The Horace Mann Record, Issue 26 - Junior Issue 2

The Horace Mann Record JUNIOR ISSUE #2

HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

MAY 10, 2019 || VOLUME 116, ISSUE 26

Javaid Khan ‘92 named Head of Middle Division

Julia Robbins and Hanna Hornfeld Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

Effective July 1, Javaid Khan ‘92 will become the Head of Middle Division, taking over from Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly, who acted as an interim head of the MD for 2018-2019 school year.

Khan has served as the head of upper school at Bank Street School for Children for the past four years, and before that, was the director of diversity at Poly Prep Country Day School.

In his career, Khan has also been an English teacher,, and a faculty member of the NYSAIS Experienced Teachers Institute.

As a student, Khan came to the school in ninth grade. “I’m excited to see what middle school life is like at Horace Mann,” he said. “It’s definitely not an experience that I’ve had, so it feels new to me.”

According to Kelly’s email announcing Khan’s selection for the role of the head of the MD, which was sent out on May 7 to the school community, “Khan was the unanimous choice of the Search Committee.”

The Search Committee consisted of Head of the Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein and Head of the Music Department Timothy Ho who served as Co-Chairs, as well as various other members of the administration, faculty, and school community.

“Mr. Khan combines extensive experience in the classroom, in his

diversity work, and as a school leader,” Levenstein said. “He puts students at the center of his work and seems to approach education with a flexibility of mind that was very appealing to the search committee.”

Head of Admissions Jason Caldwell ‘97 was friends with Khan’s brother when they were both at the school.

Since then, Caldwell has formed a personal relationship with Khan himself, in addition to a professional one. As head of the Upper School at Bank Street, Khan worked on high school matriculation which led him to work with Caldwell for admissions into Horace Mann.

After knowing Khan for many years, Caldwell has noted Khan’s keen sense of the MD and UD admissions process, his love for the school’s community, and his passion for diversity work, Caldwell said.

One area of the MD that Khan has heard could use a fresh input is the assembly system, he said. At Bank Street, Khan helped build a “really robust and really exciting” assembly program that made most students excited to go to assembly every week, he said.

“I just want everyone to be introduced to as many different stories and as many different ideas as possible over the course of the year,” Khan said, regarding his vision for the assembly program. “If there’s room to recreate or to add to what I’ve done or do it in a style that works at Horace Mann, I’m excited about that.”

Khan’s predecessor, Associate

Director of Middle and Upper Division Admissions Robin Ingram, was head of the MD for 14 years before stepping down at the end of last year. When reading Khan’s resume, one phrase in particular stuck out to Ingram. “He wanted kids to experience ‘collective joy,’” she said. “This shows me that he really understands middle school kids, and he wants their experience to be a mixture of academics and and having fun.”

A few weeks ago, Khan came for a day-long visit to the school to meet with different groups of people, ranging from the administrative counsel to Kelly’s eighth grade elective class.

Avi Kumar (8), who is in Kelly’s class, was very impressed when Khan came to visit, he said. “He seemed to really care about what we as students want, and he listened to everything we said,” he said.

Isha Krishnamurthy (8), who is also a member of the class, shares Kumar’s appreciation for Khan’s attention to the students’ thoughts and opinions, she said. “He truly cares about giving the student body a voice and representing us in all his decisions.”

At the end of that day, an open, townhall style meeting was held between Khan and the faculty. “Everyone was very impressed ith Mr. Khan,” MD history teacher and member of the search committee John McNally said.

“He was extremely personable and thoughtful, and seemed like a great person to work with, with a real vision for the school.”

McNally feels that Khan has a lot

astronomical, especially with each bus crossing the bridge three times a day,” Director of Transport Robert Forcelli said.

The projected cost for the new plan is $4,500 to $5,500 per student, a significant decrease from the old system’s $6,500 to $7,500 fee.

Prior to making changes to the New Jersey bus route, SuperTrans sent out a survey to the families, asking if they

stop changes raise new issues for the students.

Gabby Fischberg (10), is one of the students whose schedule is drastically affected by SuperTrans’ new transportation model. She lives in Edgewater, which is about 15 to 20 minutes away from the closest stop in Fort Lee. “If I have to drive there, I might as well drive to school, but my parents

Couresty of Javaid Khan

HEADED FOR PFORZHEIMER Khan to assume role of MD head. to offer to the school, but there is one thing in particular he hopes Khan will bring to the MD, he said. According to McNally, during Khan’s time working at Bank Street he helped implement disciplinary system centered around the idea of “restorative justice,” that places focus on helping students learn and grow from their mistakes.

“The restorative justice model teaches and empowers students to resolve conflicts on their own in small groups,” McNally said. “I think it is an incredibly valuable skill and would build on the work that we are doing in Advisory in terms of relationships and team building.”

Quentin Brooks, an MD math teacher who was also on the search committee, is looking forward to welcoming Khan

into the role of Division Head as well, he said. “I hope that he brings innovative and progressive ideas to help develop and foster middle division students and that he works collaboratively with teachers, department chairs, students and parents,” Brooks said.

Middle school is all about experimenting and learning from experience, Khan said. “Kids, of all ages, are really still figuring it out. And I like that we have an opportunity to be a part of that ‘figuring it out process,’” he said.

As a student at school, Khan formed a close group of ten friends, eight of which are still best friends to this day.

“We are each other’s godfathers,” Khan said. “I hope that I can help kids find those relationships.”

commute shorter since her bus wouldn’t have to stop in Edgewater, she said.

Arutynyan still has to find a way to get to the stop, she said. “If I don’t have a driver’s license by next year or if my parents are away, working around the issue is difficult,” she said.

Both Fischberg and Arutyunyan believe that SuperTrans’ system is a loselose situation, they said. “If they kept going street to street or door to door the

the morning door-to-door and the afternoon communal pick-up option and was disappointed to learn that she would have to drive her daughter to and from the stop, she said.

“Myself and most people in Englewood Cliffs are looking into a private driver,” she said. “If I’m going to drive my daughter a couple miles, I might as well drive her the extra five miles to school.”

Nishtha Sharma’s (11) parents are among those who have attempted to change SuperTrans’ upcoming plan.

Like Fischberg, Sharma, who lives in Saddle River, is 15 to 20 minutes away from the proposed stop. Sharma’s family has decided that despite having taken the bus for six years, she will most likely not take the bus next year as a result of the new routes, she said.

Sharma will have her drivers’ license next fall, so she can start driving to school or carpooling with others, she said. Unfortunately, not all students have the option to pay for a driver or a car; for those living in more secluded parts of New Jersey, there may not be nearly enough students nearby with whom to carpool.

Although Neelima and Anuj Jain P’19 P’27 forgot to fill out the survey, they would have voted for the original doorto-door pickup plan, they said. Their primary concern is about picking up and dropping off their son, Neel, who is a fourth grader. “If both of us are working, we don’t know how Neel is going to get half a mile home,” Neelima said.

“If you’ve been at Horace Mann since lower school and have been picked up same time and place every year, you don’t want to see this change,” Forcelli said. “But it was inevitable, and we knew it was coming.”

SuperTrans to limit New Jersey bus stops for 2019-2020 school year

Vivien Sweet and David Maydan Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

INSIDE

SuperTrans will further reduce the number of bus stops per New Jersey town starting next September; many students will have to find additional modes of transport or wake up earlier to commute to the new stops.

For the past year, SuperTrans has been working with the hill schools to create an entirely new transportation system for students in New Jersey. The system’s new routes will decrease the number of stops in New Jersey from approximately 70 to 11, permanently ending door-to-door service.

The buses will be stopping only once or twice in Closter, Tenafly, Presskill, Fort Lee, Woodcliff Lake, Ridgewood, Englewood Cliffs, and Englewood, where there is the highest concentration of students from the three schools.

“Over the years, there’s been an increase in the number of students who live in more spread out Jersey counties,” General Manager of SuperTrans Shane Young said. “With the commute time, we had buses leaving at 6:30 and kids spending over an hour and a half on the bus, which was ridiculous.”

“SuperTrans showed us maps and at a certain point, there are three vans simultaneously crossing each other at the same exact buildings,” Young said.

An email sent to families cited “increased traffic conditions and a lack of ridership in your service area,” to justify the need for a new routing model.

The prices of tolls on the George Washington Bridge have also been increasing, making the trip even more expensive. “The cost is getting

Juli Moreira/Staff Artist

would prefer a communal bus stop or a more expensive door-to-door bus stop.

Another option was the original doorto-door bus stop plan in the morning, but switch to the communal stop route in the evenings.

The families ended up voting for the new communal stop model, which will go into effect for all New Jersey SuperTrans buses starting in the 20192020 school year.

While SuperTrans is primarily concerned with the efficiency of the routes and cost of their transport, the

Privilege Poor

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Faijul Rhyan (12) discusses income inequality.

don’t have time to do that,” she said. In order to be able to make it it home at a reasonable hour, Fischberg may have to cut down on some of her extracurricular activities, she said.

Although the bus routes have not been finalized, there will definitively be no stop in Edgewater due the lack of students in that town and the traffic in that area, Forcelli said.

