The Record Horace Mann’s Weekly Newspaper Since 1903 record.horacemann.orgSeptember6th,2022Volume 120 Issue 1
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.
Joshua Shuster, Kate Beckler, Lucy Peck, Maeve Goldman, Mira Bansal, Naomi Yaeger, Neeva Patel, Samantha Matays, Sofa Kim, Sophia Paley, Sophie Rukin, Spencer Kolker, Audrey O’Mary, Brody Grossman, Emily Wang, Jacqueline Shih, James Zaidman, Malachai Abbott, Nikita Pande, Oliver Konopko, Rena Salsberg
Signing off, Emily Sun and Emily Salzhauer Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor
2 THE RECORD OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022
Founded in 1903, The Record is our weekly student-run newspaper: a forum for discussion, a vehicle for investigation, and an exchange that helps turn the school into a community. With that power to shape school conversation comes a responsibility towards transparency, both within our organization and to you, our reader. To start, here is a look into our editorial process: Every Friday, our section editors finalize article ideas for the next week. We assign our staff writers to them over the weekend, task them with interview sources and questions, and ask for first drafts due the coming Tuesday. If a writer asks to interview you this year, say yes! You get to add your thoughts to the mix, check it off your HM bucket list, and we get to strengthen our articles. Meanwhile, artists and photographers coordinate the art and photos that you see on the pages each week to complement our articles.
Contact For all tips, comments, queries, story suggestions, complaints and corrections, please contact us by email at record@horacemann.org.
Staff Photographers Nicole Au, Jorge Orvananos, Trish tran, Aanya Gupta, Jiwan Kim, Emily Wang, David Aaron, Harper Rosenberg, Evan Contant Staff Artists Sam Stern, Dylan Leftt, Sammi Strasser, Kristy Xie, Addy Steinberg, Ishaan Iyengar, Sophie Li, Serena Bai, Kayden Hansong, Aashna Hari, Karla Moreira, Isabelle Kim, Christain Connor, Sam Gordon, Dani Brooks, Aimee Yang Features VidhatrieAyeshaKeethaSen News Zachary Kurtz Opinions AudreySeanCarbonellLee
CC Co-Chairs welcome students back to school
Welcome back HM! We are so excited for the 20222023 school year and to serve as your Community Council (CC) Co-Chairs! For students new to the Upper Division (UD), the CC is a group of students elected to enhance our collective experience at HM through special events and initiatives. Over the summer, we reflected on both what has worked for the CC in past years and how we can improve. Below are some changes that will help us accomplish our goals: to communicate closely with the community, help students’ diverse interests flourish, and tangibly impact student life. The CC’s current structure — with more members and no class presidents — has only been in place for two years, so we’ve been through a lot of trial and error. Unfortunately, the CC has garnered a reputation for bureaucratic inefficiencies. Using what we have learned, we are modifying the current system, where members are assigned to year-long committees on one area of student life, to make the CC more productive for gradewideWhileinitiatives.our initiative-focused committees address issues that affect all UD students, we noticed that without class presidents, UDwide initiatives were prioritized over grade-level ones. As such, we will increase oversight and accountability for class event planning and allocate more meeting time to discussing grade-specific ideas. Implementing more gradewide initiatives will expand the CC’s reach and bridge the gaps within each grade’s community, as well as increasing camaraderie and unity by focusing on major high school milestones. Additionally, grade bonding activities and productive grade meetings will help each grade get to know one another. In addition to our presence in the UD, we hope to extend the CC’s reach beyond the school to impact our Bronx community through collaboration with HM’s network of nonprofits. We will host studentrun fundraisers, like bake sales, and give students the opportunity to vote on how to allocate the funds. We hope this will be a unique opportunity for the student body to weigh in on how the school enacts our values of shared responsibility toward a greater goal of bettering ourNext,community.wewant to make ourselves accessible so that the CC truly represents students’ goals. To help us follow through on your ideas, visit our CC page on the HM Student Life website. There, you will find forms for feedback and a formal initiative proposal allowing students to send in ideas for initiatives they want to see around HM. The new structure of the CC was created primarily to serve students’ ideas, and these changes will best allow us to execute them. We encourage you all to use this form to submit your ideas and are always open to brainstorming withWeyou!will also keep the student body in the loop through frequent emails. We will share what the CC is up to and highlight club events and sports games in an effort to connect all UD students. If you have something you want to share with the UD, whether it is a personal achievement to celebrate or a competition to support, we encourage you to use the request form on the CC web page. We want to spotlight and broadcast all of your passions and accomplishments and hope we can bring our community closer together with school spirit. Above all, we want you to tell us your concerns, even if they are not related to a CC initiative — approach us with ideas, feedback, or if you need someone to talk to about life at HM. Although we have forms and electronic platforms to suggest new ideas, we are always available in-person. (This may be biased, but we are very nice and approachable people!)Freshmen, we hope you consider running for the CC as grade representatives. The CC is a great way to make an impact on our community and it has helped define both of our lives at HM. Look out for an email from Señor Dalo in the coming weeks for details about candidate platforms and submission instructions. Also, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about running. See you around on campus, and let’s have a great year!
In the spirit of transparency and in true Horace Mann — and Record — fashion, we are writing this editorial just hours before we send the newspaper to print.
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.
Editorial from Board 120
Hannah Moss and Jake Ziman
Online Editor Emily Grant Faculty Adviser David Berenson Design Editors Arin Rosen Alara Yilmaz Sophie Pietrzak
A&E Hannah Katzke Allison Markman Middle Division CelineRachelKirisciogluBaez Lions’ Den Max Chasin Art Directors AmiraVivianDossaniCoraciSophiaLiu Photo Directors Sam Siegel Ben AryanRafalPalla
Once article drafts come in at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, editors hand back a round of edits and ask for a second draft due Wednesday. Another round of edits after that, and our writers send quote checks to confirm that everything we attribute to an interviewee is correct, then turn in final drafts by Thursday afternoon. From there, section and design editors format their content into layouts while the Head of Design, Editor-in-Chief, and Managing Editor oversee all pages and send the final copy to the printer — ideally, before the a.m. Given that tight turnaround, we will make mistakes. If we misprint your name, misattribute your work, or otherwise mess up — let us know, and we will fix the error online and issue corrections. Want to respond to a news article? Disagree with an opinion piece? Features spread missing your perspective? Send your response as a letter to the editor to record@horacemann.org and we will publish it. And if you just have feedback about our work, email the editors or find us in person any time. We want to hear your critiques and make our paper better. As a newspaper that serves the school, we aim to publish what you want to read. Scan the QR code, email section editors, or find us in person to pitch us your ideas. We are always looking for recruits: if you want to report, photograph, draw, design, become an opinion columnist, or try your hand at art review, check the Editorial Board box below for who to contact. The Record aims to represent the student body, both in our staff and our sourcing — we need to hear from your voices to make ours shine. We hope you enjoy our first issue, and pick up the many more to come.
College Counseling moves to Lower Division building
is August, the College Counseling Department (CoCo) moved from Pforzheimer Hall to a temporary building on the Lower Division (LD) campus. Once their new building next to the Business O ce nishes renovations later this year, they will decide whether or not they want to move there. When Executive Director of CoCo Canh Oxelson started to work at the school 11 years ago, CoCo was outside the atrium in Rose Hall and had four college counselors, he said. As more counselors joined, the department needed more o ce space, Oxelson said. “It became clear that with eight counselors, we were going to need our own dedicated building.” While planning out the building and starting the renovation, CoCo moved to a temporary location on the second oor of Pforzheimer in 2019, Oxelson said. ey planned to move into their new building in 2020 a er spending one year in the temporary location, but the building was not ready yet, he said. e main factor that delayed the new building was COVID, Oxelson said. When school closed due to the pandemic in March 2020, construction became di cult. Challenges arose around securing permission for the building to undergo renovations, obtaining the necessary supplies, and nding people to perform the physical labor, Oxelson said. While CoCo waits for the building to nish renovations by January 2023 or the end of this school year at the latest, they moved into a building on the LD campus where Summer on the Hill (SOH) was previously located. Now that CoCo is occupying SOH’s space, SOH will move into CoCo’s previous Phorzheimer o ce. Even though SOH performs its enrichment work over the summer, the program still utilizes classroom spaces in the school and needs an o ce, Oxelson said.CoCo will remain in their LD location until at least halfway through the school year, Oxelson said. “ e plan is to be [in the LD] temporarily until the house next to the Business O ce is completed,” he said. “At that point we will make a decision as to whether or not we will stay here or go to that new space.” e new building excites Oxelson because of the many advantages the space o ers, he said. Counselors’ o ces will, for the most part, be on the same oor to allow for collaboration, Oxelson said. In the old con guration in Pforzheimer, all of the o ces were on the same oor but were not physically connected, which made it more di cult to communicate. Another advantage to the new building is the larger o ces that will make meetings with parents and students more comfortable, he said. e new o ces will also have large televisions to show students and parents speci c data during meetings, Oxelson said. Additionally, the building will feature a full kitchen. “You can create a more home kind of feeling when you can provide food for teenagers,” he said. Associate Director of College Counseling Jennie Kim said she is excited to use the kitchen to bake goods and provide real snacks to the students. CoCo having their own space will hopefully invite seniors to visit their o ce more o en, she said. e new building will feature a lounge area to make the CoCo a more casual and inviting space for students, Oxelson said. e goal is for them to stop by the o ce to hang out, do homework, grab a snack, or even hit a golf ball, he said. at being said, Oxelson worries about not being on the main part of campus because the far distance might disincentivize students from stopping by the o ce when they do not have an “appointment.ethingthat I am most excited about is the CoCo being a gathering space for the seniors the way it used to be in our old space,” Senior Associate Director of CoCo Kaitlin Howrigan said. e Pforzheimer o ces lacked the inviting and casual feel that the CoCo used to have, so the move into the new building will be the perfect opportunity to recreate that environment, she said. e CoCo will try to create a calmness in the new building that is essential for students as they think about the big opportunities ahead of them, Howrigan said. “We’re so excited to decorate the place and make the space a welcoming home.”
Sammy Matays Sta Writer
2. If a student tests positive for COVID, they are required to stay home for ve days to isolate themselves during which they will not have access to online school. ey must also wear a mask to school for days six through ten a er being diagnosed with the virus.
Ja e (11) founds babysitting and coaching service Teen Hampton is summer, Gabe Ja e (11) founded Teen Hampton, a business that connects teenage sports coaches and babysitters to families in the Hamptons.Jaewas inspired to create Teen Hampton during the summer of 2020. He knew of many teenagers looking for summer jobs in the Hamptons as well as families wanting babysitters to keep their kids entertained and active, Ja e said. “ e number of young families and older teenagers who spent their summers there provided an opportunity to connect the supply and demand,” he said. “[Teen Hampton] creates a central marketplace so that parents could have the convenience, functionality, and transparency.”ebusinessis unique because it o ers a unique dynamic between kids and babysitters, Ja e said. Teens and kids have similar experiences due to their smaller age gap which eases conversation and connection, he said. Ja e worked on his business model a er school every day during his sophomore year, he said. He also worked as a busboy at a tennis club in the Hamptons the previous summer to fund his venture. When Ja e began recruiting babysitters and coaches for Teen Hampton, he looked for teens who had prior experience, were attentive, and were genuinely looking to engage with kids, he said. e company
COVID UPDATES
At the end of last year, students who tested positive were allowed remote instruction for their ve-day quarantine.
Staying home due to COVID will be similar to when students get the u or strep throat, Levenstein said. e only di erence between how diseases are treated is the mandatory ve day quarantine, she said. “In making this decision, we’ve returned being out sick — and the day to day functioning in our classrooms — to a routine that everyone is accustomed to and one that is certainly less disruptive for the student at home and the teacher and students in the classroom,” Head of School Tom Kelly wrote. Students should be sleeping to recover from an illness as opposed to being visibly sick on zoom, he wrote.
Courtesy of Gabe Ja e
“ e goal will be to rest, recover, and come back to school when you’re feeling better, rather than try to attend class either in person or remotely and keep up with work while feeling sick,” Levenstein said. While this requirement might feel di cult in some cases, the ve day quarantine will give students enough time to recover so that when they return, they are ready to go to school, she said. e new changes in COVID policy will make the school feel more like the community it was before the pandemic, Camila Florencio (11) said. “Basically, we are returning back to normal from four years ago, and I am happy about Kellythat.” hopes the decision to eliminate remote instruction and other COVID protocols from last year will improve the quality of life for students, he wrote. “While there may be an outlier in need of
disruptionunfortunateprotocolswithtraditionalforwardwe’remedicalpre-existingbecauseattentionprescriptivemoreofaconcern,lookingtoamoreyear,onelessproceduresandthatprovetobeansourceofanxietyorformany.”
