Record The Horace Mann
JANUARY 24TH, 2020 || VOLUME 117, ISSUE 18
HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903
RECORD.HORACEMANN.ORG
Student clubs spend the weekend at Dorr
Henry Owens and Louise Kim Staff Writer & Contributing Writer
Last Friday, students from the OutDorr’s Club and Dance Company (HMDC) drove up to the John Dorr Nature Lab (Dorr) for a weekend full of hiking, dancing, and other fun activities. The MLK weekend hike has been an annual trip for the OutDorr’s Club for the past 34 years, Director of ter
k DePre y of Nic Courtes
Dorr Glenn Sherratt said. “We wanted to provide a cold-weather camping experience for students who were interested. It is beautiful to be out in the snow and learn to deal with the challenges and vagaries of winter camping.” This year, 22 students went on the OutDorr’s Club winter trip, which is an increase from last year when only five students attended. “Everyone on the trip was really nice and I got to know more people. Every time I go to Dorr I always have a lot of fun,” she said. The opportunity the trip provided was unique because there aren’t many occasions for Upper Division (UD) students to enjoy the Dorr facilities, Halley Robbins (12) said. On Friday night, the hikers gathered various materials in preparation for the hike, including layers and water bottles, Willa Davis (9). The main hike took place Saturday morning and was four miles through the Maricosta Preserve. Daga knew that the hike would be
challenging so she paced herself throughout, since tiring early would have only made the hike less enjoyable for her, she said. Although the hike had been shorter than in past years, students still had to deal with the cold winter climate, Ryan Finlay (10) said. Once the students reached the summit, they were greeted with a view of the surrounding landscape. “One of my favorite memories of the trip was when we were eating lunch during the hike, there was a frozen river off the trail,” Davis said. “It was so beautiful and I ate lunch next to the river.” The OutDorr’s Club slept in tents outside Saturday night, which was a unique experience for many students who had never slept in the snow before. Besides the snow being uncomfortable, it made building the fire much more difficult because the wood was wet, Finlay said. “We started burning copies of the Record to get the fire going,” he said. “We used the burning Records to dry the sticks before we could use them.” Robbins found building the fire one of the most exciting moments of the trip, she said. “It was a really fun thing to do, and [we rewarded ourselves with] smores afterwards,” she said. The trip provided a nice break for students after the end of the first semester, Davis said. “I forget how refreshing nature can be, especially in the middle of the school year, when you’re so stressed—nature is the place to go to when you want to relax and forget about your problems,” she said. While the OutDorr’s Club was outside experiencing the winter elements, members of the HMDC were hard at work indoors preparing for this week’s Student Choreographed Dance Concert. “Dance Dorr” has been a long-standing tradition before all student dance concerts, which happen three times on a four-year cycle. “It’s a great opportunity for the dancers to come together and bond but also to learn dances that they might not know and perfect them,” Theatre and Dance Department Chair Alison Kolinski said. During most of the trip, the group rehearsed their dance numbers in the barn, HMDC co-President Yana Gitelman (11) said. “Because there were so few of us, we had lots of time to practice individually and as a
group,” she said. HMDC co-President Mikayla Benson (11) was unsure whether the weekend would be successful because only five dancers were able to attend. “I was completely wrong,” she said, “We had such awesome people; I couldn’t have asked for a better group.” Going into the weekend, the dances were all choreographed and learned, but the environment of Dorr allowed dancers to further develop the interpretation and meaning of their pieces beyond the moves, Benson said. Because the group didn’t access electronics often, the members were more present with each other and had more opportunities to interact with each other and explore the pieces, Gitelman said. At school, stress and other distractions can lead to a decreased quality of practice. On Saturday night, the dance ensemble went to the Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT to see Momix, an internationally acclaimed dance company known for its abstract and inventive dances, Kolinski said. The performance featured many non-traditional numbers that included a dance performed entirely on skis and a classical Bach song where half the dancers were inanimate mannequins. Despite being unfamiliar with the unusual style of choreography, the students were impressed with the dancers’ talent. “There [was] a certain dedication and motivation for excellence that I haven’t seen in a while,” Benson said. “It was good entertainment because good entertainment is something that you think about after. That’s my goal for the dance concert.” Kolinski hopes that the students were able to enjoy but also learn from the performance. “The ease and the intensity and how beautifully they executed it, it was just flawless,” she said. For both the OutDorr’s people and the dancers, Dorr provides an opportunity to become closer and spend some time in nature, Mika Asfaw (12) said. “Although we knew each other before, we all got closer and bonded,” Gitelman said. “It was nice to take that into show week.” “I don’t think you can replicate Dorr’s feeling anywhere else,” Asfaw said. “It was a great experience—I made new friends and made stronger relationships with ones I had already,” he said.
