The Horace Mann Record, Issue 19

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HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

MARCH 1ST, 2019 || VOLUME 116, ISSUE 19

Community hosts Black History Month reading Eliza Poster Staff Writer

Amanda Wein/Contributing Photographer

Students and faculty were invited to read and celebrate works of literature penned by black authors during the Black History Month reading held Tuesday in Olshan Lobby.

English Department Chair Vernon Wilson decided to organize the reading in February this year, as he felt that the event was a way to acknowledge the importance of black writers during Black History Month, he said. The event was previously held in the spring of 2017.

“Generally, it’s always good to share literature communally,” Wilson said.

“Given the group to whom this month is devoted, I think it’s important to share works by members of that group with the community.”

Students and faculty members were permitted to bring writings of their choice, and Wilson also brought several books and anthologies through which students could browse in search of something that they wished to recite, he said.

The subjects of the material read ranged from poet Gary Jackson’s imaginative take on Superman’s romantic relationship with his partner in The Dilemma of Lois Lane to reflections on racial violence, such as a piece read from the book American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes. “[The pieces] may be about race, or justice, or social justice, or racial oppression,” Wil-son said. “It could just be about eating breakfast, or about family, or about romantic love.”

Everyone was welcomed to come to the

AT THE MIC ICIE Associate Sharina Gordon reads a piece.

Amanda Wein/Contributing Photographer

LIT-ERATURE Eliza Becker and Laila Farmer recite a poem.

reading but the event relied on teachers bringing their classes, Wilson said.

Director of Office for Identity, Culture and Institutional Equity Patricia Zuroski brought her Seminar on Identity (SOI) class to the reading because she felt that its purpose, to amplify black voices, was relevant to the message the class tries to transfer to students, she said.

“We talk a lot in SOI about hearing voices, that stories can only be told by the person who experiences them and lives them,” she said. “African American history has been told for so long by other people that I think it’s really important to think about where that voice is coming from, and who it is that we really need to be listening to.”

“Stories [written by black people] are very important, and a lot of their poems have a deep and powerful message that we don’t get to see everyday in media,” Tiger Lily Moreno (11), who is in Zuroski’s class, said.

“It was a good teaching moment for all of us in the community to notice how art can portray such painful, but hopeful messages.”

Although Alex Nathan (9) enjoyed the reading, she believes that the school does not devote enough time to reading the works of black authors, she said. “[The reading] is an essential step in yielding a diverse curriculum,” she said. “I think the school should do more to broaden the horizons.”

Faijul Rhyan (12) believes that history classes focus mostly on slavery when discussing African American history, so the reading provided the opportunity to celebrate black culture separate from suffering, he said.

Wilson believes that the work of artists of color is generally underexposed, and

as a result the English department tries to infuse the curriculum with “a multiplicity of voices,” he said. A challenge to this effort is that each class has a limited number of books it can cover each year.

“We focus, as a department, more on close reading, more on really trying to understand the nuances of the text in terms of the language and structure, and that means we don’t speed through books,” Wilson said.

Eliza Becker (9) and Laila Farmer (9) read The Mission by Kevin Young, a poem which they had previously discussed in their English class. Becker is inspired by poetry and decided to read aloud to help inspire her peers, she said.

“Poetry can be very empowering, and when it comes to Black History Month, it can be a great way to educate others,” Becker said.

For J.T. Thomas (9), the reading was eyeopening because it exposed him to the massive effects black writers had on culture, he said.

“It’s important to always celebrate black authors during Black History Month, as what they can do is the written equivalent of civil rights activists, and it can fly under the radar some-times,” he said.

Although the reading only included literature by black artists, Wilson hoped that students could relate to aspects in the work regardless of their race.

“Especially in a time when we’re surrounded by so much concern with difference, I think it’s really important to see, in these works of literature, the deep links between us as people of various different backgrounds,” he said.

International Food Festival celebrates diverse cuisines Alison Isko Staff Writer

INSIDE

The delicious aromas of foods from around the world filled Olshan Lobby on Wednesday afternoon as the Upper Division International Food Festival (IFF), which uses food as a way to showcase the diversity of the student body, returned again this year.

With over 22 types of free food, the food festival gives students an opportunity to branch out from the types of food they normally eat, co-Chair of the IFF Ruzena Goldenberg P’17 P’19 said.

“The international food festival celebrates the rich diversity of our community,” co-Chair of the IFF Marjan Gharajedaghi P’19 P’21 said. “It really is wonderful to see how many different cultures and nationalities are represented at our school.”

“It provides an opportunity for students to share a part of their heritage with their classmates,” Goldenberg said.

“It is a fun and delicious way for students to learn more about the diverse backgrounds, cultures, and favorite foods of their peers.”

Although students supply some of the food, the majority of the work is put in by the school’s alliance groups, Goldenberg said. Parents from the Chinese Family Network, HM South Asian Families, Black Parent’s Union, Korean Parent’s League, and the Hispanic/Latino Family Network all contribute their respective dishes, she said.

“What’s interesting is that as much as different regions have different cuisines, the key ingredient is love and care,” Gharajedaghi said. “Sharing our meals strengthens our bonds and fosters community. We share traditions and go on to continually learn and appreciate one another.”

Co-Choir of the IFF Patti Morris P’20, who will be

Amazon Rejected

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Tenzin Sherpa (12) explores Amazon’s impact in Queens.

working at the food festival for the third time this year, believes that “the best part of this event is to see how happy the kids are when they walk into Olshan and see a literal smorgasbord prepared just for them,” she said.

In addition to these groups, the festival featured a variety of other cuisines, including Eastern European, Greek, Italian, Indian, Puerto Rican, Moroccan, Jewish, Thai, Haitian, French, Romanian, South American, Turkish, Southern soul food, American food, and Persian food, a culture represented at the IFF for the first time this year, Goldenberg said.

While the food festival only lasts one day, the work put into planning the event takes months. The IFF committee begins work on the event in September and October, Goldenberg said. As the festival is entirely parent-run, the committee must find volunteers to run the festival itself and to make enough food to last the entirety of the day.

Olshan Lobby featured crowds of students sampling the wide variety of offerings.

“The diversity of the food makes us feel comfortable in our own skin,” Amanda Katerei (10) said.

“I felt like having my own culture represented in the festival was a good way to share my Filipino experiences with other people,” John Mauro (10) said.

Teachers who visited the festival also appreciated the array of dishes.

“It was delicious, and there was more variety than ever,” English teacher Rebecca Bahr said.

“I thought it was wonderful,” French teacher Karla Toledano said. “It was so nice to see such a range of food and cultures.”

“The takeaway is that we are a diverse community that comes together on this day with our likenesses and differences to learn from and celebrate one another,” Goldenberg said.

Alumni in Law

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School graduates discuss their careers in court.

Griffin Smith/Staff Photographer

Griffin Smith/Staff Photographer

DELISH Parents serve students plates of international cuisines at the festival.

Grand Opening of TAG

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Griffin Smith/Staff Photographer

A preview of the Teen Art Gallery’s debut this year.

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

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THE RECORD OPINIONS MARCH 1ST, 2019

A year since Parkland: continuing the fight against gun violence

Pascale Zissu To many, Valentine’s Day is seen as a day of love and chocolate. However, to the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the day brings memories of cowering for their lives and watching their friends shot down in front of them. On February 14th, 2018, seventeen members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community were killed in a brutal school shooting.

For me, the day initially seemed as mundane as any other. But when I returned home from school, I saw my father standing worriedly in front of the television with the news on. I sat down in front of the TV and listened to the reporter say that seventeen people had died.

Retreating to my phone, I saw my peers’ posts on social media sending condolences to friends or family who had lost loved ones.