HOUSEWARMING College Counseling moves in to their new building.
o ers an opportunity for teenagers to make money and learn what it is like to get paid for a service, Ja e said.
TEENS TEACH Young client receives lacrosse lesson. Audrey O’Mary and Emily Wang Sta Writers
Over the summer, the school made three major COVID-19 policy changes, Middle Division (MD) and Upper Division (UD) Nurse DeAnna Cooper said.
Katie Beckler and Nora Wildman Sta and Contributing Writers
As COVID precautions modify, so should the mindsets of the student body, Head of UD Jessica Levenstein said. “We are at a moment when COVID is becoming just one of any number of viruses that could a ect our school community.”
ChristianConner/StaArtist
Each teen sets their own lesson rate which is typically competitive for the Hamptons, Ja e said. Babysitting quickly became the most popular service o ered by Teen Hampton, Ja e said. “We were getting overbooked during the beginning and we had to accept more and more babysitters.” Clients were consistently satis ed with the service with over 90 percent booking a second time, Ja e said.
3. e school will no longer administer COVID tests. Individuals should test themselves if they are symptomatic or a close contact of someone who tested positive. With rapid tests more readily available this year, students can have a supply at home and test themselves if symptoms develop before coming to campus.
Jorge Orvananos/Sta Photographer
Teen Hampton’s services ended on Labor Day, but the company’s New York City branch, Teen NYC, will launch in early October, Ja e said. e new branch will mainly o er tutoring and babysitting.Jae’sexperience with Teen Hampton will help him make more informed decisions concerning the new branch, he said. One idea he plans to implement for Teen NYC is an online booking system to improve ease of access for both clientele and employees, he said.
3THE RECORD NEWS SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022
1. Students ve and older, who are eligible, must have one booster dose of either the P zer or Moderna COVID vaccine before the rst day of school, in accordance with CDC guidelines. A second booster dose is recommended for community members who are either 50 years or older or immunocompromised. At the end of last year, all students aged 11 or older were required by the school to receive one booster dose of a COVID vaccine.
NOTE: THE BELOW POLICY HAS NOT CHANGED.
If a student is in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID, they must still wear a mask to school for the ten days a er the contact but will not have to quarantine. Parents will be noti ed of close contacts through email.
Last school year, approximately one third all students, sta , and faculty were tested each week.
e responsibility of testing students for COVID is shi ing away from the school for the 2022-2023 school year, Cooper said. ese changes allow families to monitor students’ health at home.
McNally hopes to coordinate grade meetings, address emergencies, and set up activities for advisories and the grade, he said. He expects his days to be lled with emails and phone calls to make sure everything runs smoothly, as well as teaching and meeting with students and teachers, he said. Over the summer, Abbamonte attended Dorr with her advisory and saw McNally embracing his new role as a dean, she said. “He’s just really warm, he’s really open, he’s got a great sense of humor, he has a great laugh […] he’s really great withAsparents.”theyear begins, McNally looks forward to getting to know his class, especially a er meeting some of them at Dorr orientation, he said. “Being able to move up with the students for three years and get to know them in such a close manner is pretty awesome,” he said. e MD is facing a number of administrative changes a er Service Learning Coordinator Caitlin Hickerson and Advisory Coordinator Norma Rodriguez stepped down last year, McNally said. Program Associate of the Center for Community Values & Action (CCVA) Conasia Watts and Spanish teacher Arni Alvarez will replace them. As a result of these changes, one of McNally’s main goals is to create a smooth transition and a good foundation with the members in new positions, he said. “ ere was a lot of institutional knowledge with Ms. Rodriguez and Ms. Hickerson, who had been here for thirteen years,” he said. “Building up the systems and all the coordination is my big plan.” McNally also aims to create a sense of community among the sixth graders and make them feel supported, he said. He hopes that restoring a sense of normalcy will help, which he plans to achieve through the new Dorr Orientation program and in-person grade meetings and assemblies.
A er a two year absence, Middle Division (MD) history teacher John McNally has returned as the new Dean of the Class of 2029, taking over for former MD dean and Spanish teacher Carlos Aguilar who returned to teaching full time.
A committee of seven teachers assembled from MD leadership chose the new dean, MD Dean of Faculty Eva Abbamonte said. ey sent a job description to the school’s faculty with qualities that they looked for in a dean: interpersonal skills, the capacity to interact with kids in a social and emotional manner, and the ability to work well with the faculty and with families, Abbamonte said. e hiring committee wanted candidates to be familiar with the students and the school community, Abbamonte said. “One of the characteristics that Mr. McNally had, is that he had been an advisor quite a bit, and he was awesome.”Applicants explained why they were interested in the position and sent in their resumes, Abbamonte said. e committee then conducted interviews, either in-person or on Zoom. Once the committee made their decision, Head of the MD Javaid Khan informed McNally that he had beenAbbamontechosen. and McNally had worked together as co-chairs of the History Department, so she is pleased to work with him again as an administrator, she said. “He’s going to exceed our expectations, and our expectations were already quite high.” It will be a smooth transition because McNally has known Aguilar for 11 years, McNally said. As Dean, he is tasked with ensuring that all students are supported, and he plans to do so by communicating with advisors to make sure everyone is on the same page with whatever they are working on, he said. “ e big thing is communicating higher to Mr. Khan and Dr. Kelly and […] to advisors, and to students and to Additionally,parents.”
New MD students attend Dorr-ientation TEACHERS BECOME STUDENTS MD teachers practice in-class acting techniques . STRENGTHENING FRIENDSHIPS New students engage in bonding activities. Courtesy of Emilie Wolf
Courtesy
of Dr. Adam Casdin
Having worked at the school for nine years, McNally decided to pursue a leadership-based role, he said. “I know the school, I know the families, I know the administration, so it was a really good t.” Before applying for this position, he took a two year leave to work on a Masters in Education in Curriculum Design at Columbia University’s Teachers College, which he will complete this October, he said. He was planning to return to Columbia University in the fall for a School Building Leader certi cate, but then decided not to when he learned of the opportunity to become dean.
In addition to games and bonding activities, a major component of the program is Beauty and Order. is aspect of the orientation involves students splitting into teams with di erent responsibilities to care for the facility, such as preparing and clearing the tables for meals, washing dishes, and cleaning the bathrooms, DePreterAnothersaid.di erence from last year’s program is that a er the trip to Dorr, sixth graders spent a few hours on campus where they met McNally and Khan again, McNally said. “We give them a number of problems that they might face — and when I say ‘might,’ I mean they will, whether it’s they themselves or a good friend of theirs,” Khan said. ese scenarios range from losing items, to being unable to open their lockers, or missing class. ey brainstorm solutions to these issues as a group, which helps students remember what to do when the time calls for it, he said. A key component of the orientation program is making students aware of who is available as a resource, Khan said. “If we can at least point you to the right people and say ‘here’s how you can get the solution to the thing you’re looking for,’ you feel so much better,” he said. e positive e ects of the Dorr trip happen overnight, Khan said. So far, students have appeared to come back having grown exponentially closer as a group. “It’s almost like they’ve been in this school already.”
Nikita Pande Sta Writer is summer, the Middle Division’s (MD) history and English departments traveled to Stratford, England to train with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) for the rst time since the start of the pandemic. RSC is a British theater company that produces Shakespeare performances and works with students and teachers to develop their language and theater skills. “Its educational department o ers incredible resources on teaching challenging texts,” MD history Department Chair Catherine Garrison said. e purpose of the trip was to train teachers with RSC techniques and pedagogy to bring back to the classroom, Garrison said. “ ey are experts in their eld, and while our teachers have shared that work with newer faculty over the last two years, it cannot compare to learning from the experts themselves.” At the school, Garrison has used RSC strategies to open department meetings and design curriculum. In years prior, teachers introduced historical texts such as the “Tao Te Ching” and the Constitution to students through reading and writing; now, they include theater-based activities into their curricula as well. e ensemble-building and active reading strategies will hopefully allow students to grasp deeper knowledge of the topics, she said. Historical texts are o en di cult for students to connect with because they use older language, and are meant to be read aloud, History teacher John Eckels said. e history department can use RSC techniques to help students pick apart language, get out of their seats, and physically interact with course material.Eckels described RSC training as “training by doing,” he said. “Teachers did the same exercises we do with students, except we were the students.” Exercises included team building, quick-thinking, and intuition-responding games, Eckels said.
Julia B ouchut Contributing Writer
A typical day in Stratford started with a morning training session led by RSC practitioners, English Department Chair Morgan Yarosh said. ey also reviewed plays taught in the MD such as “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Additionally, they enacted classroom activities such as acting warmups and exercises that explored story, theme, and character, she said. Tom King, the current Learning Partnerships Manager at the RSC, directed the training while the faculty’s residency, an on-site program, was led by Chris White and Tracy Irish, Garrison said. Faculty participated in workshops with the RSC sta and actors to experience the program from a student’s perspective. “ ere was a lot of discussion on what exercises worked, what didn’t, and what could change,” Yarosh said. She hopes RSC’s teaching methods will help students have a positive view of studying Shakespeare and other challenging texts. e school has been using RSC teaching methods since they started partnering with them ve years ago, so this trip helped faculty re ne and expand on existing techniques, she said.Due to the pandemic, there was less RSC work because of masks, social distancing, and virtual learning, Eckels said. “ e trip was a great reminder of how fun the exercises can be and how important it is to bring them back to theAcurriculum.”erlunchand another a ernoon training session, teachers met together for dinner in the city of London and saw plays like “Richard III” and “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Globe eater. e faculty also connected with teachers from other departments, Eckels said. “It was a really good experience to build a community with people you might not normally see at school […] and see how people work di erently.”
MD History and English teachers journey to England Sofia Kim Sta Writer Class of McNallywelcomes2029backasnewDean
For the rst time since 2019, the Middle Division’s Dorr Orientation program returned to in- person programming. Starting August 19, rising sixth graders attended an overnight retreat to the John Dorr Nature Laboratory, Dean of the Class of 2029 John McNally said. Everyday, two new sixth grade advisories went on the trip, accompanied by their advisors, their Upper Division (UD) student mentors, and the Dorr faculty, McNally said. Rising seventh and eighth graders, typically in groups of 25 to 30 students, spent the following weekend at Dorr. Half of them were new students and the other half were returning peer mentors, Director of Dorr Nick DePreter said. Before orientation, students o en feel anxious because major changes tend to be nerve wracking, McNally said. It is normal for sixth grade students to be worried about making friends, getting lost, and not knowing what to do, he said. e orientation program provides the students with a welcoming environment and new friends from the rst day, alleviating students worries, McNally said. It familiarizes students with their advisor, dean, and Head of Division — a few of the many people who will look out for them and help them throughout their year, he Foursaid. sixth grade advisories used to travel up to Dorr for three days and two nights, but orientation was modi ed to accommodate a smaller number of people for a shorter amount of time, DePreter said. Orientation will now focus more on each individual person and allow participants to build closer relationships with those around them. Allowing sixth graders to experience the program with their advisory is important, since advisories stay the same throughout middle school, DePreter said. “ is amount of time that they’re a group is a real gi to them,” he said. e orientation experience is so vital that students who aren’t able to go on the trip with their advisory come with another group instead, Head of the Middle Division Javaid Khan said. “Every student takes part in Dorr Orientation. at’s a hallmark of our program — we put it on the calendar now in July for next year,” he said. Team-building initiatives and icebreaker games were among the activities students participated in at orientation, DePreter said. Dorr is a di erent environment from regular school, which makes it special, DePreter said. “Visiting MD faculty have a chance to see their kids for who they Buildingare.”a ra with students’ advisories and UD mentors is o en the highlight of the trip. e Dorr faculty has never seen two identical ra s take sail, DePreter said. Older middle schoolers enjoyed climbing the Odyssey, a ropes course. Although some students had a fear of heights, they worked together to conquer their mutual fear. is reinforces the important message that it is okay to be vulnerable around peers and rely on them for support, he Onesaid. activity students participated in was the Circle of Uniqueness, Khan said. Each person shares something special about themselves and anyone who relates to it steps into the circle to join them. Once school begins, it reminds students of the similarities they have with their peers, which helps them facilitate conversations and make friends, he said.
