Issue 15

Volume 119 Issue 15

The Record Horace Mann’s Weekly Newspaper Since 1903

record.horacemann.org January 21st, 2022

Unity Week brings students together Rachel Baez and Ariella Frommer Staff Writers “Unity week is valuable because it’s about bringing together people with particularly diverse experiences, and sharing these stories is essential for creating a unified community, both intellectually and emotionally” Avery Lin (12) said. Students and faculty had the opportunity to attend and host workshops on different topics relating to identity during the annual Unity Week.

“Unity Week remains a week at HM dedicated to having conversations and sharing knowledge on identity,” Director of the office of Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE) Christine Moloney said. Workshops come in a variety of forms including film screenings, guided activities, and facilitated discussion on certain

topics, she said.

The first Unity Week was in 2015. In past years, Unity Week had a theme, but this year the theme solely surrounds unity, Moloney said. “This broad theme allows people with a wide range of identity interests to lead such a diverse selection of workshops throughout the week,” she said.

The lack of a specific theme enabled English teacher Jennifer Little’s class workshop to not drive their conversation to one conclusion, Lin said. “We were exploring a lot of different avenues of connections, but we weren’t limited by using one framework of reference to format a discussion,” she said.

The ICIE Office held many meetings throughout the fall to gather information on Unity Week in the past and discuss best practices to ensure success this

Sam Siegel/Photo Director

year, Moloney said. They met with Music Department Chair Timothy Ho, who runs Music Week, Library Chair Caroline Bartels, who runs Book Day, Head of Upper Division Jessica Levenstein, Registrar Chris Garrison, Dean of Students Michael Dalo, and many teachers who had played a role in Unity Week over the years. Then, the ICIE collected schedules and were able to orchestrate a smooth rollout throughout the first weeks of January thanks to the help of everyone in the Upper Division.

The purpose of Unity Week is to connect with the community by sharing information and opinions on different identities that possibly are not recognized as much, Lin Egan (10) said. “We can also hear about various issues that are obviously important and it comes at a time where students and teachers can understand these things together,” she said.

Both students and teachers had the opportunity to lead workshops this week. The Seminar on Identity (SOI) class, that all juniors took the first semester, offered the option of running a workshop that related to one of the identities that they had learned throughout the year. This option was given to the juniors before winter break, allowing them to have more than enough time to create these different workshops, Zhara Motwani (11) said. “[Students] can have an opportunity to share something important to them and maybe encourage others to find it important too,” Little said, “Teaching others is

BELONGING BOARD Students share feelings of inclusion.

see Unity Week on pg. 7

Ben Rafal and Delfie Bauer Staff and Contributing Writers

description of religion or race, they said.

As with both Jews and AfricanAmericans, individually unique life experiences and backgrounds contribute to a different meaning of what it means to be part of a minority.

Lenny Lane (10) feels that watching the event helped him to view others differently. “I think it’s important to always assume complexity. When talking about the identities and histories of certain groups, you need to think about it from multiple

History Dept. hosts January Speaker Series, “Connecting Race, Religion, and Ethnicity” “Difference isn’t a problem — it is an opportunity to self-enlighten and grow,” Dr. Anthony Pinn said during the second installment of the Upper Division Speaker Series: “Intersectionality: Connecting Race, Religion, and Ethnicity” on Wednesday night. Professors Pinn and Eric L. Goldstein explored how culture, religion, and race intersect. History teachers Dr. Ellen Bales, Dr. Emily Straus, and Peter Reed moderated the event along with Lauren Conner (12) and Sam Weidman (12).

Goldstein is an Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies and the director of the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory University.

His research primarily centers around Jewish history and culture in the United States. Goldstein’s most acclaimed book, “The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity,” has received honors such as the 2008 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature Choice Award and the 2006 American Jewish Historical Society’s Saul Viener Book Prize.

The book examines being Jewish in a nation focused on racial inequity.

Goldstein also works on the editorial board of “American Jewish History,” a publication of the American Jewish Historical Society.

He has spoken at various universities and museums, and has also appeared

on CNN. Pinn is a Professor of Humanities and Religious Studies at Rice University, specializing in the intersectionality of African-American religion, culture, and humanism, the belief in the importance of human reasoning over divine thought.

Pinn has written and edited over 35 books, including the 1995 book “Why, Lord?: Suffering and Evil in Black Theology,” which explores the concept of theodicy through the mention of African-American music

“I think it’s important to always assume complexity. When talking about the identities and histories of certain groups, you need to think about it from multiple perspectives.”

- Lenny Lane (10) and literature as real-world examples.

Pinn founded the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning at Rice. He is also an editor of “Religious Studies Review” at the Institute for Humanist Studies Think Tank in Washington D.C. Pinn’s work has been acknowledged by awards such as the 2006 Harvard University “Humanist of the Year,” according to the speaker series website.

The speakers discussed the importance of intersectionality since not everyone fits under one

perspectives,” he said.

Andrew Ziman (9) and Logan Scharlatt (9) were struck by the recent displays of violence within places of worship discussed by Pinn and Goldstein. “I think the attacks show the vulnerability and unprotectedness of religious minorities,” Ziman said, “It’s a real wake-up call.” Scharlatt feels that periodic incidents like these show that the United States still has a long way to go to achieve an entirely

see Speaker Series on pg. 7

Courtesy of Kristin Lax

PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY Sinclair at school event.

The loss of a “Renaissance Man:” Remembering CFO Bud L. Sinclair Sophie Rukin and Anya Mirza Staff and Contributing Writers

“There’s very little about HM that Mr. Sinclair wasn’t involved with and eager to support,” Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly wrote in an email. “He had a genuine interest in making life better for those around him. And he committed his life to doing so.”

Edward (Bud) L. Sinclair Jr., husband, father, grandfather, and the school’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) passed away on January 15. Sinclair passed after a battle with stage four cancer and further complications due to COVID-19, Kelly wrote.

Sinclair was born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. He earned his undergraduate degree from Lafayette College and later obtained his Masters degree from Columbia Business School.

After he graduated from Columbia, Sinclair worked at the accounting firm KPMG in corporate for-profit and nonprofit client auditing and consulting.

Sinclair later became the Vice President of Finance and Administration and Treasurer of Manhattanville College, then Treasurer of Nestlé before he became the school’s CFO in 1995. “[Sinclair] was responsible for almost all of the budget, purchasing, payroll, insurance, and money management protocols that allow a large and complex school, like ours, to operate well,” Kelly wrote.

Over the past 16 years, Kelly worked with Sinclair on the final budgets for the upcoming financial years. Sinclair frequently spoke to Kelly about how proud he was of everyone’s engagement and intelligence in the community, Kelly said. “I loved that about Mr. Sinclair.

Rarely did a day go by when he didn’t find the time to celebrate the employees and families who consider HM home.”

Sinclair liked to think everything through, Comptroller David Roberts said on behalf of the Business Office.

“He believed in analyzing a situation in a careful, methodical way so that all potential ramifications of a decision were considered,” Roberts said. “His ability to analyze a situation from every possible angle was legendary, and that mentality served him well over his long, successful career.”

The Business Office also appreciated Sinclair’s sense of humor. “He always had a good line or funny comment about every situation,” Roberts said. As CFO, Sinclair made sure “things got done” and brought a positive attitude to the Business Office through his constant encouragement, Director of Admissions Jason Caldwell said. “Horace Mann is a massive organism, and it takes a lot to make that organism run,” he said.

While Sinclair was a colleague, he was also a friend, Caldwell said.

When Caldwell came to the school as a young administrator, Sinclair was a helpful resource. “He was always very

encouraging, and just somebody who really cared about people,” he said.

“What stands out more than anything as I think of Bud Sinclair was his remarkable kindness, as well as the joy he brought to those around him,” Registrar Chris Garrison said. “He has been such a constant positive presence at HM and the school has gained so much from him over the years.”

Along with his financial expertise, Sinclair had a passion for teaching, Roberts said. “Whether he was explaining the history and reasoning behind the accounting treatment of a transaction or mentoring a student as part of an independent study course, he just loved imparting information to others.”

Outside of work, Sinclair was an active singer in his church choir. Sinclair loved to sing and he had a great voice, Roberts said. “His renditions of Happy Birthday will be missed by all.”

He was also an accomplished sailor, the president of his condominium association, and cared deeply about his family, Kelly said. “[Sinclair is] the kind of grandparent every grandkid should have,” he said. “In short, he was the epitome of a Renaissance man.”

Sinclair will be remembered as the person who stepped up when the school needed new financial, risk, insurance, budget, and money management protocols, Kelly said. “We’re able to celebrate our 134th year as a top tier independent day school in large part because of Mr. Sinclair’s good work.”

For 26 years, Sinclair did great work for the Head of School and the Board of Trustees, Roberts said. “He [Sinclair] often commented that the main goal of the Business Office is to provide information and support to the Head of School to ensure that HM continues to be a top notch school.”

