Volume 120, Issue 14

The Record

Horace Mann’s Weekly Newspaper Since 1903

Seventh Unity Week sparks discussion, debate

Neeva Patel Staff Writer

30% of students didn’t know what the word “privilege” meant in 2017 — according to a poll of 90 students conducted by the Community Council (CC) after the school’s second Unity Week. The Record conducted the same poll during this year’s Unity Week and found that number had dropped to 9%, based on 88 responses. However, only 37% of students from the 2017 CC poll felt vulnerable or uncomfortable when talking about a facet of their identity, while 63% of students feel that way today. While the causes of those shifts are unclear, the political climate in and out of school has af fected attitudes towards Unity Week. This year marks its seventh recurrence, nearly a decade after the event originated. What began in 2014 as a student-run day of diversity activities has evolved into a week of workshops organized by the Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE), with help from administrators and students. While some students are excited to engage in the events, others think that the week feels forced and falls short of fostering productive conversations about identity.

According to an email sent by the ICIE to the Upper Division (UD) last week, Unity Week is a time for “conversations and sharing knowl-

edge on identity, culture, equity, diversity, and belonging.” The Record found that while 79% of 88 students who filled out the poll understand what that goal means, just 30% think Unity Week’s current format, with optional workshops spaced over four days, realizes that goal — only 9% of students hosted and 36% attended one or more workshops voluntarily. This year, the week kicked off with an assembly featuring poet Carlos Andrés Gómez, followed by 44 student and faculty-run workshops. 10 were run by members of ICIE, 7 were run by other faculty, and 6 by students independently. Others were part of a class: 18 were run by juniors as a requirement for Seminar on Identity, 2 were run by members of Chinese 5, and 1 by Seminar in Literary Studies.

“The benefit of running a program like Unity Week is that students and faculty get to present on something they are passionate or interested in, which is the type of energy that attracts participants,” Associate Director of ICIE Natalie Sánchez wrote on behalf of the ICIE. To plan the week, ICIE invites the assembly speaker and schedules workshops with members of the UD, Sánchez said.

“Everyone was encouraged to present a workshop to the community that felt meaningful to them in terms

of identity and unity.”

When Unity Week began as Unity Day in 2014, a committee of students spent “several years” planning the event after it was proposed by Arianna Fullard ‘14 and Donna Arreaga ‘14, according to former Director of Diversity Initiatives Patricia Zuroski in a Record article (Volume 112, Issue 8).

“Unity Day was so well received by most of the students and faculty members in the school that one of the only real criticisms made [...] was that it was simply too short,” Yeewen New ‘15, a student on the committee said. It opened the students to discuss possibly controversial issues relating to diversity and social equity.

Currently, students discuss current events and debate about controversies in almost every class, Emily Weidman (11) said. “When I attend workshops, I never feel like I am learning about a topic or discussing it as if it was taboo before,” she said. “But, Unity Week allows those topics to be the sole focus of the class, which is something new and exciting.”

The week does not serve students in the same way it did when it began in 2014 because the topics discussed in Unity Week are now covered regularly in classes, Peter Yu (12) said. “In my [Seminar in Literary Studies] class, we just talked about gender fluidity and performance. So, I feel like as a school we are very politically inclined in that direction already,” he said. For that reason, the week’s purpose has lost significance in recent years.

The goal of Unity Week has stayed the same despite changes to its organization, ICIE wrote. “We are sure

the content has adapted to the times over the years, but the purpose and structure of Unity Week has — and continues to — allow for and encourage this growth to happen,” Sán chez said.

Given its popu larity, Unity Day was extended to a full week in 2015. 20 students planned it for five months with help from the Office of Diver sity, a precursor to the ICIE office, then led by Zuroski. Each day had a theme and students and faculty hosted workshops around it, numbering 120 in total.

Even though Unity Week lasts longer now, Liam Kisling (11) said it still does not give students enough time to explore all the concepts it has to offer. “It would be better if we spread it out throughout the year rather than just for one week and then dropping it and stop talking about it.”