4 THE RECORD MIDDLE DIVISION SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022
frees when they can eat lunch, Asoluka said. “I do my best to keep it humane,” he said. However, for juniors and seniors especially, the school often values the academic class schedule over making sure students have a lunch period. “If we had a set lunch period like the middle division, it would greatly restrict the elective options of students,” Garrison said. This gives students the option to deal with grab and go lunches or periodic snacks, which they are often happy to do in order to take more of the classes they want, he said.Sylvie Seo (12) appreciates all the work put into schedule making and understands the difficulties of putting together over 700 individual schedules, she said. “I don’t think I’d change my schedule if I didn’t have a lunch period because it’d mean giving up the classes I care about.” After a week of intensive schedule-making in July, the deans set aside their work and enjoy summer break. However, events often occur over the summer that result in scheduling adjustments, Groppi said. “Sometimes a teacher retires unexpectedly or an art class moves to a new studio so we can suddenly fit five more kids in it, so the deans come back two weeks before school starts and we go through everything again.” Finally, after months of behindthe-scenes work, students receive their schedules in late August. Students often compare schedules once they are sent out, which proves an interesting challenge for deans, Feigin said. “I’m not switching your English class so you can be with your friends or have a different teacher,” she said. “But sometimes, a student will come in with a whole proposal of how to move their classes around and they make it Schedulework.”changes are part of a dean’s job, Asoluka said. “We know the schedules that we have worked so hard to put together may be completely dismantled the week we
“ e horror schedule is when a student wants to take New Community Project, Dance PE, Steel Drums, Math Seminar, and Psych —good luck because there are only limited sections of those classes.” -Dean of the Class of 2023 Chidi Asoluka
Schedule making is like Tetris, Dean of the Class of 2023 Chidi Asoluka said “It feels like a game or puzzle of getting everything to align perfectly,” he said. In the six months before August, when students receive their schedules each year, the Upper Division (UD) faculty and staff work hard to plan courses and makeTheschedules.processbegins in February, when department,representativesixteenThetoontoproposedepartmentsAsolukawillyear,upcomingtotheylistfinalizesdepartmentacademiceachaofcourseswantofferintheschoolaswellaswhoteachthem,said.ThethenthesecoursestheCommitteeInstructionbeapproved.committeehasmembers:onefromeachtwoelected
“I don’t think I’d change my schedule if I didn’t have a lunch period because it’d mean giving up the classes I care about.” -Sylvie Seo (12)
THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 5
software to begin creating the master schedule, he said. Though Garrison considers teachers’ schedules and workload, such as working to avoid teachers from having to teach more than two periods in a row, the computer is primarily programmed to minimize conflict in students’ schedules.Ifstudents, especially juniors and seniors, mostly sign up for classes that only meet during a single period, students often have to give up other courses requests, Asoluka said. The computer does its best to reduce these conflicts. “The horror schedule is when a student wants to take New Community Project, Dance PE, Steel Drums, Math Seminar, and Psych —good luck because there are only limited sections of those classes so you’ll be hard pressed to get that schedule.” Divya Ponda (12) had a similar experience when signing up for classes for her senior year. “While I wanted to take Economics and Ethics this year, I ended up not getting either, but I understand that it’s really hard to schedule around classes with very few sections.” On her longsheet, Camila Florencio (11) prioritized classes that would make her happy and excited to learn, she said. “I ranked Treble Choir first because it’s one of my favorite classes and Latin American History second because I want to learn more about the history of my culture,” she said. Garrison and the deans also try to be sure class sizes are as balanced as possible, he said. “You have the classes like Atlantic World History with fourteen or so sections, so we try to spread them across the school day,” he said. “But sometimes, there will be two sections in one period where one class has five students while the other has sixteen.” The deans also constantly double check to catch size discrepancies that the computer makes, he said. After finalizing the master calendar, Garrison sends students’ individual schedules to the grade deans around July 4th, Groppi said.
faculty members, Dean of Faculty Dr. Andrew Fippinger, Dean of Students Michael Dalo, an ICIE representative, and the Community Council (CC) chairs, he said. Director of the Office of the Registrar Chris Garrison then creates a Program of Studies and sends it to the printer in March. Students begin to plan their courses once they receive the Program of Studies in April, a process that involves their deans, advisors, teachers, parents, and friends, AsolukaAmarissaid.Christian (10) met with teachers in the subjects she was most interested in to figure out what classes would best suit her. “I chose classes that I thought I’d enjoy but would also challenge me and teach me something new,” she said.Lane also met with teachers of specific subjects he was interested in to figure out whether to take a 300 or 400 level course, he said. “Planning for junior year ended up being a lot of planning for senior year as well to figure out how to spread out my credits and classes I want to take.” Dean of the Class of 2024 Stephanie Feigin’s favorite part of schedule-making is how students can personalize their courses based on their own interests. “The last graduating class was around 172 students, and I guarantee there were 172 entirely different transcripts,” she said. Because juniors and seniors get to choose the majority of their classes, they are responsible for a two-year plan that ensures they will obtain their graduation requirements, Feigin said. Ellie Campbell (11) dropped history this school year after consulting with older students, and her advisor, Science and Mathematics Teacher Catherine Crowley, she said. “Though I really loved history, I thought it would benefit me to take Molecular Genetics, which I had both prior knowledge about and interest for the future,” she said. Scheduling works differently for freshmen, Dean of the Class of 2026 Dr. Shalini Sudarsanan said. Garrison, Dalo, and Sudarsanan visited the Middle Division last spring to help rising freshmen complete their long sheets and register for courses using the online registration software. As an incoming dean, Sudarsanan also accompanied and observed Feigin, Asoluka, and Dean of the Class of 2025 Dr. Susan Groppi as they met with freshmenfamiliestheofnew to determine the best path for their student, even though freshmen get very little choice aside from half-credit After students choose their courses, they complete a twopart process in May to finalize their course requests, Groppi said. Students first fill out a long sheet to inform deans of their course priorities before registering their courses online. The online system creates a list of students interested in classes that require departmental approval and sends them to department chairs for discussion, Groppi said. Although the courses’ grade requirements and prerequisites are outlined in the Program of Studies, it is still important that departments go through every student who signs up for higher level classes after grades come out in early June, Feigin said. “It’s not just about if a student will enjoy a course,” she said. “It’s about whether or not they have the bandwidth or the time to deal with the workload.” In mid-June, Garrison, Fippinger, Head of School Dr. Thomas Kelly, and Head of the Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein meet about which courses will run, Garrison said. “Based on the thousands of individual course requests, accounting for departmental approval, we go through course by course to confirm which classes will run the following year, mostly based on approvedstudentsonceThen,numbers.”enrollmentareforhigher level courses, course confirmation sheets are sent out in Garrisonmid-June.usesacomputer
Behind the scenes: A look into the six month schedulemaking process for the UD
August Students receive final schedules
“ e last graduating class was around 172 students, and I guarantee there were 172 entirely di erent transcripts.”-Dean of the Class of 2024 Stephanie Feigin Serena Bai/Staff Artist Sophia Liu/Art Director
ETTA SINGER Sta Writer February each finalizesdepartmentacademicalist of courses for the upcoming school year M arch Garrison creates Program of Studies and sends it to print April Students receive Program of Studies and begin to plan their courses M ay Students fill out longsheets and register their course requests online E arly June departmentsAcademic review students who need approvaldepartmental Mid June Garrison sends course confirmation sheets and creates master schedule July Garrison sends students’ schedules to grade deans, deans longsheetswithgeneratedreferencecrossstudents’schedulestheir
e second I returned to New York, I informed my family that I wanted to move to France. We’re still in negotiations.
A giant white dog bounded up to give me kisses, leaving my leggings covered in snow-hued fur. My host parents escorted me to my bedroom, small with a twin sized bed and a desk, and informed me that I had 10 minutes to unpack before our errand. At the local farmer’s market, dozens of vendors sold everything from strawberries to pickles to fresh lemonade. All of the produce looked smaller and more intensely colored than what I was used to in the U.S. I was surprised to see that children of all ages were welcome in the bar by the farmers market to enjoy sodas and snacks. My host parents ran into some friends and sat down to catch up with them. I thought it was a great opportunity to learn idiomatic phrases, so I joined them. However, the jet lag caught up with me — the second I leaned my head back, I promptly fell asleep. Dinner with my host family was at 8 p.m. I was starving during that rst week by 5 p.m, but snacking was frowned upon in French culture. It was always worth the wait, though — I adored the gooey cheese and endless baskets of crusty baguettes that came with every meal.
Evaluating the privileges of attending private school
Neeva Patel and Sophie Rukin is summer, I lived with a host family in France for a month and took immersive French language and culture classes at Rennes 2 University. I le New York with a limited knowledge of French and many inhibitions; I returned a month later with newfound con dence and language skills. e program, run by the Council on International Educational Exchange, assigned me my host family and I emailed them a short bio with a picture of me (and my dog); they responded back saying that they were excited to meet me. Still, I was nervous that they wouldn’t understand my French or I wouldn’t understand theirs. From the moment my plane departed JFK (my rst unaccompanied international ight), I was in uncharted territory. Emerging from the arrival gate drowsy and disheveled, I made eye contact with my host family. I saw a woman and man huddled together, holding a sign that read ‘PECK’. e woman wore a linen dress and clutched a woven bag; the man wore white jeans and a collared shirt with a sweater draped over his shoulders.
I didn’t speak much those rst few dinners, but I listened and began to add in comments as I gained con dence. A er two weeks, I mustered the courage to join my host parents on the patio a er dinner. eir post-dinner ritual was to gather on chairs outside to discuss the day, drink espresso, and smoke cigarettes.
My summer in France: Exploring a new world of language and culture
I could tell they were French — they just seemed like it, at least based on what I gleaned from “Emily in Paris.” A er our rst sweet but awkward encounter, it was immediately clear that I knew no idiomatic phrases or native jargon. Still, the exchange le me relieved to know that my host parents were kind and patient. We quickly piled into a tiny car with my giant du el bag and drove to their cozy home in the Rennes suburbs, the capital of Brittany. I was startled by the lack of tra c that I was accustomed to in New York. I had an unobstructed view of the beautiful blue sky from every location. I wasn’t in Manhattan anymore — this would be a summer free of skyscrapers. eir house was nestled among trees. Upon entering, I stood in a kitchen ooded with light from the backyard. e appliances were tidy and small.
THE RECORD OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 6TH, 20226
For us, the craziest realization was that it did not seem like private school kids even realized that their everyday lives might be unusual for others. In public school, nobody talked about expensive personal nances because we knew people had di erent socioeconomic statuses. Although the same applies for private schools, too many students still have these conversations because there is an expectation that everyone is wealthy. Not only were the conversations a shock when we entered private school, but the freedom within our classrooms and curriculum also shocked us. Public schools must follow stricter city-wide rules, so students are not exposed to the niche courses that our school o ers — Voices of Protest, Math Seminar, and Man’s Search for Meaning, to name a few. Students at the school o en take these classes and open conversations for granted. Although many might not think much of this opportunity, we have the privilege at HM to dive deeper into our own respective interests instead of being forced to take certain classes. Beyond academics, the school provides an abundance of opportunities to pursue extracurriculars and nurture passions — you can nd people and resources for almost anything you want to do with just an email. In our old schools, arts and music classes were barely invested in because they were not taken seriously. However, here we can borrow a $1,000 digital camera from the photography studio or book a private music room. Since we did not have as much freedom to pursue our artistic interests at public school, we try to take advantage of these resources whenever we can. Our academic experience during COVID-19 was also very di erent to that of public school students. Although COVID’s impact was apparent in September 2020, students safely returned to in-person schooling just six months a er the pandemic began. Conversely, many public schools did not reopen until September 2021, meaning their students had an extra year of online learning. Our friends from public school told us their learning and social lives su ered during their year online. In comparison, our school had enough money to create safe learning environments in the midst of a global crisis — we put up plastic barriers in classrooms, converted the cafeteria food into a takeout system, and set up tents so that students could eat and have classes outside. Still, we have heard students complain about how our school handled COVID. It is okay to think that, but we hope students realize how much worse public school students had it because their school could not a ord these changes.Evenour understandings of wealth have been skewed since arriving here. Sometimes we forget the privileges we have: we are as guilty as anyone of thinking, “we deserve another wa e truck soon” or “I hate how we have to walk across the eld to get to the science building.” We do not want to blame students nor call them privileged for taking their resources for granted since not everyone here has the same amount of wealth. However, we hope that students who have attended private school their whole lives understand that few are fortunate enough to have such vast opportunities.Itisnota given that your peers have gone to an expensive sleepaway camp, owned a designer pair of shoes, or attended a school that pours opportunity over their students. Entering the “real world” means stepping outside of Horace Mann’s wealth bubble into a society where people’s nancial circumstances lie on a much broader spectrum. Although some may think they enter the “real world” only a er they have graduated, students enter it every time they leave campus. Acknowledging that we are lucky to attend a school with so many resources when most kids do not is a necessary rst step, but we want students to take that acknowledgment further and form a clear understanding of their positions in Associety.students at HM, we have all been given the tools to make the world a better place. e rst step is understanding our privilege and using it for good. Maybe you can expose yourself to the greater world by joining the school’s service learning team or volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. Maybe try to widen your social circle and make friends from other schools. Whatever the action may be, we hope you stay in touch with reality.
