The Horace Mann Record, Issue 18

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FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018 || VOLUME 115, ISSUE 18

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Parents and faculty tackle discussion of race in classrooms Jude Herwitz Staff Writer Ariella Greenberg / Art Director

School hosts first ever Day without Lights Caroline Goldenberg Staff Writer Students and faculty participated in the first ever Day without Lights, during which lights were kept off in the classrooms of Tillinghast Hall in order to see how much light the school uses every day and to learn more about energy conservation.

Siddharth Tripathi (12) and Student Body President Daniel Posner (12) came up with the idea for the initiative together, then approached Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly, Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein, Dean of Student Life Dr. Susan Delanty, and Dean of Faculty Dr. Matthew Wallenfang, to discuss the possibility of the event’s execution, Posner said.

Wallengfang encouraged the event, but also expressed to teachers that it was up to their discretion whether or not the lights were left on, as some classes held assessments or other in-class activities that would require light, he said.

The Day without Lights is one event in a “series of initiatives aimed at sustainability issues and environmental awareness,” Posner said. Posner and Tripathi first came up with the idea following the hurricanes that occurred with causes linked to global warming earlier this school year. They wanted to think “more broadly” about what they could do to help the environment in the school’s setting, Posner said.

“Sustainability is an issue I care deeply about, and I think the day

really served to raise awareness about our energy consumption and also as a way to think about steps we can take together to protect our environment,” Posner said.

Energy consumption is something that the school “recently has been actively engaged with, in terms of moving to wind power and installing solar panels on the top of Rose Hall,” Wallenfang said. “It’s certainly a timely thing to think about…and this seemed to be a relatively easy way and a way that would have high visibility to get people in the community to think about this.”

Julia Roth (11) initially felt “surprised” at the original announcement of the event, as she knew the school “hadn’t done something quite like this before,” but she also felt excited to participate in this kind of all-day effort that was happening for the first time, she said.

Max Chung (10) expected parts of the day to be challenging without light, especially math class, he said.

Chung felt that, “the idea as a whole” would have a “big difference, because it would open people’s eyes to what they’re taking for granted, like access to electricity,” he said.

If the weather had been cloudy on Tuesday, it would have been more difficult to see the material being taught at the front of classrooms during class, Gabrielle Fischberg (9) said.

For English teacher Rebecca Bahr, cloudiness did not end up being an issue in any of her classes, as natural light flowed into the classroom

countering the absence of lights, she said.

However, Bahr did notice that, the turning off of lights “affected students a bit energy-wise,” she said. Students seemed a bit sleepier for this reason, Bahr said.

Computer Science Teacher Danah Screen felt that the atmosphere in her classes was a bit more upbeat during the Day without Lights, she said, because the rooms in which she teaches were bright enough anyway, and students “weren’t shrouded in the traditional fluorescent lights,” which can sometimes be harmful for a learning environment, she said.

The day did not affect the learning atmosphere very much for Reina McNutt (10) as she had most of her classes in light anyway, she said.

McNutt had a math assessment that day, for which her teacher decided to keep the lights on, and overall, only saw the voluntary decision for the lights to be turned off in one of her classes, she said.

Julia Robbins (10) felt that even less light could have been used, possibly in other buildings on campus, for the full effect of the day, she said.

Josh Benson (11) felt similarly to Robbins. The day “could have been more effective,” Benson said, as a lot of the school remained fully lit.

However, Robbins noted that “so much of what we consume is unnecessary,” and hopes that teachers take up the idea of using less light in the future, she said.

State of the School Address delivered during PA dinner

SOTS Dr. Kelly delivers State of the School Address.

Katie Goldenberg Staff Writer

inside

On Thursday evening, parents, alumni, trustees, and administrators gathered in the Cohen Dining Commons for the annual “State of the School Address,” an all-school Parents Association (PA) dinner outlining the school’s strengths and initiatives.

Happy Year of the Dog!

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Ben Hu (11) discusses why the Lunar New Year should be considered an official school.

During the event, Head of School Dr.Tom Kelly addressed a variety of the school’s accomplishments and initiatives, ranging from increases in security due to recent school shootings, ICIE partnerships with companies such as Global Glimpse and Border Crossers, new athletic teams, record numbers of early decision commitment in the College Counseling office, and beginning the shift away from APs and towards the semester system within the Upper Division.

“The event holds the Board of Trustees and administrators accountable for the quality of the journey through HM for each and every student,” Kelly said.

The address, which serves as “an opportunity for parents to learn about curricular and co-curricular developments,” traditionally occurs at the beginning of the school year, President of the PA Grace Peak said.

However, due to a packed schedule, the PA decided to hold the event at a later date to allow for a more relaxed and engaging environment, she said.

See State of the School on Page 3

Art as social analysis

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Rivers Liu’s (12) art exhibit demonstrates how people today have become desensitized to violence.

Last Saturday parents and faculty from all divisions attended a training event covering issues of race and ways to talk about race.

The inaugural program was facilited

by Border Crossers, a non-profit dedicated to helping educators teach and have conversations about racism in classrooms of all ages.

The faculty and parents were split up into two separate groups at the event, she said.

According to Middle Division History Department Chair Eva Abbamonte and Amelia Gold P ’19 P ’21, around 30 parents and 30 faculty attended the event.

“More importantly, we know that many people expressed interest in being there, but could not attend,” co-Director of Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE) Patricia Zuroski said.

“It was pretty well attended and granted, people have things to do on a Saturday, but it could have been better attended,”Abbamonte said.

“This is an issue we deal with every day at this school, that our students deal with every day at this school.”

The faculty workshop had components of discussion and activities such as roleplaying classroom situations which called for teachers to address racism, coDirector of ICIE John Gentile said.

In the parent group, there was more focus on discussing racism with their own children of all ages, Gold said.

The first section of the day centered around the attendees sharing their personal experiences with racism as well as working to define race, and the second was dedicated to discussions around race, racism, interpersonal racism and structural racism, and how they all interact with each other, she said.

One of the goals of the event was to give parents strategies for talking about race with their children in ways that create a calming effect, rather than just making the child more anxious, Maria GarciaUnderwood P ‘20 said. One of the ideas was for the parents to try and take a deep breath before answering a question about race, and to give as much information and be as open as possible, rather than getting emotional, she said.

In the same vein as some of the discussions during the training, the Middle Division History Department is starting to rethink how to introduce slavery and the Atlantic slave trade as a section

Lion pride

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Varsity Basketball Teams compete in Buzzell Games.

of the sixth and seventh grade curriculums, Abbamonte said.

After the program, Gold felt “really proud to be a Horace Mann parent,” she said.

“I just think overall it was a great day. It’s not easy for people to leave their families on a Saturday for the whole day, and I think it shows the commitment of the parent body to supporting all students at Horace Mann,” Gold said.

Deborah Korzenick P ’18 came out of the event “with a deeper appreciation of how complicated these issues around race are and how difficult it can be for people who feel like they are being distinguished in some way on the basis of their race in not a positive way,” she said.

“It’s not that I was suprised by any of it,” Korzenick said, “but it was a reminder of how difficult it can be.”

Part of of what history teacher Dr. Kalil Oldham learned from the training was to recognize the areas in which he still could better address race and racism in the classroom, he said.

“Even those of us who feel very comfortable in the practice and the expertise that we’ve developed over the years to help students identify and disrupt systems of racial inequality… still have blindspots,” Oldham said. “A takeaway for me is to practice greater humility in acknowledging that there are still blindspots that I have and being open to identifying them and trying to address them,” he said.

In the same vein as the skills Abbamonte learned at the training, a homework reading part of the Middle Division History curriculum about the New York City Draft Riots that dealt with racial violence, was removed, Abbamonte said.

“We’re not going to not do the Draft Riots; we have to do it, it’s important to do it, but we’re going to do it in a way that makes sure there’s an adult in the room, that kids aren’t just grappling with it on their own,” she said.

The program gave her a wider realization about how to address racism with students, Abbamonte said.

“As teachers, we really don’t want to make our students uncomfortable.

That’s not our goal, but what I learned is that there’s no way to discuss racism without discomfort and that’s okay. We should actually lean into that, and I think that will change how I do certain things in the classroom,” she said.

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

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THE RECORD OPINIONS FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

Seiji Murakami/ Opinions Editor

Reevaluating our school’s definition of a holiday: making room for Lunar New Year

Ben Hu Unlike Horace Mann, two years ago, public schools in New York City as well as some schools in New Jersey and Maryland declared Lunar New Year an official holiday. Students at these schools have the day off to partake in this auspicious Asian holiday celebrated in many countries of the Eastern hemisphere. As a first generation Chinese-American, I believe that this opportunity should be open to all students of our community.

