Junior Issue 4

Record The Horace Mann

MAY 15TH 2020 || VOLUME 117, JUNIOR ISSUE 4

HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

RECORD.HORACEMANN.ORG

Dorr and Summer School canceled Courtesy of HM Flickr

Louise Kim and Alex Lautin Staff and Contributing Writers

Courtesy of HM Flickr

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS Students hike at Dorr.

Claire Goldberg and Oliver Lewis Staff and Contributing Writers All overnight events at the John Dorr Nature Laboratory are canceled for the 2020-2021 school year, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly wrote in an email to parents last week. This is the first time in Dorr’s 55-year history that it will close, Director of Dorr, Glenn Sherratt said.

In addition, Head of Summer School Caroline Bartels previously sent out an email announcing the cancellation of all Summer School programs for the summer of 2020.

The cancellation of Dorr was necessary in order to mitigate the potential risks of having students living in close quarters, Kelly wrote in an email to The Record. “The lessons taught at Dorr are all about taking care of the collective, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Kelly thought it was best to make the decision now and not based on a week-by-week metric once the 2020-2021 academic year commences, he wrote. “In a year when life is going to be different, making the call to shift now… is the most prudent thing to do on behalf of some sense of continuity for the entire school community.”

Though the Dorr campus remains in a state of readiness, there are additional concerns regarding the need for more staffing and comprehensive hygiene that would prevent Dorr from opening, Kelly wrote.

The Dorr faculty has been planning for the impacts of COVID-19 since February, Sherratt said. Due to the fact that students at Dorr live and work closely, it would be difficult to maintain appropriate social distancing. “We discussed a number of scenarios: having students come for the day, teaching online, commuting to the Bronx, or a combination. When Dr. Kelly made the decision in April to cancel school, we were prepared,” he said.

Instead, Dorr programming will be brought to the Bronx campus to continue the regular curriculum, Sherratt said. The Nursery Division (ND) will continue their learning through experience, with the possibility of including make-believe backpacking and camping trips, he said. Lower Division (LD) students will study environmental science; first graders will study wetlands and their animals; second graders will study habitats; third graders will study Native Americans and maps; fifth graders will study astronomy.

Programs such as the Upper Division Orientation (UDO) weekend for students new to the high school, which is usually held at Dorr shortly before school starts, will also relocate to the Bronx campus, Head of Upper Division (UD) Dr. Jessica Levenstein said. The administration is still working with the Dorr faculty to determine what it will look like, she said. “It’s unclear what restrictions we’ll have in

the Bronx campus, but we’re going to hope to capture some of the fun and the informality and the bonding.”

For UDO, students will not spend the night on the Bronx campus, Sherratt said. “The intent will be the same; however, given that we will not be at Dorr, the design will be somewhat different.” Without UDO, freshmen may lack an integral support system, Leah Rakhlin (11) said.

Due to the large number of new students, the summer program was a great place to meet new friends away from technology and the stress of school, Rakhlin said. Yana Gitelman (11) said she is disappointed because UDO has always been a highlight of her year. “Since I was an underclassman I have been looking forward to all of the senior traditions like Disco Dorr,” she said.

Galahad Caer (11) had been looking forward to Senior Dorr, a weekend at the end of the school year for seniors, but he understands why it had to be canceled. “While the cancellation is a bummer, it is not the most important thing when people’s health is at risk,” he said.

Sarah Sun/Staff Artist

The Dorr faculty is also reimagining what Middle Division (MD) Mentoring will look like in the Bronx. The weekend typically takes place in August and involves groups of sixth grade students going to Dorr with their homerooms to get to know their peers, advisors, and mentors. Sherratt said that, while the Dorr faculty will still work with the advisee groups to develop a sense of belonging and community within their grade, it will not be at Dorr. To replace the eight-day trip to Dorr for eighth graders, the Dorr staff will implement a program on the Bronx campus, though the details are still unclear, Sherratt said. “Instead of being eightdays in length, it will have ten different groups meeting on a regular basis during the fall and winter,” he said. They will use Van Cortlandt Park for activities, though they will not go backpacking. Sherratt also said that they aim to set up a room on the Bronx campus to mirror the Rug Room, one of the large meeting rooms at Dorr.

Not only will the student experience of the Dorr program look different next year, but the Dorr faculty will also be significantly impacted as well, Kelly wrote. “One Dorr teacher will be

joining us at the LD next year in a new capacity and another new person who was offered employment has now declined,” Kelly wrote.

“We may see some of the Dorr teachers coteaching or teaching in some of the divisions.”

If Dorr were to stay open, there would be additional concerns about the Dorr faculty supervising the cleanup of bunks and the campus, Kelly wrote. Keeping Dorr running would necessitate the hiring of new employees who would have to be at Dorr full time when students are present, which would increase the cost for Dorr at a time when the budget for next year is approved and tuition is set. To look for additional dollars from the school’s families at this point in time would not only go against school practices, but it would also be inappropriate due to the circumstances many families are managing, Kelly wrote.

For students for whom weekends at Dorr create anxiety, the relocation of the Dorr orientations to the Bronx campus might be a relief, Levenstein said. “We’re taking away the sleepover part, so if they’re nervous during the day, they can then go home and relax with their families.”

Lauren Landy (9), a new student this year, would have liked her UDO to be on campus rather than at Dorr, she said. “The whole experience really stressed me out, especially being new in an environment where I didn’t know everybody,” she said.

As for Summer School, Bartels first contemplated shifting to an online setting but decided that it would be too intense for Zoom, she said. Moreover, students would still be able to meet all the graduation requirements without Summer School, making the switch unnecessary, she said.

Corey Brooks (10) planned to take Physics over the summer, but with the cancellation he now has to rethink his schedule, he said. “I wanted to take it to free up my schedule and pursue some computer science classes, and now I can’t do that.”.

Although the cancellation is a disappointment to many, there may be some silver linings, Bartels said. “Maybe this will be the summer where we realize we might not need to have this kind of thing at all,” she said. “Maybe we’ll be looking at just doing fun enrichment courses that kids could take. It gives us a chance to really step back from programming to figure out if it’s the way it needs to be.”