Lucy Peck Attending a private school is like entering a new world of opportunity. However, the privileges we have at our school are not norms — rather, they are the exception. We could not comprehend the signi cant di erences a er we le our public schools and entered Horace Mann in middle school. Whether it is the conversations students have in and out of the classroom, the resources we can access, or even the free food trucks during a tough week, private schools like ours are extremely unique.e typical school day we were accustomed to lost its relevance when we stepped foot on the school’s monstrous campus for the rst time. Lunch no longer meant cold pizza, music class no longer meant watching “ e Sound of Music” on repeat, and homework no longer meant 15 minutes of online math games. We had to adjust to an entirely new way of life as we prepared ourselves not only for the infamous workload but also for the social scene, which sometimes featured students aunting exorbitant wealth.Contrary to the public schools we had attended, many kids at HM had a lot of money and were not afraid to talk about it. During our sixth grade orientation at Dorr, we heard classmates discuss visits to vacation homes or designer purchases as if they were common occurrences across the student body. We, on the other hand, just felt lucky to embark on a three-day long nature retreat — a luxury our public schools could not a ord. In seventh grade, we remember a day when people in the grade would “twin” or wear the same clothing as other students. We heard a group of girls decide on Golden Goose sneakers, Free City sweatpants, and a plain white tee shirt; there was another girl who did not have those sneakers and could not twin with the rest. ese discussions were entirely unfamiliar and di cult to navigate. Our families did not buy us designer clothes or teach us about expensive things — we were only 12. However, a er just a few months at private school, everything changed. We asked about Cartier rings and begged for the starred sneakers that everyone had. Our demands did not come from a place of entitlement, but from a place of discomfort; it felt like we did not t in. We hope students think about the conversations they have and recognize that they are not everyday topics in most schools.
I had since gained a level of comfort in their presence so I wasn’t worried about intruding, but my limited knowledge of French culture made it di cult to converse. Did we have anything in common?
Panicked and frazzled, I started talking about e Kardashians — they must have seen them in the news. I was met with blank stares. “You’ve never heard of the Kardashians?” I asked in French. ey shook their heads no. I looked up a picture of Kim Kardashian to show them. “Ahhhh, les Kar-dash-ay-uns,” they responded in their thick accents. “Oui!” I spent the next ten minutes explaining the ner points of the Kardashians’ love lives.’Talking to my host family wasn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be; they were understanding and did not interrupt me as I formulated sentences in my head and WordReferenced translations of ‘love triangle’ and ‘divorce.’ From then on, I spent as much time as possible with my host family, accompanying them to picnics and “Top Gun: Maverick.” I loved hearing their impressions and stereotypes of Americans, like how we eat McDonalds every day and drive huge cars. I also learned to adopt their environmentally friendly behaviors, like to take shorter showers and turn o the lights every time I leave the room. I still practice these habits and have encouraged my family to do so as Iwell.noticed little to no changes in my language improvement for the rst two weeks. en, all of a sudden, I realized I could speak for long periods without pausing. As my bank of vocabulary expanded, I could talk with my host family about sensitive topics like Roe v. Wade and healthcare. (My host parents were shocked by the overturning of Roe and the exorbitant costs of the American healthcare system.) I conversed with French teenagers and nally learned idioms like ‘mort de rire’ — the French equivalent of ‘LOL.’ I gained a tremendous amount of independence during my month abroad. I learned the local subway and bus system as I commuted to my classes. A er many wrong turns, I was nally able to navigate pharmacies, clothing stores, and cafes in town (iced co ee and Diet Coke, as it turns out, were harder to nd in Brittany than I would have liked).
I came to learn that the things you worry about are never the things that actually go wrong. Prior to leaving, I was concerned that I had packed all the wrong items and would never learn to do laundry on a new machine. It turned out, I had brought way too many clothes and on my rst day, I was unable to leave the house (and missed my bus) because I did not know that some locks in Europe work di erently—you need to push the handle up before turning the key.
When I am scared to take a challenging class or approach a teacher to ask a question, I will remember the times when I dared myself to be bold in France. When I pushed past my inhibitions with my host family and in classes, I formed stronger connections with others, spoke with more French people, and made new American friends.
Why everyone needs a summer job
THE RECORD OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 7
Karla Moreira/Staff Artist
Amira
According to a study published in Women’s Health Issues (WHI), abortion stigma occurs when people who have gotten abortions feel an unspoken shame for undergoing this procedure. ey might fear being ostracized by their community or they themselves may believe that abortions are immoral. As a result, they do not discuss it with others, which prevents them from receiving communal support and seeking proper medical care. In 2011, a John Hopkins University survey revealed that two out of three women who got an abortion expected stigma and 58 percent of them wanted to hide it from their friends and family. ose concerns have only increased with the overturning of Roe. I have seen many instances in both arguments on social media and conversations in classrooms or hallways where people who have had abortions are shamed. More than once, I have watched online discussions turn ugly as people talking about their abortions endured insults and accusations. I have heard people justify anti-abortion opinions with religious arguments (“only God can take a life”), seemingly ethical ones (“an unborn child deserves to live!”), or with claims that a child was a deserved consequence for having sex. One of the more ridiculous but unfortunately common arguments insisted that since those who were happy to be alive currently would have not wanted their parents to abort them, they should not support other abortions as well. Targeting others due to personal religious interpretations and unsound “ethical” beliefs is both harmful and self-centered. ere are many factors behind an abortion, and whether they be medical, emotional, nancial, or otherwise, it is close-minded to assume that someone needs an abortion due to unprotected sex. Vilifying people own bodies and forcing them to justify their private a airs incentivizes people to hide abortions for fear of public disaproval, and comments like these only exacerbate this culture of shame. Increased abortion restrictions will add to the cyclical nature of this secrecy; people who get abortions have a harder time nding support for their decision. Stigma does not only extend to people who provide abortions, including pro-choice doctors who have been isolated from their coworkers and families; partners of pregnant people are also ostracized for supporting the abortion.People, including some of my teachers and peers at school, shy away from the topic, refusing to even say the word ‘abortion.’ Even those who have not had an abortion are discouraged from discussing the subject to avoid the judgement that they have seen others endure or have internalized. While I can understand this fear, it’s frustrating to see an alarming amount of people ignore such an important topic. Some of my classmates did not even know about Roe v. Wade, let alone Dobbs v. Jackson. It is worrying that those of us privileged enough to not have to worry about abortions were completely unconcerned about the e ects of the Dobbs overturn. Ignorance can easily lead to misconceptions and become another factor playing into stigma, and our silence only perpetuates this cycle of stigmatization and secrecy. When barely anyone talks about abortion or Roe v. Wade, it makes the topic itself seem insigni cant. e Horace Mann community needs to become more aware. Read the news. Educate yourself on ‘taboo’ topics such as abortion. Listen to others’ experiences. We live in states with legalized abortion, but we are not free from the stigma surrounding it. Stigmatization is a complex and widespread social process; to ght it, we must learn to be open minded and have challenging but necessary conversations about abortion.
Stigma around abortions post-Roe v. Wade
On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Two months a er this decision, it is an understatement to say that it has had catastrophic e ects on abortion access. By September, 18 states will have banned or heavily restricted abortion. Of those 18, nine do not allow exceptions for rape or incest. e overturn disproportionately hurts transgender people and people of color, both of whom already experience economic and healthcare disparities. It has further complicated access to procedures for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies — for example, in Wisconsin, a woman with severe bleeding and risk of infection from an incomplete miscarriage had to wait 10 days before her surgery, or in Texas, where a woman had to carry her dead fetus for two weeks because doctors ordered her to prove lack of fetal viability to avoid legal complications.Recentbans have forced pregnant people to cross state borders for abortions, making this di cult decision that much more painful and costly. Having a child can hurt people’s economic stability. A er the child is born, childcare, which is necessary for most working parents, costs up to $1,000 a month, and paid leave is not guaranteed. For those who are not nancially prepared for children, not having access to abortions limits their future opportunities.Anti-choice arguments, expressed by those who call themselves “prolife,” place the well-being of the supposed “child” over the parent, but it is the health and economic future of a pregnant person that determines a child’s life. Deciding to terminate a pregnancy a er considering the realistic living conditions of oneself and one’s potential child based on nancial, mental, and emotional states is much more responsible than delivering just for the sake of a fetus’ “life.” ere is no doubt that Dobbs vs Jackson, the 2022 case that overruled Roe, has wreaked major medical and nancial hardships for those with uteruses. On top of that, a more subtle but no less signi cant issue we need to address is the increased stigma surrounding abortions. While the overturn of Roe has undoubtedly caused this stigma to grow, it has been around for years.
Sophie Li Joshua Shuster
This summer was my second time working at a cafe in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania. I wanted to experience hard and honest work for myself; a paying job was the best choice. I strongly encourage every student to do the same at some point in their high school or college career.Apaying job is not just about earning money; mine tasked me to pay attention to details and enhanced my communication skills. At the cafe, I expedited orders between the customers and the cooks — if I took an order from somebody for a swiss cheeseburger on a gluten-free bun, for example, I had to make sure that’s what they got. One time, a woman complained that she ordered a gluten free pizza at my register but received a regular pizza. My supervisor reprimanded me and the lady took the regular pizza, but to this day, I still don’t believe she actually ordered a gluten free pizza — if she did, I wasn’t the one ringing her up. My job also forced me to be punctual. Since I biked to work, I allotted 20 to 25 minutes for my commute and always arrived early to help set up, which also earned me more money. Since our tips were pooled and distributed based on how long I worked that day, getting there before my coworkers gave me a little more money, both in tips and my hourly rate. On really busy days, the total tips fell between $400 and $800 — naturally, I wanted the bigger cut. Even if my supervisor let me leave early while another coworker finished cleaning up the cafe, I volunteered to help because I would make more money by staying longer, and it felt good helping my coworkers (I also find mopping unusually satisfying). After two summers at the cafe, I discovered a lot about finance and the working world — the main lesson being how awful taxes are. Arguably the best part of my summer job was when my boss handed me my paychecks, but my final paycheck always left me less money than expected. Local and state taxes, social security tax, and deductions took nine to ten percent of my earnings. If I made $900 on one paycheck, taxes would deduct about $90, leaving me with $810. While $810 is still a lot of money for one paycheck in a cafe summer job, $90 is a significant amount of money lost. Some of my coworkers needed money for their families, so tax deductions seemed even worse. I thought of my job as a service to my community. Last summer, most of the food and beverage staff left due to fears surrounding the pandemic, leaving us tremendously understaffed. By working, I helped slightly alleviate the labor shortage, and customers often thanked me and my coworkers for giving our summers to the cafe. One of the older members of the community remembered me from last year and thanked me for doing a great job. Although we had many more employees this summer, we had more customers as well, so I worked until the end of August even when many of my coworkers had to leave wayearlier.to get to know people. Many of my coworkers were my age, so I made a couple friends (and a couple enemies). It was transformative to speak with older employees, such as the cooks and my supervisors, and listen to their experiences and Sibu,advice.sat down and shared a quesadilla. While telling me about his life in Cape Town, South Africa, Sibu gave me a piece of advice: “don’t be a picky eater.” I was avoiding the Portobello mushrooms in the quesadilla, not realizing that it was disrespectful to pick out food that someone shared with me. I’ve been a picky eater my whole life, always finding something not to like. After hearing his words, I ate the entire thing, mushrooms included, not caring if sauce got on my pants or fingers. Getting to know people from all around the world and learning about their life experiences is one of the things I liked most about money for their families, while I worked seemingly for pleasure (and for some pocket money of my own, of course). Adrian, a restaurant cook from South Africa, told me that schools in South Africa today aren’t nearly as good as schools in the U.S. Adrian said that a student could barely show up to class, fail any exam, and still get a passing grade. I was surprised by this news. Although we often criticize America’s education system, we don’t always take into account that we have some of the greatest resources available that others do Sibu told me that he grew up very poor in Africa, but with hard work and persistence he became a chef to support his children back in Cape Town. I have not experienced this sort of responsibility for two reasons; I am only 16 and I grew up financially stable. Sibu’s story reinforced that putting effort into your work will always be rewarding, regardless of your background. Working a paying job benefits any high schooler. You will meet interesting people, experience new things, and learn that hard, honest work always pays off. My summer job made me work for my money and reminded me to never take the opportunities I have Dossani/Art Director
I am looking forward to having face to face interaction again. I was working from home before, and I am really happy to be working in a school since I haven’t worked in one since graduate school.
LatinAncientTeachingGreek;I,II,andIV Fabiana Cabral she/her
Ideal superpower: “If I had a superpower, I would know everything.”