We need to recognize the fact that calendars other than the traditional Gregorian one exist, and we need to acknowledge those who observe them.

Similar to New Year’s Day in the United States and the rest of the world, Lunar New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar created in 380 B.C.E. in China.

My parents, my mother from Beijing and my father from Henan, both grew up in poverty. Throughout most of the year they would have to scrape by with only the bare necessities. Both of my grandparents worked long hours, so my father, who was still in elementary school, had to cook, clean,

and take care of his younger siblings.

During Lunar New Year, however, he could actually be a carefree child. He received new clothes, indulged in fish and pork, and had time off to spend with his parents. It has since become a day of celebration for my family to reflect on our past and give thanks for the opportunities and privileges we have and acknowledge the sacrifices my parents, grandparents, and ancestors made.

As a child, I remember my favorite New Year’s Eve tradition of throwing firecrackers to ward off the nian monster, a mythical beast from Chinese folklore. Families and friends also gather for the New Year’s Eve dinner, an extravagant meal comprised of rice cakes for success, fish for savings, and dumplings for fortune. As the kids plan how they’re going to spend their New Year money, the parents enjoy their Moutai, a traditional alcoholic spirit. On New Year’s Day, everyone prays to their elders and to their ancestors. The children have to bainian, bow and say phrases of gratitude to their elders, while the elders in return give the children hongbao, red envelopes filled with money. For Buddhist families like mine, we go to temple to pray for peace, health, safety, and good luck.

The celebrations continue throughout the next two weeks and end with the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the new year. People all over China hang lanterns with riddles on them and eat Tangyuan, small rice balls with sweet filling. My house always

fills with red lanterns dangling from the ceilings.

For Lunar New Year, my family follows many traditional Chinese customs, but the most important one for me is when we talk to our loved ones in China. My parents were the only ones in their families to immigrate to America, so we are never able to celebrate with my extended family. It is difficult to not be with them during this holiday, but we do everything we can to “be with them” even if that means talking in opposite time zones. On New Year’s Eve, we video-call my family in China. I bow

The first time I went to school on Lunar New Year was when I was in eighth grade. My grade was going on an overnight field trip, and it was strongly encouraged that I go and not miss any part. It was heartbreaking.

All I could think about was how my family was going to temple, talking to my grandparents, and eating stuffed chicken dumplings, while I was not even able to recognize the holiday with my peers. I never wanted to miss Lunar New Year again, and looking back now, if my school had recognized Lunar New Year as an official holiday that could have been possible.

All I could think about was how my family was going to temple, talking to my grandparents, and eating stuffed chicken dumplings, while I was not even able to recognize the holiday with my peers. to all four of my grandparents, and we catch up and watch the annual Lunar New Year TV special together.

When I was younger, missing two days of school for these celebrations was not a huge issue, but in middle school, I would only take one day off.

Since then I have been less and less able to take time off. In middle school, my friends and school administration thought that it was strange that I was skipping school. My mother called in saying I was sick because she was afraid they might not accept “Ben’s celebrating the New Year.”

But the problem I faced remains a widespread one for many students across a majority of public and private institutions, regardless of the diversity of their student body.

As a new student to our school in ninth grade, I joined the swim team. However, the day of our league Championships, or “Ivies”, was Lunar New Year. Even though I hate not being able to celebrate Lunar New Year, I was once again put in the same predicament. While I wanted to observe my holiday, I really wanted to compete at Ivies and it was also

Editoral

important as a team member. I thought that a solution was to miss the school day to go to temple and celebrate and just compete at Ivies in the afternoon, but because of the school policy that states if one is not in school they cannot participate in afternoon programs that day, this was not an option. Ultimately, I decided to go to school that day. I love swimming and I love the team, but I couldn’t help but think that if this holiday was recognized, I would have never had this conflict.

A school policy, enacted roughly two years ago, allows students to miss school if they have their own cultural or religious obligations. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, it is not enough. A student will still have the obligation to catch up on material covered in class, and teachers won’t officially recognize the day in order to avoid scheduling tests or other assessments. Students will have the stress of falling behind looming over them when they should be able to enjoy their celebrations without any worries.

With New York’s public schools observing this holiday, it is important that our school take the next step as a pioneer in the private school community and recognize the Lunar New Year for the sake of its students.

Lunar New Year is one of, if not, the most significant holidays in my life and in the lives of many others.

New Year, New Policy

Although today is exciting for our school because it’s the last day of Music Week and the day of the annual Buzzell Games, for many students and people around the world this day holds an even greater significance, as it is Lunar New Year.

While all New York City public schools are closed for the day, students in our community who observe the holiday must choose to either go to school and forgo their family’s traditions or stay home to celebrate and feel the burden of missed school work and possible assessments. In his opinions piece, Ben Hu (11) articulates the conflict that numerous students feel when faced with this decision.

The Editorial Board believes that it is time for the school to follow the precedent set by our city’s public schools and officially make Lunar New Year a school holiday.

With a diverse student body comes a responsibility to ensure that all students’ cultures are respected and valued. The day off from school to celebrate Lunar New Year would be a step in the right direction. As some members of our board have previously used holidays to attend friends’ celebrations and participate in a new cultural experience, Lunar New Year could be similarly instrumental in students’ gaining a broader world view.

Spyridoula Potamopoulou/ Staff Artist

Volume 115 Editorial Board Managing Editor Eve Kazarian

Editor in Chief Gustie Owens

Issues Editor Mahika Hari

Features Tiffany Liu Natasha Poster

News Sam Heller Yeeqin New

Opinions Seiji Murakami Rebecca Salzhauer

A&E Jonathan Katz Joanne Wang

Lions’ Den Peter Borini Ricardo Pinnock

Photography Amrita Acharya Freya Lindvall Abigail Kraus

Middle Division Ella Feiner Sarah Shin

Design Editors Evan Megibow Nikki Sheybani Lisa Shi

Art Director Ariella Greenberg

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Columnists Lutie Brown Amir Moazami

Online Editor Michael Truell

Staff Writers Malhaar Agrawal, Betsey Bennett, Peri Brooks, Amelia Feiner, Elizabeth Fortunato, Leonora Gogos, Caroline Goldenberg, Katie Goldenberg, Surya Gowda, Will Han, Jude Herwitz, Edwin Jin, Solomon Katz, Janvi Kukreja, Madison Li, Connor Morris, Megha Nelivigi, Noah Phillips, Eliza Poster, Julia Robbins, Abigail Salzhauer, Nishtha Sharma, Sadie Schwartz, Tenzin Sherpa, Sandhya, Shyam, Becca Siegel, Charlie Silberstein, Lynne Sipprelle, Griffin Smith, Georgi Verdelis, Ben Wang, Jeren Wei, Robbie Werdiger, Simon Yang Staff Photographers Iliana Dezelic, Eva Fortunato, Miyu Imai, Abigail Kraus, Daniel Lee, Mimi Morris, Benjamin Parker, Tatiana Pavletich Staff Artists Elizabeth Fortunato, Sofia Gonzalez, Surya Gowda, Damali O’Keefe, Spyridoula Potamopoulou, Jackson Roberts, Zoe Vogelsang

Editorial Policy ABOUT The Record is published weekly by the students of Horace Mann School to provide the community with information and entertainment, as well as various viewpoints in the forms of editorials and opinion columns. All editorial decisions regarding content, grammar and layout are made by the editorial board. The Record maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association.

EDITORIALS & OPINIONS Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the senior editorial board. Opinion columns are the sole opinion of the author and not of The Record or the editorial board.

NOTE As a student publication, the contents of The Record are the views and work of the students and do not necessarily represent those of the faculty or administration of the Horace Mann School. The Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and content of The Record, and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed therein.

LETTERS To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters to the editor should be submitted by mail (The Record, 231 West 246th Street, Bronx, NY 10471) or e-mail (record@horacemann.org) before 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. All submissions must be signed and should refer to a Record article. Letters may be edited for grammar, style, length and clarity.

CONTACT For all comments, queries, story suggestions, complaints or corrections, or for information about subscribing, please contact us by email at record@horacemann.org.

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HORACE MANN NEWS FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

First Tech Challange Robotics Club creates robot; prepares for competition Victor Dimitrov Staff Writer After many long weekly meetings, the First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Club recently finished creating its robot and is currently is preparing it for their upcoming competition.

“We made our own designs for the robots and built it with the goal for it to be able to complete tasks which are both pre-coded before the competition and coded at the competition. Some of the tasks involve the use of stacking blocks and testing the motor skills of the robot,” head of club Audrey Yu (10), said During their meetings, which generally occur on Sunday, the club split up into its three different teams. One team manages hardware and is responsible for building the robot and testing the mechanisms, another is responsible for software, wiring the robot, and making sure the programming works, and the last team is responsible for public relations, Reha Mathur (10) said.

