Issue 3

The Horace Mann Record RECORD.HORACEMANN.ORG

HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2019 || VOLUME 117, ISSUE 3

Brian Wu (12) wins $10,000 Davidson Fellows Scholarship HMTC changes fall program. “He had such enthusiasm production due to about all the extra stuff that he did outside of class,” Garcia said. “He appropriation concerns would bring it in and inform me— Courtesy of Brian Wu

STARS GALORE Brain Wu (12) presents his planet research at a TEDx event in Jacksonville, Florida.

Henry Owens Staff Writer Brian Wu (12) ignored his mom’s call one day in July, thinking she would tell him to come home.

Only when she called a second time did he pick up to find out the news: he had been awarded a Davidson Fellows Scholarship.

There are only 20 Davidson Fellows selected every year, each of whom underwent an intensive application process to have their projects in STEM, music, literature, or philosophy considered for the award, according the Davidson Institute website. In February, Wu had to submit a 60-page research paper, a PowerPoint presentation outlining his project, two essays, and a 10-minute video, he said.

“They want a portfolio that shows how your work is able to change the world,” Wu said.

“For something I’ve been

working on since freshman year of high school to be recognized by people who are so high up in the field; that’s just an amazing feeling,” Wu said.

The title of Wu’s project is “Tatooine Found! Discovery and Characterization of the First-Ever Circum-binary Planet Detected Using Doppler Spectroscopy.”

Fans of Star Wars may be familiar with the famous image of two suns setting over the fictitious Tatooine horizon. A planet, such as Tatooine, that orbits two stars is scientifically known as a circum-binary planet.

The first real circum-binary planet was not discovered until 1993, 16 years after the concept was illustrated in Star Wars. Only a handful of these planets have been discovered, most often by looking at them through telescopes.

However, in his research, Wu was the first to discover one of these circum-binary planets by focusing

on the stars and searching for “wobbling” due to the gravity of the surrounding planets. According to the Davidson Institute, “Brian’s work in advancing the field of radial velocity astronomy will greatly increase the number of stellar companions discovered using this method.”

Some of the research Wu did during his junior year overlapped with the astronomy aspect of the Physics Honors curriculum, science teacher Oleg Zvezdin, who taught the course, said. At the end of the year, Wu delivered the TED Talk about his research to his peers in the class. “I think that was really nice, because they had all the background to get an understanding of the sort of research that he did and how he did it,” Zvezdin said.

Math teacher Charles Garcia was Wu’s teacher for his sophomore and junior years in the honors math

not that I understood everything he was talking about. He’s really brilliant.” “[Wu] is a really independent learner, which I commend him for,” Zvezdin said. “He’s a very creative kid and he’s also the type of kid that, if he is interested in something, he will go the extra mile.”

Garcia also noted Wu’s genuine interest in the projects of the other Davidson Fellows. “He has this infinite curiosity,” he said.

Wu is grateful to the science and math departments for helping inspire him in STEM, he said. “I came into high school not knowing what my interests were, or where I would be at the end of senior year, and now I’m here,” Wu said. “It’s very surreal.”

As part of his prize, Wu was awarded a $10,000 scholarship and will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington DC on September 27th. Each of the 20 Fellows will have a chance to present on their project and its impact on society, Wu said. That weekend, Wu will meet with Congressional representatives and Bob Davidson, a major philanthropist for gifted education and the founder of the Davidson Institute.

“I hope, as a Davidson Fellow, to be using my experience to inspire other students to pursue STEM,” Wu said. “STEM is like a toolkit that has the power to solve many of the world’s problems. If you can embrace the power of STEM, you have the power to change the world.”

Hanna Hornfeld Staff Writer Last Friday, theater teacher and director Joseph Timkó confirmed to members of the Horace Mann Theatre Company’s (HMTC) fall production that the rumors which had been circulating throughout the week were true: they would not be performing The Good Person of Szechwan (GPS). Concerns about the play’s use of racial stereotypes in its portrayal of Asian characters left cast members unsettled, leading the theater department to change it from Bertolt Brecht’s 1941 drama to Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential.

GPS tells the story of Shen Tei, a prostitute living in the Chinese province who demonstrates moral and religious righteousness despite the shame and condemnation she endures from society.

Brecht, a German playwright, had a profound interest in East Asian societies, but knew very little about real Chinese customs and culture. Consequently, certain aspects of the play quickly became problematic among the cast, as they contained offensive racial tropes, cast member Yana Gitelman (11) said. “Before I even read the script I was slightly concerned,” she said. “Brecht wrote a play about Chinese culture as he saw it, and I don’t think he saw it in a very real way.”

HMTC Co-president Dylan Chin (12) feels that the play portrays a very stereotypical image of Chinese culture that has not aged well over time and can be seen as insensitive today, he said. “The play had fanciful ideas of what it means to be Chinese,” said history teacher Isaac Brooks, the production’s dramaturg. “We’re talking about a pre-WWII German trying to write about being a Chinese sex worker, which I think was out of his depth.”

HMTC Co-Publicity Officer Jordan Ferdman (11) questioned how much research Brecht had put into aspects of the play such as the characters’ names and the representation of Confucianism, she said. “A big issue was that GPS had these problematic elements, but whether or not to gloss over them wasn’t a decision that was up to us, as white people, to make,” she said.

see Fall Production Change on pg. 5

Natalie Sweet (11) advocates for climate policy reform with Zero Hour Abby Beckler Staff Writer

INSIDE

Natalie Sweet (11) has been fighting for climate policy reform as a youth activist working with the organization Zero Hour for almost three years and has been a major part of this Friday’s climate strike.

Since 2017, Sweet has been working as the Deputy Communications Director of Zero Hour, a non-profit organization dedicated to taking action to end climate change.

According to Zero Hour’s website, Zero Hour was founded by a group of teenagers who were frustrated with the lack of action taken by the government to put an end to the climate crisis.

“Zero Hour focuses on harnessing the power of youth-led organizations and diverse leadership in forging a path towards a more equitable and safe future for all,” the website states.

“Zero Hour is fighting for and demanding a Green New Deal,” Kevin Patel, Zero Hour CoDeputy Director for Partnerships, said. “Building on the Green New Deal resolution in Congress, this Green New Deal would call for transforming the economy to 100% renewable energy by 2030 while creating jobs and ending leases and permits for fossil fuel projects.”

Sweet first heard about Zero Hour during the summer of her freshman year. “Around April, I went to a conference hosted by the Town School called ‘Sustainability Through Student Voices,’” she said. That conference initially sparked Sweet’s

fascination with the world of climate activism.

Zero Hour was just gaining momentum when Sweet was approached after the conference and asked to help facilitate the Zero Hour NYC Chapter.

Climate change has been a top priority of Sweet’s ever since the Town School sustainability conference, she said. “I think the lack of attention that’s given to people on the front lines is really the most devastating thing to me,” she said.

Zero Hour focuses on not only the effects of climate change on biodiversity, but the effects of climate change on communities and agriculture as well, Patel said. “We are demanding environmental justice by investing in the communities affected most by poverty and pollution, and we demand sustainable agriculture by investing in regenerative agriculture and ending subsidies for industrial agriculture.”

Sweet is a member of the core team of the movement, which consists of 12 leaders managing over 300 people, she said. Sweet’s job in managing the logistics team means she will be “determining march routes, getting the permits, and, most importantly, choosing speakers,” Sweet said.

Patel believes that Sweet’s role has been invaluable to the movement’s success, he said.

“She has a strong work ethic and truly we wouldn’t be where we are if it weren’t for her,” Patel said. “Natalie is just the best human being— she gets things done.”

Zero Hour has not only given Sweet valuable experience in running an organization but has

Puppy Mills

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Pascale Zissu (11) discusses the merits of adopting dogs from shelters.

Published Authors

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Read about two students and a faculty member who have published books.

also given her an amazing opportunity to make a difference, she said.

“It’s very worthwhile to see all the different voices that will come into the discussion on something as broad and diverse as climate change,” Sweet said. “There are so many people that I’ve talked to that I would have never imagined talking to, and I’m really glad that I was able to do it because not only does it help me, but as someone whose job is to amplify the voices of others, meeting new people with new perspectives is something that I always enjoy as an activist.”

