Issue 1: Welcome Back

Volume 119 Issue 1

The Record Horace Mann’s Weekly Newspaper Since 1903

record.horacemann.org September 9th, 2021

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: New COVID Protocols- 2 Dr. Kelly’s Opinion on Hot Dogs as Sandwiches- 4 The Record’s Declassified UD Survival Guide- 6 Introducing New UD Teachers- 8-9 Balancing Relaxation and Productivity- 16

Cover by Vivian Coraci, Lauren Kim, and Riva Vig/Art Directors

2

THE RECORD NEWS SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

A return to normal?: COVID-19 policies change in the new year Ayesha Sen Staff Writer All students, faculty, and staff members will return for in-person schooling during the 2021-2022 school year with more than 99% of eligible individuals vaccinated and no option for continuous remote instruction, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly wrote in an email to the community.

However, due to the ongoing battle with the pandemic and the rise of the Delta variant, the school will continue to enforce various COVID-19 safety protocols in the fall and possibly beyond, Kelly wrote. Many of last year’s protocols will remain, but due to the transitory nature of the pandemic, some logistics will change.

MASKS All employees and students, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear face coverings on campus, Kelly wrote. The only exceptions to this requirement will be during certain athletic activities, during meals, or in outdoor settings in which people are separated by three feet.

Face coverings will also be required for anyone riding public transportation or a school bus to and from the school, Kelly wrote.

Although he is optimistic about the effectiveness of the school’s COVID-19 safety policies, Kelly believes that masks will likely remain mandatory throughout the school year. “While I would love to see an opportunity to teach and learn without masks, I think that possibility is a long way off and will be dictated by either the CDC or local data,” he wrote.

Brianna Wells (9) believes that the face covering mandate is wise for the community’s overall wellbeing, she said. “We don’t spend enough time outside during the school day for me to be completely comfortable with my mask off full-time,” she said. “Especially since younger students, like sixth graders, are still under 12 and cannot be vaccinated, there is still a significant risk of spreading the virus, especially in enclosed spaces.”

Another benefit of masks is that they can protect against the general spread of germs beyond COVID-19, Eleanor Woodruff (11) said. “In past years, Horace Mann has had to deep clean the campus because of too many cases of the common cold or the flu, but with masks, cases have been pretty rare,” she said. “I definitely don’t want to wear masks forever, but having to

worry about other outbreaks on top of a pandemic would have been very difficult.”

TESTING & QUARANTINES The school is planning on testing each student and employee multiple times within the first few weeks of the school year, regardless of vaccination status, Kelly wrote. The first batch of testing will take place on the first and second days of school, and the second will take place within the second and third weeks of school, he wrote. Middle Division (MD) and UD students who returned to campus prior to the first day for preseason athletics or orientation programs were already tested upon their return, rather than during the first two days of school.

The school asks any students who are traveling domestically or internationally to follow CDC guidelines, Cooper said.

Vaccinated individuals need to be tested 3-5 days after arrival and submit the test results to the appropriate nurse.

For unvaccinated individuals, there is a 7 or 10-day self-quarantine period required after travel, along with a test 3-5 days after arrival. For travel-related quarantine, remote schooling will not be available.

This year, the school’s weekly testing program will function in a different manner, Kelly said at a town hall for parents on August 24th. The program will have three separate groups – A, B, and C– that will switch off for testing each week. These groups will be randomized and will include both students and staff. Although parents and guardians can occasionally request for their child to skip testing, no one is exempt from the program entirely.

This year, if a person tests positive, their close contacts will only need to quarantine if they are symptomatic, Kelly wrote. In this circumstance, remote instruction will be offered to both the person who tested positive and their symptomatic close contacts.

The guidelines for quarantine are set by the NYC Department of Health, Cooper said. Currently, they advise against quarantining fully vaccinated individuals who are asymptomatic, as full vaccination lowers the risk of transmission, and quarantining tends to be disruptive to education, as students saw last year, she said.

As a result of this new quarantine policy and the discontinuation of remote instruction, the number of virtual students in classrooms should be limited, Kelly wrote. “Unless a substantial number of students in a single class have tested positive, we

Amira Dossani/Staff Artist

should not see entire classes online.”

While the new quarantining policy presents a greater risk, English Department Chair Vernon Wilson believes that it will ultimately assist teachers in instruction, he said. “There were various difficulties in learning in the situation that we were in last year, and it all got hairy very quickly,” he said. “So this year, to have a much less reduced, if not totally eliminated use of Zoom for educational purposes, is another example of my thinking that this year’s policies are very well thought out.”

As a student, Woodruff believes that everyone learning through the same environment is essential, she said. “I remember having to be one of the few students on Zoom at some point last year, and it was an extremely tiring and frustrating process,” she said. “The moment of realization for me was when I took a test on Zoom when my classmates were in person – it made me realize that my classmates’ presence, especially during stressful environments like testing, makes me feel a lot more at ease.”

CLASSROOM SETUPS There will continue to be tents and outdoor learning spaces on campus for both instruction and leisure this school year, Cooper said. Indoors, administrators decided that it was safe to return Harkness tables to classrooms in the departments that rely on them as part of their instructional method.

Dividers have also been removed from all classrooms as per CDC recommendations, Cooper said.

Wilson thinks that the new classroom setups for the upcoming school year will help the school gradually return to normalcy, he said. “I was a little fearful, given how contagious Delta is, that we would stick with partitions like we had last year,” he said. “This is an example of thoughtfulness – how Dr. Kelly and others have said [partitions] are really not going to stop the spread, it’s more important to have people vaccinated, masked, and to have the ventilation in place.”

Steve Yang (11) believes learning without dividers will enhance his learning experience by allowing him to connect more with his peers and teachers during discussions. “Especially for English and History classes, the dividers made discussions awkward at times,” he said. “For example, I couldn’t make true eye contact with someone when they were speaking.”

As an English teacher, Wilson is especially excited to have the Harkness tables back in learning environments, he said. Even conceptually, having a round table facilitates discussions by making the group feel more like a whole, Wilson said. “[Not having the tables] meant that for every classroom discussion, rather than being focused

Sophia Liu/Staff Artist

on the group, everyone was focused on me,” he said. “It meant that we as English teachers were swimming upstream and trying to battle that, trying to recenter and throw the hot potato back at the students.”

DAILY SYMPTOM CHECK Based on the various guidelines in place for the upcoming school year, such as the vaccine mandate, neither the CDC nor the state has recommended the use of a daily symptom check (DSC), Kelly wrote. So, unlike last year, students and faculty members will no longer be required to submit the DSC before entering campus, Kelly said at the town hall.

Regardless, students and staff members are advised to look out for symptoms, Cooper said. Parents and guardians are asked to keep their children home for the day if they have chills, a fever over 100 degrees, a new or worsening cough, a recent decrease in sense of smell or taste, known exposure to COVID-19 or a recent positive COVID-19 test result. In these circumstances, students should remain home until their parents or guardians speak to a school nurse for further instructions.

All visitors, including parents and guardians, will still be required to complete the DSC, which can be found on the school’s website, Kelly wrote.

While Nikki Pande (9) believes that the DSC was effective in identifying symptoms of the virus, she is glad that it will not be used anymore as it tends to be unreliable, she said. “People who don’t have enough time in the morning or just don’t care about Covid tend to lie on it, which lowers its value.”

However, Ashleigh Conner (11) believes that it is necessary to fill out the DSC. “It serves as a constant reminder to check your temperature and actively think about potential symptoms of the virus,” she said. “Without the form, it’s pretty easy to forget about all of these aspects.”

ATHLETICS & CO-CURRICULARS Students will once again be required to change for Physical Education classes, PE Department Chair Amy Mojica said. T-shirts and sweatshirt uniforms will be redistributed at the start of the year.

Like last year, PE classes will be held both indoors and outdoors depending on the weather, Mojica said. This year, however, PE rotations will include a wider variety of activities, such as aquatics.

Athletic teams will resume interscholastic competition as opposed to last year’s intramural play, which only included competition amongst students within the school, Director of Athletics Robert Annunziata said.

However, athletic teams will only compete against schools with vaccinated athletes.

Due to the school’s vaccination mandate and other safety measures, policies for athletics and co-curriculars will be slightly more relaxed this year, Cooper said.

In general, masks will be required outdoors when athletes are involved in passive activity and at all times in indoor situations, except when in the water, Annunziata said. Athletes will be permitted to remove masks outdoors when engaged in competition or strenuous activities.

Due to the return of athletics and cocurricular activities, the late bus will be available to students, but with certain conditions, Kelly wrote. Students will be eligible to ride the late bus if they are registered with the school’s bussing service, Selby Transportation, for the regular dismissal bus. Because the school’s Westchester and Connecticut families are more spread out, students who live in those areas need to pay an additional fee for the late bus. Students who do not typically ride the bus can still ride it if they buy a day-pass.

CAFETERIA While glass dividers have been removed from the majority of campus, they remain in the Cohen Dining Commons, where students will be unmasked and eating, Nurse Nancy Jensen said.

Food options in the cafeteria will be more diverse this year, similar to the pre-COVID options, Cooper said. For instance, the personalized salad bar will be open again.

Like last year, students will not be permitted to eat in classrooms or the library, Cooper said. However, a selection of grab-and-go items will remain in spite of the cafeteria’s return to regular service, allowing students to eat in between class periods, Kelly wrote.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS While everyone wishes to return to normalcy, the school’s policies are for the community’s wellbeing, Kelly wrote. “Let’s make the best of what we need to do for another exceptional year,” he wrote. “This will be another year of compromise as we navigate the continued presence of the pandemic on campus and in our community.”

Read the full HM Promise at horacemann.org.

EDITORIAL: Our promise to you As students who lead an institution intended to cover news in our community, we strive to remain unbiased in our work.

Volume 119’s objective for the year is total transparency — within our interviews, articles, and decisions. We will investigate trends and decisions of every community within the school: the administration, faculty and staff, and student body will all be subjects of our reporting. We plan to pursue articles that lead to holistic and impartial findings; our main priority is to seek truth.

As we work to provide our readers with honest depictions of the school, we hope to remain ethical in our editing.

In order to achieve this goal, we need to be held accountable by our readers. To ensure that we remain as accessible and fair as possible, we ask you to do the following: 1. Challenge us. If you find yourself disagreeing with anything that we publish, please let us know. Whether you feel strongly about an opinion from a member of our community, a features article with a biased angle, or anything in between, we would like to hear your thoughts. If you wish for your opinion to be published in the paper, you can send a letter to the editor to record@horacemann.org. If you would

like to privately share your thoughts with us, we can issue a correction or simply take your advice into account. Get in touch with an editor — your voice should and will be heard.

2. Use your voice. If you have an opinion that relates to the school — either directly or indirectly — and you want the community to hear it, let us know. We will be happy to connect you with members of the Board that will help you write a clear and convincing argument.

3. Keep us in the loop. Overheard

your classmates debating a school-related policy before the start of class? Notice a phenomenon not usually discussed in a formal matter? Bring it up to an editor or send us an email. We want to be thorough — there is no such thing as an insignificant idea.

With these guiding principles, we hope to make Volume 119 of The Record the best it can be. We can’t wait to see what the year brings.

