The Horace Mann Record, Issue 6

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HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

OCTOBER 12TH, 2018 || VOLUME 116, ISSUE 6

Timothy Snyder discusses tyranny and democracy Gabby Kepnes & Sam Singer Staff Writers

The Alexander Capelluto ‘04 Foundation funded an assembly on Tuesday in which the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University Timothy Snyder addressed democracy and his bestselling book, “On Tyranny”.

Director of Student Activities Caroline Bartels played a tremendous role in the organization and preparation for Snyder’s visit, even as far as a year in advance, she said. “It seemed like such a prescient assembly in light of the current state,” she said.

Preparations prior to the assembly included analyzing the book in classes such as AP United States History, Comparative Race and Ethnicity (CRAE), and Contemporary United States History (CUSH). Each class spent time discussing the ways through which On Tyranny could be connected to current politics as well as the specific curriculums of each class, Chair of the History Department Dr. Daniel Link said.

The book was studied because it was “readily accessible to all and related to the curriculum,” history teacher Dr. Elisa Milkes said.

Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor

WE THE PEOPLE Richard C. Levin Professor of History Timothy Snyder adresses themes from “On Tyranny.”

Claire Yoo (12) “examined [Snyder’s] research and related it to the instances of racial and ethnic discrimination that [she] had studied” in her CRAE class, she said.

In Link’s APUSH class, the book was studied in the context of how democracy can be taken away and strategies to avoid this, Roey Nornberg (11) said.

“This discussion allows us to have good civil discourse about what is happening in the world,” Bartels said. “Offering a book that

challenges people while at the same time allowing students to converse with one another when they disagree becomes important,” she said.

While some students and faculty members had positive reactions to Professor Snyder’s words, Joshua Benson (12) expressed a contrasting viewpoint.

“Snyder’s implications were deeply concerning, as he was reckless in his portrayal of twentieth century fascism, mischaracterization of the actions of the Soviet Union, and

hostile portrayal of the far-left,” Benson said.

History teacher Dr. Ellen Bales shared a similar perspective to both Bender and Bartels, believing that the assembly was critical to political and historical conversations at the school, she said.

“In line with what Professor Snyder said, we are in a moment where it’s worth thinking about what kind of government we want to live under in the future,” Bales said. “As Americans, we have obstacles to

active democratic citizenship.”

“On Tyranny” consists of 20 short lessons regarding limiting progression into a tyrannical state, and regarding the protection of governmental institutions, Snyder said during the assembly.

The book’s central focus is on “thinking critically about what it takes to preserve a democracy,” Link said. His goal was to teach his students about how to maintain the integrity of democratic institutions, Link said.

“We can learn from past countries that have been democratic and descended into dictatorships, and hopefully avoid those mistakes,” Link said.

Similarly, Alexa J. Mark (11) believes that the book “did a good job of drawing parallels between seemingly different dictatorships in twentieth century Europe,” she said.

“It’s important to talk to Professor Snyder, as we are all responsible for our government,” Milkes said.

“What we can take away from Professor Snyder’s talk is that we are all responsible for our government...

Courtesythen of Elizawe Poster If we live in a democracy, are responsible for maintaining it, as empowered citizens and historians.”

Diversity Council hosts first meeting Julia Robbins Staff Writer

INSIDE

On Thursday morning, the Diversity Council met in the Alumni Development House for a conversation about upcoming Parent Alliance events and to brainstorm Unity Week themes.

“The Parent Alliance groups are spaces where HM parents who self-identify with a specific racial/ ethnic identity and their allies can come together for support and community,” Identity Culture and Institution Equity Associate Sharina Gordon said.

The council’s goal has been to foster communication between the ICIE, students, parents and alumni, Director of Alumni Relations Kristin Lax said. Additionally, the council promotes an understanding of diversity in the school community, she said.

The council is made up of the ICIE Office, Director of Alumni Kristin Lax, alumni of color, and representatives from the six parent alliance groups.

“Through the Council, parents receive support for putting on events, and can collaborate with members of other alliance groups for initiatives,” Gordon said.

Understanding what goes on in the other alliance groups allows the Chinese Family Network (CFN) to better support the needs of Chinese families at school, Representative of the CFN Stella Sheng (P’22) said.