Sweet recently attended CNN’s first presidential climate town hall where presidential candidates shared their stances on the climate crisis. “The amount of diversity we got in the question process and the responses were just amazing, and I hope that this continues to be something that happens for every election,” Sweet said.

The communications team at Zero Hour has recently been in the process of organizing their largest project yet: the September 20th Global Climate Strike, which begins at Foley Square and ends at Battery Park with a rally featuring many prominent climate speakers, notably Greta Thunberg and Jaden Smith, who were chosen by Sweet herself, she said.

Both Thunberg and Smith are prominent young environmental activists. Thunberg, a Swedish teenager, is credited with raising global awareness about climate change and coining the term “climate crisis.” Smith, known mostly for his

music career and famous parents, created a brand of water called Just Water that is focused on reducing plastic waste from water bottles, Sweet said. “I actually had the chance to talk with Greta last Friday, and she is very excited to be speaking at this event.”

“Climate change is something that we all need to pay attention to, considering the complacency of our world leaders,” Sweet said. “It’s going to be our generation that’s going to be affected the most, and since climate change affects the most people in comparison to any other issue, I think it’s what we need to be focusing on.”

Courtest of Natalie Sweet

RESIST Natalie Sweet (11) rallies at a protest.

An Artist’s Aim

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The meaning and purpose behind Studio Art Technician Emily Lombaro’s art.

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

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THE RECORD OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2019

New cell phone policy: the double-edged sword

Vivien Sweet In 2014, Nicholas Epley, a psychologist at the University of Chicago, approached commuters on Chicago’s Metra train to ask them for a simple favor: to talk to a complete stranger during their morning ride and report their experience. Some, however, were asked to keep to themselves, and others were told to partake in their usual routine during the commute.

Epley’s results were not particularly surprising.

Overwhelmingly, those who engaged in a conversation reported having the most positive experience, while those in solitude found their train ride to be more negative.

On the other hand, when Epley asked another group of commuters to imagine having a conversation with a stranger on the train, they estimated that fewer than half of the strangers they greeted would actively want to respond, and that it would be difficult to initiate a conversation.

In Epley’s former experiment, however, none of the commuters who approached strangers to start a conversation were turned down, despite what the second group had predicted.

However, this seems to be a best-case scenario.

In fact, when Melissa Dahl of The New Yorker attempted the same experiment on the New York City subway, she only succeeded in creeping out a mother and her daughter, not in starting interesting conversations. What Epley found is the psychological phenomenon that Matthew Hutson of The New Yorker referred to as “pluralistic

ignorance: Everyone is willing to talk but thinks everyone else is unwilling.” I think that our student body is guilty of exactly this; hence the new Upper Division Cell Phone Policy.

Our generation is irrefutably a digital one, and, more often than not, we benefit greatly from the technology at our fingertips. We can chat with friends and family oceans away and stay up-to-date on breaking news through dozens of news outlets in a matter of seconds.

Yet at school —in the hallways, in the library, in the cafeteria—, we are so fixated on our phones that passing interactions with our classmates are rare.

There is no doubt in my mind that many students would be willing to talk to their peers in between classes, but looking at our phones during this time wards off any potential conversation starters. For example, even I, often find myself subconsciously scrolling through my email when I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone during break.

I believe this notion is for the betterment of our school. As Epley’s study reminds us, just a little bit of human interaction as opposed to solitude results in a happier day, and we need plenty of that during the long school day.

However, while writing this, I found the parts of the new Cell Phone Policy (separate from phone usage) in the hallways to be unsettling. Some of these rules are necessary and sensible; namely, the first three bullet points banning cell phone usage in Gross Theatre and recording and photography in the bathrooms and classrooms.

The last two parts of the policy, however, did not sit well with me in light of the racist and homophobic incidents captured on video that resurfaced at Fieldston and Poly Prep last year, and the events that followed. The new policy mandates that “Students may not take pictures or record another student or teacher without the permission of that person,” and “Students may not text or post

Gabbby Fischberg/Art Director

In last year’s Mannikin, the Class of 2019 voted AirPods to be an “HM Essential.” Although it may be an amusing assessment of the student body’s financial reputation, it also exposes an unfortunate truth about the school: We are much less social than we think we are.

As last week’s editorial reminded us, the new policy encourages us to step out of our comfort zone; to “take the time to say ‘hi’ to the people around [us] and start impromptu conversations” rather than plugging into our private digital world.

images, video, or audio recordings of any members of the school community without the permission of those people”—regardless of whether or not the incident occurs off-campus.

It is no secret that the Ivy Preparatory School League has been recently plagued with scandals over the offenses some high school students have committed, often involving the miming of historically offensive behavior and the use of slurs.

The reason why this is no secret is that students were able to gain access to videos incriminating

Enough shopping, start adopting

Pascale Zissu Chances are if you have a dog, you bought it from a breeder.

In the United States, 3.9 million dogs enter shelters each year but only 25% are adopted and 1.2 million are euthanized. This means that last year alone, 1.2 million dogs needed homes, in addition to those who were not adopted but didn’t get euthanized.

Meanwhile, each year an additional two million dogs are bred.

These puppies are automatically given homes, yet before they were born, millions of other dogs had been waiting, sometimes for their entire lives, to be adopted.

Many people prefer to buy dogs from a breeder rather than adopt from a shelter because shelter dogs have often faced traumatizing challenges that can make them fearful and aggressive. For example, 47% of dogs are rehoused each year, meaning they are given up and must change homes. Anything can happen to these vulnerable dogs between homes and shelters, including being left on the streets and abused, often causing problems like anxiety and fear which can, in turn, lead to aggression and ruin the dogs’ chance at socialization, both with humans and with other dogs. For understandable reasons, many families don’t want to take on this commitment, but unfortunately this only furthers the cycle of rehousing.

A downside to buying purebred dogs is that, because their genes are less varied, they are more prone to health problems such as hip dysplasia, diarrhea, joint pains, skin infections, as well as various heart diseases and cancers (depending on the breed). Why bring a new dog into the world knowing it could live a life of disease, when there are millions of existing dogs who need homes?

My family previously had a golden retriever, Conrad, which we got from a breeder. Conrad was perfectly behaved and could get along with anyone. He was easy to take care of and I loved him so much; however, raising an adopted dog has been even more rewarding. My current dog, Ford, was only eight weeks old when we adopted him four years ago. He had been found on the street in Miami and was driven in a truck with other stray dogs all the way to New York. When we adopted him, he had already been neutered. Being left on the street, travelling so far, and undergoing this procedure too young was extremely traumatizing for him. Ford is diagnosed with ‘fear-based aggression’ and takes medication to help calm him down. The only humans he trusts are my family and his dog walkers and trainers, and he only gets along with a few other dogs. If this were not challenging enough, Ford is a large ninety-pound pitbull mix, so when he gets aggressive, he can be hard to control. Ford’s aggression issues make it difficult to have friends over or even to go on vacation, since we can’t just leave him with anyone.

My parents both work full time, and my mom’s job often requires her to work late. My brother and I are both busy with school and participate in extracurriculars, but we each make time to give Ford attention and the healthy life he deserves. You create an unbreakable bond with your pet when you save their life and give them a home, which is what makes raising them so rewarding.

There are already so many dogs who need homes, so why bring more into the world, especially when there is such a high chance that these dogs will have health issues? It’s not fair to the purebred dogs or to the dogs who have been waiting to be adopted and might face euthanasia if no one adopts them.

these students and share them with the public, forcing the teenagers involved to own up to their actions, and the school to handle the situations accordingly.

In some cases, the release of these videos was liberating to minority groups affected by the offending students’ horrific actions. At Fieldston, for instance, after the video resurfaced, dozens of students held a lock-in on campus until the administration agreed to have a conversation with the leaders of the lock-in regarding the inequality students of color face at school.