The second Unity Week began on January 10, 2017, 10 days before Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. Fervor over his election animated the week — the assembly featured a video of students discussing their feelings about the Trump administration, while members of the school protested his presidency in Washington D.C. and New York.

Unity Week continued with the assembly and workshop format over its next four iterations. The Office of

Diversity changed its name to the ICIE, Co-Directed by Zuroski and John Gentile. Gentile remained in the department until the end of the 2019-20 school year, after which current director Christine Moloney took over. Other members of the ICIE are also new to the school in recent years, including Bri’ana Odom, Erikka Ramkishun, and Natalie Sánchez, who was previously part of the Center for Community Values and Action.

“While our ‘newness’ might impact the level of engagement in Unity Week, we work hard to become more integrated in the community each day,” Sánchez said. The ICIE hopes that Unity Week convinces more students to come visit the ICIE, she said.

This year, as a part of his Chinese class, Nate Chiang (11) is hosting a workshop with Coco Trentalancia (12) on face culture in China. “Unity Week is important for the student body because it promotes diverse opinions and critical thinking here on campus,” Chiang said. He enjoys hearing from different viewpoints throughout the school community and discussing those in the context of relevant issues to current society, he said.

Because the International Food Festival was held in the middle of Unity Week, Ariela Weber (11) had

“Friends come and go”: Alums visit their alma mater

Erica Jiang Staff Writer

What did it feel like when you first stepped foot onto campus?

Sunshine Quinones ‘22: When I first arrived during break, I went to Olshan Lobby to check in as a visitor, which was very crowded because everyone was getting snack. I was thrown back into the routine of Horace Mann and honestly, the biggest feeling I felt was anxiety. It was like nothing had changed and I was a student again.

Liliana Greyf ‘22: It felt a little dreamlike, like I was in a mirage. I spent a lot of time last semester thinking about the school and my time there, so the image

of the actual place became not super real to me. The whole day went on as I remembered, with A through H periods and the cafeteria and other things still happening, but I felt a little bit outside of them. School continued but I was only visiting rather than being a part of it. Alex Nagin ‘22: I was a little nervous — mostly from the fact that in college, I shaved off all my facial hair and now I have a mustache. I just knew all my teachers were gonna say something about it, which was pretty funny because it has nothing to do with school, but that’s what I was most nervous about.

What made you want to come back? How long did it take for you to make up

your mind and what pros or cons did you weigh in the process?

AJ Walker ‘22: During my breaks earlier this year, in October and over Thanksgiving, I questioned whether I wanted to visit. The more I thought about how different life is for me at college right now, the more I thought the two lives at once were a lot, so I didn’t know if I wanted to go back to that place yet as I’m still adjusting to my new life. But I knew that over winter break, I was going to try to visit because I still wanted to see my teachers and some of the underclassmen.

Jaden Richards ‘21: I visited twice last year, but this year I happened to run into my college counselor and he asked

me to come back and visit again. In my second year out, I assumed that people were tired of seeing me, so I had to ask myself, would I be getting in the way, or am I too old for it? But ultimately, I decided that even if it wasn’t very long, it’d be worth it to come back and just say hi.

Were there any specific, physical spaces that triggered feelings of nostalgia?

Jaden: Thinking about all of my visits, when I go to something like the senior study room in the library, which seemed like a really big deal when I finally got access to it, seeing someone else in there is a weird thing; you see the places where you made really good memories

Courtesy of Liliana Greyf

in just move on with different people.

Hanna: I spent probably a solid 90% of my senior year in the library, sitting with my feet up on the right hand side behind the circulation desk, by the window sills. I would eat lunch there, hang out with my friends, or do work, so that became a spot that I really associate with my senior year. So when I walked into the library, I got hit by a wave of nostalgia. I spent so much time with my friends there and just going through it – writing, reading papers, and editing Record articles.

What was it like reconnecting with the teachers? Did you feel a shift in your relationship?