Although I did not live through it, Parkland was still a traumatic experience for me; it was the first time I fully realized the gun violence issues that our country and my generation face. As a teenager, I feel more aware of the world around me and my place in it, so seeing

a school shooting occur in an environment which is not dissimilar to ours is disquieting.

A school shooting should never happen, but unfortunately, I have become numbed by each shooting that has occurred since Parkland, because they seem to happen so frequently, which saddens and frightens me. If 17 humans with rich, complex lives, loving families and friends can be shot down in a manner of minutes, then why can’t I? Many had the same awakening as I in the face of the Parkland shooting. It provoked hundreds of school students throughout the city to leave class and attend a student organized rally in Washington Square Park. As a result of this protest, and others, including

“Just because Parkland took place a year ago does not mean we can stop fighting for gun reform and public safety.” the Parkland students’ March for Our Lives, Everytown For Gun Safety, and Moms Demand Action, 123 state gun laws have been passed since Parkland.

While this progress is encouraging, I feel that the fight for gun reform has died down as time has passed. Directly following the

shooting, there were numerous rallies and school walkouts like the one that occurred at our school, as well as frequent posts on social media and discussions of the topic within school communities. In more recent months, however, I have seen fewer posts, taken part in fewer gun reform discussions, and heard about fewer rallies. But the issue has not gone away: according to Moms Demand Action, over twelve hundred American children have been killed by guns since Parkland, and the country still has not yet seen long overdue gun reform on a federal level.

With assessments, homework, extracurriculars, and teenage drama, high school students are often overwhelmed. If you tack on the palpable fear of being shot in school, our day-to-day can become torturous.

I personally do feel safe at school, but it is upsetting to know that not all students can say the same. No one should have to question their daily safety, especially children. Because we are fortunate to have security guards and thorough plans in place in the event of various emergencies, it is easy to believe gun violence will never personally affect us. But, even if our personal safety from guns is guaranteed, we should still fight for gun reform to protect others from experiencing the tragedy of gun violence.

Just because Parkland took place a year ago does not mean we can stop fighting for gun reform and public safety. Two days ago, the House passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, which if passed by the Senate, would modify federal gun laws and require background checks for all gun sales.

Juli Moreira/Art Director

This is a step in the right direction, but we need to continue fighting for gun reform. As both teenagers and future leaders of America, it is our job to make sure children are safe from the risk of shootings. I encourage you to participate in protests and rallies; you can find information about them on websites of organizations such as Moms Demand Action.

Donate to these organizations’ campaigns and text ‘CHANGE’ to 954-954 to get involved with March For Our Lives. Finally, write letters and call your senator. But whatever you do, don’t stop fighting for change.

The Amazon dilemma: a resident’s approach to the gentrification of Queens Tenzin Sherpa Columnist

On Thursday February 13th, Amazon announced that it was no longer planning to build half of its second headquarters in Long Island City, Queens due to opposition from legislators, protestors, and residents. The company will now build one half of its headquarters in Nashville instead of Queens and one half in Arlington, Virginia, as originally planned.

When I heard that Amazon had picked Long Island City to build its second headquarters in November, I was initially upset; Amazon’s presence would only intensify the process of gentrification in Queens that has been occurring over the last ten years, particularly in Astoria and Long Island City.

As housing prices in Manhattan increase, wealthier people look for cheaper options, and Queens is the cheapest option with close and accessible transportation.

For much of the twentieth century, Long Island City was nearly vacant with abandoned warehouses and factories littering the streets. In the 1990s and early 2000s, however, large companies began building skyscrapers for office buildings. In the span the next of twenty years, Long Island City transformed from what was deemed an “unsafe neighborhood” to an extension of Manhattan. As employees of companies such as Citigroup and JetBlue came to work in Queens, they began moving there for more convenient travel. The increased presence of middle and upper-middle class workers drastically increased housing prices.

Personally, I am against gentrification because it raises the cost of living, which in turn causes restaurants and small local businesses to close and residents who cannot keep up with the rising prices to move elsewhere.

One of the things that I love the most about Queens is its cultural diversity.

From a young age, I would walk through my neighborhood, and see countless restaurants serving food from all over the world. I was always taught to be open minded when learning about different cultures and traditions because of how many different people I encountered daily.

My own parents came to Queens from Nepal in the late 1990s. No matter what part of the globe people came from, growing up around kids whose parents came to America for a better life, who spoke another language in addition to English, whose parents had similar jobs, and instilled in them similar values, made us that much more connected. If Amazon had tried to move in only fifteen years earlier, I might not have been able to have this crucially formative experience of being raised with other children of immigrants.

Issues such as gentrification impede the cultural representation among residents present in the playgrounds and local businesses of my youth. As residents who can afford more come into neighborhoods like Queens, big fast food chains and retail companies buy out restaurant and small business owners.

In my own neighborhood, I see small restaurants replaced by food places that are often overpriced and inaccessible to

the majority of the community. Because Queens has such a diverse immigrant population, many of them are working class, and often work labor-intensive jobs.

The problem with a company like Amazon claiming that their influx of jobs will help Queens residents is that many people living in Queens are not even eligible to apply for these jobs. Working white collar jobs often require a high level of English proficiency and a college degree, which a large number adults in Queens do not have because of socioeconomic status and access to resources.

About a month ago, I received a letter from Amazon wishing us a happy New Year and listing the benefits their new headquarters would bring to Queens. One of these benefits was the influx of 25,000 new jobs, but is unlikely these these new jobs would have actually been made available to members of nearby communities. Since so many immigrants live in Queens, I find it difficult to believe Amazon would hire any locals due to their generally lower levels of English proficiency and education.

According to Amazon, some of the other benefits included $27 billion in revenue for NYC and the donation of real estate to build a public school in LIC. The letter ended by saying how excited Amazon was to interact with such an amazing community like Queens, yet that letter was the only communication we ever had with Amazon. It only makes sense that a company looking to profit in a community of people who would not benefit from their presence would be met with such anger and resentment.

StaffWriters Malhaar Agrawal, Laura Bae, Andrew Cassino, Mayanka Dhingra, Victor Dimitrov, Amelia Feiner, Mark Editor in Chief Issues Editor Managing Editor Fernandez, Nelson Gaillard, Leonora Gogos, Jude Herwitz, Lynne Sipprelle Edwin Jin, Spencer Kahn, Samuel Keimweiss, Gabrielle Kepnes, Sadie Schwartz Betsey Bennett Suraj Khakee Madison Li, Darius McCullough, Noah Phillips, A&E News Opinions Features Eliza Poster, Julia Robbins, Kiara Royer, Abigail Salzhauer, Peri Brooks Ranya Sareen, Nishtha Sharma, Griffin Smith, Benjamin Wang, Katie Goldenberg Rebecca Siegel Abby Kanter Jeren Wei Robbie Werdiger, Simon Yang, Isabella Zhang, Izzy Abbott, Surya Gowda Abigail Goldberg-Zelizer Megha Nelivigi Bradley Bennett, Sogona Cisse, Jack Crovitz, Jackson Feigin, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Alison Lions’ Den Photography Design Editors Art Directors Isko, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Henry Owens, Emily Shi, Natasha Stange Abigail Kraus Allison DeRose Samuel Singer, Sasha Snyder, Oliver, Steinman Vivien Sweet, Juli Moreira Brody McGuinn Ahaan Palla Caroline Kaplan Natalie Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky Jackson Roberts William Han Jake Shapiro Staff Photographers Eva Fortunato, Iliana Dezelic, Griffin Smith, Harrison Haft, Andrew Cassino, Julia Isko, Julia Robbins, Faculty Adviser Middle Division Online Editor Daniel Lee, Ava Merker Staff Artists Elizabeth Fortunato, Alexandra Crotty, David Berenson Sandhya Shyam Henry Wildermuth Gabrielle Fischberg, Annabelle Chan, Julia Roth

Volume 116 Editorial Board

Editorial Beware the crippling plague that bites every senior like a blood-thirsty vampire at the start of the sprin: senioritis. Experiencing symptoms of faltering academic motivation, repeated absences and tardiness, a strange persistent rash, and a diminished incentive to tend to extracurricular responsibilities, members of the senior class fall prey to idleness and struggle to find motivation to prioritize learning.

