow of the school community, French teacher Sonya Rotman passed away Wednesday morning after a long struggle with cancer. Madame Rotman had shared her love of French language and culture with students and colleagues for nearly 32 years. “Kind, loving, and always elegant, Madame Rotman was a dear friend to many of us in the school,” Head of the Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein said. “I treasure the conversations we had, which in recent years touched on the topics that meant the most to her: her profound love for her family and her deep devotion to her students.” Rotman grew up in the Soviet Union and moved to America not knowing a word of English, Morgan Joseph (12) said. After receiving her Bachelors and Masters from the College of Novosibirsk, U.S.S.R, and a Certofocat de Langue Francaise from the Sorbonne, France, Rotman began working at the school in the fall of 1987, according to the Mannikan. For the majority of her time at the school, Rotman taught the French Seminar course, dedicating special care to the Capstone project of rehearsing and staging a play with her seniors each spring, world languages teacher Susan Carnochan said. “She cared deeply about her students and advisees, and always let them know that they were cared for,” Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly said. “She had a huge and welcoming heart that made her classroom a safe harbor for ‘lots of different students within our languages department.” Rotman worked closely with theatre teacher Joseph Timko on these productions, staging pieces from Moliére to Ionesco and inspiring Timko to stage this year’s Rhinocéros production after she directed the French version last year, Carnochan said. “Her students absolutely loved her and her classes, her rigor, her intelligence, her wit, her humanity, and most of all her love of them,” Timko said. Edith Herwitz ‘16 recalled how Rotman would begin each year by handing out baskets of chocolates to her classes in order to establish her goal of “bringing the same smile to our faces speaking French as when eating chocolate,” Herwitz said. Throughout the year, Rotman would also
Courtesy of Pilar Valencia
MAGNIFIQUE! Madame Rotman shares her love for the French language with her students. share aspects of French culture with her students by bringing in croissants, letting students listen to French pop hits, and showing her classes classic French films, Herwitz said. Rotman’s love of teaching impacted both her colleagues and those in her classes. She cared for her students and the French program with “fierce devotion,” Latin and Greek teacher Dr. Cornelie Ladd said. “Above all, Mrs. Rotman loved teaching and adored and admired her students,” Carnochan said. “She often said she wouldn’t know what to do with herself if she couldn’t teach.” “Even more influential for me than her love for French culture was the deep love I knew Madame had for me as a person,” Herwitz said. “She always referred to her students as her
Courtesy of Lauren Jackson P‘16‘19
babies. She treated us and thought of us as her Horace Mann children, not just as her French students. I will miss her dearly.” Rotman’s students felt her care for them and would often reciprocate in beautifully designed cards, Head of the Language Department Pilar Valencia said. At the end of the year, students wrote their thanks in paper airplanes and flew them towards Rotman, she said. “In each of those events Madame Rotman would end up in abundant tears of joy, the same joy that she would nurture and give back to her next group of students,” Valencia said. “Madame was a fierce and loyal supporter of not only her colleagues, but of this school and its core values – most importantly, the value of striking a balance between Individual Achievement and Caring Community,” Kelly said. “She lived that core value daily.” Allison Gelman ‘16 and Molly Roberts ‘16, who were in Rotman’s advisory, viewed her love and lessons as a significant part of their school experience. “She was an advisor, teacher, and friend who always made us laugh and smile,” Gelman said. “She was truly one of the reasons we look back at HM with such pride and happy memories,” Roberts said. “Love you Madame and miss you already. We are truly heartbroken.” Rotman also committed her time to helping organize “French Days,” all-day events featuring performances and workshops touching on everything from French food to politics in order to share her passion with the greater school community, Carnochan said. “Mrs. Rotman was a masterful planner and relished the excitement and sense of pride that this endeavor inspired in her students,” she said. Faculty and students expressed their sorrow at Rotman’s passing, sharing the wide-reaching
INSIDE
STUDENT LOVE Rotman poses with members of the the Class of 2016.
Music Week
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The past and present of this musical tradition.
Project X
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Annual game of spoon tag takes over the school.