The council was created two years ago, and this is the group’s third breakfast check-in, Zuroski

said. The school underwent an accreditation review recently, which deemed that it needed better connections with alumni, and particularly alumni of color, she said.

A group of employees from the New York State Independent School Association carries out the accreditation review every 10 years for independent schools in the state and analyzes aspects of school life like diversity, ICIE Asociate Candice PowellCaldwell said.

The council has been a great opportunity to maintain a connection with alumni of color and who identify as LGBTQ+, Gentile said. Conversations through the Council have allowed the ICIE to better understand the experiences of alumni and ensure they understand what happens at school now, he said.

In the past, parents have requested alumni to come back to

Eva Fortunato/Staff Photographer

COMMUNITY SUPPORT Diversity Council hosts first meeting.

Immigration Nation

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the school to give advice to current students about their experiences as a person of color or member of the LGBTQ+ community in high school, college, and postcollege life. The council provides a seamless way to connect these alumni with the student body, Zuroski said.

Anise Charles ’13 is one of the alumni representatives in the Council. Alumni of color and LGBTQ+ alumni provide a “unique perspective” for the council to hear insight into the experiences that these cohorts have in navigating school, Charles said.

“When our alumni are given the opportunity to return to campus and speak candidly about their HM years, as well as their post-HM experiences, they help inform and guide students and their families in meaningful ways,” Lax said.

Yana Gitelman (10) discusses immigration through her family story.

Clubs Fair 2.0

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The Middle Division creates new annual tradition.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Dr. Marc Brackett explains RULER approach to learning.

Brackett addresses emotional intelligence Eliza Poster Staff Writer On Wednesday evening, Director of the Yale Center of Emotional Intelligence Dr. Marc Brackett addressed Nursery and Lower Division parents in Gross Theater about the school’s implementation of the Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating (RULER) approach to learning.

The RULER approach, founded by Brackett, aims to teach students emotional and social perceptiveness by building a curriculum where students regularly have to identify and articulate their specific emotions as well as the emotions of others.

“I’ve seen a titanic shift in the culture of this division in that the morale of the faculty – the happiness quotient – is much higher, and the kids are behaving differently,” Head of Lower Division Deena Neuwirth said.

Application of RULER in schools occurs in three tiers, through which teachers are trained to employ its methods, students learn with these methods, and parents are informed on how they can advance their family’s emotional intelligence, Brackett said.

“Parents have to have the knowledge and skills themselves so they can both model them and then support the development of them in their kids,” Brackett said.

One of the tools used to help students identify and express their emotions are mood meters: charts which list specific types of emotions based on student’s energy so they can pinpoint their precise emotions, fourth grade teacher Gina D’Amico said.

“I think that it’s interesting because it gives our family a common language to talk to our kids about what’s happening in our day,” Nursery Division PA Co-Chair Alisha Alonso P’30

Lions roar!

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Updates on Water Polo, Football, and Girls Varsity Tennis.

P’31 P’33 said.

Alonso noticed that her kids are more communicative about their emotions because of the meter. “One of my daughters, when she was getting frustrated, said, ‘Mom, I’m in the red,’ and I was able to understand exactly what she meant,” she said.

Brackett encouraged parents to “be the scientist parent instead of the judge” and be inquisitive instead of making assumptions, he said.

Anuja Dangayach P’30 is enthusiastic about implementing Brackett’s advice, she said. “I’m sure it’s not as easy as it sounds to make those changes, but it definitely gives you a vision,” she said.

“My kids have been at the school since Mrs. Neuwirth started this initiative and I think it’s so important how people are identifying with the extent at which emotions impact learning and home,” Lower Division PA Co-Chair Katherine Locker Sharlatt P’25 P’28 said.

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

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THE RECORD OPINIONS OCTOBER 12TH, 2018

Living the American Dream as the daughter of immigrants

Yana Gitelman On September 13th, 1991, a family of four from Lviv, Ukraine stood huddled in the Minneapolis airport.

Their only remnants of their old country were seven hundred dollars and a suitcase full of books. One year later, another newly-escaped family from Moscow arrived in that same airport with six pieces of luggage.