Dr. Avner HaLevy he/him
Ideal superpower: I would like to be able to fly just because it would be fun. And I could go to places more easily, not having to take the train or getting stuck in traffic, and to be able to see everything from above. But mostly I think it’d just be fun to experience flying and to see birds up close.
Looking forward to… :
Looking forward to… :
Sasha Barish he/him
Looking forward to… : “I am looking forward to getting to know my students.”
CouncelingAssistantAdministrativeforandGuidanceTeachingGeometry,CalculuswithTheoryHonors
Previously… : “I was a professor at the university level.” [Dr. Halevy earned his BS from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his PhD in Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation from the University of Maryland. He has most recently taught at Reucgnab University in Israel.]
I’m looking forward to getting to explore ancient texts with students, and having some control over the curriculum so that we can explore what I’m interested in and what the students are interested in. I’m also looking forward to getting to know this awesome community, since it seems like people are really academically motivated here.
Previously… : Before I came to Horace Mann, I was getting my master’s degree in Classics at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. I taught some Latin there as well.
Previously… : I worked at a medical non-profit called DKMS, where I was a typing coordinator. Basically, I connected donors who are in our registry and were going to donate stem cells or bone marrow to cancer patients.”
Ideal superpower: If I had a superpower it would be the ability to stop time, because I think it would be really helpful!
Ideal superpower: I would like the ability to just be able to appear in another space without having to travel there because I am terrible with directions. I’m noticing more and more that Horace Mann is such a big campus, so I’d like to be able to just appear in another space. Previously… : Before coming to Horace Mann, I worked at the Peddie School, a boarding school in New Jersey.
Estefani Hernandez she/her Programming,Programming,IntroTeachingtoIntermediateSoftwareEngineering UpperLibrarianDivision
I’ll know what the young people are up to! I’m not on TikTok, so I’ll finally get to know what the TikTok trends are. But more seriously, I lost the ability to build something in computer science or programming in general that brought me happiness and delight. You know, I’ve been coding for “the man.” So, I am really looking forward to coding with the students just because we’re curious and just because we want to learn.
Looking forward to… : [I’m excited about] meeting everyone actually. I’m really excited to be part of the community and getting to know everybody. So it’s gonna be a really fun start to the year.
Department
Chair for Computer Science; Teaching Introduction to Computer Science, Intermediate Computer Science, Computer Science Seminar Grade9thTeachingand10thEnglish
Dr. Jason Gaines Goldstein she/her
Ideal superpower: Something similar to reading minds, such as being able to perceive things in the way that other people perceive them. I would use it to empathize with everyone that I interact with and to understand that their experiences are way different than mine. I would also try to read the mind of a dog because, what is it even like to be a dog?
Previously… : Before joining Horace Mann, he worked in the computer science department at The Berkeley Carroll School
Looking forward to… : I’m really excited to be in such a bustling library. This is a place of action and it’s a lot of fun, so I’m really excited to be part of it.
SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 9
he/him Susannah
Ideal superpower: [I would like] the ability to jump really high. That can be kind of cool, just to reach really, really high things. Previously… : Prior to coming to Horace Mann, I was one of the librarians at Brearley.
Irene Feng she/her Previously… : This is my first year teaching. I used to work in industry, and I was a software engineer at Facebook.
Looking forward to… : I am looking forward to teaching here in New York. I am from Washington Heights, so it feels important to teach in New York.
Ideal superpower: If I had a superpower it would be the ability to read and speak every language. I would love to be able to read anything in its original language as opposed to reading translations.
Looking forward to… :
Looking forward to… : From the start of my interview, which was the previous year, I had the privilege and fortune to meet Kim Do. He was here for 27 years, and I want to honor and do the best I can to try to live up to the legend that he created. But when I’m here, I think of one word and that is “possibilities.”
It seems like there are more and more things that I learn about in the school grounds — just today, I just found that there’s a woodshop.
Previously… : Taught at Westchester Community College.
Previously… : taught for nine years at the New York Public School System at an R magnet school called the High School of Art and Design, where it was just dedicated for the visual arts. The very recent project that I worked on was with Autodesk, where I was providing content for an in-house architectural project.
Looking forward to… : I’ve been an administrator for the last bit of my career, so I’m really excited to be back in the classroom full time. Working with students and watching them grow in their math development is the most fun thing for me, so this is really exciting.
Previously… : This is my 20th year of teaching, and most recently, I was assistant principal at Regis High School.
Kathryn Koontz he/him Brian Lee he/him Samantha Lehn she/her Lauren McGinty she/her Teaching 8th Grade Painting, Drawing and Painting, Directed Studies AlgebraGeometry,TeachingII Chemistry,intheManagingchemistrylab;TeachingChemistry,ExperimentsPhysicsandSOItestCenterCoordinator
10 FEATURES SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022
Ideal superpower: I’d really like to be able to beam places — not deal with traffic or how far away anywhere is. You’re just beamed instantaneously.
I started at Horace Mann in 2019 as the chemistry lab manager, so I was responsible for setting up all the experiments for all the Chemistry classes and managing the inventory. I also provided a supporting role for all the Upper Division Science teachers.
Ideal superpower: Control time, in the sense that I could speed it up and slow it down as I wanted to. Not so much that I would be interested in traveling through time, but if I could make my commute to Horace Mann quicker than it was, I think I would enjoy that.
Ideal superpower: My superpower would probably be this power that Goku does where he could just teleport anywhere. And what I would do with that is say, ‘hey, today I feel like going to check out this market and have sushi for lunch.’ Or, ‘I want some Ethiopian food from Ethiopia.’ It’s all food-related — teleportation for food.
Looking forward to… : What I’m most excited about, since I’ve been exclusively teaching 10th graders so far, is to take on another class where I can interact with 11th and 12th graders. I think it’s been really nice to slowly transition into the school, since Horace Mann is such a large place with a lot of staff and faculty who contribute to the school in different ways.
Looking forward to… :
Ideal superpower: I wish I had the ability to show people, and I guess for myself too, what the future holds. If I knew what my future holds, I could plan (I love planning).
Ideal superpower: I feel like I’ve always thought it would be really cool to be able to fly. I mean, there’s not a whole lot you can do with that, it just sounds fun! It would be cool if you could do it quickly so you could use it to travel.
THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 11
The job that I had before Horace Mann was at a place called the Garden School. It’s an independent school in Queens. I taught Algebra, I taught Geometry, I taught Algebra II, I taught Precalc, I taught Calc, AP Calc, a lot of different things, starting in 8th grade all the way up through 12th grade.
This is a little bit different from college, insofar as the curriculum goes, it’s a year long. I really want students to find themselves with that — what makes them tick, what part of our math lesson do they really like? I really want them to work with each other, and I don’t get that in college. They barely want to talk to each other, even just to look at their neighbors. So, I really want to encourage collaborative learning.
Previously… : Taught in the Horace Mann Lower Division.
What I was doing, and continue to do, was trying to program the gallery so that there’s activities for people to do in it, not just a gallery where work is on the wall for people to go in and look at. We do have shows like that, but we also create activities. We have a pretty fun activity for the opening couple of weeks where students can go in and trace their hands, so we’ll have this beautiful wall of hands. I also organized all the supplies and everything for all the gallery spaces.
Previously… : Before I came to Horace Mann, I taught at Hunter College. I’m thrilled to be teaching high schoolers now. I feel like, when I was teaching college — I actually still teach college on the weekends — they leave after 15 weeks and I have to say goodbye and I’ll never see them again. So, this is really cool for me, to be building this year-long relationship with the students.
AlgebraGeometry,TeachingGeometry,TeachingAlgebraIIStudioManager;teachingDrawingandPaintingI,III,IVIITeachingRecordingStudioTechnology
So I feel like if I know what my destination is, I can plan more accordingly. And I keep getting caught off guard but I guess that’s the whole point of learning, that’s how you learn. So I always wished I had this superpower of seeing the future.
Looking forward to… : I’m just excited by just how big the campus is, all of the diversity and how many people there are, it’s just really exciting to see the energy there. Everybody seems really excited and happy. It feels like a really good energy. So I’m really excited to get in there and be a part of the spirit.
Christof Knoche he/him Lauren Little she/her Emily Lombardo she/they Chandra Mongroo she/her
Looking forward to… : I’m so looking forward to the work that the students make. I mean, what I’ve seen coming out of all the studios, it’s always been really impressive to me. I’m always surprised by it and intrigued by it. So I’m really excited to see what they make and I’m hoping to create a safe space where everybody feels comfortable being creative in front of each other, because it’s a vulnerable thing to do, being creative and experimental around each other. I’m hoping that in the studio space that I’m teaching in, everybody will feel safe and we can have a good time and treat each other with kindness as we try to make art.
Ideal superpower: I would like plasticity, where you could just become plastic and you could move into all of these weird areas and just slink around. I feel that would be fun. Then you wouldn’t have to do anything, you could just stay in one place. It would be really good for cooking, I think.
Janey Myers she/her Adam Resheff he/him Dr. Alyssa Shearer she/her
Previously… : Last year I had two roles. The first one was in the Academic Center where I tutored in math and science, so I would do that the first half of the day. The second half of the day I would teach two classes. This year, it’s all teaching, so no math or science tutoring.
Ideal superpower: I’ve always wanted the power to have an encyclopedic knowledge of different trees and plants, like if you’re walking down the street or if you’re on a trail or something, since I do a lot of hiking. So I would love to just look at something and know that’s a cedar or whatever it might be. But I would also love being able to cook anything I want. That’s a simpler one. And I would use it to cook for my friends and family.
I just finished my PHD in biomedical research at the Columbia University Medical Center. Looking forward to… : Interacting with my first cohort of students. This is my first full-time teaching job, so I’m excited about that. I’ve known for several years that I’ve wanted to teach, so I’m excited to jump into that.
12 THE RECORD FEATURES AND MIDDLE DIVISION SEPTEMBER 6TH,
Previously… : I was teaching for three years (2017-2020) at Brooklyn College CUNY in the history department. Afterwards, I had fellowships with my PhD that were research based. I received my doctorate in June. I was at the Graduate Center CUNY and I was working on 18th century French history. I looked at the history of French colonization and its intersections with the sciences, botany in particular. Looking forward to… : The number one thing I’m looking forward to is the daily interaction with students. That’s something that I really missed while I was teaching undergrads. You only see students twice a week. The ability to have consistent conversations with the same students for a year is going to be incredibly rewarding, and I’ll get to see the real growth in terms of their historical knowledge. This is something I would never see in an undergrad setting.
Ideal superpower: Teleporting would be nice. I think it would be mostly nice for leisure to just avoid long airplane flights and things like that.
Dr. Sophie Tunney she/her
Previously… : I was teaching at the University of Wisconsin. I was teaching a variety of courses over the years while I was in graduate school, getting my PhD. Most recently, I was teaching lectures on 20th century African history and also world histories. Looking forward to… : I am so looking forward to being in the classroom. I’m so eager to get to know all of my students in the larger HM community and to get to know the Bronx a little bit more.
Looking forward to… : I am excited to teach new classes. I really like the subjects and I’m looking forward to getting to know this new batch of students. I’m excited to dive into the year. Ideal superpower: Flying. I would fly around the world to see sights from a nice view.
Ideal superpower: I would love the ability to fly. I know that’s probably a very obvious answer, but I think it would be really great to move around the world and see all the different cultures. I was hesitating between flying and speaking every language, because again that’s about interacting with different people from around the world. Or maybe having the ability to cook every single food...one of those three.
WorldteachingBiologyAtlanticTeachingWorldHistory,USHistoryTeachingMath,PrecalculuswithTheory,PrecalculusLabManager;ScienceResearchTeachingAtlanticHistory,USHistory
THE RECORD MIDDLE DIVISION SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 13
Looking forward to… : Since it is my first year at Horace Mann, I am mostly looking forward to discovering the HM community. I am also looking forward to going back to a “normal” teaching environment without COVID.
Ideal superpower: Teleportation. I would try to be in as many places as I could, as quick as I could. We’re pulled in a lot of directions these days and sometimes we feel like we can’t accomplish it all, and that would be a way to try and get more efficient. And if a student needs you, or you need to go back home for something, you’re there. If I could do it for good and for the good of society and the community and use that to get to meetings or to get to more places or more things I could do, I would.
Olivier Bakowiez he/him Andrea De Jesus she/her Mark Chiu he/him Karen Jimenez she/her
Looking forward to… : I’m really looking forward to the Dorr trip since I’m going to be a sixth grade advisor.
Ideal superpower: Fly or teleport and I would visit all the historical sites I’ve learned and taught about, particularly in South America, whenever possible.
Looking forward to… : I’m looking forward to the challenges adapting to a new school environment, and looking forward to working with the Horace Mann community, which I’ve heard nothing but positive and great things about. I grew up in NYC and I went to Bronx Science, so I never really worked in an independent school environment, but looking forward to it.