The Business Office has prepared for Sinclair’s retirement over the past few years, Kelly said. As a result, they have the resources to redistribute his workload and maintain the productivity of the Business Office that Mr. Sinclair would have wanted, Kelly said. With Sinclair’s help, the Business Office chose Roberts as the Comptroller to help lead the schools’ finances in the future. “[Sinclair should be remembered], as a friend, as a leader and as an example of class and professionalism,” Caldwell said.

In the future, he hopes to honor Sinclair with a memorial to commemorate his memory.

The school will remember the care and generosity that Sinclair extended to his community. “For the last two decades, we were the focus of Mr. Sinclair’s life and [HM was] the medicine he most preferred when feeling under the weather,” Kelly said. “While we will move forward, and be well served by the foundation he laid, Mr. Sinclair will never be replaced; there is only one Bud Sinclair.”

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THE RECORD OPINIONS JANUARY 21ST, 2022

Challenge political comfort and acknowledge the failures of Biden-Harris’ first year

Mia Calzolaio Exactly one year ago today, I wrote a Record op-ed about holding Joe Biden’s administration accountable. He and Kamala Harris, who had only just been inaugurated, successfully ran on the promise that they would help fix the gaping holes in American infrastructure and social norms that Trump left behind.

Biden’s platform included police reform, voter protection, student debt relief, and safer COVID protocols. He (perhaps ironically) said he would “Build Back Better.” This message was more of a delusion than a reassurance — a false promise of hope and stability that tends to come hand-in-hand with the push to elect a Democratic president blindly.

Granted, Biden faces a split Senate that has been dismal at passing bipartisan, or even partisan, legislation.

However, following the voting skirmish earlier last year to fill the two Georgia senator seats, voters surely expected to see a return on their commitment.

Perhaps no one saw the resistance of

Manchin and Sinema coming, but it is extremely telling for (and relatively in line with) the state of American politics that the Democratic party cannot unify. I find these fractures indicative of a failure of the message that we heard so often in the fall of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 — elect this president and these two senators, put your hope in the democratic process of our nation, and everything will turn out fine. Even as the Democrats had achieved their major election goals, we still find ourselves being told to head to the polls with force. Shouldn’t we now start to question the validity of that earlier message and the viability of Democrats’ election strategies? For me, these shortcomings have manifested themselves into a disillusionment with the American two party system. In a larger scope, however, I want to investigate the failures of Biden’s presidency thus far in the hopes that this challenge will encourage political engagement within the school community.

Let’s go back to this idea of pushing for the election of Democrats — especially Biden, who ran on the anti-Trump campaign. This type of sentiment is necessary, sure, but lackluster when those who endorse it fail to back up their claims. Take Biden’s immigration policy (or lack thereof) as a prime example.

Prior to his election, Biden shamed Trump’s use of separation, detention, and raids as anti-immigration tactics. His campaign website claimed, “it’s wrong, and it stops when Joe Biden is elected president.” By these standards, I assume Biden would also oppose US border guards whipping Haitian immigrants

near Del Rio, Texas, but that was a reality under his guidance this past September.

In fact, the Biden administration has doubled down on Trump-era immigration policies. According to the title of an article published in The Texas Tribune in December of 2021, “the number of undocumented immigrants in detention centers has increased by more than 50% since Biden took office.”

Programs like Remain in Mexico require asylum seekers from specific countries

so overwhelmed by our anti-Trump hubbub that we overlooked two other necessities: electing a leader who could effectively fill the post-Trump void and holding said leader accountable.

In terms of accountability, Biden has also neglected his role as the people’s champion of criminal justice reform.

His campaign website contains extensive writing on ending mass incarceration through the private prison system and diverting power away from police

to wait outside the US while their claims are processed. Biden has also kept Title 42, a so-called health measure that allows the government to deport immigrants without formal deportation orders, in place. I don’t mention these facts to produce a “gotcha” moment in which I demonize Democrats in favor of some other political agenda.

I merely wish to suggest that we, the US residents and voters at this school who so adamantly encouraged the election of Biden, should now reckon with the results of our actions. We were

departments. In contrast to such pledges, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act flopped in the Senate last year. Though outside Biden’s jurisdiction, reform policies in major cities across the US have failed to gain traction. I’d argue this reflects a general unwillingness from Biden to follow up on his earlier messages. He has yet to eliminate the difference in federal sentencing for crack and cocaine, decriminalize the use of cannabis, eliminate cash bail, or offer a federal alternative to punitive drug “treatment.”

to four short days of workshops.

Because it is a time solely dedicated to speaking about you and your peers’ identities, Unity Week is essential to the school’s community. On Tuesday, I attended the Unity Week workshop “Biracialism: Discomfort with Racial Ambiguity.” The workshop primarily addressed society’s desire to fit biracial people into a box, pressuring them to identify themselves. The presenters held a dialogue that acknowledged the frequent dehumanizing questions biracial individuals hear, as a result of non-biracial people’s need to fit them into a certain mold or stereotype, including “what are you?” and “where are you really from?”

I was aware of these problems through information I have seen on media sources; however, my classes, for the most part, have never deeply examined biracialism. These issues for biracial people are prevalent, especially in predominantly white institutions.

Altering the curriculum to include biracial voices in the historical moments we explore or the books we read would give students a greater understanding of biracialism and the pervasive pressure on biracial people.

Workshops foster an atmosphere in which students can engage with an array of topics pertaining to identity.

I hope all students took advantage of the opportunity to attend or host Unity

Week workshops, as they work to create a more inclusive environment at the school. But while workshops provide a valuable opportunity to educate one another and acknowledge aspects of our identities, they are not a replacement for extended conversations on identity.

Attending workshops and being involved in uncomfortable but necessary discussions both inside and outside of the

exchanges with friends or family, research, or extracurricular activities.

This week, my advisory spoke about where we feel like we belong and how to encourage inclusivity. Hearing the perspectives of my peers was extremely valuable for me. Students in my advisory expressed how crucial it is to emphasize that others’ opinions are heard and appreciated, in addition to the importance of including one another in conversation.

Discussions like these are important and should not be limited to just Unity Week and Unity Week workshops. Therefore, implementing these prompts into advisory every week would be a viable starting point for continuing

Amira Dossani/Staff Artist

Committing to unity, beyond the week

Hannah Katzke This year’s Unity Week provided students with the opportunity to learn about their own identities and experiences as well as those of their peers through meaningful conversations.

However, it also prompted me to realize that outside of Unity Week, the Speaker Series events, and Seminar on Identity (SOI), identities within the school community are only occasionally discussed at such an extensive level within classrooms. Students and faculty display a diverse array of identities that the school’s community should acknowledge and discuss — regardless of whether it is Unity Week. We should not limit these conversations on identity

Volume 119 Editorial Board Editor in Chief Hanna Hornfeld

Managing Editor Liliana Greyf

Features Mia Calzolaio Emma Colacino

News Claire Goldberg Katya Tolunsky

Opinions Devin Allard-Neptune Yin Fei

A&E Purvi Jonnalagadda Arushi Talwar

Middle Division Jade Ciriello

Lions’ Den Lauren Ho

Art Directors Vivian Coraci Lauren Kim Riva Vig

Design Editors Avani Khorana Myra Malik Arin Rosen

Online Editor Lucas Glickman

Head of Design AJ Walker

Photography

Daniel Schlumberger Ailill Walsh Sean Lee Sam Siegel

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Sophie Li/Staff Artist

school is crucial for building both empathy and understanding; it is thus imperative that such a level of engagement occurs throughout the school year.

Our efforts as students to embrace and understand unity should extend beyond the classroom, whether it takes place in the form of meaningful

our thoughtful reflections on unity and identity.

There are also many opportunities inside and outside of the school, like clubs and affinity spaces, that allow for students to gain different perspectives from people with whom they do not share similar identities.

Every other week, I participate on a council made up of students from the school and students from The Young Women’s Leadership School of the Bronx. The council is an extension of

Staff

Staff Writers Alex Lautin, Alexandra Yao, Allison Markman, Audrey Carbonell, Audrey Moussazadeh, Ayesha Sen, Cecilia Coughlin, Celine Kiriscioglu, Divya Ponda, Emily Salzhauer, Emily Sun, Hannah Katzke, Jillian Lee, Jiya Chatterjee, Max Chasin, Rachael Baez, Sean Lee, Vidhatrie Keetha, Zack Kurtz, Ariella Frommer, Athena Rem, Ben Rafal, Ella Shaham, Erica Jiang, Etta Singer, Heidi Li, Kate Beckler, Lucy Peck, Maeve Goldman, Naomi Yaeger, Neeva Patel, Nia Huff, Rani Ogden, Samantha Matays, Sophie Rukin Staff Photographers Aanya Gupta, Allyson Wright, Amelia Hirsch, Anna Miller, Aryan Palla, Ben Rafal, Catherine Mong, David Aaron, Dylan Greenberg, Harper Rosenberg, Jiwan Kim, Lynn Egan, Madlyn Yoon, Matthew Jacobson, Nicole Au, Oliver Konopko, Trisha Tran Staff Artists Aashna Hari, Addy Steinberg, Aimee Yang, Amira Dossani, Christian Conner, Dani Brooks, Dylan Leftt, Elena Zhu, Felix Brener, Isabelle Kim, Ishaan Iyengar, Karla Moreira, Kayden Hansong, Kristy Xie, Lauren B. Kim, Sam Gordon, Samantha Strasser, Samuel Stern, Serena Bai, Sophia Liu, Sophie Li

This trend of Biden’s overpromising extends over an abundance of topics.