Sunshine: It did feel a bit different because when they’re still your teacher, you feel more reserved about opening up about your feelings. Coming back, I was more willing to be honest about how I was dealing with college and

also how my experience was at Horace Mann.

Hanna: Yes and no. Fundamentally, I still look up to them as authority and mentor figures who are older than me and more experienced. In that sense I think the teacher-student relationship is still there, but just minus whatever stress you might feel because they’re the person giving a horrible test next week or who is grading your next paper.

How has your perspective on the school changed now that you’ve had time away from it? Is there anything that seems strange now that you accepted before?

AJ: A lot of my feelings about the school were the same and just came back. But I will say, the one thing that I now realize being away from it is that school was just such a big thing in my mind. Now that I’m not there, I’m realizing how much time I spent stressing about things that in the big picture did not matter as much. So there has been a lot

of reflecting about how I spent my time there but I don’t know if there is anything I could have done differently to make me less stressed or made the day to day easier.

Alex: I’m thankful for the challenging nature of the school because it’s allowed me to enjoy college so much more. I have a lot of friends, especially in Ireland where the education system is different, who have never even heard of what Chicago citations are before and they’re trying to do them all by hand, while I still have my NoodleTools account that I can easily log into. Going through all of that in high school has made college a breeze.

What surprised you about coming back and inhabiting an outside perspective?

AJ: I mean first, the college counseling office not being in the middle school but being an entire house was insane – I’m a little jealous. But other than that, everything else was scarily exact-

ly how I remember it. Something my friends and I have been thinking about a lot since leaving is, was it worth it?

All the stress we were under and all of the things we felt like we had to worry about every day? But I feel like after visiting, I can appreciate everything the school has done to help me get to where I am.

Liliana: It was really surprising how few students I recognized because I’ve always thought of HM as a place where I recognize everyone. It was also shocking to see other people in positions that I used to be in physically, like in the classrooms where I used to learn, or in the StuPub with the Emilys there, seeing them planning for The Record. That was really fun for me, to watch other people take on the roles that I used to have, and reminisce about what that used to look like for me and the new generation of students that are now doing that.

What do you think of the unspoken rule that alums can only return once

and only the year after they graduate?

AJ: For some people, and even me, going back is a way to prove, not only to everyone else, but to yourself that you’ve evolved and you’ve made it out of Horace Mann. I think going back once is enough to do that. That being said, there is value in visiting multiple times because there are teachers who still want to see you — I think the more distance you get from the place the easier it becomes to go back and realize the good times that you’ve had there.

Liliana: I’ve been thinking about that a lot. As I was leaving school on that day, I was struck with the realization that it very well could be my last time there, at least for a very long time. And in some ways, that’s really cathartic to me — I get to have this sort of closure, having really finished off everything that’s expected of me at Horace Mann. But I also think that is, as you said, unspoken, and just created by this idea that once high school is over, you need to let go of it.

TikTok is ruining your...oh right! Attention span.

something I used to easily do. This impatience has become a common occurrence for me; I can’t watch a movie without looking up the ending or read a book without flipping to the last page.

As social media becomes a central and addictive part of our lives, there’s no doubt we are adversely affected by apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. While I don’t use Instagram and Snapchat much anymore, I constantly get sucked into my TikTok ForYou page, watching random people do random things.

after you close the app. Even when we get ourselves to do something else, like watching a movie or reading a book, the TikTok-taught habit of scrolling when a video is boring or rewatching if it’s funny prevents us from paying full attention if the activity lasts longer than a couple of minutes.

prehension, analysis, and empathy. Our brains adapt to the reading style we use most commonly. So, if you read on a screen more often than on paper, it is hard to revert back to slow and critical reading, even when you have a piece of paper in front of you.

Over winter break, I finally had the chance to lock myself in my room and binge-watch “The White Lotus.” I was immediately hooked by the relatable characters and amusing script. Time flew by as I finished the first episode, so much so that when I looked at the clock, I had finished a 58-minute episode in… 34 minutes.