Varsity Awards
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Winter sports teams receive awards at varsity sports dinner.
impact her presence made on the community. Rotman’s “quiet and humble” leadership greatly impacted her colleagues, Valencia said. “She always had a keen insight into everything, especially people’s feelings,” Japanese teacher Mami Fujisaki said. “She gave wise advice to anyone and was eloquent in sharing her thoughts in the department meetings.” Even outside of class and the school, Rotman created deep and caring relationships with those around her. “[Gelman and I] were together in Paris just a few months ago, and we consistently referred back to our time with Madame,” Roberts said. “We were able to see all the places Madame had taught us about finally come to life.” Morgan Joseph (12) would sit with Rotman everyday during H period and talk about French, their lives, and their families, she said. To Joseph, these meetings were one of the main reasons she appreciated Rotman so much because Rotman let Joseph into her life and Joseph let Rotman into hers, creating a safe and comforting space for them to connect, Joseph said. Anne Rosenblatt ‘16, who was a student of Rotman for four years, spoke of Rotman’s positive energy and influence inside the classroom and out. “She always came into class with an infectious smile and was such a bright light in the Horace Mann community,” Rosenblatt said. “I know that I speak on behalf of all of Madame’s students when I say she will be deeply missed.” English teacher Deborah Kassel appreciated Rotman deeply. “Thanks to Madame Rotman, for more than two decades, I delighted in the company of a learned and compassionate colleague who inspired me with her invaluable insight into Madame Bovary, Marguerite Duras, and Jean Racine,” Kassel said. “Thanks to my true friend Sonya, I had a cafeteria confidante to correct my French during our lunchtime tete a tetes, to celebrate with me on the occasion of my Courtesy of Anne Rosenblatt’16
GRAD SMILES Rotman with 2016 graduates. finally finished doctorate and arrival of my 29th birthday for the 21st time. May Madame Sonya Rotman’s courage, integrity, and panache live on in both of them—and in all of us.” “Madame Rotman will remain with us in very many ways: in her love of culture, of literature, in her passion for teaching, in the honest, unlimited friendship that she offered to all of her colleagues,” Valencia said. “We are very thankful for her willingness to share so much of her life with us. She will be remembered dearly.” Rotman was very special to visual arts teacher Kim Do and his family, he said. “We often quote her words, as a shorthand, to describe some of our life situations. She will remain in our hearts forever.” “While I’m an admirer of every employee here, I think we’d all agree that Madame was our most elegant, most refined, most dignified, and that she’s left us many a life lesson to consider and learn from,” Kelly said.
@hm.record @thehoracemannrecord Horace Mann School 231 W 246th St, Bronx, NY 10471
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THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FEBRUARY 15TH, 2019
Juli Moreira/Art Director
The halls are alive with the sound of music: exploring Music Week’s history and impact Isabella Abbott Staff Writer Solo cellist Elad Babillo filled Olshan Lobby with warm melodies, marking the beginning of a week full of music and learning for the school community. A group of students gathered before the start of A Period to witness this inaugural performance, and throughout the rest of the day, the halls of Tillinghast, Lutnick, and the Middle Division were filled with the euphonious sounds of Music Week 10 years ago, passionate student musician Clarel Antoine began Music Week with the hope of bringing music to the school community, N-12 Music Program Coordinator Timothy Ho said. Antoine recruited his peers to perform in casual settings around the school, from hallways to classrooms. A few years after his graduation, Antoine passed away. Since then, his parents and
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the school’s community have been dedicated to keeping his memory alive, Ho said. Antoine’s parents, knowing how much he loved music and bringing his friends together through the arts, decided to help finance performers to come to thr school the year following his passing to commemorate him, establishing a beloved annual tradition, Ho said. Since its beginning, Music Week has grown into a schoolwide event and has gained massive student, teacher, and professional participation, Music Department Chair Douglas Epstein said. “I want kids to see the vibrancy in live music in an age when most is only heard through headphones,” Epstein said. “Music Week is a time to celebrate the value of music in our lives, while underscoring its importance to the student body as a universal language and a vehicle for bringing people together,” Music Teacher Michael Bomwell
said. Music Week is open to particpants from all grades and includes performances from individual students, teacher-duos, Upper Division music ensembles, and professional musicians alike, Bomwell said. For some student musicians who are not in music ensembles, Music Week is one of the only times during the school year they are able to share their talents with the rest of the HM community. “Music Week is a great opportunity for students and faculty to share a side of themselves not everyone gets to see all the time,” Equipment and Stage Manager Dr. Amir Khosrowpour said. Luke Weber (11) participated to raise awareness for the Cancer Awareness Club. He performs with Musicians Against Cancer and believes that Music Week was a meaningful experience that allowed him to express his true self, he said.
