The Horace Mann Record, Issue 2

The Horace Mann Record SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2017 || VOLUME 115, ISSUE 2

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Anti-semitic vandalism in Riverdale School works with NYPD to catch criminal

School plans switch from trimester to semesters for ‘18 -‘19 school year

Ariella Greenberg/ Art Director

Betsey Bennett Staff Writer Next year, there will be no more end-of-trimester testing, midtrimester reports, or third trimester seniors. According to Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein, the school will be switching to a semester system for the 2018-2019 school year.

“To me, the decision is of a piece with eliminating final exams,” Levenstein said. “Both decisions are rooted in this idea that our students can do their best work if they have the time and the breathing space to do it.”

There will be two semesters of roughly equal length, with the split around the third week of January, Levenstein said.

Last year, a faculty subcommittee led by science teacher Dr. Lisa Rosenblum formed to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of implementing a semester schedule.

“The main motivator was the wellbeing of the students,” Rosenblum said. “What we found with our research is that the trimester is really choppy, and that by extending that to a semester system, it would slow down the pace.”

According to Levenstein, the semester schedule will allow for a requirement of slightly fewer assessments per year.

“We can hopefully get away from the three-week treadmill of assessments where students feel like they have these hell weeks at even intervals throughout the year,” Levenstein said. “We think that will help students to do better work and have a chance to live a healthier life.”

According to Upper Division Dean of Faculty Dr. Matthew Wallenfang, another advantage relates to how grades will appear on transcripts.

Dana Jacoby (11)

Instead of the current system, where the three trimester grades are averaged together to show a single final grade, the new system will likely show both semester grades.

“Many students improve in a given course throughout the year, and might get a B+, B+, and Acurrently,” Wallenfang said. “That averages together to show a B+, but it doesn’t reflect that improvement that is being shown. Under this system, a student who gets a B+ and an A- will have that reported as a B+ and an A-, which we thinks helps everyone in terms of reflecting better how the student actually did.”

From a college counseling perspective, the semester system will better align with the college admissions calendar, Executive Director of College Counseling Canh Oxelson said.

“Currently, the first trimester ends late enough in the fall that seniors can’t always benefit from really strong first trimester grades,” Oxelson said. “In a semester system, a midsemester grade would simply be a progress report and it would come at a more helpful time for seniors.”

The semester system will also be more convenient for students involved in clubs, Rosenblum said.

“The end of the trimester usually happens around the same time as big competitions in clubs like Debate and Model UN,” Rosenblum said. “With a semester schedule, there would be fewer of those kinds of conflicts.”

The switch is still in the beginning stages, Wallenfang said.

“What we know for now is that this is happening,” Wallenfang said.

“Now we’re in the process of figuring out exactly the nuts and bolts of how the semester system will look.”

“While I think semesters would be fine, I don’t think our current trimester system merits change. Inevitably, there would be a few flaws as a result of implementing semesters for the first time, and I don’t think that is at all necessary.”

For next year, most of the curriculum will feel the same to students as it currently does, Wallenfang said.

The two exceptions are athletics and senior English electives, both of which depend on a trimester schedule.

“There is one challenge, which is the athletic calendar, but I’m not that worried about it because we’ve been assured by the athletic department that they can still work with a three-season model even if we’re on a semester model,” Levenstein said. “A lot of our peer schools are on semesters and offer three seasons of athletics, so I think we’ll be able to figure that out.”

The athletics department is still in the process of finalizing how they will handle a semester schedule, Associate Athletic Director Ray Barile said.

According to English Department Chair Vernon Wilson, the switch will have a positive effect on senior electives by allowing students to delve deeper into topics.

“First of all, students are used to being able to choose from three electives, so obviously we’ll only have two electives that we’ll be offering each year,” Wilson said. “However, the biggest advantage that I see is that because there will be more time in a semester than we currently have in a trimester, teaching an elective for a semester will allow us to spend more time on texts and offer more creative windows into what we are teaching.”

“As with any big change, we have to think about the impact it’s going to have on our curriculum, but I don’t see that so much as a challenge as an opportunity,” Levenstein said. “We are really excited about ways that the curriculum can take advantage of a semester system.”

“So much of my academic life has been defined by the trimester system, I think at this point in my life it would have been a huge and likely inconvenient adjustment.”

Natalie Raum (12)

How do you think the semester based system would affect your time at HM? “Ideally, teaching and assessing becomes more manageable, given that there were weeks where everything was clumping.”

Dr. Cornelie Ladd

“The only change that could have a negative effect is if, due to the change from trimesters to semesters, the testing weeks land at a more inconvenient time in the sports calendar.”

Julia Roth (11)

Sadie Schwartz Staff Writer Just a block away from school, criminals spray-painted the word “Jew” on the door of a house on 246th and Waldo Ave between 10 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. on Sunday. With the help of the school, the NYPD apprehended one of the criminals, but the incident has aroused concern from members of our school and the Riverdale community.

Director of Security and former member of the New York Police Department (NYPD) Michael McCaw and Security Supervisor Rafael Maman spent six hours on Sunday reviewing the camera footage from Saturday night.

“We saw three people spray-painting the street with the same color paint that was used on the house, so we were able

Courtesy of NBC

IN RIVERDALE “Jew” spray painted on local house

to identify three individuals who could possibly be connected to this crime,” McCaw said. “We supplied the NYPD with the film footage, and now their job was to knock on houses and speak to residents to know if they saw anyone.”

On Thursday, the NYPD used the school’s camera coverage to identify one of the criminals: a 16 year-old male.

“We should still be hyper-vigilant, but we shouldn’t make the person feel like they actually hurt or scared someone because that’s how they want people to react,” Riverdale resident Isabela Watson (12) said.

To Abigail Salzhauer (10), the incident was a major reality check.

“At first, I didn’t believe it. The Jews in my community take it for granted that we don’t experience anti-Semitism, but we rarely think about the fact that there is antiSemitism all over the world,” she said.

As a child of a German refugee from the Holocaust, Lynn Goldner P ’17, ‘20 hoped America had come further than this, she said.

“What I said to my kids is that we have to be aware that these types of activities are happening more in the current political climate, and we have to fight it through peaceful means, intellect, and strong-will,” Goldner said.

“As a community, we should react with disappointment and disgust while making it clear to all who will listen that this type of behavior will not be tolerated,” Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly said.

Lower Division hosts workshop for girls in STEM Abigail Salzhauer Staff Writer

This past Saturday the Lower School held a girls in STEM workshop for students in second and third grades. This Saturday’s theme was marine science.

This program, called the WISE Program exists mainly in Lower, but has held events in the middle school in the past. The program, led by LD science center teacher Katie Diaz, would like to have more events across other divisions in the coming year.

The workshops are offered two to three times a year for students of each grade level in Lower in addition to a few for Kindergarteners and sixth graders, Diaz said. They take place on Saturday mornings and days when there is not school, such as parent-teacher conference day.

This Saturday’s workshop kicked off the third year of the WISE Program and included a marine biology workshop presented by the New York Aquarium, constructing a cage to keep divers safe from sharks, and building an “ocean in a bottle,” Diaz said.

“Research shows that the more children participate in activities

that develop spacial awareness, the more likely they are to choose classes and eventually careers in the STEM fields. This gives the girls an opportunity to practice those skills in a format that is different from the regular school day,” Diaz said.

This coming year Diaz will also be offering three STEM workshops for boys.