Students lead inaugural STEM week Katya Tolunsky and Devin Allard-Neptune Staff Writer & Contributing Writer
The first Computer Science and Engineering Week (CSEW) in the school’s history, which consistinged of over 20 student and faculty hosted workshops and activities related to STEM, took place this week. Ranging from Alumni Nora Nickerson’s ’18 workshop on Microbots and Ants, to Manisha S. Gandhi’s P’12 P’26 workshop about women in STEM, the variety of topics reflected numerous aspects of STEM.had something to capture every interest. Though all with different scopes, all of the workshops pertained to the central theme of “Multicultural Innovation through the Disciplines.” A member of the planning committee, Angie Cortez (12) hopes the workshops helped bridge the divide between the humanities and sciences, she said. “You don’t have to be just a ‘math person’ or an ‘English person,’ you can be both,” she said. “It’s not that black and white.” “It’s frustrating when people stop themselves from pursuing certain things because they created a false binary between two different hobbies,” Libby Mather (12), another member of the planning committee, said. “We want to make sure
that people feel free to pursue whatever they’d like.” Last year, Cortez’s independent study on the history and evolution of computers led her to start the CSEW at the school, she said. “I thought it would be great if we could do a day or a week dedicated to computer science and engineering that showcases a connection between humanities and STEM.” Computer Teacher, Glenda Guerrero, used her network of contacts to plan and organize CSEW, she said. “I think it is important that Computer Science, along with the other disciplines taught at Horace Mann, deserves a moment to showcase to the community the works of our students,” Guerrero said. STEM is an interdisciplinary field, and it is powerful to be immersed in it, she said. The CSEW planning committee met every Thursday for a few months to work on their proposal for the week and brainstorm what they imagined the week would look like, Mather said. “We knew that there were a lot of really passionate students and teachers at the school who would have a lot to say for different workshops,” Mather said. “We want the CSEW to be an annual event that’s on the same level as music week or book day.” Annabelle Xing (11) hosted a workshop where she talked about weSTEM, a nonprofit organization she founded with Alexis Fry (11).
Xing created weSTEM to help bridge the gender disparity in STEM fields, she said. “We want to be able to encourage girls across the country to pursue their STEM passions,” Xing said, “Through this workshop we hope that students can become more aware of the issue.” Along with her peers, Claire Goldberg (10) hosted a workshop about the benefits and drawbacks of technology. At the workshop, students debated issues of technology in medicine, classroom, polling, politics, and in surveillance. “The idea behind our workshop is to cover a wide variety of topics so that people can see that technology is really infiltrating all of our lives and permeating every single society,” Goldberg said. “How are we going to adapt to it, and what should we be aware of?” “You’d be surprised how many of our presenters were from the humanities and they did not necessarily need to step out of their comfort zone,” Guerrero said, “They just recognized that their passion and interest can be enhanced with this additional tool called technology.” Spencer Rosenberg (10), who attended Goldberg’s workshop, realized how much technology impacts our lives, he said. “It made me wonder if the pros of technology outweigh the cons.” Pratham Gandhi (12) hosted a workshop that taught people to use shop tools such as
bandsaws, drills, and belt sanders to create fun but manageable projects, he said. “During the first workshop, we built catapults and held a competition amongst attendees to see whose catapults could launch the farthest,” Gandhi said. Gandhi hopes that the students took away the idea that seemingly complex things can be made with the simplest of tools, he said. In addition to workshops hosted by faculty and students, the CSEW planning committee contacted and invited guests to host workshops, Cortez said. Comedian Mark Vigeant hosted a workshop called “Finding the Comedy in Computers.” In the workshop, Vigeant performed a stand up show about the intersection of comedy and computer science. Speaking as a member of the robotics First Tech Challenge team (FTC), Mathers feels that the FTC taught her team leadership and professionalism– tools that helped her plan the CSEW, she said. “One thing that CSEW has in common with FTC is that you can come in knowing absolutely nothing, and still take away something from it,” Cortez, who is also a member of the FTC, said. Ultimately, the CSEW planning committee hopes that students gain a new insight on computers and engineering as well as feel a sense of empowerment that they can access and pursue whatever they want, Mather said. Goldberg expressed a similar sentiment. “STEM is more