While the suspension of both programming at Dorr and Summer School are a loss, Levenstein is excited to see the ways that Dorr will enhance the experience on campus, she said. “I’m really excited to think about the creative ways to integrate everything they teach us into our Bronx campus life because our Dorr selves are our best selves, and now we get that all year round.”

Riva Vig/Staff Artist

Sophia Zelizer (12) was busy at work this school year in a Lutnick laboratory growing generations of fruit flies and adding different pesticides to their food to see how they would be affected. This week, Zelizer and six other members of the science research course, Amanda Katiraei (11), Alex Rosenblatt (10), Ryan Peng (11), Erin Zhao (11), Jessica Thomas (12), and Mazyar Azmi (10) presented their year-long research projects at Virtual SciTech, the school’s annual science fair, which transitioned to an online format for the first time. Each student presented their PowerPoint on Zoom to an audience of about 40 people for ten minutes and then allotted five minutes for attendees to ask questions.

Although the program will change in the future, students in the Science Research course developed a specific research question that they study for the year, Science Research Coordinator Dr. Christine Leo said.

“The science research course is set up for students who come in with a preexisting interest, a question they want to answer, or a field of study that interests them,” she said.

Rosenblatt examined whether there are any relationships between traits of students and enrollment in honors courses at the school using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which sorts people into 16 different personality types..

Rosenblatt hoped that attendees would gain a basic understanding of how the MBTI system works, what traits are favored for honors courses, and why having methods of describing people is important, he said.

Given her interest in the intersection between genetics and the environment, Zelizer studied the effect of different pesticides on fruit flies, she said.

Zelizer, a graduating senior, hopes to work in a lab in college, she said. “Through science research, I’ve realized how much I love [working in] a lab.”

Peng researched how the different qualities of a boat, such as the surface material and mass, affect its speed through water. “I was interested in the physics behind how different aspects of an object will affect its speed through water, since this concept is applicable to myself [as a swimmer],” he said. With swim coach Thatcher Woodley’s help, Peng said he used the school’s pool to test his hypothesis.

SciTech’s new online format takes away a principal element of presentations: the human presence.

“Physical presence won’t be as integral [to my presentation], and I will have to rely more on verbal communication,” Rosenblatt said.

Even with the difficulties that online presentations posed, science teacher George Epstein found advantages in the new structure, he said. “The online format ensures that the attendees get to see the breadth of HM student research,” Epstein said.

Attendee, Abigail Morse (11), heard about SciTech from her classmates, she said. “The presentations were impressive and showed that the presenters had been doing a lot of work throughout the year,” Morse said. “The presenters gave [a] thoughtful, detailed analysis of their research, and it was also interesting to hear how they had collected their data.”

It is difficult to replicate the energy of the live SciTech events where music is playing and people can chat informally with the presenters, Science Department Chair Dr. Lisa Rosenblum said. However, presenting online allowed students to display their research to the wider school community, she said. “I was proud of the science research students and their presentations because the presentations showed the hard and interesting work that they did.”

OPINIONS

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Editor-in-Chief Talia Winiarsky Managing Editor Vivien Sweet Issues Editor Julia Goldberg Features Avi Kapadia Marina Kazarian News Joshua Underberg Yotam Hahn Opinions Bradley Bennett Emily Shi Lions’ Den Adrian Arnaboldi Yesh Nikam A&E Sam Chiang Henry Owens

THE RECORD OPINIONS MAY 15TH, 2020

Confronting climate change in a post-COVID-19 world

Ava Merker Over the past two months, many of us have encountered news articles, Snapchat videos, and Twitter posts about COVID19’s effects on global climate change.

Even during the first few weeks of the pandemic, I took note of media headlines about the decline of carbon emissions and videos of goats running through Scotland’s seaside towns. Supposedly, the Earth is “healing itself ”: the air is cleaner and wildlife are reclaiming spaces in the midst of worldwide social distancing.

One Twitter thread responded to these environmental changes, claiming that “we [humans] are the virus.” This thread grasped my attention, and after thinking about its contents, I determined that I disagree. We are not the virus, and coronavirus is absolutely not the Earth’s vaccine (also suggested by this Twitter post).

The problem behind the climate crisis is not broadly our existence as humans. Time and again, communities spanning geographies and time periods have shown that it is possible to live in non-environmentally destructive ways.

The problem is our economic system having to maintain a six-maybe-sevenof consumer capitalism, and even more or-eight-just-to-be-safe-foot distance fundamentally, how we have come to between my boyfriend and me. conceptualize “value.”

On a more pragmatic level, millions of In Dr. Ellen Bales’s Global people have been hurt by the economic Environmental History class, we have fallout of the lockdown. Millions are discussed how humans perceive and struggling to provide themselves and assign value; the economy is one language their families with basic resources; many of valuation, community a second, the do not have the disposable income to environment a third. Currently, economic spend on new products, most of which are languages of valuation seem to override designed with planned obsolescence—to all other possible languages of valuation; end up in a landfill—anyway. we value profit, and undervalue each The demand for new “things” is other. The result of this attitude is our undoubtedly changing as a result of the current economic system of consumer pandemic: what we want—and what we capitalism, in which “things” are can afford—is to spend time with our relentlessly marketed to us as consumers. family, friends, and other members of The system has convinced us that we can our communities. By moving away from buy and re-buy our happiness. an economic language of valuation to one For me, the lockdown has highlighted of human interaction and community, that we cannot buy our happiness. No we have the opportunity to create an factory-made products shipped across economy that is much less reliant on the world, flown across the country, factories, shipping, and and trucked through highways disposable packaging. can bring us what we This kind of economy are really looking for: would be much physical proximity more sustainable. to our peers and Re a list ica l ly, communities. in the wake of People are social this pandemic, creatures; we l a r g e crave the company companies of others.