My secret to time travel? I fast-forwarded past every scene that seemed boring or couldn’t hold my attention for more than a few minutes. I didn’t know why it was so hard for me to sit down and watch a full episode of a show,

Today’s internet accessibility has caused our desire for new content, trends, and information to skyrocket. TikTok is uniquely addicting. The platform feeds its users an endless stream of videos that are less than three minutes each: the perfect length to capture one’s attention without bore. TikTok videos are short and straight to the point, making it popular among youth; 60% of TikTok’s one billion users are between the ages of 16-24. TikTok’s infinitely scrolling, personally tailored, ForYou page feature is extremely distracting and can fill just a one minute void with entertainment, satisfying the constant need for entertainment even better than regular television. The app is designed to suck you in and make you watch video after video and its effects persist long

Volume 120 Editorial Board

When a task isn’t extremely interesting, like reading primary source documents, it’s instinctual to reach for my phone and check for notifications, even if I didn’t hear anything go off. If there’s nothing, I might go looking for food in the kitchen. Nothing looks good? Then I’ll try to play my brother’s cello for fun until I become disinterested.

At the University of California Irvine, Dr. Gloria Mark conducted a study on screen-related distractions in an office.

On average, workers spent only 75 seconds on a task before switching to another tab. They were prompted by an internal desire to change tasks for no reason other than novelty, indicating that digital users’ attention span is on a rapid decline.

Physical screens themselves also contribute to our decreasing attention spans. They are designed to make people read superficially — a skim and scroll — without deeply engaging with the texts. When reading on paper, we often go slower, allowing time for com-

Staff

These compounding attention-drainers make our daily English reading homework longer to finish or SAT reading passages harder to comprehend. Even fun things, such as watching TV or playing a game, become harder to pay attention to, pushing us back to checking out phones and social media.

Stopping this decreasing attention span is easy: delete TikTok and any other apps that consume your at tention. However, that is an extreme response—I know I won’t be deleting TikTok anytime soon.

You could also try to understand what’s dis tracting you, whether or not it’s a device.

By acknowledging the distraction, you are at least aware of what apps and features you should avoid. Additionally, time your breaks: if you decide to scroll on Tik

Staff Writers Ariella Frommer, Blake Bennett, Ava Lipsky, Clara Stevanovic, Erica Jiang, Etta Singer, Hanzhang Swen, Harper Rosenberg, Isabella Ciriello, Jorge Orvananos, Joshua Shuster, Kate Beckler, Lucy Peck, Maeve Goldman, Mira Bansal, Naomi Yaeger, Neeva Patel, Samantha Matays, Sofia 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

Staff Photographers Nicole Au, Jorge Orvañanos, Trish Tran, Aanya Gupta, Jiwan Kim, James Zaidman, 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

Tok between your history and math homework, make sure it’s really only for five minutes, not an hour. If you need a short distraction, watch a quick episode that has a definite ending, then start doing work. Finally, read on paper more often to train your brain for increased focus (sorry trees!).

I am gradually implementing these tips into my daily routine, and I just finished “The White Lotus” with my parents who don’t know what fast-forwarding means. To be honest, I probably couldn’t focus long enough to explain it to them anyway. Congratula-

Editorial Policy

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

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

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

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

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

Sofia Kim

Dylan Leftt/Staff Artist

to decide between attending workshops or getting food in her free time. “I hosted a workshop during D period on Wednesday and because that is most people’s lunch period, most of my friends wanted to get food instead or come late,” she said. Weber said the school fell short during the planning of these events and hopes they do not overlap next year.

In a new policy this year, all juniors in the SOI class had to host a Unity Week workshop. Kisling said forcing

juniors to host a workshop is not the best use of SOI’s time, he said. “Trying to get all those students to host one workshop is chaotic and nobody en1ds up actually focusing too much on it, there is no passion,” he said. Instead, he said that the seminar class should focus on finding juniors who are eager to host workshops.