Courtesy of horacemann.org

STEMINISM Lower Division girls perform experiments in girls in STEM workshop.

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THE RECORD OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2017

Unite and Conquer: Women in STEM

Ella Feiner, Stephanie Li, Joanne Wang This August, Google software engineer James Damore released a 10-page manifesto that quickly went viral, ranting against the company’s diversity policy. The document discussed the ways that “men and women biologically differ” to justify “personality differences” that explain the gender gap in STEM fields.

Damore argues that women’s higher interest in people, increased empathy, kinder personalities, and “neuroticism” make them more suited for “softer” professions that involve creativity, social interaction, or lower stress. This is problematic for a few reasons.

First, this assumption is not based in fact, but in centuries-old gender stereotypes. Personalities vary greatly Volume 115 Editorial Board Editor in Chief Managing Editor Gustie Owens Eve Kazarian Features News Tiffany Liu Sam Heller Natasha Poster Yeeqin New A & E Opinions Jonathan Katz Seiji Murakami Joanne Wang Rebecca Salzhauer Lions’ Den Peter Borini Ricardo Pinnock

Middle Division Ella Feiner Sarah Shin

Design Editors Evan Megibow Nikki Sheybani Lisa Shi

Photography Amrita Acharya Freya Lindvall Abigail Kraus

Issues Editor Art Director Mahika Hari Ariella Greenberg Online Editor Faculty Adviser Michael Truell David Berenson Columnist Lutie Brown Curtis Chung Amir Moazami Staff Writers James Arcieri, Betsey Bennett, Amelia Feiner, Elizabeth Fortunato, Leonora Gogos, Caroline Goldenberg, Katie Goldenberg, Surya Gowda, Will Han, Jude Herwitz, Edwin Jin, Solomon Katz, Janvi Kukreja, Madison Li, Connor Morris, Megha Nelivigi, Eliza Poster, Noah Phillips, Julia Robbins, Abigail Salzhauer, Sadie Schwartz, Tenzin Sherpa, Sandhya, Shyam, Becca Siegel, Charlie Silberstein, Lynne Sipprelle, Benjamin Wang, Jeren Wei Staff Photographers Iliana Dezelic, Eva Fortunato, Abigail Kraus, Daniel Lee, Mimi Morris, Benjamin Parker, Tatiana Pavletich Staff Artists Sofia Gonzalez, Damali O’Keefe, Spyridoula Potamopoulou, Jackson Roberts, Zoe Vogelsang

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between people, not genders, and we are disappointed by Damore’s generalization. Damore addresses one of the oldest philosophical debates, nature versus nurture: although he acknowledges society’s sexist biases, he attributes much of the gender gap to genetic differences.

While genetics may dictate where we start, the material contributions of genetics are not enough to limit the role environment ultimately plays in having a longer lasting influence on our lives. And here, the environment is forcing young girls into accepting these cultural biases as truth.

Second, the assumption that science requires no creativity or social interaction is completely false. Though stereotypes portray scientists as antisocial workaholics who spend all of their time hunched over a desk, most scientists rely on creativity to design novel experiments and social interaction to get advice from coworkers. In fact, scientists who are less willing to empathize and collaborate are often less productive.

The collaboration found in the scientific community is often crucial in breakthroughs and transformative discoveries and is the backbone of the company at which Damore works.

Finally, the existence of people who believe in the biological inferiority of women causes young girls to internalize these ideologies. A

recent study from researchers at the University of Illinois found that sixyear-old girls shied away from games they were told were meant for “really, really smart” children. When the same girls were shown pictures of adults and asked to guess which person was “really, really smart,” they associated the descriptor with men.

During our time at summer research programs and at Horace Mann, we’ve seen countless girls use these kinds of biological excuses as a way to stop

It’s important for girls to know that everyone struggles sometimes and that pushing through a challenge can actually be one of the most beneficial educational experiences. Instead of encouraging girls to face challenges head-on, however, people like Damore provide reasons for girls to quit.

In his manifesto, Damore continues that Google should stop so-called “diversity” hiring and focus on choosing the most “qualified” candidates rather than closing the gender gap. This idea that women in the same positions as men are less competent permeates all aspects of life.

Even at summer research programs, we’ve been told that we were only accepted because of our gender and that we don’t actually deserve to be there. We’ve heard boys lament how much easier it is to be a woman in STEM, since it seems like the bar is “so much lower” for women.

Ariella Greenberg/Art Director Being a woman in engaging with STEM. They STEM is viewed as an claim they are “humanities people” or inherent advantage; it is “easier” their brains “just aren’t wired for hard for us to be accepted to prestigious subjects” when in reality they haven’t colleges or get jobs in tech fields. had a chance to explore intellectually.

When discussing math contests with We’ve witnessed girls drop out of male students, we’ve been told that we honors math and science classes after don’t need to aim any higher because earning a mediocre grade on one our scores are “really good for a girl,” quiz, while boys in the same class earn and that boys have to work harder and worse grades and remain unfazed. do better just to be considered equally

accomplished. The absurd notion that being a man in STEM is more difficult because men have to “achieve more” makes us realize how little people know about the struggles faced by women in STEM. We’ve spent the past years of our high school and research careers trying to prove our worth when we know male students are accepted as “brilliant” without question. All three of us have struggled with confidence. We have felt confused about our interests, unsupported due to competition, and defeated.

Damore concludes his manifesto by pointing out the sexism behind “exclusory programs.” In fact, our very own Girls in STEM club has been under fire for being superfluous and even sexist. At Horace Mann, we are lucky to have many female STEM role models, but there is still fierce competition amongst the small community of girls interested in STEM. We want to correct that by providing a collaborative forum for girls to speak about their experiences.

Now more than ever, it is important for us to focus on supporting and empowering each other. Though we’d like to believe that we are approaching a society where gender does not decide capability, this manifesto made it clear to us that we are nowhere close. Until we reach that point, we will make it our priority to encourage other women by setting an example of self-confidence and showing that girls don’t need to prove themselves; we have every right to pursue our STEM interests.

the talk so much, but it saddened me that Ms. Screen, one of the strongest people I know, was concerned that she could not protect us from institutional sexism.

I sometimes get the feeling that I am not considered equally capable or taken as seriously as my male peers. I’ve had a teacher presume that the work I presented to him was done by a boy, despite there being no reason whatsoever for him to doubt that I had created it. I’ve had a boy in a leadership position ignore my extremely valid concerns about the lack of safety protocol that he was using to perform a dangerous task, and he only listened to reason once other boys stepped in and expressed similar worries.

I don’t believe that either is a misogynistic or inherently bad person, but that does not mean that they were not acting off of the biases that they and most of us are raised with.

Sexism in our robotics program can be eradicated. We can try to fix the problem by completing difficult, but ultimately doable, tasks: raising female students to recognize their capabilities in STEM and teaching all members of the school community to be conscious of their internal biases. It is our responsibility as a community to become aware of our actions and the impact they may have on others, and the only true way to eliminate sexism in our school is to teach ourselves not to discriminate. But while the burden of ending sexism should always fall on the perpetrators and never on the women hurt by it, we must also take interim measures to raise girls to believe that they are capable of succeeding in STEM. One of the best things that ever happened to me and to gender dynamics in the Upper Division robotics program was MD Girls Robotics, founded by my friend and teammate, Nisha Sahgal, when we were in seventh grade. Her asking me was the only reason I got involved in robotics. I had enjoyed building Lego structures, learning basic computer science principles from my best friend’s mother, and making programs on Scratch for fun, but I never thought I’d ever be good enough to do it outside of just messing around on rainy days, let alone in school.