Katya Arutyunyan (11), who lives in Fort Lee, is only a three minute car ride from the stop in Fort Lee. For her, the new route will make her morning

Hypebeast and more

4-5

Students’ take on modern fashion trends.

price would increase. Technically, the price is decreasing, but you have to make another sacrifice,” Fischberg said.

Sareena Parikh (9), who lives in Englewood, would have to walk a couple blocks to get to her stop. However, her town doesn’t have any sidewalks, making the winter trek difficult, she said, “If I biked, it would be around a four minute ride, but I’m worried about the ice in the winter,” she said.

However, Saloni Parikh P’22, would “never let [her] daughter bike in the winter,” she said. Parikh voted for

Middle Maniacs!

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New plans for Middle Mania restructuring.

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

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THE RECORD OPINIONS MAY 10TH, 2019

Reflecting on Yom Hashoah Yana Gitelman

Today, Holocaust remembrance is as important as ever. As the number of living Holocaust survivors dwindles, we must uphold their legacies. We must all recognize and staunchly resist anti-semitism in their honor. Yom Hashoah Ve Hagevurah, or Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, should serve in part as a reminder that while the Holocaust itself is history, the anti-semitic and hateful sentiments that fueled it persist.

Set on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Yom Hashoah was intended to emphasize the resistance of Jews in the Holocaust.

That mission is just as important today as it was when the day began in Israel in the late 1950s.

I learned about the Holocaust in school for the first time in fifth grade. I remember feeling disturbed but not personally associated with the event. I would have had the same reaction to learning about a genocide against any other group.

When we revisited the topic in eighth grade I began to connect with it more in terms of my familial history, but I never felt personally endangered.

Each class period that covered this tragedy left me with the message that the Holocaust was horrific, and that it could never happen in our world today.

I saw it as a dark moment that came and went, and I saw the world today as a safe place for Jews.

I would have never considered myself a member of a marginalized group, and I truly believed antisemitism did not exist in America. Despite the fact that many of my friends were Jewish, we rarely talked about Judaism because it did not affect

our lives on a material level. At times, some of my peers would tell Holocaust jokes and perpetuate anti-semitic stereotypes. Occasionally my nonJewish peers would jokingly pick up coins off the ground and hand them to me. If that happened to me in a private middle school in New York City, imagine what happens in areas with smaller Jewish communities. I never truly felt justified expressing any opposition in moments like these out of fear of coming off as sensitive or out of touch with my privilege. Looking back, I am surprised that making light of such a serious topic was considered socially acceptable. I would have a very different reaction to these comments today knowing what I know now.

It wasn’t until recently that I started to associate my Jewish identity with fear. Hearing the news of the Pittsburgh shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue was surreal. The shooter attacked my Jewish and my refugee community. He did so to target the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which brought my parents to the United States and made my life in America possible. He attacked three vital aspects of my identity all in one fell swoop, just 356 miles from my home.

The Pittsburgh shooting made me more aware and proud of my identity than I had ever been before. The mainstream response was disappointing, to say the least. It was only mentioned in one of my classes. Many of my friends had still not heard of the attack a week later.

People hesitated to even call it a terrorist attack, and instead treated it as an isolated incident. Some media outlets and politicians used the example to talk about gun control without addressing the other underlying problem of the hate that brings people to take up arms against a religious group.

While this was a tragic mass shooting, it was not just another example of gun violence. I felt that an opportunity to have an important conversation about anti-semitism today had been ignored.

Furthermore, some people suggested that synagogues should be better prepared for violence.

Although it may be a necessary measure for today’s reality, a world in which synagogues need armed

guards is not a world any of us should want to live in. Walking through metal detectors on my way to Passover seder did not make me feel safer. It recalled the feeling I had after Pittsburgh: fear.

The Poway Synagogue shooting in California last week reminded me once again of the harsh reality that anti-semitism is very much alive today.

No one in my family even mentioned the event, perhaps because the relatively few casualties do not seem to warrant much attention. This hate crime resulted in one death and several injuries, but it should be alarming regardless of these numbers. It was an act of terrorism and should be discussed as one. Pure hate motivated the shooter to attack Jews in their Holy Place on the last day of Passover, and this should be terrifying in itself.

As we talk about the Holocaust it is important to remember that the hate which motivated it are not extinct, and patterns throughout history often repeat themselves. Jews have been persecuted since ancient times, and the tenets of anti-semitic rhetoric still exist today. It is on each and every one of us to point out anti-semitism and to ensure it does not materialize into violence, custom, or legislation. Our government does not have explicitly anti-semitic policy; however, it has also done nothing to prevent the future mass murders of Jews in light of the recent shootings, and does not rule out the possibility of another wave of popular anti-semitism in the future.

In a democracy, the court of public opinion ultimately shapes politics and law, so it is our responsibility to ensure that hatred does not become commonplace. When we hear antisemitic speech, we must explain the factual and moral offense. When we see violent action taken against the Jewish community, we must not be afraid to discuss the larger culture that tolerates and breeds that violence. We deserve better not only as a Jewish community, but as a nation that prides itself on acceptance and religious freedom.

Above all, we deserve better as humans who rely on mutual understanding and love in order to prevent catastrophe.

Telling my grandfather’s story Roey Nornberg My grandfather Arie was released from the BergenBelsen concentration camp in Germany 74 years ago.

By age 10, he had undergone more horrors than most of us will experience in a lifetime. Though he was lucky enough to escape death, close family members of his were not. His sister, at the age of five, was murdered in cold blood right in front of their mother because she cried too loudly while being separated from her. Immediately after my grandfather was released from Bergen-Belsen in 1945, he did the only thing he could do, move to Israel, the Jewish state created to avoid something like the Holocaust from happening again. Today, my grandfather is 84 years old, living in Israel with dementia.

It is now more important than ever that we understand that the last of his generation are now very old, and will pass away soon. Our children will most likely never be able to speak to a Holocaust survivor face to face. This is terrifying to me.

It is vital that we do not let stories like these die out with the people who experienced them so that we know to do everything we can in the present to avoid these atrocities from ever occurring again,no matter the group subjected to it. We must all tell our family’s stories and thoroughly listen to others’ so that we can one day pass them onto our children and make sure their stories are never forgotten.

‘Privileged poor’: discussing money among affluent peers I’ve received a better education than I otherwise would have received; our school’s 100% graduation rate is enough proof of that. This school year, through a combination of work and a lot of luck, I was accepted to one of the best colleges in America.

a great job of making everyone feel welcome and included in the conversations even though we were nervous to be meeting so many new people.

Eventually, our small talk led to us talking about where we came from. I was excited to hear names

Faijul Rhyhan While browsing the New York Times Opinions page in an impressive bout of my senior slump, I came across an article titled “What the Privileged Poor Can Teach Us.” The privileged poor are lower-income students who were placed in private high schools, usually through community based organizations. According to the article, these groups of students go into college well acquainted with the inner workings of a primarily white institution. Consequently, they have an easier time succeeding than their lower-income peers who matriculated from public schools. I am ‘privileged poor.’ I was removed from my distressed public school, attended Prep for Prep, and was placed into a resource-rich private school, Horace Mann, in seventh grade.

I immigrated to the Bronx from Bangladesh when I was two. The odds of someone in my educational district graduating high school is 50%.

Katya Arutyunyan/Art Director

Being ‘privileged poor’ has helped me achieve aspects of what many would call the American Dream, but it has also forced me to adjust to a community of mostly high-income students. In the process, I had to change my relationship with money in order to fit in with my peers.

My first memory of Horace Mann is seventh grade Dorrientation. After a weekend of boating, climbing the Odyssey, and playing card games, the new students sat in a circle in the main building to get to know each other better. The mentors did

Junior Issue #2 Editorial Board Managing Editor Amelia Feiner

Editor in Chief Nelson Gaillard

Features Kiara Royer Simon Yang

News Mayanka Dhingra Madison Li

Lions’ Den Edwin Jin Andrew Cassino

Photography Griffin Smith

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Issues Editor Jude Herwitz

Opinions Abigail Salzhauer Eliza Poster Art Directors Gabrielle Fischberg Katya Arutyunyan

Middle Division Ranya Sareen

A&E Samuel Keimweiss Victor Dimitrov Design Editors Euwan Kim Reena Ye

Online Editor Henry Wildermuth

like ‘Westchester’ or ‘Scarsdale’ because I’d never met anyone from those places. The Upper East Side was a mystery to me since I had never thoroughly explored New York City outside of the Bronx by that point. When I heard someone say that they were from Riverdale, the name clicked. It was the place near Horace Mann! I quickly replied, “Oh, that’s the nice part of the Bronx, right?” I was excited to meet someone else from my borough. She nodded approvingly, and the conversation continued.