Had the school’s current cell phone policy been in place last year at Fieldston, none of the demands of the students of color might have never been voiced. Sharing the incriminating video wouldn’t have been allowed in the first place, even though the video was taken off-campus. Granted, the students at Fieldston were determined to enforce justice, and it is entirely possible that they would have defied the administration’s policies restricting videosharing if they had been in place. By being forced to reconcile with hard evidence of students’ racist actions, Fieldston’s administration changed their school’s policies for the better to create a more safe and caring environment.

Nothing is more important to the well-being of a school’s student body than its collective voice, and Fieldston’s lock-in is living proof of that; however, I fear that with Horace Mann’s new cell phone policy, it may be more difficult for students to express their frustrations involving micro- and macro-aggressions of other students.

By prohibiting members of our student body from taking or sharing videos or photos of incriminating behavior, we may let incidents of bigotry slip unnoticed between the cracks of our community. Technology empowers, rather than inhibits, us in a way that is crucial to maintaining the flourishing diversity of our school.

The message of the new Cell Phone Policy has not been lost on me; I sincerely hope that we, as a school, will strive to be more social. However, I urge you to take another look at what exactly the policy mandates and understand what it now takes for our voices to be heard.

Editorial Lockdowns: looking beyond the drill At precisely 9:35 on Tuesday morning the PA system blared and a resounding voice alerted the community that, once again, we were having a lockdown drill.

The very need for the practice horrifies us. A school is a place for students to comfortably learn and expand their knowledge in a safe environment. And the Public Safety department takes superhuman efforts to ensure the community’s safety. The lockdown drills help keep us safe.

The 10-minutes spent crowded in a dark corner can even be relaxing! We check our Snaps, keep followers updated with Instagram Lives, silently play chopsticks with friends, or just take a pause. Somewhat thankfully, in the midst of all those seemingly positive aspects, what we are really preparing for gets lost. If we all had to think about the possibility of someone coming to school and trying to murder people, how would we carry on with our days? terror would consume us. Right now, the drills have become normalized as merely another part of our school routine, just like our biweekly assemblies and monthly grade meetings. We need them, after all.

But we need them because no matter how many armed Public Safety Officers risk their lives to protect us, the danger of a school shooter still exists. Perhaps confronting the terror would do more harm than good, but it might also inspire us to push against the total lack of federal gun control. We can either suppress fear, or fight its cause.

Gabbby Fischberg/Art Director

Corrections Issue 2

On page one, Josh Underberg (11) was misnamed as Josh Underwood.

Please email record@horacemann.org with any complaints or corrections.

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HORACE MANN NEWS SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2019

School targets bullying with bathroom signs

School archives officially open

John Mauro Staff Writer

Alison Isko Staff Writer

Although the Horace Mann Archives contain a wealth of information about the history of the school and its alumni, many students are unsure of what they are.

Still, the archives are a powerful resource to which students have access. “The Archives are an important facet of the history of our school. They reveal quite a lot about who we were as a school at specific historical moments, and who we wanted to be as we looked forward in time,” Head of the History Department Dr. Daniel Link said.

The archives can also be used as an educational tool. Items in the Archives that show the school’s past students’ perspectives on global events can help us see how similar or different our viewpoint is today, English teacher Rebecca Bahr said. “Looking at the past helps deepen your perspective on the present.”

“Archives are a great way to make our past feel more alive because you can have hands on interactions with historical materials in a way you don’t get to at museums,” School Archivist Hillary Matlin said. “I was really excited to work on the Archives at Horace Mann because I had previously seen how excited students could get about their school history from archival materials.”

However, Matlin wasn’t the first person at the school to work on the archives. The Class of 1946 had originally wanted the archives to be part of the school, so librarian Rachael Ricker, as well as various members of the faculty and staff, had worked on the archives’ “first arrangement” years ago. Once Matlin came to the school, she helped to create the current version of the archives, taking the space that many archive materials were stored in and assisting in turning it from a storage closet to the museum-like space.

The process was aided by Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly and Library Department Chair Caroline Bartels, Matlin said. It was made possible because of “a generous gift from the Class of 1946,” Kelly said.

Now, the archives are easily accessible to students, containing information dating from the 1880s, including printed materials, handwritten work, photographs, slides, videos, audio tapes, and memorabilia. “The scope of the archives include all aspects of the school from the Board of Trustees and overall administration down to Nursery Division classwork,” Matlin said.

The archives contain items that show how the school is connected to the rest of American history. For example, an alumnus of the school was the creator of the Uncle Sam Wants You character, Kelly said.

While Matlin didn’t reach out to alumni for items during the process of creating the Archives, the school “frequently gets alumni donations of papers, photos and other materials throughout the year,” many of which can be found in the archives, she said.

But although the archives will be able to offer many new resources for research projects, students aren’t sure how successfully the resource will be implemented into curriculum.

“I do not know exactly what I would find there, so it seems easier to go to the library and go through one big book on a certain topic,” Abigail Morse (11) said.

On the other hand, Emily Salzhauer (9) is confident that she would use the archives for a research project. “I think that I could use the archives if I ever need to do a research project on an HM alum. Also, if I’m doing a research project, I can use the HM archives to help me put it into perspective of what was going on at HM at that time,” she said. see Archives on pg. 5

Affinity groups embrace diversity Yin Fei Staff Writer

Affinity spaces, such as BLEx, Latinx, and the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance), have been offered to the student body as resources to celebrate diverse cultures, identities, and backgrounds and to give people with shared commonalities a chance to gather together and foster bonds that will allow them to support one another in the face of adversity.

BLEx, also known as the Black Affinity/Family Group, is open to any upper division student who identifies as Black, AfricanAmerican, Afro-Latinx, Afro-Caribbean, and/or of an African heritage, according to an email sent out by Danah Screen, one of three BLEx facilitators.

“I was mostly drawn to BLEx because it’s a place where I could talk about my culture, which is a massive part of my life, with others that have the same experiences,” Charity Chu (10), who identifies as African American and whose parents were born in Nigeria, said.

In BLEx meetings, the group tends to speak about significant moments that have happened in or out of schools nationwide, concerning black students, Connor Dwin (10), who identifies as black with family from France and Louisiana, said.

“We plan to have a mix of meetings that handle emotionally difficult conversations surrounding a multi-faceted Black/Afroheritage identity as well as find more moments to celebrate the beauty of our everyday experiences,” Screen said.

The importance of affinity spaces is that they allow the students involved to talk about topics that would typically be uncomfortable to talk about in regular classes, such as the Poly Prep blackface scandal that happened last spring, Chu said.

“We even talk about things that seem so trivial but impact our everyday lives like someone commenting on your hair or calling you a specific name,” she said.

Humans judge first on sight, and so the most powerful part

The school has placed new antibullying signs in the bathrooms in an attempt to increase awareness of the school’s policies specific to bullying, harassment, and discrimination.

Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly implemented the signs for the 20192020 school year as an extension of the policies covered in the Family Handbook. The 2018 handbook states that “the school requires all members of the Horace Mann community to report all incidents of harassment/ bullying.”

The signs were posted not because of an issue, but rather to remind students to report alleged incidents of bullying, harassment, and discrimination, Kelly said.

Compared to the other schools that he’s worked at, the level of bullying at HM isn’t comparable to the level of bullying at other schools, but it does still occur, Kelly said. “I hope the signs contribute to a greater comfort in students asking for help from the adults around them.”

“These signs have made me realize that just because I don’t see bullying doesn’t mean that there aren’t kids who are really being hurt,” Nina Gaither (11) said.

Bullying can occur either intentionally or unintentionally as a result of students not handling a particular situation appropriately, even with the best of intentions, Kelly said.

“Part of growing up is trying different relationships and learning to navigate different pressures.”

“If you’re in a friend group and you’re really trying to fit in, you might lose sense of your conscience and act against your morals.” Paul Wang (12) said.

“As the one involved with the majority of disciplinary cases, I’d be hard-pressed to say that there is a culture of bullying at the school,” Kelly

said. “But I do feel like the school community has a responsibility to work towards a personal best every day, and that includes how we interact with each other.”

“Students should make their worst mistakes in life here, where the correction can be a teachable moment”, he said.

Kelly made the decision to install the signs after seeing them at high school and college campuses. The signs are posted in the bathrooms because of the greater possibility that one would see them, as bathrooms have only one way out, he said.