Rather than engaging in the senior slump, the Record Editorial Board urges its readers, regardless of what grade, to consider the spring as an opportunity to embrace the personal interests that shape who we are, be it sketching, general sketchiness, trying out for the ultimate frisbee team, or learning how to play the guitar. Continue to feed the flame of ambition that drives us to learn, explore, and understand, as it is our pursuit of personal passions that makes life and learning meaningful. However, beware of burns.

For example, the Teen Art Gallery, an exhibition of student art run and curated entirely by teens, exemplifies our generation’s zeal and spirit. Filled with art ranging from photography to painting to poetry to sculpture, the gallery celebrates student creativity and its theme ‘Gen Z’ explores our generation’s capacity to engage in political and social issues. Get off your phone and go!

Let us enter the spring with a sense of appreciation and enthusiasm, ready to explore our interests rather than forget them.

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 MARCH 1ST, 2018

Epstein journeys cross-country on bike, publishes experiences

Andrew Cassino/Staff Photographer

Jude Herwitz Staff Writer

CREATIVE LICENSE Collier showcases artwork and illustrations at gallery opening.

School hosts author and illustrator Bryan Collier Izabella Zhang Staff Writer

Award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Bryan Collier visited the school’s Lower and Upper Divisions on Thursday.

Collier led CCVA reflections for the community, taught collage-making to HM 246 students, and exhibited his watercolor paintings, two and three dimensional collages, and children’s books in Fisher Hall Gallery for Black History Month.

Over 100 people attended the gallery opening to speak to Collier, visual arts teacher Kim Do said.

Collier first visited the school at the Lower Division seven years ago in February of 2012. ““It is an honor to have him back working with us again,” Lower Division Associate Librarian Pat VanderWerff said. “His message ties perfectly into the Lower Division’s Emotional Intelligence work.”

Collier’s works contain images of people that are not traditionally represented and stories you do not usually hear about, Upper Division Visual Arts Department Chair Dr. Anna Hetherington said.

“It is nice seeing African American art displayed, and through his works the next generation of African American kids can learn to be proud of their culture,” Jessica Thomas (11) said.

Collier’s active involvement in social justice is another reason the school invited him to lead a reflection session, Hetherington said.

“I have been with the Harlem Horizon Studio for 12 years now, because when I first came I saw a lot of young people in the community who

needed to use art as an outlet to express their feelings,” Collier said. “So I stuck around volunteering and helping these kids create their imaginations.”

His brilliant illustrations speak to children, but the moral background and history behind each of the stories is complex and eye-opening to adults as well, Hetherington said.

During his visit, Collier read his books and created artwork with students in both the Lower and Middle Division.

“A seventh grader asked him whether he had memorized his book, because he read the books to the students as if they were having a conversation,” visual arts teacher Kim Do said.

Collier has illustrated books such as Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, but also covers historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, Do said.

“Bryan’s work expands my knowledge of a more inclusive American history,” VanderWerff said. “As a result, he enriches us as human beings capable of embracing everyone we meet as equals.”

Executive Director of College Counseling Canh Oxelson finds works illustrated by Collier as an inspi-ration for his son. “It is amazing to see an African American figures being represented in children’s books,” Oxelson said. “This was unlike what I was familiar with as a young kid.”

Ryan Finley (9) expressed admiration for Collier. “We came to see his work during art class, but I had to come again during the gallery opening to see other art works he brings with him,” Finley said.

Collier wants to encourage young adults to pursue their dreams and tell their stories to the world no matter what difficulties they face, he said.

Middle Division science teacher George Epstein traversed almost 11,000 miles around the country by bicycle from August of 2017 to June of 2018, raising thousands of dollars for Lou Gehrig’s disease research and documenting the trip in an article published in Medium Magazine, an online publishing platform.

Epstein first had the idea to tour the country on bicycle at the end of college. After six months of teaching at the school, the opportunity to complete the trip arose, he said.

While planning the trip, Epstein decided to bike solo for the majority of the tour and to dedicate his travels to raising money for research to combat Lou Gehrig’s disease after his distant relative passed away from the illness last November, he said.

The journey spanned the Atlantic Coast, the South and then along the US-Canada border, where Epstein took a train from Montana to Missouri and eventually ended his bike in New York, he said.

Planning the trip was unpredictable. In the beginning, Epstein had a rough sketch of what his schedule would look like, but at any given point on the trip, he only had an itinerary for the next few days in advance, Epstein said.

“It was impossible [to plan far ahead] because there were just so many things that you don’t know,” Epstein said. “You don’t know what the weather is going to be like. You don’t know if there are going to be other places along the way that other people are going to suggest.”

Epstein’s sleeping accommodations varied from night to night depending on who he knew or could contact in any given area, he said. He found such housing through a website where other cyclists offer their homes in addition to reaching out to family and friends who lived along his route.

“You had people who led lives that were so different from what I knew, so getting that perspective, having grown up and spent my entire life in New York state, and just to be able to have a conversation with someone about something so wildly different from that, was very interesting,” Epstein said.

While on his trip, Epstein posted his experiences on his personal blog and used the Internet as a platform Courtesy of George Epstein

AND I WILL BIKE 11,000 MILES Epstein blogs trip.

to raise money for Lou Gehrig’s, Epstein said. By posting photos regularly and encouraging readers to contribute to the cause, he raised $10,000.

“Spending the better part of a year riding a bicycle is something out of the ordinary—people pay attention to that,” Epstein said. “It was a chance to use what I was doing to effect a positive difference in the lives of the people I care about.”

One of the ways that Epstein, a Physics major, amused himself during his trek was by conducting scientific experiments, he said. Science teacher Oleg Zvezdin, who worked with Epstein in teaching Summer Physics at the school before his trip, kept in touch along the way.

“He had a lot of time to think and process and ponder the world, so he did some interesting physics problems,” Zvezdin said.

One of the problems involved examining the relationship between the size of the teeth in bicycle gears and the number of pedal revolutions per mile, according to Epstein’s blog. Having studied French in college, Epstein wrote his journals in the language for practice.

Music Department Chair Doug Epstein, George’s father, supported his son’s decision to adventure, he said.

“You could say I was worried a bit,” Doug Epstein said. “What am I, crazy? There’s always room for failure, and you don’t know what that failure might look like. But I knew all the preparation was done. I knew if he ran into a problem, he’d figure out a way out of the problem. I had every confidence in him.”

Last month, George Epstein wrote about the experience in a piece for Medium Magazine, an open journalism platform for self-published stories.

The opportunity to write first arose when the Adventure Cycling Association, whose headquarters Epstein had visited while in Colorado, asked him to write a description of his trip after he returned, which eventually became the article he published on Medium, Epstein said.

The article consisted of a series of short descriptions of experiences Epstein had at different points on his journey, including when he thought he had frostbite in Washington state and when he biked on an interstate in New Mexico.

After Epstein shared the article on the platform, it was chosen by a curator to appear as a top story on the travel section of the website, he said.