To name a few: voting rights legislation stumbled to a halt in the Senate this past week despite Biden making such protections a cornerstone of his administration; Biden refused to sign an executive order that would forgive $50,000 in student debt — instead he said he would forgive $10,000 in debt, though he has yet to fulfill this promise; and, of course, senators quashed the possibility for an unrevised Build Back Better Act that would have expanded the social safety net by funding programs involving Medicare expansion, universal pre-K, affordable housing, and child care.

All of this is to say that we as a politically engaged student body cannot remain complacent. Sure, there are a few Biden policies out there that might be satisfactory — the trillion dollar infrastructure bill could be a success, especially close to home in New York City where our transit system is in crisis.

But hot button issues, like immigration, that were once a source of rage during the Trump administration now fail to provoke the same critical energy. This false sense of security comes from the notion that the election of Democrats will promptly ameliorate the condition of the US and American life. I urge members of the community to question the pillars of liberalism that tend to define our modes of thinking at school.

We should look beyond the conventional options available to us in US politics as a means by which to actively engage in political conversation and challenge the leaders we have elected.

the Rileys Way Foundation (“a national contest that funds teen-led projects that inspire kindness,” according to their website), where we design projects and discuss issues surrounding race, women’s rights, socioeconomic status, and mental health. It allows students to come together and examine prevalent social justice issues in today’s society, creating an environment that allows for students to hold open conversations pertaining to their identities—similar to Unity Week workshops. My experience as a council member has influenced my advocacy for the school to implement more opportunities to discuss social justice and identity issues on a more intensive scale.

In order to progress as empathetic people, it is important to acknowledge, listen, and understand the experiences of other people in our school community.

Building empathy allows us to place ourselves in one another’s positions and to fully understand someone else’s perspective on an experience. The conclusion of Unity Week does not mean that other strides towards unity within the school should end. I hope that everyone took advantage of the multitude of workshops we had the opportunity to attend and that everyone will continue to participate next year.

And that both the students and the school will continue to strive for unity.

Editorial Policy

About Founded in 1903, The Record is Horace Mann School’s award-winning weekly student newspaper. We publish approximately 30 times during the academic year, offering news, features, opinions, arts, Middle Division and sports coverage relevant to the school community. The Record serves as a public forum to provide the community with information, entertainment, and an outlet for various viewpoints. 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. Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and contents of The Record and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed therein.

Editorials All editorial decisions regarding content, grammar, and layout are made by the senior editorial board. The unsigned editorial represents the opinion of the majority of the board.

Opinions Opinion columns represent the viewpoint of the author and not of The Record or the school. We encourage students, alumni, faculty, staff, and parents to submit opinions by emailing record@horacemann.org.

Letters Letters to the editor often respond to editorials, articles, and opinions pieces, allowing The Record to uphold its commitment to open discourse within the school community. They too represent the opinion of the author and not of The Record or the school. To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters should be submitted by mail (The Record, 231 West 246th Street, Bronx, NY 10471) or email (record@horacemann. org) before 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. All submissions must be signed.

Contact For all tips, comments, queries, story suggestions, complaints and corrections, please contact us by email at record@horacemann.org.

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THE RECORD FEATURES JANUARY 21ST, 2022

Unity Week Crossword

By Myra Singh (12)

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Unspoken language, in brief 2. What everybody has but nobody wants, implicitly 5. All-encompassing terms?

9. e.g. “Can I touch your hair?” and “Where are you really from?”

11. Monday’s honoree, in brief 12. Not to be confused with 39 across 14. ____ and Ethnicity Speaker Series 17. One of three 20. Assumed straightness, condensed 21. LBJ’s famous war 22. Fun reading, in brief 24. East and West at the school 26. Speak from the __ perspective 30. Sense of self 31. Word reclaimed by LGBT_+ community 33. e.g. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press 34. Not to be confused with sex 36. What one sees in 28 down, plural 37. The UD has six of these spaces 38. Featured speaker this week in the clue from 14 across 39. The E in ERA, as a noun

1. Racial group celebrated in May 3. Dept of 16 down, 17 across, and 19 down 4. Penciling out of history 5. The theme of this week.

6. Rankine’s “Citizen: An American ___” 7. A buddy across backgrounds 8. e.g. “Biracialism: Discomfort with Racial Ambiguity” and “The Controversial History of the Word Latinx” 9. Written off 10. The togetherness of “county” and “city” 13. Critical race 15. Homonym for 3 Down 16. One of three 18. One of this issue’s __-eds is about unity week!

19. One of three 23. Crisscross 25. Each Unity Week workshop aims to foster this 27. Ask politely 28. A reflection of one’s identity in the media 29. Recent school initiative provides this for Bronx fire victims 32. Unknown identity abbr 35. An introduction may include this and pronouns

Reflecting on Martin Luther King, the man and the day Lucy Peck and Ayesha Sen Staff Writers

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward,” Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said in his fight for racial equality. This Sunday, Head of Middle Division (MD) Javaid Khan began his weekly email to MD students with this quote along with a short explanation in order to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day. All four divisions were off on Monday for MLK Day, which is designed to acknowledge King’s life and legacy. In order to raise awareness about the holiday, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly sent out a school-wide email providing background knowledge on King as well as a list of resources to learn more.

The Lower Division (LD) teaches students across all grades about MLK’s legacy, Kindergarten to fifth in developmentally appropriate ways, Head of the LD, Deena Neuwirth said. “Young students are riveted during class discussions about Dr. Martin Luther King,” she said. “Whether grappling to understand the historical struggle of the civil rights movement, processing Dr. King’s messages of freedom, equity, and justice, or reflecting on their own need to stand up for injustice in this ever changing world, students of all ages are inspired by these themes.”

In the MD curriculum, the topic of King occasionally arises in a variety of classes, but unlike the LD, rather than being embedded into the course curriculums, King is embedded in assemblies. For instance, the entire month of January is now devoted to sharing students’ passion projects, advocacy, or bringing in activist speakers as a way of honoring King, Khan said. For instance, a disabilities activist came in to talk to the MD students last Thursday, and in addition to sharing her own story, she spoke extensively about King and what his message meant to her.

Following the day off, Sophia Paley (10) was surprised that her classes did not have any conversations or assignments relating to King, she said. In fact, Paley has noticed that students engaged more with the day when she

was in the LD and MD. “My lower school class used to watch the ‘I Have A Dream Speech’ in order to commemorate King,” she said.

However, in the Upper Division (UD), there is almost no discussion of King in Paley’s classes.

In the future, Paley hopes that classes will spend more time discussing King in school, she said. “I thought it was helpful that Dr. Kelly listed resources to look at for MLK day, but I think we should be having some of these conversations in class even if it’s just for a day or two,” she said.

Most UD history teachers do not have a specific day following MLK day where they talk about King, Chair of the UD History Department Dr. Daniel Link said. Rather, they aim to teach King in the context of the civil rights movement. “You can’t understand King without the civil rights movement,” he said.

“And the stories of King and other members of the civil rights movement can motivate students to think about how they can fight for change.”

The History Department always thinks actively about the curriculum and ways that they can make it relatable to students so that they can connect the past to the present, Link said. Specifically, the department should always be thinking through how they teach those themes so that students get a comprehensive history of King and the civil rights movement, he said. “We need to make sure we are honoring King and other African Americans by seeing and understanding and learning about dignity and resistance to oppression.”

While it is critical to honor King’s individual accomplishments, it is also critical to honor his contributions to the civil rights movement since King saw himself as one part of the larger movement, Link said. Learning about King is important as it helps students understand the civil rights movement, and vice versa, learning about the civil rights movement helps students understand King’s contributions to social justice, Link said.

Beyond the classroom environments,

Paley believes individual reflection on King can be enlightening as well, she said. Learning more about King’s life story and what he fought for can give students more insight into history and teach them valuable lessons, Paley said. For instance, on Monday, Paley watched a segment on “The Today Show” about King, read an article about his legacy, looked through social media posts about his life, and browsed the resources that Kelly listed.

Clio Rao (11) also believes anyone can benefit from understanding King’s values, she said. “We need to reflect on how [King’s] ideals have shaped civil rights, at least as in the way we’ve seen it in the nation today, and we need to examine this idea deeper than what the standard education system exposes us to,” she said. “We need to really understand what King stood for and appreciate how his ideas are so applicable to our modern day society.”