Shortly after; however, a friend who I knew from

Staff Writers Malhaar Agrawal, Laura Bae, Steven Borodkin, Andrew Cassino, Mayanka Dhingra, Victor Dimitrov, Amelia Feiner, Mark Fernandez, Nelson Gaillard, Leonora Gogos, Jude Herwitz, Edwin Jin, Spencer Kahn, Samuel Keimweiss, Gabrielle Kepnes, Suraj Khakee Madison Li, Darius McCullough, Noah Phillips, Eliza Poster, Julia Robbins, Kiara Royer, Abigail Salzhauer, Ranya Sareen, Nishtha Sharma, Masa Shiiki, Griffin Smith, Benjamin Wang, Robbie Werdiger, Simon Yang, Isabella Zhang, Izzy Abbott, Bradley Bennett, Sogona Cisse, Jack Crovitz, Jackson Feigin, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Avi Kapadia, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Henry Owens, Emily Shi, Samuel Singer, Sasha Snyder, Vivien Sweet, Natalie Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky, Lucas Glickman, Lauren Ho, Katya Tolunsky Staff Photographers Eva Fortunato, Iliana Dezelic, Griffin Smith, Harrison Haft, Andrew Cassino, Julia Isko, Julia Robbins, Daniel Lee, Ava Merker Staff Artists Elizabeth Fortunato, Alexandra Crotty, Gabrielle Fischberg, Annabelle Chan, Julia Roth

Prep swatted my hand and told me that I “shouldn’t be saying things like that.” I didn’t think much of it and moved on. Looking back now, I realize that this was my first encounter with the stigma surrounding money at Horace Mann.

Money is an important part of our school life.

Having a lightweight laptop in your bag makes it convenient to do work at odd parts of the day, but may also set you back a fair amount. Maintaining a social life without a steady source of income is difficult, and although cutting corners and doing free things in the city is always a possibility, it eventually becomes embarrassing to be the friend that asks to change plans because something is too expensive. Although students have no problem showing off their wealth, when conversations acknowledging privilege come up, it’s suddenly taboo to talk about it. I’ve noticed that when I mention money issues with wealthier friends, the conversations become uncomfortable, disrupted by my friends’ uneasy apologies and awkward silence.

The frequency of uncomfortable conversations surrounding money eventually led me to stop bringing it up. When I had a personal issue that involved money, I kept it to myself instead of sharing it with friends. As a senior, I’ve learned to be unapologetic about my financial status, but as a younger student, I didn’t have the same attitude.

Even as early as Dorrientation, I understood that my experience wasn’t something I could talk about.

I felt like I had my experience erased, which made coping even more difficult. Not talking about the struggles of a significant part of the school community is discounting their experiences and marginalizing them.

Students shouldn’t have to avoid talking about income for fear that they’re making their peers uncomfortable because neglecting discussion of financial adversity perpetuates exclusivity and alienates lower-income students. Although these discussions may be uncomfortable at first, we, as a student body should push ourselves to be more open to engaging in difficult conversations about wealth, financial aid, and everyday struggles with money. The financial demographics of the school community do not mirror the real world; it’s time we step out of our bubble and acknowledge privilege so that we can create a more inclusive community.

HORACE MANN NEWS MAY 10TH, 2019 Courtesyof ofChloe ChloeKim Kim Courtesy

Symposium explores health disparities Emily Shi and Yesh Nikam Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

FAMILY FIRST Chloe Kim poses with her father and grandparents.

Chloe Kim launches nonprofit to raise academic funds for North Korean refugees

Adam Frommer and Maya Nornberg Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

The Bao Sei Foundation, founded

by Chloe Kim (11), culminated nearly two years of research and preparation with its launch event to celebrate raising $173,000 to help fund education for North Korean refugees in the US. The foundation’s mission is to help refugees gain access to the lives that they deserve through an encouraging support system and by funding their education, Chloe said.

The event took place on Monday night at Gaonurri, a restaurant in Koreatown, with hundreds of attendees including Chloe’s friends and family as well as students and faculty from the school.

“Initially, we hoped that the main focus of the event would be to raise funds, but we have already received an overwhelming amount of support through friends and family,” Chloe said. To raise money, Chloe set up a GoFundMe page, a website on which one can create a donation page, so people could donate to the foundation.

Because of the tremendous support, the focus of the event was to celebrate the foundation and articulate the importance of the cause rather than simply fundraising, Chloe said.

Friend and attendee Charlotte Konopko (11) was impressed by Chloe’s work, she said. “People don’t think [high school students] have the ability to have that much of an impact at this age, so it was inspiring to see her use her resources to produce something for the betterment of others,” Konopko said.

“It was so professionally done for a high school student to pull off what

adults would find difficult to do,” event attendee and history teacher Dr. Elisa Milkes said.

Speakers included Dr. Stephen Noerper, human rights violations expert, Grace Meng, the current congresswoman representing New York’s 6th congressional district in Queens and the first Asian-American congresswoman to represent New York.

Robert Boynton, director of NYU’s Literary Reportage concentration, spoke as well.

Joseph Kim, a North Korean refugee, human rights activist, and collaborator with Chloe, spoke about his experience escaping and immigrating to the US at the event.

Joseph brought to light the challenges that refugees face in assimilating into the US, attendee Jack Crovitz (10) said.

Crovitz had always known about the dangers of escaping the North Korea but never refugees’ struggles to navigate through a completely new society, he said.

“To know that Chloe is going to help someone else in a similar position [to Joseph’s] is very moving and uplifting,” Milkes said.

Among supporters is Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly. “I can’t imagine a more thoughtful initiative to support than one that involves family and education,” Kelly said. “The fact that the Bao Sei Foundation is also operated by an HMer, Chloe, makes supporting it even easier.”

86 donors have contributed to the cause since the GoFundMe page opened on March 29.

Chloe herself didn’t expect the amount of support she has received, she said. “When I set the goal, I thought that we should set the goal to be 50k, Chloe said. “My dad suggested that we instead [set the goal] to 100k, thinking that

there was no way that we were going to reach it, but we were able to reach 100k within two weeks.”

The name “Bao Sei” is an anglicized version of Chloe’s grandfather’s childhood nickname when he lived in North Korea, she said. Due to tensions that broke out, her grandfather relocated to the southern portion with his father and elder brother while his mother and sister stayed back. The foundation’s name is a tribute to Kim’s great-grandmother and great-aunts who remained in North Korea.

“I realized that most of the topics of conversation about North Korea were about the politics of the country, while the human rights were often forgotten,” Chloe said. “Upon this realization, I discovered that I had a desire to give back to the people who are in situations that my grandfather was once in.”

In her research process, Chloe met Joseph and discovered that he only received financial aid to cover academic costs, while his other basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter were left uncared for.

“It was jarring for me to hear because you think that these people have escaped from one of the most terrible places on earth, and now he is here in America, the so-called land of ‘opportunity,’ and he is eating a packet of ramen a day,” Chloe said.

After Chloe’s relentless hard work and passion, the event was especially gratifying for her father, Jay Kim. “When Chloe confidently took the stage and held the attention of everyone in that room to tell her story, I realized that she’s no longer my baby girl but rather a well prepared, intelligent compassionate young woman who’s ready for what lies ahead,” Jay said.

The Health Disparities Club showcased strategies for students to take action regarding health disparities in their communities in its second annual symposium.

Speakers included Health Disparities Club President Malhaar Agrawal (11), Assistant Director of New York State Office of Minority Health Disparities Wilma Alvarado-Little, Founder of nonprofit BEAT STAGE 3 Diane Nathaniel, and Sofia Luciano, a fourth grade student at the Brooklyn Emerging Leader Academy, the school at which Nathaniel teaches.

The club created the symposium in order to inform the student body and increase awareness regarding the issue of health disparities, which are preventable differences in health that can be affected by status, race and other factors, Health Disparities Club Secretary Shrey Sahgal (11) said. “Their consequences are widespread and affect all communities, but very few people tend to be aware of the severity of the issue.”

Agrawal planned this event as an extension of his own work with his nonprofit Health Disparity, with which he focuses on community outreach and health education, he said.

“As a school focused on the power of community service and diversity, it’s necessary to protect diversity through the lens of a social justice issue,” Agrawal said. “We are hoping students will take this experience to educate adults in their community about health disparities and genetic predispositions.”

The presentation began with Alvarado-Little’s speaking about ways in which the New York state government has been working to achieve greater health equity and address health issues.

Sarah Sun (10), who attended the event, felt inspired by Alvarado-Little’s discussion about health literacy, as she addressed how literacy rates affect the quality of patient care, she said.

Alvarado-Little introduced the topic of health literacy by giving examples of how public healthcare personnel can use information about literacy to change their decision-making and increase accessibility in regions with non-English speakers.

While planning, Agrawal focused on searching for a speaker that represents New York and is actively involved with healthcare policy. “New York is one of the few states with a minority office, and Ms. Alvarado-Little seemed like the best [speaker] to show how New York is leading the nation in fighting against health disparities,” he said.

After Alvarado-Little, Nathaniel spoke about her own battle with stage III colon cancer and how she founded her nonprofit. “It’s never too early to get involved with existing networks and agencies. I was 44. We tend to believe it won’t affect us because we’re so young, but I was probably already sick at 33 because stage III colon cancer takes ten years to manifest,” she said.

Nathaniel views her nonprofit as an innovative approach to spreading awareness in communities of color about health disparities and the importance of regular screenings, she said.

“Our world is set up not to talk about things that make us uncomfortable; disparities don’t just occur through color and education– sometimes it’s simply cultural,” Nathaniel said.

After listening to Nathaniel’s encouraging words, Vincent Li (9), who attended the symposium, hopes to take action himself by informing more people and garnering support for the fight against health disparities, he said.

Agrawal contacted Nathaniel after hearing her speak at a nonprofit event at which he felt inspired by her story as a survivor who took her experience to become an activist in the Brooklyn community, he said.