These families shared mixed feelings of fear and hope, fairly limited English language skills, and levels of determination still unfathomable to me, their daughter.

Even though their future looked bleak in that moment, they ultimately prospered in America. It’s humbling to think that if not for this story, I would not have the comfort, safety, or pride of my Jewish heritage that I have today.

My family is only one example of the “American Dream,” but there are many who lack this opportunity and luck. The American Dream, as demonstrated by my parents, depends primarily on motivation-a quality that immigrants have in abundance.

My family is only one example of the “American Dream,” but there are many who lack this opportunity and luck. The American Dream, as demonstrated by my parents, depends primarily on motivation--a quality that immigrants have in abundance. In our current political climate, it’s important to recognize that staunchly anti-immigration policies such as Trump’s wall and the “Muslim Ban,” emulate repressive policies of other eras and nations, like those of the U.S.S.R a generation ago. It’s frankly terrifying to see how our government can deny innocent, well-meaning people, similar to my family, the right to pursue a better life in America.

The Soviet Union chastised my family for being Jewish.

They were categorized by the Russian government as a nationality and required by law that “Jew” be stamped onto their passports. This fostered overt discrimination, barring them from entry into government institutions and inviting businesses to do the same. They grew exhausted by the rigid boundaries on their careers and sociopolitical status, so they packed up and left in search of a nation which would suit their ambition. Their journey, from obtaining Visas, to paying for the plane ride and their first few months’ rent, to navigating job interviews, would not have been possible without HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.

To their luck, my family all found work within one year of their arrival. My Ukrainian-born father attended the local university on financial aid while my Moscovite mother worked as a Walgreens clerk, simultaneously pursuing her graduate degree. After graduating, my parents moved to Manhattan and labored tirelessly to fulfil their job requirements and keep up with their Native-born, Ivy-educated peers, despite their own degrees coming from lesser-known Minnesota universities. They held onto their native language, religion, and immigrant friends, while still widening their circle to include people from a variety of places, levels of education, fields of work, and worldviews. They’ve remained informed and active citizens, voting at each election, shifting their beliefs as they clash with new people and ideas, and giving back to their community.

I urge you to reflect and learn more about your own family’s history. Learning about my own family’s history has helped me to understand the importance of hard work. For most of us, there was some point in time when one of our ancestors immigrated to America. Perhaps your family emigrated from China or Mexico after the late ‘60s, for example, in which case it was largely due to the passage of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 --an act which abolished the American system that discriminated against migrants of non-European origin.

Even after this act, however, there is still much work to be done.

Your life would be dramatically different if not for some politician, administration, movement, or law that has helped the people at America’s core: immigrants.

The very quote engraved on the Statue of Liberty which reads “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” proves that we are fundamentally a society of immigrants. We have always been made up of them, have always depended on them for both our economy and a diverse array of perspectives, and yet there has always been some ambivalence and even resentment among native-born Americans on the issue of immigration.

If immigration or the refugee crisis feels distant, or you struggle to sympathize with the people affected, look at the immigrant community around you. If your family has been in America for many generations and you don’t know how you got here, ask your parents. Find your own connection to the immigrants and refugees striving for a better life today, because you can make a difference.

Each action will directly affect someone’s life, even if not our own. Regardless of your party affiliation or political beliefs, you should be able to sympathize on a basic human level with those who are struggling.

HIAS, to which I owe my life in America, has rescued roughly four and a half million Jews fleeing violence and persecution since their creation almost 140 years ago, and have recently begun to broaden their efforts to include refugees of any religion or ethnicity. Today they dedicate their efforts to helping Syrian refugees. Their rallying cry: “my people were refugees too,” has never been more relevant than it is now, in the midst of the most devastating refugee crisis since the Second World War. If the United States had opened its doors to the passengers of the S.S. St. Louis in 1939, hundreds of lives in that instance alone would have been saved.

Let’s learn from this mistake. Please consider researching HIAS and volunteering or donating in recognition of the amazing work they do. Our community would not be the same without it and the virtue it upholds. Lastly, spend some time researching your own family’s story and have discussions with other members of this community so that you too can be an advocate and an ally for modern day immigrants.