Link spent the day rereading some of King’s work and reflecting on how he could incorporate King into his classes, he said. He recommends t h a t students listen or read t h e entirety of King’s “I Ha v e a Dream” speech, he said.

O n this day each year, Khan always spends time reading quotes from King.

R a o u r g e s t h e school community to reflect more on King’s principles, she said.

“While I know, of course, that everyone loves an

extra day of school off or a long weekend, I think that it is also really important to take a piece of the day to reflect on, not just the fact that it’s Martin Luther King’s birthday, but also really understand the complexities of what he fought for,” she said.

“Hopefully people are taking away a message that matters to them,” Khan said.

King’s story will be influential to a student who is thinking about what influence they can have. Khan said. It is crucial to not forget the people who have fought hard for us to experience the things we experience now, he said.

History teacher and Dean of the Class of 2025 Susan Groppi believes that it is also important to reflect on the difficult moments in King’s struggle, she said. “We have a tendency to ignore the parts of MLK’s life that are hard because people like to focus on the softer parts, but we need to remember that it’s based on struggle and violence,” she said.

Looking towards the future, Neuwirth believes the best way to appreciate King is to reflect on the methods by which he is remembered and adjust them based on the overall societal attitude in comparison to the respect that King deserves, she said. “As an institution, we are constantly looking forward in terms of what we can do better,” Neuwirth said.

Ultimately, Groppi believes that it is important to recognize that King’s struggle is still relevant today. “This is an ongoing struggle, and extra significance needs to be put on the fact that it’s not over,” she said. “The things that he fought for, like racial equality, are not fully formed yet, and we need to keep working on it. That is how we can honor him.”

Dylan Leftt/Staff Artist

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THE RECORD NEWS JANUARY 21ST, 2022

The Cross Race Effect: How to Prevent Harm Emily Salzhauer Staff Writer

At “The Cross Race Effect: How to Prevent Harm” workshop, students learned about the problematic impacts of the cross race effect — a cognitive phenomenon that leads people to mix up the names of students or people of the same race. The workshop, led by Director of the Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE) Christine Moloney and Program Associate of the ICIE Natalie Sanchez, kicked off Unity Week 2022 on Tuesday.

The cross race effect makes it harder for people to recognize somebody from a racial group that is different from their own, Sanchez said. Because the effect is a memory bias, research has shown that people have superior memory for ingroup members of their race relative to outgroup members.

Human brains instinctively categorize people into groups based on race, appearance, or social status, Moloney said. Once people categorize someone, they pay less attention to features that differentiate them because they might think about people of different races as “other,” she said.

The cross race effect is especially harmful for students of color who may not feel like they are fully a part of the school, Moloney said.

“There is just as much variation between people of color as there is between white people, and the differences still exist even if people of other races cannot recognize them,” she said.

Charles Chaitman (9) said he has both experienced and perpetrated the cross race effect, but he has never articulated it or thought about it before the workshop. “At the workshop, I learned why and how it happened.”

At the workshop, students also learned how to prevent the cross race effect. Interaction with people from different racial groups before the age of 12 reduces the cross race effect, Sanchez said.

However, for teens and adults, exposure to a diverse range of people is no longer enough.

“As you get older, you must be conscious of the cross race effect and work to limit harmful impact,” Moloney said. She recommended strategies for students and adults at the school to correct the cross race effect in themselves — for example, students can diversify their social media feeds to see people of all races on a daily basis.

The cross race effect is impacted by a part of the brain that functions worse when we are stressed, in a hurry, or multitasking, so slowing down gives it time to think logically and avoid harmful mistakes, Moloney said. Training sessions, such as the workshop, also helps people recognize their biases and correct them, she said.

Chaitman said that at a predominantly white institution, the cross race effect is especially harmful for students of color. “It’s a problem, especially when a new student hasn’t found their sense of belonging at HM.” Being mistaken for someone else can make a student

Biracialism: Discomfort with Racial Ambiguity

she said. “I hope people also were able to widen their perspective surrounding multiracial culture, and maybe even begin to disregard the stereotypes Students explored the origins of discomfort that are so present in our society.”

The workshop was discussion based, and with racial ambiguity through a combination of personal experiences and history at the presenters shared a personal experience, video, “Biracialism: Discomfort with Racial Ambiguity” case study, and quote. Then they discussed the Unity Week workshop, Maddie Yoon (11) said. implications of the phrases used and the key Yoon hosted the workshop together with Clio Rao takeaways from the video, including harms to (11) as part of their Seminar on Identity (SOI) personal identity that certain comments can have on biracial people. class, she said.

Jared Contant (11) thought the format of The idea for their workshop stemmed from their SOI class, Rao said. Yoon and Rao began the workshop worked well. There were many planning the workshop by brainstorming about opportunities for discussion, he said.

Yoon and Rao would introduce an aspect of their personal experiences as biracial individuals, Yoon said. “We wanted to think about which of biracialism and then allow attendees to break up our experiences would be relevant to the HM into smaller groups to synthesize their thoughts.

Malcolm Furman (11) was struck by the community, while also incorporating different lack of acceptance and social validation biracial articles and statistics we researched.”

Rao hoped that attendees of the workshop people face within society, he said. The workshop would gain a better understanding of racial discussed how society strives to put biracial people ambiguity, she said. “It’s definitely a loaded into boxes with certain racial labels, however topic, but discomfort with racial ambiguity is so many have more than one racial identity and do normalized in our culture that it can be rather not fit as clearly into these boxes, he said.

Part of the workshop was dedicated to surprising to talk about its actual implications,” microaggressions — such as being asked “What are you?” — that biracial people often experience, Rao said.

Yoon and Rao’s goal for this part of the workshop was to address people’s discomfort with racial ambiguity and the social invalidation of being biracial that cause these types of questions, she said.

SHOWING SLIDES Yoon and Rao discuss biracialism.

During the workshop, the

PAIR SHARE Moloney and Sanchez turn it over to the audience. question their place at the school, he said.

Students learned that the cross race effect also affects the criminal justice system when people of color are wrongly convicted by witnesses, Ashleigh Conner (11) said. “This, in addition to the racial inequity of mass incarceration, demonstrates how significant the effects of the cross race effect are,” she said.

Some of these people are found innocent with DNA testing, but this is not the norm.

Because the cross race effect can be so harmful, Sanchez said it is important for people to hold themselves accountable when they make a mistake and apologize. Students also need to empathetically hold others accountable, she said. “Be an upstander and say something if you

see somebody make a mistake that is harmful to another member of the community.”

As a student of color, Conner has been confused for others at the school, but in all of those instances the person has apologized immediately after, she said. “If you have been confused for another person in general, it’s important to make sure that you speak up and say something. This is no different.”

The workshop strengthened Conner’s belief that people must take accountability when it comes to the cross race effect, she said. “I now have stronger opinions on how people find ways to excuse their racism by hiding between things like the cross race effect,” she said. “It’s not an excuse for discrimination.”

presenters showed a video titled, “What it means to be biracial.”

The video c o nt a i n e d personal reflections from biracial people about their experiences, Maya Westra (11) said. “What stood out to me about the video is that no matter who the person was, they had similar experiences [with the discrimination they faced],” she said. “Since this is unity week, I thought a lot about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging which I learned in SOI, and it really showed me how society and these experiences contributed to a lack of belonging and inspired me to think more about actionable steps that we as a society can be taking.”

Westra also found it important that the presenters spoke about the history of suppression against biracial people, she said. “We talk about identity often, however we don’t always get to the root of the suppression and where it stems from,” she said.

Contant attended the workshop to support his friends who were leading it and to learn about a topic that is not often discussed at school, he said. “I learned a lot about the different ways society likes people to conform to a certain list and to fit within specific parameters, and how this specifically impacts biracial or multiracial people as they are frequently treated like others and experience a divided sense of personality,” he said.

The combination of insightful information and a good group of people made the workshop especially engaging, Furman said. “I enjoyed engaging in powerful conversations about why it is important that we recognize racial ambiguity and confront the reality of challenges biracial people feel in America,”’ he said. “There was a good group of people that attended the workshop, which allowed us to discuss complex issues while grounding ourselves in personal experiences.”

Allison Markman Staff Writer

Yo Hablo Como Yo Quiero: Being Bilingual at Horace Mann Neeva Patel Staff Writer

Ana Aguilar (11) discussed her experience learning Spanish in school as a native speaker in her Unity Week workshop titled “Yo Hablo Como Yo Quiero: Being Bilingual at Horace Mann.” Associate Director of the Office for Identity, Culture and Institutional Equity (ICIE) Bri’ana Odom advised the workshop and World Languages Department Chair Pilar Valencia’s Studies in Spanish class attended.

Aguilar started the workshop with an activity: viewers were given the task of translating basic English words such as “cake”, “coat”, and “straw” into Spanish. While some students learned that cake in Spanish is “torta”, others used the word “pastel” or “tarta.” As someone who speaks Mexican-Spanish, Aguilar herself uses “pastel” when referring to cake.