Best always, The Record’s Volume 119

3

THE RECORD NEWS AND OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Students make the most of UDO despite changes due to Ida Audrey Carbonell Staff Writer The aftermath of Hurricane Ida delayed the highly anticipated return to the John Dorr Nature Laboratory (Dorr) during this year’s Upper Division Orientation (UDO) on Sept. 3rd. Dorr lost power during the storm, and Upper Division (UD) and Dorr faculty members did not feel that it was safe for students to go to a facility running only on generator power, Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein said.

Instead, UDO took place at the UD campus in the Bronx.

128 students attended the event, including 92 returning students, Director of Dorr Nick DePreter said. The Dorr staff had to quickly find ways to recreate most of the planned activities, he said. “That’s one of the things about Dorr: you’ve got to be resourceful and adaptable, and be able to shift and change on the fly.”

Both students and faculty members were disappointed by the last-minute change in location.

“[Dorr is] a truly magical place,” Levenstein said. “I’ve always thought that Dorr represents us at our best.”

Although Rachel Kuhn (12) was looking forward to visiting Dorr, she felt lucky just to be able to participate at UDO in-person, she said. “Dorr is such a special place and a privilege to have.”

Rhyan Maru (9) does not feel the same connection to Dorr, he said.

“I hadn’t gone to Dorr so I didn’t really know the experience,” he said.

“I was looking forward to meeting new people, and since I got to do that at the Horace Mann campus in the Bronx, I think that was pretty good.”

In the end, there were some unanticipated benefits to the shift in location, Dean of the Class of 2021 Dr. Susan Groppi said. Because of last year’s virtual admissions process, new students could only visit the campus once last year.

Hosting UDO at the Bronx campus allowed new students to familiarize themselves with the school, she said.

However, the hurricane had

Courtesy of Maya Nornberg

SENIOR SELFIE The Class of 2022 rocks onesies at UDO.

no effect on the decision to host a one-day program, Groppi said.

The UD and Dorr faculty had to finalize a date for UDO back in spring, and at that point they did not feel comfortable committing to an overnight program, she said. Instead, UDO was originally planned to take place from 8:00 am to 9:30 pm at Dorr. The program was shortened to last from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm when it moved to the Bronx campus.

The shortened program seemed to leave the ninth grade at a disadvantage, Rhea Patel (12) said.

“For incoming freshmen, especially those that are new to Horace Mann, having the three days to make friends, as opposed to just a few hours, could have been very helpful.”

After hosting UDO virtually in 2020, the UD and Dorr faculty were determined to host UDO in person this year, Groppi said. “The goal of UDO is to let the kids who are new to school meet people so they’re showing up on the first day of school with friendly faces, and when you do it virtually, it’s not the same.”

To ensure everyone’s safety, students had to follow the same COVID protocols at UDO as they will follow once school starts, including a mand ator y COVID test for those who had not already been to campus for preseason a t h l e t i c s ,

DePreter said.

The COVID protocols affected Clementine Bondor’s (11) experience less than she anticipated, she said. “[My group] came out of that day

everyone was welcoming and helped him assimilate to the community, he said. “As each activity continued, personally I started to become more and more comfortable with everyone.”

Courtesy of Nick DePreter

WEB OF FRIENDSHIP! Students bond at UDO. really knowing each other and really having spent the whole day together, and I think that was incredible because it’s something that you wouldn’t anticipate normally with the masks and with the spacing.”

However, COVID protocols and the location change meant that seniors had to miss out on many UDO traditions. “I was really excited to do UDO as a senior because it’s just a completely different experience,” Patel said.

Although seniors were not able to recreate traditions such as the talent show, dance party, and barn privileges, they carried out the “classic” tradition of wearing onesies and led Dorr games such as “Signs,” Ethan Waggoner (12) said.

During UDO, all students participated in big group games, icebreakers, and a circuit of small initiatives, Levenstein said. These activities helped students make connections and taught the value of collaboration, she said.

Logan Singh (9) found that

The welcoming environment of UDO was in part due to the selection of returning students, who were chosen to attend the program based on their communication and community-building skills, DePreter said.

Bondor signed up because she wanted to meet new people, she said. “As a ‘lifer’ at Horace Mann, I feel that there are few people who know and love Horace Mann quite like I do, and I would love to be able to share some of the experience and the knowledge that I have.”

Waggoner, who joined the school in ninth grade, signed up due to his previous experiences with UDO, he said. “I got super close with all of these kids and that’s why I have come back every year, because I want to be that for other kids.”

While students missed out on Dorr during UDO this year, the Dorr faculty hopes to provide other opportunities for students to visit the campus, DePreter wrote in an email to UDO participants.

Welcome back from Mally (12) and Nornberg (12): CC chairs outline their initiatives

Rowan Mally and Maya Nornberg Welcome back HM! We hope you all had a fantastic and restful summer and are as excited as we are for the 2021-2022 school year. We can’t wait to see all of you back on campus, even in masks, and are looking forward to an amazing year.

Whether you are a new freshman or a returning senior, the Community Council (CC) is here to make your life at school as enjoyable and simple as it can be. While being mindful of uncontrollable COVID restrictions, we hope this year can feel as ‘normal’ as possible. HM’s incredible faculty, staff, and students are what make our school so unique and inspiring. We are so grateful to

work with this group of CC representatives and to be a part of this journey.

In our opinion, the CC should act as a bridge between the student body and the administration. As a group of devoted, likeminded individuals, we put our time and effort into voicing and acting upon common concerns and ideas of the student body. As the Co-Chairs of the CC, we provide structure and support for the group while fostering individual ambition. We value our unique and impactful role, and we look forward to seeing everything the CC achieves.

We’ve spent the summer envisioning a unique structure for the CC that will involve committees and individual opportunities to create and complete a variety of initiatives.

As the group welcomes many former representatives from the past year and new freshmen representatives in a few weeks, we are excited to build upon the role of the CC at our school. Through weekly meetings, the CC will have time set aside to plan meaningful and enjoyable projects for each grade, as well as committee-based initiatives for the entire Upper Division. Each representative will plan and work on multiple ideas at once, including both returning and brand new initiatives.

One of our goals for the year is to involve the broader Upper Division in the work done by the CC. We are excited to include club leaders in CC committees alongside CC representatives to welcome new perspectives and increase participation in initiativebuilding processes. Similarly, we look forward to hearing as much feedback and ideas as possible from Upper Division students through online polls and grade meetings.

This year, we would like to prioritize communication and transparency between the CC and the Upper Division. We hope to do this through weekly CC updates regarding the initiatives being worked on and some events to look forward to. Additionally, a Community Council assembly near the end of the year can showcase all the work we will have done and all of the amazing experiences we will have as a division. We also hope to have CC members speak in assemblies throughout the year to keep students updated on active initiatives and to ensure each grade is familiar with their representatives. With these efforts, we hope that the entire Upper Division feels that the CC is truly playing an active and important role in their daily school

lives.

Our favorite moments at Horace Mann have always involved opportunities to learn, grow, and have fun together. Previous initiatives such as pride week, the career lecture series, and wellness week have allowed us to engage in our community and gain meaningful knowledge, as a school. Events like spikeball tournaments, candygrams, or showcase assemblies have created schoolwide bonds and memories. We are so excited to recreate and build upon many of these inspiring moments as we grow together through this unprecedented time.

Beyond this, we hope to empower values such as diversity, mental health, and sustainability in the work that the school embarks on. Working closely with groups like the Counseling and Guidance office, the Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE), or the Center for Community Values and Action (CCVA), we truly believe the 2021-2022 Community Council will build a better Horace Mann for the future.

Freshmen, look out for an email from Señor Dalo in the coming weeks about CC elections.

The CC has been a defining aspect of both of our lives at HM, and we invite you to consider.

The CC is a fantastic opportunity to take a meaningful leadership role within the HM community. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Here’s to a great year!

With love, Your CC Chairs, Rowan Mally and Maya Nornberg

4

THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Q&A with... Dr. TK! Interviwe by Staff Writer Audrey Moussazadeh

1. Who is your favorite fictional character?

Probably Peter Pan. You know the essence of what I do: big hopes, big dreams, lots of excitement about the future. The impossible is possible.

2. What would you name your boat, if you had one?

I had a lobster boat, we called it The Bean. When [my daughter] Emma was born, she was tiny and wrapped up, she looked like a pinto bean. Emma stopped going out [on the boat] with me after learning about tsunamis in kindergarten, and I could not convince her there were no tsunamis on the Hudson. We just got rid of it, but I loved it and I made a promise to myself that someday in retirement, maybe to get another boat. But yeah: The Bean. That’s what I would name it.

3. If you could be invisible for an hour, what would you do?

I probably want to go somewhere where there are a lot of computers controlling a lot of things, then give stuff away. Whatever I was doing, I’d want to give stuff away. I’d find a way to give stuff away to people who need it and get away with it. Hopefully not illegally. Turn around and do something on behalf of others, not take a bow. Maybe rescue someone, save someone, be in the right place at the right time, open a door, catch a cat. But do something. Be at the supermarket and invisibly swipe a credit card, even if it was my own. I would get a real kick out of that, just standing there paying for as many groceries as I could for groups that need that to happen. I think I’d like to give help if I’m invisible, without people thinking they owe me anything.

4. Zodiac sign?

on COVID, believe it or not. I think 98% of what I read was COVID related: journals, publications, Philadelphia Children’s Hospital Policy Center. Anything coming out of Oxford, anything coming out of any major medical center, journal behavioral science, ABA (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis), a lot of journals on the psychology of kids. But now that you ask the question, I think, except for Brain Rules, I tend to read academic books related to the school, and this summer was almost exclusively COVID.

9. What is the most useless talent you have?

Because of my hearing impairment, if somebody closes the door outside — just because of the change in pressure against the window — I can tell you somebody is here. So when phones were not all digital, and still had electrical switches, I could feel the vibration of the phone about to ring, and go for it before it rang. My other [talent] is I can patch a hole in a tire. That has not come in handy lately.

10. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

I always wanted a cool name like JT, TZ, so in high school they called me TK. Some people have really cool names. My name’s Tom. TK was neat, but it died in college, the minute I stopped playing sports.

11. What is your bagel order?

My bagel order is really simple, it’s an everything bagel with butter. Bagel for me is a universal bread.

12. Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?

Aries!

5. Is a hot dog a sandwich? Why or why not?

In my world, a hot dog is a sandwich. Hot dogs are Irish caviar. When I landed [at the school], they said, “Dr. Kelly, what’s your signature food going to be? When the Head of School is out, we put a certain food out.” You notice when I’m at events, there’s always pigs in a blanket. I am a hot dog fanatic. It’s a sandwich. It meets every religious meal requirement. It should be neither meat, nor dairy. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s a sandwich to me, and it’s a sandwich because it’s between two pieces of bread, and you can put a condiment on it.

6. Would you rather be attacked by five chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken?

One horse sized chicken. At least I can see it coming. I could handle the horse-sized chicken, I’m a big guy. I could get in the fetal position, I could hold my ground. And I’ll try to ride it and wrestle it. I like one big thing that I could take on and devote all my time to.

7. Top songs you have been listening to this summer?

All Beatles, all Stones, in no order. Some Grateful Dead, a lot of Phil Collins.

Disproportionately Phil Collins, no particular songs, just all albums.