“If the new generation wants to live through important milestones in their life, they have to figure out an innovative way to make an impact on health disparities,” Nathaniel said.

Daniel Lee/Staff Photographer

HEALTH DISPARITIES A speaker presents at the symposium.

Ryan Jonas named New Yorker of the Week for service through art Marina Kazarian Staff Writer

Spectrum News NY1 named Ryan Jonas (11) New Yorker of the Week for his non-profit organization “Bronx Built” that uses crochet to bring communities together and help deal with poverty in the Bronx.

Founded in 2015 by Ryan and Tyler Jonas (12), Bronx Built is a sustainable organization that combines social impact with a retail business.

Its main focus is to help eradicate poverty in the United States, starting in the Bronx with partner organization LIFT communities.

The program teaches individuals to loom so Courtesy of Ryan Jonas

GIVING BACK Ryan Jonas poses with his book.

that they can generate additional income for their families, Ryan said. In addition to teaching participants a new skill, the program also takes place in a stress-free, bilingual environment with childcare and meals for the participants and their families, he said.

Participants are paid 15 dollars per hat they complete, which Bronx Built sells to stores in the community. Profits from the hats are reinvested into the organization, Sena Taveras, Operations Associate at LIFT-New York, and Christine Kang, Program Director at LIFT-New York, said.

“Due to the impact of Bronx Built’s program, parents continue to return on a weekly basis for the two hour crochet club, allowing them to socialize and increase their savings one hat at a time,” Tavernas and Kang said.

The program initially began with crocheting as it is easily teachable to others, Ryan said. After a few classes, they switched to looming in order to make hats at a faster rate and experience a greater sense of accomplishment, he said.

Ryan is also the author of What Is Your Impact: Become a Social Entrepreneur, a book designed to inform people of the impact they can make through social entrepreneurship. All profits from the book are reinvested into Bronx Built, Ryan said.

Spectrum News received word of Bronx Built

3

after a promotor Ryan’s book, What Is Your Impact: Become a Social Entrepreneur, reached out via email nominating Ryan as New Yorker of the Week, multimedia journalist at NY1 Leisha Majtan, who shoots, writes, and edits all of the New Yorker of the Week pieces, said.

Spectrum News looks to honor someone who donates time, is passionate about a cause, or makes a difference– no matter how big or small– in someone’s life, she said. “Ryan exhibits all of those qualities– and at such a young age,” Majtan said.

“The biggest impact of [being named] New Yorker of the Week has been the community outreach. We have been offered yarn donations and other opportunities to partner with organizations to help address poverty,” Ryan said.

Ryan and Tyler have been involved in service initiatives both inside and outside of school for most of their lives. Ryan joined the service learning team in ninth grade and has been a leader of the team as Arts Activities Coordinator since his sophomore year, Director of the Center for Community Values & Action (CCVA) Dr. Jeremy Leeds said.

“From Caring in Action days in the Lower Division, HM Lead in Middle School, and the Service Learning Team in the Upper Division, Tyler and Ryan always had an interest in helping other people, in part because Horace Mann infused

in them a sense of citizenship and a commitment to others,” their mother Bonnie Jonas P’19 P’20 said.

Bonnie Jonas served in the public sector for over 18 years, setting an example for her children in terms of helping their community. “Given my government service, we have had discussions within our family about our civic duty to give back to our country, neighborhood and community,” she said.

Ryan and Tyler’s devotion to the Bronx community is what led them to create Bronx Built, Tyler said.

The Bronx Built organization has greatly expanded since its creation four years ago. “We started with a weekly class at our first community partner, LIFT Communities, and we have since added a weekly, year-round class at Sanctuary for Families,” Ryan said.

Ryan and Tyler also have vested interests in social entrepreneurship, translated not only into Bronx Built but also into the school’s Social Impact Investment Club.

“Giving back to my New York community is something I’m incredibly passionate about, and I love that I’m able to spread this message and open young people’s minds to the world of social entrepreneurship,” Ryan said.

4

THE RECORD FEATURES MAY 10TH, 2019

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Even if the sh Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

Julia Goldberg and Rowan Mally Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

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“It’s crazy to see the hype around a specific shoe or brand nowadays,” Ethan Irushalmi (10) said. “Every brand has their own app, and to get their shoes you have to reserve them on the app, go to their stores and wait on line, or just know people.”

Recently, brands have gained great influence over the younger generations, especially through the promotion of their products by influencers, and have now been able to sell out “rare” sneakers for ridiculous prices within seconds, Spencer Rosenberg (9) said.

“I think it’s interesting that a pair of shoes released for $160 can be resold for over $1,000 just because of the influence that its name has,” Rosenberg said.

Rare sneakers have their pros and cons, Armaan Kakodkar (10) said. “If it’s rare, and no one else has it, it’s more special to you.

You managed to acquire something not many people had,” he said.

“In regard to resell culture, I find that it’s just that: a culture,” Rohan Bhatia (11) said.

“It’s common denominator among our society.

We all wear shoes, every day, and people that wanted to profit off of our need for shoes did so by creating the resell culture.” Bhatia also thinks some shoes are associated with a social class, and that some people think that owning these shoes elevates them into a new tier in society, he said.

Giacomo Maroni (9) used to be more interested in these so-called “rare sneakers,” but since then he has realized that there isn’t really a point to them, he said. “Instead of wearing an expensive pair of rare shoes, I could just find a comfortable pair for half the price,” he said.

Elyse Gay (10) loves these rare sneakers and thinks they are completely worth their price, she said. “I think that the idea comes from the craftsmanship,” she said. “Also, a lot of rare sneakers, like 1985 Air Jordan 1s, which are the first Air Jordans ever made, are valued for their history.”

However, Kakodkar said that it’s a little ridiculous how much specific items will inflate by. “Obviously, the price is a huge con; what’s rare will be really expensive,” he said.

“However, if you’re the one reselling them, then it is possible to make a big profit.”

Irushalmi himself resells shoes with a high market value, he said. “Most of the time, I just get my shoes to wear, but if I can get multiple pairs of the same one, I’ll sell the extras,” Irushalmi said.

“A shoe can make an outfit; there are definitely shoes, whether it be sneakers or another type, that can make an outfit pop,” Gay said. “There are also definitely certain shoes that just don’t go with a certain outfit and its color or pattern.”

“I dress relatively simply, but I always try to wear nice shoes,” Kakodkar said. Although he wears a standard pair to school most days, once or twice a week he might alternate, he said.

Ultimately, Gay prioritizes comfort. “I mostly wear sneakers to school, and I’ve never had shoes that were uncomfortable in any way,” she said.

“I wear Adidas most days because I think they’re an easy, comfortable, everyday shoe,” Irushalmi said. Though he sometimes switches it up, he typically wears the same pair to school.

Bhatia simply looks for comfortable shoes to get him through the day. “I feel like everyone has a few pairs that they wear to formal events, or even a pair that they never wear. I have this one pair of customized Air Force 1s that I got when I was 11 and can’t fit, but still keep,” he said.

Gay doesn’t really have a standard shoe that she wears everyday, she said. “I have around 20 pairs of shoes. I mostly wear sneakers, but the type of sneaker usually changes everyday or every other day.”

For Rosenberg, style and comfort are of equal importance. “While it is important to be able to show and express your style, it is also important to be comfortable throughout the school day,” Rosenberg said.

Lauren Ho and Patrick Stinebaugh Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

ec Arts Dir schberg/ Gabby Fi

Walking in the school’s hallways, one may venture through a crowd of colorful book bags. Most people wear traditional or common backpacks around the school all throughout the year. It is a tradition at the school for seniors in the last semester to carry absurd backpacks, ranging from a Hello Kitty bag to a garbage bag.

Richard He (12), who believes that the functionality of the bag is the most important, chose not to have a senior backpack because it was impractical for him, he said.

A senior backpack

Andie Goldmacher and Lucas Glickman Staff Writers Bracelets, rings, necklaces, and more adorn students every day and define their school style.

Students have varying definitions of what an accessory can be. “An accessory is a little thing that elevates your outfit and allows you to have more confidence in yourself,” Mekhala Mantravadi (9) said.

“Accessories make it obvious to you that this person is consciously trying to portray an image of themselves that represents who they perceive themselves to be,” Leonora Gogos (11) said.

Gogos believes that a great outfit is not complete without accessories. “I think they’re the best way to express yourself even when you dress casually, as you would at school or work.”

“I like to accessorize because it’s fun and vintage, and second-hand shopping can make accessorizing unique,” Office of Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity Associate Candice Powell-Caldwell said.

However, finding a price limit while shopping can be difficult. “I want to be smart while shopping and not overspend, but there is no necessary negative to accessorizing,” Powell-Caldwell said.

Some students, such as Teddy Ganea (9), believe that accessories should always have a practical use.

“I wear my glasses for a practical application, not for style,” he said.

Others wear jewelry not only to express their personal style but also for sentimental value.

“Most of the jewelry I wear I keep on every day and don’t take off, especially because they were passed down to me,” Eden Plepler (10) said.

“Over time, I developed a special tie to each of my accessories. Some, for instance, have been passed down for generations. Other pieces, however, remind me of my friends, family, and experiences,” Nina Mussa (10) said.