Some students agree with the signs and, similar to Kelly, feel that they create emotional awareness in the community.

“The signs are a good reminder for us to use as much empathy as we can in our lives,” Gabby Fischberg (11) said.

“I feel like the signs keep us aware of how bullying may still be present at school, even if we may not experience it ourselves,” Tomoko Hida (10) said.

Rather than facing direct confrontation with a bully, students are reminded that they can report an issue to a trusted adult, Vincent Li (10) said. “I’d imagine for a bully, it would be as if the school is calling them out

directly. This will be a strong deterrent for future bullying,” Li said.

On the other hand, some students do not feel like the signs will make a significant change.

“I feel like the bullying culture at the school is basically non-existent,” Sadie Hill (11) said. “Although I’ve heard about bullying at the school, I’ve never witnessed any actual instance of bullying.”

“I appreciate the effort the school is making towards internalizing the message of anti-bullying, but in reality, there’s little surface-level bullying at the school,” Samantha Tsai (11) said.

The signs in the bathroom do not effectively address the topic of bullying, Alexei Le (10) said.

“If someone is bullying someone and they’re committed to the act, I don’t think they are going to stop once they read the sign,” Le said.

Some students have yet to see the signs. “I haven’t seen the signs in the bathroom; I think if the signs were in the [cafeteria], and they had a different design or were emphasized in some form, they would be more noticeable.”

Celine Owens (11) said.

Future assemblies or other events to address bullying may be planned if the need presents itself, Kelly said.

Ahaan Palla/Photo Editor

BATHROOM READING New sign in the bathroom promotes bullying awareness.

of the group is the ability to look around the room and not have to think, “I’m the only black kid here,” since the school is predominantly white, Screen said.

BLEx has several meetings every month throughout the school year, each of them typically falling on a Thursday. In the first and most recent gathering last Thursday, the main points of discussion were about the multicultural center that is being built to replace the Middle Division Reading Room and how future meetings will be held there, Dwin said.

“We were also notified that there is a posted schedule of the meeting times of other affinity spaces in the school so one could be a part of multiple groups if they identify as being both,” he said.

Latinx is another affinity group that is open to anyone who self-identifies as being of Latin American ancestry or background Katya Arutyunyan/Art Director

or has ties to indigenous, Afro-Latinx, Iberian, and mixed-race Latinx cultures.

The affinity space allows for a more diverse representation on-campus as well as an equitable learning environment where students can forge meaningful connections with peers, faculty advisor Ricardo Alvarez said.

Latinx has had issues with its beginnings because of the lack of self-identified faculty that are able to run the affinity spaces. “We had two faculty members start it up in 2016 and after they left the school the space was not active until the 2018-2019 school year,” Co-Director of the Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (I.C.I.E.) John Gentile said.

Tiger Moreno (12), who identifies as half-Puerto Rican and

half-Irish, recalls how disorganized the Latinx affinity space was in previous years. “Not many people showed up then, which was really challenging because the Latinx students here truly are the minority of the minorities, with there only being a 3% demographic of us [in the school],” she said.

However with the support of the school’s I.C.I.E. Office, Frank Cabrera, Natalie Sanchez, and Ricardo Alvarez, three of the group’s facilitators, reactivated the Latinx affinity space this past February in response to popular student demands, Alvarez said.

At the first meeting, which was on the Monday of this week, the students primarily discussed problematic situations they experienced, Moreno said.

“For instance, in middle school, many people had called me “fake ghetto” because their idea of what white person’s mannerisms should be and how they should dress did not align with how I presented myself,” she said.“They told me to stop pretending to be something that I wasn’t when I was just trying to be me.”

“This caused me to often code switch my accent, which was really difficult for my self-image, but with the help of Latinx, I am just now starting to gain back my confidence in my culture because the faculty as well as students of the school are finally validating us for who we are,” Moreno said.

There also exists a LGBTQ+ closed affinity space, formed in 2015, which meets twice a month and is available to any student who identifies as a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

The meetings include a mixture of topics students choose to discuss, from their personal experiences to any related current events which may be overlooked by the greater community, coadvisor of the LBGTQ+ space Dr. Rachel Mohammed said.

According to Mohammed, due to the fact that it is a closed space, there is an implied confidentiality that give the students the option to understand and authentically express their sexualities without worry of them being recognized publicly.

It’s a hopeful feeling when students share their stories, especially ones that convey the rewards of persevering through barriers, overcoming rejection, and feeling stronger from the experience, Mohammed said.

Although the affinity groups’ conversations differ depending on the group, the goal of each group’s meetings is to create a supportive environment with peers that empowers students to have a genuine acceptance of their whole selves, Alvarez said.

4

Books by faculty and students THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2019

Vivien Sweet Staff Writer

Colombia Gabb y Fisc University with, for hberg /Art D irecto the school’s centennial. However, r Bauld had yet to truly find his niche in the writing sphere, until he started teaching at the Putney School in Vermont.

“Vermont is a poetic place in so many ways,” Bauld said “It must have or I think it must have the highest proportion of poetsper-capita in the country; it is filled with poets the way New York is filled with psychotherapists.” All of a sudden, he found himself writing poems more and more frequently, and he realized that this was what he was meant to write all along, he said.

In September of 2018, Bauld published his first poetry collection, called “The Uncorrected Eye,” named for his experiences with terrible eyesight. “I have retained an affection for that kind of blurry vision of world; the world before correction, before the technological intervention,” he said.

The anthology focuses on vision and its various derivatives, such as bad eyesight and art. One poem, called “In the Street Without My Glasses,” discusses observing the world without lenses.

Last November, Bauld hosted a poetry reading at Colombia University, which a handful of his students, including Charles Simmons (12), attended.

Simmons, who referred to his 11th-grade English teacher as an “artist of the generation,” felt a unique sense of pride when listening to Bauld recite his poetry, he said.

“Often times, especially in the English department, many teachers are extremely talented, but we only know them as teachers,” Simmons said.

“So to see Mr. Bauld as an artist instead of a teacher was really cool and special.”

Bauld has already started writing a second book of poetry, which will be completed around June of 2020, he said. Although he has less time to write during the school year, he often writes alongside his students in his senior English elective.

“I have never met an art from I didn’t like,” Bauld said. “I had been teaching poetry—the pinnacle of literature—for a while, so I had always loved it. It had just always seemed intimidating and lofty.”

d l u a B y Mr. Harr

Upper Division English Teacher Harry Bauld’s writing career, which started as a beer, wine, and spirits reviewer for Boston Magazine, has since spanned many decades and cumulated in three books of very miscellaneous genres.

Bauld’s first book, “On Writing the College Application Essay,” which is perhaps his most popular work, came from working as a college admissions officer at Brown University and Columbia University, and a very lucky coincidence.

After being invited to the school to speak to Horace Mann’s senior class of 1986 about writing the college essay, one of the attendants contacted New York Times reporter Maureen Dowd, who reached out to him about an article regarding the process.

The next morning, Bauld received calls from editors at multiple publishing houses, and before he knew it, he signed with Harper Collins and began cranking out what would become the first book to specifically address how to write the standard college essay.

“If I had to distill [the book], I would say that the moment you ask what admission officers are looking for on an essay, you’re asking the wrong question,” Bauld said. “The question is, ‘What do you have to say?’. It’s your personal truth.”

Bauld, who considers the 650-word personal narrative to be a “genre of its own all by itself,” emphasizes in his book that just like any other form of writing, you need to know what the clichés are. “Don’t write the ‘Miss America’ essay, the ‘jock’ or ‘The Trip’ essay,” Bauld said.

Students often forget that their memory is the piece that they have that no one else does, he said, and so they must use it to their advantage.

In that same year, 1987, Bauld also co-authored “History of the Horace Mann School” with Jerry Kissling, a fellow teacher at the school at the time with whom Bauld had worked on writing projects for

nas (12) o J n a Ry

Andie Goldmacher Staff Writer

Ryan Jonas (12) held his own book, What is Your Impact? Become a Social Entrepreneur, a 17-page children’s picture book, in his hands for the very first time in the summer of 2018.