The point of the activity was to show how words change depending on what kind of Spanish you

know or have been taught, Aguilar said.

When Aguilar took Spanish in sixth grade, she found that students in her class would correct her if she used a word that was different from the definitions the class had been taught, she said.

“When I am put in situations like these, I feel like my own culture is being corrected, and that I need to prove my identity to my peers,” she said.

Students have also compared themselves to Aguilar, stating that they are “more Hispanic than her because they speak Spanish better”, although they fail to realize there are multiple ways to speak the language, she said.

Not only have students made Aguilar feel uncomfortable about speaking Spanish, but teachers have also acted annoyed when she corrects their pronunciation on certain words, she said. “One time in class we were talking about cities in Mexico and my teacher referred to Oaxaca as o-ax-a when it is actually pronounced wuh-ha-kah,” she said.

When Aguilar corrected them, her teacher blankly

stared at her and proceeded to mispronounce the word, she said. Schools should focus on embracing linguistic differences rather than treating them as incorrect, Aguilar said.

The second part of Aguilar’s workshop pointed out the biases that people, especially Americans, can have when it comes to the Spanish language.

“The Spanish in our schools is usually connected to whiteness because many people from Spain identify as white, and Catalan Spanish is often deemed ‘proper’,” Aguilar said. Catalan Spanish isn’t more formal than the Spanish spoken in other countries, and Aguilar hopes that students don’t correspond this formality with correctness, she said.

Another problematic idea Aguilar found while completing research for her workshop was the prejudice towards Latines evident in schools. One of Aguilar’s presentation slides showed a picture from CNN of an activity that a school gave their students in their Spanish class. The sheet directed students to translate sentences like “you are Mexican and ugly”

and “you are pretty and American”. “A lot of people don’t know that issues like this are happening at schools around the country, so including this piece of news really contributed to my presentation,” Aguilar said.

Malcolm Furman (11), a student in Valencia’s class liked how Aguilar’s presentation used a combination of personal experiences, as well as outside research, he said. “I liked listening to Ana’s perspective because there are a lot of bilingual people in our school and I am sure that a lot of other people are encountering similar experiences,” Furman said.

Leaving the workshop, Furman is more aware of the fact that there are different types of Spanish vocabulary and grammar in different countries around the world and no type is “incorrect”, he said.

“I walked away with a better understanding of the experiences of bilingual people taking language classes at our school,” he said.

THE RECORD NEWS JANUARY 21ST, 2022

Comphet as a Result of a Heteronormative Society Erica Jiang Staff Writer Harper Rosenberg (10) and Naz Yetis (10) hosted a Unity Week workshop on compulsory heterosexuality (comphet) for lesbians, on Wednesday D period. Comphet is the idea that a patriarchal, heteronormative society assumes and enforces heterosexuality, according to ThoughtCo.com. “It’s really toxic and invalidating,” Yetis said during the presentation.

30 students from multiple grades attended the workshop.

“I wanted to hear others’ experiences with compulsory heterosexuality as an ace person, as the societal prejudices against other sexual orientations are different from those that I’ve faced,” Alex Rosenblatt (12) said.

Sofia Filardo (10) came to the workshop to support Rosenberg and Yetis and discuss comphet, which is not widely talked about otherwise, she said. “Comphet is a confusing concept that’s difficult to understand on your own, and being able to talk about it with others can help me gain a better understanding.”

Rosenberg and Yetis presented for the first half of their workshop and held an open discussion for the second half. Both students and faculty participated in the conversation. “I enjoyed the discussion, especially with the teachers, because it’s interesting to see how people’s experiences have changed over time,” Celia Stafford (10) said.

The two spoke about the history of comphet, which has origins in literary works such as Adrienne Rich’s 1980 book, “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence.” “I liked that they discussed literature and modern resources as aid in one’s identity search,” Rosenblatt said.

The pair then introduced modern-day symptoms of comphet, such as when lesbians feel pressured to be in romantic relationships with men, even when they are not attracted to them, Rosenberg said. However, Rosenberg and Yetis emphasized that there are a multitude of definitions for comphet. “Everyone’s experiences are really different, and everyone can have their own play on it,” Yetis said in the workshop.

Stafford had known about the symptoms beforehand from she said. “It was intimidating to present such a personal topic, but the internet, she said. “I wasn’t really surprised by the symptoms, it felt amazing to be able to express ourselves and exist in such an but I think symptoms is a weird thing to call it,” she said. accepting and passionate environment.”

Rosenberg and Yetis also talked about how to support After their workshop, Rosenberg and Yetis hope that the lesbians in a society that sexualizes them. “Women liking women attendees better understand lesbian experiences and how to is so fetishized now in the media and can be found in many ensure that they feel valid, Yetis said. “I wish that there was more things, such as trending songs,” Rosenberg said at the workshop. education on how to respect queerness at school that existed in “It’s important to get rid of the biases that you were taught by the classroom and not just in voluntary work,” she said. Yetis also heteronormative and cisnormative institutions growing up.” wants students to know that they have students and faculty with Stafford said she agreed with all of Rosenberg and Yetis’ similar experiences that they can go to if they ever want to to suggestions for ways to be supportive. “Just being there for your talk, she said. friends and letting people commit to their own identities is helpful,” she said. “A lot of times people are afraid to say the word lesbian, so overcoming that fear is a really good way to support your friends.”

Rosenberg and Yetis added that discovering one’s sexuality is a journey that takes time. “You don’t owe anyone an explanation or a label,” Yetis said. “You are the only person who can really know yourself, and letting others dictate your journey is really unhealthy.”

Filardo completely agreed with Rosenberg and Yetis. “Sexuality is very fluid and difficult to understand, and our society doesn’t allow for much discussion or discovery in regards to it,” she said. “That’s why workshops like Naz and Harper’s are so useful.”

Rosenberg and Yetis prepared for the workshop by examining their personal experiences and researching online sources, then compiling the information into a Google Slides presentation, Yetis said. “We divided the slides amongst ourselves and aimed to present in a natural form that is UNLEARNING BIAS Rosenberg and Yetis begin their presentation. more based on fluid feelings than statistics,”

The Controversial History of the Word Latinx Zack Kurtz Staff Writer Isabel Mavrides-Calderon (11), Federica Italiani (12), and Gabriela Peralta (12), the leaders of the Latinx Advocacy Club, hosted a Unity Week workshop called “The Controversial History of the Word Latinx” this Wednesday. 25 students and teachers attended the workshop in person and several students and classes participated over Zoom.

The term Latinx is a gender neutral alternative for the words Latino and Latina that describes anyone from a

5

Latin American country, MavridesCalderon said. The term brings all Latin Americans under one umbrella as opposed to the word Latinos — used to describe any group of Latin American people that includes one man — which can make women and non-male identifying people seem like second class citizens in the language, she said.

Italiani, who is Venezuelan and moved to the US when she was

GROUP DISCUSSION “Latinx” workshop attendees around the table.

twelve, came up with the idea for the workshop after her uncle sent her an article on the word Latinx, she said. She was surprised to learn how the word was created by the liberal elite in the United States.

When she received the email about students running Unity Week workshops two weeks ago, Italiani texted MavridesCalderon and Peralta asking if they would be interested i n creating a workshop, she said. “I thought this would be a cool thing to talk about, and just to explore more behind this since it is the name of our club.”

Mavrides-Calderon thought the topic of this workshop would be perfect for Unity Week because the word Latinx is all about inclusion, she said.

The group wanted the workshop to be discussion-based while providing background on the word Latinx and its history, Peralta said. The presentation was a series of slides that covered the origins, present, and future of the word Latinx.

Italiani said the term Latinx is especially controversial and complex due to the political situations and humanitarian crises going on in much of Latin America.

The conversations that people in progressive communities in the United States are having, are nonexistent in Latin America, Italiani said. “There have been so many humanitarian crises in a lot of Latin American countries that there’s just no headspace or there has been no headspace yet to progress in that area of society.”

The presentation explained to viewers the

pushback against the term Latinx from conservative Latin American culture. In the presentation, Italiani, Mavrides-Calderon, and Peralta showed a newsclip in which two Latin Americans, one who approves of the term Latinx and one who doesn’t, voiced their opinions on the controversy.

One of the people in the video, former Rep. Carlos Curbelo, believes that the use of term Latinx is an imposition on the Latin American community and that it reflects a misunderstanding of the Spanish language, while Jonathan JayesGreen, a queer Afro-Panamanian, argued that the term provides inclusivity for the community.

“The video was really interesting because not only was it a very clear representation of the two opposing viewpoints surrounding this term, you could also see very clearly in their expressions how much they disagreed with each other, despite the fact that they had a very civil and polite discussion,” Willa Davis (11) said.