Gogos wears three specific rings at all times that were passed down to her by her family, she said. “My grandma gave them to my mom when she graduated from medical school. When I visited my grandma in Greece this past summer, I showed her I was wearing them and she burst into

tor

was simply not practical enough as he carries around many items every day.

Robbie Werdiger (11) also believes that practicality is important as he carries a lot of materials, he said. “I had pain in bottom of my lower back, and I switched to a rollie bag to see if it would relieve pain, which it did.”

However, for many seniors, the backpacks are a way to express themselves, regardless of practicality.

Jackson Stinebaugh (12) carries around a golf bag as his senior backpack, and he believes that “senior backpacks are a mood lightener when the stress is going away,” he said.

For Stinebaugh, the decision to carry a golf bag was simple: he plays a lot of golf, and his sister had an old golf bag she wasn’t using anymore.

Although Stinebaugh used an old golf bag, many other seniors purchase a new backpack for the tradition. For Nader Granmayeh (12), purchasing a new briefcase for his senior backpack was an easy decision, he said. “It’s the type of personality I am, and I thought it would be funny.”

Granmayeh loves carrying his briefcase. “It’s convenient and it’s lighter. People should definitely do a [senior backpack]. It’s a lot of fun. It’s very special,”Granmayeh said.

tears,” Gogos said.

Many students believe that the sentimental value of their accessories is what makes them priceless. “The price is not equivalent to the accessory’s actual value. The value actually relies on whatever that accessory means to you,” Mussa said.

However, not all students feel an emotional connection to their jewelry. “My necklace says my name on it, so it is meaningful to me, but my bracelets are just gifts,” Joelle Maddan (9) said.

“I know there is a lot of sentimental value attached to the necklace my mom wore when she got married, but none of my accessories hold a lot of sentimental value,” Ganea said.

Students also wear accessories that represent their religious beliefs. Gogos always wears a necklace with a cross on it, she said. Kyle Gaillard (12) wears a religious chain with the head of Jesus, he said.

Regardless of the reason, students often vary their accessories based on the occasion. “My style does not change, but the amount of jewelry I wear changes when I go out,” Plepler said.

Gogos often wears ten necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings, so she does not put on much more jewelry when she goes out, she said. “Earlier this year, I would wear around ten necklaces at once at all times.”

Most students believe that jewelry does not disrupt learning in any way. “No one is going to stop paying attention just because something is shiny,” Maddan said.

“Unless a piece of jewelry is really heavy and physically burdening the person wearing it, I don’t think jewelry disrupts the learning environment,” Ganea said.

Adam Bellaiche (9) believes that accessorizing can be negative if it is inappropriate, not the right occasion, or just unnecessary, he said.

“Jewelry can be distracting if a person wears too much because they are getting too much attention.

It also depends if a person is easily distracted by certain items,” Gaillard said.

“On a superficial level, accessories enhance my outfit, but on a more personal level, the majority of my accessories provide me with a mechanism to differentiate myself from others,” Mussa said.

On the contrary, He “didn’t want to buy a backpack that he would use for two months,” as it didn’t sound like a financially sound decision, he said. However, He is not bothered by the other seniors following the tradition of senior backpacks.

During the old trimester system, seniors bought senior backpacks for the third trimester, but with the new semester system, some buy the backpacks at the start of second semester.

However, Stinebaugh believes the semester system doesn’t change anything, as he “started wearing his backpack in what would have been the third trimester anyway,” he said.

Arya Patel (10) changes her backpack every two years to fit her needs and the current trend, she said.

Although clothes are commonly thought of as the only way to express one’s style, a carefully selected backpack can add to an outfit as an accessory, Patel said.

JJ Ryu (11) selected her backpack because it was trendy at that time, she said. Now, however, she never buys new backpacks, because “it’s annoying and I like my backpack now,” she said.

For Caroline Scherr (11), who carries around a stuffed backpack, “buying a new backpack isn’t something that happens annually, but rather something that happens after my old one breaks,” she said.

5

HORACE MANN FEATURES MAY 10TH, 2019

oe fits, sell it

Hypebeast Bradley Bennett and Walker McCarthy Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

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“Wearing clothes from brands like Virgil Abloh and Supreme comes with a toll. Knowing that you are going to be judged everywhere you go, kids will always be talking behind your back about what you wear,” George Harris (9) said.

The term “hypebeast” has taken the fashion world by storm.

Brands associated with hypebeast culture have traditionally been streetwear companies like Supreme, Off-White, and Bape, but recently the brands that are most representative of hypebeast culture include Palace, Balenciaga, Champion, and others, Alexa Watson (11) said.

For James Thomas (9), “a hypebeast is someone who wears expensive name brands that are trendy at the moment just for the sake of wearing them,” he said.

Students have differing opinions about the definition of a hypebeast, Harris said. “Some people gossip about hypebeasts because they are jealous, mainly because that merchandise is expensive. Others believe that a hypebeast looks like an entitled brat who is entirely focused on their appearance,” he said.

The term hypebeast can be defined as a “culture of celebrities popularizing certain brands and styles, which has become a trend among young people who want to be on the same level as these icons through their clothing,” Sidh Chawla (11) said.

Although some individuals turn people away with their hypebeast clothing, it is not uncommon for students at the school to use expensive hypebeast goods to show off. “The high price points of these brands are well known, but people wear it anyway because the hypebeast culture is its own group culture,” Eden Plepler (10) said. “When you’re wearing this type of clothing, you become part of the culture.”

Wearing “cool” items, keeping up with fashion trends, and being original are factors that make a hypebeast. “I would say wearing cool stuff, keeping up with fashion, and most importantly being original are what makes a hypebeast,” Dylan O’Reilly (9) said.

With the growth of hypebeast culture, a variety of retailers has created less expensive alternatives to traditional hypebeast apparels, O’Reilly said. “For example, you can go to Forever 21, Zara, or Uniqlo, and pick up clothing that still looks cool,” O’Reilly said.

“People are more attracted to certain brands, and people can ‘get away’ with stuff that looks cool and looks similar to hypebeast clothing,” Thomas said. “But you have to make sure that you don’t wear anything that looks like you’re ripping off the hypebeast clothes because you’ll then get a lot of flak.”

The school has experienced its own hypebeast rise over the past several years, as some students have become more involved in the world of fashion and design.

Harris believes that even though there aren’t many hypebeasts at the school, the kids who do wear “hype” clothing often become obsessive and even over the top, he said. “It becomes their whole lifestyle and [it’s] all they care about,” Harris said.

For Thomas, hypebeast culture has not impacted the classroom environment, but it has definitely changed the atmosphere at school, he said. “I feel like kids are too attached to what they are wearing and less concerned about other parts of their lives and those of others.”

Science Teacher Dr. Rachel Mohammed believes that “the level of respect [between students] is brought about by the implicit biases we have in the way we judge and interact with other people based on their appearance, including the price of clothing,” Mohammed said.

“What students wear can affect how they see themselves and the view that others have of them,” Spencer Rosenberg (9) said.

However, outside of class, the trend has become a part of school life as social groups have formed around hypebeast clothing.

Alexa Watson (11), who resells hypebeast merchandise, believes that certain friend groups form as a result of the hypebeast culture, she said.

However, students at the school make a distinction between classmates who appreciate fashion and those who wear brands including Bape and Supreme simply for the brands’ reputation.

“Few kids who wear hype clothing actually appreciate fashion, especially younger students,” Watson said.

“There is a smaller group of students who appreciate hypebeast culture’s evolution and the way streetwear is used as a means of expression.”

“At first, people buy hypebeast stuff because it signifies wealth, but then as a person gets into the hypebeast mentality, it becomes a lifestyle,” Harris said. “People continue to buy clothing and shoes, not as a way to brag, but it becomes who you are, and you have to embrace it.”

“Many kids like to see their favorite actors, rappers,

How would you define “hypebeast” culture? thes” o l c e e “Bouj

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or athletes wearing the same brands they wear, and they aspire to be like their idols,” O’Reilly said.

“Kanye West’s brand, Yeezy, is a major part of the hypebeast culture, and kids feel like they can wear Kanye’s music through his fashion,” Chawla said.

Brands have capitalized on the publicity that comes with celebrity attention in order to expand their customer base.

“The rise of social media makes it easy for people to publicize what they wear,” Nina Mussa (10) said. “The number of people who wear hypebeast clothing has grown exponentially because it has become so publicized.”

“People are drawn to these hypebeast brands not for the clothes in and of themselves, but instead because of what they represent,” Alex Nathan (9) said.

“People like the designs, but when it comes to clothes, it is mainly focused on the brand; people often make the decision based on the brand name, which in many cases is connected to higher prices,” O’Reilly said.

At school, Ricky Lipsey (9) believes that “the hypebeast trend is bad because students spend ridiculous amounts of money on brands like Supreme not because they like the clothing, but because they want to look cool,” he said.

“The obsession with hypebeast clothing only feeds into the school’s absolute fixation on material goods,” Nathan said.

“Some students who wear hypebeast apparel act as if they are better than those who don’t have some piece of clothing or pair of shoes with a brand’s logo on them,” Rosenberg said.

Other students have different explanations for the behavior of some hypebeasts.