Looking forward to… : The first thing that comes to mind is being on a campus. I think I got spoiled when I was living in Illinois and my school was on a beautiful campus. I’m just so grateful to be coming back to New York City while still keeping that space and greenery of a campus school.
Previously… : In France, I was a Science Teacher. I moved to the USA to be part of the administration in a French-American School, and then I taught French in different places such as UNIS and Bank Street.
Previously… : I was a middle school math teacher in New Jersey for 24 years, and 1 year in California.
Previously… : [Jimenez worked at the Windward School for 4 years.]
Previously… : [De Jesus taught at Lake Forest Country Day School in Lake Forest, Illinois for three years.]
Ideal superpower: Traveling through time to repair errors made in the past.
French,BeginnerTeachingFrenchMS2Teaching6thand7thGradeEnglish;6thGradeAdvisor 6thTeachingand7thGradeMath Grade6thTeachingand7thHistory;6thGradeAdvisor
Ideal superpower: My ideal superpower would be the ability to fly. There is so much of the world I want to see and experience.
A er waiting three years for “Stranger ings” season four, it was nally released in two parts. As a longtime fan, I was excited to binge the new season that centers on Vecna, a monster who peers into the minds of traumatized people. However, my pent-up excitement led to disappointment as the character development and the plot lines fell short of my expectations. In this review, I will dig into various plots from the season, so: SPOILER WARNING! In season four, characters split into groups with separate storylines in di erent locations. Hopper, Joyce, and Murray head to Russia; Will, Mike, Jonathan, and Argyle travel to California; Eleven and Dr. Brenner are back to the lab; Max, Lucas, Dustin, Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie remain in Hawkins. Due to this disconnected format, the show did not develop the main characters as well as it had previously. Instead, the writers added new characters, such as Eddie, who played minimal roles. All of his scenes seemed to take up screen time which could have been used to better develop other characters. A er Eddie died at the end of the season, his plot felt pointless. His death was even more frustrating because he was given plenty of screentime, yet I did not connect with his character and was not sad. Although Will had an important realization about his sexuality — a nice break from his neck touching and shuddering when the Mind Flayer took over his body in season two — there was no real character development since his scenes revolved around his best friend Mike, whom he might have a crush on. Something I did like about this season was its use of music to enhance the plot. It featured pop hit “Running Up at Hill” and rock song
Beyoncé brings listeners to church with “CHURCH GIRL,” a song infused with R&B, gospel, and hip-hop. e track describes what a ‘church girl’ should not be caught doing, while layering voices and harmonies that mimic a gospel choir. is track is a blessing. She then includes “THIQUE,” with trap-like features and an exciting hyper pop track that gets “ALL UP IN YOUR MIND.”
MRenaissanceumbiJohnson
Contributing
Stranger ings 4 Neeva Patel Sta Writer Vivian Coraci/Art Director Amira Dossani/Art Director DirectorDossani/ArtAmira Amira Dossani/Art Director Amira Dossani/Art Director
Released at the end of May, Harry Styles’ third solo LP, “Harry’s House,” is the perfect summer e 13-song tracklist contains the right mix of fun, lighthearted, and upbeat songs and slower, more personal tunes. Listening to the album, it truly feels as if I am in his house. e lead single, “As It Was,” has emotional lyrics and an upbeat sound that symbolizes the changes in his life. e song deserves the hype, though I would argue that it is not his best song in the album. e album’s highlights are “Matilda,” “Little Freak,” and “Satellite.” “Matilda” is a deeply personal song, arguably the most emotional on the album, with a theme of abandonment, based on Roald Dahl’s “Matilda.” Listening to this song before my last year of high school feels nostalgic. e song has a much slower tempo contrasting many of his other songs. It’s a very sad song, but a must-listen.“LittleFreak” is a re ection of a relationship that never truly started. Similar to “Matilda,” there is not much music in the background, so it highlights Styles’ voice. A er seeing this song live, it is clearly a fan favorite — especially with the whole audience screaming the iconic lyric, “you never saw my birthmark.” “Satellite” is about the feeling that you are meant to be with a certain person. My favorite part of the song is the explosive ending with strong drums and Styles’ echoey voice. is track is truly the showstopper at his “Love On Tour” concerts, and one of my favorite performances of his. “Harry’s House” feels personal and nostalgic, as it re ects on his life. It truly feels like I get a glimpse into Styles’ head — or, as the title indicates, his “house.” Seeing the album performed live made me love it even more. Styles truly has an impeccable stage presence from his pure enjoyment of his music and, of course, his iconic dance moves. “Harry’s House” is some of Styles’ best work yet, and de nitely a no-skip album.
On July 28, I stayed up until 12:00 a.m. for the release of “RENAISSANCE,” Beyoncé’s latest album. As soon as I played the rst song, I knew that the rest of “RENAISSANCE” was iconic. is album is “Act I” of her pandemic trilogy. “RENAISSANCE” opens with “I’M THAT GIRL.” It radiates magnetic energy of con dence, female empowerment, and uniqueness that spans the rest of the album. I love that “RENAISSANCE” plays with a variety of genres and ey come together in the album and revitalize the listening experience.
“Master of Puppets.” I found it interesting how Vecna was controlled by music when Max an apocalyptic energy, so it ts perfectly during that scene. I enjoyed the Hopper in Russia plotline, because it was fun to watch the crazy chase that Joyce and Murray went on to save Hopper from prison. Joyce and Murray learn how to y a plane, sprint through mounds of snow, and ght the Demogorgon, a man-eating monster, to return Hopper safely to Hawkins. e cinematography in these scenes was near perfect; the wintry landscape and fast-angle shots darting from Hopper, to the guards, and to the Demogorgon in their ght scene was particularly captivating. Although this season had some great plot moments, the character development was lacking. Compared to the masterpiece that was season 3, the show has begun to decline slightly. However, because “Stranger ings” is one of my favorite shows, its “decline” is still thoroughly entertaining and action-packed. I will de nitely watch season ve — the nal season — when it comes out, and hopefully, we won’t have to wait another three years!
Released on July 29, “Purple Hearts,” has garnered over 100 million hours of views and has become one of Net ix’s most-watched movies. If you have scrolled through Net ix or social media, you have probably heard of this lm. It is one of the most heartbreaking and intense romantic dramas of the year, following two characters that could not be any more di erent. ey fake a marriage to receive government bene ts and ultimately fall in love. e story takes place in Austin, Texas where Cassie, an aspiring singer, lives. As a Type 1 diabetic struggling to make a living, Cassie can’t a ord the insulin shots she needs to survive. Luke is a troubled marine who owes money to his past dealer a er using drugs to cope with his mother’s death. As an avid romance movie watcher, I immediately wanted to watch Purple Hearts when I rst saw it on Net ix. I knew that it was a typical “opposites attract” movie and that by the end, they fall in love. However, this movie was quite di erent from previous romantic lms I have watched, because it not only touches on Cassie and Luke’s opposite personalities, but also their contrasting political beliefs. I was intrigued to see how they would integrate current political issues within a romantic storyline. Due to the characters’ di ering political ideologies, it was surprising that they fell in love by the end of the think it would be di see beyond their political views we can at least try to understand why the other side views it that way. A er the movie received backlash on Twitter for romanticizing the U.S. military’s invasion of Iraq and excusing racism, the director and actors defended the lm for representing both sides of the issue. While it does represent the current political spectrum, I think the movie never addresses how they were able to get over their di erences so quickly. I was disappointed that there wasn’t a scene where Luke and Cassie talked through why they had opposing views or how they could overcome them. Instead, the movie skipped to the two falling in love, which made me agree with some of the critiques of how the movie ignored their ideological di erences. Although these gaps could be problematic, I still believe this movie is a classic feel-good drama and one that I recommend watching.
Gillian Ho Sta Writer
14 THE RECORD ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022
If you’re a fan of wholesome movies, “Minions: e Rise of Gru” is a great pick. It is the h movie of the franchise, following the three “Despicable Me” movies and the “Minions” spino about the history of the minions.“Riseof Gru” travels back to when Gru was in elementary school. Although the movie is about all the minions, it focuses on Bob, Kevin, Otto, and Stuart as they help young Gru join the Vicious 6, a famous villain gang. However, a er Gru steals a special gem that the Vicious 6 was trying to take themselves, they kidnap Gru and his minions. e rest of the lm follows them as they stage their escape. Although the chaotic and immature plot entertained me, I did not nd the movie particularly funny or action-packed, mostly because it was targeted toward a younger audience.
I watched this movie a er seeing the viral minion trends on TikTok. My friends and I wanted to follow “GentleMinions,” a trend where teens go to the theater in suits as if it were a high-class event, but we did not have suits on hand (at our theater, only ve of the 40 people wore formal attire). e movie has Asian representation the Chinese Zodiacs, and Kevin, Stuart, and Bob learn kung fu in Chinatown from a Chinese ChinesetorushedcultureeducationwasforcedrepresentationHowever,acupuncturist.thefeltbecausetherenopurposeandnoonChineseotherthanakungfumontage.mebecauseIknewNewYear,butifIhad not known about those traditions, the usage of Chinese culture would have been confusing. I would not have watched “Rise of Gru” if not for the trends and nostalgia from the earlier movies, and I would not watch it again. e movie was quick and memorable, though plot was not exciting now that I am a lot older than I was the last time I watched Minions.
Contributing Writer e Rise of Gru
Harry’s House melia Resnick Writer
Summer Reviews
Purple Hearts Diya Chawla Contributing Writer
Beyoncé gives us “ENERGY,” “MOVE,” and “HEATED” tracks with afro-type beats and an emphasis on drums and bass. Afrobeats will always have my heart, and she incorporates this style while spotlighting African music. Meanwhile, she gives “COZY” vibes with an 80s house groove that makes me want to dance.
Although “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA” is a change in pace from the other tracks, I love its sophisticated ri s and passion, an authentic Beyoncé touch that has the singer in me internally screaming. I have been listening to the lead single,“BREAK MY SOUL” on repeat. It is inspired by the 9s dance genre with invigorating vocals and a pumped-up beat. Each song ows into the next, making it seem as though the album lasts forever in the best way. Listen to the album if you want to try something new and have an out-of-body experience from Beyonce’s“RENAISSANCE”range. refers to the rebirth of retro genres and a new era for music and can be traced back to the cultural revival of art, creativity, and music that occurred in the 20s and 30s in Harlem by Black Americans. But it’s also Beyoncé’s rebirth. e Queen really outdid herself this time — and she’s just getting started.
In this supernatural TV show, passengers on a fight to New York experience turbulence before landing at their destination, where they learn that over fve years have passed since they took off — during which they were presumed dead.
This comedy series follows the escapades of Detective Jake Peralta and his goofy colleagues as they police the NYPD’s (fctional) 99th precinct. The pilot episode kicks off with Captain Raymond Holt taking over the 99 and its lovable squad.
Featuring Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building” is a Hulu show that takes place in the eccentric Arconia, an apartment building in the heart of NYC’s Upper West Side. The trio, avid listeners of a murder mystery podcast, fnd themselves in a murder scene. Using their detective skills, they must fnd whodunit. Gay pirates. Gay pirates based on an 18th century (partially) true story. Their frst 10-episode season is binge-able in roughly fve hours -perfect for an afternoon of procrastinating on that history reading. Period pieces are basically educational…right?
Criminal minds is essentially 15 seasons of 42-minute long murder mysteries. The show follows a team of FBI proflers as they track down different serial killers during each episode using the killers’ behavior. It is flled with suspense and drama– overall it’s a must watch.
Love Island is a great show to binge if you need comedic relief or love juicy drama.
Love Island is a reality tv show where singles from across Europe come to fnd love enclosed in a villa. For a few weeks, contestants compete in challenges, start drama, and fall in love, all while getting eliminated by the British public and one another.
THE RECORD ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 15
Drama ensues when they reunite with their fve years-older families and start to experience
“The OC,” a teen drama that takes place in Orange County, CA, follows troubled teen Ryan Atwood after his wealthy lawyer, Sandy Cohen, and his family adopt him. Ryan and Seth Cohen, his once lonely adoptive brother, navigate the Newport Beach community together.
Although this is a spinoff of the popular Freeform show, “The Fosters,” you can still enjoy this show for all its worth without having seen its parent show (but if you have, then even better!). Battling everything from workplace misogyny to an unjust legal system while navigating love and heartbreak, “Good Trouble: and its characters truly resonate with their audience.