The public relations team focuses on doing stem related programs and reaching out to Horace Mann and the greater community. “We also assist in teaching the Lower division computer science classes and we helped set up the Robotics program at Summer on the Hill”, head of PR Emily Yu (11) said.

The FTC Robotics Club focuses its weekly sessions on utilizing the lab to its fullest

Nishtha Sharma Staff Writer

RO- RO- RO- YOUR BOT FTC prepares their robot for competition.

because after school, on weekdays, it tends to be very crowded, Chen said. We’ve been working towards our competition and hope to succeed in regionals in order to move on to states, Mathur said.

“We use these sessions as times in which we can catch up on work because during the week we don’t get very much time in the lab to ourselves”, Arden Chen (10) said.

FTC has a much longer season compared to FRC, which has a six-week season, and rather than our robots having a weight restriction, they have a size restriction.

Courtesy of Emily Yu

“Having a longer season means we can spread out our work and because the team size of FTC is smaller than that of FRC each member of the Club can get more hands-on time with the robot”, Audrey Yu said.

I joined FTC because I had already been doing robotics for the middle school team.

However, in middle school, the level of robotics was more basic and when I got into high school I wanted to do something more advanced, and FTC seemed like a great way to improve my robotics and make friends, Chen said.

In their element: Science Olympiad A-team qualifies for state competition

Courtesy of Joanne Wang

SCIENCE OLYMPIANS Students involved pose with their medals at recent competition.

Nelison Gaillard Staff Writer With nothing but a binder of prepared information and general knowledge about the topics they were assigned, Reha Mathur (10), Isha Agarwal (10), and Eumin Hong (11) all walked away with a medal allowing the Science Olympiad A-team to place 4th out of 44 teams, qualifying for the state competition in one month.

Everyone in the top 10 places won medals, Hong said.

Mathur won 1st place for Remote Sensing; Agarwal won 7th place in Forensics; Hong

JSA competes successfully at winter conference

placed in all of his events: 2nd place in Optics, 3rd place in Chemistry Lab, 3rd place in Thermodynamics, and 4th place in Material Science, he said.

Since only 15 people are allowed on one team, the Science Olympiad team decided to take more than one team to the competition, Science Olympiad co-President William He (12) said. The A versus B-team placement is determined by placement tests, he said.

The team has been preparing for the competition since the clubs fair in October, Science Olympiad co-President Brian Song (12) said. Teams of two would study previous test questions online, and the builders would

work together in the Robotics Lab, he said.

The builders build and test their projects far in advance to leave time for troubleshooting, He said.

“Science Olympiad is like the Olympics but with different types of events,” He said. There are a variety of different topics from Chemistry Lab to Disease Detectives to Building things, he said.

“The competitions are one whole day and in each hour time slot, there are three events going on,” Song said. Each member on the team has anywhere from three to five events, he said.

Isha Agarwal (10) enjoys the competitions because they’re a fun way to bond with the team, she said. “It’s also exciting to apply all of the studying and work we’ve been preparing for months,” Agarwal said.

“I’m really excited to compete against kids from all over the state,” Mathur said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the diverse competition for [the school] to compete against,” she said.

Song is excited to go to states, he said.

Having gone to states two years ago, Song realized that the competitions are a really great time to be together and bond as a team, he said.

The building projects didn’t work as well as the team had hoped, so they’re very glad to have a month to get them together, He said.

“I’m excited to see the new competition and see how [the school] does out of all the teams in New York,” Agarwal said.

This past weekend, the Junior Statesman of America (JSA) team took home two best speaker awards after attending the club’s annual Winter Congress session in Washington, D.C. The team is especially proud of CoPresident Louis Toberisky and James Baumann (12) on receiving awards, and Isa Watson (12) and Baumann’s bill on net neutrality getting passed, Watson said.

Generally, JSA conferences allow club leaders to designate topics. However, this session differed in that a model congress permitted students to present bills on topics they’re passionate about, Toberisky said.

Topics included debating marijuana usage, immigration, and marine wildlife, Watson said.

Toberisky debated against the use of breathalyzers in cars using economic arguments and felt even prouder about his speaker award, because “I got to debate something I was very enthusiastic about,” he said.

“It’s extremely rewarding to become more educated on political affairs and the nuances of topics you’re passionate about,” Toberisky said.

Watson believes JSA is a great platform that provides teens the opportunity to speak on topics “that ultimately affect us,” she said.

The conference, which is one of the three held each year, consisted of students from across the nation presenting selfwritten bills to a mock Senate and House of Representatives.

The team hopes to use their achievements in this tournament to legitimize JSA within the school through raising awareness of the club. “We don’t want to be seen as rowdy, or taken as a joke, and want to show others that we’re a passionate team,” Watson said.

“I’d like to see more girls in the club, as conferences are very male-dominated as of now,” Co-President Teddy Keegan (12) said.

“I think expanding on diversity is the one thing we need to work on to make us an even stronger club in the future.”

JSA has one more major conference this year, and they hope to improve their speaking skills, Toberisky said.

Courtesy of Louis Toberisky

JS YAY! Noah Phillips (10) presents at JSA conference.

Continued from p. 1 “It’s nice to hear that the school is healthy and always changing, from diversity to new technology, security, and curriculums,” Don Howard P’20 said.

The event also included recognition of parent-led groups and initiatives by various members of the PA. First Vice President Danielle Stennett-

Neris P’19 acknowledged the success of the school’s alliance groups, such as the Black Parents Union, Korean Parents League, and Hispanic Latino Family Network, and their associated cultural events open to parents, kids, staff, and the greater school community.

Second Vice President Andrea Madaio

P’23 spoke about the success of PA initiatives across the three divisions, including events such as the International Food Festival and the Book Fair.

“Horace Mann is about more than just the grades,” President of Alumni Council Samantha Brand ‘01 P’26,’29 said. “This year in particular, [Kelly] emphasized the

work that is being done to serve the Bronx, and the state of the school is the strongest it has ever been and is a reflection of the exceptional work of its students, teachers, and administrators.”

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THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

Rivers Liu’s (12) “A Day in the life” installation critiques modern society Will Han Staff Writer Situated in a dark room is a single seater couch, a coffee table littered with half-eaten brightly-colored packages of junk food, and a small television playing the romantic comedy “Clueless.” Strewn around the screen are DVDs of the same genre, including “Sixteen Candles” and “Two Weddings and a Funeral.”

On the floor are projections of world’s horrors: news of school shootings, white supremacist rallies, and terrorist attacks. The audio from the movie is undercut with ominous music and speeches from an unknown source.

Rivers Liu’s (12) art exhibit, “A Day in the Life,” is part of a second trimester independent study piece that opened this week as a commentary on our current-day culture.

The piece runs throughout the school day; it always plays a different movie and the media clips run in random sequence.

No viewing experience is ever the same.

Upon entering the space, visitors are given a pill bottle with a trigger

warning that contains a description of the show, lyrics from the Beatles song “A Day in the Life,” and a list of the material depicted. Judith Butler’s speech “Speaking of Rage and Grief ” is innocuously pasted on the wall of the room.

“There was information on the pill bottle when we walked in: the pill bottle set the mood by giving a warning and saying that the contents of the piece were disturbing. It made me aware of the footage on the floor and how I would perceive it. I feel like it really opened my eyes to how much occurs around you in media and how easy and how often we just zone it all out,” Kiara Pielli (10) said.

“The exhibit is a social criticism of what our society is like today. We stand in front of our televisions, numbing ourselves with entertainment, food, and we take our pills, trying to get rid of all that’s going on- the chaos and noise. We pretend like it’s so far away, like it’s never going to happen to one of us,” Liu said.

“The screen of the television is the natural focal point, being at the center of the room,” Liu said. The

real-world events are on the floor, but the audience is at first drawn to the fictional movie, Liu said.

“Even though the room feels empty and secluded, the outside world is part of you, inside of all our worlds,” Liu said.

“There was feeling of being overly stimulated. A frenzy of information with two different projection screens and also sound that accompanied each one,” theater teacher Ben Posner said.

“I think it’s a very moving and powerful piece: standing in the room for 45 minutes, letting the images and sounds wash over me and watching people’s reactions.

Not only is it difficult to be in that environment, but it makes us think about the devastating stuff in the news and on TV we are exposed to everyday,” Posner said.

“A lot of what art is today is bringing out another detail that we don’t see. In this piece, I hope people have noticed the internal guilt that exists inside of us, the feeling of pressure, and how we are trying to ignore very real problems in our world,” Liu said.