Volume 116 Editorial Board Managing Editor Betsey Bennett

Editor in Chief Lynne Sipprelle

Issues Editor Sadie Schwartz A&E Peri Brooks Jeren Wei

Features Abby Kanter Megha Nelivigi

News Katie Goldenberg Surya Gowda

Lions’ Den Natasha Stange Brody McGuinn William Han

Photography Abigail Kraus Ahaan Palla Jake Shapiro

Art Directors Juli Moreira Jackson Robers

Design Editors Allison DeRose Caroline Kaplan Mark Fernandez

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Columnists Tenzin Sherpa Solomon Katz

Online Editor Henry Wildermuth

Middle Division Sandhya Shyam

Opinions Rebecca Siegel Abigail Goldberg-Zelizer

EDITORIAL Our community was fortunate to be able to invite Dr. Timothy Snyder, an esteemed professor of European History from Yale University, to our school to discuss his thoughts on the current political scene. The board would like to highlight one of his points in particular: the role of social media in generating our opinions.

As teenagers, social media use is not only common for a lot of us - it’s the norm. And while for most of us, it seems like social media is simply light-hearted and only amounts to posting pictures on instagram or viewing amusing youtube videos, the reality is that social media can impact the very way we think about the important political and social controversies of today.

Too many of us look to social media to inform ourselves of the news purely out of convenience, where information is often biased and unreliable Furthermore, we support the information we find with conviction, often claiming that because “I read it online somewhere” it must be true.

This thought process can easily become dangerous, especially when using it to justify opinions over issues that require genuine critical thought. As Dr. Snyder explained on Tuesday, no matter how intelligent, well-learned, and inquisitive we are as Horace Mann students, we are not smarter than the manipulative algorithms of sites such as Facebook and Google, which, among many other things, are designed to only show us content that we agree with and like.

How are we expected to have a meaningful discussion when we simply surround ourselves with what we agree with, rather than the whole picture? By refusing to even entertain another perspective, we fall into a toxic hive-mind like culture and only divide the community further.

In light of Dr. Snyder’s intriguing speech on our civil responsibilities as teenagers, The Record wants to remind the community about the impact of social media in formulating our thoughts and opinions. We know firsthand the importance of objective journalism and how distorted things can become when viewed from a skewed perspective - and thus, we encourage you all to strive to use credible and well-informed sources to think critically. It can be upsetting and challenging to break out of our original perspectives, but it is impossible to have a productive conversation otherwise. During this tumultuous time in history, it is more important than ever to be careful and precise in developing our opinions over certain issues. It’s not just about being a good Horace Mann student; it’s about being a good citizen.

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

Juli Moreira/Art Director

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.

HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION OCTOBER 12TH, 2018

New MD math and writing centers offer additional resources to students

Griffin Smith/Staff Photographer

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Talia Winiarsky Contributing Writer

EXTRACURRICULAR DISCOVERY Students look into joining clubs.

Clubs Fair: MD Edition Emily Shi Staff Writer

Seventh and eighth graders explored extracurricular opportunities at the school for the first time at the new Middle Division (MD) Clubs Fair held last Tuesday.

The clubs fair was created in order to “provide an opportunity for students to learn about what activities they could participate in and celebrate the passions of their classmates,” MD history teacher and Student Activities Coordinator Caitlin Hickerson said.

Teachers and high school students organized booths to represent each club.

Some middle schoolers also represented their clubs by communicating with their peers at their booths, Andrew Li (7) said.

Each booth brought a unique aspect of their club to the fair, Laine Goldmacher (7) said. For example, the Science Olympiad Team had a trophy that they won, she said.

After a 20 minute explanation of all the clubs, the middle schoolers looked around and asked questions to high school club leaders, Gisella Fischberg (7) said.

Melissa Migdon (7), who attended the clubs fair allocated a similar amount of time exploring each club, she said. “My favorite part was that there were no restrictions, and we were able to ask the leaders of the clubs questions,” she said. “Surprisingly, it wasn’t hectic.”

Li, who gained exposure to many new clubs, believed some of the most memorable ones at the fair included The Debate Team, The Robotics Club, and Model United Nations. Although Li is still considering what clubs to join, he is an active member of Debate and enjoyed the overall experience at the fair, he said.