OPINIONS
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Editor-in-Chief Julia Robbins Managing Editor Mayanka Dhingra Issues Editor Jude Herwitz Features Nelson Gaillard Gabby Kepnes Kiara Royer News Amelia Feiner Madison Li Sam Keimweiss Simon Yang Opinions Victor Dimitrov Abigail Salzhauer Lions’ Den Darius McCullough Mark Fernandez Ranya Sareen Andrew Cassino A&E Nishtha Sharma Eliza Poster Eddie Jin
THE RECORD OPINIONS JANUARY 24TH, 2020
Living with the fear of impending conflict
Leyli Granmayeh When the news that an Iranian plane was shot down, I was met with unparalleled fear. My uncle and his wife were taking a flight out of Iran just one week later: 7 days, 168 hours, 604,800 seconds. I have flown out of the Khomeini International Airport countless times in my life. I was supposed to travel to Iran to visit my family this summer. One of the 176 passengers on the flight could have been me or my family. As a debater, I know how easy it can be to emotionally disconnect from an international crisis. To view people as numbers and watch with excited eyes as history unfolds, but when you and your family are the collateral damage of that history, you start to view things differently. People are often treated as the byproduct of the lens through which we view history. Reduced to numbers, 176 people died when the Iranian military mistakenly shot down a plane on January 8th, 2020. But, in reality, the lives of millions were altered that day. From their families to friends to teachers to neighborhood store clerks, a person is not just one number, they are the center of a network of impact. To diminish a person’s life to a measly digit in a statistic that will be referenced for years to come is to gravely miss the
significance of an event. Many of the 176 passengers that day were young students, newlyweds, parents, and children. They were not just singular persons. They were the start of a million different waves that are still rippling. I am part of that ripple. I wince every time my phone buzzes, terrified that the next notification will be that of an attack on the Iranian city where my family lives. I FaceTime my uncle to try and compensate for the fact that I have yet to meet my one-year-old cousin because it is too unsafe for me to visit her. I count
Design Editors Euwan Kim Reena Ye Chris Ha Art Directors Annabelle Chan Gabrielle Fischberg Katya Arutyunyan
Faculty Adviser David Berenson
Staff Writers Izzy Abbott, Adrian Arnaboldi, Abby Beckler, Bradley Bennett, Sam Chiang, Sogona Cisse, Jack Crovitz, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Andie Goldmacher, Alison Isko, Avi Kapadia, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Yesh Nikam, Henry Owens, Oliver Steinman, Emily Shi, Samuel Singer, Natalie Sweet, Sasha Snyder, Vivien Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky, Chloe Choi, Emma Colacino, Yin Fei, Lucas Glickman, Claire Goldberg, Liliana Greyf, Lauren Ho, Walker McCarthy, Maya Nornberg, Morgan Smith, Patrick Steinbaug, Katya Tolunsky, Nathan Zelizer Staff Photographers Julia Isko, Daniel Lee, Ava Merker, Kelly Troop, Halley Robbins, Sophie Gordon, Amanda Wein, Maxwell Shopkorn, Emma Colacino, AJ Walker, Lucas Glickman, Lauren Ho Staff Artists Wilder Harwood, Sarah Sun, Rachel Zhu
through the crowded streets of a bazaar cluttered with small stands, animated with the shouts of customers trying to bargain the price down. I see communities of people coming together to jump over fire and celebrate the new year. But, in the media, Iran is portrayed very differently. A country and culture are not just a few frames shown on television People are not their government. The media only cares when a major event happens. Even a few days after, it is ancient history and the next juicy story unfolds. But, people in Iran do not get to switch the channel. Felix Brener/Staff Artist
Why the changing climate doesn’t necessitate a changed diet
Middle Division Ben Wang Isabella Zhang
Photography Griffin Smith Ahaan Palla Jake Shapiro
down the minutes whenever my aunt flies in and out of Iran, hoping her plane is not another one accidentally struck down. I release a breath after passing through US customs when traveling with my parents and four other adults who were born in Iran, grateful that we were not “randomly” selected to be questioned for eight hours. I nervously shake my leg while taking a test because an imaginable amount of damage can be done in just 45 minutes. In my mind, Iran is home to my favorite ice cream shop, jewelry store, and amusement park. I think about walking