“I would say that the reason people have negative associations with our school’s hypebeasts is not because hypebeast clothing alters an individual’s personality, but instead because the hypebeast trend, at least at Horace Mann, attracts people who are willing to pay two thousand dollars for a pair of shoes,” Watson said.

Though hypebeasts have their critics, other students support the trend. “If you are wearing clothing that makes you feel happy, confident, and good about yourself, then that shouldn’t cause problems for others,” Daniela Koplin (9) said.

Students at the school have capitalized on the hypebeast “rush” by taking part in the resale of hypebeast merchandise, Watson said.

Those who are quick enough to purchase these goods are able to resell them at hugely marked up prices and make hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, Lipsey said.

“I was able to buy Travis Scott’s shoe for $175, but it now resells on StockX [a high-end fashion resale site] for more than $1000,” Lipsey said.

Watson also resells hypebeast clothing to fellow students and even international buyers.

“Although most of my customers are from overseas, I definitely sell clothes and shoes to kids in the Middle and Upper Division,” Watson said. “Most kids at HM who I sell to are underclassmen, the majority of whom are freshmen, and even seventh and eighth graders.”

Regardless of the difference in opinions, “hypebeast culture has taken on a unique role at the school,” Harris said. “It is a way for people to make money, connect with celebrities, and even express themselves through fashion.”

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“Overvaluation of fabric” “People trying to flex on each other by wearing glorified sweatpants (but it’s cool because it says the brand name on it, right?)”

6

THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT MAY 10TH, 2019

Looking into Laucharoen: An artist in our midst Natalie Sweet Staff Writer

“It’s absurd how so many students still don’t know about Mr. Laucharoen’s prolific career as an amazing artist, despite the fact that he’s been at the school for so long,” Amrita Acharya ‘18 said.

Unbeknownst to many students, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and drawing and painting teacher Prawat Laucharoen is also an artist who has his own studio in downtown Manhattan and collaborates with artists all over the world.

This year is Prawat’s Laucharoen’s last year teaching at the school. After retirement from teaching, he plans on traveling all over the world, and creating new projects or joining an artist’s residency, he said.

Laucharoen’s peaceful presence will be sorely missed on campus next year, Curator of Student Art Kim Do said. Do has been friends with Laucharoen since they entered the school together in 1985.

Laucharoen has been interested in art since he was a young child, he said. Growing up in Ratchaburi, Thailand, he remembers being obsessed with drawing in lower and middle school, more so than other kids his age.

“When most kids finished homework, they always ran outside to kick the football, but I stayed inside to paint pictures,” he said.

The first time his art was recognized as something truly special was in his sophomore year of high school. “I carved a lotus leaf out of wood and a little frog out of the same piece of wood,” Laucharoen said. “The headmaster took the sculpture and put it on a television show, and soon enough, the producer asked to buy it.”

Laucharoen’s projects aim to bring people from different corners of the world together to collaborate, he said. His most recent proposal, titled “Global Issues in Sentences,” plans to Courtesy of Mr. Laucharoen

ON DISPLAY A multi-medium work. bring together printmakers from different parts of the world to work together on a piece about the environment, he said.

Other pieces by Laucharoen highlight his strong connection to his Thai heritage. For example, in a large exhibit at Chulalongkorn

Courtesy of Mr. Laucharoen

THE PROVERBS MY BROTHER TAUGHT ME Laucharoen’s work in a gallery.

University, he displayed his ties to his native home by illustrating five proverbs he recalled from his childhood through sculptures and prints. Titled “The Proverbs My Brother Taught Me,” this exhibition has been presented in the United States as well.

Though Do has seen many of Laucharoen’s pieces, one of Laucharoen’s shows in Manhattan that was particularly memorable to Do combined sculpture and printmaking, he said. “In one piece, a sculpture was hung from the ceiling and it scratched lines in the etching plates,” he said.

“Then, he made prints from the etching plates and hung them on the wall next to his sculpture.”

Laucharoen’s pride in his culture has inspired many of his students as well. Since Ryan Eastep (12) is half Thai, he appreciates taking a class with Laucharoen, the only Thai teacher at the school, Eastep said.

Laucharoen’s work is very prominent on campus too. This past fall on the Fisher balcony, Laucharoen used acids that would evaporate on plates and leave marks in them, and then created a series of prints using these plates, Do said. At the same time, Laucharoen and Do collaborated to create photo silkscreens and paintings, Do said.

By showing the process of how his art is created, Laucharoen expressed his vision to inspire others to do the same, Do said. “I learn constantly by his example about how to be creative and not have so much ego in my artwork,” he said.

Laucharoen’s talent and experience is very evident in class, Bradley May (12) said. “Whenever he’s showing me how to do something, his art is always the example, what he’s able to do in five minutes in incredible,” he said.

Another aspect of Laucharoen’s art that is particularly memorable is its practicality, Paul Wang (11), who is in Laucharoen’s Ceramics 1

I have in mind for my piece,” Eastep said.

Ari Moscona-Skolnik (12) shares Eastep’s sentiment. “Laucharoen is a very invested teacher, and his attitude is centered around the fact the the class is a space for kids to enjoy art,” he said.

As Laucharoen’s students move into higher level art classes, his increased encouragement for the students to pursue the art they want to create is noticeable, May said.

“In ninth grade, when I was in Printmaking 1, he would teach us about a certain art style and we would try to mimic it,” May said. “Now, we make projects from our own ideas, and he guides us through them, which has a sense of freedom to it.”

Many students feel that Laucharoen is a very approachable teacher in different ways.

Outside of Laucharoen’s artistic teaching, Wang especially appreciates how Laucharoen shares his own passions with the class, because it really shows how much he cares about the students.

Emma Colacino/Contributing Photographer

class. “In his demonstrations to our class, not only is he always experimenting, but his art serves a practical purpose,” Wang said. “For example, he uses the cups and pitchers he makes in class for everyday purposes such as pouring and drinking.”

“His work is certainly his own,” Do said.

“Though the word ‘unique’ is overused in art, there are not many other people who combine printmaking and sculpture the way he does.”

Aside from being an incredibly talented artist, Laucharoen is also an excellent teacher in and out of the classroom. By putting an emphasis on staying focused during class time, Laucharoen pushes students to create their best possible art, Eastep said.

“Though he tries not to help us once we get started, I appreciate that he lets me explore what Emma Colacino/Contributing Photographer

FROM THE MIND OF A MASTER Laucharoen shares his knowledge.

TEACHING WITH CARE Laucharoen helps out.

During one class, for example, Laucharoen showed Wang’s class a documentary about terracotta soldiers, which was very enlightening, he said.

“He is such an amazing person,” Wang said.

“I feel like I have learned so much from his teaching in and outside the classroom setting.”

Acharya, who first met Laucharoen when he was a substitute for her drawing and painting class, appreciates the time he put into talking to the students. Together, they started the Tea Club, a small group of about seven seniors who met in Laucharoen’s office to make tea out of herbs on his tabletop stove during the break period, she said.

Laucharoen looks back on gatherings with students such as the Tea Club as the highlights of his teaching career at Horace Mann. “I remember a small Christmas party we had right before break; it was filled with great conversation of just about everything and anything,” he said.

“These kinds of friendships with students and teachers allow us to learn, teach, and grow from each other.”

Imai and Kaiser to pursue dual degrees in music Talia Winiarsky and Yin Fei Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

For some students, making music is more than a hobby; it is a lifelong passion. Cindy Kaiser (12) and Mieu Imai (12) will continue their study of music in college as they pursue degrees in both music and an academic subject.

A dual-degree program allows students to study two different fields at the same time in order to receive two separate degrees.

Imai will begin a dual-degree program at Harvard University and the Berklee School of Music this upcoming academic year, where she is planning to study biomedical engineering and violin performance, she said.

Similarly, Kaiser is pursuing two degrees from Lawrence University, one in an academic subject from the main University and the other in flute performance and music education from the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, she said.

The choice to study music at a higher level was an easy one, Kaiser said. “Music was my first language,” she said.

Kaiser remembers that at three years old, she was unable to speak, but she loved to listen to music. “The one thing I could understand when I was younger was the music in The Little Mermaid. I would listen to ‘Part of Your World’ over and over again.” That was the point when Kaiser first developed a love for music, she said.

Imai, on the other hand, decided to enroll in the program because music and academic subjects are both facets of her principle goal to improve the lives of others, she said.

“I want to help people through biomedical engineering, and I also want to see people become happy from my performances,” Imai said.

Imai is a very experienced performer and enjoys playing in front of large crowds, but her favorite audiences are those that don’t normally have access to music, such as people in hospitals or elderly homes, she said.

Dual-degree programs are notorious for their rigor, Imai said.

Some of Imai’s mentors advised her not to enroll in the program because of its high workload.

“I was encouraged to focus on one and continue the other as a hobby,” she said.

Music teacher Michael Bomwell did not participate in a dualdegree program himself but studied alongside peers who did. “It seemed like a monumental undertaking,” Bomwell said.

One alumnus currently in the Harvard-Berklee program, Emily Spector ‘17, said that her high school experience prepared her for the intense demands of the program.

The music department is confident in the students’ ability.

“Kaiser and Imai are incredibly focused and thoughtful in their approach to music,” music teacher Nathan Hetherington said.