My are going experience of to fall back being separated into the same from my friends and environmentallyfamily outside of my degrading practices household has left me they had been touting feeling unhappy, irritable, and pre-COVID-19, and Rachel Zhu/Art Director empty. An Amazon delivery of consumer capitalism is not skincare products, mini waffle makers, going to fall apart as quickly as needed to or binoculars cannot make up for the alleviate the global climate crisis. There fact that I am saddened and frustrated at are also, obviously, serious drawbacks

was weighed carefully. COVID-19 has affected the world in ways that no one was able to predict and while in recent weeks researchers have made progress to combat the virus, next school year will need to look very different in order to keep students, faculty, and their families safe. Although the pandemic is always changing, the logistical task of planning trips based on medical concern on a week-to-week or even month-to-month basis is too heavy.

Design Editors Ally August Sarah Sun

Photography Max Shopkorn Julia Isko Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Staff Writers Izzy Abbott, Abby Beckler, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Alison Isko, Avi Kapadia, Oliver Steinman, Natalie Sweet, Chloe Choi, Emma Colacino, Yin Fei, Lucas Glickman, Claire Goldberg, Liliana Greyf, Lauren Ho, Walker McCarthy, Morgan Smith, Patrick Steinbaug, Katya Tolunsky, Nathan Zelizer, Max Chasin, Jillian Lee, Hannah Katzke, Vidhatrie Keetha, Louise Kim, Ayesha Sen, Emily Sun Staff Photographers Julia Isko, Daniel Lee, Ava Merker, Kelly Troop, Halley Robbins, Sophie Gordon, Amanda Wein, Maxwell Shopkorn, Emma Colacino, AJ Walker, Lucas Glickman, Lauren Ho Staff Artists Wilder Harwood, Eliza Becker, Felix Brenner, Riva Vig

to hastily ridding our civilization of consumer capitalism. However, as consumers, we should use this time as an opportunity to change our purchasing habits.

We can make efforts to reuse and repurpose as much as possible, and buy as little as possible. Use what you have until it is no longer useful, buy secondhand (and you can look up some DIYs if you need to tweak it), and when you do need to buy a new product, look into purchasing a locally-sourced or sustainably- and ethically-made version of that product. For example, when I do buy clothing, I shop at second-hand stores or from brands that make an effort to be sustainable and are transparent about their production methods.

A continuation of consumer capitalism post-lockdown does not mean that our economic system will or should remain as it is. Right now, we have the time and space to reimagine a more sustainable global economy that prioritizes us and our communities over profit, and in turn causes less damage to the Earth.

Dorr-(no)’mores: was the cancellation of Dorr premature?

Middle Division John Mauro Jack Crovitz

Art Directors Lauren Kim Rachel Zhu

Lauren Kim/Art Director

Carmel Pe’er I went on my first backpacking trip ever at John Dorr Nature Lab during the winter of freshman year, not knowing what I was getting myself into. Throughout the whole weekend, the temperatures were below freezing. Because all twelve of us on the trip were all hiking through the same conditions, we shared snacks and supported each other. The Dorr staff also put in extra effort, which included telling each tent a bedtime story. Even with the cold, it was one of the highlights of my high school experience because of the great people I met and became closer with. I was excited to continue to go on similar trips, but last Monday, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly announced in an email that all residential Dorr programs would be suspended for the duration of the 2020-2021 school year due to COVID-19 related concerns.

Making a decision of this nature in May felt premature to me at first, but after reading the detailed explanation Dr. Kelly sent to The Record (covered on the front page in today’s issue) and reconciling with the current circumstances and the effort it would take to keep Dorr open, I understand the decision.

Dorr represents a space for learning and growth for students from second to 12th grade and as such, the decision

“Losing the opportunities that Dorr has to offer, especially during my senior year, is saddening, and instead reduces the possibility of normal school life.”

One experience that will be lost is Upper Division Orientation (UDO), which is a program for new UD Students.

I was new to Horace Mann in ninth grade, and while the transition still had its challenges, UDO eased some of the tension by allowing me to meet students before my first day.

I was able to interact with students from different grades in a more relaxed, camp-like environment. Many of the games we played were familiar after years of summer camp. Some of the activities were in small groups that were only made up of freshmen. I met two of my closest friends, Eli Bacon and Lara Hersch, who were also new to the school, through these games. We occasionally laugh about how Eli was so tall that he was able to jump and lift himself 10 feet up in one of the games.

Part of what makes UDO a great experience for many students is being at Dorr, and not having the opportunity to be there next year will make transitions for the new students coming to

Horace Mann much more difficult.

Dorr provides an escape from the stress of school and the city that most students can not otherwise experience. I have been on many weekend trips to Dorr with different focuses and each one was a great experience. After the first winter backpacking trip, my friends and I have continued to go every year. Hiking and sleeping together in below freezing weather, while challenging, gave us memories that we still joke about.

One such moment occurred when, not being patient enough to boil more water, I used pasta water to make hot chocolate.

It’s difficult to keep your math homework in mind when you’re freezing in the middle of the forest drinking absolutely terrible hot chocolate. During the same trip, I was eating a bagel and Vivien Sweet took a picture that we have since recreated every year. Both of us have expressed our disappointment that we won’t be able to complete the series. In the other UD weekend trips, I learned about rock climbing, canoeing, and camping.

All of these activities brought me closer to nature and helped me forget about the pressures of school.

The closure of Dorr comes during a time of uncertainty about whether or not life will go back to normal. Losing the opportunities that Dorr has to offer, especially during my senior year, is saddening, and reduces the signs of normal school life. I appreciate the caution that the school has exercised regarding the COVID-19 crisis and bringing Dorr to our Manhattan and Bronx campuses is the logical next step, but these programs will not be the same. Having the Dorr staff come to campus will not be able to replace the feeling that being at Dorr provided even if some of the activities can be translated to the Bronx campus. The late night talks and the tranquility of Dorr can’t be recreated in the city. Relaxing surrounded by trees is very different from relaxing a few yards away from your history class.

All Photos Courtesy of Vivien Sweet

THREE-YEAR PROGRESSION Pe’er eats a bagel on a hike.