Courtesy of Glenn Smith
Music Week may mark some student’s first times performing at the school, but for others, such as Karen Jang (12), Music Week is an event they annually participate in. Jang, who has performed each year since ninth grade, feels that she is “continuing the tradition by performing again this year in my last year at the school,” she said. For Jang, Music Week also gives her the chance to share her love for classical music, she said. Music week has evolved from a solely student-led project, and continues to fulfill its purpose of exposing the whole school community to new music through student, faculty, and professional performance, Bomwell said. “The best part of the week for me may just be getting to sit back, relax, and watch or hear everyone’s efforts pay off and be executed in a way that continues to show us why we do this each year,” Epstein said.
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Quick Quotes on Music Week
Music Week is important to me because it allows for people to take time off from their busy and stressful schedule at school and to appreciate the music playing around them.” Music Week benefits students, faculty, and staff because it brings a lot of joy into the day and brings people together. Catherine Mignone (9)
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Tomoko Hida (9)
“It’s a fun opportunity to interact with a lot of good musicians, experience music, and bring people together through music.” Nader Granmayeh (12)
We have such an amazing resource, so many amazing musicians at our fingertips in New York City. Music Week is a such a wonderful way of having music come to us because often times we’re too busy to actually go out and listen to live music. It’s nice to bring those performers to us and bring in a nice sense of pleasantness to our week.
Music Teacher Timothy Ho
Courtesy of Glenn Smith
Courtesy of Glenn Smith
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
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, Izzy Abbott, 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 FEATURES FEBRUARY 15TH, 2019
PROJECT X
Lauren Kim and Hanna Hornfeld Contributing Writers From disguising themselves in all black to hiding inside trash cans, 379 Upper Division students went to extremes last week to compete in the school’s annual game of spoon tag: Project X. Each player is assigned a target - another player they have to tag during the week. Once a player tags their target, they enter that target’s secret word into the game’s website and then take on that person’s target. The most popular secret words this year were “food” and “chocolate,” William Golub (12), one of the creators of Project X, said. The goal of the game is not only to be one of the last students standing by the end of the week, but also to have eliminated the most other students. For the past few years, Project X has been run by Golub, Isha Agarwal (11), Jude Herwitz (11), and Henry Wildermuth (12). Project X existed in the past but underwent a brief hiatus in 2016 because the seniors managing it graduated. Golub, Agarwal, Herwitz, and Wildermuth brought Project X back in the spring of 2017. Since then, they have worked together each year to write the rules, program the software, and promote participation, Agarwal said. Apart from organizing the game, Agarwal, Golub, Herwitz, and Wildermuth also act as mediators. “We do our best to write a comprehensive set of rules at the beginning and send them out as early as possible and refine them as it goes on,” Golub said. Despite the rules, a few disputes over who tagged first occur due to the competitive nature of the game, Agarwal said. “Sometimes things get a little bit heated in the
moment, but with very few exceptions everyone has been able to realize that it’s a game for fun,” Golub said. Every year, changes and additions are made to the game to keep players on their toes, Golub said. As a challenge on Friday, eight upperclassmen, called “golden snitches,” could be tagged by players to earn an extra half-elimination.
year, Lorenzo Hess (12) introduced a leaderboard that allowed players to see who was winning. Hess and Wildermuth’s additions to Project X allowed the participants to keep track of those who had been “killed” between periods. Last year, the Community Council sent out an end-of-the-day email throughout the week stating how many people were still alive, Hess said. This
Griffin Smith/Photo Editor
Jake Shapiro/Photo Editor
INCOGNITO Jake Shapiro (11) (left) and Jackson Roberts (12) (right) hiding from their targets.