Courtesy of Jonathan Katz

A DAY IN THE LIFE Rivers Liu’s (12) performance art piece forces viewer to confront the ways in which they distract themselves.

Students and teachers showcase talent in last week’s assembly Betsey Bennett & Mayanka Dhingra Staff Writer On Tuesday, February 6th, students and teachers filled Gross Theatre with the sounds of feet stomping, arms flying through the air, and voices singing along to familiar tunes.

This was one of the several assemblies that Director of Student Activities Caroline Bartels organizes each year to showcase the talents of Upper Division students.

The assembly featured dance performances from the StudentChoreographed Dance Concert and Asia Night and vocal performances

by Mathematics Department Chair Charles Worrall, Binah Schatsky (12), and James Arcieri (12). It also included a piece by one of the school’s dance groups, HM Stomp, a piano performance by Craig Murray (11), and a steel drums showcase.

For assemblies, some people approach Bartels and ask if they can perform, while Bartels selects others herself, she said.

“Our community is a busy one, but the school’s student body has such a diverse set of talents and interests and my goal is to let the students showcase that as much as possible,” Bartels said.

Bartels recognizes that not everyone is able to make it to the various performance showcases that take place at night and thinks assemblies present a unique opportunity to engage more members of the community, she said.

“I think it’s really impressive to see people I know or don’t know that are members of our community do such incredible things,” Julia Robbins (10) said.

The experience of watching student showcase assemblies inspired Robbins to create a gradewide talent show for her grade to encourage more performers to take stage, she said.

DANCING THE DAY AWAY Two dance performance pieces in last week’s assembly.

For students who may be nervous about performing in front of the whole community or sharing their talent for the first time, receiving a positive response can be really gratifying, Bartels said.

“I knew most of the people in my audience and recently a Record article came out about my accomplishments, so I knew I really had to perform to the best of my abilities,” Murray said. “Over the past five years, I have been used to playing in front of big crowds, but it still took me by surprise and it felt

really exhilarating.”

Murray was surprised by the amount of positive feedback that he received from students and teachers about the piece he both composed and performed. 12 teachers emailed him about his performance, he said.

“Sometimes we get caught up in doing schoolwork and our grades, and we forget that there’s a lot more to people,” Murray said. “I hope the audience realized that they are able to show off their talents, and that people really do appreciate seeing what others

Courtesy of Lauren Smith

can do and what they have to offer, and it’s not always in the form of academics.”

Arcieri wanted to perform in an assembly before he graduated, he said.

“It was my first time performing in a normal C period assembly, and it was nerve-racking because I was playing piano too and I hadn’t done that before,” Arcieri said. “But I generally enjoyed it and it was relaxed,” he said.

For Nisha Sahgal (11), who danced in a duet with Allison DeRose (11),

performing at school assemblies is a fun and low-pressure experience, Sahgal said.

“I found it to be less stressful than performing at the dance concert, just because we had done the dance so many times, and we were so much more comfortable with it,” Sahgal said.

“The stress of performing it for the first time was kind of over, and it was cool to do it one last time, she said.

Sahgal also performed at the winter assembly, and found this experience to be different, she said.

“This was all students’ performances, so there was a little bit more support just because there were more kids on stage,” Sahgal said.

Member of HM Stomp Taussia Boadi (10) felt that performing in front of the whole student body was a stressful but meaningful experience, she said.

“I know that we were all somewhat nervous before going on stage,” Boadi said. “But now that I have performed in front of the school, I won’t really be as scared to do it again.”

Boadi also felt that her performance helped spread the word about HM Stomp, she said.

“Now, people will go and tell their friends, and maybe next year more people will want to join,” Boadi said.

Students prepare for their performances at these assemblies in various ways.

Members of HM Stomp choreograph and learn steps during I periods and common free periods, Boadi said.

Arcieri and Schatsky only rehearsed once before the assembly, but enjoyed the impromptu and relaxed feeling of their performance, Arcieri said.

Students have already approached Bartels asking to perform in the next student showcase assembly on May 22nd.

Bartels also plans to have more student leadership and fewer outside speakers in assemblies next year, she said.

HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

BUZZELL 2018

Today, February 16th, at Manhattan College: Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Riverdale @ 6pm Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Riverdale @ 8pm

5

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THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

School spirit bounces high for Buzzell Amelia Feiner Staff Writer From designing t-shirts, brainstorming spirit ideas, and even bringing an ice-skating rink to school, the Maroon Monsoon coPresidents Jane Frankel (12), Devin Kleiner (12), and Teddy Keegan (12) have been making plans to get the school excited for this year’s winter-wonderland themed Buzzell since Homecoming. They are doing everything they can to raise school spirits for the basketball double header tonight.

Frankel, Kleiner, and Keegan have been working with the Maroon Monsson Faculty Advisor Ray Barile and Director of Student Activities Caroline Bartels to make sure that everything is perfect for the big game.

To plan a successful event, the leaders of Maroon Monsoon learned how to stick to a budget and develop and execute ideas that are fun and feasible, Frankel said. Bartels and Barile were very helpful, with Bartels helping to plan most of the school spirit events and Barile advising on T-shirt design and athletic initiatives, Frankel said.

One way Buzzell will be different from years past is that this year, students are instructed to dress in all white, Kleiner said.

There will also be an ice-skating rink outside of Spence Cottage from eleven to five the day of the game which will also add to the winter wonderland theme.

Planning Buzzell “is a little tricky because of winter break, and it’s pretty chaotic for seniors between Homecoming and Buzzell, so it definitely is the most chaotic,” Frankel said.

“Planning Homecoming is a lot smoother because we have a lot more time to plan it out.”

Some traditions like the annual dodgeball tournament will remain the same, with many

students planning on making supportive posters for their friends on the basketball teams and fueling a rivalry with Riverdale Country Day School.

Janvi Kukreja (11), president of the Happiness Club, sent out an email inviting all students to the library to make signs the day before the game, supplying posters and supplies. Ranya Sareen (10) attended the poster making party and thought that it was a great way to get the student body excited for the game.

The rivalry with Riverdale is fiercer than ever this year, Kleiner said. “We are in a group chat right now with the Riverdale student body president, we banter back and forth with him; no matter what riverdale does… we know that we will probably have a crowd of 200-300 kids,” Frankel said.

“For Buzzell especially we want to be as hype as possible because we don’t want Riverdale to win in anything we can control,” she said.

Barile believes that the rivalry with Riverdale showcases the best of the school’s spirit, and is pleased that the two schools have never had problems because of the games. “ We always have a lot of fun,” he said.

In addition to being the faculty advisor for Maroon Monsoon, Barile is also the coach of the Girls’ Varsity Basketball who will be one of the teams competing. “The girls love playing,” he said. “It’s fun to be there and do something different and raise money for American Cancer Society.” Even though the players are usually nervous, they always have a great time, he said.

“The most important part of Buzzell is that the community comes together and brings their spirit,” Kleiner said. “We hope everyone shows up and brings their energy for a great game!”

Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor

SKATING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND Maroon Monsoon arranges for skating rink to be assembled outside of Spence Cottage.

Basketball ready to impress Surya Gowda Staff Writer

At 6pm Draddy Gym at Manhattan College will be filled to the brim with fans showing their support for the Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Basketball Teams as they take on their rival, the Riverdale Falcons at the 67th annual Buzzell Games. Going into Buzzell, the boys have a record of 1-11, and the girls have a record of 16-3.

Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach Ray Barile thinks that the team is exactly where it should be, he said.

“It’s been such a good season.

We’re really coming together as a team. Probably the best year of basketball that I’ve seen. We’re just so excited to bring the hype,” Olivia Kester (11) said.

Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach Tim Sullivan believes that the boys’ team has made incredible progress during the season.

“We only have one senior and one junior, which means that playing against teams with all seniors is a very difficult task, but our team has never stopped competing,” he said.

Players on both teams said having the majority of the school watching the game will boost the players’ intensity and motivate them.

“It’s fun to play on a big stage with a loud rowdy crowd. Their energy increases our energy on the court which helps us get stops and create [plays] on offense,” Kate Golub (11) said.

Natalie Sweet (9) said that the crowd will elevate the levels of excitement for the players. Though this will be her first Buzzell

game, Sweet is very excited to showcase everything the team has been working on, she said.

“I’m excited for a game that should be competitive, played in front of both schools, which will promote

down, and the starting team has definitely worked on where to go,” Kester said.

The boys’ team has been working hard to beat Riverdale’s box-and-one defense after not being prepared for it the first time the Lions played the

good spirit and a good event,” Sangmin Lee (10) said.

The girls’ team has worked hard on everything this year, especially defense, Barile said. Because he has been coaching against Riverdale for many years, he believes that the Lions are more talented, he said.