Vivien Sweet At this point, nearly everyone has seen the headlines: Australia is ablaze, Indonesia is underwater, and Antarctica is melting. Though it may seem as if we, as Americans, are far removed from those environmental disasters, two Saturdays ago, the temperature reached a high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit—over 30 degrees above an average January weekend in New York as recorded over the years. There is no doubt that something is terribly wrong with the state of the global climate. As my sister constantly reminds me, we have fewer than ten years left before the earth becomes 1.5 degrees warmer. Although that increase may seem marginal on paper, such a rise in temperature will set off a series of chain crises: sea levels would soar and flood coastal cities, over a billion individuals would be exposed to extreme heat waves, the Arctic would be ice-free, and millions of animals would lose their natural habitats. As the new decade rolled around, I promised myself that I would do my part in attempting to reverse climate change. (Or, rather, hold it off for a couple more decades, since the demise of the natural earth and its forests, clean water supply, and glaciers seems to be reaching the point of inevitability.) What I figured was the simplest and most effective way to do so was to become a vegan. Since I’ve been a vegetarian for a little over a year now in order to reduce my carbon footprint—as the process of manufacturing meat releases more tons of carbon
dioxide than it does to grow produce—officially cutting all animal products out of my diet was the next logical step. But what I quickly realized was that switching to a vegan lifestyle was not the glamorous choice plastered all over Instagram. Though, yes, I missed fried eggs and goat cheese dearly, and tofu was becoming a tiresome sole source of protein, a more glaring problem with my new diet quickly presented itself: eating vegan was so, so expensive. Take avocados for example. Although the production of the fruit has doubled in Mexico over the past three years, making the country the world’s leading supplier, the price per kilogram of avocados is currently equivalent to the daily minimum wage in Mexico, $3.91, according to The Independent author Emma Henderson. Ironically, the locals for whom this is a staple crop can hardly afford to purchase the very food they produce. The case of overwhelming demand for an organic product in a region is not an anomaly, however. The price of quinoa, for example, has reached $6.50 per kilogram—surpassing the price of a kilogram of chicken. In the Andes, where quinoa originates, the grain has become too expensive for the local people to buy, causing average quinoa consumption in the area to drop in 2014, Henderson wrote. The fact of the matter is this: eating sustainably is a privilege, not a moral obligation to save the planet. In low-income metropolitan neighborhoods, it is simply not affordable for individuals to buy organic food or even to seek local produce options since farmers’ markets are not usually located near these communities. In neighborhoods that are afflicted by what have been dubbed “food droughts,” a sandwich from a bodega is a much more cost-effective option than an açaí bowl from Whole Foods. In light of the brutal reality of veganism, my vegan days—all two of them—ended just as quickly as they began. Though I have retained an affection for oat milk lattes, what I’ve come to realize is that wanting to stop climate change doesn’t necessitate a huge lifestyle change. Instead, I’ve opted to take the path of climate
activism. Whether it’s through joining environmental advocacy groups such as Zero Hour and the Sunrise Movement that directly propose legislation to remedy the climate crisis, like my sister has, or just striking with Greta Thunberg’s movement Fridays For Future, stopping major companies from emitting millions of tons of carbon dioxide is the first step in reversing climate change. Ultimately, just 100 companies have been responsible for 71 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988, according to a study conducted by the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2017. Though the individual sacrifice of animal products in the name of stopping climate change may sound noble, it takes an army, not a village, to overthrow the gas-guzzling companies at the root of the environmental crisis. The avocado toast can wait; it’s time to be on the front line of the climate strikes for a foreseeable future.