Athena Spencer (11), who also attended the workshop, came away with a deeper understanding of the word Latinx and the controversy surrounding it, she said. She found the video particularly interesting since it demonstrated the vastly different sides of the argument for and against the word Latinx, Spencer said.

Kaia Fisher (12) was surprised that only three percent of Latin Americans use and approve of the word Latinx while 97 percent either don’t approve of or have never heard the term, she said. She was interested to hear about how the speakers believe that the younger generation can impose social change within the Latin American community, Fisher said. She thought that it was really impactful how the presenters responded to that percentage and how they thought about the future of the term.

During the presentation, Italiani, Mavrides-Calderon, and Peralta also spoke about how this pushback has caused those who identify themselves as Latinx to create the term Latine. The appeal of the word Latine is that it is easier to pronounce in Spanish than Latinx; however, Italiani is unsure if conservative Latin Americans will be more likely

to accept the new term given their strong opinions regarding what the word represents, she said.

Mavrides-Calderon has high hopes for the term Latine because it is an inclusive word that is also culturally evolved, she said. “Right now white academics and white activists aren’t using the term Latine, they are all using the term Latinx, but I think personally that there should be a switch towards it so we can both have something that fits the language and also is different.”

Peralta thinks that the controversy around the word Latinx is an important topic, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ acceptance, she said. The Latin American community has difficulty accepting those who identify as LGBTQ+ in the community and the word Latinx helps bring recognition to that group of people, Peralta said. “I think it forces Latin American people to deal with the fact that there are Latin American people who are non-binary or who are transgender or who identify with the LGBTQ+ community.”

While at first Peralta thought that it would be difficult to create and run a workshop, she ended up finding the process to be seamless and easy, she said. “If you’re passionate about something, if you like talking about something, or if you even have questions about something, it’s really, really easy to put it together,” Peralta said. “I hope people don’t feel intimidated by the picture it gives off or the image it gives off because it really doesn’t have to be so high stakes.”

Like Peralta, Italiani found that it was not stressful as she is very interested in the topic the workshop covers, she said. “It’s just about connecting with the Horace Mann community as well and making it interactive,” Italiani said. Ultimately, she hopes that students will sign up to host workshops whenever they have a cool idea that they want to talk about and share with other people, she said.

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THE RECORD FEATURES JANUARY 21ST, 2022

Students turn stress into song with “Complaints: The Musical” Maeve Goldman and Nora Wildman Staff and Contributing Writers “Why are Dr. Kelly’s emails so long?” and “Turns out my crush is mask fishing” are just two of the many complaints students will belt out to the tune of popular musical theater songs in the second installment of “Complaints the Musical.” To Sophia Liu/ Staff Artist celebrate the culmination of the school year, The Horace Mann Theatre C o m p a n y (HMTC) will premiere the full production at the end of May. Complaints has been a tradition at the school for over a decade. In previous years, the chorus prepared and sang one song of complaints, HMTC co-president Bailey Hecht (11) said. “Last year, the HMTC took over Complaints and turned it from a single song into a full-length mini-musical.”

The musical parody will be performed and digitally broadcasted by HMTC. Complaints reflects the voice of the school, HMTC member Mathew Aponte (12) said. “It gives the community a chance to talk about the things we want in a fun and engaging way.”

On January 10, HMTC sent a Google Form to the school community, inviting them to take advantage of the “annual opportunity to complain about anything and everything,” the form read.

HMTC is currently reading through all

the submissions, Hecht said. “We intend to from the musical Evita.”

So phH M T C include every single one.”

This year, Hecht, ia Liu /S “There is one submission that just says publicity officer AJ Walker taff Ar tis “AAAH” in all caps,” HMTC member Athena (12), and HMTC outreach t Spencer (11) said. “It really encompasses the director Mathew spirit of Complaints.”

Peeler (12) are in So far, student submissions have been light- charge of writing hearted, focusing primarily on the school’s the musical. Their food and students’ workloads, Spencer said. work will begin once “There is a strong divide between people who submissions are closed in a f e w love and hate chicken tender Tuesdays,” she weeks, Hecht said. said. “I’m glad that out of the 116 complaints Once the writing process is complete, most, at worse, were just about chicken HMTC will begin directing and shooting tenders.” scenes. Complaints is a digital musical, In addition to including complaints about Spencer said. Thus, it is fun to have the school life, Complaints will lament on opportunity to utilize multiple shots and test students’ experiences with another year in a edit effects students would not be able to use pandemic. Many people complained about on stage, she said. new COVID protocols that prohibit students Although run by HMTC, the whole school from eating in Lutnick Hall, Spencer said. is welcome to participate in Complaints, Faculty members have also joined in, Hecht said. “[Soon], we will send out an email submitting their personal gripes with asking for anyone who wants to direct, act, students, Hecht said. HMTC received a lot of record, or have any role in the production.” complaints from teachers about students and Complaints offers students the ability to vice versa, she said. “I don’t think we have had expand their experience in theater. Since that in past years.”

Complaints is student-run, students After collecting can test out new roles that faculty the submissions, members would have previously been in HMTC will divide charge of, Hecht said. During last year’s the complaints into production, Hecht only participated categories such as as an actor. This year, however, she is food, workload, sleep, looking forward to trying out new roles and relationships so including songwriting and directing, that they can be easily she said. integrated into show Students active in theater are excited tune songs with similar to begin this year’s production, Spencer ff Artist Sophia Liu/ Sta themes, Hecht said. “Last said. “Complaints is one of my favorite shows year, I was in a section about love complaints to do because it is student-run, so there’s not which was set to ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ much teacher involvement.” Students are in

charge of all of the writing, performing, and editing which encourages collaboration with friends and peers, she said.

In addition to being enjoyable for members of HMTC, Hecht hopes Complaints will serve as an opportunity for students who have not previously participated in theater to become involved in the activity, she said. Complaints has the lowest time commitment out of all our theater productions, she said. “It’s a really great opportunity for people to branch out.”

For seniors, it is their last year they can perform Complaints, Aponte said. Some seniors, including Aponte, have participated in Complaints since middle school, he said.

“It has been bittersweet to see how over the years Complaints has changed into this big extravagant thing with a ton of different songs and time put into it.”

Overall, Complaints is a way for the community to come together and laugh at their problems from the school year, Spencer said. “It’s Horace Mann; we are all stressed out all the time.” Turning complaints into a song is a good way to turn things that upset you into something creative and fun, she said.

HMTC cannot wait to get started on the project and see the end result. “I am excited to watch the final product and laugh at all the funny things everyone comes up with,” Aponte said.

/ Staff

ia Liu Soph

t Artis

HM Influencers: Affirmations and Caught Sleeping hits Instagram Erica Jiang Staff Writer HM CAUGHT SLEEPING “It seems to be a common trend that Mr. Epstein’s A-period physics class has a severe case of the morning sleeps. Get it together!” says the caption of a recent post on @ hmcaughtsleeping, an Instagram account dedicated to photographing students asleep on campus. The private account, created on December 2, has more than 400 followers and almost 100 posts.

The account was inspired by trends on platforms such as TikTok, where people took pictures of others doing funny activities at school, account owner Dave* (11) said. “The idea to start [an account] for HM really started when one of my friends that goes to a nearby school sent me a photo of her getting ‘caught’ sleeping,” they said. “I thought it was hilarious and wanted to replicate that.”

Dave first started the account independently but now runs it with a friend. Together, they post submissions to the account’s profile and post engaging polls and pictures to their story.

The account is purposefully private so that only students at the school can see posts. A follow request will only be accepted if there are indications that the account belongs to a UD student, Dave said. “If someone wants their photo removed, they simply send us a direct message (DM) and we’ll remove that post immediately,” they said. “While the whole point of the account is to ‘catch’ innocent people sleeping, students are wise enough to know that some of their friends are not comfortable having their pictures online, so they will choose not to send us pictures of certain people. Either way, we value people’s privacy and try to post everything with clear consent.”

Anyone who follows the account can submit photos through a DM. Although most of the submissions are of people genuinely asleep, some are creatively staged. “Either way, it’s fun seeing people get creative, so I’ve done some ‘Hall of Shames’ where I’ll compile staged posts and post them together in a story so those photos still get recognized, but in a

different way,” Dave said.

At the peak of the account’s popularity in early December, they received almost 15 submissions a day, Dave said. While they typically post most submissions, they sometimes save staged photos to compile later.

Many students enjoy seeing all the pictures of others sleeping. “I love seeing [the posts]

really good ones,” she said.

Dave hopes that in the future, the account will shift ownership and continue as the years go by, they said. “I don’t expect the account to have as much hype as it did when it first started, but I hope it continues as a fun HM trend that continues for years to come that new members of our community can enjoy.”

HORACE MANN AFFIRMATIONS

Sean Lee/ Photography Director

YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE Sleepy students. every day because it reminds me that everyone at HM is constantly tired which kind of unites us in a way,” Ariela Shuchman (11) said. “It’s also a great way to check in throughout the day, almost like breaking news updates with a new person caught sleeping.”