Similarly, although Daniel Pustilnik (11) understands that hosting a workshop allows students to take on different perspectives, forcing them to host can cause them to be less enthusiastic about their presentations,

he said. “It does not make sense for 15 kids to settle on the same topic for their presentation because certain people might not be as passionate about that issue, so they won’t put in as much effort,” he said.

Louise Kim (12) said it is one’s own loss if they are not interested in partaking in activities that other community members are leading, they said. In each workshop Kim has been to or led, she has always gained insight or learned something new about someone, she said. “The work the ICIE office is doing is extensive

AlookintoUnityWeekworkshops

DiscoveringIdentity

mie Ink:

“Many magical moments took place spontaneously within the workshop. We ask the guests to first practice mark making on scrap paper until they feel they are ready for the final. The subject of their painting was nature (bamboo forest). Many guests were hesitant to move onto the final paper because they wanted it to be “perfect” BUT! They took the risk and were pleased with the results. This art form can take many years, even a lifetime to master. The results of a 50 minute workshop was inspiring.”

throughSimplicityinN ature

because there is a lot of behind-thescenes work in scheduling the workshops and planning the week out,” they said.

Sánchez hopes that students who participated in the week will think about approaching the ICIE office to brainstorm how to collaboratively follow up on interesting topics that were presented, she said. “The beauty of something like Unity Week is that it’s designed to offer everyone an opportunity to participate, but we are always open to feedback about ways to improve,” she said.

Anonymous student responses from The Record’s poll

Student 1:

I feel as though “identity” is such a broad term it almost means nothing, which makes Unity Week’s goal less clear. Most people stick to Unity Week workshops that they feel included in (for example, AAPI workshops might attract more AAPI members than not), which makes Unity Week less of a “shared space” across different people of different backgrounds, but a discussion in an affinity space.

Student 2:

- Art teacher Brian Lee

Mo dern AntisemitismTrough

“We wanted to host a workshop on antisemitism because we felt that it is a subject that is not talked about enough in school and is not a sufficient part of our curriculum. Because we, going to school and living in a community with a large Jewish population, do not experience antisemitism often or even at all, I hope people realize that it is a problem that exists prominently. One conversation we had was around censorship of the media and the first amendment. Most people said that the media should be censored because it consists of private companies, but there isn’t a clear line of what to censor.”

- Ariella Frommer (11)

Exploring Iden

“Time and time again, poets have expressed aspects of their identity in complex, human, and beautiful ways. We wanted to share some of our favorite examples of poems centered around the poet’s identity with more students so they can understand — and practice — poetry as a means of sharing one’s identity. We hope attendees will deepen their understanding of what “identity” means to them and how they can express that through language. We also hope that the workshop serves as an opportunity for participants to reflect on their identity by writing their own poetry, taking inspiration from the poems we will share and discuss.”

- Louise Kim (12)

through Poet

r y

Only a select group of students attend these workshops — those who are already pretty committed to understanding and decreasing inequity. Don’t get me wrong. The opportunity to discuss these problems for those students is great, but it really doesn’t help with any sort of wider problem. I didn’t attend any for several reasons: none of my friends attended any, I’ve been swamped with work, and I’m unsure as to what the experience would actually be like. I’m transgender, though I don’t like to talk about that publicly, and I feel that attending an LGBT+ workshop would be a bit... on the nose, and I’m not really comfortable with that. In terms of other identities, I don’t feel well versed enough in the complexities of the issues. The community would be better served by more mandatory Unity Week activities, as well as more discussion of issues of diversity in our actual classes during Unity Week.

Student 3: Each teacher should be required to bring at least two of their classes to a Unity Week workshop, regardless of if the course they teach is connected to the topics of the workshops. STEM classes especially do not dedicate time to bringing their students to these workshops. I would have attended a Unity Week workshop in my free time, but I have many assessments next week and I need time to study.

MD incorporates Unity Week into classes

Lucy Peck Staff Writer

The Middle Division (MD) decided in conjunction with the Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity to celebrate Unity Week with special lessons designed by each department, MD Dean of Faculty Eva Abbamonte said.