Riva Vig/Staff Artist
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HORACE MANN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JANUARY 24TH, 2020
HMDC presents...
Dancing through The Decades Ahaan Palla / Photo Editor
Ahaan Palla / Photo Editor
Hanna Hornfeld & Yin Fei Staff Writers Members of the Horace Mann Dance Company (HMDC) enthusiastically disco-danced their way into the new year yesterday and today. The student-choreographed dance concert “Dancing Through the Decades” teleported the audience back in time as they traveled throughout a century of dance without ever leaving the Cooper Dance Studio. HMDC Co-presidents Mikayla Benson (11) and Yana Gitelman (11) selected the concert’s theme. Bensaid said they chose “Dancing Through the Decades” as this year’s theme because it allows for the concert to represent many different styles of dance, costumes, and music. Performers were eager to incorporate several genres into the performance because doing an entire show in a single style could become boring for both the dancers and audience members, Song said. The theme is particularly meaningful because this year, 2020, marked the start of a new decade, allowing performers and audience members alike to reminisce about the past and see how “it’s not dated; it’s still exciting and fresh,” Benson said. “It was really interesting to see the progression of dance styles according to different musical genres,” Hyunseo Yang (12) said. “From Louis Armstrong to SIA, and tap dancing to contemporary, I enjoyed seeing how they explored a diverse range of timelines.” Rehearsals started before winter break but became more intense once school restarted in January, Lauren Song (10) said. For the past three weeks, dancers have been attending after school rehearsals two to three times a week until six o’clock. One of the most special things about the concert is that aside from the faculty-made costumes, it was entirely student-led and choreographed, Song said. All students had the opportunity to choreograph a number if they wanted to. Some, like Benson, choreographed multiple, she said. Having this theme helped guide some of the choreographers in choosing the specific music that they wanted from
the various time periods, as well as caused them to really focus on doing research for historical accuracy, Alison Kolinski, faculty advisor of the HMDC, said. “If there’s no theme, then the dances can come from anywhere, so having it go through the decades made the dancers think about, ‘oh what would be a good song from the 40s or the 20s’. It really gave it a lot of shape,” Kolinski said. For Morgan Smith (10), on the other hand, the decade theme didn’t play as much of a major role in the two dances she choreographed. She knew the songs she wanted to do beforehand, and fitting them into the theme came after, she said. “Each choreographer has a certain message they want to send to the audience and it changes depending on the song, depending on the choreography, depending on which period you have,” Benson said. “In the program, we actually have little snippets of ‘what is the objective?’” In Gitelman’s case, choreographing pieces that she would be performing helped her develop a more personal connection with the movements within a song and dance. “You have an entirely different experience when you are actually choreographing,” she said. Following the tradition that each president is given a solo, Gitelman’s solo piece was to Dream a Little Dream, a song her mother used to sing for her. She hopes that the sense of nostalgia translated in her choreography, she said. Auditions were held on October 28, but no cuts were made. Instead, the goal of the audition process was to understand what each student was like as a dancer. Benson and Gitelman taught the group two short dance combinations, Gitelman said. Performers also had to fill out a Google form indicating their preferred styles of dance and the amount of pieces they would like to do. Gitelman and Benson combined their observations from the audition with the form responses in order to place each dancer in the numbers they would be best suited for, Gitelman said. Most of the participants were very familiar with the art of dance, performance, and choreography that came with running such a spectacle. For example, Gitelman has been
taking dance classes since she was three and has been choreographing ever since she self-choreographed a 30-second group dance at her old dance studio around the age of 11, she said. For others, such as Eden Plepler (11), dancing was out of her comfort zone. Plepler adores singing and musical theater, but though she always wanted to, she never considered herself a dancer, she said. After learning that the showcase would include musical theater pieces, and some encouragement from her friends, Plepler decided to participate. Now, Plepler performed in five of the twelve dance sets. “I had to push myself a little bit more than people who have been dancing for a while,” she said. “I’ve just been trying to follow their lead, and it’s been a great experience.” Kolinski is very proud of all the work she has watched the students do, she said. “I love to see their enthusiasm for the dance and for the program,” she said. “It’s a thrill for me to sort of sit back and watch them do their thing. It really is their baby.” Benson, who believes that everybody can relate to dance, hopes the audience picked up on the conversation they are trying to have with them. “Dance is never stagnant. It is a physically and emotionally moving art. Because we are moving through time, it is almost as if the audience is dancing with us through the concert.” Both Benson and Gitelman’s goal for the concert is to work as a cohesive team in order to leave an impact on those who watch them perform. “I hope the audience comes away with a strong sense that HM kids can really get together and rise together, because this has been entirely student made,” Gitelman said. Riva Vig (10), who watched yesterday’s performance, felt that dancers successfully brought a sense of community. At the very end, all of the dancers came onstage together for a finale, and the sense of unity among them was very clear, Vig said. “It was super upbeat, everyone was smiling, and you could tell they were a team,” she said.