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THEHORACE RECORDMANN FEATURES NEWSSEPTEMBER MAY 15TH, 3RD, 2020 2019 All art by Lauren Kim/Art Director

HM Online around the world Emma Colacino & Lucas Glickman Staff Writers At 9:25 p.m., most students in New York have finished their classes hours ago and are preparing to sleep. In Japan, Tomoko Hida’s (10) day has just begun as she prepares for online classes, which run from 9:25 p.m. to 4:15 a.m.

Japanese Standard Time.

Amidst HM Online, many members of the community are attending their online classes from other places around the world. Whether it be to move away from the crowded city or to move closer to family, many teachers and students have relocated.

For Ari Salsberg (11) who has relocated to The Hamptons, being in New York City means inevitable contact with others, he said. “No matter how much money you have, how well off you are, you are still in New York City—when you walk out of your building, you are still going to bump into people no matter who you are, which is what makes New York City really interesting,” he said. As a result, families who have the resources and ability may temporarily move in with extended family or go to a second home, he said.

Associate Director of College Counseling Kaitlin Howrigan was originally supposed to visit her family in Vermont during the second week of spring break.

However, once the pandemic broke out, she decided she would rather stay with them than be alone in her New York City apartment, she said. “I’m getting more family time than I have in years, but that also comes with tensions because we’re all doing our jobs from home.” Scarlett Goldberg (10) is currently living with her family in Belgium and decided to move there to reconnect with her Dutch relatives. Goldberg said that living with her six cousins in Belgium has been a good bonding experience. “As the American family of all my European cousins, we never were able to spend extended periods together with this side of the family, and through quarantine we are.”

Alex Nagin (10), who is living at his grandparents’ house in northern California, had to leave a member of his family in New York. “I can’t be with my mom, who works at Mount Sinai in the city, so we have to be quarantined away from her,” he said.

About to travel to South

Korea, Michelle Kim (9) said that the COVID-19 situation in Korea is much better than it is in the United States. Kim and her family wanted to leave for Korea earlier, as it will likely be safer to travel now than in the summer when there will be more people traveling, she said.

Gabe Banks (10) is currently living in Hawaii where he was planning on visiting during spring break. “Quarantine here is not really as bad as New York, but the public places are still closed: you can’t go to the parks, you can’t go to the beaches, but you can go to the ocean to exercise,” he said.

Enforced social isolation regulations in more remote areas tend to be less strict than those in New York. Ceci Coughlin (9), who is currently living in Massachusetts at her second home, enjoys being away from the city, since she can go outside and walk around.

“I actually enjoy doing school up here,” Coughlin said. “I have a bit more motivation when I’m not as stressed out about other things. It’s nice being in the suburbs and doing work here; I don’t have as much on my mind.”

Similarly, Jonathan Mong (11), who is living in Rhinebeck, NY, has also found that living outside of the city has helped to relieve stress. “For me getting to take out my dog on an

“When I wake up in the morning, and it’s dark outside, it’s sometimes difficult to get in the right headspace for school.”

- Miles Kuhn (10) afternoon walk has brought down my stress a little bit and given me some time to myself that is not sitting in front of a screen doing my work,” Mong said.

Since relocating to Hudson Valley, math teacher Dr. Linda Hubschman has been surrounded by nature. “There are bears and deer around us, so it’s like a little wonderland of nature,” she said.

Hubschman and her husband have been able to rescue animals upstate. “Not only do we have chickens, but my husband rescued a bunch of duck eggs that had been abandoned by the mother duck, and so we are hoping to raise some ducks,” Hubschman said.

Living in areas far away from New York has been difficult for some students and has impeded their ability to actively attend or participate in online classes.

“There was a big earthquake that had knocked down one of the cell towers in Japan, so Zoom wasn’t responding, so that impeded my ability to go to class,” Hida said.

“There are students that are also living upstate where I am, and we lost power,” Hubschman said.

Howrigan, who is also living in a rural area, has experienced difficulties with her WiFi, which once caused her to be unable to teach her AP Economics class, she said.

“A n y time there’s high winds and rain we run the risk of a blackout, and that’s never good, but considering that I am going to have to take class, it’s very bad,” Mong said.

The drastic time change has necessitated an adjusted sleep schedule for many students. Miles Kuhn (10), who has relocated to his grandparents’ house in California, has created a sleep schedule in which he goes to sleep at 7:30 p.m. and wakes up to begin his day at 4:50 a.m. “When I wake up in the morning, and it’s dark outside, it’s sometimes difficult to get in the right headspace for school,” Kuhn said.

The time difference has also caused Nagin to sometimes accidentally sleep through his classes. “Sometimes, I’ve been so

tired that I’ve completely slept through my alarm,” Nagin said.

“I’ve missed chemistry once, and I’ve missed advisory too, from just not waking up because my sleep schedule is off.”

Some students in different time zones have been taking naps throughout the day as a result of their early wake-up times.

“Even though I have never been a person who takes naps, since I wake up so early for school, I usually will take a nap for an hour and then wake up and resume my day,” Nagin said. Hida has not been napping, and has instead tried to keep herself on a New York sleep schedule, she said. Even so, she has found it difficult to keep track of the time. “If it’s noon I’ll be thinking, ‘Oh I have another 9 hours before school starts so I have another 9 hours to do work,’ but the reality is I have to sleep,” she said.

On the weekends, Hida is unsure whether she should stay on New York time or switch to Japan time. This confusion led her to once unintentionally stay up 28 hours, she said.

Teachers have been understanding of the challenges students face regarding class attendance, Hida said. Banks’ teachers have been cognizant of his time change, he said.

“We try to be understanding, and we also try to let the deans know if someone is absent, just so that someone is checking in on the student,” Hubschman said.

Some students have found that living in a different location has resulted in unexpected benefits. “Being quarantined has made me a lot more productive, surprisingly, and I feel myself working a lot harder, and I think it’s because I don’t feel put down by the often stressful and competitive environment of physically being at school,” Nagin said.