Herwitz also helped keep the game environmentally friendly by ensuring that players used biodegradable spoons, Golub said. Wildermuth worked over the course of three years to rebuild old Project X software, and this
year, he created graphs tracking how many players had “died” throughout the day and between periods, which he posted on Facebook. Hess also made predictions about how many players would be left each day of the week. For Arushi Talwar (9), who placed fourth this year, the highlight of the game was meeting new people. “Even though it’s a silly game and only for a week, it really helps you make friends, especially with the upperclassmen who
are helping you win,” Talwar said. Gibby Thomas (12) placed first with 13.5 kills at the end of the game, 11 targets and five golden snitches. For her, Project X was not only an exciting way to meet new people, but also a distraction from the day-to-day stress of schoolwork, she said. Andrew Rosen (12) was eliminated on Wednesday, but during the three days he participated in Project X, he managed to kill five or six people. Rosen, who has participated in Project X since it was restarted during his sophomore year, enjoys the game because of its exciting and competitive nature, he said. With eight kills, Sam Sladkus (11) was at the top of the leaderboard throughout all of Tuesday, until she was tagged at the end of the day. Sladkus’ high score was due to five frees and little homework that day, which gave her spare time to track down and tag her targets, she said. Sladkus loved Project X because it was a way to add entertainment and suspense to an otherwise average week, she said. Teachers as well as students enjoyed the game. “I found the very presence of the spoons made for a good conversation piece between me and my students,” history teacher Peter Reed said. “I think it has some unification in regards to it being a school-wide, high school wide, event,” computer science teacher Glenda Guerrero said. So overall for me I have not seen it be a disruption.” For the students who did enjoy the game, part of the fun was coming up with creative ways of getting to their opponents. This year, players hid behind bushes and under benches to surprise their targets, Agarwal said. Other participants chased after students who were not their targets in order to throw off their actual targets, she added. Overall, one of the most important parts of the game is forming relationships and expanding one’s horizons, Golub said. “Project X is designed to bring together members of the UD community across grades and interests,” he said.
GIBBY THOMAS: 13.5 Kills Jake Shapiro/Photo Editor
Jackson Roberts/Art Director
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
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For a couple of days, I flipped my schedule because some of my classes have different sections and they aligned properly, which would threw killers tracking me off.” - Richard He (12)
I had to stun my first assassin four times, so he put up a good fight before he was killed. He’s a fencer, so it was a pretty big accomplishment to stay alive.” - Sean Koons (12)
I had all of my friends tell me where my assassin and target were at all times. One of my friends, Gavin, was basically my bodyguard; he walked me to every class and called me if my target was around.” - Gibby Thomas (12)
I got my friends to help me to tell me what path my target was taking when walking from building to building so I could be prepared at all times.” - Diya Mookim (11)
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On the second day, I wore all black, kept my hoodie up, and hid in the bushes.” - Sam Sladkus (11)
I was holding my lunch when my first assassin tried to get me, so I had to run faster than him while making sure my salmon and rice didn’t slip off my plate. From then on I used to-go salad containers.” - Richard He (12)
X-CELLENT KILL Winner Gibby Thomas (12) and her spoon.
As I was sprinting from Fisher to Tillinghast with my spoon in hand, I felt a stronger sense of relief with each step I took. I had just facedoff with my assassin, Sean Koons, outside of Concert Glee as everyone (including Mr. Ho and Dr. Amir) watched and tried to help me get away. I leapt towards Sean, and we tagged each other at the same time, so I ran for my life. This is just one of the many face-offs and near-elimination experiences that I survived throughout the long week, and I wouldn’t have been able to get through any of it without my friends. I made sure each of them knew who
my target and assassin were and what they looked like. Specifically, I would like to thank Gavin Delanty. He escorted me to and from all of my classes and called me whenever he saw my assassin or target walking around to make sure I wasn’t nearby. Personally, I made sure that I always knew the schedule of my assassin, so I knew what staircases and entrances to avoid. Other than that, I kept my eyes peeled and had my spoon out and at the ready at all times. - Gibby Thomas
Lions’ Den Record Sports
FEBRUARY 15TH, 2019
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Wrestling secures NYSAIS Championship Andrew Cassino Staff Writer
At 15-0, the Varsity Wrestling Team won every meet, dethroned Poly Prep, and won the Ivy League Championship. “It was pretty much a perfect season, as indicated by our record,” Varsity Wrestling Head Coach Gregg Quilty said. After the Ivy League championship, the team won the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) tournament. “It was unexpected,” Quilty said. “Usually it’s a battle for second place. Poly does a lot of heavy recruiting and they win every year.” “We won NYSAIS as a team with four individual champions,” co-Captain Jamie Berg (12) said. “That kind of result is always awesome, but it’s just an exclamation point on a season of a huge amount of hard work and camaraderie.” Berg has come to expect great results from the team and is always happy when they push themselves and “leave it all on the mat,” he said. The team featured a wide range of experience levels this year. “We had wrestlers that just started and wrestlers that have been doing this for six to seven years,” James Thomas (9) said. Overcoming this relative inexperience required a lot of hard work from the younger wrestlers and commitment from the more older wrestlers to coach and help the younger players, Berg said. The team didn’t lose any key competitors to graduation last year and gained eight new freshmen. One freshman, Elias Romero (9) believes the new members learn a lot from the experienced wrestlers, he said.