“I had four journals worth of stuff. I had pictures,” Epstein said. “I had all of these different experiences and to try and distill that down into something that other people could read and really get a sense of where I’ve been, what I’ve done, what I was thinking, was difficult.”

Epstein’s passion for bicycling led Zvezdin to take up bicycling himself, he said. The summer before the trip, while teaching Summer Physics together, they rode to the Croton Aquaduct in upstate New York.

“I biked down to Long Beach Island and back, which is maybe an 80 mile trip,” Zvezdin said. “No way I would’ve thought to do that if he didn’t [take his trip], because what’s 80 miles in comparison to 11,000?

Nothing! He’s an inspiration.”

AP Environmental Science class visits university observatory Juli Moreira/Art Director

Maya Nornberg and Chloe Choi Contributing Writers The AP Environmental Science class went on a field trip to the LamonteDoherty Earth Observatory, part of Columbia University, on Tuesday to further their study of environmental policy, legislation, and the impact of human activities.

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory researches “fundamental knowledge about the creation, evolution, and future of the natural world,” according to its website.

Science teacher Camilla Nivison, who teaches the class, chose to take her students on the trip because she feels that “climate change is an extremely important and current topic, and a great way to solidify that understanding, is for

students to see that science in action,” she said.

Ashna Jain (12) believed that the field trip would be extremely informative and relate to their current unit on land use and climate change, she said.

Gavin Delanty (12) was excited to learn more about climate change and the research surrounding it, he said.

Silvia Wang (12) was eager for the trip.

“I haven’t visited many environmental research centers before, and Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is one of the best in the country,” she said.

“I hope to learn more about the fieldwork and research being conducted there, and gain a deeper understanding of current climate science and issues,” Wang said.

Nivison hopes that her students will gain perspective and insight into the life

of a scientist, she said. “The trip gives view into the possible fields of career– not everyone has to be a doctor or a lawyer,” she said.

The trip also gave Nivison numerous tools that she will be able to use in her class in the future, she said.

“There’s so much science happening beyond the walls of Horace Mann, so it’s very important to take field trips. This is a world-class institution only 20 minutes away, so of course, we had to go,” Nivison said. “During the trip, we learned about the Antarctic ice sheet, and sea ice vs. land ice,” she said.

“We got to use this really cool data analysis app and look at different temperatures to see how things were changing,” Jain said. “It really put everything we’ve been learning into perspective.”

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THE RECORD SPECIAL FEATURES MARCH 1ST, 2019

In

Loving Memory of Madame

A Tribute to Sonya Rotman from Members of the Class of 2017 unique

wonderful

inspired

Mme. Rotman was a and person. She would go out of her way to check in with her students, teaching with both compassion and love.

Mme. Rotman a love for French and French culture among her students, but she also created a family of French-language learners. Many of my fondest memories from Horace Mann come from within her classroom, peppered with quotes from the literature we’d study and equipped with a closet full of costumes ready for our litany of comical French skits.

Maître Gims’ “Bella” and Zaz’ “Je Veux” are two of my favorite songs thanks to Mme., as are the accompanying recollections of obnoxiously belting them in and outside of her classroom with mes amis - not the average group of peers. It’s hard to pick just one memory, but to have known Mme., her classroom and the compassionate spirit she drew out of everyone around her, fills me with warmth. « Toutes les grandes personnes ont d’abord été des enfants, mais peu d’entre elles s’en souviennent », writes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Le Petit Prince, but Madame was one of the few to remember.

her essence

One sweet thing that reminds me of is how she brought in chocolate because, as she always said, speaking French is like eating chocolate. While most of the time her class consisted of textbook exercises, videos, or Le Petit Prince, when Mme. couldn’t get our complete attention, she’d climb on a chair to seem taller and more powerful than us. But then when she would try to yell, she would burst out laughing because it was so unlike her. Whenever I saw Mme. in the halls, I’d always stop and make sure to say “Bonjour!” One day, a year after I was in her class, she cornered me in the hallway to let me know she had seen some of my current work in French and how proud she was of it.

She never stopped caring and letting me know how much faith she had in me, even long after I left her classroom. “What matters most are the simple pleasures so abundant that we can all enjoy them...Happiness doesn’t lie in the objects we gather around us.

To find it, all we need to do is open our eyes” (Antoine de SaintExupéry, Le Petit Prince). Thank you for opening our eyes, Mme. Rotman. You will forever be in our hearts.

shaped my school experience

MME. & HER STUDENTS French Seminar 2017.

desire to shield everyone

Her from knowledge of her illness is emblematic of her. She spread brightness and joy in bursts of color. Her love of the French language and culture was effusive and evident in everything she did. She guided us through Sartre and Voltaire, bringing in her own props and rehearsing the same scenes countless times with us to prepare for performances of French plays. She demanded the best for her students– the best croissants, the best chocolates, the best cafés we could find on our field trips. We practiced verb tenses and sentence structures until our heads were filled with -ais and -ait endings and then finished class by screaming the lyrics to modern French songs. Through her, we learned to embrace a culture that was not ours, a culture that we came to love nearly as much as she did. Mme. Rotman, you were a gorgeous soul, and we miss you dearly. Thank you for everything you have done for us.

Mme. .

She was quick witted, sharp, fierce, hilarious. She pushed her students beyond their comfort zones and into fluency. She had a sweet tooth and loved chocolate., bringing chocolate in a basket to class, she’d cry, “les petits chocolats pour mes bebes!” I always thought it funny a woman as tough as Mme. - who often spoke about her experiences in Soviet Russia - would melt if someone simply mentioned the word “chocolat,” and The fourth floor of Tillinghast will forever be marked by the smell of Mme.’s signature perfume. This is a profoundly upsetting loss.

Mme.’s Students from the Class of 2017 --

love languages

FIELD TRIP At the Met after seeing Le Petit Prince.

care so fiercely,

No one else could teach with so much forgiveness, and will each of us to succeed as much as Mme. Rotman did. She wanted nothing less than the best for each and every one of us. She called us her children, and treated us as if we were her family. Mme. was one of those teachers whom you know is genuinely invested in you and your future as a person. She did nothing half-heartedly or without the best intentions. Most strikingly, she saw the best in all of us. She pushed us to do more than we ever thought ourselves capable of.

Mme Rotman taught me to for the sake of their beauty and their depth - for the ways in which they could teach us empathy for those who spoke them. French was more than a series of grammatical exercises to her, it was rather a window into distant cultures and histories. While the subjunctive tense has faded in my memory, the quotes we analyzed over and over from Le Petit Prince have stuck with me strongly. Mme

see with heart

Rotman taught me what it means to and not eyes, to cherish the value of childhood and friendships.

The very friendships formed in Mme’s class are among those I hold closest today. Thank you for bringing us together over chocolate and cheese, laughter and good company. Rest easy, Mme. - I’ll look up to the stars and imagine you laughing among them with the little prince.

CLASS PHOTO Mme. and sudents at the year’s end.

All photos courtesy of Jacqueline Lee ‘18

INSPIRING A LOVE OF FRENCH THEATER Mme. and the French Seminar Class of 2017 put on a performance of Le Bal des Voleurs by Anouilh.

5

HORACE MANN FEATURES MARCH 1ST, 2019

Law and Order: Q&A

Jeremy F. Korzenik ‘70 Andie Goldmacher Staff Writer

Jeremy Korzenik ’70 is a Senior Trial Attorney in the Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, a part of the Offices, Boards, and Divisions section of the US Department of Justice. The division handles environmental and natural resources litigation by bringing cases against those who violate civil and criminal pollution-control laws and defending environmental challenges to government programs and activities. As the Senior Trial Attorney, Korzenik works with state regulatory and enforcement agencies nationwide to make distinctions between civil and criminal cases.