Imai is the leader of the violin section for both Orchestra and Sinfonietta. When Alex Oh (10) joined Sinfonietta last year, he found that Imai was a role model for others. “She’s a fun person to be around and brings good energy to rehearsals,” he said.

Kaiser is one of the presidents of Wind Ensemble, where she

Gabrielle Fischberg/Art Director

mostly plays flute and sometimes piccolo, she said. “Kaiser is an example of what every Wind Ensemble member should strive to be,” band member Amiya Mehrotra (11) said.

Kaiser’s mother suggested to her that she play flute when she was in fifth grade. “I have to give my mom credit for everything she’s done, including coming with me to all my auditions,” Kaiser said.

Imai is looking forward to being able to pursue both academics and music. “Hopefully within the next few years, I’ll see a connection between music and biomedical engineering,” she said.

Although Imai aspires to have a profession in the medical field, she plans to keep music in her life, as it has been for the past 14 years. “Music has shaped me into who I am today,” Imai said.

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HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION MAY 10TH, 2019

From Middle to Mini Mania Singing into Spring

Avi Kapadia and Kate Feiner Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

“Mini Mania,” a battle of grades, will take place instead of Middle Mania on May 13th. In past years, Middle Mania has been a day filled with athletic and intellectual competitions.

There were five teams (Red, Yellow, Blue, Black, and Green) each led by faculty and student captains.

The school has decided to revisit its approach to Middle Mania, Head of School Tom Kelly said. Mini Mania will fill the gap in the interim

that they will learn more about the event during the kickoff assembly the morning of the competition, Sophie Rukin (7) said. Unlike previous years, where Middle Mania included lots of spirited team preparation, there has been no organizing amongst the students.

This year’s captains, elected at the end of last year’s competition, will play a role in hosting the assembly and running the carnival booths, Sixth Grade Class Dean Michelle Amilicia said.

According to Audrey Moussazadeh (8), this year’s captains are excited to get involved, “despite the morphed event,” she said.

Courtesy of Horace Mann Flickr

HUDDLE UP! Middle Mania team discussing their plan of attack. and “allow for greater input in how the division would like this event to function in the future,” Kelly said. “We’ve had a lot of fun with Middle Mania, but many feel it’s time to rethink some of the events and activities, as well as how the week unpacks itself.”

According to Middle Division math teacher Quentin Brooks, this year’s Mini Mania will have a carnival theme with booths set up on Four Acres. Students will have the opportunity to participate in chosen games.

Similar to previous years, the winner of the day will be decided by points. “On Four Acres and through our extended advisory period, students will have the opportunity to compete alongside their grade-level peers against the other grade levels in the division,” he said.

Middle Division students have been told

“In addition to the carnival, students, faculty, and staff members will enjoy a barbeque prepared by FLIK and hosted by members of the Middle Division Parents Association,” Kelly said.

The importance of a division-wide event for the Middle Division is to bring students of all grades together. “Without the friendly competition, some of these students would never meet,” Amilicia said.

“Mini Mania is a low-key alternative to last year’s Middle Mania and a wonderful way to end the academic year with some fun,” Kelly said. “I do, however, look forward to a more systemic conversation in the Middle Division about all the Middle Mania events, where everyone would like to see this event look like in the future.”

Henry Owens Staff Writer Over 200 Middle Division singers and musicians performed in Gross Theatre for the Spring Concert on Tuesday afternoon. The Middle Division Chorus (MD Chorus), Concert Band, Horizons Ensemble, HM Strings, and Chamber Orchestra all performed.

MD Chorus, directed by N-12 Music Program Coordinator Timothy Ho, performed a variety of songs, ranging from “Dies Irae,” a classical piece in Latin by Mozart, to “We Belong,” an 80’s rock anthem. They also sang a Hawaiian piece called “Kabuki al Manoa.”

“Mr. Ho is Hawaiian and always shows his heritage through the songs we perform,” Megumi Iwai-Louie (8) said.

“It’s nice because we can always get a lot of background on what we’re singing,” Jared Contant (8) said.

Ho also teaches the hula, specific motions that are traditional to Hawaii and correspond with what is being sung, Iwai-Louie said.

This concert holds special significance for the eighth graders, Contant said. “It’s our last concert with everybody before going to graduation and high school.”

“I feel like they were as prepared as they could be,” Ho said. “Everybody has been working very hard, but some of the music was challenging, the Mozart in particular,” he said.

“Our performance was very good,” said Emily Salzhauer (8) said. “Everyone worked really hard and I think it definitely paid off.”

Several former members of MD ensembles attended the concert. Jonathan Mong (10) was in MD Chorus for two years andw is a current member of Concert Glee. “MD Chorus seemed a lot more experienced than when we were in the ensemble. They were all very talented,” Mong said.

Both MD bands, Concert Band and Horizons Ensemble, performed in the Spring Concert with their previous concert in December.

“I think we’ve grown more as a band together, we know what we each do individually and

how to blend that together,” Ericka Jiang (7), a member of Concert Band, said.

Concert Band performed two pieces, “Electricity” and an arrangement from Harry Potter, Jiang said. Jiang likes the Harry Potter piece because she’s heard it before from the movies, and now she gets to play it.

HM Strings performed a number of songs, including “Pulcinella” and “The Banks of Green Willow.” They had been working on these pieces since their previous concert in December, Ella Shaham (7) said.

“We’ve had more time to prepare these pieces than we did in the winter concert, so I think it feels a lot more comfortable,” Shaham said.

“I remember playing in orchestra when I was in Middle School and it was overall a good experience. It was really nice to see all the middle schoolers now show casing the work they’ve done over the last trimester,” Gabby Fischberg (10) said.

“I think it was a good experience for the Andrew Cassino/Staff Photographer

LA LA LA Students sing in spring concert. ensemble to perform in front of everyone, and show them what we have been doing for the past four months. The concert really highlighted and made us realize what a great job we had done, and how lucky we were to be part of HM Strings,” Saiya Mittal (7) said.

MD Mentors make memories Jack Crovitz and Chloe Choi Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

The Middle Division Mentoring Program allows students in the Horace Mann Upper Division to guide and advise Middle Division students through a smooth transition to the Upper Division. The program, created over 20 years ago, has impacted the experiences of both middle and high school students.

The MD Mentoring Program strives to foster relationships between middle and high schoolers and provide a strong support system and a unique resource aside from faculty and their peers, leader of the program Julia Roth (12) said.

“The mission of the Middle Division Mentoring Program is to have high school students share their wisdom and experiences with the middle schoolers,” Eva Abbamonte, MD History Department Chair whose advisees participate in the program, said.

Nick Potash (11), a middle division mentor, describes the program as a great way to give back to the community. “It’s a way to provide something for middle schoolers who need someone to talk to who isn’t a teacher,” he said.

“The connections between mentors and mentees is invaluable and the program helps both groups grow as valuable members of the school community and as individuals. Mentors also provide confidence to middle schoolers in their role within school,” Roth said.

Louise Kim (8) noticed how she personally benefited from the program along with other middle schoolers. “I’ve learned a lot from my mentors, and I like seeing younger students participate as well because I know that they really enjoy the program,” she said.

All mentors attend a mandatory training session at John Dorr Nature Laboratory during the summer before they take part in the program.

“I went to Dorr in mid-August to do some training. There was a speaker there, who was great. Dr. Kelly comes up for a day to do training stuff,” said Potash.

However, this mandatory session prevents many otherwise worthy candidates from participating, said Eva Abbamonte.

“Some kids have to switch out because even though they might be great mentors they are not available for training up at Dorr,”

she said.

Activities vary across each homeroom.

“My homeroom just talks to our mentor about our weeks and school lives, however, we don’t do any activities with her,” Emily Salzhauer (8) said.

Julia Werdiger (7) shares similar experiences to Salzhauer and said, “my mentors usually just answer any questions we might have about middle school and in return, offer advice or solutions.”

“When the mentors share their experiences, it’s really helpful because it makes us feel more comfortable in the environment that we are in,” Amelia Hirsch (6) said.

Some students expressed discontent with their mentors’ performance and would appreciate more oversight, Hirsch said.

Isabel Mavrides-Calderon (8) had a generally positive

experience with the program with only a few downsides.

“Although my mentor has been helpful when she’s there, she’s missed a lot of meetings. I wish there was more of a structure to what the mentors are supposed to do.”

“My mentor only comes to homeroom twice a month, whereas others come every week, so I feel that having more frequent meetings are important,” Salzhauer said.

“I wish that there was a little more structure as to how mentors and advisors interact with each other,” Abbamonte said.

Despite this room for improvement, the Mentoring Program provides a meaningful way for high schoolers to give back to the school community and for middle-schoolers to benefit from their mentors’ experiences and advice, Werdiger said.

“As a middle-schooler, my mentors were awesome, so it’s great to be able to hopefully be the same thing for others,” Potash said.

Rachel Zhu/Staff Artist

ROLE MODELS Mentor and advisees playing a boardgame.

Lions’ Den Record Sports

MAY 10TH, 2019

Crew team finishes choppy season

Undefeated golf team takes a swing at league title Josh Underberg Staff Writer

The Varsity Golf team has had great success this season winning all nine games played thus far, with six games remaining in the regular season.

One of the nine victories was an 8-1 defeat over Riverdale.