8. Top books you've read this summer?

Brain Rules, which was the grid and seeing brain based behavior. intelligence, because — it’s been all work,

really just an exercise in coming off what other people are thinking about The Oxford Companion on artificial I’m using it in my ethics class. No leisure and mostly journal articles

All of a sudden, I went for breakfast three meals a day. All through high school and college, I didn’t have breakfast. I was the kid who if I ate breakfast then went to school, I was sick. Then I got here and because I sometimes don’t get to eat dinner until after 11, I have to eat something. I find dinner too heavy sometimes. Breakfast. No matter where you go, you can get a decent breakfast.

13. What is your guilty pleasure?

It used to be Coca Cola. I had an actual commercial machine in my first house. Coke or Pepsi, they used to service me, and then they stopped once they realized I was a private residence. It was unhealthy, I drank 15 to 16 cans a day. My dad was corporate counsel to PepsiCo, so it was even worse. My vice now is my car restorations. It’s an interesting community of people online, but it keeps me sane. Late at night or on the weekends it’s something to do that allows me to remove myself from the ebb and flow of the day to day. No pressure whatsoever. It’s the one thing in my life that has zero demands on me.

14. If you could have dinner with 1 person, dead, alive, or imaginary, who would it be?

Gandhi. He had it figured out. And he had it figured out in the extremes. He showed that there should be respect and appreciation. I would be so jazzed to sit with Gandhi for 30 minutes and just listen. He was an intellectual, he could have done all sorts of things. He could have been a leader, a businessman, an academic, he could have been anything he wanted, and he went in a direction of complete selflessness, and even at the height of his existence and gravitas, nothing changed. He just continued to be the same person through and through.

And that’s the way he was, it wasn’t about him. It was about the work movement. You know the human race, common decency, it was also basic and so visceral, and it’s amazing we have a hard time with that today. Gandhi would be my first choice, hands down.

15. What are you most looking forward to for the 2021-2022 school year? What is your advice to students?

I’m excited for people and kids to get back in the right shoes, having fun taking healthy risks, and being less isolated. My advice to your generation is: it’s solvable. I don’t think there’s anything out there in the world today that common sense and decency can’t fix.

Riva Vig/Art Director

Courtesy of HM Flickr

5

THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Which cafeteria lunch feeds your soul?

1. What is your favorite spot in the library?

2. Where do you eat lunch?

a) The desks where everyone talks loudly. b) I like to write on the whiteboard in the little classrooms. c) I take naps in the egg chairs. d) The second floor.

a) On Alumni Field in the dead of winter. b) Lutnick, like a child. c) In the library until I get yelled at. d) Walking through Tillinghast during passing time.

Vivian Coraci/Art Director

3. When did you buy your textbooks? a) This morning. b) I don’t have to buy anything, my teachers are giving them out! c) I’ll just borrow from the library until somebody notices. d) As soon as the list came out.

4. Do you know the words to the alma mater? a) Yes, unfortunately, but not by choice. b) Only the part where it gets really high and everyone’s voice cracks. c) I sleep through assemblies. d) WE WERE STRANGERS MET IN FRIENDSHIP… Vivian Coraci/Art Director

Lauren Kim/Art Director

5. Are you mourning the loss of Powerschool? a) Google Classroom forever <3 b) I am too young to know what that is. c) I don’t do my homework. d) I miss Haiku Learning so much.

6. Are you respected by middle schoolers? a) Everything is cool unless I get hit by a football. b) I am a middle schooler. c) They bow down to me. d) If I’m on the street and I see a group of eighth graders, I will cross to the other side à la John Mulaney.

Riva Vig/Art Director

Vivian Coraci/Art Director

If you got...

Mostly A’s: Chicken tenders Mondays are a good day for you, because you get to eat your favorite lunch. You are a classic HM kid. You probably hated physics and have at least one overdue book at the library.

Mostly C’s: Basil, mozzarella, and tomato paninis Stop standing in the 45-minute sandwich line the period before your math test. We get it, these paninis give your life meaning, but you really need to study. They will likely burn your mouth because you don’t wait for them to cool down, anyway.

Lauren Kim/Art Director

Mostly B’s: Grilled cheese You are an actual child. I bet you like tomato soup too. Stop reading The Record and go back to the Lower School. Enjoy your lunchables.

Lauren Kim/Art Director

Lauren Kim/Art Director

Mostly D’s: You don’t eat school lunch, you bring a thermous of soup from home Are you an English teacher disguised as a high schooler?

You know the lunch is prepaid this year, right? Go to the cafeteria and socialize, for once.

Lauren Kim/Art Director

6

THE RECORD OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

meet with your teach e

Freshmen

Try out new c’rlue bs! you ry club u Join eve en if yo d in, ev e t s e r e l t in you’ l ow much h e r u s aren’t ake sure Later, m . t i e k i l at are clubs th n i y a t to s u, not e for yo enjoyabl k will you thin t a h t s club esumé. d on a r look goo e also ulars ar c i r r u c a ew Extr o make n ct way t e f r e p e th :) friends

rs: an of let d you ski r p y peo lun ou in ple the ch the y l cla ’re l ine i ss, at f say e for you th at of don the ank e ’ m t ai en lib rar screa ls, a d y ( m i n or n t d a h n e bef y ore where 2pm ).

you can still join clubs!

It’s not too late to join new clubs — ever, in fact, now is a better time than know to en gott y full hope because you’ve the over r bette e littl a rests inte r you r very past year. You can even start you er cent to need no is own! There really rest inte ific spec a nd arou s your club or passion — instead of limiting you your extracurriculars to one topic you gs brin r teve wha do are good at, ss happiness. In fact, there is a Happine ! that club dedicated just to

COMPOSITION BOOK

The Record’s Declassified

narrow downs your interest Get to know yourself a little better. Start paying attention to which classes you prefer and which subjects you want to focus on in the coming years.

Figure out a study schedule that works for you, and find ways to relax (see article on page 16!).

Survival guide

take t Though t e to his r echaim may seem rge cou

nterintuit ive, procrastin ating for a bit can ac tually be a good thin ga You can w t times. ait an ext ra day to wo rk on a project, if it means giving yo urself tim e to rechar ge in the moment.

be r espe Be ctfu you res r p ect tea p ful l. che eers

Meet with your teachers all the time. They choose to spend every day with you, so clearly they would love nothing more than to hear from you as well! Go talk to them about your classwork, your worries, or an article you think they would like.

Juniors

prioritize your h mental heaeelt n

remember to have fun!

Find the things that bring you joy: a wholesome meal, a chat with a beloved teacher, or a tw lance be Fac r a eTime study buddy. Co u b o a y d d n Fin a unt lf e s r u on the people in your gra are of yo know you have de, taking c e .W even if you never have bef ’re ibilities ore , and we ar respons s before — you are all in the same e y ie r r o io t s n ju bo at. : e u heard r t, it’s t Commiseration and sha tell you ks up a lo red joy ic p d a here to klo e. are important! Have fun The wor a lot of pressur as much is hard. el e as you can. Being able to fe k a y t a — m le u b o look a y o d d an , it’s back on a year filled wit ing said ure you h positive s e k a That be m memories is worth infinit s! Just mics ely it from u ize your acade t n a mo t re than however many ext it s r n io o r C p . ’t h n ra lt o a d al he d hours you spend on work. ur ment able. Fin in a t s u over yo s n s ivity is u emotion product te your a r a . p u e o s y around ways to e stress from th

Seniors

f o s s A L C 2022!!

rs!!

Sophomores trust your self!

Stay on to p of your g rades and classes, bu your t don’t put too much p on perfectio ressure n! Your bra in has alrea adapted to dy the so trust you high-school way of life, rself to fig ure out a ro that works utine best for you . Staying late is not up too worth it (s eriously, a sleep sched good ule is so im portant). F ways to rela ind x, and giv e yourself on the week breaks end! Every thing will finished, ev get en seem that w though it might not ay sometim es. Althoug you will ha h ve m did last yea ore to do than you r, you are re ady for it!

know your limits.

h time too muc nish d n e p s ’t fi Don’t you can etails. If ay. Seriously! d e h t n o ok ing, it’s people someth unity of m m o c a il your There is port you— ema logy p u s l apo here to a truthfu rything h it w r e . Eve teach . ke a nap a t o g the end d an done in t s e r g e l e il p w ith your and g nicate w Commu (and Counselin s en do r h e t h c ), a y essar and te c e ur n if , ce now yo Guidan to do. K s. d e it e m n li u what yo

Hello, dear Class of 2022! Welcome– one last time! We’ve been through all the ups and downs of high school together, so let’s continue to uplift each other for this final stretch.

Remember that life is not a competition. Celebrate your friends’ successes, and surround yourself with people who will celebrate your own. It’s our duty to work together to make this year as fun and memorable as possible. Participate in school events (especially when they seem silly), be role models for underclassmen, and share your joys with one another. This is going to be our best year yet! Much love!

THE RECORD OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

“As human as we are”: Professional athletes should prioritize mental health

Destiney Green By endowing athletes worldwide to showcase their hard work and receive unconditional support from their countries, the Olympics appeared to be the perfect event amidst the chaos of the last two years. However, this “perfect” unifying event soon became divisive in light of countless controversial decisions, sending us back into a conflicted reality. In addition to the Olympic ban on swim caps that cater to curly hair, which galvanized Black swimmers, and the disqualification of Black female athletes Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi for having naturally high testosterone levels, the Olympic Games has now spawned critical conversations regarding the topic of mental health. More specifically, the Olympics sparked a conversation about the mental health of Black athletes following Simone Biles’ withdrawal and the revolting

backlash she faced.

Often, people neglect to discuss the mental well-being of professional athletes due to the way we view them. Rather than treat them as regular human beings with thoughts, feelings, and struggles, we constantly encourage athletes to push their physical and mental limits in order to be depicted as the fittest, most talented players. Commercials and advertisements seldom encapsulate the mental challenges athletes have to manage alongside physical exercise.

The public’s dismissive response when athletes do choose to speak up also reveals the need for fundamental discussion. In most cases, we find ourselves able to distinguish professionals from their respective occupations in order to humanize them as individuals. Why does the line blur when it is time to separate athletes from their sports?

Simone Biles, undoubtedly the greatest gymnast of this generation, thoughtfully decided to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics team competition after considering how her poor mental health would affect both her and the US team’s performance. Biles had experienced the unnerving ‘twisties’ in a prior event. Biles and gymnasts around the world later explained the danger of ‘twisties,’ where, in midair, the brain feels disconnected from the body and the athlete has no control over their actions. She was left lost and terrified midair, prompting her to reevaluate her mental state for the following events. In a sport as

exacting and risky as gymnastics, uncertainty is a lot more than being nervous or having butterflies before a game, especially when Biles’ skillset is so elite and challenging. Uncertainty for a gymnast can be a life or death situation. “We’re not just athletes or entertainment. We’re human, too,” Biles told TODAY’s Hoda Kotb in an interview, calling upon people to empathize with her and other athletes.