Girls Robotics has already proven itself

from the very blatant to intangible institutional bias. Even if you’re not sure if it’s sexism, or if you’re sure that the person didn’t mean it “that way,” approach someone you trust–-if it feels wrong, it is wrong. Talk to your club advisor, teacher, or any other person in authority: they are on your side and can take measures to help you. If you feel comfortable doing so, talk to the person involved in the incident– many times, people who say or do sexist things don’t even realize that they did something hurtful, and discussing it can be good for both parties.

I can’t say that we’ll always get it right or never do anything sexist again, but I believe that with time and constant action we can make this school the welcoming and safe place that it should be.

CTRL ALT DLT Sexism from Robotics

Emily Yu Five pages. Five. This article began as five full pages worth of all the instances of sexism I’ve heard of, seen or experienced in robotics at school in one bullet-pointed list. Blatant or implied, institutional or isolated, these bullet points make up the worst things about the club I love and have worked so hard to build. The only technical differences between our two robotics teams, FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST® Robotics Challenge (FRC), are in the requirements for the robot and the team’s size; however, seven out of eight members of leadership and 14 out of 26 members of FTC are girls.

FRC, in contrast, has only two confirmed female members out of around 35. This is not a casual coincidence.

As many strides as our school has taken to create a diverse and inclusive environment, the fact remains that sexism has tarnished my experience in the robotics program. When a couple of my veteran female FTC teammates and I were contemplating moving out to FRC last year, Ms. Screen, our coach, sat us down for an honest discussion about the sexism that we may face. She was worried that if only one of us were to go to FRC, we might have difficulty time getting the same amount of time working directly with the robot than we had on FTC. I know that she was only trying to help us make the best decision possible for ourselves because she cares about us, but whether or not to move as a group is not a decision that we should need to be asked to make. Boys aren’t asked to make that kind of decision and have the privilege of being able to choose what’s best for them on their own without have to think of anyone else. I appreciated the realness of

to work, as eight out of fourteen female members of FTC are Girls Robotics alums. The Lower Division’s summer camp class for female students in grades K-5 in chemistry, physics, and ecology is another excellent way to get girls involved in STEM. As a more long-term solution, one of my proposed outreach initiatives for FTC this year is to start a Girls Robotics team or program in the Lower Division to introduce girls to robotics at an even younger age, so that they grow up believing that a STEM career is possible.

This will hopefully help solve the issue of gender imbalances in UD Robotics as they grow older.

If you are dealing with sexism, talk to someone about it. Remember that incidents of sexism exist on a spectrum,

Editorial Two opinions pieces this week highlight student responses to sexism prevalent in STEM fields both in our community and globally. The Record Editorial Board recognizes the adversity that girls in STEM clubs and classes face.

The sexism we see in the STEM fields begins before elementary school. Therefore, we commend the school for all the efforts made towards gender inclusivity in STEM fields. Just last Saturday, the Lower Division hosted a workshop on marine biology for second and third grade girls. The school’s support for the Middle Division Girls Robotics Team has helped cultivate the current female leadership of one of the Upper Division Robotics programs. And every day, female teachers in Math and Science Departments help girls gain confidence in their abilities and find success in maledominated fields.

Despite these efforts, we believe more can be done.

We urge the administration to host more faculty training sessions highlighting experiences of sexism in both extracurriculars and classes to raise awareness. We encourage female students to discuss their experiences with trusted friends and faculty to realize they’re not alone. Finally, we urge our classmates and faculty to stand up for one another if they witness sexism or discrimination in all environments, no matter how insignificant the incident may seem.

HORACE MANN NEWS SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2017

After 15 years, Pedro Montesino says goodbye William Han Staff Writer

Courtesy of the Mannakin

After 15 years working at the school as a security guard and as part of the technology department, Pedro (Peter) Montesino will be leaving to work for the University of Pennsylvania as a Audio Visual Coordinator. Montesino’s experience at the school has profoundly changed his mindset and ability, he said.

“If it has a plug on it, Mr. Montesino is responsible for it.

From computers, to projectors, to PA systems, to all of the technologies in Gross Theatre, Peter truly does it all.” Head of School Tom Kelly said.

Montesino first began working here WE’VE COME A LONG WAY (Left) Pedro Montesino in his first year, 2003; when he was just a few years older (Right) Pedro Montesino in 2017. than the seniors. He started working you know it’s going to be an experience the world. I knew the kids and that they as a member of the Security staff, but that will challenge you but will have could change the world. It gave me over time he became interested in the great reward and memories. I feel hope for the future,” Montesino said. operations of electronics and he moved like I helped students grow, but they Montesino has also just been into the Technology Department. Once helped me grow in ways I didn’t know a really friendly face on campus, there, he worked under the Director of I would,” Montesino said. In a more Kyle Gaillard (11) said. “Whenever Technology Adam Kenner, Kelly said. literal sense as well, Montesino has I see him he always stops to say “Mr. Montesino played a critical seen the campus completely change role in the day to day operations of the since he started here, adding more school,” Kenner said. Mr Montesino faculty, staff, classrooms, and even managed classroom repairs every day starting to add a new building with the and audiovisual aspects of hundreds construction of HM in Motion, he said. of events per year, Kenner said.

“The new science building and “Watching his skills, expertise gym is just another example of and experience develop over the Horace Mann moving forward years has been a pleasure,” Director and growing. I will return to see of Technology Adam Kenner said. it in the future,” Montesino said.

In addition, Montesino was In terms of individual hi, and he’s always very busy. I involved with several initiatives, such experiences though, watching guess it just shows how much he as his work with ICIE, Book Day, and graduation was always the most does for the school.” Gaillard said. various panel discussions, Kenner said. rewarding for him, Montesino said.

Adam First ’17 used to hang Montesino’s has been proud to “I always felt like our work was out with Montesino during watch the school and students grow completed when the seniors marched, theater production, he said. with him during his time here, he said. because that was the goal--to support “He was always there for me, “Students here always do it big, so the students through this academic there to listen and talk, and I really when you’re a part of a project or event experience and then see them go into enjoyed his company,” First said.

Montesino’s willingness to lend a hand and his perpetual good cheer have made him a pleasure to work with, Levenstein said.

Before former Theater Arts Teacher Woody Howard retired two years ago, Montesino made sure to plan him a surprise party, Kenner said. He worked with several faculty members to rehearse a piece set to The Lullaby of Broadway and had them perform it in gross theater to surprise Howard, Kenner said.

“I will miss the school so much, it’s hard to describe. Horace Mann is much more than a school or job.

I always felt at home at the school.

I’ll miss that,” Montesino said.

“All of us are fortunate to have Montesino at the school, and his smile, work ethic, and skill set will be missed by all” Kelly said.

Marcio Moreira will immediately assist in accommodating Montesino’s leave.

Furthermore, additional hours from one of the vendors will help smooth the transition.

At the moment, the school is

“All of us are fortunate to have Montesino at this school, and his smile, work ethic, and skill set will be missed by all” -Dr. Tom Kelly searching for new staff to find a permanent replacement, Kelly said.

“We are happy for him and his family in their new endeavors, but of course we will miss his dedication, good humor, friendship and hard work.” Kenner said.

A letter from Montesino

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As I embark on my next adventure, I wanted to thank the Horace Mann community for opening its arms to me 16 years ago. As a kid from the South Bronx, I never knew Horace Mann even existed until I came up for a job interview that my friend Richie set up for me.