The book follows main character Lucy as she finds her career as a social entrepreneur and gives examples of socially conscious businesses, Jonas said.

“I wanted to share my passion for social entrepreneurship with younger students and to inspire them with the idea that you are never too young to change your community,” he said.

Jonas’s inspiration for his book came from visiting Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, NY in middle school, he said.

“I was impressed with how Greyston partnered with Ben and Jerry’s to make the chocolate fudge brownie flavor, combining making money and making a difference.”

Jonas was inspired that companies such as Greyston could work with other organizations to maximize their impact, he said. Greyston Bakery has an open-hiring policy, which allows for people with a criminal record to reintegrate into society, as well as offering free business training classes with nationally recognized credentials.

“My book is designed to expand childrens’ perspectives on different career paths with a focus on social

Kiara Royer/Features Editor

entrepreneurs tackling some of society’s most challenging issues,” Jonas said.

His writing process was long, timeconsuming, and took multiple rounds of revisions and edits with help from English teacher Dr. Deborah Kassel, Jonas said.

“Ryan is an incredibly diligent student who produced countless drafts in my English classes in order to make his already excellent work all the more outstanding,” Kassel said.” It is such attention to detail, clarity, and style that makes all the difference between writing something–and getting it read.”.

“My idea for the title was to make clear that even young people could make a difference,” Jonas said. The title, What is Your Impact?, asks the reader to think about ways they can change their community, he said.

Jonas hopes to write a whole series about the main character Lucy. The books would follow the social impact businesses that Lucy creates, he said.

“Each book will tackle a different societal problem– the environment, education, health care, sustainability, homelessness, and many more.” These topics would expand on the examples of socially conscious businesses in the book, Jonas said.

Laura Bae (12)

Vivien Sweet Staff Writer

“It starts off young; you start reading books when you’re in elementary school and something is going to click,” Laura Bae (12) said. “I was writing short stories by the time I was six.”

Over a decade later, Bae’s writing career transformed from writing casual prose to finishing a fullyfledged novel, “Parlor,” named after her favorite word in the book.

The plot follows Justin Nakamur, a naive Japanese American man fresh out of college, who moves into the outlandish apartment of an eccentric old woman back in his hometown where his parents reside.

Bae said his adventures answer the question of “What happens after

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

college when you have no idea what you want to do, but fate keeps forcing your problems your way?”

While drawing up the storylines and characters for “Parlor,” Bae drew inspiration from reading young adult fantasy novels and her classmates’ work in English. However, it was Japanese classical artist Yasunari Kawabata’s work that struck a chord within her, she said, as he had published multiple books reflective on his own life.

“I took a leaf out of his book, and I used the whole ‘the world does things against your will’ idea but with a more optimistic outlook,” Bae said.

Once she had started her writing process, the central plot emerged quickly, and Bae added 65,000 words between June of 2018 and January of 2019. Bae also attends a writing circle in New Jersey where everyone shares short stories and receives feedback on their work.

Since then, Bae has sent her manuscript to her sister’s college-graduate friends who had majored in English to help work out the kinks in the narrative and add nuance to the characters, she said.

Although she hasn’t yet published “Parlor”, Bae already started to write the next installment of her characters’ lives and the overarching storyline.

Since she’s always enjoyed writing, Bae plans on having a side career as an author in the future, she said.

5

HORACE MANN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2019

lombardo's political, progressive Printmaking Liliana Greyf Staff Writer When walking through the Fisher Art Gallery, it is impossible not to notice the striking new display of student art created this summer, with contrasting colors and mediums all laid out deliberately. These works were arranged by Studio Arts Technician Emily Lombardo, who came to the school this year to use her professional artistic eye to create captivating exhibitions.

Lombardo started taking art classes as part of a gifted teenage program at Amherst College when she was 13 years old. Because of her strong portfolio, she graduated high school a year early and was accepted to the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston.

During this time, Lombardo began studying sculpture with a focus on glass. However, while later completing her Masters of Fine Arts at Tufts University, she began focusing on paper techniques and specifically printmaking.

Due to its ability to be reproduced, printbased art can be accessible to a wider range of social classes, Lombardo said. Rather than a painting, which has only one original copy and might be sold for upwards of a million dollars, printmaking creates several copies of the art, making it cheaper, and therefore, a more attainable art form, she said.

“Art that is print-based is a form of protest,” Lombardo said. “I tend to work on paper through ways of printmaking because it is associated with work that is politically motivated, one that breaks the social norms.”

Through her career, Lombardo incorporates political themes into her work. She is most proud of her project titled ‘The Caprichos,’ which has been acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Boston Public Library, and the Academy Art Museum in Maryland, since its completion in 2016. It is in conversation with ‘Los Caprichos,’ a work

by Francisco de Goya, a Spanish printmaker of the late 18th century. Lombardo reimagined Goya’s Caprichos through a contemporary, feminist lens.

The Academy Art Museum produced a show with Goya’s and Lombardo’s works next to each other. Goya’s work consists of a set of various images with text, printed in black and white, and displays the excess and abuse of power going on in Spain at the end of the Enlightenment. Goya is considered a master; he is said to be one of the founders of modern art, Lombardo said. Lombardo’s work is done in a similar style, but the subject matter examines the abuse of power in America today.

She uses his style of work, but changes the political commentary to center on a queer and feminist perspective.

“He is making commentary about his time, and I am taking his commentary and applying it to today. To be able to have my work side by side with that great master was an honor.”

Lombardo continues to create art that surrounds LGBTQ+ culture and history with a piece entitled ‘Life Lines.’ The exhibition was made up of a series of woodblocks, carved to create compelling images and scenes. Viewers were encouraged to take their own paper and create copies of the carved illustrations by pressing them against the works and rubbing them with chalk.

Woody Woodward, an iconic historical figure who frequently led Gay Pride Parades in the 1990s, is in one of the panels in the piece. A few of Woody’s friends visited the installation and were moved by it, Lombardo said.

“They had an opportunity to talk about her life and their experience with her which made an even stronger connection for me,” Lombardo said. “I think that was one of the most important moments of my career.”

More recently, Lombardo has created a set of works entitled ‘Queer Monuments.’ This piece was inspired on a grant in Italy, during which she visited the city of Pietrasanta and discovered fields of marble that had been harvested from a nearby mountain. “I started imagining what it would be like if I had access to that stone- what I would do with it.”

“I was interested in making some sort of monument about the queer community that doesn’t actually physically exist, but is drawn only on paper from my imagination,”

Lombardo said. She believes that it is wasteful for artists to work with mediums that require immense amounts of natural resources, she said. Instead of transporting these rocks to the United States, Lombardo decided to instead imagine the final product and make it on paper.

The finished works are a set of paintings of stone monuments that span through different times of day and have quotes written across them. ‘WORSHIP LOVE,’ one of the paintings, has a quote by writer Jeanette Winterson.

Winterson’s quote says,“I love you has always been a quotation. You did not say it first and neither did I, yet when you say it and when I say it, we speak like savages who have found three words and worship them.” The images are bright and memorable- the colors of the monument contrast with their plainer backgrounds, showing the importance of the sculptures Lombardo has imagined.

In the interest of shedding light on traditionally supressed voices, Lombardo chose to incorporate phrases by transgender activist and American author Leslie Feinberg and Winterson, she said. “I hope that people look at the quotations on the monuments and learn about those who wrote them.”

The political motivations in Lombardo’s work are geared towards younger people, she said. In ‘Queer Monuments,’ Lombardo represents marginalized narratives with the hope that younger generations of people can find their voice sooner by seeing themselves represented in popular culture.

With young people in mind, Lombardo decided to take her experience as an artist and an activist to a high school., aid Visual Arts Department Chair Anna Hetherington.

“Emily Lombardo is an extraordinary artist and printmaker. She has so much experience being a studio manager; she has already been an incredible asset to the school community,” Lombardo will continue to work in the studio, using her knowledge of art to contribute to the school’s success in the art department.

“Educating students about art is the best way for me to give back what I have learned throughout the years,” Lombardo said.