“Better Call Saul,”“Breaking Bad” prequel, sequel, and spin-off, follows protagonist Jimmy McGill’s fall an earnest lawyer into a corrupt, criminal lawyer known as Saul Goodman. He gets more involved with characters and story arcs from “Breaking Bad,” before representing notorious chemist and criminal, Walter White. This show follows the Bridgertons, a wealthy family in Regency-era England, as their children search for spouses on “the marriage mart.” The latest season follows Anthony, the eldest son, on his search for a wife. It’s a great feel-good show to binge (or rewatch) whenever you need a pickme-up.
“The Boys” explores what life would be like if superheroes were real. Under the perfect personas, they really suck. The Boys” are here to take down the corporation managing all of the superheroes to expose them. The Boys is a fresh take on the superhero genre that will ensure you never sleep easy again.
The premise of the show is a dad telling the story, to his two children, of how he met their mother. He shares the comedic details of his life story, living with his best friends in NYC. It is the type of show to watch after a long day of classes!
Vivian Coraci/Art Director *Unless otherwise noted Kayden Hansong/Sta Artist
Sophia Liu/Art Director
- Audrey and Sean Hey HM! We can’t wait to unpack community debates and various aspects of our school’s culture in feature articles this year. Our goal as editors is to highlight the voices of the school community, exploring the topics at the top of everyone’s minds — in other words, we want to represent YOU and YOUR interests. Want to know about the gender disparity in academics and athletics? Experiencing academic burnout? Interested in an investigation into how FLIK sources its food? Questioning how accessible our school is? Curious about how clubs choose leadership? Wondering why we have so much work? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then keep an eye out for Volume 120’s Features section.Through our articles, we plan to unpack issues and how they influence school life, like work culture, socioeconomics, race, gender, and more. Get excited! It’s going to be a great year. - Ayesha and Vidhatrie
Ready to learn about everything going on at HM?
Amira
Hi WeHM!love the Opinions section because it sparksconversation among the student body, whether it beabout relevant social issues or interesting experiencesthat everyone can learn from. We want our section to beengaging and exciting -- that means hearing from diverseparts of the student body with a variety of viewpoints(not just juniors on the Record who want leadershipThispositions).year, we plan to make the Record accessible whileaccurately representing life at HM. We’ll add a new’Record Hot Takes’ box where students and facultycan submit short notes to the rest of the UD, and opena form that allows for people to submit op-ed ideasthroughout the year. We hope to include and representmore of your voices, so contact us about any ideas youhave (even if you do not think it can be written intoan entire article) and we will find a way to share yourinsights with the rest of the community -- our inboxes arealways open.
You’re in luck because the one man news section of The Record is entering this year with the goal of keeping it simple and reporting on what’s important. We are entering an era of no more fluff pieces and borefests. Writers will be better trained to dig for all important pieces of information concerning each event they cover so that you can be as informed as possible.Wewant to cover all of the cool things that both current students and alumni are doing. Whether you founded a company, won an award, or wrote a book, we want to hear about it. Our goal is to write news for you and about you. Let’s make Volume 120 the best and most engaging year of news yet!Looking forward to being your eyes and ears on campus :) - Zachary Kurtz Dossani/Art MIDDLE DIVISION DEN
Welcome back HM! We’re ready to take A&E to the next level.While we will cover all our performances and galleries this year, wealso want to dig deeper into art at the school with topics like the artrequirement, the history of steel drums at the school, and the costumedepartment. Outside of school, topics we look forward to covering includemicro-influencing, comedy, and concert culture.We also hope to amplify the voices of the entire school communitythrough reviews. Want to dissect Taylor Swift’s new album? Who do youthink Gabby and Rachel should end up with on the Bachelorette? What’sbetter: Marvel or DC? Country music: bop or flop?Finally, we want to add other fun additions to the section like comics, ahumor column, and games. Do you quit on the New York Times crosswordbecause it gets too hard after Wednesday? We know we do. Check A&Eto fulfill your crossword fix.- Allison and Hannah
DirectorNEWS ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT OPINIONS
What’s up everybody!? I am pumped to introduce you to the new and improved Lions’ Densection.Whether you are a staff writer yet or not, let me know if you areinterested in covering a specific sport! I would love to have you write a“beat” for that team: you will write about that team for the durationof the season, attend their games, and develop relationships with theplayers and coaches. Also, please reach out if you are interested in writing for a brand newLion’s Den sports opinion column, where you can share your opinionon a variety of sports-related topics, either at HM or in the world.I hope to make the sports section the most lively part ofthe paper. Vivid details from the final seconds of a game! A deepdescription of a memorable play! Readers will be sucked into theevocative story of the game and learn more about the team’s successes,failures, and future. There is no section you’ll want to read more!- Max Chasin Hi WeHM!are so excited to introduce you all to the incredible efforts and accomplishments of the MD students and faculty. Consider us your window into life in the Middle Division!Wehope to feature more of the unique voices of our MD students in the paper, as well as partner with them in the writing process of these articles. This initiative will not only allow the MD to be more involved in the Record, but it will also allow the UD to hear what they have to say.We also plan to highlight events spearheaded by MD students, faculty, and parents. MD students: reach out to us with your events and projects so we can share them with the school community! We look forward to bringing you insightful articles about all that goes on in the MD and some recent changes that might surprise you. We love the MD! - Celine and Rachel
FEATURES LIONS
16 THE RECORD EDITORIAL SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 EDITORIALS FROM THE BOARD
SNAGGING THE GOLD U16 Girls Volleyball Team wins the gold.
Courtesy of Michelle Orlo
Students embrace Jewish heritage, showcase athletic ability in Maccabiah Games
MEDAL TIME U16 Girls Soccer grabs the gold. TEAM USA U16 Girls Volleyball Team.
Harper Rosenberg Sta Writer
Bodner’s experience was unforgettable because she was able to share her heritage and religion with the people around her, she said. “I am not only proud of myself, but I am also proud of playing against such talented competition from other countries.”
“Going to the Maccabiah Games was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to connect with my Jewish heritage through competition,” Hannah Bodner (10) said. Bodner was one of many of the school’s athletes who competed at the Maccabiah Games this summer in Haifa, Israel. The games are the world’s largest Jewish only athletic competition, taking place every four years with 60 countries and 10,000 athletes competing in 2022. Bodner’s team won gold for U16 women’s soccer and Michelle Orloff’s (11) team won gold in U16 women’s volleyball. Max Meyer (12) placed fourth in U18 tennis boys doubles and made it to the quarterfinals in U18 boys singles.Inorder to participate in the games, athletes must have at least one Jewish parent and play their sport at a high level, Orloff said. Orloff plays volleyball on the school team and on a travel team during off seasons. Before the Maccabiah, she went through months of conditioning, training, and mental preparation — the team filled out workout logs three times a week from October to July, sheMeyersaid. prepared for boy’s U18 tennis by playing with the school’s varsity team last spring, he said. The US team used the Universal Tennis Rating system, which is based on a player’s match results, to determine the in Israel, Orloff’s teammates met one another for the first time and had ten days before the first game to train together. During those ten days, they bonded through traveling with a program called Israel Connect. The team had a lot of fun as they visited famous religious and tourist sites in Israel including Tel Aviv, Akko, the Dead Sea, Masada, and Jerusalem, she said. Bodner’s team came to Israel a week and a half before the Maccabiah started for training camps, she said. “We would wake up at 5:30 a.m. for morning practice and have evening practice at 6 p.m.,” she said. In addition to touring the country, Bodner’s team worked at a senior center with Holocaust survivors, she said.Meyer’s team woke up at 5 a.m. to practice before a long day of touring the country, he said. They volunteered at a center with disabled Israeli children to play tennis and other activities, and visited places like the Western Wall. “We took in the religious significance of a location which, for many, is extraordinarily holy,” he said. Competing in another country with such talented competitors was intimidating, but also exciting and memorable, Orloff said. “It was fascinating to meet people from other countries and backgrounds.” At first, Orloff was stressed about playing with a group of teammates she had never met before, she said. It was difficult for the team to communicate with one another on the court, but after they worked hard and adjusted to one another, they played well together, she said.Although Meyer was competing with a group of new teammates, he knew Bradley Bennet ’21 from their experiences on the school’s tennis team. Playing internationally brought out a sense of patriotism born out of camaraderie, said Meyer. “When HM plays Riverdale, there is a fierce yet friendly rivalry with trash talk — competing for your nation against others evoked a similar sentiment,” he said. “The soil was foreign but the court was the same, and at the end of the day, everyone was there as a Jewish athlete participating in an incredible experience.”
Courtesy of Hannah Bodner
OPENING CEREMONY Spectators watch as Maccabiah Games commence.
“[There was] a lot of energy and positivity because it was such a large gathering of Jewish people from all over the world,” Ariela Weber (11) said, who watched the games in Israel but did not Webercompete.wentto the games with her program, the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. After all the persecution that Jews have faced, the Maccabiah is a great way to come together and celebrate their culture, Weber said. “The crowd had such an amazing energy because it was the first Maccabiah Games since the COVID-19 outbreak, and it was such an amazing reunion.” After the opening ceremony, Bodner met Israeli soccer legend Mordechai “Motaleh” Spiegler, she said. “He spoke to all the soccer players, reminding us to play for our teammates and build chemistry.” Social events at the Maccabiah games brought together athletes from each of the participating nations, Meyer said. “Perhaps my favorite experience from the Games was when I was hanging out with the French tennis and golf players — I held a 90 minute conversation with them in French, utilizing the skills I had learned in my three years of study at PlayingHM.”against other countries allowed athletes to connect across national lines, Bodner said. “I remember playing against the Netherlands, and hearing the Brazilian team cheering for USA on the sidelines.” The soccer team woke up at 8:30 a.m. ate breakfast, met with trainers if needed, and filled up their water bottles, Bodner said. Then, they met in their uniforms with their equipment and traveled to the ‘hub,’ the recreational space where athletes interacted with one another. The building included a pool, small soccer fields, a youth bar, a game room, and a shop for Maccabiah merch. At the hub, the team hung out with players from other countries, relaxed, and watched other games until they had to warm up for their match.For the volleyball team, practices took place everyday at seven a.m., Orloff said. Afterwards, they rested and explored the city of Haifa. In the afternoons and evenings, they either had a game or spent time together as a team, she said. “It was an emotional rollercoaster, but so worth it.”
Courtesy of Ariela Weber
Courtesy of Michelle Orlo
Uponroster.arrival
THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 17
“I was very proud of myself to be part of a community where [the level of] competition was so high, yet we were all linked by our religion,” Bodner said. “It was a challenge to adjust to everyone’s different style of play, but we all took our strengths and used them to create a winning team.” Her team had three rules, she said: “respect towards teammates, communication, and improvement as a player.”Participating in the opening ceremony was a memory Orloff will always cherish, she said. “It was such an amazing feeling to walk on stage with over 40,000 people watching you.”
Oliver Konopko Sta Writer
QUEEN OF THE COURT Kate Komaro (9) practices her forehand.
18 THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022
Between August 24 and September 1, Girls Varsity Tennis (GVT) held preseason tryouts and practices to assemble their team. With only four courts and 36 prospective players, GVT Coach Rawlins Troop found ways to give everyone a fair shot at tryouts, he said. Students played singles and doubles for the best out of ve on three of the courts, and an ongoing game of Queen of the Court on the fourth one, Troop said. A typical preseason day started with Troop telling the team their practice plan, Diya Chawla (10) said. For warm ups, they ran three laps around all four of the tennis courts then moved onto matches, Audrey Moussazadeh (12) said. “Each person usually plays one match per day, and when you’re not playing your match, you’re playing Queen of the Court.” Aside from the matches, Troop focused on drills where students played closer to the net, an especially useful skill for doubles teams, he said. “Most of the drills that we do have to do with net play — that, to me, is the most important thing.” Troop views himself as a very competitive person, and that competitive spirit is even stronger this year a er he missed coaching GVT last season due to an injury, he said. In addition to winning games, Chawla looks forward to spending time with her teammates, she said. She grew closer to the upperclassmen last season and became friends with many of them; she hopes to continue those bonds this year, she said. Playing on the tennis team was the highlight of Moussazadeh’s junior year, she said. is season, she looks forward to spending more time with the friends she made last year and making new Moussazadehfriends.isalso excited to play with Coach Troop again – Troop’s strict and competitive styling of coaching will help the team win more, she said. Troop also stresses the importance of doubles teams; over preseason, Moussazadeh improved on teamwork with her doubles partner, she said. Chawla’s goal for preseason was to improve her stamina and compete for the entirety of her matches, she said.
is season, Chawla wants to win more games so the team can make it to the Mayor’s Cup tournament for the rst time since 2019, when they took the championship, she said. “If we put our minds to it, really work hard, and just take charge together, we can de nitely go far.”