Abbamonte led her seventh-grade history class through a lesson on Ida B. Wells, a Black female journalist. The class discussed Ida’s campaign against lynching during the twentieth century. “We learned that the federal anti-lynching law that she proposed was not passed until last year by our

Congress and was signed into law by President Biden,” Abbamonte said.

William Pietrzak (7) said the week’s integration with the curriculum was both practical and inspiring. “You can understand connections between stuff we’re doing in classes and Unity Week themes.”

During Unity Week, Robbie Lipsky (8) was able to find connections with the school’s core values. Lipsky also noticed similarities to the recently held MD Service Learning Week. “I recently put together bags of activities for kids in hospitals in our communities,” he said. “That seems similar to Unity Week because, in both, we are trying to help our community and

learn more about those around us.”

Today, EJ Landy (7) and her French class will write a letter to someone who they feel has changed the world for the better. Students in her class chose a variety of celebrities and activists, she said. Landy will be writing to Harry Styles, as he was the first man to wear a dress on the cover of Vogue, she said. “I find that very inspiring.”

Landy’s main takeaway from this activity is that everyone has the opportunity to change the world, even in some small way. “Even simply wearing a dress created such a big movement and inspired so many people.”

Pietrzak hopes that the MD will

encountered in their classes, he said. “It’s a good way to build community and help one another learn about important values.”

the Example of KanyeW

continue the tradition of Unity Week as it exposes students to new concepts that they might never have otherwise

ALUM ACTIVIST Isa Jamira ‘15 talks to MD during Unity Week assembly.

Sam Siegel/Photo Director

Lions’ Den

Student-run Court of Dreams charity event raises $5,000

Sophie Rukin Staff Writer

Last Friday, Daniel Cornstein (11) hosted a Courts of Dreams-sponsored fundraising event at the school. The event featured two basketball games titled “Courts of Dreams Classic” against Fieldston — one played by the Girls Varsity Basketball Team (GVB) and one played by the Boys Varsity Basketball Team (BVB). GVB won with a score of 51-43 and BVB lost with a score of 43-60. The event raised over $5,000 for new projects throughout the city, Cornstein said.

The Courts of Dreams charity was founded fifteen years ago by Cornstein’s parents to restore basketball courts in New York City, Cornstein said. The idea for the charity came from a combined love for basketball and philanthropy. “My dad worked in basketball and always wanted to be charitable.”

Three years ago when Cornstein entered high school, his parents’ passed the charity onto him. “I’ve always had a huge interest in giving back to the community as well as basketball, so it’s a perfect hybrid of my two interests,” he said.

After taking over the charity, many of Cornstein’s friends got involved, Board Member Julia Philips (11)

said. Phillips helps to keep track of donations, organize fundraising, and write thank you notes, she said.

“The charity started as just a group of kids in our grade, but has recently expanded to more grade levels.”

The organization has restored basketball courts like the Woodlawn Playground in Van Cortlandt Park, board member Chase Forbes (11) said. “We work to restore and refurbish courts in underprivileged communities where, unfortunately, they don’t have the resources to do it themselves.”

The event featured a raffle station, a donation table, and free shirts. While there was a suggested donation, there was no entrance fee. “It was a great school event, with a lot of spirit and energy to promote the cause,” Phillips said.

The players on the court felt that positive energy, GVB player Alexa Blackman (9) said. “A lot more people showed up than usual, and you could tell the energy was different.”

While there was added pressure for the players on the court because of the increased number of fans, the team was confident because they knew they could beat Fieldston, she said. “We were the better team and we played well.”

The extra crowd support was super motivating, Ava Parento (9) said.

“This was a game we went into hoping to win because Fieldston’s not really doing great in the league and they are our rivals,” she said. “It was really fun that we were able to play them and then also win a big game with so many people there.”

The win reflected all the hard work the team has put in over the course of the season, Parento said. “Now that we’ve been kind of playing together more, we’re definitely playing as a team more on with more cohesion and we’re better able to cut and pass.” The team’s improvement was apparent during the game, she said.