Courtesy of Emily Lombardo

Fall production change Continued from page 1

Chin agreed that the play does a poor job of representing Chinese culture, concerns to faculty members, including Gentile. He then directed those but he feels that the people who complained about the show were not in the concerns to Dean of Students Michael Dalo, who then took them to Head of demographic to do so, he said. “I don’t think it’s up to white people to be Upper Division Jessica Levenstein, he said. offended for someone else,” he said. “I can understand where they’re coming When Levenstein learned about the concerns surrounding the production, from, but if Asian people have an issue with it, they can very well go and talk she realized that something had to be done in order to prevent it from causing about that.” harm or tension in the community. “I’d like our plays to serve as occasions to Brooks understands where the students’ unease was coming from, as he celebrate the enormous talents and efforts of our students and faculty rather has seen productions of GPS that were respectful and others that were not, than causes of stress and discomfort,” she said. he said. “It definitely can become a vehicle which is used to make fun of or Levenstein held a meeting with the Theater Department and asked them stereotype people,” he said. to reconsider the fall production’s play,. By the next morning they had A major concern among some cast members was the potential for the decided to put on Comic Potential. “They were extremely understanding, play to become offensive, especially having non-Chinese people portraying accommodating, and sensitive to our school’s needs,” she said. “I was Chinese characters, Gitelman said. Ferdman expressed a similar sentiment. incredibly impressed by how quickly they were able to refocus on an “I questioned how the show would be received,” she said, “I also entirely new play.” questioned how I would reckon personally with portraying Although he knew there would be challenges, Timkó initially chose a Chinese character as a white person.”

GPS because he believes it is one of the great plays of the 20th century, Co-Director of the Office for Identity, Culture, and he said. However, he understands the reasons for changing the play Institutional Equity (ICIE) John Gentile believes it is and feels it was for the best. “After learning of the students’ important to take into consideration the long history of reactions and discussing it with the administration, we cultural appropriation in art and the media. Today, actors felt that this is perhaps too sensitive a subject to deal must be aware of and avoid repeating this history, which with right now.” ranges from white actors playing Asian characters in the Ferdman thinks changing the play was a good earliest days of cinema, to Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of a decision, she said. She had previously feared that the cast Japanese character in the 2017 film Ghost in the Shell, he said. and audience wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate the show “When you move outside those who self-identify within a if they were distracted by its controversial subject matter, particular group it can be dangerous for them to speak on behalf she said. of a lived experience they don’t know anything about,” said Mantravadi feels that GPS might have been too sensitive for co-Director of the ICIE Candice Powell-Caldwell. “That’s a school environment, but it was bittersweet for her to see it go, Gabb y Art E Fischbe when you start to risk stereotypes and generalizations.” she said. “It showed you the not-so-perfect things in society,” rg / ditor To avoid these issues, the HMTC considered setting the play she said. “It feels like we’re ignoring the vices in society, like how in Germany instead of China, but that raised problems as well. Actor some women have to turn to prostitution and how poorly they Spencer Kahn (12) felt that changing location and character names felt are treated as a result of it. We could have figured out a way to disingenuous to the text, he said. “It seemed like any way we tried to approach make it work, but I love the new play.” the play, there was an issue,” Ferdman said.

Comic Potential is a sci-fi romance and comedy about a TV producer There were other worries about the show besides cultural appropriation working with robot actors in the future, and it is wildly popular among the and misrepresentation. Ferdman feels that given the hyper-sexualization and cast, Ferdman said. “When we were reading the script together, everyone was fetishization of East Asian women in modern culture, a play that portrays laughing every two pages,” she said.

Chinese prostitution like GPS does is inappropriate, she said.

Timkó chose Comic Potential in part because he felt doing something Cast member Mekhala Mantravadi (10) was concerned by some sexist lighter and funnier would help brighten people’s moods. “We’re having a great aspects of GPS, such as the portrayal of a man who objectifies and mistreats deal of fun with it,” he said. “The cast seems to love it.”

Shen Tei as a hero, she said. “It is important to do shows with these types of “Maybe in the future, with more time and research, we will be able to put issues so we can be aware of how things were in the past, but it still made me on a play that brings up racial challenges in the way that GPS did, but for uncomfortable,” she said. now, Comic Potential is a wonderful and happy play,” Brooks said. “It’s going After reading the play and learning its history, some students voiced their to be great.”

Archives Continued from page 1

Paul Wang (12) and Jayer Yang (12) would have used the archives outside of class and wished they had the opportunity to do so as underclassmen.“In my US History Class, we learned about how Horace Mann’s vision for a universal public education was not initially mirrored in the school named after him,” Wang said.

“More recently, however, the school has been prioritizing accessibility and leaning towards the hope that Horace Mann had.

Although this wasn’t for a specific assignment, I could have visited the archives to continue learning about the school’s changing culture in the past decades.” Yang would have used the archives when he was a student ambassador, he said. “It would have been fun for both the tour group and me to find out the school’s history and its famous alumni. It would have also been interesting to point out how the school has changed over the years,” he said.

An email sent by Matlin earlier in the month referred to the archives as a place containing “treasures from the school’s early history.” And the archives do-- there’s no other place in the school that contains such a unique view into the school’s history, yet many students still don’t know about the archives. “I feel there has been little effort put into educating the school and community about the purpose of the Archive room,” Madhav Menon (11) said. “There is still much that remains unknown by the student body about the archive room.”

The archive room is unquestionably a valuable addition to the school, as it offers a variety of information about the school’s history. But unless students learn more about the archive room, the incredible resources that it contains will continue to be overlooked.

6

THE RECORD MIDDLE DIVISION SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2019

Life gave some lemons, they gave some aid Sam Singer Staff Writer Working to combat poverty in New York, Sophie (7), Charlotte (8), and Caroline (8) Willer-Burchardi run a virtual lemonade stand, called “Lemonaid.”

They have already raised about $5,000 over six years in support of the Robin Hood Foundation and created a digital fundraising platform. The foundation’s mission is to “improve the living standards for 1.8 million low-income New Yorkers,” according to their website.

Initially, the three sisters planned to manage the “Lemonaid” stand on Labor Day, Charlotte said. “Lemonaid” describes the sisters’ goal of aiding the city by soliciting donations through selling lemonade. “Since 2012, we have run a ‘Lemonaid’ stand in various locations, most recently outside of the Chase Bank in Southampton,” she said.

Eliza Becker/Contributing Artist They were inspired to start the stand after becoming aware of the poverty in New York, Caroline said. “We chose to support this foundation after seeing the conditions of poverty,” she said.

Courtesy of Caroline Willer-Burchardi

SERVICE SISTERS Willer-Burchardi sisters service community.

“Their efforts to help the impoverished by creating shelters, educational facilities, and providing food is inspirational and worth supporting,” she said.

To create the stand, the sisters reached out to Meghan Naik, Senior Manager of Investor Relations of Robin Hood Foundation. “The girls joined ‘Lemonaid’ and have been an integral part of a team of volunteers that has raised over $1 million for families in need,” Naik said. They’ve worked throughout New York City, Westchester, and the Hamptons, she said.

In addition to running the “Lemonaid” stand, the sisters have supported other fundraising and outreach efforts of the foundation, Caroline said.

“We attend and help lead Robin Hood charity events, promoting the Foundation’s shelters and running Robin Hood stands at festivals,” she said.

Last year, the girls decided to take the stand digital with the hopes of raising higher amounts of money and keeping the virtual stand open year-round, Sophie said.

“We realized we could improve fundraising by going digital and decided we should use messages since it is a platform that many people can access quickly on their phone,” she said.

“The stand works through customers simply texting +1(607)-22LEMON and selecting a virtual ‘Lemonaid’ product, before being provided with a link to donate,” Charlotte said.

It took significant work to set up the digital stand, Gabby Fischberg/Art Director including coding and outreach work to promote the new digital stand, Caroline said.

“We coded the text messaging system ourselves using Twilio, wrote messages for the text system, designed art for the virtual ‘Lemonaid’ products, and created social media accounts (@ the3lemonaiders on Instagram) to spread the word.”