Similarly, Ellie Romero (9) enjoys following the account because it makes her happy to see crazy sleeping positions, Romero said. “It makes me laugh, and it’s a nice break,” she said. “It makes me feel better that I know I’m not the only one who needs more sleep.”

Despite the continued hype around the account from many students, others are beginning to lose interest. Eliza Becker (12) believes the account posts too much and loses credibility because a lot of the posts are staged, she said. “You’ve got to kind of be clever with those accounts and limit your posts to only

“I am worthy of 8 hours. Sleep is more important than my grades. I deserve 8 hours.

I will get my 8 hours,” reads one of the most popular posts on the Instagram account @ horacemann_affirmations.

Tayler*, who asked to remain anonymous to make sure the account remains open to the entire school community, has been posting on the account since January 7 after being inspired by similar accounts from other schools. They are the sole owner of the account, creating everything from the profile picture to the posts, with submissions, Tayler said.

For the near future, Tayler hopes to remain anonymous. However, they would consider handing off the account to another owner and revealing their identity later, they said.

The account has gained over 300 followers since its creation and currently has over 20 posts that humorously detail topics that the school community either lacks or strives to create, Tayler said.

In under two weeks, the account has gained over 300 followers. “I feel [the account] brings together our community, and it feels like a big inside joke between all of us in the school,” Isabel Mavrides-Calderon (11) said.

Seeing everyone comment and interact with each post connects the community together through shared experiences, she said.

“Seeing how everybody at the school has very similar experiences and struggles about school life is so entertaining and relieving,” Max Feng (10) said. “It makes me feel like I’m not alone at all.”

Eliza Becker (12), on the other hand, feels the account is valuing quantity over quality and fading away. “I appreciate it to a point, but it’s also starting to post too often with not

FEELING #AFFIRMED Student submissions. good enough content,” Becker said.

Students often talk about the account’s posts with their friends as well, Feng said.

“Some of their posts remind me of my friends so I love sharing it to them,” Feng said.

Gillian Ho (9) also usually discusses new posts with friends, she said.

Tayler bases the posts off of submissions sent in by students. Then, Tayler creates the visuals and slightly edits the text to make sure the post is appropriate, they said. “Some submissions bewilder me, but as long as they don’t mention names, I am willing to assist students in speaking their hopes, desires, and dreams.” On average, the account will receive one or two submissions a day, and each post takes around two minutes to create, Tayler said.

One of Ho’s favorite posts is about the former Lutnick fish tank, she said. The post, with over 200 likes, reads, “The fish are okay.

I have moved on. They are on vacation. The fish will be coming back soon.” Students have shared this post across social media, leaving over 20 comments. Jacob Shaw (12) was one of the students who commented on the post.

“I choose to believe the fish are still in the tank, they just got stage fright,” he wrote.

Mavrides-Calderon relates to the posts and hopes the account will continue over the years, she said. “I think it’s a fun, harmless way to joke about our experience.”

Feng also hopes the account will keep running, he said. “It’ll be a place full of core memories of school-related experiences. I’m sure the future students will come to love it as well.”

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THE RECORD NEWS AND MIDDLE DIVISION JANUARY 21ST, 2022

from Speaker Series on page 1 just society, he said.

A common theme discussed was the loss of one’s cultural heritage through assimilation. Bales was struck by how Goldstein’s research demonstrated that Jewish immigrants lost aspects of their religious identity as they attempted to integrate into white American culture. “The important idea for these immigrants is are you Russian or are you Jewish. Then, they arrive in the United States and discover that those categories are not the ones that are considered meaningful here. I think that the way he handles that is very interesting and really subtle and nuanced,” she said.

Weidman believes that having speakers such as Goldstein and Pinn is valuable because they can provide the “I” perspective when discussing issues

from Unity Week on page 1 pertaining to groups with which they self-identify, he said. “Personally, I’m Jewish, and at Horace Mann, I don’t always have as many options as I would like to explore the connection between Judaism and the world around me,” he said, “I chose to look into how Judaism intersects with other disciplines as I also wanted to learn about other religions and how it relates back to Horace Mann.”

Weidman found Pinn’s belief in analyzing cultures through multiple lenses and examining different types of sources thought-provoking, he said. Goldstein shared this perspective when discussing the necessity of accounting for all time periods and demographics when learning about the journey of a certain group. Pinn said, “You can’t build a house with just a hammer.”

SPEAKER SERIES Pinn and Goldstein discuss race and religion.

also the best way to learn.”

Little’s Seminar in Literary Studies class for twelfth grade students led a workshop on the analysis of scenes from the film “Get Out” through the lens of African American literary theorists. The class focuses on identity-based literary theories, so there is overlap between the course and Unity Week ideas, she said.

“The students in my class were excited to share what we have just been studying, and the fact that we had just watched a movie that lots of students know and would like to talk about was perfect,” she said. Furthermore, preparing for the presentation was a great alternative to writing an essay, she said.

Lin, a student in Little’s class, helped lead a workshop for her first time during this year’s Unity Week, she said. “To be able to make that experience for listeners that’s so closely tied to what we’ve done in class was something special.”

Preparing the presentation was engaging because the whole class was interested in the movie they were talking about, Lin said.

“We got to appreciate it as a movie and a really effective work of art but also see how it encapsulates so many of these like themes that we’ve been dealing with in class.”

Some teachers chose to take their students to workshops during class time. Math teacher Benjamin Kafoglis took Egan’s class to “What’s shade got to do with it?” a workshop on colorism in the media, and science teacher Lisa Scott took Egan’s class to “Biracialism: Discomfort and Ambiguity.”

As a math teacher, Kafoglis normally sees his students talking about math, so he does not always get to see other sides of his students, he said. “Many of my students shared experiences and ideas around colorism they see in their own life, and I loved that I got to hear those thoughts,” he said.

Both workshops were well led; one was led by a teacher and one by a student, Egan said. “The one led by a student was slightly more interactive and opened the floor to more discussion because the space felt more casual,” she said.

Motwani said that Unity Week was a great opportunity to learn about different identities that she would not have learned about otherwise. She also was able to take advantage of Unity Week by hosting a workshop of her own, focusing on American Sign Language.

“Unity Week allowed me to create my own workshop, which ended up turning into the base of my upcoming club. My workshop allows me to spread factual information on ASL, which is a large part of many people’s identity but is sometimes overlooked,” she said.

Harris attended the workshop led by Louise Kim (11) on radical love in the time of capitalism with his French class, he said.

“Hearing everyone’s responses showed me how other people think of a very personal topic,” he said.

Other than workshops, all UD students engaged in Unity Week by completing reflection cards during advisory. Students were asked to answer one of two questions: “How do you make others feel like they belong?” or “When do you feel like you belong?” Then, the ICIE office created the Unity Week bulletin board that showcases student’s responses.

It is important to stay engaged with the topics after workshops, Egan said. “Post workshop, I’ll definitely reflect on the matters, and talk to peers about it,” she said.

Moloney hopes students take away new perspectives and information as well as learn about each other, she said. “The more connections we can create, the stronger our division will be.”

Crossword Answers from page 3

Middle Division (MD) holds sexual abuse prevention training for faculty members Jiya Chatterjee and Brody Grossman Staff and Contributing Writer New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) held the Middle Division’s (MD) first ever sexual abuse prevention training for teachers this Tuesday. The goal of the meeting was to give faculty and staff proper information to notice, prevent, and report sexual abuse, as well as learn about child sexual abuse myths, facts, signs and symptoms of child sexual abuse, MD Dean of Faculty and history teacher Eva Abbamonte said.

In the past, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly held meetings with teachers to discuss the issue, but this was the first year a formal

Dylan Leftt/Staff Artist

training was done, Khan said. “This school has a long history of abusing students, and we are following the charge of Dr. Kelly by saying we are no longer going to sweep these sorts of issues under the rug,” Head of the MD Javaid Khan said. Just as students are required to go through sexual abuse prevention trainings annually, it is important that teachers go through similar meetings, he said.

“Teachers see students regularly for long periods of time, and this is why it’s possible for us to notice patterns that might be missed by others,” MD history teacher Caitlin Hickerson said. “As such, it’s important that people who have regular contact with youth have the training to protect them should that need to be the case.”

The NYSPCC has been leading assemblies

at the school for student trainings on sexual abuse prevention, and works with the school to craft discussions about the topic. Previously, the school had additional measures in place when it came to sexual abuse prevention knowledge amongst MD teachers, through faculty-led meetings and hiring requirements, Khan said. “When we sat down with the [NYSPCC], we acknowledged that when you’re hired at HM, you are a certified mandated reporter,” he said.

Mandated reporters are certified to identify potential signs of abuse in victims, and are required by law to report to a hotline if evidence of abuse is observed. “It is particularly important for teachers to know about the signs of abuse and to have the tools to support a student who may be experiencing abuse,” Abbamonte said. “Not only are teachers mandated reporters in New York State, but because they are often the trusted adult that a child may turn to.”