Biles’s honesty and ability to step back from the sport she loves are the qualities of an incredible athlete, yet many have used these actions to discredit and disrespect the gymnast. Biles has already fought for 32 Olympic and World Champion medals. She has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone. Nevertheless, her concern for mental health was faced with trash-talking from people who have never experienced what it feels like to be a competitive athlete or, even more demanding, an Olympian representing her country amidst a pandemic that has transformed everyone’s lives. With the pressure of readjusting to life in a pandemic coupled with the pressure of competing in the Olympics as the most decorated gymnast of all time, I find it commendable that Biles could even compete and medal on beam after experiencing challenges with her mental health.

As time has shown, responses to Black athletes speaking out about mental health have also been especially negative compared to their white counterparts. After

experiencing years of intensity and prolonged stress, 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps finally expressed his battle with mental health and the effect it has had on his athletic performance. He received sponsorships from brands like Talkspace for prioritizing his health rather than immediate resentment.

Similarly, Megan Rapinoe, a professional soccer player on the US national team, has endorsed the use of cannabis (CBD) to alleviate anxiety for athletes, receiving positive reactions. In contrast, Sha’Carri, though accepting her disqualification from the Games, was still criticized for consuming marijuana to cope with her mother’s death.

Biles is only another example of this double standard. The response to her withdrawal was not one of support, but one of hatred and criticism, which many other well-known Black women and athletes are familiar with. “Fans’’ who deemed Biles scared and mentally weak, mirror the negative tones used to describe Naomi Osaka, who also prioritized her mental health. Serena Williams has been masculinized and criticized for expressing herself like her white male counterparts. Allison Felix was discredited after giving birth. Nor is it just Black women. Lebron James has been told to “shut up and dribble” after using his platform to highlight societal racism.

Athletes do not simply exist for our entertainment; they are people too. As I watched critics discredit the courage, self-awareness, and selflessness Biles

7

mustered in prioritizing her mental health and team, I felt both rage and compassion for the inspiring athlete on the receiving end. Piers Morgan took his judgment to Twitter, writing “Are ‘mental health issues’ now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport?... Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time.

Kids need strong role models, not this nonsense.” Biles’ case is just one of many that highlight the importance of mental health for all athletes and the harmful degradation of Black athletes when it comes to speaking up. When Black female athletes talk about mental health, they should be treated and valued with the same respect and seriousness that more privileged white athletes receive.

Yes, it is amusing for many of us in the HM community to watch our favorite athletes on the big screen, draft the best team for fantasy football, believe the Phoenix Suns will win in Game 9, and argue about whether Lebron is better than Jordan. But it is also crucial for us to remember that our idols are just as human as we are.

Vivian Coraci/Art Director

My reflection on Governor Cuomo’s downfall

Madison Four-Garcia As deaths spiked during the pandemic, states scrambled in search of a competent government official to lead during a difficult time. New York state undoubtedly settled upon former Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve as that leader. Many Americans praised the governor’s COVID-19 policies and his unfiltered criticism of the GOP’s denial of scientific facts. In the middle of the worst of the pandemic I listened to his daily briefings and admired his abrasive way of dealing with virus-deniers.

However, as the condition of the pandemic

worsened, I stopped paying attention to violating women.

Cuomo. New York’s governor took a backseat It is painful to see those once trusted to my understanding of the pandemic until he and respected by the public exposed as was revealed to be in the middle of a different abusers. We might question if there are any crisis: sexual assault of women. government officials we can truly trust to be, My first reaction was utter confusion. The at the bare minimum, decent human beings. morning I woke up to news sources swarmed The betrayal felt personal. with articles on Cuomo, I In spite of the confusion, we can simply could not believe not overpower the truth brought my eyes. The man who to light by the brave women had once portrayed himself who came forward to be a magnanimous and and reasserted the attentive leader in such a tumultuous time was suddenly relabelled as a predator. independent Looking back on investigation it, I don’t think that into Cuomo’s connection was too a c t i o n s . difficult to make when During his I reevaluated his personality time as Governor during conferences and other of New York, public settings. He was abrasive he sexually to the point where he seemed harassed, angry all of the time. He was groped, and proud of his leadership to violated Riva Vig/Art Director the point where it leaked into a several women. That sentence sense of superiority. Those two characteristics alone should have immediately been enough alone are easily manipulated in the mind of to remove him from office. But as evident an abuser, giving them a justification for through our election of both Donald Trump

Volume 119 Editorial Board Editor in Chief Hanna Hornfeld

Managing Editor Liliana Greyf

Features Mia Calzolaio Emma Colacino

News Claire Goldberg Katya Tolunsky

Opinions Devin Allard-Neptune Yin Fei

A&E Purvi Jonnalagadda Arushi Talwar

Middle Division Jade Ciriello

Lions’ Den Lauren Ho Rowan Mally

Art Directors Vivian Coraci Lauren Kim Riva Vig

Design Editor AJ Walker

Photography Oliver Lewis Daniel Schlumberger Ailill Walsh

Online Editor Lucas Glickman

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Staff

Staff Writers Rachel Baez, Audrey Carbonell, Max Chasin, Jiya Chaterjee, Cecilia Coughlin, Owen Heidings, Hannah Katzke, Vidhatrie Keetha, Celine Kiriscioglu, Zachary Kurtz, Alex Lautin, Jillian Lee, Sean Lee, Allison Markman, Audrey Moussazadeh, Divya Ponda, Clio Rao, Emily Salzhauer, Ayesha Sen, Aden Soroca, Emily Sun, Madison Xu, Alexandra Yao Staff Photographers Sophie Gordon, Amanda Wein, Emma Colacino, AJ Walker, Lucas Glickman, Lauren Ho, Sean Lee Staff Artists Eliza Becker, Felix Brenner Staff Designers Avani Khorana, Myra Malik, Arin Rosen

and President Biden, sexual harassment and predatory behavior are not deal breakers in American politics.

When I think about the women that Andrew Cuomo preyed upon, my heart breaks even more. How much more do women have to fight in order to be safe when pursuing our dreams and passions? Those who defend sexual assault argue that an allegation can ruin a man’s career, but women are forced out of jobs in the name of protecting their abusers. It hurts.

One part of this situation that may begin to heal the pain and damage evoked is knowing that Kathy Hochul will now become the first female governor of New York. Already, she is moving to protect women in her tenure by condemning Cuomo’s behavior and firing individuals who facilitated the culture of sexual harassment established by the former governor. As her term progresses, I hope that she will continue on this path and not allow political alliances and agendas to prevent her from serving her female constituency.

Although she became governor as a result of a sexual assault scandal, I believe that she will do right by the women in New York and those who found themselves victimized by Cuomo’s behavior.

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.

Mystery solved: Meet o

8

THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Allison Markman Staff Writer

Courtesy of Natalia Wodnicka

DR. WODNICKA rkman Allison Ma Staff Writer

ld Avery Feingo Courtesy of

FE ING OLD

“I am thrilled to be embarking on a new adventure and am so looking forward to getting to know and contribute to the community at HM,” World Languages Teacher Dr. Natalia Wodnicka said. This school year, she will be co-teaching French 3 and French 3 Honors with Dr. Niamh Duggan and teaching two sections of French 4. Wodnicka became interested in teaching while working as a tutor in college.

“I was drawn to the relational aspect of the work as well as the opportunity for intellectual exchange with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences,'' she said. As part of her doctoral studies at New York University, she was a teaching assistant and taught French at different levels. Wodnicka has been teaching for 15 years, most recently at the Collegiate School. Wodnicka is most excited to meet her students and get to know their individual interests. She has also worked to balance the curriculum in each class to include a variety of perspectives and topics.

Wodnicka chose to come to the school because she found the environment welcoming and the students passionate about language studies. “In addition to the excellent linguistic proficiency students have, I was impressed by the level of student engagement and motivation and enjoyed the conversations I had with other language teachers,” she said. To prepare for the year, Wodnicka spent time collaborating with the other Upper Division French teachers, drafting curriculum maps and curating resources to use in each class, she said. “This work was instrumental in helping me learn the ins and outs of the French program and also in introducing me to the department and the Upper Division.” This summer, Wodnicka spent her time reading short stories and novels in French and traveling in Brittany, the Loire Valley, and the Southwest. Both nervous and excited, Wodnicka anticipates an amazing year with her new students and is thrilled to embark on a new journey at the school.

Allison

M

arkman puter science Staff Wr Fascinated by logic and puzzles, com it e r in fell gold Fein y and engineering teacher Aver Inspired possibilities b love with the infinite and creative Maloney y her former orch . said they ce, scien r e decided in the field of compute to becom stra teacher, Ch age in ho ristine Programming e an edu pe of cre Feingold will be teaching Intro to cator at te acher ha ating the a young al Computer d fostere s a m in Python, Art of Data, and Theoretic e safe s d, sh will be th has always e new Dir e said. This scho pace her Science this school year. Feingold Culture, ol year, s e c to ce justi r for a o ion pass n f a d Institu the Offic he had a love for teaching and ti e o fo n a r Identity S l e to E ied m quity and appl inar on Id , work, they said. After college, they w e il n l ti b ty a e t the sch teaching at a middle ool. Malo (SOI) to 6th and Teach for America and taught math 11th ney schools fo They then r nine ye has taught at ind graders school in New Haven, Connecticut. ars. She ependen b ol e scho c ding a boar a u at s ce chose to e of its v t taught computer scien come to alues. “H hing teac d to e tion HM o d addi In ra ic HM. to c a ing e ti com on to eq M before a n n m h e a uity and mber of philosophical it belongin s a core code, Feingold plans to have more to be he s community,” s g for eve big goals “My . re room h ry class e Courtesy of Christ .” the in s s S a ssion he becam id discu ine Maloney SOI when e interes . “I am thrilled ses are to she reali te d for all of my computer science cour in zed the im te a c c h t o in abou u ns g ld hav sitio pact suc deconstruct my students’ presuppo h a cours To prepa e had on her gro e is for, and why wing up, re for the what computer science is, who it sh school ye her summ is particularly ar, Malon e said. we do it,” Feingold said. Feingold ey spent getting a er developing th be also can gy nolo tech e SO djus excited to explore how year, Ma ted to the school. I course and tity. loney is impactful across the lines of iden excited to In the coming the scho help stre ol’s com munity a ngthen Alexandra Yao continue nd encourage it to Staff Writer flourishin g, she sa id.

Courtesy of Mike Fouchet

MR. FOUCHET

MS . M A LONEY

“I come from a family of educators,” math teacher Mike Fouchet said. “My aunt was my third grade teacher, my grandma was my bus driver, my mom runs a preschool, and my grandpa’s on the school board.” Growing up, Fouchet was always interested in math. “Math was my favorite subject throughout all of high school,” he said. “When I went to college, I majored in math, but when I graduated, I had the opportunity to stay for one extra year and get a master’s degree in education, as well, and then I kind of just fell into [teaching].” Fouchet found his first teaching position at a private school near Philadelphia, he said. He left this June after his fiancé got a job in New York City. When searching for private schools in the area, Fouchet was drawn to Horace Mann due to the school’s co-ed nature and its educational philosophy, he said. “It seems like there’s a pretty big focus on relationships and supporting students.”