The digital stand provides an easily accessible and always available mechanism for supporting the foundation and its efforts, Naik said. The sisters took advantage of the hyper tech-focused world we live in to raise more money through texts from the “Lemonaid” project, she said.

Robin Hood provided aid in marketing the newlyestablished stand and securing donations, Director of Family Philanthropy for the Foundation Marianne Macrae wrote in a statement to The Record. The Foundation published the girls’ project in its recent fall through its social media, Macrae said.

Since the stand went digital less than one year ago, the sisters

Middle Division make over

Lucas Glickman Staff Writer

After the construction of Lutnick Hall, the school decided to update the Middle Division space as well. The school renovated Pforzheimer Hall classrooms, moved the location of the academic center, the MD reading room, the dean’s offices, and repainted many of the hallway walls.

Steve Yang (9) believes that the idea behind moving the academic center and the MD reading room to the third floor is likely to keep all communal MD areas together, he said.

These changes are especially noticeable in the Pforzheimer classrooms where there are “new lab tables and even desktop computers [for] science activities,” Maya Glickman (6) said.

Surprised and intrigued by the changes, Yang believes that an upgrade of the equipment was necessary so that students could learn how to perform more advanced laboratory experiments, he said. Josephine (JoJo) Mignone (8) really enjoys the new

tables, and the new lab equipment, she said. “It feels a lot more like a more professional and more like a science classroom.”

Oliver Guyer (7) believes that these communal areas “were put in very Gabby Fischbe accessible places” rg/Art Director such as by the main entrance of the MD. However, others found that the old location of the academic center was better, he said. “[The academic center] was closer to the cafeteria and the majority of my classes, but now it is out of the way,” Boris Smaguine (8) said. While the MD reading room is now more accessible to the majority of the MD students, it has become detached from the library. Consequently, it will be harder to get books from the library for research

Volume 117 Editorial Board Managing Editor Mayanka Dhingra

Editor in Chief Julia Robbins

Features Nelson Gaillard Gabby Kepnes Kiara Royer

News Amelia Feiner Madison Li Sam Keimweiss Simon Yang

Opinions Victor Dimitrov Abigail Salzhauer

Middle Division Ben Wang Isabella Zhang Design Editors Euwan Kim Reena Ye

Issues Editor Jude Herwitz

Lions’ Den Darius McCullough Mark Fernandez Ranya Sareen Andrew Cassino Art Directors Annabelle Chan Gabrielle Fischberg Katya Arutyunyan Faculty Advisor David Berenson

A&E Nishtha Sharma Eliza Poster Eddie Jin Photography Griffin Smith Ahaan Palla Jake Shapiro

have raised over $1,300, over 20% of their total profit over six years, Sophie said. “The digital stand has been immensely successful; we plan to continue it for years to come and in the future, we want to make it even easier for people to get involved,” she said.

Courtesy of Caroline Willer-Burchardi

purposes, he said.

The biggest physical difference in the MD was the repainted hallway walls, which was a major factor that led many returning students to feel unfamiliar with the environment because it physically changed the feeling of the buildings, Yang said.

“Many thought that the overall color theme [resembled] a corporate board room or dentist office, [as it was] dull and unfamiliar,” Yang said. This feeling was echoed by Mignone who also didn’t like the new paint because “it feels kind of drab. The old color was more fun, she said.

This reinforces the opinion that the colors don’t feel comfortable or welcoming, and instead make students feel like they were thrown into an unknown environment, he said.

Despite this feeling of unfamiliarity, “the school did a great job in the construction and it looks very new,” Guyer said.

“These changes made the Middle Division look up to date and different.”

Staff Writers Izzy Abbott, Adrian Arnaboldi, Abby Beckler, Bradley Bennett, Sam Chiang, Jack Crovitz, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Andie Goldmacher, Yotam Hahn, Alison Isko, Avi Kapadia, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Yesh Nikam, Henry Owens, Oliver Steinman, Emily Shi, Samuel Singer, Natalie Sweet, Vivien Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky, Chloe Choi, Emma Colacino, Yin Fei, Lucas Glickman, Claire Goldberg, Liliana Greyf, Lauren Ho, Maya Nornberg, Morgan Smith, Patrick Stinebaugh, Katya Tolunsky, Nathan Zelizer Staff Photographers Julia Isko, Daniel Lee, Kelly Troop, Halley Robbins, Sophie Gordon, Amanda Wein, Maxwell Shopkorn, Emma Colacino, AJ Walker, Lucas Glickman, Lauren Ho Staff Artists Wilder Harwood, Rachel Zhu

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.

7

HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2019

THIS WEEK IN THE DEN V Football

Katya Arutyunyan/Art Director

V Water Polo

V Girls Soccer

9/14 HM vs. Fieldston (A) 22-34 LOSS 9/13 HM vs. Loyola (H) 4-3 WIN 9/16 HM vs. Holy Child (A) 2-0 WIN 9/18 HM vs. Fieldston (A) 0-3 LOSS

9/16 HM vs. Pingry (A) 6-15 LOSS 9/18 HM vs. Fieldston (A) 17-14 WIN

V Field Hockey 9/13: HM vs. Hackley (H) 0-5 LOSS 9/16 HM vs. Brearley (H) 2-1 WIN 9/18 HM vs. Fieldston (A) 0-3 LOSS

HERE ARE THE Scores

V Boys Soccer 9/13 HM vs. Collegiate (A) 0-2 LOSS 9/16 HM vs. Calhoun (H) 7-1 WIN 9/18 HM vs. Fieldston (A) 0-2 LOSS

V Girls Tennis 9/13 HM vs. Poly Prep (A) 4-1 WIN 9/18 HM vs. Trinity (H) 2-3 LOSS

Katya Arutyunyan/Art Director Katya Arutyunyan/Art Director

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Avi Kapadia Staff Writer

Donny Howard

Water Polo Team Captain and goalie Donny Howard (12) leads in and out of the pool with one goal in mind: an Ivy League Championship.

Howard’s water polo journey began in his sixth grade physical education class, he said. He fell in love with the sport instantly. “It’s the only sport where there is physicality and you’re in the water,” Howard said. “It’s unique. There’s not really any sport like it.”

Six years later, Howard is more driven than ever.

“He always gives 200%,” his teammate Ari Salsberg (11) said. “He comes early to practice and stays late.”

Howard works to perfect his craft during the offseason as well. “For the past two springs, I’ve been in the [Horace Mann] pool after school keeping my skills sharp,” Howard said.

Howard is also a vital part of the swim team at Horace Mann during the winter. “Being on the swim team at HM helps me stay in shape [for water polo],” Howard said.

For the last two summers, Howard attended Princeton’s water polo summer camp, which consisted of five days of intense training where he was really able to improve his game, Howard said.

All of his preparation has led up to this historic season. Previously, water polo was not an official sport of the Ivy League. However, with the addition of a fourth team in Riverdale, this changed, Howard said.

“My personal goals are the same as the team goals - to win the Ivy League championship,” Howard said.

Despite a 2-2 record, the team is off to a solid start towards that goal. “Our team chemistry formed very quickly compared to previous years,” Howard said.

The team began their season with a tough loss to Trinity and a close win against Riverdale. In the match against Trinity, Howard saved 21 out of 28 shots taken.

Last Friday, there was a water polo jamboree. “We had a round-robin between all of the Ivy League

teams: Horace Mann, Fieldston, Riverdale, and Trinity. We beat Trinity and Fieldston, and then tied against Riverdale,” Howard said.

At this tournament, every team in the Ivy League chose their two players with the strongest arms to have their throw speed clocked by a radar gun, Howard said. He won with 44 mph and there was a three-way tie for second place with 38 mph. “He has the strongest and most powerful throw in the Ivy League,” Salsburg said.

Howard has put his arm to use so far this season.

He has scored five total goals: one while playing goalie and the other four while playing the field.

Howard has made his presence known in every game dating back to two years ago. “At homecoming, we were down a goal against Trinity with one minute left on the clock. Donny fired a goal in the top corner across the entire pool to force overtime and we ended up winning the game,” Salsberg said.