Courtesy of Jeremy Korzenik

The Record: What kinds of cases do you work with?

What are some examples of cases you’ve worked on in the past?

Jeremy

Korzenik:

In the BP spill in the Gulf Coast, millions of gallons of petroleum, or crude oil, was spilled into the Gulf Coast, which created millions of dollars of liability for the company and killed many different species.

When deciding between civil and criminal cases, you have to think of willfulness-did the company intend to hurt the species? What are the motives?

Did the company want to kill 11 of their own employees and blow up millions of dollars of oil they wanted to sell?

By criminalizing conduct, you create consequence and deterrence, if one company was hung high for a certain issue, other companies will be more careful.

The consequence of BP’s negligence was a consequence of their own deterrence. The most difficult thing to do is to draw the line between civil and criminal. The first cases I dealt with were repeat violations, companies dumping pollution into the waters of New Hampshire. The way it used to be handled in New Hampshire was if you want to get rid of something, you throw it in the river. We recognized we couldn’t continue to do that, so we passed laws prohibiting conduct that was perfectly legal, then we provided criminal sanctions for that conduct. This is a different kind of law that is generally covered by criminal law. Civil

enforcement did not stop you, so now we are bringing out the big guns and going criminal.

TR: What was your most challenging part of being the General Attorney at the Offices, Boards, and Divisions in Washington D.C.?

JK: We do investigations on the civil and criminal divisions from a large agency.

The statutes violated may not always be environmental. For example, if you have false lab reports where you show your plant is in compliance with the requirements of the Clean Water Act, but it’s not. Environmental statutes have both civil and criminal sanctions. My section tries to make distinctions between civil and criminal cases. My position is to try to sort out when to put someone in jail.

The most challenging part is to exercise judgment to decide on the difference between criminal and civil judgement.

The next challenge is to decide who is the most responsible.

Is it the company, the businessman..?

TR:

How do you think the US’ views towards environmental issues have changed over the past 50 years, if at all?

JK: Vastly. There has been conduct that was perfectly legal that no longer is, but you could only get those laws passed if there is a change is consciousness. People thought nothing of throwing litter and cigarette butts out of their car, dumping things into the river, or burning garbage.

People don’t do that anymore, as they have a consciousness of what they are doing on a global scale, especially with climate change. A sense of vulnerability has caused federal government to be able pass laws about the environment. So, you have to change consciousness before you change the law.

There have been many Earth Days at Horace Mann that changed consciousness. The Clean Water Act didn’t come in until the early 70s and 80s.

The first case under the Clean Water Act that I presented was civil, and the first criminal case was about a demolition degree hauler from Boston up to a landfill in Maine that regulated diesel fuel and found areas on wetlands to dump loads of waste.

TR: How did Horace Mann prepare you for your career?

JK: At the high school level, education is general and less specific about environmental law, but Horace Mann was superb in developing one’s capacity for critical thinking.

An essence of great education is to think critically and reach conclusions based upon evidence but continue to be open to arguments that might contradict or modify your conclusion. Horace Mann taught me how to read critically, to think critically, to argue a point, to marshal evidence, and to explain what I was thinking. Horace Mann helped me think of what the right questions are and to find evidence to support them.

Emily Feinstein ‘92 John Mauro Staff Writer

The Record: How did you get involved with the Center on Addiction?

Emily Feinstein: I was inspired by a woman named Lynn Paltrow who said “Addiction is the only disease where we put people in prison instead of giving them health care.” After I heard her speak, I started working in this field Courtesy of Emily Feinstein by interning for her organization, Emily Feinstein ’92 is the Executive Vice National Advocates for Pregnant President and Chief Operating Officer of the Women, during law school.

Center on Addiction, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to transform the way the US addresses addiction by empowering families with support and guidance, researching prevention and treatment strategies, and advocating for policy changes. Feinstein has worked at the Center for Addiction for almost 11 years and is passionate about increasing access to better treatment and reducing stigma for people who are addicted.

TR:

How did Horace Mann prepare you for your career?

EF: Horace Mann prepared me to work hard and follow my passion.

My love of science began with Dr. Howard’s biology class in the 9th grade. I’ve followed that passion my whole life. A summer internship taught me that working in a lab was

Lee Gelernt ‘80 Jack Crovitz Staff Writer Lee Gelernt ‘80 is an immigrant rights’ lawyer who has worked with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for 26 years. He is the Deputy Director of ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and the lead attorney in the Ms. L litigation, a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of thousands of parents whose children were forcibly removed from them when they arrived at the US border seeking asylum.

Courtesy of ACLU.org

The Record:

What is the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project’s goal? How did you get involved in the project in the first place?

Lee Gelernt: Our goal is to defend and expand the constitutional and civil rights of non-citizens.

Although non-citizens do not have all the rights of citizens, they are protected by the basic provisions of the Constitution, like the due process and equal protection provisions.

TR: What was the ACLU’s reaction to Jeff Sessions announcement of the “zero tolerance” policy?

LG: The separation of families is the worst practice I have seen in my 25 plus years doing civil rights work at the ACLU. We actually had filed a lawsuit challenging the separations before Sessions announced “zero tolerance” because we knew that families were already being separated, even though the government

was refusing to say it had a formal policy. At the time of our lawsuit, we believed there were approximately 700 families separated, but an internal government report released in the last two weeks said there may have been thousands of families separated even before zero tolerance was announced.

TR: Who are some of the clients that you have worked with?

LG: In the family separation lawsuit, my clients were mothers and fathers who had their children taken from them; some of these children were only babies. I am also representing the family of Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez, who is suing a border patrol agent for fatally shooting their son. In the past, I represented a college football player named Abdullah alKidd, who was falsely accused after September 11 because he was Muslim.

not for me, so instead I majored in bioethics, which marries science and philosophy, then worked at think tanks, then became a health care lawyer.Now I’m doing work I love.

of arresting people. However, the majority of people with addiction [80%] still are not getting treatment, and much of the treatment people get is not based on the evidence about what works.

TR: What are your views on how the US/the government deals with addiction? Have you seen any changes in its approach since you started?

TR: What will you be working on the future?

EF: Our country has historically treated addiction as a moral failing, rather than the disease it is, and has punished people for having the disease. We’ve made a lot of progress in the past decade, but there is still much work to do. Our government now talks about addiction as a disease, is investing in treatment and medications to treat it, and law enforcement are increasing looking for ways to offer treatment in lieu

EF:Right now we are in the midst of an opioid epidemic – including heroin and prescription painkillers. But deaths from cocaine and methamphetamine are on the rise. Our work won’t be done until we have an effective health care system for treating people with all forms of addiction.

TR: What is the most prevalent

drug currently being abused in schools? What are some ways to increase awareness or reduce abuse

TR: How do you think the US’ views towards immigration have changed over the past 50 years or so, if at all?

LG: I think the US’ views have historically been cyclical. At various periods in our history, including the last 50 years, people have made immigrants the scapegoat for the country’s problems and demonized them. I think that is what is happening now.

Hopefully that will change, as it has in the past.

TR: What will you be working on the future?

LG: The past two years have been the busiest of my career, which has often been very busy. The current administration shows no signs of slowing down its attacks on immigrants, so I think I will continue to be very busy. I will continue to challenge the family separations and the ban on asylum, as well as new policies introduced by the administration.

about the substance?

EF: The most frequently used drugs among high school students are alcohol, marijuana and nicotine (via vaping or cigarettes). One thing we’re trying to educate the public about is the link between age of first use and lifetime risk of addiction.

During adolescence, the parts of the brain associated with addiction are developing. This makes the brain much more vulnerable to the harmful effects of addictive drugs.