This year, Fouchet will be teaching Geometry and Algebra II. He has experience teaching a variety of math classes, including Algebra II and Calculus BC, but this will be his first year teaching Geometry, he said. “I’m interested in how we can explore geometry a little bit beyond the standard curriculum,” he said. Over the summer, Fouchet has met with other teachers in the Math Department to prepare for the upcoming school year, he said. They have discussed topics such as grading for equity. “I feel like I am really good at taking what other teachers have done and not reinventing the wheel but just tweaking it to meet my own needs,” he said. “When you go to a new school, there’s inherent challenges,” Fouchet said. “The biggest thing to get used to is the student dynamics. It’s really important to get to know the students because then you can teach them better.”

Rachel Baez Staff Writer

en career began wh tmon’s teaching Pa le co io Ni ud la st e ge danc r teacher An ing before that. “A Dance and Theate t she began danc Patmon bu e,” d, er ol s th ar es ye ss en cla she was fifte e little dance es th d di s to go to d nt an re ol pa scho e I begged my re th of came into my pree ag e th ht dance classes much that at since and has taug er ev said. “I loved it so g in per nc da en on has be ll teach three Up dance class.” Patm is year, Patmon wi Th . ach 7th ge te o lle co als d ll an wi school rkshops. She wo e nc h da throughout high o tw d to lly excited teac Dance History an Patmon is especia n. io Division courses: vis m Di e fro dl id es of danc nce in the M udents’ knowledge and 8th grade Da to broaden her st ts for dances from s tis an pl ar t d es an y gu or in st g in br to Dance Hi e lik d rams don’t offer.” she said. “I woul lot of dance prog a at different cultures, th ng hi et m pecially given the which is so ol’s community, es different cultures, ho sc e th of rt nt, an all girls pa to be a ught at Marymou ta ly us io ev Patmon is thrilled pr e t bigger than the e school, since sh race Mann is a lo Ho at id. co-ed nature of th m ra og pr r that,” Patmon sa e and Theate really excited for I’m school. “The Danc so , of rt pa a at I’ve been previous ones th

Riva Vig/Art Director

Courtesy of Angela

Nicole Patmon

MS . PATMON

our new UD teachers

9

THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Rachel Baez Staff Writer

From a young age, edu cation has been of the utmost importanc e to Associate Director of the Office for Identity Culture and Institutional Equity (ICIE) Bri’ana Odom, she said. Her love for sch ool led her to study sociology at Dav idson College, where she learned how people ’s identities and backgrounds affect the ir everyday lives.

Since many of the cou rses she took centered around educat ion, Odom decided to teach. She taught hig h school Spanish for several years. Afterw ards, she decided to get a Masters of Scienc e in Education from the University of Pennsy lvania.

Odom was drawn to the school because of how the school con stantly tries to find different ways to approa ch diversity and equity. This school yea r, Odom will be

Courtesy of Patrick O’Neill

M R. O’ NE ILL

working alongside the deans in the Nursery, Lower, Middle and Upper Divisions to develop a curriculum that ensures the syllabi and teaching methods in classrooms are equitable.

She will also be teaching sections of 11th grade Seminar On Identity. Odom plans to make the idea of resilience the focus of her courses, she said. “My graduate school work revolved around talking about what it means for students to be resilient, thinking about the role of resilience,” she said.

Odom is thrilled to be part of the school’s community and hopes that students will feel comfortable enough to go to her office, ask questions, and share ideas, she said.

Courtesy of Bri’ana

Odom

MS . ODOM Vidhatrie Keetha Staff Writer

This year, Patrick O’Neill will teach sections of Dance Performance, Dance Workshop, and The Art of Mindfulness Yoga in the Upper Division (UD), as well as Dance Theater 6, Dance Theater 7, and Dance 7 in the Middle Division. O’Neill’s passion for dance began before he turned two years old, when his mother, a dance teacher, brought him to work with her, he said. By the time he was seven years old, he helped teach classes at the studio. He began to teach weekly classes at the age of fifteen.

O’Neill went on to dance for the Lucinda Childs dance company while attending New York University.

However, he felt that dancing for the company was not enough and started to teach at different studios, he said. He later taught ballet at Yale University and a variety of dance classes at Sacred Heart University before becoming an assistant artistic director at a ballet studio in Connecticut. O’Neill decided to teach at the school after a friend informed him of a job posting, he said. “The program looked really interesting to me, and I like the way that the whole department works together and collaborates on different things, like the musicals and the plays,” O’Neill said. “In the past, I’ve been strictly at dance studios, so I think the collaborative process was very appealing to me.” For his UD dance classes, O’Neill looks forward to teaching a variety of dance styles, as opposed to teaching the same style every week like he usually did in a studio setting. O’Neill is particularly excited to teach the sixth and seventh grade Dance Theater classes because he hopes to introduce dance in a way that is fun and engaging. “I’m really excited to mix it up and get students moving with different activities like pantomime and gestures because dance is literally just moving your body,” he said.

Riva Vig/Art Director

Vidhatrie Keetha Staff Writer This year, Khiray Bautista, who has worked as an athletic trainer at the school for ten years, will begin teaching sections of Physical Education and CPR. Bautista became interested in athletic training at the start of his high school football career, during which he sustained frequent injuries. “I was kind of shellshocked at first,” he said. “Football was my first sport, and I was injured in the first week.” As a result of his injuries, Bautista spent a lot of time in the athletic training room, where he took a liking to the profession and learned from the athletic trainers. “I started to ask them questions. I started shadowing them around and seeing what their job was like, and I kind of fell in love with it through there,” he said. Bautista pursued his passion for athletic training in college and received a BA in Athletic Training from the University of Vermont. After graduating, he started to work professionally when a classmate informed him of an opportunity to cover Nike basketball tournaments throughout New York City.

Afterwards, Bautista mostly did per diem work, which meant that he was hired for specific games on specific days. One of the per diem jobs was for the school’s football team. “After speaking with the coaches, the athletic training staff, and the Athletic Director, I became a part of the Horace Mann community through per diem athletic training,” he said. While Bautista will still work as an athletic trainer this year, he has decided to teach CPR classes, as well, given that he has experience with the technique. He also believes that he has a good relationship with students and wants to share his knowledge and experience with them by teaching CPR classes from an athletic training standpoint, he said. “I definitely don’t want to let go of athletic training,” Bautista said. “It’s my passion. I’ve seen it as my job throughout my whole life. But I’ve also been an educator for my whole life.”

Courtesy

of Manni

kin

M R . BAU

T I STA Riva Vig/Art Director

“When I think about [starting school], it kind of gives me butterflies, especially when I think about meeting those new students, I feel like all the energy comes up,” Japanese teacher Atsuk o Matsuyama said. This year, Matsuyama will be teaching four classes at the school: two sectio ns of Japanese 1, one section of Japanese 2, and one section of Japanese 3 and 4 combined. Both of Matsuyama’s parents were teachers, but she did Alexandra Yao not consider teaching until her Staff Writer daughter attended a private school similar to Horace Mann, she said. “I Associate Director of College Counseling Michelle wanted to give back to the school, and Harvey will replace Frank Cabrera, who left for a I thoug ht, ‘I like yama to teach language.’”

Courtesy of Atsuko Matsu position at the Brooklyn Friends School, Oxelson After a few years of volunteer work, said. Harvey will take over Cabrera’s 27 seniors and she landed her first teaching position in the spring, she will start to advise a new group at Oregon Episcopal School, located in of juniors through the process. Before she came Portland, Oregon, where she taught to the school, Harvey was the Assistant Director of Admissions at Vassar College. “If you know how from 1995 to 2011, she said. In 2012, decisions are made as an admissions officer, you she taught part-tim e at the school, can really help students figure out how to best but for personal reasons, she left present themselves in their applications,” Oxelson the school in 2014 to teach Japanese said. Harvey also volunteered in community-based at Pace University , Matsuyama said organizations as a “pseudo college counselor,” .

She decided to re turn this year Oxelson said. Along with her work experience, when she learned Harvey received a master’s degree in education that the school was looking for a from the Harvard Graduate School of Education at full-time Japanese teacher, she said the start of summer. “Though she is relatively

MS. HARVEY

MS . MATSUYAM A

. “Teaching a language, it’s very important,” Matsuyama said.

“I can share my culture. It’s somet hing to give.”

young, she’s reall y experienced in both admission s and college counseling,” he sa id. During the interviews, Oxels on was struck by Harvey’s desire to work closely with students, he said. “She really, really want ed to build relationships with students and help them throug h a process that has gotten mo re and more complicated over the years.”

10

THE RECORD MIDDLE DIVISION SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Welcome, new MD teachers!

Ms. Coote Ariella Frommer Staff Writer Middle Division (MD) Science Department Chair Jodi Hill is excited for MD Science teacher Courtesy of Marie Coote Marie Coote to join the department, Hill said. “When I met her, I was immediately struck by her friendly, approachable demeanor and her smile,” she said.

Coote attended optometry school at the University of Notre Dame and worked in a clinic for three years after college before she changed career paths.

“I was doing a little bit of practical work and a little bit of research, but it was lonely,” she said.

Coote was intrigued by the NYC Teaching Fellows program, which aims to improve the quality of education in NYC public schools by allowing recent graduates to teach and attend school for two years.

After two years, Coote decided that she

Ms. Cheng enjoyed teaching, so she stuck with it.

While Coote likes the variety of programs and resources the school offers, she finds the school to be a little overwhelming, she said. “There’s a lot that goes on here and the last couple days have been intense as I am given a lot of information.”

Coote wants to do more projects in her classes and participate in Citizen Science, a program that encourages p u b l i c involvement in scientific research.

“It would be amazing if I can bring in some professors, teachers, or any experts in the field and look at something where we can contribute real-world data to an ongoing project,” she said.

Mme. Eisenberg Etta Singer Contributing Writer French teacher Aileen Eisenberg is excited to join the Middle Division (MD) World Languages Department, she Courtesy of Aileen Eisenberg said. This school year will be her sixth year as a teacher.

Eisenberg chose to apply for a job at the school because of its strong core values. She admired the school’s efforts to engage students with one another and with the history and culture of the Bronx and New York City, she said.

After several rounds of interviews, Eisenberg was chosen out of dozens of candidates, MD World Languages Department Chair Rachael Cooper said. Although Eisenberg’s final demo class interview took place over Zoom, the class was engaging and fun, Cooper said. “I could just

Ariella Frommer Staff Writer “When I was growing up, I was always really shy and reserved. It took a mentor to get me out of my shell [so that I could] be a leader in Courtesy of Denise Cheng my community, and I wanted to do the same for other students,” math teacher Denise Cheng said. Cheng has always been interested in helping students live out their full potential, she said. This year, she will teach sixth and eighth grade math in the Middle Division (MD).

Cheng graduated from Stony Brook University, where she doublemajored in psychology and philosophy. She then taught at PS 154 in the South Bronx and Newtown High School in Queens with City Year. Cheng then moved to Hawaii to participate in Teach for America, an organization that fights education inequity. She most recently taught in DC. Beyond wanting to move back to the city where she grew up, Cheng decided to come to the school because she heard great things about its community and wanted to be a part of it,

Dr. Bataller feel her warmth and patience coming through the screen.”

Eisenberg plans to teach her students about different French-speaking communities, especially those in North America, she said.

“I’m excited to introduce students to different accents and expressions so they can understand why French is spoken all over the world.”

Eisenberg started learning French in middle school.

French classes were a special and unique experience to her because the rest of her family only spoke English, she said.