“We’ve been working on putting our plays

Falcons, Sullivan said.

“We practice very hard and love to compete. We are all very comfortable with each other. Sadly, our record doesn’t show it. Definitely not the best, but at the end of the day it motivates us,” Christopher Robinson (9) said.

“We have worked very hard on ball

movement in the half court. When we move the ball quickly, our odds of scoring increase.

We have also worked on team defense,” Sullivan said.

For the boys’ team, players have struggled with pulling through games during the second half, Robinson said. “Our intensity dies down, and when we get it back, it’s way too late,” he said.

For the girls’ team, some challenges they face are communicating with one another, and keeping a level head.

“We’re a great team, and the only thing that’s stopping us is that we psych ourselves out. We have the skill to get there now, it’s just getting the mindset to get there,” Kester said.

Barile said that he believes that a major challenge the girls will face is fatigue. After playing two high intensity games on Monday and Wednesday, playing in front of 600 people on a college court could add up negatively, he said.

Despite these possible challenges, both teams are excited to showcase their skill.

“We are counting on the entire team.

I am hoping everyone will contribute on Friday,” Sullivan said.

Barile said that the girls’ team has great chemistry. They all get along well and have a common goal, he said.

“We are great. We are one of the best teams in the league, and we seem to keep getting better. Our defense is the strongest aspect of our game, but we have amazing shooters and everyone, from the seniors to the freshman, contributes,” Golub said.

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HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

Top: Bret Parker ‘86 completes marathons in Antarctica, Perth, Cape Town.

Bottom: Parker in Dubai, Cartagena, poses with his friend Ted Jackson in Lisbon

Right: Parker finishes his last marathon in Miami.

Courtesy of Bret Parker

7 marathons, 7 continents, 7 days Bret Parker ‘86 completes the World Marathon Challenge, raises awareness for Parkinson’s Lynne Siprelle Staff Writer Nothing stopped Bret Parker ’86 P’16 P’18 at the World Marathon Challenge (WMC) – not the seven marathons, not the seven different continents, not the grueling seven day travel schedule, and not Parkinson’s Disease.

“It was incredibly challenging, very rewarding,” Bret said. “We would run; we would shower; we would change; we would get on the plane. Then we would eat on the plane, fall asleep, land, and do it all over again.”

When Bret first mentioned the

WMC to his family they said, “That’s not going to happen. It’s too crazy,” his son Ben Parker (12) said. “And then he did it.”

The first marathon was in Novolazarevskaya (Novo) Antarctica on January 30th, and was followed by marathons in Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Lisbon, Portugal; Cartagena, Colombia; and finally Miami, Florida on February 6th.

Bret’s friend David Samson ’86, who he met in seventh grade at the school, encouraged him to do the WMC and organized a group of 16 people to participate, he said.

The group included Sarah Lacina, a former Survivor victor, as well as former baseball player Jeff Conine, director of the Boston Marathon Dave McGillivray, lawyers, a dentist, and a schoolteacher, Bret said.

“I spent a good part of the trip thinking about the finish and using it as motivation for moments when I thought I wasn’t going to make it,” Bret said. His family and many of his friends met him in Miami for the last marathon, he said.

Ben walked 17 miles of the Miami marathon with his father. “It really helped him because he was struggling a little bit,” Ben said.

Although this “was the stupidest

one ever,” the marathon challenge was not the first extreme athletic event Bret Parker has done. He does one athletic event to raise awareness and generate funds for Parkinson’s research each year, he said.

His father wants to be part of trying to find a cure, and physical activity helps reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s, Ben said. “It’s also about control, or how it affects his mind, showing that he can lead a normal life like everyone else. That it’s not a physical impairment.”

In the past, Bret has run the New York City marathon, participated in the Mighty Hamptons triathlon, and skydived, he said.

“He likes to inspire people,” Ben said.

Bret also serves on the Patient Council of the Michael J Fox Foundation, and is involved with research on Parkinson’s at the New York Stem Cell Foundation, Ben said.

Ben runs a Michael J Fox Foundation club at the school, which organizes bake sales and raises money for the foundation. Last year the club raised $500 and the year before it raised $600, Ben said.

“Everybody’s got their challenges and issues,” Bret said. His goal is to inspire people to get out of their comfort zones and be epic, he said.

Students shoot hoops for cancer research Solomon Katz & Victor Dimitrov Staff Writers In 1998, Associate Athletic Director Ray Barile worked with the Coaches V. Cancer Society, creating a high school version basketball classic that started with a three game event, raising 2,700 dollars.

20 years later, last January 28, the high school basketball classic raised over 50,000 dollars, and has raised over 250,000 dollars in the past five years.

Barile found inspiration from the passing of his grandmother due to cancer, and also the fact that whether through a family member or a friend, everybody knows someone who has been affected by cancer, he said.

In its first year, the tournament consisted of three teams from the Ivy League and three other teams. The tournament made its money from selling tickets and a snack bar at the event. The league thought the event was a great initiative and the tournament became a four versus four the next year. Six years later,

girls teams joined the tournament, doubling the amount of teams, Barile said.

This year there were seven games played for boys and seven played for girls. Each year, all the Ivy League teams play, but there are also a mix of non-ivy league schools that mix it up and add competition.

Due to the size of the event, Barile starts planning right after the event ends every year. He has to create the matchups, reach out to every team, and create “packets” for the players, he said.

Each packet holds 10 tickets for the player to sell, or for the player to give to their parents to sell. 50 packets are given to every team participating in October for the event following a few months after.

Additionally, the packet includes information of how the players can pay money to take out an ad. The ad is a poster with a picture donor with a message thanking them for supporting the American Cancer Society.

Every single family on the Girls Varsity Basketball team bought an ad, and a variety of

corporations and shops such as Super Trans. and Broadway Joes take out ads, which added up to 30,000 dollars this year, Barile said.

“The HM community has always been so supportive of me. The school was the one who originally gave me permission to start the tradition, and my girls raised over 6,000 dollars this year,” Barile said.

“The level of competition is higher, but so is the level of sportsmanship. Everyone is playing for a higher cause than just themselves or their team,” Zaie Nursey (12) said.

“I love that every school in the Ivy League participates, it brings us all together for a night, and it makes me feel like I’m in a united resistance against cancer, not to mention the event is fun,” Nursey said.

Damali O’Keefe/Staff Artist

Lions’ Den Record Sports

8

FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

“Though Halley is one of the smallest girls on the team, she is also one of the toughest. She can shoot the ball from the outside and loves to take it to the basket where all the ‘big girls’ hang out.

She is fearless on the court.”

“She is very level-headed on the court and doesn’t get upset. She always puts in a tremendous amount of effort and has had a very solid season so far.”

-Ray Barile

“Over the course of the four years that she has played on the team, she is the most improved player that I have had the pleasure to coach.”

-Ray Barile

-Ray Barile

HALLEY ROBBINS (10)

EDDIE MANTZ (9)

“Eddie has improved his decision making over the course of the season. He has become an excellent point guard. He plays almost the entire game and leads the team in assists and steals.”

-Tim Sullivan

“Julia is like the energizer bunny - go, go, go. She plays great and intense defense, loves pressure, rebounds well, and her outside three point shooting has really improved.”

-Ray Barile

ZAIE NURSEY (12)

JANE FRANKEL (12)

JULIA ROBBINS (10)

ROBERT MANTZ (10)

NOAH SIMON (12)

KYLE GAILLARD (11)

OUR STARTING FIVES

“Robert worked very hard in the offseason to get stronger and quicker. He is a very tough matchup for the other team.

Robert competes to win. Every time he steps on the court, he gives his all.

-Tim Sullivan

“He’s always been a great leader.

He has a tremendous work ethic, he cares about the team and always puts it first.”

-Tim Sullivan

“Kyle’s our most athletic player.

He’s quick and difficult to guard, and he’s explosive getting to the rim. Kyle’s also an excellent rebounder.”

-Tim Sullivan

“Ella is a very talented young player. She has improved her ball handling skills tremendously as well as her ability to finish when going to the basket and scoring.

She is both a solid offensive and defensive player.”

-Ray Barile

ELLA ANTHONY (10)

JADEN KIRSHNER (9)

“Jaden’s an excellent shooter, and he has worked to become a well rounded player, specifically to become a good defender.”

-Tim Sullivan

9

HORACE MANN FEATURES FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

From the NYC streets to Tillinghast Hall The experiences of the HM Security Department

Julia Robbins Staff Writer

Mike McCaw Director of Security Mike McCaw came to the school 10 years ago after serving as a Sergeant, Lieutenant, and finally a Captain in the NYPD.

Pete Clancy Before coming to the school five years ago, Assistant Manager of Security Pete Clancy was an integrity control officer in the NYPD for the Transit Bronx Task Force and later the Special Operations Coordinator for the Bronx.