TR: Does a student get in trouble if they ask for help for addiction?

What are some ways students can get help at school?

EF: Students who ask for help or are struggling should never get in trouble! They should be referred to a mental health professional who can help.

6

THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 1ST, 2019

Teen Art Gallery opens ninth annual gallery Nshera Tutu & Stephen Chien Contributing Writers

From nailing in a piece of artwork to the wall, or hand-picking submissions of artwork from 22 states and 3 continents, the Teen Art Gallery (TAG) is entirely run and curated by teenagers around the country. TAG will run from March 2nd to March 7th in lower Manhattan. The gallery’s main theme is Generation Z. While the gallery is not run by the school, it is managed by Surya Gowda (12) and Natasha Gaither (12), and members of TAG include Jaden Katz (12) and Eliza Bender (11), according to the TAG website.

TAG presents a spotlight in which aspiring teenage artists can showcase their artwork in a gallery, said Gowda.

This year’s gallery is filled with mediums ranging from painting,

photography, sculpture, video, and poetry, Gowda said. The theme for this year’s gallery represents teenagers living in Generation Z, the first generation to be absorbed in technology, she said.

The gallery was founded in 2011

by Audrey Banks, a high school senior at Bard High School, Gowda said. Since then, the TAG has been managed by Gowda and Gaither, and a student from The Trevor Day School, according to the TAG website.

“The gallery is principally different from other art galleries because our entire curatorial and organizational board is run by teens from New York City, and all of artists are from ages 13-19, and they come from all over the country,” Gaither said.

Approximately 30 works were selected from a pool of more than 800 submissions from teenagers all

Courtesy of Surya Gowda

EXPLORING Viewers tour gallery and appreciate art.

Courtesy of Surya Gowda

and different students outside and inside the school who encouraged me to apply to TAG,” she said.

TAG can give a new perspective for artists, Gowda said. “I’m usually the artist, but I thought it would be refreshing to learn from a new perspective and learn from the curators of art pieces. Since then, I’ve been involved in TAG, and I think that it’s great to see all these different pieces of art come together.

It’s photography, video, sculpture, collage, poetry, it’s all these amazing pieces put together, and it’s really amazing to see what teens can do,” she said.

OBSERVING Viewers are amused by painting of abstract cartoons. over the country for TAG’s gallery last year, TAG Yourself. In TAG’s 2017 show, TAG - Do you mind?, showcased art addressing issues that many teenagers face, such as mental health and politics, according to TAG’s website.

Bender hopes that the art in the gallery facilitates meaningful conversation about the struggles that teenagers face on a daily basis, including mental health, anxiety, and depression, she said.

One particular piece of work that stood out in TAG’s 2018 gallery was a short series of poems documenting a teenager’s life. The poems were interwoven with pictures of daily life, Bender said. “It was very much a poetic experience, as you got to read [the artist’s] poems, but the art on the side really expressed visually the atmosphere he was describing, and I thought that using those two

mediums was a really cool way to express it,” she said.

Another piece that stood out in the gallery was an acrylic tapestry of two polar bears. “It’s really impressive that teenagers have these ideas on how to portray art,” Gowda said.

TAG hosts events such as movie nights, where anyone can recommend and watch their favorite movie, Bender said. TAG also has poetry workshops, where artists and others write poetry and hang it up on the walls of the gallery, she said.

TAG validates and promotes teenage art, especially for those who have not had any prior experience, Bender said. “One of the most gratifying experiences with TAG has been meeting other like-minded teens and seeing great art. Even though I didn’t create art before [TAG], I am involved in TAG because of my friends who help me

Courtesy of Surya Gowda

POTTERY CLOSE-UP Women’s pottery is displayed in TAG 2018.

Baseball Player Bernie Williams performs with steel band in concert Abby Beckler & Julia Robbins now, with the steel band,” he said.

When Williams first visited the Contributing & StaffWriters Minutes before the second steel drums performance started, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly and drummer Donald Howard (11) stood in Olshan Lobby being interviewed by Channel 11 News. Most performances at school don’t garner such media attention, but when a famous baseball player turned guitarist comes to play alongside students, the press gets involved.

From 1991 until 2006, Williams was a center fielder on the New York Yankees and helped lead his team to four World Series championships.

Since retiring from baseball, he has created two jazz albums and earned a Latin Grammy nomination.

Williams first came to the school for an assembly in October of 2016. “There was a marvelous opportunity to meet the gentleman, and his band played.

It was wonderful,” Music Department Chair Doug Epstein said. “He wanted to come back, we wanted to get him back, and the first time we’ve had a chance to finally make it happen is

school, he ended up touring the music department and was fascinated by the steel drums. “He asked a lot of questions and was really interested,” steel drums teacher Alan Bates said.

“Afterwards, his manager told me that he wanted to come play with us sometime. This concert was set up to be only steel band, so this concert seemed the ideal time to bring him back,” he said.

Students were jazzed to learn they would be playing with Williams. Max Migdon (10) was excited to find out he would have the opportunity to play with someone he knew about from baseball, he said.

It came down to the wire for rehearsals, especially since Williams could only rehearse the day before the performance, Solomon Katz (12) said. “I was really impressed with how well the other bands were able to pull together after finishing their songs only recently,” he said. ‘“I liked hearing more modern

Courtesy of Abigail Kraus

STEEL BAND Students make music together during concert.

Courtesy of Abigail Kraus

FOCUSED Students show off their steel drum rhythm. songs on the steel drums,” Kate Golub Up Stand Up” and “Oye Como Va” (12) said. ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears and with Williams in addition to“Samba ‘How Far I’ll Go’ from Moana were Reggae” and the overall crowd pleaser, among the modern songs that Golub “Feel It Still.” appreciated listening to with the new The G Period section performed twist, she said.

“The World is a Ghetto,” “Take On “All of the musicians were very Me,” “Afro-blue,” and “Pan Fried,” all Courtesy of Abigail Kraus focused which helped them work with Williams. together as a team to create a coherent “My students are so good, but I just BERNIE WILLIAMS Baseball player piece of music,” Samuel Keimweiss don’t have enough time with them. jams with Steel Band.

(11) said.

But they are amazing because unlike [to do] in class time. It kind of boggles “Some of the songs were chosen the students who are in orchestra and my mind that they are able to do this,” by me, some were student requests, band, they can’t practice at home. They Bates said. and a couple of them were chosen learn all this music, which is not easy with Bernie Williams in mind,” Bates Courtesy of Brody McGuinn said. “His manager told me he loves ‘Oye Como Va’ and his manager also suggested ‘Pan Fried,’ which is an original of mine because he thought it would be a good song for Bernie to play,” he said. “’Afro-blue’ I chose because I also thought it would be good for Bernie to play knowing the style of music that he likes,” he said.

The A Period steel bands class revived “La La Jam Back” and “I’m Blue” from their last concert, and they introduced “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana and, by popular request, “Toxic” by Britney Spears to their repertoire.

MEETING WILLIAMS Steel band player Brody McGuinn (12) smiles for photo The C class Period played “Get with Williams.

7

HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION MARCH 1ST, 2019

Spanish students learn how to flamenco Claire Goldberg & Katya Tolunsky Contributing Writers The sixth grade Spanish students had a hands-on experience with Spanish culture in a flamenco workshop last Monday that enhanced what they are learning about in the classroom.

Valerie Maté-Hunt, the Head of Middle School (MD) Language Department, organized the event. “The event took place because we wanted to expose our students to the culture of the Spanish language, and flamenco is one of the art works of Spain,” Maté-Hunt said.