While members of the community would prefer to be attending school in person, many of those living in second locations said it has improved t h e i r experience.

“A lot of the

reasons that make the city so great, like the great restaurants and people all over the place have made it not the safest place to be right now, so I’m lucky I have a space outside,” Howrigan said.

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THE THE RECORD ARTSFEATURES & ENTERTAINMENT RECORD MAY 15TH,MAY 202015TH, 2020

Book Recommendations

“With the Fire on High”

by Elizabeth Acevedo

“Origin”

by Dan Brown Zachary Kurtz Contributing Writer

The world we live in is full of different systems of belief such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, all of which rest upon the ideas of creationism. But what if you were to pit scientific facts against creationism?

This evidence would be seen as a threat to religion and its creationist ideas. In Origin, audacious futurist Edmond Kirsch makes a discovery so bold that Kirsch said it will “not shake [the foundations of religion]. It will shatter them.” This installment of Dan Brown’s thrilling Robert Langdon series throws Langdon, a Harvard symbology professor, into a search for the password to his friend, Kirsch’s presentation, which will release the discovery to the world. With the help of the fiancée of Spain’s soon-to-be-king Prince Julien, and Kirsch’s A.I. avatar, Langdon races around Spain in an astonishing quest to reveal a scientific discovery that explains the creation of the world and would forever change the way people think about religion and creationism. Will Langdon and his companions reveal Kirsch’s discovery to the world? Or will it be lost to history?

Lauren Kim and Rachel Zhu / Art Directors

Louise Kim Staff Writer

“Food is meant to feed more than an empty belly.

It’s also meant to nourish your heart.” -Emoni Santiago High school senior Emoni Santiago has her daughter to care for, her abuela to support, and her father in Puerto Rico to think about. In With the Fire on High, Emoni’s life forces her to make tough decisions, except when she is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks: when people taste Emoni’s food, something deep inside them, once misaligned, shifts back into its proper place. She knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, enough money for the class trip to Spain, or enough autonomy to dream of working in a real kitchen someday. Yet, one adventurous risk leads to another, and Emoni realizes she won’t look back at her past; she’ll do anything to follow her passion. Elizabeth Acevedo’s book is a refreshing read with complex, human characters and a fast-paced, vivid plot. In addition, Emoni is a beautiful character with talent, pride, and dedication that keeps her fire burning high. With her arsenal of ingredients and unstoppable passion, Emoni is ready to stir up readers’ hearts!

“How to Do Nothing”

by Jenny Odell

“Overstory”

by Richard Powers

Ben Kafoglis Math Teacher

Dr. Andrew Fippinger English Teacher

I’ve just finished Richard Powers’s 2018 novel The Overstory, a 500-page-long, Pulitzer-Prizewinning tome about trees. Doesn’t that sound exciting? Trust me, it is. Although Powers develops a wide cast of finely-drawn characters whose complex narrative arcs deftly weave in and out of one another’s, the novel is first and foremost about the lives of trees and how we humans interact with and, usually, fail to understand them.

The novel asks us to think about the world from a perspective that is older and slower than ours, a world in which humans are minor characters, not protagonists. It’s an inspired work of imagination and environmentalism that has made me look at trees and their ecosystems in a new light. Cooped up indoors during this pandemic, I found the experience of reading such an immersive novel about nature to be especially poignant.

Jenny Odell is a writer and artist, and in this book she calls for people to resist what she calls the “Attention Economy.” The Attention Economy is made up of all those businesses that live off our attention: think social media and others. These are capitalist entities that, instead of our dollars, eat our time to survive.

Odell goes on to extol the values of maintenance work and observing nature, and articulates the problems that stem from nonstop productivity and ‘optimization’.

For anyone starting to feel like their phone is using them, and not the other way around, I highly recommend this book. I felt like it spoke to so many frustrations I have on a daily basis: that I have no time, that there’s too much news, and if my day wasn’t spent productively, it was a waste.

It’s a ‘stop and smell the roses’ guide for living. Odell shows us how to get off the daily treadmill so we can look at the birds.

Benefiting from Bach: HarMonia raises $32,000 As notes of Bach emanated from audience members’ computers, HarMonia’s annual benefit concert raised $32,000 for non-profit Summer on the Hill (SOH). On Saturday, May 9, the ensemble performed in a virtual concert to raise money and connect the school’s community through musical harmony.

To accommodate for this year’s online format, the members of the ensemble decided that the concert would feature solo performances rather than the traditional group chamber pieces, violinist Amelia Resnick (9) said. The group wanted to have a theme that would bring all of the pieces together for the concert, so they selected a series of solo pieces composed by Bach, she said.

As the only pianist in the group, Jacob Schorsch (11) said he did not have a piece to play in the concert because of the selected Bach string sonatas and partitas. Instead, he introduced the performers and read quotations related to Bach in between each performance, he said. “Study Bach,” Schorsch said, quoting Johannes Brahms.

“There, you will find everything.”

The rest of the ensemble members recorded themselves playing their piece in their own homes, which cellist Lindsey Cheng (11) said she found to be quite awkward. “I think the weirdest thing was getting ready for a concert at home and dressing in formal black attire to sit in front of my iPhone camera,” she said. After the musicians recorded the perfect take, the separate performances were edited together into a cohesive video that premiered on Youtube.

“Everyone played really well,” said Kush Malhotra (11), a longtime friend of the ensemble members. “I know that they practice

a lot, and that really showed up in the concert.”

In addition to providing a great show, the online concert allowed people who had never previously attended HarMonia events to view the performance, he said. “Last year, there were a limited number of tickets to attend, and I had something else that day, so I wasn’t able to go,” he said. However, since the concert was online, he was able to join and support the group, Malhotra said.

Daanyal Agboatwalla (11) said he first learned about the concert through his friends who were playing in it, and after attending the premiere he thought it was a great show. “I wanted to support my friends, and they are helping a great cause.”