The meeting was divided into two halves: one half was centered around defining abuse and inappropriate teacher-student relationships, and the other half focused on how to spot if an adult is potentially abusing a child, Khan said. “We supplemented the meeting with two videos: a video of a man that discussed his experience being sexually abused, and another where a sexual predator discussed his behavior with a child he abused and he gained the access do so,” he said.

After watching these videos, the faculty discussed potential signs to look out for, and what are the appropriate ways and inappropriate ways to ask if a student is in an abusive situation, MD science teacher Donnett Bryan said. “As mandated reporters, these are things that we already have good

sense for, but it’s important to be reminded of them through such meetings,” she said.

In the first half, the faculty went over certain behaviors between students and adults that are deemed inappropriate, and reviewed a no-touching policy, Bryan said. This policy included not taking individual students in their car anywhere, unless there were some emergency, and restricting intimate actions such as hugging or even secret handshakes with one particular student, Khan said. “We covered appropriate boundaries, but also how to take care of anybody who might think is the survivor of any kind of abuse,” Hickerson said. “[Sexual abuse] is a topic that is often difficult to talk about because it can be very uncomfortable, but I think it’s important to be open and transparent about it so that we do the best that we can to protect students.”

These types of meetings are important to Bryan because everyone needs to be aware that abuse can happen in any environment and can look different from victim to victim.

This is why she appreciates having regular faculty meetings about this sort of issue, she said. “Unfortunately, children usually have more to fear from people they know than from strangers,” Abbamonte said. “With that said, it is so important for kids to know who their trusted adults are so that they know there is always someone available to support them and answer any questions they may have.”

“I hope this is something we continue to do every year,” Khan said. “It’s always important to drive these messages home, and give reminders about the existence of this type of abuse in private institutions everywhere.”

Lions’ Den Record Sports

8

JANUARY 21ST, 2022

Varsity Wrestling defeats Hackley, securing top position in Ivy Preparatory League Leila Dossani and Rena Salsberg Contributing Writers The Varsity Wrestling team won their long-awaited match against Hackley this Wednesday, securing their first place position in the Ivy Preparatory League as the only team with an undefeated record. The final score of the match was 54 - 24, team member Jhanae Ottey (12) said. Varsity Wrestling coach Gregg Quilty said the team felt confident about the meet because they had already defeated Hackley twice this season.

The Varsity Wrestling team has maintained an impressive season, having won all 13 of their matches thus far. The team has worked together to reach their goal of going undefeated this season by practicing nearly two and a half hours per day, team co-captain Miles Schamroth (12) said. “We’re kind of dominating, not gonna lie.”

In wrestling, there are three positions: standing, top, and bottom, Quilty said. “We’ve always been a dominant team in top position because we’re really good at cradles and leg wrestling, so we spend a lot of time [in Courtesy of Carson Eisner

practice] on that, and that’s how we get most of our points in matches.”

During the match, the team worked hard to support each other through victory and loss because it is essential for the team to create an encouraging environment where teammates feel accepted no matter what, Ottey said.

Before each match, Quilty provides the team with a calm mindset in order to set them up for success, Ottey said. Quilty encourages the team before each match by telling the athletes that “if you lost last time, make sure that you win this time, and show [the other team] that you’ve improved,” she said.

Although wrestling may seem like an individual sport, it is very much a team effort.

“You’re not just wrestling for yourself, you’re wrestling for your team,” Schamroth said.

Team co-captain JT Thomas (12) stood out during this meet against Hackley, team co-captain Elias Romero (12) said. The meet was Thomas’ second after recovering from an injury, but in spite of this, he helped to lead the team to victory, Romero said. “[The meet] reminded us how we need to come in strong for the rest of the season.”

Romero, too, is one of this year’s standout wrestlers, with a record of 10-2, Quilty said.

Romero is the team’s “wrestling junkie,” from watching videos of wrestling, working hard in practice, and maximizing his wrestling practice outside of school, his hard work shows on the mat, Quilty said. In addition to Romero, Thomas and Schamroth have had an excellent season, Quilty said.

The underclassmen have also been working really hard this year, and are wrestling very well, especially first-time wrestler Jovanny Nazario (10), Schamroth said.

“It’s really difficult to win your [during]

first year [wrestling], and [Nazario] has just been amazing,” Quilty said. “He just learns everything so quickly — I’ll teach him a move in practice, and later he will hit it in a match the next day, which is kind of rare.”

Many of the main dynamics of sports as a whole have been changed due to Covid, since wrestling is a close contact sport, Ottey said. For example, spectators from outside of school aren’t allowed to attend quad meets, which are meets against three other schools. Although this is unfortunate, Ottey is glad that her teammates can still watch her matches, she said.

To make up for the fact that there are no inperson spectators, the meets are live-streamed so family and friends can watch from home, Romero said.

Because of the recent spike iof Covid-19 cases, day-of rapid testing is required for all athletes before each competition, she said.

Moreover, the team has still been very cautious when wrestling because wrestling is a close contact sport. If any of them are experiencing any symptoms, they are encouraged to not wrestle that day, Ottey said.

Quilty said that this year has been much better than the previous year considering that they were just shadow wrestling — practicing certain wrestling moves without making contact with another person — last year due to strict Covid protocols. The team was only allowed to have six people in the room at a time, and the others had to do conditioning.

Now, the whole team can practice together in the wrestling room, Quilty said.

The whole team has been giving their all this season, and the team is undefeated because of it, Romero said.

ON THE MAT Rosenberg (12) tosses his Hackley opponent.

Boys and Girls Swim beat Riverdale in close meet Leah Marquardt and Story Sossen Contributing Writers The Horace Mann Boys and Girls Varsity Swim (BVS and GVS) teams swam to victory against Riverdale in an intense meet this past Wednesday.

“It was a tight meet, so we worked our hardest through the last race,” GVS team captain Catherine Mignone (12) said. The boys swim team beat Riverdale by 6 points, with the final score 88-82, GVS member Isha Krishnamurthy (11) said. While the girls competition score was not released, GVS beat Riverdale by a significant margin, GVS member JoJo Mignone (10) said. Overall, both teams placed highly in all swimming events, GVS member Karla Moreira (9) said.

Individual swimmers also performed well, like JoJo, who set a personal record in the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay, and the 400 free relay.

In addition, BVS member Dylan Montbach (9) swam the 100 fly in one minute and ten seconds, a personal best for the butterfly stroke.

Every member of the team felt confident and ready to compete in their respective events because of their preparation, Catherine said.

Swimmers focused on specific techniques such as diving and turns, GVS coach Thatcher Woodley said.

Members of the swim team have developed individualized routines to prepare for meets, X said. For example, Catherine has a set routine of stretching the night before and getting a restful night of sleep.

The Swim team also focuses on creating a positive, inclusive experience for everyone on the team, Woodley said. Members of the team uplifted each other by cheering during warmups which got people excited for the meets, BVS member Vincent Li (12) said. For example, the team follows traditions such as team spirit, where all members of the team dress up following certain themes, Catherine said.

On Wednesday, the team’s spirit was blackout, where every member of the swim team dressed in all-black, GVS member Irene Argenti (12). On Friday, both teams agreed to do a “formal Friday” theme, Argenti said.

Moreira said that a highlight of the meet was the team cheering each other on. “Everyone was really cheering each other on and was really supportive the entire meet. That was really visible, and just creating that energy is super nice,” Krishnamurthy said.

There have been fewer meets than usual due to the pandemic, so the meet helped team members set goals for the rest of the season, Woodley said. Fortunately, students and coaches agreed that COVID did not affect the actual swim race.

LIONS’ BOX: Results from This Week’s games 1/19 - Boys Varsity Squash vs. Riverdale -- WIN 6-1 1/19 - Girls Varsity Squash vs. Riverdale -- WIN 4-3 1/19 - Boys Varsity Swimming vs. Riverdale -- WIN 1/19 - Girls Varsity Swimming vs. Riverdale -- WIN

While there are still protocols set in place to ensure the safety of athletes, athletes are allowed to take off their masks while standing socially distanced behind the starting blocks, similarly to how meets operated pre-COVID, Woodley said.

Krishnamurthy said that being able to travel to other schools is a nice change since the pandemic started. Similarly, Li felt that the energy of the meets stayed the same as pre-pandemic.

Swim meets are both an opportunity to improve swim times and skills and to make new friends, Li said. Catherine hopes to work on her 200 and 400 freestyle times by working on specific parts of each race in practice using the technique of intervals, while Li said that he doesn’t have any particular goals for timing except to swim faster and mainly enjoys hanging out with his friends while staying fit.

Amelia Hirsch/Staff Photographer

SPREADING HER WINGS Krishnamurthy (11) swims the 100 meter butterfly.

1/19 - Varsity Wrestling vs. Hackley -- WIN 54-24 1/19 - Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Hackley -- WIN 44-39 1/19 - Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Hackley -- LOSS 45-68