Thanks Richie! I will miss everyone who supported me and allowed me to grow into the man I am today.

I wanted to thank Facilities, Security, Flik, the secretaries, and support staff, i.e. the backbone of the school, for always having my back, allowing me to be part of the team, taking care of me, and showing extra love. I will miss working with you every day.

To the Faculty, you challenged me and pushed me to be the best I can be.

To the Music, Arts, and Theatre department, break a leg, as always!

To Athletics, you let me call your world home and I always felt welcome.

To the rest of the Technology team, thank you for always stepping in when my schedule became crazy!

To my leadership, particularly Dr. Tom Kelly, you took care of me and I will never forget that. Woody Howard, Adam Kenner, and Sheryl Baker, you are all responsible for giving me this opportunity, one that has allowed me to evolve and flourish in ways that I never could have dreamt of.

To the students, I know you will be the leaders of the world one day.

I see the love and kindness in you and I hope you will continue to allow those attitudes to guide you on your own journeys. You inspire me everyday, and I know the world will benefit from you all, as I have.

I will always keep The Horace Mann School with me in my heart. This is a special community, and I feel honored to have been a part of it. Thank You.

From, Pedro Montesino

New clubs for 2017-2018 school year Innovation and Entrepreneurship Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a publication in its inaugural year, will offer students the chance to write about entrepreneurs, especially those who are not well known, Cohen said.

Jonny Cohen (12), Joey Peracchia (12), James Baumann (12), and Sam Stein (12) co-founded it, with Dr. Adam Casdin as the advisor.

The format will be profile based, meaning each issue will focus on a few, less well-known entrepreneurs or businesses in fields such as green energy and technology, he said.

“I think that this is a new concept that you don’t really see in a lot of the magazines we have because a lot of them are more artistic or based on news,” Peracchia said.

Cohen said he hopes to publish at least two issues this year, as well as build a base of contributing writers who will continue writing in the years to follow.

Meetings will consist mostly of group conversations centered around brainstorming article ideas, both by discussing “what entrepreneurship really means” and looking at current events and the news for up and coming businesses, Cohen said. Occasionally, they will also invite guest speakers from the Bronx or the school community to discuss entrepreneurship, he said.

Science Bowl Team Art by Staff Artist Zoe Vogelsang & Art Director Ariella Greenberg

The Science Bowl Team, which was started by Jeren Wei (11) and Zarina Iman (12), hopes to introduce a fun and interactive option for those wanting a science competition, Wei said.

Science Bowl is a gameshow-type competition in which two teams of four players compete to be the first to answer a question about different scientific fields ranging from biology to astronomy, Wei said.

Alzheimer’s InsiGHT

bibliomann Noah Phillips (10) started a new book review publication, BiblioMann, where students can write about any book they want, he said.

Phillips said that he has always been passionate about books, but noticed that there was not a publication dedicated to books currently at the school.

“I really wanted a way for the larger Horace Mann community to be exposed to books,” he said.

Caroline Bartels, BiblioMann’s advisor and Library Media Specialist, said that in the past,

“This fun and interesting component is really unique to Science Bowl since other competitions like Science Olympiad don’t really have that interactivity or engagement, but instead are based on tests,” he said.

In addition to weekly meetings I period, members of the club will be expected to conduct independent research as well, Wei said, preparing both for the actual tournaments and the practice tournaments that Wei plans to hold at Horace Mann against other Bronx schools.

This year’s goal is to qualify for and do well at Nationals, Wei said, which requires competing at a series of regional tournaments against other schools.

book review journals at Horace Mann, such as the now defunct HM Reads, have ended once their founder graduated.

“I’m just hoping this becomes something people keep contributing to,” Bartels said.

In order to make sure BiblioMann becomes an established publication, Phillips said he wants to assemble a strong editorial and writing staff to build from the bottom up.

“We want to publish at least one time this year to just get it started,” he said.

Reporting done by Staff Writer Jude Herwitz

Sophia Reiss (11) started Alzheimer’s Insight, a club dedicated to facilitating discussions about Alzheimer’s disease as well as looking at what can and cannot be done about it. Reiss became interested in exploring the topic after experiencing her grandmother’s decline from Alzheimer’s, she said.

“Before my grandmother’s diagnosis I had hardly heard of [Alzheimer’s] before,” Reiss said. “I was curious about it and learned a lot about how it works and how to help.”

The club’s meetings

will mostly consist of someone speaking about a topic pertaining to Alzheimer’s, whether it be research, personal experience, or ways that the club can help raise money for the fight against Alzheimer’s such as participating in walks organized by the Alzheimer’s Association, Reiss said.

For this year, she said, the goals are to learn more about Alzheimer’s and what possible cures are, as well as trying to make calls to Congress to advocate for Alzheimer’s research.

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THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2017

SOLAR ECLIPSE JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING Isabel Mignone (10) saw the total eclipse on a trip with the American Museum of Natural History, which was planned about a year and a half ago. Mignone went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to see the eclipse.

“It was really well done. We had multiple panel discussions before and after. The cool thing about the eclipse is that there’s interesting stuff on every level, from how it happens in the first place to proving special relativity, or even the historical aspects,” she said.

Mignone and her family went to the top of one of the mountains there to see the eclipse because Jackson Hole consistently has no clouds in August, she said.

“The place that I was in was clearly a haven for scientists, so it was the best place to go,” Mignone said.

“There were so many people around: amateurs and people who were part of legitimate projects who had telescopes, and everyone wanted us to see what they were looking at,” she said.

“Everyone was in total shock. The expressions of awe were incredible to see,” she said.

Mignone’s biggest takeaway was that you shouldn’t write off “once in a lifetime” experiences, she said. “I’ll never forget it, and I’m so glad I went.

If it’s called once in a lifetime, it’s usually worthwhile, and this was a great example of that.” -TS

Courtesy of Isabel Mignone

CASPER, WYOMING Maya Dubno (11) went to see the eclipse with her father in Casper, Wyoming.

To prepare for the trip, Dubno got solar glasses, a lens for her camera, took solar binoculars that she already owned, and rented an RV, she said.

While she was there, Dubno met one of the four teams shooting for BBC because her RV was parked next to theirs and was able to see all of their equipment, she said.

“It was really nice having the communal aspect of going to watch it with other people who are interested in meeting a bunch of other people who are interested in similar things.” Dubno said.

“It was unlike anything I have ever seen,” she said. -TS

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI Emily Bleiberg (12) and her family spontaneously hopped in the car to drive into the path of totality and experience the total eclipse.

The Bleibergs’ last minute decision gave them only two days to plan their road trip. “We didn’t have much time to prepare a lot for the trip, but we did make sure that we had the right glasses for viewing the eclipse as well as determining what area would be possible for us to drive to and be in the band of 100% totality,“ she said. “[Totality] is basically just the total obscuration of the sun during the eclipse,” Bleiberg said. “We were able to see all of it.”

Totality was a wholly surreal experience, Beliberg said. “I didn’t really know how the sensation would affect me, but it was definitely a really neat experience that surpassed what I had expected.”

What struck her the most was hearing the cicadas come out during the day, she said. She also felt the temperature drop as totality approached.

“It was really neat to be surrounded by a group of all ages and demographics from throughout the country get really excited about this scientific thing and share in this moment together,” she said.

Lily Mayo (12) was on a college touring trip during the eclipse and found herself directly under the path of totality.