HarMonia is an ensemble that was created three years ago by seven students: violinists Aidan Resnick (11), Stella Cha (11), and Mikayla Benson (11); cellists Cheng, Alexander Oh (11), and Max Resnick (11); a n d pianist Schorsch. Since then, violinists Elijah Shaham (11), Amelia, and Yui Hasegawa (9) have also joined the group.

“We started three years ago because a lot of friends in my grade play musical instruments, and we thought it would be really fun to play together and throw a concert,” Oh said. The idea for a benefit concert came naturally because SOH is connected to the school, and it made sense for the ensemble to host a benefit concert to support them, he said.

SOH is an afterschool and summer program that takes place at the school and provides academic opportunities for local children coming from low-income families. Even though the program’s activities have been suspended this year due to the pandemic, HarMonia still wanted to host the benefit concert, Amelia said. “It was really

important for us to still do something super special to raise money so [SOH] can keep going and do what they do.” For the past three years, HarMonia has held annual concerts at Liederkranz Opera Theatre in Manhattan and donated the proceeds to S O H ,

Executive Director of SOH Markell Parker wrote in an email. In addition to the concerts, HarMonia has also taught music classes to SOH students on the weekends, he wrote.

“Even though school is closed, Summer on the Hill is still going and happening next year,” Amelia said. “This year especially, they really needed the donations.”

The pandemic has made times more difficult for the non-profit. On their website, the organization wrote that they recently applied for and received a loan to ensure that they would be able to retain all of its staff.

To raise awareness for the concert, the group made a promotional video that explained the purpose of SOH and encouraged people to donate to their GoFundMe page, Amelia said. Ensemble members also encouraged their peers to donate through social media, Schorsch said.

HarMonia has a community that looks forward to their annual live concerts, and even without a live performance, they were able to share their music and help others, Malhotra said. “They made a lot of money, and got their word out, which is one of their big goals.”

The previous two concerts raised $30,000 in total, while this year’s online HarMonia concert raised over $32,000 for SOH, Parker said. The proceeds from this event will support the organization’s mission of advancing the academic enrichment of bright, motivated, low-income public school students from The Bronx, Harlem and Washington Heights, he said.

“Our concert is a form of entertainment and of bringing our school together,” Cha said. “There’s no reason to stop just because we’re all in quarantine.”

Rachel Zhu / Staff Artist

Devin Allard-Neptune and Emliy Salzhauer Staff and Contributing Writers

HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION MAY 15TH, 2020

Taking STEPS to empower My STEPS experience students of color Ayesha Sen and Clio Rao Staff and Contributing Writer Despite America’s historic and pervasive racist, classist, and sexist legacy, a mentoring program that brings together high school and middle school students of color proves that when students of color are given space to be their full self, they can ultimately thrive in, rather than simply survive, school, said MD History teacher and STEPS coDirector Ronald Taylor.

The Students Together Empowering People of Color Successfully (STEPS) program “shows students of color at HM that they deserve to be here, they are equipped to be here, and they have no business limiting or truncating their shine to make other people feel comfortable,” Taylor said.

In STEPS, supportive and collaborative relationships are fostered even beyond those who directly participate in the program, STEPS co-Director Kimberly Joyce-Bernard wrote in an email to The Record. “This program is multifaceted as students, faculty, staff, and families collaborate in order to cultivate the social, emotional, and academic capacities that middle division students of color need in order to thrive in this predominately and historically white institution.”

Jaden Richards (11) said he had a rough time fitting in in middle school.

“I don’t exactly fit into the mold of a typical Horace Mann student,” he said. When Richards came to the school in the seventh grade, he was one of about 10 other black kids in the grade, he said. Richard said that his experiences, opinions, values, and tastes felt completely different from those of his peers, so he always felt out of place. “My family is by no means wealthy. Nor was I raised in an ‘American household.’” Richards also thought if racial slurs and jokes demeaning families of lower social classes were normalized, then maybe he did not belong, he said.

Before Richards applied to become a STEPS mentor towards the end of his freshman year, he did not even know that the program existed, he said. “My history teacher, Dr. Milkes, sent me an email telling me that she

thought I would be a good fit for the program,” he said. “As I was reading about [STEPS], I realized that I would definitely enjoy it, so I applied.”

“Now that I’ve got my footing, however, I’m in the place where I can help other students get their footing as well and help develop a safe space for a lot of students of color.”

Though her friend gave glowing reviews about the program,Christine Tao (8) said she was initially skeptical, but soon came to understand their perspective. “What makes the program so nice is the safe area that it gives its students,” she said. “We really can converse about any of our issues without facing judgement.”

Brooke Huff (6) joined the program this year as a new student to the school after hearing positive feedback from her older sister, she said. “I am hoping to get out friendships, extra support, and a great experience at my new school that I just joined this year.”

Richards said that one of his

He missed supporting students in that way, so he agreed to join as an advisor. STEPS is the reason that Taylor continues to work at the school, and it is what motivates him to wake up every morning, he said.

The program has helped advisors, mentors, and mentees alike, Taylor said. “STEPS offers mentors life skills training on how to speak truth to power; a skill set that the 21st-century workplace will need as colleges and industries become more diverse.”

Taylor said STEPS has helped him mature as well. “Deveraux showed me that despite coming from teaching in high needs and inner city settings and not being a product of NY elite independent schools, I could still have an impact in these spaces by serving as a conduit for students to speak truth to power,” Taylor said.

Despite the COVID-19 crisis, program leaders have found ways to continue the program, by conducting weekly Zoom check-in meetings with mentor and mentee, and inviting families to check-ins every two weeks, Taylor said. During family meetings, the leaders have curated specific programming to support students and families with the socio-emotional challenges that COVID-19 has highlighted, he said.

“I hope that the program will return to a more unstructured format,” Tao said. “That would make sessions easier and more productive, since we can just talk to each other.”

For Taylor, the most Felix Brener/Staff Artist important thing for the future of favorite memories involved two girls STEPS is for it to become an endowed divulging troubles in their Spanish HM program. “As the program grows class. He explained that they were to being a full N-12 model, it needs to talking about how they could barely sustain so that students and families speak Spanish, but the way they were at all aspects of our pipeline can see describing the scenario was really that students of color belong at HM funny, he said. “By the end [of the and make it a vibrant community,” he session], everyone was laughing.” said.