Bill O’Sullivan Senior Security Supervisor Bill O’Sullivan ended his career in civil service as a Lieutenant in the Detective Bureau of the NYPD before coming to the school four years ago. He has been at the school for four years.

Glenn Smith After serving as a firefighting specialist in the Air Force, Security Specialist Glenn Smith worked as a fireman, fire marshal, supervising fire marshal, and a forensics photographer in the FDNY. Smith joined the security staff four years ago.

As a young police officer, Director of Security Mike McCaw was patrolling the 96th Street Lexington Avenue station when he saw a pregnant woman at the edge of the subway platform, a place where many people looking to commit suicide situate themselves.

McCaw walked to the edge of the platform and engaged the woman in conversation. The woman kept looking into the tracks, waiting for the subway to come. Once it neared the platform, McCaw moved her away from the tracks to prevent her from jumping in front of the train.

The woman was brought to a psychiatric hospital. Two years later, McCaw saw the woman in East Harlem holding the hands of young boys that each looked about two years old, he said.

Throughout their years of service, civil service members have witnessed remarkable changes in the dynamics of New York City.

The “heyday” of crime was in the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s, McCaw said.

Crack cocaine became prevalent in the late 80’s and hit the most vulnerable neighborhoods the hardest, Security Specialist Pat Smyth said. When drug dealers took over buildings, the tenants would leave and landlords would put less money into the upkeep of their buildings. Because of this neglect, buildings had high rates of burning down, Smyth said.

“One of the older guys would say, ‘see that building? That’s the next one to go,’” Smyth said. “The firehouse was the only building still left standing on [its block]; everything else was burned down,” Smyth said.

Security Specialist Tom Nolan’s first job in the NYPD was as a transit cop in 1988. During this time, he was part of the so-called “vandals squad,” he said. Nolan and his fellow officers would stop people from painting on trains that were stationed in the train yards, he said.

A new unit created during the crack epidemic within the vandal’s squad, was called the “cable taskforce,” Nolan said. In this taskforce, Nolan and his fellow officers would stop drug addicts from stealing copper wire from train tracks, an act that could lead to train derailments in the subway system, he said.

During the crack epidemic, “police couldn’t concentrate on low level offenses because we were so busy with violent crimes,” McCaw said.

“And when you don’t address low level offenses, quality of life offenses, it’s like anything can go,” he said.

Once the NYPD started to target low level crimes, the number of violent crimes in New York decreased because people committing less serious offenses were often the ones committing the more egregious offenses, McCaw said.

“That’s why we have the historic low levels of crime in NYC today; it’s from the work that guys like us did many decades ago,” McCaw said.

About a decade after the peak of the crack epidemic came arguably the most trying day that the NYPD and FDNY had ever faced.

Everybody that was alive on September 11, 2001 has a different story to tell. The members of the NYPD and NYFD had especially hands-on experiences with helping in the aftermath of the terrorist

attack.

“My first tour of duty down there was at Rector Street,” Senior Security Supervisor Bill O’Sullivan said. “I was a supervisor in charge of ten cops in a frozen area there to make sure nobody came into the site. But it only took a little while to realize that we were going to be helping out with the bucket brigades,” he said.

“I came in the next day and days to follow and helped dig out the scene probably for two weeks.

Then I stopped going to the scene and started going to the funerals,” Security Specialist Glenn Smith said.

Everyone in the NYPD stopped their normal duties and started doing whatever they could to help out with 9/11, Security Specialist Rosie Delvalle said. Delvalle was part of a missing persons hotline, she said.

“The firehouse was always a jovial place, and after 9/11 it was not because everyone knew guys who passed away,” Smith said. All the firefighters came “together and supported each other tremendously” after the attack, and the firehouse has since been able to regain its former jovialness, Smith said.

Everyone has a reason for eventually leaving the force, whether because they can no longer handle the hard physical labor, to make space for the next person to be promoted, or to change the pace of their work.

Smith retired because he wanted to allow the next person in line to be promoted and his wife wanted him to leave the danger of being in the fire department, he said.

As Clancy got older, he starting taking on more familial responsibilities and recognizing the danger of his work, he said. He had been a sergeant for Captain McCaw, so he came to the school through his connection with McCaw, Clancy said.

McCaw wanted to have a former lieutenant with a four year college degree on the security team at school and O’Sullivan fit the description, O’Sullivan said.

There are times that Clancy misses being in the NYPD, especially being with the people he used to work with, he said. But he does not miss the stress of being a civil servant or having to run around so much, he said.

“On occasion, something happens [at school] and the stress level rises,” Smith said. But overall, being in the FDNY was much more stressful than working at school, he said.

Some of the daily tasks of security guards include helping to ensure the safety of students near the buses during dismissal, monitoring cameras, and checking that epipens are in their correct locations.

“There is enough activity to keep us challenged and engaged,” McCaw said. “There’s no boring time. There’s always something going on,” he said.

In the fire department, there was always a fear that any day might be his last, Smyth said. But at the school, there is not the constant fear that he might not make it home, he said.

Days in the NYPD could go slowly because they were filled with negative interactions with civilians, but the interactions with members of the school community are very positive, so school days go by quickly, McCaw said.

“I enjoy working here. The people

are all great and the kids are very respectful,” Nolan said.

Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly makes sure to thank the security staff ’s hard work, especially when security works on a weekend or covers a big event, Nolan said. This is different from the NYPD where superiors rarely thank their officers for their work, he said.

“It was a wonderful opportunity when I came here, and each day that goes by just gets better and better,” McCaw said.

When you put the skill sets of both police and firefighters together, you can do anything, McCaw said.

As a fire marshal, Smith had to communicate well with everyone he was working with and he is able to use these communication skills at school if there are ever emergencies, he said. From his time in the fire department, he can now calm people down during an emergency while aiding the person in distress, he said.

As a former firefighter, Smyth has worked with or at least knows many of the current firemen in the area and is able to communicate with them well, he said.

Clancy was a sergeant in the NYPD, which allowed him to build managerial experience and learn to plan for large scale events, he said.

McCaw also had to learn how to manage both people and events as a captain in the NYPD and is now able to manage events with an eye for safety, he said.

Being a fireman allowed Smyth to learn how to stay calm during new situations and prioritize what is important, he said. He also learned how to take and give advice in a gracious manner, Smyth said.

Along with the experiences that service members took away from the force, they also came away with many life lessons.

“Surround yourself with good people. It helps,” Clancy said.

“You have to communicate and you have to be able to understand,” Delvalle said. “If you don’t understand, you have to ask questions,” she said.

Delvalle treated the inmates that she worked with on Rikers Island “like human beings” and unlike many other officers, she allowed the inmates to call her “Ms. D” instead of CO (Corrections Officer), she said. She spoke Spanish in her home growing up, so she used Spanish to communicate with people who were native Spanish speakers themselves, she said.

“Your decisions have consequences,” O’Sullivan said.

“That one decision that you make could really dictate the outcome of many years to come in your life,” he said.

As McCaw moved up the ranks from police officer to Captain, he was able to learn how to be a better leader from people that he respected, he said. He incorporated aspects of other people’s leadership styles into his own, and made sure not to make the same mistakes as leaders that he did not respect, he said.

Clancy believes in treating people with respect, and finds that being respectful makes interactions with other people easier, he said. “If you’re decent to people, they’ll be decent back for the most part,” he said.

Patrick Smyth Security Specialist Patrick Smyth came to school three years ago after working as a firefighter in the FDNY for most of his career. A neck surgery led him to work in MetroTec, a monitoring location for the FDNY.

Rosie Delvalle Before ending her civil service career as a Second Grade Detective for Internal Affairs, Security Specialist Rosie Delvalle was a patrol officer for the NYPD and a Corrections Officer for Rikers Island Prison. Delvalle has been at the school for three years.

Tom Nolan Security Specialist Tom Nolan came to the school three years ago after a life in civil service. He served in the Navy on two aircraft carriers and in the NYPD as a sergeant for Brooklyn North Narcotics.

These three badges mount the wall of the Security Office.

Photos courtesy of Mike McCaw, Pete Clancy, Bill O’Sullivan, Glenn Smith, Rosie Delvalle, Tom Nolan, and Noah Phillips/Contributing Photographer

Strangers met in friendship 10

THE RECORD FEATURES FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

Teacher couples and alumni couples share their stories Dr. Anna and Mr. Nathan Hetherington This Valentine’s Day will celebrate the anniversary of the day Art History Teacher Dr. Anna Hetherington and music teacher Nathan Hetherington met for the first time. The couple’s meeting was purely coincidental, Dr. Hetherington said.