Though it was a coincidence, Mayo was able to experience the eclipse with live music and eclipse glasses provided by the school, she said.

“It is always interesting reading how nature functions during a total eclipse, but actually hearing crickets going crazy [as the sky went dark] was an amazing experience,” Mayo said. -AF, VD

WHAT IS A SOLAR ECLIPSE?

Courtesy of Emily Bleiberg

WASHINGTON, CONNECTICUT Jude Herwitz (10) was at Dorr with the Middle Division Mentoring program during the eclipse.

“Being at Dorr made the experience a beautiful one and allowed the homerooms to bond,” Herwitz said.

Dorr provided the four homerooms with protective glasses and gave them index cards with holes to see the light transmitting from the uncovered part of the sun. As the moon covered more of the sun, the light going through the holes made a crescent shape, Herwitz said. -BW

Reporting done by Tenzin Sherpa (Staff Writer), Amelia Feiner (Staff Writer), Benjamin Wang (Staff Writer), and Victor Dimitrov (Contributing Writer)

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA Math teacher Philly Williams viewed the eclipse in Clemson, South Carolina, an area of total eclipse. It was a spur of the moment trip, he said.

Williams was on a biking trip before the eclipse so the trip was planned close to the eclipse itself. He viewed the eclipse in his cousin’s backyard, which made everything easy, he said.

“Preparation-wise, my mother bought different sets of eclipse glasses, food, and drinks,” Williams said. “My favorite part of the experience was being able to witness it with my family.”

The atmosphere was incredible; as it became darker the air instantly cooled down, Williams said. “It was as if the eclipse came to us.”

“The eclipse lasted about four to five minutes but it felt as if it lasted both an eternity and just one moment,” Williams said. -VD

On August 21st, the moon cast a dark shadow on the sun creating a total solar eclipse. Many members of the school community journeyed far to witness this once in a lifetime astrological phenomenon. The last time a similar solar eclipse passed through the United States was in March of 1979.

Science teacher Oleg Zvezdin traveled 900 miles to St. Louis, Missouri, just to catch a glimpse of the eclipse, he said.

Zvezdin traveled there with his family, his best friend from high school, and his girlfriend. He had always been fascinated by astronomy and this was “one of the coolest things [he has] ever seen,” he said.

“It’s fascinating that given that the sun is so much bigger than the moon but the moon is so much closer than the sun, the two have an almost identical diameter so that it’s possible for the moon to block the sun,” Zvezdin said.

Zvezdin and his family were able to see the “extremely eerie” total eclipse, through specialized glasses that protect eyes from harmful rays at a home they rented 30 miles outside of St. Louis.

Science teacher Joseph Timko was with his family in Texas. Timko is a former astronomer and has seen numerous eclipses.

The eclipse itself was not an incredibly important event astronomically, he said. However, “since this is one of the few times so many non-astronomers can see a total eclipse, there was a lot of publicity about it.”

In addition to popular culture, “many ancient cultures were afraid of the omens” that the eclipse portended, Timko said. “Some cultures thought that a giant dragon was eating the sun.” Timko said.

There may not be any total eclipses in the future, Timko said. “Because the moon is slowly moving farther and farther away from the earth, it may not cover the sun completely.”

HORACE MANN FEATURES SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2017

SCIENCE RESEARCH

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Students engage in science research outside of the school after an extensive process of finding a lab in medical centers, universities, and other private institutions, and reflect on their experiences in the world of science.

Sandhya Shyam Staff Writer

Instead of going away to sleepaway camp or visiting another country, Aurora Grutman (12) spent her summer researching cocaine addiction and its possible treatments.

Grutman, like several other Upper Division students, chose to participate in summer research.

She conducted research through a seven week program at Rockefeller University and considered it a “unique and immersive experience” that made her a better student and scientific researcher, she said.

Summer research is a great opportunity for students who are passionate about science and want to see real world research being done at a collegiate level, Summer Research Coordinator Dr. Christine Leo said.

“I think high school is the time to try things out and see if you like it,” she said. “So I often tell students to find a program that’s intriguing to them; they don’t necessarily have to do that when they grow up, but they should try it.”

Leo helps students interested in conducting research find a summer program that works for them because there are several types of programs and all are varied, she said. However, finding a program is ultimately the responsibility of the students.

“It’s often hard for high school students to find opportunities in labs that work well for them because of relative inexperience in labs,” Science Department Head Dr. Stephen Palfrey said.

Jeren Wei (11), who interned in a microbiology lab at Columbia University’s Medical Center during the summer, emailed about 40 college professors and researchers from different medical institutions and universities, he said. “I was very persistent in finding a research opportunity. In the middle of May, three researchers responded with available positions: one from

Stanford and two from Columbia,” he said.

Richard Hausman (11) participated in the summer research program at Rockefeller University to see if he would be interested in working in the scientific field in the future, he said. Hausman researched protein degradation in fruit flies, and while he enjoyed doing labs in class, he does not think they compare to an actual lab environment, he said.

“When you’re doing labs in class, there is a clear objective, outcome, and steps to get there. I wanted to get more comfortable in designing experiments on my own and also learn how to compile and analyze the data,” Hausman said.

Doing research is time consuming, Grutman said. “It would be extremely disappointing for me when I’d spend hours doing a certain experiment and not get any results, but that’s how research actually is.”

Arjun Khorana (12), who worked at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) over the summer, wanted to do research outside the lab, he said.

“A lot of what we do in school is basic science research and wet lab, so I wanted to get an experience working in the clinical side of research, which is more patient focused,” he said.

Khorana worked on two projects.

In the first project, conducted by Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi, Khorana compared two different questionnaires given to spinal patients after their visits to see which one was better at assessing how a patient felt.

“It gave me a new perspective on research,” Khorana said. “I was able to impact the scientific community without being in the standard white lab coat and goggles.”

Later, Khorana was approached by two medical students who asked him to work with them on a project focused on patient referral, he said.

Khorana and his colleagues are currently trying to publish their work and submit it to an international

Ariella Greenberg/Art Director

conference, he said. “It’s not necessarily difficult to get your work accepted, but to get accepted into a reputable source,” he said.

Madison Li (10) learned how to develop a project, conduct different forms of research, and format a study into a formal paper over this past summer, she said. “Some other skills I learned were time management and collaborating with other people.”

Li researched the chemical beta-caryophyllene’s possible role as a treatment for Psoriasis, an autoimmune disease. This topic was proposed to her by her mentor, who was originally a family friend. Her mentor paired her up with a rising senior girl from another school and the two worked on the experiment every Saturday beginning in January, Li said.

For Li, the problem arose when summer came and she was expected to work in the lab every day. “I was doing Summer Chemistry at the school, so I could only work on the research during weekends,” she said.

“Because of that, we barely managed to finish in time. Thankfully, my partner and I worked really well together.”

Having started the project in January, Li had a very different experience doing research during the school year compared to in the summer. “It was definitely harder for me to work on the research during the school year than during the summer, when I had more time to work on it at home as well,” Li said.

“However, since we had more time in the summer, the work was more intensive than the weekly lab work last school year.”

Li plans to enter her project into the Siemen’s competition and other competitions, she said.

Wei is continuing his research into the school year. “It’s been difficult for me to make progress,” he said.

“I can’t go into the lab on weekends, but on weekdays after school I have water polo practice until six. I’ve had no time to work on my research since school has started.”