Flamenco is a rhythmic form of dance

that incorporates measured rhythms that continuously cycle with extravagant dancers to these beats. While some of it was planned, a lot of the performance was largely improvised on the spot. The workshop, featuring performers from the Xianix Barrera Flamenco Company, included a guitarist, a singer, and two dancers, who used their bodies, castanets, their shoes, and their voices to produce fun and vibrant sounds with many layers.

“After they performed, they explained the different movements they were doing, and they taught the kids how to clap correctly and how to move their feet in a certain rhythmic pattern,”

OLÉ! Flamenco dancers perform for students.

Abi Kraus/Photo Editor

Dean of the Class of 2025 Michelle Amilicia said. This made for an interactive experience that kept the kids engaged, and also allowed them to develop an emotional memory that they won’t forget, she said.

The performers used modern references to explain the dance moves like ‘pick up the Xbox controller’ for motioning to bend down, Elena Zu (6) said.

The climax of the event was when students had the opportunity to go onstage and perform each dance move they had been taught. “My favorite part was when we were tapping, as it was really interesting,” Brady Bu (6) said.

After everyone performed, the students were asked questions and quizzed on the history of flamenco by the performers. “Flamenco has such a rich history and dance, and it represents so much of the history of Spain,” Maté-Hunt said.

“I learned how flamenco evolved and how it spread through Spain and its culture,” Olivia Coward (6) said.

Maté-Hunt believes this workshop is a great way to immerse the kids in a cultural experience beyond the classroom, she said. “Some students connect through the arts and this is just a really great way to expose them to a historic, artistic form of the language,” she said.

“This is what education is all about,” Amilicia said.

Coward thought that the workshop was not only a fun experience, but that it contributed to her understanding of Spanish and would help her in the classroom, she said.

Bu thought it was helpful to see what his class is learning about in real life, he said.

Juli Moreira/Art Director

“This is the second year we did it, and it was really successful. The students responded really well to it,” Maté-Hunt said. The event was implemented one year ago, and the Spanish department plans to keep holding this event as long as it is still successful. Sophie Rukin (7) recalled her experience at the flamenco workshop last year as a really exciting and interesting experience, she said. There was no quizzing portion, though the rest was very similar, she said.

“We didn’t really understand flamenco until we saw it,” Rukin said.

In future years, Amilicia hopes to see the flamenco dancers teach the students an entire short dance that they will be able to perform together, she said. However, overall she was very happy with how the workshop went, she said.

“After all, what’s the point in learning Spanish if you don’t know the culture?” Bu said.

Spotlights on MD sports stars Courtesy of the Middle Division Yearbook

James Ho Yin Fei Contributing Writer The Middle Division (MD) Swim team left the pool with a great season, with many of the athletes either beating their previous times or setting personal goals that they accomplished.

One swimmer in particular, James Ho (7), shined in an especially memorable way throughout the entire winter sports season, according to MD Boys Swim Team Coach Michael Duffy.

Having a competitive swim background was found to be very useful in the sense that Ho was able to showcase his knowledge of the basic fundamentals and apply them as such, Duffy said.

Due to having about 4 years of prior training outside of school, Ho was able to be more flexible, which was especially useful during making the line-up sheets, he said.

“He was a real team player and made an effort to participate in all the events we asked him to,” Duffy said.

For example, he tried to help fill in for events people didn’t want to do, Ho said.

“He evolved over the course of the season by swimming in some of the long distance events that he was wary about in the beginning,” Duffy said. This also demonstrates his willingness to adjust and be a part of the team, he said.

“James is very motivated and he is determined whether it be out of school, or a school swim meet,” fello teammate Benjamin Wu (7) said. “He also loves to cheer on his teammates and when in a relay together he motivates them, telling them that they did great, and is a very friendly person,” Wu said.

“James is a great role model and I can safely speak for the whole team that he makes us want to continuously drop time,” he said.

Nevertheless, there’s always room for improvement, Duffy said.

“I want to learn to balance my time on schoolwork and going to practices especially in the upcoming high school years,” Ho said.

Ahaan Palla/Photo Editor

Courtesy of the Middle Division Yearbook

Nate Wildman David Maydan Contributing Writer

For Nate Wildman (8), basketball is a crucial aspect of his extracurricular life. His experience on the court has allowed him to mature into both a seasoned athlete and an effective leader.

According to Wildman, he was drawn to basketball from a young age. After a family friend introduced him to the sport in second grade, he joined and soon excelled in a local recreational league, he said. In the third grade, he took his skills to the next level for an AAU competitive travel team.

Since then, Wildman has been practicing and playing for teams across the city, he said.

“I like the competitive nature of it, and I like how there are so many plays,” Wildman said. “It’s not like football where it’s a slow drive down the field. There is an exciting play every possession...there’s no down time in basketball,” he said.

Wildman enjoys the constant momentum of a basketball game because it heightens the competitiveness and allows him to take advantage of his athletic abilities, he said.

Today, Wildman leads the Middle Division (MD) Eighth Grade Boys Basketball team as both a group-motivator and the top-scorer with an average of more than 22 points per game.

“His effort in games and practices is really consistent. He’s a positive leader and a vocal leader. He helps to motivate others and keep people focused,” team Coach Drew Samuels said. On the court, Wildman averaged close to a double-double with points and assists.

However, he recognizes that there is still room to improve as a team. “The season was a little disappointing because I really do think that a couple teams - if we played them again, we would have beat them,” Wildman said.

As he finishes his last year in the MD, Nate looks forward to playing for the Upper Division team and hopes to improve himself as a player by working on his defense and physical fitness, he said.

Harry Lowy Nathan Zelizer Contributing Writer

A key contributor to the Middle Division’s (MD) Wrestling Team’s success this season was eighth-grader Harry Lowy (8), according to Wrestling team Coach Gregg Quilty.

Lowy won both of his matches and was a central factor in the development of the younger players, Quilty said.

“I won both of my matches by a pin which I am pretty happy about,” Lowy said. He felt this showed his skill, he said. In his second match of the year, he pinned his opponent in under 15 seconds. “His most impressive skill was his headlock,” teammate Luke Millowitz (8) said.

Although Lowy had an outstanding season, he still thinks that he could work on his technique to truly perfect it, he said. “Both technique and form, but I definitely need to improve my technique,” he said. He plans on working on this in the offseason as well as doing weight training to become physically stronger, he said.

Lowy only started wrestling in seventh grade. He had no prior experience but he and his friends all decided to join together. But now he loves the sport for many reasons, he said.

“It’s a difficult sport, and I like competing in a challenging competition,” he said. He also likes how little running there is and how much the mental game is central to the sport, he said.

Not only was he a dedicated wrestler, but he helped develop the younger kids on the team as well, Quilty said.

“Harry was a role model for the younger kids on the team,” he said. “He always liked keeping kids on task and, if necessary, catching them up on what they missed.”

Lowy plans to continue to wrestle next year in the high school. When he joins the Upper Division team, the MD team will miss his leadership and talent, Quilty said.

Lions’ Den Record Sports

MARCH 1ST, 2019

Girls varsity swim team ends undefeated season with a splash Sam Chiang Staff Writer The Girls Varsity Swim Team finished their season undefeated for the first time in school history and earned second place in the Ivy League Championship behind rival Trinity. The team proudly fulfilled their reputation as the “swim cult”, dressing up in various outfits for team spirit, breaking multiple school records, and creating a tight-knit and loving family, coCaptain Eva Fortunato (12) said.

Eva Fortunato said the highlight of her season was beating the team’s long-time rival.

“Perhaps the best part of the season was when we beat our rival Trinity in a dual meet,” Eva Fortunato said.

Girls Varsity Swim Coach Thatcher Woodley was similarly impressed with the Trinity meet.