Ever since Dr. Hetherington was around 12 years old, she had celebrated Valentine’s Day with her girl friend, she said.

The Valentine’s Day when she met her future husband, Dr. Hetherington had dinner plans with a girl friend of hers, but happened to arrive at a café a little earlier than she had planned. Dr. Hetherington’s friend was still finishing up her coffee with Mr. Hetherington, and she ended up inviting him to dinner with them.

Years after they began dating, Mr. Hetherington began working as part of the school’s musical department.

One year later, he found out about an opening for an art historian and told Dr. Hetherington, who began working at the school the following year.

“My intent was not to be working in the same place as my husband,” Dr.

Courtesy of Dr, Anna and Mr. Nathan Hetherington

Dr. Anna Hetherington and Mr. Nathan Hetherington in 2009.

The couple in Nov. 2017.

Hetherington said.

Working together does not really affect their relationship, as the two rarely see each other at the school, especially since they work in separate buildings and do not eat lunch together, Dr. Hetherington said There are some benefits to working in the same place, such as commuting to school together and having the same vacation schedule, Dr. Hetherington said. If they do talk about work at home, they do not have to explain to each

other their work contexts, because they know all the people and what is going on, Dr. Hetherington said.

Normally, however, “work is very separate from our personal life,” Dr. Hetherington said. “We try to avoid talking about work at home.”

On the other hand, working together is difficult in some ways, especially since they have a child. If their son is sick, for instance, it is challenging to figure out who will stay home and who will go to work, Dr. Hetherington said.

Reporting by Staff Writer Megha Nelivigi

Art by Gabby Fishberg/Staff Artist

Melissa Tsai ‘82 and Joshua Kraus Melissa Tsai ‘82 and Joshua Kraus met during Kraus’s freshman year and Tsai’s junior year. After randomly meeting once in the hallway, the couple officially met because Kraus was dating a friend of Tsai’s in the senior class, Tsai said.

Tsai and Kraus spent a lot of time together before they began dating, Kraus said. Although Kraus only attended the school for one year, he was very involved with theater, and Tsai was a part of the glee club, which practiced in the lobby outside the theater at the time, Kraus said. The two both worked in theater crew as well, and members of the glee club often participated in musicals, so they got to know each other quite well,

Tsai said.

When Tsai’s friend broke up with Kraus and graduated, Tsai and Kraus dated until they got married in 1989, seven years after they met.

After Kraus switched to a different school in New York for his sophomore year, he still visited Tsai at the school and spent time in the theater, he said. When Tsai went to college and Kraus switched to a school in Massachusetts, the couple remained together, and Kraus visited Tsai as often as he could, he said.

Years later, starting in 2007, Kraus and Tsai sent their kids, Isabel Kraus ‘16 and Abigail Kraus (11) to the school.

Melissa Tsai and Joshua Kraus right after getting married.

Melissa Tsai and Joshua Kraus now.

More than 30 years ago, Lauren ‘86 and Jon Roberts ‘85 met in a psychology class during Lauren’s junior year and Jon’s senior year. Their first real date together was prom, Lauren said.

They continued dating through college even though they attended different schools, and they ended up back together again at Fordham Law school. In 1994, nine years after meeting, the couple got married.

The psychology class they took together was taught by a very lenient teacher during his first year of teaching, Lauren said. Because the class was so relaxed, the two used to cut class often to just hang out on the field, which is when they really started to spend a lot of time together, she said.

Before dating Jon, “I was pretty straight-laced” and would never have cut class, Lauren said. “Jon was a bad influence on me...but I was pretty smitten.”

Cutting class was not as big of a deal then as it is now, Lauren said. Their teacher was aware of the fact that they skipped class and did not really care, she said.

The couple also both took a Latin class, but during different periods:

Lauren’s was B period, and Jon’s was D period, and they shared a free in between. Whenever they had an assessment Lauren would tell Jon what would be on the test, she said.

Other than the fact that she met her husband at the school, Lauren also made lifelong friends, who are still her closest friends, at the school, she said.

Since the couple grew up together, they spent a lot of time with each other’s families even before they got married, she said. Her family has known Jon since she was 16, which is unusual, she said.

Although Lauren had other couple friends that stayed together through college, the Roberts were the only ones who ended up getting married.

“We were very, very lucky because we are totally different people now than we were when we met at 16 and 17, so it could have easily not worked out,” Lauren said, “but we were always best friends even though we have both become so different as adults than we were back then.”

Lauren and Jon sent their kids, Molly ‘16 and Jackson (11) to the school starting in the 3s. “It was a natural choice for us,” Lauren said.

Lauren and Jon in 1986.

Lauren and Jon now.

Dr. Della and Mr. Isaac Brooks

Courtesy of Dr. Della Brooks and Mr. Isaac Brooks

Dr. Della Brooks and Mr. Isaac Brooks in the past.

Dr. Della Brooks and Mr. Isaacs Brooks in the present.

In 1983, Middle Division history teacher Dr. Della Brooks and Middle Division English teacher Mr. Isaac Brooks met in college after being introduced by Isaac Brooks’ sister, a friend of Della Brooks. The two had their first date over a dim sum meal and have been together ever since, Della Brooks said.

Della Brooks began working at the

school in 2000 and has been teaching seventh graders New York City history for 18 years now. At the time, Isaac Brooks worked somewhere else, but when the terrorist attack on 9/11 occurred, the family realized they wanted to be together.

Della Brooks, Isaac Brooks, and their two kids, Dylan ‘06 and Phoebe ‘09, were four people in four different schools,

At the end of their senior year, Jessica Heidenberg Heyer ‘07 and PJ Heyer ‘07 attended prom together, unaware of the fact that they would recite their wedding vows in the same hotel seven years later.

After meeting in high school and dating through college, the couple has been married since 2014.

Heidenberg Heyer and Heyer first met the summer before Heidenberg Heyer entered the school in sixth grade.

They attended separate sleepaway camps in Maine, but were introduced by a mutual friend at a social between the two camps.

“We chatted and danced, and I even wrote my mom a letter saying that I met a cute boy,” Heidenberg Heyer said.

When she started at the school, the two became friends, but did not become close until they started dating during the summer between junior and senior year.

Jessica Heidenberg Heyer and PJ Heyer take Class of ‘07 Prom.

Heidenberg Heyer’s graduation from NYU School of Medicine in 2015.

which was “not a good scene,” Della Brooks said. “We were separated, and it was very difficult to get back together.”

A job opened up for a Middle Division English and history teacher at the school, so Isaac Brooks took the job and brought his kids along with him to attend the school.

“Initially, our intent wasn’t to work together, but when the job opened up, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” Della Brooks said.

Until this year, because Isaac Brooks is now solely involved in the English department, the couple saw a lot of each other at school, Della Brooks said. They still teach the same grades, so they both know the same students, she said.

Some of the students are unaware of their relation, though. On the last day of school on year, one sixth grader asked Della Brooks if she knew Isaac Brooks who “taught at the school and was really nice,” Della Brooks said. “And yes, he was serious!”

Jessica Heidenberg Heyer ‘07 and PJ Heyer ‘07

Courtesy of Jessica Heidenberg Heyer and PJ Heyer

“We’ve been together from that point on,” Heidenberg Heyer said.

The two had a lot of fun together at the school, attending Senior Dorr, planning gradewide activities, and going to prom together, Heidenberg Heyer said.

Both Heidenberg Heyer and Heyer attended the University of Pennsylvania after high school, although they independently decided to apply there.

“We didn’t want to intentionally go to college together because although we liked each other, we weren’t necessarily planning to stay together in college. It was more of a coincidence that we both went there,” Heidenberg Heyer said.

“I know we both value having a partner that is very invested in work and passionate with what we do,” Heidenberg Heyer said. “Horace Mann instilled in us the idea of being a wellrounded person dedicated to both family and their career. We’re both very independent people, but we come together even better as a couple.”

Courtesy of Melissa Tsai and Joshua Kraus

Jon ‘85 and Lauren Roberts ‘86

Courtesy of Jon and Lauren Roberts

11

HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

MD Robotics teams advance to city championships

Peri Brooks Staff Writer

All four Middle Division Robotics teams participated in last week’s regional competition, with two of the teams advancing to the city championships.

The competition was hosted at the school on February 3rd, and 19 other city schools participated, Computer Science and Robotics Department Chair Jason Torres said.

In the MD, there are four different Robotics Teams: Sixth Grade coed, Seventh Grade co-ed, Eighth Grade co-ed, and an All-Girls Team consisting of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, Torres said. On each team there are approximately 10 students, he said.

There were a total of 22 teams that competed in the competition and only six teams were allowed to advance to the city championships, including the school’s Eighth Grade Team and the Girls’ Team.