Lions’ Den Record Sports
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JANUARY 24, 2020
Ben Chasin (11): A shooting star for the Lions Josh Underberg Staff Writer
On an average day, Ben Chasin (11) takes anywhere between 300 and 500 shots during a basketball workout. Chasin, who has played competitive basketball since he was eight, averages 16 points and seven rebounds per game on the Boys Varsity Basketball team, helping lead them to a 7-5 start to the season. After beginning the season winning the MVP award at the school’s annual Peg Duggan tournament, the sharpshooter has had several exciting moments this season, including a three-pointer with under 10 seconds remaining that lifted the Lions to a victory over Trinity. His success on the court is a reflection of his dedication to the sport and the many hours that he spends perfecting his craft, Chasin’s teammate Eddie Mantz (11) said. “As a student athlete with a drive to play at the collegiate level, Ben has made the choice to prioritize basketball and academics over other aspects of his life,” Chasin’s mother, Pamela Chasin P ‘21 ‘23 ‘26 said. Chasin’s workouts begin after school with approximately 15 minutes of ball handling followed by layup drills on both sides of the rim, and he ends with shooting drills. He focuses on his mid-range and threepoint shots, along with the footwork accompanying the shots, Chasin said. Workouts on weekdays take between one to two hours, while on weekends they take between two to three, Chasin said. These workouts are in addition to school practices. While on weeknights, Chasin works out on his own at his house, he also works out with his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach during the fall. “Ben’s drive to always improve his game motivates him to
wake up early and work out or shoot before school,” Pamela Chasin said. “Ben has even taken a basketball with him on family vacations so that he can practice.” He often incorporates cardio exercises, such as running up and down a hill near his house, into his workouts, Chasin said. He frequently runs carrying weights and pauses to do push ups. “Considering that I spend so much time working out and playing basketball, a challenge I face is getting my work done with such limited time,” Chasin said.“Basketball has helped me more efficiently structure my nights so that I can get the same amount of work done in less time.” When the school season ends, Chasin plays for his AAU team, the New York Lightning, and participates in tournaments that begin in April. He competes in two to three tournaments a month from April until July in various locations including Pittsburg, Providence, and Springfield. What makes Chasin unique on the court is the leadership qualities that he possesses, Mantz said.“When we are down in a game, he holds his head high and never counts us out, and if somebody is down, he will pick them right up,” Mantz said. While Chasin may not be the loudest player on the court, whenever he speaks everybody listens to him and respects him, teammate Jaden Kirshner (11) said. “There is no easy way to guard him,” Mantz said. “He can shoot the lights out and also finish at the rim.” Chasin is ambidextrous, which enables him to perform daily tasks, including eating and writing, with his left hand.He uses his right hand dominantly in basketball. “Being ambidextrous helps me a lot in basketball because I feel really comfortable finishing around the rim and shooting with my left hand,” he said. This gives Chasin an edge on his opponents, most of whom are stronger in one of their hands over the other.