As great leaders tend to do, Howard makes his teammates better, Salsberg said. “He’s a phenomenal goalie and can cover the entire cage,” he said. “In practice, Donny forces me to shoot harder and find different ways to score. This has really helped me expand my game,” Salsberg said.

During games, he is essential to the team in goal.

“He has composure and remains focused,” Coach Michael Duffy said. “He can throw great outlet passes during our fastbreaks and has the ability to jump high out of the water and make some unbelievable saves.”

“He displays a sense of leadership all the time,” Salsburg said. “He always goes the extra mile, which pushes everyone else to do the same.”

Duffy admires his strong leadership skills. “His leadership has definitely trickled down to the rest of the team,” Duffy said.

Duffy also praises Howard’s great attitude. “As valuable as he is in goal, he is also a tremendous field player,” he said. “He is doing what’s best for the team and that’s just the way Donny is. He’s completely unselfish.”

In his last season as a Lion, Howard is looking towards the future. “[Playing college water polo] is something I would do, if given the opportunity,” Howard said.

Jaelah Taylor

Joshua Underberg Staff Writer

Though Jaelah Taylor (9) is a new student this year, she is already a force to be reckoned with on the Girls Varsity Volleyball team.

Taylor, who recently moved to New York from Los Angeles, “excels at every position and has mastered each fundamental part of the sport,” Charlotte Cebula (12) said. “Jaelah is extremely versatile on the court.”

Taylor’s interest in volleyball stemmed from her stepmother’s involvement with the sport, Taylor said.

“My stepmom is a volleyball coach who played in high school and college,” Taylor said. “I would go to all of her practices, and I would be overzealous when watching the older girls play.

There was a certain excitement I got watching the older girls smash the ball over the net.”

Taylor’s stepmother, who coaches at Francis Parker Highschool in San Diego, played volleyball at San Diego State before eventually playing in Europe.

In California, one of the biggest volleyball states in the country, the sport is just a part of the culture, and that is evident in Taylor, Zoë Swift (11) said.

The game is very special to her and is different from any other sport, Taylor said.

“I love the sisterhood and team unity the girls bring,” Taylor said. “The team learns to rely on

each other and trust each other,” she said.

Being an only child, Taylor’s teammates are “like sisters,” Taylor said. “I feel connected to them. I can go to them with any of my problems.”

At the age of twelve, Taylor began playing volleyball outside of school with hopes of eventually being able to play college volleyball, Taylor said.

“I would like to play volleyball in college for Stanford,” Taylor said. “It is a good balance between sports and quality education, and it is in my home state, California.”

The best way to get the most practice throughout the year is to play for a club team outside of school, Taylor said.

Playing for a club team also allows Taylor to play in front of college scouts, she said.

Taylor is unsure of whether she would like to pursue a career in beach volleyball or indoor volleyball.

“It’s tough because I love them both,” Taylor said.

Taylor has already emerged as a leader on the volleyball court, Swift said.

“Despite being a freshman, she assumes a kind of leadership role in addition to being a rockstar on the court,” Swift said.

“For this school season, I want to help our team get to the championship and make Horace Mann known for girls volleyball,” Taylor said. “I have high hopes for our team this season, and we have many key players who are very experienced. Our captain, Swift, is incredibly talented and sets a great example for our team,” she said.

Katya Arutyunyan/Art Director

Lions’ Den Record Sports

SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2019

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Field hockey Keeps the Ball Rolling Through October

Katya Tolunsky Staff Writer

“To be honest, I was kind of nervous we would have no wins this season,” Captain of the Varsity Field Hockey team Reina McNutt (12) said, following their first win of the season. After losing their first two games against Riverdale and Hackley, the Lions beat Brearley 2-1 last Monday.

“This win was much needed,” Emmi Zeitler (10) said. “It really helped lift our spirits and will help us go into our game on Wednesday with a more positive attitude,” she said.

“It is always great to be successful after hard work and preparation,” said Coach Caroline Surhoff when asked about their first win of the season.

McNutt described the teams dynamic this year as “very freshmen run” considering the freshmen outnumber the rest of the team. “But everyone is close friends between the grades and all the freshmen are super sweet and nice.” she said.

Coach Surhoff feels that all the new freshmen added to the team.“With so many new starters this season, the players are beginning to gel and play cohesively,” Surhoff said.

Junior Varsity Goalie Emily Salzhauer (9) said that the captains have been very open and welcoming towards the freshmen, she said. “We are like a family,” Tess Goldberg (9) said.

When asked about particular teammates who stood out during the last three games, each player had a different response. Salzhauer said that Kate Bown (11) had made a really good goal in the last game, she said.

Zeitler said that Sofia Subramaniam (11) did a good job with setting up potential scoring opportunities. “She is always a good team player and friend and is super competitive as well,” McNutt said, about her teammate Abigail Morse (11). McNutt also said their defender and starting Varsity Goalie Piper Wallace (10) had a lot of excellent saves.

Although extremely happy with their recent victory, the team acknowledges that they still have a lot to work on. “We definitely need to improve our energy level during the games,” McNutt said.

“When we are ahead, we have a tendency to slow down by the second half of the game. Or, when we are down, we won’t even try,” she said.

Goldberg thinks the team needs to improve on their passing skills, while Piper Wallace (10) feels the team needs to work on having their sticks down and being consistent in their passing.

“The team needs to work on ball handling under pressure,” said Surhoff.

The team was focused on their upcoming game against Fieldston on Wednesday. “This game will give us a heads up on what to expect at Homecoming, because we are playing Fieldston again,” McNutt said.

“We played well defensively but we had too many fouls which gave Fieldston opportunities to score.” Said Surhoff after losing their game against Fieldston 3-1. Wallace felt the loss motivated the team to redeem themselves at Homecoming.

“I feel like I’ve really made some close upperclassmen friends in the past few weeks,” Goldberg said. Zeitler agrees, and she is, “excited to see how we will grow as a team,” she said.

Courtesy of Abi Kraus

STICK TO THE BALL Nora Baldimaj hits the ball.

8

Faster, better, Stronger: Cross country looks to improve Adam Frommer Staff Writer The Boys and Girls Varsity Cross Country teams are hitting their stride this season. Each runner is stepping up their game, and the result is a team atmosphere unlike any in recent years, Jayer Yang (12) said.

People are more committed than previous years, Brian Wu (12) said. “It’s clear that many of the returning members have spent the summer training hard.” Many underclassmen on the team have been stepping up to alter the dynamic of the team to build camaraderie, and are always willing to help out each other out.

“Nobody gets left behind.”

Leaders on the team set that aside on their own pride to motivate others and push themselves, Yang said. “Sometimes, they won’t go their hardest during practice, and they’ll stay behind to push the other people.”

New this year is Coach Caroline Shannon, who has taken driven runners under her wing and allowed for a higher level of practice for those who are seeking intensity, Co-Captain Claire Griffin (12) said.

Everyone enjoys each other’s company and all the grades work really well together, Catherine Mignone (10) said.

The girls team only has 13 members, so everyone is relatively close to each other, CoCaptain Caroline Scherr (12) said.

“The team is the best team at Horace Mann,” Griffin said. “There is never a practice where we are not laughing together as a collective team.”

For Mignone, the sport lends itself to a team dynamic because each team member wants to beat their own personal goal rather than others’ times. “There’s not really a competitive atmosphere because we all just want to support each other,” she said.

While athletes run on the team for many reasons, Yang runs because the sport pushes

Courtesy of Adam Frommer

SPRINT! Eddie Jin running towards victory. him to try harder than he would otherwise, he said.

Most important for Yang is the friends he has made on the team. “After we finish a hard race, we get to relax, eat carrot cake, and bond even more.”

The teams attended their first race on Saturday and their second race on Wednesday. Notably, Ethan Waggoner (10) placed second in the Boys 2.5 mile Sophomore race, with a time of 14:34.9s.

No matter the result, everyone left the race knowing that they could improve, Yang said.

Mignone agreed that there is much to work on, but attributes the Girls’ team’s success to their preseason. “We have been really dedicated and I think that’s why we’ve been crushing it,” she said.

Looking ahead, Yang, Scherr, Wu, and Griffin are excited for the championship races at the end of the season, the seniors’ last times to run in high school.