Jacqueline Shih Sta Writer Varsity Water Polo Rena Salsberg Sta Writer
e team breaks up into two groups: one practicing possession drills and the other practicing shooting drills, returning outside back Hannah Bodner (10) said. Practices end with a scrimmage to stimulate how players would act during a game and help coaches evaluate each player in di erent positions, Mitchell said. e teams practice a variety of di erent drills to improve their skills with the ball. “[ e team] set cones about 10 yards apart and our coach would tell us what type of dribbling to do, such as rollovers, toe touches, or speed dribbling,” she said. e team always does some type of passing drill, such as one-touch, twotouch, and throw-ins to help work on controlling the ball, returning mideld player Hannah Moss (12) said. ey also practice possession drills, where players run around and pass without shooting the ball, Moss said. roughout preseason, the team got physically t, prepared for the season, and bonded as a team, O t said. e girls all get along regardless of grade and act like a family towards each other. e team can strengthen their chemistry by helping players learn one another’s names, strengths, and tendencies during the game so they can work together, O t said. “Each player works towards becoming a better player for the overall team,” Choi said. “Coach Sullivan has made it clear to everyone that we are trying to win the league this year, and that we have a good chance to. I think that each of the players know this now and are working towards this collective goal,” she said.
Girls Varsity Volleyball Rena Salsberg Sta Writer
“I’m not really focused on winning every match, I am more focused on what positive impact I can have on this team that will outlive my time here,” Varsity Water Polo player Jared Contant (12) said. Varsity Water Polo preseason began on August 23 with 30 players who tried out for the Varsity and Junior Varsity (JV) teams, Water Polo Coach Michael Du y said. Du y did not make cuts to the team. “ e practices during preseason will be hard, and players will have to decide if the team is a good t,” he said.
Sam Siegel/Photo Director Courtesy of Harper Rosenberg Courtesy of Emily Wang Sam Siegel/Photo Director
GOING FOR THE GOAL Ethan Furman (9) sets up to score.
“It is tough to be successful in this sport if you don’t have trust in your team, and I think preseason is a great way to build that trait,” Girls Varsity Volleyball Captain Jaelah Taylor (12) said. e team’s preseason began on August 22, with 21 players trying out for the Varsity team, Coach Jason Torres said. Ultimately, 16 players made the Preseasoncuts.is crucial to the team both socially and physically, Michelle Orolo (11) said. “Especially for those who didn’t practice much over the summer and throughout the [o -season], preseason is de nitely
Girls Varsity Tennis
Contant, who has been playing water polo since seventh grade, said preseason is a great opportunity to get to know everybody and catch up with teammates before school begins. “It is also a good chance to see where everyone is from an athletic standpoint, as we haven’t seen each other swim in such a long time,” he said.Team chemistry is the most important thing the players can gain from preseason, Noah Castillo (10) said. “ ere are lots of players both coming up from the Middle Division team and players who are new to Horace Mann, so preseason is a great way to get closer with those players before the real games begin.” Each practice begins with a warm up, followed by announcements from Du y and laps, Steve Yang (12) said. “ en, most of the practice consists of throwing balls, practice shots, treading water practice, and setting up plays,” he said. e players also practice treading water with a weight or jumping out of the water to throw the ball.e team will compete in 15 games this season, Du y said. His goal for the players is to work hard while having fun and bonding with their teammates. Du y is optimistic that the team will have a successful season, he said. “We are always in the top tier of NYSAIS,” Contant said. “For the past couple of years we have won the NYSAIS championship, and I don’t expect that to change this year,” he said.Castillo is nervous about how the team will compensate for the loss of seven of their seniors from last season, he said. “Despite losing many of our most valuable players on the team, I am really looking forward to getting to know the new ninth graders who join us this season,” he said. As a three season athlete, Moreira said that water polo is her favorite because of the strong team dynamic. “I am most looking forward to the practices a er school because the team always has so much fun together,” she said. Water polo coaches put high pressure on the team, but as long as the athletes work together, Moreira is con dent that they can have a successful season ahead, she said.
bene cial to help players get back into playing.”e rst three days of preseason were spent determining where players were at skillswise, Torres said. e rest of preseason focused on determining which speci c positions each player will occupy throughout the season. is season will be Taylor’s fourth year on Varsity Volleyball; she has enjoyed being a part of the team’s community, she said. “We blast music during practices, laugh all the time together, and will try to have one team bonding activity outside of school per season,” she said. While Taylor is optimistic about the season ahead, it will come with challenges as many of the team’s strongest players graduated, she said. “We are still trying to gure out how we will set up this year’s new lineup, with people playing positions they haven’t played before,” she said. Torres hopes that the team took advantage of their preseason time and bonded both on and o the court, he said. “You can win a lot of games if you can work well on the court together.”
Girls Varsity Soccer
Fall Sports
On August 22 this year, about 30 players tried out together for the Girls Varsity and Junior Varsity (JV) Soccer Team. “It’s one big tryout,” returning player Jane O t (11) said. “ ere are not necessarily cuts — people who don’t make Varsity usually just play JuniorVarsityVarsity.”andJV teams split up into two groups for tryouts, led by Coach Taylor Quilty and Coach Timothy Sulivan, O t said. “We o en work on di erent drills with each coach,” O t said. Drills make up a big part of preseason, both in terms of time and importance, she said. Preseason starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 11 a.m. “[ e team] normally begins practice with conditioning then focuses on [their] individual skill improvement,” Sullivan said. One of the main goals for this season is to become a great passing team, Sullivan said. “[ e team] spends a great deal of time focusing on passing and ball control … when we are not working on possessing the ball, we enjoy practicing our shooting and nishing,” he said.
WHAT A KICK So a Filardo (10) passes the ball up eld.
POWERING UP Girls Volleyball prepares for the spike.
Boys Varsity Cross Country began their preseason practices on Wednesday, August 24. e 13 new and returning runners were eager to bounce back from last season that was troubled by many team injuries, especially among seniors, Jake Ziman (12)esaid.team met every day at 9 a.m. and walked down to Van Cortlandt Park where they warmed up with a short jog and dynamic stretches. e team followed a rotating schedule of two workouts. One workout consisted of a seven mile run on the “railroad track,” an old freight line which was paved over and now leads outside of the park into Tibbetts Brook Park in Westchester. On other days, the team crossed the Henry Hudson Parkway to the “back hills,” a collection of trails in Van Cortlandt Park that come together to form a two mile loop, Ziman said. A er the workout, the team completed a cooldown jog, walked back to the school, and stretched in the tness center. As a whole, the team not only looks for success in their meets, but also to be the best runners and versions of themselves possible, Ziman said. Outside of races, the team wants to improve their tness and their camaraderie, he said. Instead of focusing on distance or time, it is important to focus on becoming stronger so that he can run faster, Andrew Glover (11) said. Cross country is a rewarding sport, especially a er a long and di cult run, he said.
Varsity Field Hockey (VFH) honed their skills and developed their teamwork during preseason, Girls Varsity Head Coach Caroline Surho said. e team started every practice with laps around the Four Acres eld, dynamic warmups, and stretches. One major goal for VFH during preseason was to get in shape for the season and build on their fundamental skills, particularly stickwork, Ellie Romero (10) said. A er warmups, the team completed footwork drills and agility work using ladders. In addition, they ran sprints and performed other kinds of conditioning. A er several sets of conditioning exercises, the team moved onto skill-focused drills such as shooting or the “three man weave,” where players wove like a braid from the center of the eld to the goal, all while passing the ball, Dylan Le t (10) said. Another drill that the team frequently worked on was “ ve to goal”; an exercise where two players began at the 50-yard line and passed the ball back and forth while staying ve yards apart, until one person shot the ball, Alessandra Agopian (10) said. “ e goal of the drill is to simulate a regular game experience of how to score a goal.” e team’s preseason goals were to learn each other’s names, playing styles, and personalities, so they can work better as a cohesive group, Agopian said. ey also had a team picnic to bond as a group outside of practice. At the picnic, the team made beaded bracelets, ate pizza, and swam together.Inpractice, Sydney Kurtz (9) worked on stickwork and learned plays so that she would be ready for the season, she said. She is especially excited for the Homecoming game on October 8th, where the team will play Riverdale, she said. Surho ’s goal for preseason was to develop players’ individual capabilities, as well as to work on team play and strategy. She incorporated conditioning into both weeks’ practices to make sure the team is in shape for games, she said. is season, Romero is looking forward to the competitive and social aspects of being on a team, she said. “I really like giving my all a er school and making the most out of practice because even though I am tired, I like being with the team.” Surho is excited for a COVID-free year, she said. “I’m looking forward to a season, hopefully without disruption, and giving our seniors a really fun experience.”
“Everyone’s trying to get their own personal best for themselves, and I think that’s really helpful.”
e school’s Varsity Football team kicked o their preseason by training at a sleepaway camp in Connecticut from August 29 to September 1, Matthew Jacobson (12) said. Around 30 students attended the camp on the rst day of practice. On their rst full day, the athletes settled into a regular schedule of meals and practices, Jacobson said. Players woke up at 6:20 a.m., met for about an hour and a half of conditioning, then ate breakfast together, he said. e team then participated in a variety of practices. “Live” practices in the morning included tackling, hitting, and other aspects that would be present in a game, followed by a “relaxed” practice in the a ernoon which focused on plays, Jacobson said. “It’s a similar practice, but instead of going up in pads we just use our cleats and athletic gear.” A er dinner, the team ended the day with a special teams practice, which works on plays such as kicko s or punts, Jacobson said.
Varsity Football
e drill allows both o ensive and defensive players to practice and see what they have to work on, and has a lot of variation which allows the team to simulate a real game, Larry Tao (12) said. e team’s tight bonds will lead to their success in games, Greenberg said. “We o en play pick up with random people [in Riverdale Park] and hang out a lot as a team.” is season, he hopes to make it to the playo s and even further, he said. Edelman looks forward to getting closer with the team this season, especially the younger players, he said. “Being a team is very important — especially at a school known for its academic prestige, it helps us step away from that a er school to all be together as a family.”
READY, SET, GO! Girls Cross Country runs towards a great season.
THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022 19
Oliver Konopko Sta Writer
Boys Varsity Cross Country
WHAT A STEAL! Larry Tao (12) takes the ball from the opposition.
Boys Varsity Soccer
Sports Preview
Sam Siegel/Photo Director Courtesy of Clementine Bondor Courtesy of Arin Rosen Courtesy of Jack Chasen
Varsity Football’s main goal for preseason was to ensure that they will be prepared for any scenario that could arise in games, such as a unique play or an unexpected event, JacobsonStayingsaid.at a camp together for four nights will help the team form a tight-knit community, Jacobson said. Whether pushing each other into the lake or sitting around the bon re, members of the team bonded and will have a unique connection during the season, he said.
Girls Varsity Cross Country prepared for their season this fall with preseason practices that began on August 24. e focus of the practices was to improve the team members’ skills rather than make cuts, as the team is a no-cut sport, Elena Zhu (10)Practicessaid. began with 12 runners, but Zhu expects more players to join the team once other sports make cuts, she said.e team arrived at the school at 9:00 a.m. each day and made their way down to Van Cortlandt Park. “ en, we normally did dynamic drills which are really important to do before you run because they loosen up your muscles,” Story Sossen (10) said.ey then completed their main workout that coaches chose at the start of the practice, Zhu said. e workout varied from runs on rougher terrain, such as hills, to a long and straight path dubbed the “railroad track,” which exits the park, Zhu said. When the two teams o en run together or on similar routes; when they do, runners choose to either stay in groups within the girls team or to run with the boys. “I really like when we run with the boys team because it helps challenge me,” Sossen said. Once all team members nished the main workout, they regrouped and returned to the school, where they stretched and cooled down at the tness center, then dismissed around 11:30 a.m. e community aspect of the team is key, Sossen said. Since everyone only competes against themselves, the team is much more supportive as a group than other teams, she said.
James Z aidman Sta Writer READY, SET, HIKE Football team sets up for a play. James Z aidman Sta Writer is preseason, more than 60 players tried out for Boys Junior Varsity (JV) and Varsity Soccer teams. Coach Gregg Quilty took around 20 players for Varsity, he said. A er players arrived on Alumni eld at 7:45 a.m., they completed a group dynamic warm up then went into 9v9s, full eld games, and shooting, attacking, or defending drills. When the teams nished practice for the day, they stretched and ran a cooldown. A er practices with the o cial team began, they shi ed to focused drills that targeted each player’s position, Matthew Edelman (12) said.
Girls Varsity Cross Country James Z aidman Sta Writer
GOAL Sydney Kurtz (9) scores during scrimmage.
Girls Varsity Field Hockey
e most e ective drill for the team was the UConn shooting drill because it improved players’ power and accuracy when shooting, Dylan Greenberg (11) said. “It’s really funny because it gets hectic fast and o en results in bystanders getting hit by the balls that were shot.”
Jacqueline Shih Sta Writer