Ben’s determination to succeed and his generosity are defining characteristics that are present every day at school, Mantz said. “There is truly no difference between Ben’s personality on and off of the court.” While driving to be successful, Chasin looks up to his father as a role model, he said. “He is the hardest working person I Courtesy of Ben Chasin
THREES PLEASE Chasin fires from behind the arc against Dalton. know, and he works hard in all aspects of life.” Chasin’s ultimate goal is to play basketball in college, he said. “I have loved basketball for a really long time, and my love for the game has only grown over the years.”
Archer Louise Kim (9): HM’s very own Katniss Everdeen Julia Goldbrg Staff Writer
Courtesy of Louise Kim
Ever since Louise Kim (9) decided to join the SW Archery Academy last year, the sport has served as a haven from the stress of school and her daily life, she said. Growing up, Kim followed renowned South Korean archers, such as Ki Bo Bae and Lee Sung-Jin, who eventually inspired her to try the sport. “I never envisioned that I would become an archer, but at one point I just thought, ‘Why not? I’ll try it,’” she said. Within just four months of training, Kim competed at the U.S.A. Archery Indoor Nationals and ranked first in her division. The competition was her fourth of 13 thus far, and, like all in the indoor season—which spans from October to February—involved shooting 60 arrows at a target 18 meters away. The rest of the year falls under the outdoor season in which archers shoot either 72 or 144 arrows from a 60 meter distance. Despite the inherently competitive nature of the competition, Kim said that she enjoyed herself. “My stress and anxiety about shooting well or missing an arrow was juxtaposed with this support that I got from family and teammates, and this happy, or cheerful even, environment.” The competition also reminded Kim of how far she had come, she said. When she first joined the team, Kim focused on the basics, such as learning how to hold a bow and shoot arrows. Over time, though, she began to work on the specifics of her shot process, which includes deciding on the exact location of her arm, the angle of her face, and which eye she should keep open. Knowing that her shot is well-balanced is a source of excitement and joy for Kim, she said. As an archer constantly working on her own shot process, Kim is fascinated by the physical and mental prowess that most professionals have. At the same time, Kim thinks that it’s difficult for anyone to be perfect; an archer’s confidence may be down one day and their left arm may hurt the next. “I do try my best to limit those differences, but it’s inevitable that one of those aspects isn’t there on the day of your practice or competition,” Kim said. “Managing those differences is a skill every archer needs and aspires to have.” To counteract these slight shifts in her form and her confidence, Kim tries to strike a balance of practice, rest, and mental training. This mental training includes visualizing her matches, which takes all five senses into consideration and is critical for success, Kim said. Kim typically trains three times a week at the Academy, which is in Paramus, New Jersey. Prior to intense competitions such as the national indoor competition, however, she Rachel Zhu/Staff Artist
YOUNG KATNISS Kim lines up a precise shot. will add another one or two practices per week. These practices are split between training alone with her coach and together with other members of the team: one-on-one time is necessary since archers compete alone, but group training is beneficial as well, as it allows for friendly competition, she said. Her favorite competition so far has been the Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) National Target Championships, which took place last July in Raleigh, North Carolina. The competition has a style Kim described as similar to March Madness: after an initial Qualification Round, archers from each of the four age groups, spanning from ages eight to 20, receive a ranking. The top 64 archers of each group then advance to the Olympic Round, during which pairs (starting with first and 64th, continuing with second and 63rd, and so on) face off. Kim placed within the top eight, which she hadn’t expected, as she had been training for only eight months. “Every round that I won, I never expected to win, as all of my opponents had years of experience over me,” she said. Kim attributes her extraordinary success to her coaches’ teach-
ing style and her pure love for the sport. Furthermore, the ability to stay incredibly focused, which she has developed from continuous training, has proved effective in competitions, she said. Though Kim has made major improvements in her shot through practice, she knows she still has a long way to go. “Keeping my shot consistent and sometimes experimenting with how I can change it to fit my body or style better is something I’ll work on continuously for many years,” Kim said. She hopes to continue the sport competitively throughout high school, and potentially recreationally afterwards. The group training has improved her sportsmanship, and the sport as a whole has also helped her grow to see the world from a more well-rounded point of view, Kim said. The relationships she has had with her club members and coaches along with other club members from other countries make her see this world from a different perspective. “It isn’t really all about competition or ranking, but about the friendships or connections that I make along this journey of archery.”