Eisenberg had always loved reading and writing in English and became fond of the French language as well. She did not know how to combine her passions until a mentor suggested teaching, she said.

Ariella Frommer Staff Writer When Spanish teacher Dr. Rebeca Bataller became a teaching assistant after college, she immediately fell in love Courtesy of Rebeca Bataller with the profession.

Bataller, who has been a teacher for more than 20 years, will teach Spanish MS2 and MS3 this year in the Middle Division (MD).

MD World Languages Department Chair Rachael Cooper was impressed by Bataller’s demo lesson last year.

“We really felt her passion for educating and for the Spanish language,” she said.

Bataller will be an asset to the school community because she can engage personally with students, she is kind to students, and she brings in a wealth of knowledge, resources, and previous experience, Cooper said. “We’ll hire teachers that will be advisors, not just academic teachers.”

Bataller hopes to make her classes highly interactive. She wants to teach her students

Ms. Marquez Lucy Peck Contributing Writer The Middle Division’s (MD) newest math teacher, Ofelia Marquez, recalls being a “horrible” math student in middle school, she said. She spent hours practicing with her math teachers and she credits these teachers, as well as a family passionate about math, for her motivation to improve in the subject, she said.

Marquez’s past struggles in math inform the way she teaches and help her relate to students who have trouble with math, she said. “One of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher is being able to see your students come back and

she said. Small classes and advisories further attracted her to the school, she said. “I wanted to have small class sizes so that I could really get to know my students, and I also was excited about advisories and following a group of students for three years,” she said.

When Cheng taught a demo lesson last year as part of the hiring process, MD Math Department Chair Quentin Brooks was not only impressed by her enthusiasm for teaching and her ability to make connections with students, but also by her ability to adapt to issues on Zoom. “It’s challenging enough as it is to teach a class of students that you do not know for 45 minutes, but the way she handled the tech problems so professionally, so calmly, and so patiently, I wanted to hire her on the spot,” Brooks said.

Cheng is eager to start school especially because classes are running in-person this year, she said. “For the last year and a half, I’ve been virtual, so I’m excited to be back in person with students, and I’m really excited to meet everyone.”

Latin dances, songs, and games, and motivate them to love the Spanish language as much as she does, she said.

Bataller grew up in Spain and became interested in different languages during her time in college, where she studied English and German, she said. She came to the US and earned a master’s degree to practice her English and learn more about American culture.

She later completed her Ph.D. in foreign language education at the University of Iowa.

After getting her Ph.D., Bataller became a professor at Gettysburg College and then at the University of Southern Mississippi.

She later moved to New York and started teaching high school Spanish at St. Luke’s School, The Masters School, and most recently, Professional Children’s School.

Bataller is excited to start the year, she said.

“My friends are saying they need one more month of vacation, and I’m like ‘no, I am ready

Courtesy of Ofelia Marquez

see how they have grown,” she said.

Before coming to the school, Marquez worked at Rye Country Day School in Rye, New York for nine years where she taught middle and upper school math. She also taught at Greenwich Country Day’s upper school for a year. There, she acted as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) coordinator, spearheaded affinity groups including LatinX and Girls of Color, and participated in service-learning.

Marquez was attracted to the school because it values diversity in the faculty and student body, she said.

MD Math Department Chair Quentin Brooks was impressed by Marquez’s extensive

experience with middle school students and by her passion and expertise in teaching math, he said. Her experience with DEI was an added bonus, Brooks said.

This year, Marquez will teach Math 7 and Math 8 Honors. Although she plans to follow the lead of her coworkers for most of the year, she is excited to incorporate DEI into the curriculum, she said. Additionally, she wants to add projectbased learning to the classroom, which will allow students to gain skills and knowledge by working on projects that relate to the subject matter, Marquez said.

11

THE RECORD MIDDLE DIVISION AND ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

MD students read “They Called Us Enemy” Divya Ponda Staff Writer This summer, all Middle Division (MD) students read American actor and activist George Takei’s memoir, “They Called Us Enemy”.

Takei, known for his role in the television show “Star Trek,” is an immigration and LGBT+ activist.

“They Called Us Enemy” details his childhood experience living through Japanese internment camps in the US during World War II. The division read was led by Head of the MD Javaid Khan, MD Library Department Chair Rachael Ricker, MD Dean of Faculty Eva Abbamonte, and MD English Department Chair Drew Samuels. They invited faculty members who wanted to be involved with the Summer Read to join as well, Khan said.

Khan, Ricker, Abbamonte, and Samuels chose “They Called Us Enemy” because they felt that, as a graphic novel, it would be interesting to all MD students, Samuels said. “It can be challenging to find a book that can work well in all three grades; that is accessible enough for sixth graders, but has enough interesting

engagement and complexity for eighth graders, so we felt fortunate we landed on this,” Samuels said.

Khan felt moved by the book when he first read it, he said. “It’s creative, it’s personal. At times it’s hard, and all of that is captured through the combination of words and pictures,” Khan said. “This is a story that we don’t hear a lot. The Japanese internment camps have been here in America, in our time. We don’t tell the story often, we certainly don’t hear about it from the perspective of those who lived it.”

Lowey Miller (8) said “They Call Us Enemy” is an important read because it makes an under-discussed part of US history easy to learn about as a graphic novel. “[The camps are] a period of the war, and a period in the history of our country in general, that is, unfortunately, not very well known,” he said.

It was important for MD students to read a book about Asian American history, Sarina Shah (8) said. “Especially given the situation with COVID, and what’s going on with the media, we’ve seen a rise of Asian American hate crimes, and I think it’s really important to go into

depth and explore these stereotypical ideas,” she said.

When learning about history, Americans tend to focus on Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ retaliation with two atomic bombs, Shah said. “We never really explore what Asian Americans or specifically Japanese Americans had to go through during that period of time,” she said. “They were segregated, and put into camps, which is really important to know because it’s a hidden side of the story, and George Takei really explores that and gives us a different point of view.”

In “They Called Us Enemy,” Takei brought up modern issues beyond Japanese-American internment during World War II, MD History teacher Eric Cadena wrote. “He speaks to the US’s anti-Asian racism that we’ve only just started to confront,” he wrote. “Mr. Takei’s story speaks to an important and troubling time in American history that the AAPI community continues to deal with. It also shows how the human spirit can endure and persevere, which is what I would want students to come away with

Rowe (12) devotes summer to art at RISD Neeva Patel Staff Writer In an effort to experiment with art mediums like ink, graphite, and charcoal from the comfort of his own home, Evan Rowe (12) spent 50 hours per week for two months this summer creating art in the Rhode Island School of Design’s (RISD) online summer program for high school students.

The program consisted of two fourweek sessions. Students chose two art courses to attend during each session, for a total of four courses throughout the program. Rowe took “Illustration and Identity: Finding Your Voice,” “Experiential Drawing,” “Exploration in Design,” and “Visual And Critical Language.”

Before the program began, Rowe was given a list of materials for his courses that included basic materials such as paint, charcoal, and paper, which are common for advanced art students, he said.

During the biweekly Zoom classes, Rowe discussed his recent assignments with teachers and received critiques from his peers.

“All the courses had a message board where you could leave [brief] observations about your peers’ work,” Rowe said.

Rowe joined the program because he was looking for feedback on his art portfolio before he applies to colleges. Last year, Visual Arts Teacher Kim Do connected Rowe with a senior who attended the RISD program. Upon hearing about the program’s opportunities, Rowe was intrigued to explore further. “Several students from our school have gone on to study for their BFA and MFA degrees at RISD, and one of them even became a professor there in the Graduate School of Design,” Do said.

“The projects are challenging — they encourage students to dig deep within themselves to find solutions.”

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Rowe attended class and listened to a three-hour lecture during which professors first discussed each student’s assignment then taught a new technique for the next project.

Sometimes, Rowe was assigned to a breakout room where he would practice the technique.

During the program, Rowe worked with some art supplies for the first time, such as wash, a technique

used to apply watercolor paint, and charcoal for drawing. “This program expands the possibilities of materials, techniques, concepts, and approaches to making various kinds of art,” Do said.

Besides enhancing his physical art skills, Rowe believes the program helped him think and experiment in a way that he previously never had. “I took an illustration course in which they would give me a prompt which was usually a few words,” he said. “So, I was able to complete someone else’s vision, whereas art in high school has always been ‘create what you want.’”

At one point in the program, Rowe made a collection of pieces that depicted moods and emotions as characters. “This is very similar to the theme of the movie ‘Inside Out’ so it was fun to be able to draw my own vision apart from the movie,” he said.

Another illustration assignment Rowe completed was about memories and perspective. He drew a memory he had from the first day of school

through Lauren Kim/Art Director his perspective, his mother’s perspective, and the bus driver’s perspective.

Other assignments were more concrete and straightforward. “Once I was asked to draw a vase on a 12x9 piece of paper with vine charcoal,” Rowe said.

In his “Exploration in Design” course, Rowe created designs that people would potentially adopt for their products. One of his assignments asked him to rebrand “La Croix” as an alcoholic beverage and convey that change through the packaging, he said. However, Rowe did not find this course as useful as he expected. “Your portfolio for college needs to reflect range, so even if you build your product design skills up, there is quite a while until you actually implement them,” he said.

During his “Visual and Critical Language” course, Rowe wrote paragraphs that explained the meaning behind each of his pieces.

He found this process difficult, especially when he created something for beauty rather than purpose.

“Applying a deeper meaning to an art piece was a first-time experience for me, but it was definitely powerful and one of my major takeaways from the program,” he said.

Although communication was difficult during the critique sessions, Rowe still considers them as some of his favorite moments from the program since students often receive only positive remarks from teachers and peers at school. During the RISD sessions, he received harsh critiques from professors who have years of experience. “I loved getting my piece honestly torn apart so that I could revise it and make it a fully completed piece,” he said. Rowe believes that the school should adopt a less subjective form of revision so students can similarly improve their work after receiving feedback.

Rowe recommends RISD’s summer program to students who want to pursue art in college because it gives them a crash course on what to expect and lets them experiment with different majors. “If you want to go to design school but aren’t sure of a major, you can get a taste of everything and then figure out where you fit best,” he said.

Do believes the program is beneficial because it adds seriousness to art-making, which is often lumped with leisure, he said.

“It has similar features to the college experience — a camaraderie of fellow artists, working until all hours to meet deadlines, and the excitement of being in a world where one is the creator at the helm of the journey,” Do said.

After previewing four different art majors, Rowe said, “I would rather do two sessions for the full eight weeks because some of the sessions that I hadn’t experienced before, such as colored illustration, went by quickly.”

Despite the brevity of the courses, Rowe believes the program gave him insight into what to expect in college since art education can differ from one’s expectations, he said. “Attending this eight-week design program was very helpful to figure out what I would actually be doing for the next four years if I choose to pursue it.”

after reading.”

Takei tells the story from his perspective as a naïve child, which helped Miller understand the tragedy of the story, he said. “The fact that this book was written from the perspective of a five year old really intrigued me, as he saw the events that unfolded around him completely differently than the adults in the book,” he said. “There was a portion of the book devoted to the train ride to the camp. The author remembers this experience as a warm and exciting journey because his mother brought all these treats and games on the train with them.

This happy memory is juxtaposed with other people in the car who were anxious and crying.”