Since Wei was initially unfamiliar with the lab, he worked on other people’s research projects for the first few weeks, he said. “I was assigned to do menial tasks such as cleaning lab equipment,” Wei said. “However, I eventually asked my PI if I could work on my own project, and after

much consideration, she let me.”

Khorana was appointed his projects, but he was given a lot of freedom in doing them, he said. “I was given access to all the medical records at HSS, I had my own account, and the way I wanted to organize the research was all me – I created the data sets and chose how to analyze them.”

Hausman recommends students to do research only if they truly want to be more knowledgeable, he said.

“You shouldn’t be doing it just to add to your resume.”

“Students shouldn’t be doing research in order to do better in a class,” Palfrey said. “It should be because they want to know more about science.”

“There are so many advantages to summer research,” Grutman said. “I come from a family where literally no one is a scientist, but I got fantastic mentors who showed me the ropes and are great role models.

I know I can go back to them with any questions I have about designing experiments in the future, and they’re amazing connections to the scientific community.”

)

n (12 rutma G a r o Aur

Courtesy of Aurora Grutman

Ariella Greenberg/Art Director

6

THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2017

Treble choir starts year on high note

Eva Fortunato/ Staff Photographer

HERE COMES TREBLE Sopranos and altos raise their voices during Treble Choir

Eliza Bender Staff Writer

At 11:15 a.m., a scintillating buzz reverberates throughout the Fisher Hall. Twenty delicate voices melt together into a seamless harmony, hiding how meticulously they are working to achieve this sound as one ensemble This is the Treble Choir: a chorus exclusively composed of sopranos and altos.

Formerly known as the Girls Ensemble, the group disassembled after former Choir Director Darin Lewis left the school in 2011. The surplus of high-voiced students encouraged Chair of Music Department Timothy Ho to initiate its revival.

“We always seem to have a slightly

larger number of advanced sopranos and altos, more so than tenors or basses, so much so that we can actually create the extra ensemble,” Ho said.

Available to all sopranos and altos in grades 10 through 12, Treble Choir currently consists of approximately 20 students who are learning advanced musical literature and complex arrangements written specifically for a higher vocal range. Ho is excited to challenge his students with this body of work, which he has previously left untouched due to the absence of an ensemble with the proper skill set, he said.

Both Chloe Bown (12) and Taussia Boadi (10) are former members of Glee Club and joined Treble Choir due to their interest in being part of

something new. Although Bown was at first reluctant to leave Glee Club due to being part of that community since sixth grade, she was intrigued by the idea of the new group and participating in its first year, she said.

On a similar note, Boadi “thought it would be fun to be a part of [Treble Choir] and watch it grow as [she goes] through high school,” she said.

Bown enjoys pursuing the ensemble’s ambitious repertoire. She finds it challenging enough to remain engaged, but not so difficult to the point of not enjoying it, she said.

In addition to the high-caliber music, the modest size of the ensemble leaves no room for any members to hide, Boadi said.

“You have to have a really strong

voice, and you have to make sure you’re singing the notes right because if not, everybody’s going to know,” she said.

Although the ensemble’s size places higher expectations on each individual, it also allows the members to become closer with one another more easily than they would have in a larger group.

“It’s a lot easier to bond with people” in Treble Choir whereas in Glee Club, Bown was unable to befriend many underclassmen due to the large membership, she said.

Boadi looks forward to building friendships with her peers during this year’s Music Tour to Hawaii, she said.

Treble Choir will have their first concert on October 26 and will also be performing in the Holiday

Concert, the Collage Concert, and others featuring the Orchestra, Glee Club, and the Steel Drums classes.

Rachel Buissereth ’13, a former member of the Girls Ensemble, is glad to know that the group has been restarted, she said. “It’ll probably give girls who are interested in trying something new an opportunity and also add some variety to their repertoire,” Buissereth said.

Though it disbanded after her sophomore year, Buissereth still learned a lot from her time in the Girls Ensemble, which only consisted of eight students. Due to the limited number of members, everyone usually sang different melodies.

“It was difficult, but when we sounded great, it was really an amazing feat,” Buissereth said.

Rogers refines musical skill at Tanglewood program Betsey Bennett Staff Writer

For six weeks this summer, Adrian Rogers (11) was hard at work on the violin in a rigorous musical program called the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Young Artist Orchestra.

The Tanglewood Institute, in conjunction with Boston University, created the program in the sixties so that aspiring high school-aged musicians could work alongside the Boston Symphony and the Tanglewood Music Center program, which serves young professionals, Rogers said.

“It’s a very packed day,” Rogers said. “You’re constantly playing and working, and you have a lot of music to learn.”

According to Rogers, the repertoire included Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op. 64, Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 in E minor Op. 93, and Lutosławski Concerto for Orchestra.

When Rogers encounters new music, he processes the piece in two steps: conceptual planning and practical planning.

“Conceptual planning involves familiarizing yourself with the music by studying the score and deciphering everything the composer wrote down,” Rogers said. “Then, once you’ve studied the music on a conceptual level, you can break passages down and start to develop practical solutions like

good bowings and fingerings to help express those conceptual ideas to your audience.”

Rogers sees his greatest strength as his musicality.

“I’m not the most technically proficient player I know--there are some kids that can do crazy stuff with the left hand--but I’m a pretty aware player,” Rogers said. “I like to think a lot about what’s happening around me and how I contribute to the overall ensemble.”

The isolated setting of Tanglewood allowed for a more focused experience, Rogers said.

“Tanglewood is pretty remote, and there’s no wifi,” Rogers said. “It’s great that we can just play music together in this concentrated area, and it really helps build your musical understanding.”

During his time at Tanglewood, Rogers performed in three concerts, practicing each program for two weeks.

Each Monday through Saturday, Rogers had orchestra rehearsal in the morning to prepare for these concerts, followed by activities that varied daily, such as chamber music, sectionals, and lessons.

Rogers was also given the opportunity to conduct the orchestra group twice during the program.

“On both occasions I was given very minimal prep time,” Rogers said. “I had to really know what I wanted from the orchestra going in.”

One of the most beneficial aspects of the experience was learning how to play with others, Rogers said.

“It’s a lot about learning to play together, with other people,” Rogers said. “That’s a skill that I think a lot of young musicians don’t really understand: how to work with other people who are just as talented and just as experienced and just as excited to be there as you are.”

According to Rogers, the most challenging part of the program was carving time out of the busy days to practice.

“The repertoire that you play in orchestra is extremely difficult, and finding time to really practice your part is very important,” Rogers said.

“But then you also need to work on your own things; you have your solo

repertoire, you have master classes to prepare for, and lessons that are less emphasized, but still very important.”

Music teacher Nathan Hetherington, who instructs Rogers in the orchestra at school, is not surprised that Rogers attended the Tanglewood program.

“I’m really excited for him, it’s a wonderful program full of really talented and serious musicians,” Hetherington said.

According to Hetherington, Rogers has an admirable work ethic.

“He is incredibly dedicated and enthusiastic, and he has great energy when he plays,” Hetherington said.

“His growth as a musician over the last few years has been really impressive, and that’s a testament to how hard he has worked.”

Hsin-Lin Tsai, a member of the

BACH STAR Adrian Rogers conducst at Tanglewood

Ariella Greenberg/ Arts Editor

violin faculty at BUTI, was very pleased with Rogers’ performance over the summer.

“As a violinist, Adrian plays beautifully and has a nice and ringing sound, and as a conductor, he is confident, dynamic and very driven,” Tsai said. “He is dedicated and always prepared, and it was such a pleasure working with him this summer!”