In 2017, Deveraux Mackey ‘19 Since its development, STEPS has worked with the school to develop served as a model by showing that the program after proposing it as an a student’s voice, when listened to, Alexander Capelluto Grant during can ignite changes across an entire her junior year. The Capelluto grant community, Taylor said. “STEPS has awards up to $2,500 to a sophomore shown the HM community that we or junior who best develops an idea need to continually make space for to make the world a better place. students to feel and operate as their At Taylor’s previous school, he said true selves—that is education.” he ran a program similar to STEPS.

“STEPS has shown the HM community that we need to continually make space for students to feel and operate as their true selves—that is education.”

- Ronald Taylor

Courtesy of Ronald Taylor

STRIKE A POSE! STEPS mentors, mentees, and advisors pose for a photo.

5

Nia Huff Surrounded by cotton candy and bouncy houses, my fellow mentees, mentors, and advisors and I gather at the Lower Division field to celebrate another successful school year and reminisce about the memories we’ve made. The STEPS ( Students Together Empowering People of Color Successfully) carnival gives the members of the program an opportunity, outside of the school environment, to make memories and say goodbye to the mentors who are off to college. As I reflect on my third and final year as a STEPS mentee, I’ve realized how much the program has impacted and changed my three years in the Middle Division in a positive and rewarding way.

Throughout my experience with STEPS, one constant feeling I took away from every single meeting was the idea of family. For me, STEPS is a safe haven where I can go to talk if I have an issue, joke with my friends, or receive great advice on how to navigate as a person who self-identifies as an African American and LatinX girl at a Primarily White Institution (PWI). At times I’ve had experiences related to race that made me feel uncomfortable, but because of STEPS, I have always had a space to be supported for my voice to be heard. The program advisors have always been accessible, and they’ve helped me many times when I had an issue or concern that I felt needed to be voiced immediately.

STEPS is a place I go where I feel I can be my authentic self. Not only does the feeling of family radiate throughout the community, but the learning and conversations are powerful. Every single STEPS meeting, I have interesting discussions with my peers where we share our opinions, experiences of being at a PWI and not identifying as white, and the ways we have overcome tricky racial situations that have arisen in classes, specifically in History and

English. At times, the topics discussed in these two classes are sensitive, and can bring up unfamiliar and confusing feelings for the whole class. Generally, after we share our concerns during our grade check-ins, the mentors and my peers share stories and advice to help us find solutions to the problems we are facing. I find this helpful since it’s important to hear a perspective from someone you look up to and trust.

I have developed tools in STEPS that have been helpful at school and beyond.

I have learned to be my own advocate, deal with uncomfortable and difficult situations, and share my voice in a constructive and powerful way. These tools can be difficult to learn, and it’s amazing how in the past three years I (and many of my peers) have acquired them through STEPS. Over the past three years, I have built strong relationships with my peers, the program’s advisors, and my mentors.

These relationships have been the most rewarding part of the program. It has given me the opportunity to meet members of the community who look like me from across the student body.

The STEPS advisors and staff are also amazing. The advisors, specifically Mr. Taylor, have always been there just to say “hi,” listen to a problem that has arisen, or simply check in to see how I’m doing. Moreover, the three mentors that I’ve had during my time at STEPS have been great. My mentor is truly someone I can go to discuss any problem that I am working through, socially or academically. Mentors are especially important because they’ve walked the same halls as the mentees, and may have shared their experiences.

STEPS isan amazing space and I’m so grateful that Deveraux Mackey ‘19 created a community where people that look like me can feel supported and build long-lasting relationships within the community at the school.

Gabby Fischberg/Staff Artist

Lions’ Den Record Sports

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MAY 15TH, 2020

‘Bliss brownies’ and bell ringings: Team traditions Liliana Greyf and Hannah Katzke Staff Writers

While stuffing your face with platefuls of penne pasta does not seem like the most typical form of team bonding, consuming gallons of carbs is an annual tradition of the Varsity Swim team (VS). Like VS, many sports teams at the school use traditions to ensure that they maintain close friendships throughout the season.

Co-captain of Boys Varsity Football this fall (BVF), Nick Potash (12), credits the team’s success to their annual traditions, he said.

Before school starts each year, the team travels to a sleepaway camp for three days to train. This is where the team first begins to get to know each other and work on their technique, he said.

Every year during sleepaway camp, the team has a ‘maroon versus white scrimmage,’ Jonas Jacobson (11), another team member, said. The coaches simulate a draft, and everyone plays together.

One of Jacobson’s fondest memories from his time on the football team comes from this game, he said. When Jacobson was a sophomore, he went up against a senior during

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

one of these scrimmages and was beat up—the senior did not cut him any slack. “That was kind of a ‘Welcome to football’ moment,” he said.

“I realized that people were going to be much bigger than me and were going to push me to the limits, but it’s something that will prepare you for the rest of your football career.”

Like Jacobson, Potash has cherished every one of the BVF’s traditions during his time on the team, he said. Every time they win a game, the team rings the bell that hangs off of Prettyman Gym to celebrate, Potash said.

They also show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing a pink item of clothing during their annual homecoming game, he said.

Similarly, Girls Varsity Basketball (GVB) has a number of traditions that they have been doing for years, Rosy Arora (11) said. At the end of every practice and game, GVB chants the same cheer: “One two three team! Four five six family! No matter where, when, why, or how, we always stay together!” “We really emphasize that we are not just a sports team; we are a family,” she said.

For team sports such as basketball, it is important to have connections with your teammates, Sareena Parikh (10) said. “We need the chemistry on the court.”

Girls Varsity Swim (GVS) also has a host of traditions that keeps their spirit alive. “We like to refer to ourselves as a cult,” Harmony Li (10) said.