“The clubs fair places more of an emphasis on one on one interactions as opposed to making announcements for the entire grade. It gives middle schoolers more of an opportunity to sign up for everything they could be interested in and

gain some experience with each club,” CoHead of the Middle Division Debate Team Nader Granmayeh (12) said. The middle schoolers who signed up for the debate team will be able to experience structuring arguments, researching about individual topics, and improving in rhetorical skills, he said.

Although the fair contained a small selection of clubs, Li liked the fact that the students could focus on learning about specific clubs, and would like for there to be a similar amount of clubs if the fair were to be held again, he said.

“It was a great opportunity for the majority of the student body to get to know some of the lesser known clubs and gain interest in them. It gave me an opportunity to really explore the clubs in a short amount of time, as typically meetings take up an entire lunch period,” Sarene Choudhury (8) said.

“My favorite part was being able to see he behind-the-scenes of events that occur at the school that we might not notice, because now I know what I can take part in,” Goldmacher said.

At the end of the fair, teachers presented a video of somebody who was able to succeed at winning a yo-yo championship after being a member of a club, which inspired the students, Li said.

The Clubs Fair gave Fischberg an opportunity to branch out of her comfort zone and join the Speech Club, which seemed like an enjoyable and fitting opportunity for her, she said.

“I’ve always wanted to be involved in more activities at the school, but I wasn’t sure what appealed to me at first, so it was great to have options presented at the clubs fair,” Fischberg said.

“Student activities play an important role in forming new friendships, exploring interests, and celebrating the life of the mind. It’s a great way to have fun in school and share who we are with our teachers and classmates,” Hickerson said.

This year, the Middle Division (MD) has new writing and math centers to help MD students with their schoolwork and expand their skills outside of the classroom.

The centers are both located in Pforzheimer Hall so that MD students can easily access them throughout the day.

MD English teacher Morgan Yarosh directs the writing center, which helps students with any academic work that involves writing. It was created because Yarosh noticed that students often saw writing as a fixed product instead of a process, she said. The goal of the center is to help students become more familiar with the fundamentals of writing and to be comfortable taking risks with their work. Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly also saw a need for the center, and was crucial in the creation, Yarosh said.

“The need was for writing to become something that is not intimidating, but to be something that students can experiment and be successful with, while also learning from their mistakes,” she said.

Currently, Yarosh and MD history teacher John Eckels run the center, which is open B and C periods, some D and E periods, and I periods. As demand for the center increases, Yarosh plans on staffing the center more extensively, perhaps by using Upper Division (UD) students.

Yarosh and Eckels each work both individually with a student as well as in group sessions if they prefer. Sometimes classes come to the center, or Yarosh visits a class to work them, she said. Sixth and seventh graders have been mostly using the center for help with their English class assignments, Yarosh said.

Eighth graders have also come in for help with assignments, and have been getting involved with existing school publications, such as the MD current events publication, The HM Journal, and even starting new MD publications, such an arts and fashion magazine, Yarosh said, which the center can help them with. The center also helps students seek out opportunities to publish their writing in blogs or national publications and enter creative writing contests, she said.

Tucker Harris (6) likes to go to the center to strengthen his English assignments and to complete

Juli Moreira/Art Director

his homework in a quiet environment, he said.

MD math teacher Lynne Hirschhorn directs the new math center, which was created to supply additional instruction. Students who have questions about homework, need help preparing for an assessment, or want to try extra challenge problems can drop in during open sessions or schedule an appointment at center on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

“The center is a good environment for those who need further explanation on a topic discussed in class, and for those who wish to explore a more challenging math question,” Hirschhorn said.

The center offers incentives for students who can solve the weekly challenge problem, which is posted on the window of the center for all students to try to solve, she said.

On Wednesdays, UD students aid Hirschhorn.

Tyler Jonas (12) is one of the UD students who helps lead the math center. “I think all students should take advantage of this new program,” Jonas said.

“I wish that the center was available when I was a Middle Division student.”

Katie Beckler (6) she expects to see more students use the center in the future because it is a good resource for all MD students, she said.