The GVB Courts of Dreams Classic was a great experience, GVB Coach Ray Barile said. “We were just happy to be a part of it.” Playing for such a positive cause was really nice, he said. “We also just love when people watch our games, so the large turnout was nice.”

The BVB game had a similar positive energy, Ryan Lutnick (11) said. “Playing in the Courts of Dreams game and wearing the shirts was really special,” he said. “It was a pleasure to help promote awareness of the cause to the broader school community.”

Even though BVB lost their game, it was a great experience, Lutnick said. “We leave it all

Snow or no snow, Varsity Ski Team is ready to go

Sammy Matays Staff Writer

“Despite the fact that most of our time is spent doing things that are not skiing, we are brought together by our excitement about the sport,” Zachary Kurtz (12) said.

The Varsity Ski Team consists of 29 students. There is enough snow for the team to practice at Thunder Ridge Mountain in Brewster, New York around twice a week, but not enough for the team to race. As a result, they have not yet been able to compete yet this season, Varsity Ski Team Coach Rawlins Troop said. He hopes that future weeks will yield more snow so the team can race.

Dryland practices — in which the team goes to Four Acres rather than skiing on the mountain — consist of dynamic stretches, running, and core work, Troop said. When it is too cold to practice outside, the team goes to the school’s fitness center to use the bikes, treadmills, and sometimes weights. However, when the weather allows it,

the team travels to Thunder Ridge Mountain so the skiers have a chance to practice racing on the courses, he said.

The team took a trip to Killington, Vermont in December, which was a great chance to bond, Anna Kim (9) said.

“Getting to hang out with people I don’t generally talk to was a really great experience.”

Establishing good connections is crucial to creating a cohesive and successful team, Ariella Frommer (11) said.

“One of my goals is to have a more bonded team because we have a lot of new people this year.”

The team consists of students from all four grades and gives racers the opportunity to get to know other students, Francesca Finzi (9) said. Finzi has made a lot of new friends on the team this year, she said.

Teamwork across grades is crucial to improving members’ skills, Alec Jackson (11) said. “The best way to improve as a team is for the seniors and juniors to help guide the younger kids and teach them about ski racing.”

Frommer is extremely excited to be racing for the school again, he said. “I stopped racing competitively this year so I am really excited to be racing for school. I wouldn’t have had the chance to continue my passion without the school ski team.”

This season is Kurtz’s last, so he wants to make the most of his time on the team. “I really want to get out there and have fun,” he said. “One of my goals is to have a team that enjoys being around each other.”

Based on the ski team’s successes in previous years, Troop is confident that when they do begin racing this season, they will do very well.

on the court,” he said. “We can’t let the loss affect us too much, especially when the game had a much deeper purpose.”

The event was a huge success, Phillips said. “I go to basketball games sometimes, and there were definitely a lot more people supporting the game than usual because of the charity,” she said. “The most important thing was that a lot of people gained awareness of what Courts of Dreams is and we were able to spread awareness to the community.”

Originally, Cornstein was worried that few fans would show up to the games, he said. “It was a late game on a holiday weekend Friday so I

knew it would be somewhat hard to get a good attendance.” To Cornstein’s surprise, the stands were full of supporting fans. “It definitely exceeded my expectations in terms of both turnout and fundraising,” he said.

Forbes hopes that more students at the school and in NYC will gain an awareness of Courts of Dreams, and the charity’s message. “It’s a great honor to work with Courts of Dreams because oftentimes parks and playgrounds are where children have their most joyous memories.”

Courtesy of Emily Salzhauer

SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES Coughlin (12) sinks the freethrow.

GO TIME! The Lions get ready to hit the slopes.

Courtesy of Zachary Kurtz

Jovanny Nazario (11) placed first in the Hendrick Hudson wrestling tournament on Saturday

23 public schools participated in the tournament.

Nazario pinned all four of his opponents including a quick pin in the finals versus his opponent from new Rochelle HS. His current record now stands at 18-1. He is only the second wrestler from the school to win this tournament.