Co-captain of the GVS team this past winter, Abigail Salzhauer (12) loves every tradition that the swim team has, especially the annual ‘carb-load.’, she said. Although it is standard to eat carbohydrates before strenuous exercise, the team puts a spin on it: “Every year before the final championship meet, we have a big pasta party,” Salzhauer said. “We go to a senior’s house and eat a ton of food. It’s a nice team bonding experience before the end of the season.”

A more regular tradition is enjoying ‘Bliss

Courtesy of The Mannikin

HOMECOMING COSTUMES Girls Varsity Field Hockey Team dresses up to show team spirit.

Brownies’ after every meet. “The recipe has personal and unique to each team member. been passed down to a mom of one of the boys “It’s sort of a passing-of-the-torch moment. It’s on the team each year, and they make them for something I don’t forget—the seniors telling every meet,’’ Salzhauer said. “We eat them like you that you are going to be the next leader of vultures every time,” she said. the team, the future of the program is in your For Salzhauer, the importance of these hands.” traditions comes from the sheer enjoyment Arora, who has been on Girls Varsity that they bring. While training for swim can be Volleyball since her sophomore year, difficult, the traditions add something fun for experienced the benefit of community-building team members to look forward to, she said. activities even before the school year had begun.

Edwin Jin (12), another member of the swim “Before school starts, an upperclassman hosts team, credits the team’s success and cohesion to a lunch at their house for everyone who made their special traditions, which allows for more the team. We get to all hang out and spend comradery, and a sense of community, he said. time together,” she said. This event made Arora “When we have the feeling of togetherness, we feel immediately welcomed into the volleyball push ourselves to be better, helping one another community, as she knew her teammates on the improve.” first day of school, she said.

Each BVF tradition has given teammates fond While there is a wide range of traditions, the memories, Jacobson said. One of his favorite importance of each one remains consistent. “We moments occurs at the end of each season. The get to know each other through these traditions team creates a huge circle around Four Acres and make connections with each other, Arora Field, with the seniors standing in the middle. said. “I feel like each team member is my sister.”

Each senior goes around and says something

Home plate to homemade ravioli: Coach Matthew Russo

Yin Fei and Vidhatrie Keetha Staff Writers

The day after Thanksgiving means following a family tradition for Varsity baseball and football coach Matthew Russo: making his grandfather’s renowned turkey-stuffed ravioli with his family.

Cooking from scratch with his late grandfather’s original recipes is a part of his Italian-American heritage, Russo said. “Through his recipes and through the food, there is a connection,” Russo said. “He was known for making really good pizza and really good ravioli.”

Russo has since adopted his annual tradition from his grandfather’s old restaurant in Brooklyn, which was known for making the same dish after each Thanksgiving with the excess of leftover turkey.

“Supposedly, as the story goes, they were absolutely sold out in minutes.”

Typically, when he makes too much for his family to eat, Russo sells his homemade ravioli at a local farmers’ market. “I asked some of the people I became friendly with if they wanted me to bring them some ravioli and it just went from there,” he said.

Courtesy of HM Flickr

READY, SET, HIKE Russo puts his football genius to use.

Russo’s parents instilled a love of sports from a young age. “I started playing baseball when I was so young I can’t even remember,” he said. “I had an older brother

who played and then it became something my mom signed us both up for.”

Russo’s love for baseball led him to be scouted by colleges such as Clemson University before he tore the ligaments in his throwing arm. “It just made it really difficult to have a strong senior year,” he said. “Some of the schools that were recruiting me dropped out due to the injury.”

Despite experiencing setbacks on his path to professional baseball, Russo was still able to continue with baseball. He played catcher for Manhattan College up until his junior year, when former coach Charles Obgonna offered him the chance to pursue a career in coaching.

“There was somebody who was working at HM at the time, that I knew from Manhattan, who reached out saying that there was the potential to take the assistant baseball coach position,” Russo said. “But it meant I would have to walk away from baseball, something that I had done for all those years.”

After careful consideration, Russo left the college baseball team and was hired once he graduated. He has been working at the school for 18 years since. “It just kind of seemed like a natural fit for me at first,” he said.

“I enjoy, obviously, being around sports; I enjoy some of the life lessons that come with it, and I love being around kids.”

Lacrosse and field hockey coach Keri Panarelli has worked with Russo for 15 years, and admires his ability to construct a relaxed environment both in and out of their shared office. “Coach Russo is energetic, animated, friendly, and kind,” she said. “He makes coming to work fun.”

Russo said that one of his favorite aspects of teaching baseball is watching his younger players develop over the years.“To know that potentially you had a tiny bit of influence on that kid’s growth, that to me is probably one of the most satisfying feelings you could ever have.”

Junior Varsity baseball and football coach Ronnie Beller said that an important part of Russo’s coaching style is his initial approach. “The first thing that he talks about with anybody is to create a team-like atmosphere, a no-excuse atmosphere, and a hard work and family

Sarah Sun/Staff Artist

atmosphere,” Beller said.

When Jonas Jacobson (11) joined the Varsity football team, he noticed that Russo stressed inclusivity and improvement when he paired upperclassmen with underclassmen. “He was making sure everyone meshed and was comfortable with one another from the beginning,” Jacobson said.

“He taught me a lot about my mindset,” Varsity baseball player Mark Fernandez (12) said. “I would be caught on the last at bat while going to pitch or play first base and he taught me instead to be a level-headed, calm athlete.”

Harrison Bader ‘12 and Pedro Alvarez ‘05, two notable baseball players whom Russo helped coach, have gone on to play in the major leagues. Bader is the current center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, while Alvarez was the second overall pick in the 2008 draft and an allstar in 2013.

However, Russo’s impact goes beyond just his influence as a coach, as he has also proven to be a trusted leader, mentor and friend to students and coaches within the community, Beller said. “He’s one of the most versatile people you’ll ever see—he can cook, he can play baseball, he knows music, [and] he just connects with so many different people,” he said.

“He will always go the extra mile,” Fernandez said.

“Whether that is helping you on or off the field, he cares about every single one of his players like they are his family.”