“The goal is for our students to have success with their math studies and to enjoy the process along the way,” Hirschhorn said.

Abi Kraus/Photo Editor

MATHEMATICAL The new math center is located in Pforzheimer.

MD adjusts advisory and grade wide meetings Henry Owens Staff Writer

This year, the Middle Division (MD) has made a significant change to the structure of advisory and grade wide meetings. While in the past grade meetings were only 15 minutes during break, now each grade has a 45-minute meeting on a weekly basis. The meeting takes place during a different period each week so that no class is disproportionately being missed.

Grade meetings will cover announcements,

activities, speakers, performances, service learning and reflection, Dean of the Class of 2025 Michelle Amilicia said.

“We realized that we needed more together on a regular basis as a grade,” she said. “This meeting also complements advisory because we can use the time to get into breakout groups to discuss topics.”

Della Brooks, Dean of the Class of 2024, thinks that advisory in the MD was a central aspect of students’ daily life, she said.

“Advisory groups have always worked on

working cooperatively, sharing experiences, and building a community of around ten people within the larger grade,” Brooks said.

“This year that role continues, but topics which were formerly part of the life skills curriculum are being integrated into advisory and grade meetings, as are other grade specific discussions.”

Brooks also believes that this new structure provides a more cohesive experience for both students and teachers, she said.

It is too early to tell if this change will be

effective, but Amilicia is “always grateful for any time we are given to be together as a grade,” she said.

“As with any change there is a range of reactions,” Brooks said. “But since we are trying to make improvements as necessary and be responsive to the concerns that are raised, we hope most people will leave the year feeling positive.”

Lions’ Den Record Sports

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OCTOBER 12TH, 2018

Water Polo swims to the win Natalie Sweet Staff Writer

With a strong defensive skillset and tough practices, the Varsity Water Polo team defeated two schools in the past week — St. Peter’s Prep and Riverdale.

The team defeated St. Peter’s Prep 13-12 at home, and Riverdale 13-8 at Riverdale’s pool.

St. Peter’s Prep played aggressively, but once the Lions began to match them physically, the team’s confidence grew, allowing them to pull ahead for the win, co-Captain Leonard Song (12)

said.

At first, Coach Michael Duffy thought that their match against Riverdale was going to be a tough game, since Riverdale was undefeated, he said. However, the Lions were able to use their defensive tactics to quickly steal the ball and score.

These two games really defined the Lions as a team, Duffy said. Defensively, everyone chipped in, and co-Captain Lorenzo Hess (12) scored seven out of 13 goals against St. Peter’s Prep, he said.

Aside from Hess, Walker McCarthy (9) has also been a prominent scorer for

Ahaan Palla/Photo Editor

DEFENSE WINS GAMES Ben Hu (12) and Nick Ferrara (11) play strong defense.

the team this season, showcasing a lot of promising talent on both offense and defense, Taimur Moolji (11) said.

The Lions’ success is due to the opening of the new pool, Duffy said.

“Since the pool floor is able to drop so swimmers are in deep waters, our conditioning has really improved, thus strengthening the team,” he said.

Ari Salsberg (10) agreed. “We have definitely placed a large focus on conditioning in practice.

Given that the new pool is almost always deep, there is nowhere to stand and catch your breath during games,” he said.

During practice, the Lions have focused more on setting up game play, such as switching from offense to defense quickly, rather than ball handling, since the Lions pretty much have ball handling down, Ryan Leung (12) said.

The team focuses on improving their game style during practice, Song said.

According to Song, the Lions’ game style is based on stealing the ball from their opponents and quickly scoring.

Though the Lions’ season has been extremely impressive, there is still room for improvement, Hess said.

“Our biggest problem is our communication in the pool, which is evident in scrimmages, when the team that talks and communicates more tends to perform better,” he said.

Abigail Salzhauer (11) looks forward to the team working together further.

“If we work together and communicate in practice, we’ll play so much better as a team and as individuals,” she said.

Girls Varsity Tennis hopes to win Ivy League Tournament Daniel Lee ContributingWriter

The Girls Varsity Tennis team will look to keep their hopes of an undefeated season alive in the Ivy Tournament on Friday.