Overall, Rogers enjoyed his time at the program.

“I’m very glad that I got to do this,” Rogers said. “It’s just a very unique experience, and there’s nothing quite like it out there.”

In the future, Rogers is not sure of the role that music will play in his life.

“I don’t think I’ll be attending conservatory, but I’d always like to keep music as a part of my life,” Rogers said.

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HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2017

Troubleshooting the MD iPad program Julia Robbins Staff Writer Last week, sixth graders attended two separate orientations led by Technology Integrator Cassandra Parets to kick off their iPad program. An orientation Wednesday taught students essential iPad skills, such as how to download apps and troubleshoot problems that might arise. On Thursday, students learned the basics of certain apps that they will be using the whole year on their iPads, Parets said.

During the first session, along with learning about the iPad’s technology, students went over “guidelines and expectations with regards to using the iPads at Horace Mann,” Parets said.

For the iPad program, students either use an iPad that they already own, or borrow one from school at the beginning of the year and return the iPad at the end of each year, Parets said.

This is the fifth year of the iPad program and there have been changes to the program as time has gone on, Head of the Middle Division Robin Ingram said.

There is now a help desk with Parets two days a week during lunchtime to assist students with technical questions about their iPads. Temi Aurelia, Academic and Testing Center Coordinator, will also offer help to students in the testing center that have password and other

iPad related questions, Ingram said.

This year the students received a cheat sheet with usernames and passwords for logging into accounts on their iPad because in years past, students have not always been sure of how to log in their accounts, Parets said. The cheat sheet also contains the office hours and email address of Parets so students can easily reach out to her for help, Parets said.

In the past, the orientation has honed in on specific aspects of the apps, but the faculty “realized that is a lot of information all at once,” Parets said.

Now the orientation concentrates on aspects of the iPad program that have prompted the most questions in the past, namely the iPad applications FirstClass and PowerSchool, Parets said.

The orientations were useful for learning how to manage time on the iPad and learning the ways in which iPads can be useful for school, Emily Weidman (6) said.

This year, in addition to information learned in the orientations departments will teach students about different apps that are tailored to their subject in order to make the amount of training less concentrated in the first week, Ingram said.

About a week after the orientations, there will be a new exit survey to see if students felt the orientations were comprehensive enough, Ingram said.

A day in the life

The first week of a 6th grade student

Etta Singer

TEACHNOLOGY Students use iPads in the classroom

HM Flickr

Learn about the clubs!

Robotics ARGUABLY THE BEST MD Students practice debating MD Debate is one of the middle school’s most popular clubs and provides a head-start for future varsity debaters. MD Debate began in 2010 as a club of six people, and has now grown to a club of over 50 members.

History teachers Katharine Rudbeck and Natalie Wiegand act as the faculty advisors for the team. However, debate is unique because it’s run by UD students, Wiegand said. “The day-today processes of it, the teaching of the Middle Division students, and most of the logistics are really done by them,” she said.

Kate Feiner (8), Justin Gurvitch (8), and Walker McCarthy (8) are all current members of MD Debate.

Feiner wanted to join because “it seemed really fun and a good way to meet people, as well as research and learn about current events,” she said.

Rudbeck said the team is split into four different rooms grouped by experience level. “In each of those rooms, there might be slightly different activities,” she said.

“Usually we prepare for tournaments, and then if there are no

Abigail Kraus/ Photo Editor

tournaments coming up, we discuss certain topics and just general debating strategy,” McCarthy said. Wiegand said the students often do practice rounds and speaking drills as well.

Gervitch’s favorite part of the team is the community aspect. “Through debate, we all kind of just become this big family within the HM family,” he said.

McCarthy’s favorite part is “just being able to get up there with a prepared argument, and then working with your partner on your speech and debate skills,” he said.

Feiner’s favorite part of MD Debate was winning against Trinity at a tournament this year. “We all got a chance to actually go into rounds, and it was awesome,” she said.

All three students plan on continuing debate in high school.

Debate has definitely improved his public speaking skills, and helped him learn how to interact with other people in a more formal setting, McCarthy said.

Debate

MD Robotics is a Middle Division club that offers not only a co-ed team, but also a girls-only team. Computer science and robotics department chair Jason Torres teaches the co-ed team and computer teacher Glenda Guerrero teaches the girls-only team, but both groups work together closely.

Guerrero explained that the co-ed team began in 2010, but the girls team was formed in 2012 after the sister of a male student on the co-ed team attended her brother’s tournament, became eager to learn robotics, and worked with Guerrero to found a solely female team.

Guerrero said that the goal at the start of the year is to integrate new members into the club, “At the start of the year, the older members teach the younger members, and it isn’t until mid-year when we start getting really into getting ourselves prepared for the requirements of the competition,” she said. The team meets once a week and spends time working on codes or other competition requirements.

Each year, the teams attend a tournament in which they can compete with other robotics leagues from different schools. The tournaments change every year, and traditionally, the

co-ed team competes in the First Lego League, and the Girls’ Robotics Team competes in the Robo Cup. This year, opportunities may open up for both teams to compete in either tournament.

“Demand for the club has increased over the years for both clubs, especially the past year of 2016-17,” Guerrero said.

“There was such a large number of sixth graders that we had to divvy up the team to have just an exclusive sixth grade team.” There were too many beginners to have them on the regular team, she said.

Lamia Chowdhury (7) is a current member of the HM Girls Robotics Team. She’s been on the team for one year, and said her favorite part of Robotics is the club’s atmosphere. She described the atmosphere as “buzzing with motivation,” and said it’s something she really looks forward to.

Jayla Thomas (10) was a member of the girls-only team in Middle Division. Joining the girls robotics team empowered her because it showed her discipline and creativity while also proving that girls can excel in science and not just arts, Thomas said.

- Leonora Gogos, Staff Writer

- Leonora Gogos, Staff Writer

COMP-ETITION Robotics team presents bot

Courtesy of Glenda Guerrero

I am a new sixth grader at Horace Mann. I plan to be an author when I grow up. I am frequently told I have a big imagination. Outside of school I play softball and participate in musicals.

Last week was my first week here.

Before starting middle school I heard rumors that I would get hours upon hours of work. I was even told I would have to devote weekends and Friday nights to homework.

After being an HM student for a week I can tell you this is not the case. Instead of school being a workload, it is fun.

The part of my day that was immediately exciting was and is advisory. Every day for fifteen minutes between B and C periods I meet my advisory. My advisory is made up of 11 students and my advisor Ms. Garrison. Over the first four days we played games, talked, did a questionnaire, and signed papers. I think advisory will always be the highlight of my day because of my friends, advisor and fun activities.

One thing I’ve been looking forward to for a while is using iPads.

Last week we had iPad training.

It helped us get used to the iPads.

The technology teacher, Ms. Parets, seemed very helpful and got us all excited. Then our teachers told us which apps to get. I got 20 apps! I figured out how to use Haiku and First Class. I am so excited to start using iPads in class.

Finally, the most fun part of middle school. I had been dreading this all summer, but it turns out getting to class is the best. At first, I kept getting confused as to where I was going. This led to me giving myself a tour of the school. During my tour I saw so many school landmarks including the main field and Gross Theater. I probably walked through the atrium three times getting to each class. It was so interesting to see the places I will be seeing until I graduate. Also, I had to keep going to my locker (which I know how to open thanks to the Dorr staff) to check my schedule.