“The meet showed the true depth of our team this year because we lost some of the first events, but won the later events which allowed us to win the meet,” Woodley said.

Led by the seniors, the team has felt like more of a family than ever before, McKayla Widener (11) said.

Co-Captain Elizabeth Fortunato (12) really enjoyed getting excited for meets through team spirit. “We have used team spirit to get everybody involved and excited for swim meets,” Elizabeth Fortunato said. “No matter how ridiculous the outfit was, the goal was to hype up members of the team to get them excited and proud to be a part of the team.”

Maddy Wu (9) also appreciated the team spirit. “Team spirits are my favorite part of the

team because it makes the team feel more tightly knit,” Wu (9) said.

During practices, some sets can be extremely grueling and students drop out before they are finished, Eva Fortunato said. “[But] we have tried to be good role models and a neverending source of support and positivity for the

This camaraderie not only brought the swimmers closer together but also helped lead to the team’s success as people were inspired by each other, Elizabeth Fortunato said.

Elizabeth Fortunato said the coaches do a good job of making sure everyone swims together. “Normally, lanes are divided by speed, Courtesy of Steve Fortunato P’19

CATCHING DUBS The girls team poses with the trophy victoriously at NYSAIS. underclassmen,” she said.

Wu said the seniors were an integral part of the team. “I felt motivated by the seniors because they would get the whole team hyped up during tiring sets,” Wu said.

“Although it’s very difficult to include everyone, the captains this year have done a really great job making sure everybody feels like they are a part of the family,” Widener said.

Track

Courtesy of Eddie Jin

Marina Kazarian Staff Writer Both the Boys and the Girls Winter Indoor Track and Field Team finished their seasons by scoring well and achieving new records due to their supportive team dynamics and training.

“The new fitness center was definitely a plus because it introduced us to new equipment and gave us more space for team workouts,” Diya Mookim (11) said.

“We scored really well in all of the meets and even had some people qualify for NYSAIS,” Lauren Gay (10) said.

Gay earned first place in the 55 meter dash and 55 meter hurdles.

She also placed third in the long jump. Two out of the three shotputters also achieved new personal records this year, Mookim said.

Although they came in last at NYSAIS and the Ivy Championships, Masatomo Shiiki (11) noted that the boys have improved significantly, he said.

Paul Wang (11) made it to the finals at both NYSAIS and Ivy Championships, Melchior Lee (12) won gold at NYSAIS in the high jump, Eddie Jin (11) ran a mile in under five minutes, and Ethan Waggoner (9) won bronze at Ivy Championships, losing only to upperclassmen, Charles Simmons (11) said.

Mabel Runyon (10) was the only new person on the girls team.

“She was a great addition to the team as the only other sprinter and really helped me push myself to practice harder,” Gay said.

Mookim said it was imperative that the team members urge each other to get out of their comfort zone. “Being a shot-putter, the routine workouts focused on building strength and muscle. It was easy to get tired and give up, but the most important thing I learned was to push my limits,” she said.

As a five person team, the members of the girls team grew closer.

“We pushed each other in the gym and also had tons of laughs. It was a great balance,” Mookim said.

“Our team dynamic is supportive, strong, and caring,” Runyon said.

John Mauro Staff Writer

so swimmers who are more experienced tend to be on one side of the pool, while the less experienced on are on the other side,” she said. “[But] the team commonly merges lanes so older swimmers can help younger swimmers perfect their technique and act as mentors.”

“Since the lanes aren’t divided by age or gender it feels like one big family,” Jaden Sacks (9) said.

Ski

Finishing first overall in the Southern division of The New York Ski Racing League, the Varsity Ski Team enjoyed many victories this season.

“Our fastest skiers were Adam Frommer (10), Emma Djoganopoulos (10), and Kai Galvan-Dubois (12)”, co-Captain Ryan Leung (12) said. “Many of our skiers improved greatly over the season, such as Nelson Gaillard (11) and Natasha Gaither (12)” Leung said.

Dubois and Frommer respectively finished first and second in several races, Leung said.

“Although we skied very well, because it’s a public school league, we couldn’t really advance to the next level of competition,” Leung said. “The public school league is getting a new director, and all the other schools are pushing for us to be able to advance to the next round, so hopefully we’ll be able to participate next year.”

The team is a significant time commitment. The drive to the slopes is over an hour each way, Hannah Long (12) said. “Everyone was really welcoming and encouraging no matter what we were doing- whether it was practice or during an actual race,” Jade Ciriello (9) said. “Everyone would cheer each other on and the upperclassmen would always be inclusive.”

“During the very last race of the season, it was raining and pretty miserable,” Frommer said. “After the race, we decided to go to Dairy Queen.

“The seniors and the whole team were so supportive and kind, even from the very start of the season. Every one was constantly including each other, and I feel like the whole team got really close by the end of the season,” Liliana Greyf (9) said.

“I’m very excited for next year’s season,” Ciriello said.

“We’ve built a great community, and I’m hoping we can find some new skiers next year to make it just as great as it was this year,” she said.

Courtesy of Nelson Gaillard

8

Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of the Girls Varsity Swim team is that they have a male counterpart, Fortunato said. “Having a guys team has created a really unique dynamic because the teams are always practicing together and attending meets together,” Eva Fortunato (12) said.

“The teams did great at the dual meets because the guys and girls constantly encouraged and cheered for each other,” Coach Michael Duffy said.

“The two teams have bounced off of each other and motivated each other through setting low times and attending each other’s meets,” Eva Fortunato said.

Reflecting on their swimming careers, the Fortunato sisters said that the Girls Varsity Swim Team has been their best experience at the school.

The team has been responsible for not just her most memorable high school experiences but has also given her a sense of community, motivating her to work hard, something that has helped her both in and out of the pool, Eva Fortunato said.

Elizabeth Fortunato said the team has inspired her throughout the years. “The team has raised my confidence, and I hope that the experience has helped others in a similar fashion,” Elizabeth Fortunato said.

Woodley said he really enjoyed coaching the team for the first time. “I’m really proud of the team’s success this year and I’m really happy about how receptive they have been to having me as a new coach,” Woodley said.

Fencing

Courtesy of Eliza Poster

Oliver Steinmen Staff Writer Alexia Gilioli (12) said that her goal coming into the season was to make sure that the sophomores were ready to lead the team forward in the future. “With a team as big as fencing is, it is important to stay cohesive and build bonds between teammates,” Gilioli said.

Eunice Bae (12) believes that the fencing team has achieved this goal. “They [sophomores] held down the team really well during matches,” Bae said. “This is definitely the most cohesive team I’ve seen because of efforts from the upperclassmen to welcome new members.”

“It was a really fun environment,” Bae said. “In years past we’ve been more divided by gender or weapons but this year we bonded as whole but still kept core friend groups.” As a large team, there was always a lot of personality during practice and meets and the team laughed and shared a lot of jokes, Deveraux Mackey (12) said.

“Coaches were pretty flexible and approachable, we had a pretty casual relationship with them,” Eddie Ahn (12) said.

“Upperclassman also did a good job including the freshmen.”

Ahn’s favorite part of the season was the ISFL (Independent School Fencing League) championship, “It’s an individual and team tournament where of schools in the Ivy Prep League duke it out,” Ahn said.

Mackey’s most memorable part of the season was also the ISFL championships. “Fencing is often so individualized that it really exciting to spend all day fencing as a team,” Mackey said. “It was also a bonus to see that our team did very well during teams and overall during the season at the event.” The only disappointing part of the season for Ahn was the fact that the season didn’t last longer because of the snow days and breaks without practice.

Bae said that despite the loss of seniors next year the team will stay a close group with good leadership.