“Our match against Riverdale was big because they were the only other undefeated team, and we beat them on a very tough course at Fresh Meadow,” Alexander Cox (10) said.

The roster is comprised of 13 players: three sophomores, four juniors, and six seniors.

With the exception of two new players, this year’s team is identical to last year’s but has found much more success due to offseason work, Cox said.

“The team is a lot better than we were last year, mostly due to the improvements most of the players made over the summer and winter,” Cox said.

Stephen Sloan (11) has contributed tremendously as the team’s top player, Shant Amerkanian (12) said.

“This year, our roster didn’t shift too much, with the only exception in the starting lineup being our number one seeded player, Stephen Sloan, who took the spring of his sophomore year of school off to work in Florida on his golf game,” Shant Amerkanian (12) said. “He returned this year to the HM team as our best player.”

The team’s overall improvement

since last year is also a product of their commitment to team practices, Garo Amerkanian (10) said.

“We should be practicing more, but it’s fine because we are definitely practicing a lot more than we did last year,” Garo said. “Overall, we are a lot better than we were last year because we did not have any seniors who graduated, and the entire team has improved a lot.”

While the team does not practice every day, many players practice on their own time, Jack Blackman (11) said.

“Having a limited amount of school practices each week allows kids to practice on their own time, which I like a lot because rather than just going and hitting as a team, I am able to work with an instructor on specific skills,” Blackman said.

Even throughout the offseason, the team is always actively focusing on improvement, Varsity Golf Coach Tim Sullivan said.

“The players have worked hard all year, beginning the season practicing on simulators when it was too cold outside,” Sullivan said. “The team then traveled to Florida to play seven rounds in five days.”

While the team has traveled to Florida in past years, this year is the first year that they have gone with the school, Garo said.

Team co-captains Shant Amerkanian and Johnny Oshrin (12) have led the team both on and off the course, Sullivan said.

“The team dynamic is great,

Alison Isko Staff Writer

Courtesy of Jack Blackman

CLINK Shant Amerkanian (12) finishes his swing. and we are a really close group. We even keep an active group chat all throughout the year,” Shant said.

The ultimate goal of the team is to win the championship, Oshrin said.

“Beyond that, as a team, we set a goal to lower our aggregate scoring to below 200, and we have accomplished that twice already this year,” Oshrin said.

To go along with the undefeated record, the team has managed to set the school record of lowest aggregate score, with a score of 190 against Fieldston and Hackley.

“The [crew] season so far has been quite a roller coaster,” Jhanae Ottey (9) said.

At the first regatta, the novice boat came in fourth and the JV boat came fifth. Both boats came sixth in the second regatta, Ottey said.

The boys did similarly well, with the Boys Varsity four-person boat coming in fifth in the last race, co-captain Nader Granmayeh (12) said.

However, “our first regatta saw an impressive finish from our Girls Novice eight and the most recent one saw the Boys Varsity four come from behind to take over a crew; I’ve been really happy with the cohesion of the team,” he said.

Since the team has a lot of new rowers this year, they have been focusing closely on their technique and timing, co-captain Tenzin Sherpa (12) said. “I was already able to see so much improvement in everyone during these past two regattas.”

“I’ve been really impressed with our novices and how they’re adapting to the new sport,” Granmayeh said. He has also been very proud of the chemistry built on the Varsity four boat, consisting of himself and co-captains Leonard Song (12), Ben Hu (12), and Young Joon Kim (12).

Everybody on the team is extremely dedicated, Granmayeh said. Last year, the team was “prioritizing fitness over technique,” but this year they’ve been more focused on form in the boat and other technical skills.

“The dynamic is better than last year,” Kim said. “We are energetic, lively, and ready to come to practice every day.”

The recent changes in the gym facilities have not affected the on-campus practices much, Granmayeh said. Though they are helpful and more accessible, they’re functionally the same, he said.

When practices take place on campus, the team runs, uses the rowing machines, and works out in the fitness center. The off-campus practices take place in a boathouse in New Rochelle, where “the Boys four flipped last week. Experiences like

8

this make us all leave with interesting stories to tell,” Ottey said.

“One of the reasons I come back to the crew team every year is because of the people on the team,” Sherpa said. “Everyone is so fun to be around, and I know that I can count on each and every person to do their part to make the team the best that it can be.”

Courtesy of Ben Goodman

ROW YOUR BOAT Crew team glides through the water.

Although this year’s crew team lost many rowers from last year, they’re still very close and supportive of one another, Hu said.

“A rower [that] stands out to me is Jolie [Nelsen],” Sherpa said. “This is Jolie’s second year on the team, and she’s shown amazing improvement both off and on the water.”

“The spring season is always the quickest season, and I could not be more proud of each crew and how they have progressed in a short amount of time. I am very excited to see how they will race [at Stotesbury],” coach Chelsea Ernst said.

The crew team’s next and final regatta of the season is the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia on Friday, May 17.

Inside the Fitness Center: Go behind the scenes of school athletics Colin Barile: The lesser known Coach Barile

Kevin Valluzzi: Maestro of the Fitness Center

Oliver Steinman Staff Writer

Most students know Associate Athletic Director Ray Barile, but very few know that his son, Colin, works just down the hall in the Fitness Center.

10 years ago, Colin Barile had no idea that he wanted to become a fitness trainer, he said.

“In high school, I was overweight. My brother and one of my best friends told me I was lazy,” Colin Barile said. “This lit a fire in me, and I fell in love with fitness.”

Since then, Colin Barile has lost 60 pounds, he said.

After high school Barile received his fitness specialist certification from SUNY Rockland. He then worked at the National Council on Strength and Fitness, where he also earned his personal trainer and sports nutrition certification. He is currently working on his strength coach certification.

His favorite type of workout is weightlifting and strength training, Colin Barile said. “I feel a sense of accomplishment each time I lift a weight,” he said. “It’s a reminder that if you want something in life, you got to work for it.”

White rice with chicken is his go-to post-workout meal, but protein powder is an easy substitute.

He joined the athletic staff two years ago as a fitness instructor and began coaching Middle Division baseball this year. In addition to his job at the school, he runs LionHeart Athletic, a fitness company dedicated to personal training, nutrition, and fitness gear.

Colin Barile attributes his success in fitness to his father, Ray. “He’s been hard on me, but he has always pushed me to be the best I can be,” Colin Barile

Amanda Wein/Contributing Photographer

Mazyar Azmi Staff Writer

Amanda Wein/Contributing Photographer

said. “Throughout it all, he has been nothing but supportive.”

The younger Barile now tries to help students the way his father supported him, he said. “[Colin] is always pushing us to do our best because he is energetic and driven,” Josh Benson (12) said.

“Even when I’m failing that last rep, Colin motivates me to push through it,” Liam Futterman (10) said.

To Aidan McAndrew (10), Colin Barile is a friend as well as a coach. “He’s social with everybody that works out,” McAndrew said.

Colin Barile loves teaching students fitness, he said.

“They work hard. Having them look up to me and seeing myself in some of them is awesome,” he said.

“I became a fitness instructor because I wanted to change people’s lives. I fell in love with fitness because it changed my life. Seeing other people’s lives changing for the better has been the most rewarding thing in my life,” Colin Barile said.

Since his childhood, Fitness Center Director Kevin Valluzzi has been an avid athlete.

In high school, he played varsity soccer, basketball, and baseball, he said.

“When I went to college, I had to declare a major, and I knew that I didn’t want to sit in a cubicle and work a traditional nine to five job,” he said. “When my advisor asked me what I liked to do, I said ‘working out,’ and that’s when I decided to major in exercise physiology.”

After graduating from college in 1997, Valluzzi began working at local gyms and eventually opened his own business, he said. During this time, he also completed his first Ironman triathlon, and he has completed five marathons to date. He eventually returned to academia to receive his Master’s degree in physical education.

Three years ago, he began working as a coach in the fitness center. This school year is his first year of full-time teaching.

Valluzzi said he became a fitness trainer to share his love of fitness with students. Athletics coach Jon Eshoo said Valluzzi has been critical in helping his physical education classes learn how to operate the fitness center machines. Paul Wang (11), a frequent in the Fitness Center, said Valluzzi has a wealth of knowledge.

“He gives me workouts, and he is attentive, welcoming, motivational, and really cares about his students,” Wang said.

“He knows how to work every single muscle group and will motivate me to do every last rep,” Aidan McAndrew (10) said.

Valluzzi’s colleagues and students said they enjoy working with him.

“Every day with working with him is fun,” Eshoo said. “We have too many inside jokes to count.”

McAndrew and Valluzzi share a love of rap music, McAndrew said. “Sometimes he’ll just play a song and tell me to name it and the artist,” McAndrew said.

Every time Liam Futterman (10) sees Valluzzi, they start up a conversation about the New York Giants, their favorite football team, Futterman said.

In addition to coaching, Valluzzi comes to school at 7 a.m. every morning to complete a workout before classes begin. Valluzzi, a father, husband, and coach, manages to find time in his busy schedule to work out.

“If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen,” he said. “[Fitness] is definitely an addiction,” Valluzzi said.

“After you do it for a while, it tends to become habit.

You don’t want to stop doing it. But I’m glad that my addiction is something healthy and not self-damaging.”