The Seventh Grade Team won an award for research, but did not advance to the next level of the competition, Steve Yang (7), a member of the Seventh Grade Robotics Team said.

The competition involved two parts, Torres said. One consists of building the robot, which in itself is a challenge involving a playing field, he said. The students build a

robot that will score points on the challenge field, he said.

In the other part of the competition, the students gave presentations to judges, Torres said. “They were scored based on core values, robot design, and their solution in regards to the theme. This year’s theme was hydrometrics, so the kids in middle school identified a problem that relates to water and then came up with an innovative solution that will help them fix the problem,” Torres said.

The Girls’ team made a robot that poured water into bowls for pets. A unique aspect of the way the Girls’ team approached the hydrometrics theme was that they were doing a charity event, Glenda Guerrero, robotics teacher and coach of the Girls Team said. “They were raising funds for a local pet shelter, and the proceeds were to benefit the shelter specifically to get water bowls since that was their theme,” she said.

In order to mentor the robotics teams as they prepared for the competition, mentor for the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Teams William Golub (11) mock-judged practice rounds, he said. Golub “helped them think about what their research project should be and about their robot design,” he said.

“I wanted to give back and help run the event that I’ve gone to as a competitor,” Golub said. He “helped

to lead setup, recruited high school volunteers, was Head Referee on the event day, and trained referees,” he said.

The Robotics Teams meets every Wednesday afternoon and the week leading up to the competition they met every day, Claire Goldberg (8), a member of the Eighth Grade Robotics Team said.

The Girls’ Team is now meeting twice a week, Guerrero said. “They have already made an idea board of ideas that they want to change and adapt. Now that they have feedback from judges, they know where they did well and where they need more,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Eighth Grade Team has designed “multiple attachments that you can take on and off to complete challenges” for their robot, Goldberg said.

“Moving forward, I hope that we can really consolidate our ideas in order to make our robot able to achieve everything every time,” Goldberg said.

“I think that it was wonderful to see all the teams that were there do the best that they did,” Guerrero said. “Each team had absolutely unique approaches to solving this year’s competition, and there were no means of competition between the school’s own teams; it was really nice to see that and they rooted for each other.”

Courtesy of Jason Torres and Glenda Guerrero

JACKPOT ROBOT MD Robotics Teams dominate at recent tournament.

Blue Team wins Name that Tune on a high note Henry Owens & Adam Frommer Contributing Writers

On Thursday, a crowd of middle schoolers wearing an assortment of brightly colored attire could be seen filing into Gross Theatre with their Middle Mania teams as they prepared for the annual Name That Tune competition.

For the event, sixth grade interim dean and organizer of Name That Tune Michelle Amilicia played songs of all different genres until teams rang their bells to guess the names. In addition, there was audience participation during the game, Amilicia said.

The Blue Team won this year’s contest, followed by Yellow, Black, Green and Red. Each team had three representatives on the stage, one from each grade. These contestants were chosen through a preliminary round on Monday.

~Looking back on Eighth Grade Dorr~

Courtesy of Flickr

Kat Benton (6), who competed for the Blue Team, said that the three Blue Team members on stage worked really well together.

The event was co-hosted by science teacher Michael DeGasperi for the second year in a row and English Department Chair Drew Samuels for the first time.

DeGasperi and Samuels were both excited to be involved. “We are two millennials who have great disdain for millennials in general. I think that’s part of our charm,” Samuels said.

This year, a new surprise category was introduced: Songs About Unity and Equity, Amilicia said.

“I really wanted to put this new category out there because I think it will be something meaningful,” she said. This new category included songs “Where is the love?” and “One Love.”

Matthew Peeler (8) and Bailey

Hecht (7), who played for the Black and Yellow Teams respectively, were both contestants for the second year in a row. To be better prepared than last year, Hecht listened to songs of all different genres before the event, she said.

Blue Team’s Marcus Lee (7) is also a contestant for the second year in a row, however this year he didn’t have to participate in the preliminary round.

This lack of practice was nerveracking at first, said Lee, but overall he said he enjoyed it. “It’s a good contest,” said Lee. “No one expected the Blue Team to really win,” Blue Team captain Olivia Kagan (8) said. “But we did! It was really nice because one of the other captains was also a contestant,” she said.

“It was a great competition overall,” said Amilicia.

Surya Gowda/ Staff Artist

12

THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FEBRUARY 16TH, 2018

~Music Week in Review~

Courtesy of HM Flickr

Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor

MONDAY

Pictured: Lavinia Pavlish String Quartet (G per, Atrium) Not Pictured: Karaoke, Mika Asfaw- piano, Dr. Amir- piano, Mr. Bates- steelpan, The Worralls- Piano & Voice, Cholla Chamber Players- Woodwind quintet, Crow Bassoon Quartet, Mary Prescott’s ALICE, Daniel Mintseris- Keyboard, UD Steel Bands

TUESDAY

Pictured: Ryland Angel and Julian Wachner engaging and performing with the school at the UD assembly (C period in Gross Theater) Not pictured: Erica Jiang & Mr. Cho- clarinet dues, Jing Li- cello, Alexandra Beliakovich- piano, Belle Ave Jazz Trio, Good Times Brass Band, Jonathan Mong & Luke Weber, Louise Rogers Jazz Quartet, The NYU Vocaholics- a cappella group

Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor

WEDNESDAY

Pictured: Oscar Shah (6)- saxophone (H per, Olshan) Not pictured: Zocalo Brass Quintet, Kush Malhotra & Mr. Cho- clarinet duet, Fair Trade Chamber Music Society, Mrs. Hill- flute, Mr. Epstein, Ms. Bahr & Friends, Raphael Silverman Jazz Quintet, Banda Nueva York, James Moore & Andie Springer- classical new music, Craig Murray- piano, Joshua Shuster & Mr. Cho- clarinet duet, Ken Ascher, Rebecca Salzhauer & Binah Schatsky- voice

Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor

Courtesy of Halley Robbins

THURSDAY

Pictured: Jerome Harris Jazz Trio (G per, Olshan Lobby) Not Pictured: Masayo Ishigure- koto, Rupert Quartet- classical guitar, Tarab Quartet- Arabic music, Rhythm Method String Quartet, Island Breeze Caribbean Ensemble, Beethoven “Spring” Sonata, Adrienne Danrich- Love & Trouble, HM Jazz Combo M, Filmharmonic Brass, Ethan Matt

FRIDAY

Pictured: Sneak peak of a group playing today!

Not Pictured: Check out your first class for Dr. Amir’s email

HMTC and FSA unite for women’s rights through “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer” Natasha Stange Staff Writer The powerful reading of Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle’s “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer” gripped audience members on Thursday afternoon with unsettling accounts of issues including gender inequality, sexism, domestic violence, and sexual assault. The group of over 22 students and faculty members was organized by the Horace Mann Theatre Company (HMTC) and Feminist Student Association (FSA).

The performance is part of Ensler’s global activist movement “V-Day,” where throughout February, anyone may obtain a license to Ensler’s episodic play “Vagina Monologues” or the sequel “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer,” provided that the proceeds be donated

to charities combating gender inequality or domestic violence.

The money raised will be supporting Sanctuary for Families.

Both HMTC co-President Rebecca Salzhauer (12) and FSA co-President Aurora Grutman (12) read “The Vagina Monologues” and wanted to organize a reading of the book’s sequel, Salzhauer said. The monologues consist of a variety of rants, accounts of personal experiences, and calls to action written by several authors.

Grutman was intrigued by the possibility of using theatre to raise awareness of and spark dialogue about violence against women, a topic she believes is rarely discussed, Grutman said.

HMTC and FSA hope that the performance encourages others to share their stories pertaining to these issues and prompt further dialogue within the school community, HMTC co-President

Miyu Imai/Staff Photographer

A MEMORY, A MONOLOGUE, A RANT, A PRAYER Students and faculty join HMTC and FSA for a moving performance.

Ben Rosenbaum (11) said.

Since some of the monologues addressed heavy or disturbing

topics in graphic detail and contained strong language, only Upper Division students were

allowed to attend, Salzhauer said.

Though some stories are certainly difficult to hear or tell, they are stories that need to be told in order for progress to occur, performer Lauren Smith (12) said.

Conversations will be held after the play to discuss some of the more troubling content and to suggest courses of action to tackle these issues, Salzhauer said.

It was exciting to see so many members of the school community volunteer to take part in the event and come together to create a space for dialogue through an innovative collaboration between HMTC and FSA, Grutman said.

The reading’s performers ranged from experienced actors to those who had no theatrical experience at all, Salzhauer said.

They attempted to curate a set of monologues that covered a variety of themes, tones, and emotions, Salzhauer said.