My first week of school was a success. I can’t wait to go back next week.

Lions’ Den Record Sports

UPCOMING HOME GAMES:

9/15 Boys Varsity Soccer, Girls JV Tennis, Girls Varsity

Volleyball, Varsity Water Polo 9/16 Boys & Girls Cross Country 9/18 Girls Varsity Field Hockey 9/19 Boys Varsity & JV Soccer, Girls JV Tennis 9/25 JV Football, Boys JV Soccer, Girls Varsity Volleyball, Varsity Field Hockey, Girls Varsity Tennis, Girls JV Tennis 9/27 Boys Varsity & JV Soccer, Girls Varsity Volleyball, JV Field Hockey, Girls JV Tennis, Boys and Girls Cross Country

SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2017

Football faces tough loss, looks to bounce back Connor Morris Staff Writer

This past Saturday, Varsity Football fell 34-21 to hilltop rival Riverdale. The Lions got off to a strong start and claimed an early lead but couldn’t hold on in the out-of-league game, in what is likely to be one of the toughest match-ups of the season.

After opening with solid defense by forcing Riverdale into three down and outs, the Lions quickly capitalized.

Brody McGuinn (11) led the offense as quarterback with Marc Murphy (12) out with an ankle injury. “He’s a little undersized but his heart and toughness are incredible; he stepped up and led the team down the field in his first varsity start ever and threw a great throw to Rae Rae Silverman (11) for a touchdown and the team just went nuts on the sideline,” Billy Lehrman (12) said. After Riverdale equalized and then took a 14-7 lead towards the end of the first half, the Lions had an opportunity to even the game but suffered penalty troubles and, crushingly, Riverdale got a “pick-six,” returning an interception for a touchdown.

The Lions didn’t go away in the second half, beginning with an electrifying kickoff return for a touchdown by Michael Sun-Huang (11). Co-Captains

Matthew Russo said.

Beller and Russo instituted what they had learned seen from Riverdale’s past offenses into practice, having scout offenses run those plays in order to prepare the defense. During the season, the team watches the film from each game in order to see what they did well and where they can improve, SunHuang said. Hype for the rivalry game as well as hopes of vengeance after last Eva Fortunato/Staff Photographer year’s loss fueled KICK OFF Football faces hilltop rival, Riverdale, in first game of season preseason and gave the Lions plenty of Jahmire Cassanova (12), Teddy Keegan a two-possession game, a few plays here energy in this match-up, Lehrman said.

(12), and other upperclassmen kept the or there could’ve easily changed the “I think this team is probably the most team’s spirit up. The offensive line kept outcome, McGuinn said. playing hard and giving the offense The basic preparation remains the athletic bunch I’ve ever had,” Russo said. good chances, and McGuinn threw same from game to game, though the When healthy, Murphy is explosive, and numerous of accurate passes with few team studies film from games with juniors Sun-Huang and Ben Metzner incompletions, keeping the Lions in the Riverdale in past years for clues to specific (11) are exceptionally fast, according to game, Silverman said. Despite becoming formations, Coaches Ron Beller and teammates. All the athleticism and lineup changes come with a little less size, which

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has caused some changes for the team, Silverman said. While Murphy relies on size and speed, McGuinn’s strength lies in accurate throwing, so with the latter at quarterback, the offense gears more towards passing, with wide receivers playing a more active role. In addition, some players shifted positions to benefit the team, such as Louis Toberisky (12), normally a wide-receiver who this season slid into left tackle. “His doing that was incredible for the team and showed great leadership as a senior,” Lehrman said.

All the players agree that the defining characteristic of this year’s team is its depth. “Our third string players could easily step up and be starters,” SunHuang said. With 54 players on the roster, it’s one of the largest teams ever, including young players like Lyndon Gay (9), Robbie Mantz (10), Koby Ginder (10) and Kelvin Smith (10), and also great first time players like Matthew Chung (11) and Charlie Wallach (12). “We have ten wide receivers that could start at the four spots and six running backs that could start at the one spot,” Lehrman said. “In practice the competition is next level.

It’s fun to be a part of.” The Lions will watch film and practice all this week in preparation for their game at Fieldston this Saturday.

New year, new teams, our champions strike again Girls Tennis Jeren Wei Staff Writer

KEEP THE BALL ROLLING Soccer continues domination of Ivy League

Girls Soccer Jeren Wei Staff Writer

Girls Varsity Soccer won its first game this past Friday, which is the first step in defending its Ivy League Championship from last season.

Despite past victories, the team still feels no pressure about the upcoming season, Head Coach Tim Sullivan said.

“We are a completely new team with no pressure on us. The team wants to win because it works hard, not because we have won in the past,” Sullivan said.

Co-Captain Jane Frankel (12) feels confident in the team’s abilities. “We don’t feel pressure to keep up our record, but excitement and pressure to win for ourselves,” Frankel said.

Sullivan believes the primary source of motivation for the team is pride. “Our team works very hard and is proud of its accomplishments. We may lose games but will not let the other team out work us,” he said.

The team is determined to not only win the Ivy Championship but also the State Championship, Frankel said.

“We are striving to be the best of the best.

HM Flickr

Winning states has been our primary goal since my freshman year, and we want to train our hardest to earn it,” Frankel said.

Aside from success on the field, Lucy Rittmaster (11) acknowledges the importance of teamwork. “We are our own motivation, and our cheers get everyone hyped up. We inspire each other,” Rittmaster said.

Despite the changes in the team dynamic after losing last year’s seniors, Rittmaster believes that the upcoming seniors have successfully fulfilled their roles as team leaders. “Our captains give us good feedback, and they are always encouraging us. They are strong communicators on and off the field,” Rittmaster said.

The Lions have been working on their chemistry, and the captains recognize the importance of strong team relations. “We have had team dinners and made connections because team chemistry is essential,” Frankel said.

As the Lions enter this year’s season, they hope that through their determination, diligence, and perseverance, their success will come to fruition.

Troop is confident in the team’s skill and athleticism despite losing strong senior players this past year. “We did lose a couple of great Girls Varsity Tennis continues its in-league players, but there are two new freshman on the undefeated record into the 2017 season team who are very strong,” he said. with a win over hilltop rival Fieldston after Despite its confidence, the team must winning the Ivy League Championship last perform consistently and not let its season. The team plans to defend its title and guard down during matches, Troop said. is confident in its abilities, JJ Ryu (10) said. “[It] feels good to be returning Ivy “We were playing a team that we’ve champions. Everyone supports each other played many times before, so I felt prepared. when we see good results it makes us all We strategized before the match, and stronger as a team.” Gibby Thomas (11) said.

I was really excited for our new team As the team starts the season with a victory, members to get a chance to play in our it feels motivated and confident for the first league match,” Rachel Okin (12) said. upcoming season. “Winning is the goal and a The first victory brought the team closer huge source of motivation. We never lose the together, Okin said. “I can already tell motivation to win because that’s what we came that we’re bonding so much just within to do,” Hannah Long (11) said. “Winning has the first two weeks of school,” she said. been one of the largest motivations. They Girls Varsity Tennis Head Coach Rawlins like being undefeated and they want to stay that way,” said Troop.

Despite its determination for success, the team agrees that their primary source of motivation is each other.

“We all love each other and don’t want to let each other or coach Troop down,” Thomas said.

“We all have our team in mind when we go out there on the Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor court and kick butt,” she said.

GAME, SET, MATCH Finley (12) practices serve in preparation for match