In the past seasons, the team has played extremely well, both in the regular season and the Ivy Tournament, JJ Ryu (11) said.

“The last time we lost a regular season match was five years ago, when there was not a single player from the current dominant squad on the team,” Head Coach Rawlins Troop said.

Last year, the team came out on top in the Ivy tournament, moving on to the Mayor’s Cup, but lost to Beacon in the finals.

“So far this season, I’m very proud of the team,” Troop said. “The girls have been working hard on their skills and technique and I’m seeing a lot of improvement everywhere,” he said.

The team’s singles players have been exceeding expectations, Troop said.

“Gibby Thomas (12), Sofia Allinson (10), and Ryu have all been playing really well, and I have confidence that they will be very successful,” Troop said. “And the number one doubles players, Isha Agarwal (11) and Hannah Long (12) have also been terrific.”

Long and Agarwal began playing together this year, and have developed great chemistry in the past month and a half, Agarwal said.

Sophie Gordon/Contributing Photographer

VOLLEY’N IT UP Amelia Feiner (11) smashes her volley.

“The doubles teams in the league have worked very hard to try to beat us, so there is a much more competitive field for the doubles players,” Troop said. “Nonetheless, I’m confident in the ability of our teams.”

Gibby is the number one singles player, has been phenomenal for the past four years, Long said. “She’s been the number one singles player for all four years that she has been on the team and hopes to continue her streak during her last Ivy tournament,” she said.

“She’s an incredible player, and her matches are really intense,” Agarwal said.

“She’s always an energetic spirit on and off the court and she serves as a role model for all the younger girls on the team.”

Allinson, the number two singles player, has also shown a lot of promise and potential, Agarwal said. “She has improved a lot this past year, and her matches are always really exciting to watch, as she’s a perfect combination of power and consistency,” she said.

The team is excited and prepared for the tournament, Thomas said.

They often run match play and other drills with Patric Westoo, a coach from Columbia that helps during the season, Ryu said.

“We have been doing lots of drills to fine tune our skills to feel more confident during matches against other schools,” Thomas said.

“The team wants to do their best and remind the other teams what HM is capable of,” Agarwal said.

Jake Shapiro/Photo Editor

HUDDLE UP Boys Football calling their play.

Touchdown! Football dominates first league game Ranya Sareen Contributing Writer

The Boys Varsity Football team defeated the Harvey School 36-0 in its first league game of the fall season, making the team’s record 3 and 1.

Due to hard work and constant coaching, there were many highlights throughout the league game, Boys Varsity Football Coach Matthew Russo said.

“The first drive was really good and it was a four play drive, meaning that after each play we gained 20 yards, capping it off with a touchdown,” Ben Metzner (12) said. This play set the tone for the whole game, he said.

The interception made by Charlie Silberstein (12) and the prevention of a fumble by Kyle Bernardez (12) were both key points in the game, Joshua Taub (12) said.

“The team could not have won without the extraordinary work put in by each player and the focus implemented on the line of scrimmage,” Ben Goodman (11) said.

The whole team trains hard to learn the defensive and individual position plays, which ultimately paves the way towards more wins, Zachary Brooks (11) said.

Practices this year have been better than those in the past due

to all the players bringing more intensity and devotion to the field, Metzner said.

This season, the coaches have been more focused on live play, a competitive tactic where players compete against each other to better their skills, Metzner said.

Despite having over thirty players on Varsity, maintaining a strong bond between upper and underclassmen has not been difficult because the team is “just like one big family,” Brooks said.

Most interaction comes from individual drills where the upperclassmen step up and teach the younger players on the team, co-Captain Nikhil Ostrander (12) said.

As for the future, the team wants to improve and brush up on their skills, Russo said. With league games against Newark and Dalton coming up, the team hopes to collect more wins, he said.

“We are looking forward to the next two games and the chance to use the same skills we used against Harvey to win,” Goodman said.

By focusing in practice, continuing to analyze films of other teams, and striving to improve, the next and final step is winning the league championship, Taub said.

Jake Shapiro/Photo Editor

SCANNING THE FIELD Brody McGuinn (12) rolls out to avoid sack.