This year, Khan hopes to bring in assembly speakers, including Takei, who can amplify voices that students have not heard before — stories that are not discussed enough in our daily lives or in our school’s curriculum, he said. “It’s not dissimilar from hearing from a Holocaust survivor or hearing from somebody who was a protester in the Civil Rights movement,” he said. “It’s their experience they get to tell you

Courtesy of Katz Library

firsthand: ‘This is what I lived.’”

Miller believes that it is essential for students to inform themselves of the country’s history and that reading books like “They Called Us Enemy” could help students accomplish that goal. “Our knowledge of the past can change the present,” he said. “And if we have a greater understanding of what’s happened, we can hopefully try to prevent history from repeating itself.”

Siegel (11) works on set for upcoming movie, “American Sole” Athena Rem Staff Writer Sam Siegel (11) is pursuing his love for filmmaking outside of the classroom as a production assistant (PA) for “American Sole,” an upcoming film that follows two teenagers in the shoe-resale market as they try to pay off college debt.

Siegel’s father heard about the opportunity from Jake Stein, the film’s producer and an old friend of his, Siegel said. He put Stein in contact with Siegel because of Siegel’s long-term interest in film.

After sending in examples of his prior work, Siegel was accepted for the job.

One large point of interest in the movie is the involvement of younger people, Siegel said. For example, Stein is just 25 years old. For Siegel, this makes the film more relatable to a teenage audience. “A lot of the time, when studios make movies about younger people, you say ‘well that’s not what my life is actually like,’” he said. “The idea behind it was to go with younger people around the spectrum, so we have younger actors and also younger producers or directors.” The movie’s topic, the sneaker industry, is also more niche to teenagers, making the film even more relatable, he said.

Siegel started working on the film during the pre-production stage in late August. His responsibilities included organizing schedules with team members and sourcing necessary equipment, he said. “It’s the biggest logistics nightmare in the entire world.”

Over the course of pre-production, Siegel shuffled schedules to determine dates and times for shooting, he said. He also found catering companies and staff for hair and makeup to ensure shooting days run smoothly.

Working on the film has given Siegel a new perspective into the industry, he said. “A lot

Isabelle Kim/Staff Artist

of people, including me, only see movies through the screen and not all the actual incredible amounts of work that go into making a movie.”

Once shooting commences in October, Siegel’s role as PA will entail a wide range of responsibilities, he said. “If somebody needs help or needs [me] to go get them lunch, that is what [I] do. It is just helping out in any way [I] can and learning at the same time.”

Siegel applied his prior knowledge from school to his work with this official film, he said.

Initially, he knew he had a passion for filmmaking when his parents bought him a camera in seventh grade. “I Googled how to work all the different parts and what everything does, and then it just kind of spiraled from there,” he said.

After discovering this interest, Siegel signed up for a filmmaking class in eighth grade. The following summer, he attended the Horace Mann Summer Film Institute (HMSFI), a four-week workshop that led students through the filmmaking process, from writing a script to creating a finalized movie.

HMSFI made Siegel truly fall in love with filmmaking, he said. “It is really helpful that I have worked on a larger crew before,” he said. “I know how to operate a camera because of that class.”

Though the filming of the movie will take place during the school year, Siegel hopes to find time to physically Vivian Coraci/Art Director go to the set, primarily in New Jersey, and watch, he said. Siegel is excited for the upcoming shooting stage and is glad to be part of the team, he said.

12

THE RECORD MIDDLE DIVISION SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

“A Real Leader:” After 34 years, Wendy Reiter steps down from Middle Division Mentoring program Courtesy of HM Flickr

TRAINING FUTURE LEADERS Reiter poses with Middle Division mentors at Dorr training.

Sean Lee Staff Writer “The spirit and energy she poured into the mentor program changed everyone who was a part of it for the better,” former Middle Division Mentor (MDM) Beatrix Bondor ‘18 said. After 34 years of running the MDM program, Director of HM Parent Institute Wendy Reiter is stepping down and will be replaced by Advisory Coordinator Norma Rodriguez.

Reiter entered the school in 1987 as a member of the 7-12 Guidance and Counseling Department and later became the director of the Middle Division (MD) department during its formation in 2000. When asked to create a guidance program for MD students, she adapted the pre-existing Big Brother Big Sister program that paired high school students with 7th and 8th graders to create the current MDM program.

Today, the program involves 87 Upper Division mentors, who lead MD advisories once a week for fifteen minutes and participate in welcoming events such as MD Orientation, a summer orientation program for all students entering the MD. “There are thousands of current and former students who owe their comfortable and affable first week of school to Mrs. Reiter’s good work,” Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly wrote.

Reiter made it a priority to continuously adapt the program.

“Every year, I found that it was really important to keep the program fresh and invigorated,” she said. Thus, Reiter established a group of two to five juniors and seniors who would serve as leaders for the rest of the mentors and collaborate closely with her to improve the program. “We worked as a team and I would meet closely with them regularly, all year long,” she said.

In addition, Reiter sought advice from grade deans and faculty members to make changes when necessary. In the face of the pandemic, the MDM program also had to go through several adjustments, she said. “We had to work hard when we were remote in the logistics of making it work for the mentors and their mentees to connect over Zoom and adjusting activities that were more appropriate for remote learning versus in person,” she said.

From the beginning of the MDM program, Reiter has been essential to its operation and maintenance, MDM leader Michael Shaari (12) said. “She has done the program for over three decades, so it’s like her brainchild,” he said. “She knew the ins and outs of it, and you just felt like you could really rely on her. She knew what was going on at all times, she was heavily involved in every single step, and she was always there.”

Reiter always knew exactly what to do, MDM leader Ria Chowdhry (12) said. “The fact that she was always there to help support us and to give advice

and guidance with her experience with the program was always really valuable, and I think we always really appreciated that,” former MDM leader Leyli Granmayeh ‘21 said. “She was so willing to jump in and dedicate her time to the program even more so than she was required to.”

Because Reiter provided significant support for her students, Chowdhry said her experience working with Reiter was educational.

“She knows a lot about guidance and knows everything about all the middle schoolers, but what she’s really special at is helping people succeed in a mentoring role,” former MDM leader Will Golub ‘19 said “She’s helpful at teaching them how to communicate, how to lead, how to take ownership, and how to make a plan, and that’s especially true with the mentor leaders.”

Reiter’s philosophy of letting mentors take matters into their own hands taught them to take ownership of their responsibilities, he said.

Above all, Reiter served as a mentor for all leadership members and mentors involved with the MDM program, Granmayeh said. “[Reiter] really taught me how to manage a team well and how to use everyone’s individual assets to come together to reach a larger goal,” former MDM leader Diana Shaari ‘20 said.

“This program was a big undertaking for juniors and seniors in high school because of how important mentors are to middle schoolers, and she really did an amazing job teaching us how to work together and run the program.”

Reiter emphasized aspects of teamwork and the effective delegation of tasks, making sure that work was evenly spread out between the five or six leadership members and that every member participated in the group effort, Chowdhry said.

“One thing she taught me, above all, is the importance of communication,” Bondor said. “While it sounds really obvious, what it means — that is so valuable at Horace Mann, and college, and everywhere else — is answering emails when you see them, being on time, and respecting your teammates’ needs, time constraints, and really just showing up and being on call.”

This value of communication stood out to Michael as Reiter treated her students like colleagues and adults, making it easier to exchange ideas and collaborate, he said.

Reiter’s passion shined through during her early morning meetings with mentors, Golub said. “The energy and enthusiasm she brought to those meetings was incredible,” he said. “She would spend 15 days up at Dorr doing constant programming with middle schoolers, which was extremely tiring, but she never let it show. She was always upbeat, super interactive, and a real leader.”

Reiter’s dedication to the program continued during the summer when leadership members would gather to

organize and plan for the upcoming school year, Granmayeh said.

“During those Zoom calls, she was so welcoming,” Chowdhry said. “Right off the bat, we felt very welcome and we were super excited to be leading the program.”

Reiter focused on building meaningful relationships with her students, Granmayeh said. Diana knew from the beginning of sixth grade that she wanted to become a mentor because of her relationship with Reiter in advisory and continues to reach out to her for advice with college-related matters. “She really cares about her students, and she really supported me a lot,” she said. “I don’t know what my Horace Mann experience would be if she hadn’t been such an important part of my time there.”

to working with her peers and other students to secure friend groups, the list goes on and on,” he wrote.

Reiter was one of the first faculty members to reach out to Head of MD Javaid Khan and put time and resources aside to make him feel welcome at the school. “She’s a people person,” he said.

“If you’ve ever spoken to her, she loves a good conversation, she remembers people’s names and faces, makes them feel seen.”

Reiter has also made sure to look after her successor, Rodriguez, who knows that she can reach out to Reiter at any time with any questions or for advice.

“She would sit me down and give me advice on the work environment, on how to take care of myself, on how to continue to grow, and we have a good relationship, and I really appreciate that,” Rodriguez said.

When considering a replacement for Reiter, Khan thought Rodriguez was the perfect candidate due to her position as Advisory Coordinator in the MD. “Since the mentors are in the advisories one day a week, it just made sense that both programs would join together,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez has the perfect qualities to take on the job, Khan said. “She’s got an amazing sense of humor, brings some levity, and the students are going to respond to her beautifully.”

Rodriguez has maintained close contact with Reiter ever since she arrived at the school, even working under Reiter, which helped develop their working relationship. “I knew

“Decades of Horace Mann friendships got their start due to Mrs. Reiter’s compassion for this community and tireless effort to connect it in life-changing ways.”

- Connor Morris ‘19 With Reiter, a quick question could the ins and outs of the programs, the turn into a 45 minute-long conversation training the mentor have to go through, about a completely different topic, I was aware of that, and Mrs. Reiter has Granmayeh said. “Mrs. Reiter is always shared plenty of information with me trying to bring people together to build on how the program runs. I felt that I a community, and I think the fact that was prepared to take on the role,” she she facilitated such close relationships said. between all of us, even just from the Reiter has offered Rodriguez start, was really important in helping us support throughout the entire process, effectively work together,” she said.

Rodriguez said. “I have a lot of mixed “All the happy memories from Dorr emotions, but Mrs. Reiter was kind mentor training and Middle Division enough to reach out to me over the Orientation, the friendships and summer and to offer her support and connections from those events, are say that she is here to help me through possible because of her,” former MDM my first year, so I deeply appreciate leader Connor Morris ‘19 said. “Decades that,” she said. of Horace Mann friendships got their Reiter is confident in Rodriguez’s start due to Mrs. Reiter’s compassion ability to take over the MDM program. for this community and tireless effort “[Rodriguez] and I have worked to connect it in lifeCourtesy of HM Archives changing ways.”

One tradition that helped bring leadership members closer together was the end-of-theyear barbecues Reiter hosted at her house, where she invited past and prospective leadership members, Diana said. “It was a nice way to end any academic year and it was just so welcoming, having us at her home FRIEND AND MENTOR 1993 Mannikin appreciates Reiter. and hosting us,” she said. The barbeque set the tone for together for so many years, so she knew how close leadership members became a lot about the program and the ethos and allowed new members to ask older of the program, so I don’t think it will members for advice, Granmayeh said. be too much of a transition,” Reiter said.