Courtesy of Teresa Harris
Courtesy of Teresa Harris
TEAM PIC The wrestling team poses for a photo.
CHECKMATE Berg tackles opponent.
“At the beginning, there was an obvious difference [in skill], but towards the end we were all in the same category,” Romero said. “Coach Quilty does an incredible job of making sure everybody develops a style of wrestling that works for them,” Berg said. The team had to overcome adversity with injuries to key starters throughout the season. co-Captain Georgi Verdelis (12) was out for the entire season due to a concussion, while
Davis Parzick (12) and Jack Harris (11) also dealt with injuries throughout the season, Quilty said. Quilty was impressed by how much the underclassmen were able to pick up the slack and step up when the injuries began to pile up, he said. “Jamie Berg was the star of the team all year,” Quilty said. Berg pinned his way through the NYSAIS tournament, taking home a title., and during the season, he picked up his 100th
career victory. Berg, Michael Ortiz (12), Nick Moreira (10), and Parzick, who all won matches during NYSAIS, are traveling to the public school state championship in Albany, with Vikram Ostrander (10) attending as an alternate. “If we weren’t as close, we probably wouldn’t have done so well,” Romero said. “For the most part, our team’s encouragement of each other was really important.”
41st in the country at Nationals. In his first year as Varsity Squash Head Coach, Ron Beller has led the team to a second place finish in a tough Ivy League. The boys’ team includes variety of students from different grades, 10 players in all. Perhaps because of the team’s small size, the
wrestlers have formed very close bonds over the past few months, which have contributed to their success. “We have a great team dynamic; everybody likes each other,” Daanyal Agboatwalla (10) said. “The underclassman can look up to the upperclassman as mentors, which has had a
positive effect,” Hoang said. The squash team did suffer a significant loss with the graduation of Aman Sanger ‘18. Sanger is currently playing at the collegiate level for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Losing Aman Sanger makes the team a little worse, but this year we have more depth and a variety of skills,” Kush Malhotra (10) said. “A lot of people have improved and stepped up in Aman’s place,” Agboatwalla said. As examples of their improvement this year, the team includes a “a top 20 ranked player, a top 100 ranked player, a top 150 ranked player and many players who play outside of school,” Peter Lehv (11) said. The variety of players this year has brought a new dynamic to the squash team. “Our team is strong from top to bottom this year unlike any year in the past,” Beller said. “By gaining depth this year, we did better at Nationals compared to last year,” Lehv said. Morris stood out at Nationals and received high praise from his teammates. “Connor Morris has done a great job all season,” Lehv said. “[He] came through in the clutch at nationals and deserves to win MVP this season,” Agboatwalla said. All season long, Beller has been preaching work ethic. “If the team as a whole can work hard, and focus on what they can control that would be a successful season,” Beller said. “Just compete and do the best that you possibly can,” Agboatwalla said. Despite their success thus far, the team still has higher goals in mind. “We hope to win NYSAIS this year,” Malhotra said. The New York State Association of Independent Schools tournament has been on the players’ mind all season long. In two weeks, the team will be ripping the ball across the court, competing for a championship.
Squash team finishes top 50 in country Masa Shiiki & Avi Kapadia Contributing Writers
Under the leadership of co-Captains Connor Morris (12) and Ryan Hoang (12), the Varsity Squash Team has made their presence felt this season with an impressive 12-4 record, placing
Courtesy of Connor Morris
SQUASHING THEIR COMPETITION During a match (left), team assembles for a picture (right).