Reiter’s welcoming nature also “Anybody and everybody that comes extended to faculty, Kelly said. into a new position and is taking over “From individual meetings, to a program, eventually they find their group discussions with teachers, to own path and their own vision for the personalized gifts of encouragement, program.”

Reiter is extremely proud and gratified by the program’s growth over the years. “The mentor program has become a really significant program in the minds of many — many students hear about the program, learn about it, and have come to recognize that it’s been an important function of the school, and so many students have wanted to become a part of it,” she said.

Reiter is especially grateful for the years of work and collaboration with Kelly and the Dorr faculty. “Dr. Kelly has been enormously supportive of the mentor program, and I really want the community to know how gratified I am,” she said. “The support and prominence he gave the program — it really made the program so much more credible within the community, and for that I’m most appreciative and indebted.”

Some of Reiter’s favorite memories have been moments of joy and collaboration shared with other faculty members at Dorr. She is incredibly appreciative of the opportunities that the school and the Dorr facility have provided in developing an orientation program. “Even though I was intimately involved in all of this, I can stand back and away from it and say, ‘Wow. I can’t believe that we had this opportunity, the luxury, the resources, and the support of an administration to really fuel a program like this over these so many years,’” she said. “And for that, I will always be grateful.”

Reiter hopes that people continue to recognize the importance of training and the development of leadership skills for students. She is confident that the program will continue to evolve and that students will one day be able to return to Dorr in person for future orientation programs, she said. “If you want to create something where you work, you think about its longevity — how will it live beyond me? — and I think this is definitely a testament to Mrs. Reiter that our program lives on beyond her departure,” Khan said.

“That means you’ve set up some good bones for us to work off of.”

Though Reiter will continue to serve as the Director of the Parent Institute as a part-time consultant while living outside of New York, she will miss her active involvement on campus and the relationships she has forged with colleagues and peers over the past three decades. “Relationships matter to me a lot, so I will have to work hard at maintaining those relationships from a bit afar,” she said. She will also miss the day-to-day in-person life and the

routine of being on campus, and having people stop by her office.

“The program is going to change a lot without her, and while the program is in good hands, she shaped it for 30 years,” Bondor said. “We’re glad she’s not leaving HM — nobody is ready for that.”

13

THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

FACULTY FAREWELL: COACH BARILE TO RETIRE AFTER 39 YEARS AT THE SCHOOL Courtesy of Ray Barile

Courtesy of Ray Barile

Courtesy of Ray Barile

Courtesy of Ray Barile

Alex Lautin and Ben Rafal Staff and Contributing Writers After 39 years, Coach Ray Barile is retiring from the school. Barile has been teaching and coaching in the Athletics Department since 1982, leading his softball, basketball, and soccer teams to a total of ten Ivy League and six NYSAIS championships. “He’s the most passionate person at Horace Mann I’ve met,” Kate Golub ‘19, a former member of the Girls Varsity Basketball team, said. “He cared about all of us as a team so much. He would eat, sleep, breathe basketball.”

Even though he is retiring from teaching, Barile will return to the school for the 2021-2022 school year to coach Girls Varsity Basketball and Softball, he said. Both teams have seniors that Barile has coached for three years, and he plans to see those players through to graduation and hopes to guide them to championships, he said.

Barile attended Manhattan College, double majoring in Physical Education and Computer Science. He played a variety of sports during his college career, including soccer and swimming.

His passion for sports and teaching children to live healthy lives motivated Barile to pursue teaching. As a result, Barile chose to work in athletics at the school, despite being offered an Information Technology job at Manufacturer Hanover.

In 1982, Barile was hired to teach an afterschool swimming program to fifth and sixth graders. Initially, Barile assumed he would only work at the school for approximately five years and then transition to a public school. However, he fell in love with the community and decided to stay. “After three years at the school, I knew this was the place for me to become the best version of myself and to today I know I made the right decision,” he said.

Barile was eventually hired for a full-time position in the Athletics Department, coaching Boys Junior Varsity and Varsity Basketball, and Girls Varsity Basketball, Softball, and Soccer. He also started the CPR program during his time at the school.

Barile feels fortunate to have had such a long career with colleagues of such a high caliber.

“I teach with the best faculty I’ve ever met,” he said. “They’re really really intelligent, smart, and innovative.”

“He’s the most passionate person at Horace Mann I’ve met. He cared about all of us as a team so much. He would eat, sleep, breathe basketball.”

- Kate Golub ‘19 His colleagues mentored him at the beginning of his career. “They supported, challenged and encouraged me to take chances,” Barile said. “[He is] revered by his fellow coaches and basketball and softball teams,” former physical education teacher Neil Berniker said. “He has the heart of a lion.”

Barile’s commitment to his teams was evident, former Girls Varsity Softball and Basketball player Jennifer Reiss ‘15 said. His enthusiastic and passionate personality led to strong connections between him and his team members. Reiss believes that Barile’s commitment to the success of his teams and his intensity motivated her to devote herself to sports. “He always encouraged us to work hard on and off the court and ultimately made us better all around people and athletes, never missing a moment to help mentor us both on and off the court.”

Catie Barile ‘09 remembers her father watching his team’s film with a next door neighbor, who happened to also be a basketball coach. Barile never tired of helping his teams improve, she said.

Golub remembers Barile’s passion on the court and that he found true joy in leading his teams to success. Her favorite memory of Barile was during the halftime meeting of an Ivy League Championship game. Barile was silent and then suddenly screamed, “That’s how you play basketball!”

This passion was apparent during Sareena Parikh’s (12) freshman year, when the Girls Varsity Basketball team lost in the state championship. Barile’s reaction spoke volumes about his character, she said. His instinct was to blame himself rather than the players for the loss. “He loves winning as much as we all do,” she said.

Barile prioritized his players’ mental game, and worked to build smart athletes, he said.

Kyra Kwok ‘19, a player on both the Girls Varsity Basketball and Softball teams, remembers Barile’s style of coaching as intense, passionate, and effective. Barile attempted to strike a balance between an intense environment and an enjoyable one. “We want to praise the successes, but when they fail, we want to help them get back on their feet,” Barile said.

Barile instinctively understood each of his players’ temperaments and knew how to motivate them to improve without pushing them to a breaking point, Kwok said. “His goal was never to make us perfect athletes. It was always to make sure we knew the game so well that the right decisions became second nature.”

Barile emphasized that when playing sports, being mentally adept was just as important as being physically able, Kwok said. During her first game playing the infield, Kwok was anxious and made a mistake allowing a runner to reach base safely. “I realized he wasn’t angry with me, but was telling me to move on because if I didn’t, I’d be in my head for the rest of the game and would open myself up to a variety of mental mistakes and distractions.”

This coaching style benefited Li Arditi ‘17, a Girls Varsity Softball team member and Girls Varsity Basketball team manager. At the end of her sophomore year, the softball team needed a pitcher. Arditi, a center fielder, had not considered pitching, but Barile’s guidance allowed her to overcome a mental obstacle and embrace a new position.

Arditi also remembers Barile helping her improve her communication and leadership skills as an older member of the team. “He helped me with how to communicate with teammates and then also coaches, because you do communicate with them differently,” she said.

Barile’s guidance led to many lasting relationships with his players. He had an ability to connect with his athletes and make each one feel valued, as if they were a part of a large family. Jennifer Capla ‘95 learned from Barile that working together was more effective than as an individual.

Barile’s coaching style led to many successes, including reaching seven Boys Basketball championship games. In 2004, his boys’ basketball team won a televised game against Poly Prep Country Day School.

Barile coached two of his three children that attended the school. Catie played on Barile’s Varsity Softball team during her senior year.

She said that her father worked to make the game fun, but left everything on the field and expected the same from his players.

Barile often talks to his former athletes after they graduate, Catie said. She remembers him taking players out for dinner as a way to reunite

after they have graduated.

“I text him for the holidays, and when COVID was bad I was texting him to ask if he and his family were okay,” Arditi said.

Players built strong relationships with Barile since he supported them through challenging

“[He is] revered by his fellow coaches and basketball and softball teams. He has the heart of a lion.”

- Neil Berniker games and moments, Reiss said. “He was definitely a protective coach,” she said. “He always stuck up for us if a call didn’t go our way or the other team got too physical. That being said he instilled in us a sense of pride. We were always reminded that when we put on our jersey we had to act with dignity and grace as we were representing ourselves and Horace Mann.”

Barile was supportive of the players because he understood how they were feeling, Kwok said. “I know he felt the same disappointment as all of us did every time we lost and the same excitement every time we won.”

Barile was the “glue” that unified his teams, Jane Frankel ‘18, a former player on the Girls Varsity Basketball and Softball teams, said.

“He’s a coach on and off the court.” Frankel remembers when the basketball team had their end of season party. Seeing Barile outside of school showed Frankel how much Barile’s teams are like family, she said.

significant impact on other aspects of the Athletics Department. When he began working in the Upper Division, Barile proposed the addition of CPR to the Physical Education curriculum. “It was important to me, getting something you could take away,” Barile said. He views CPR as a lifelong skill equal to any other graduation requirement. The school became one of the first two schools in the country to make CPR training a graduation requirement.

“For thirty years, [Barile] has been the original architect and only faculty member to ever teach the [CPR] physical education graduation requirement,” Annunziata said. “[The program] is the gold standard, so anybody who is trying to run their program, they would contact Mr. Barile.”

Barile made the uncomfortable experience of learning CPR safe, interesting, and fun, Kwok said. “I think a lot of kids at HM, including myself, see CPR as just another requirement to get through,” she said. “Barile reminded us how important it was — how at some point, it could come down to a life or death situation. He made us grapple with the weight of lifesaving knowledge and then reminded us that it was okay for that to feel heavy.”

In addition to introducing CPR, Barile used his passion for basketball to help develop sports-related projects with other schools located around New York City. He began the Independent Basketball Showcase with Poly Prep coach Billy McNally. The event featured the top private school players from the five boroughs, Westchester, and Long Island. Many Division II and III collegiate coaches would

Courtesy of HM Flickr

STANDING PROUD Barile watches Girls Varsity Softball team play.

“I really believe the chemistry and the fabric of a team helps teams to become the best they can be,” Barile said. “And not only the team. [It] allows each individual to be the best they can be.”

Like Frankel, Parikh cherishes memorable off-the-court moments, such as the team’s winter break trip to Florida. Barile came up with creative ways for the team to bond and grow. He made sure that the group had support not only from their teammates, Parikh said. “​​Barile also loves the support of the ‘team families’ as he says, and invited all of them to Florida.”

Brendan Barile ‘06 said that his experience being coached by his father was invaluable and strengthened their relationship greatly.

“It’s less like the one moment and it’s more the totality of all the little moments, because he brought it every single day” he said. “I just feel incredibly lucky to [have spent] all that time with him.” Colin is now employed by the school at the Nursery Division, following in his father’s footsteps.

In addition to coaching, Barile had a

attend the event to scout players. The Showcase ran from 1996 to 2009 and helped to launch numerous college careers for local studentathletes, Barile said.

Barile was also heavily involved with including the school in the Coaches vs. Cancer High School Basketball Classic. After Barile’s grandmother passed away from cancer, he decided to get the school involved with the event.

Barile contacted a representative from the American Cancer Society, and in 2000, the school’s basketball program began participating.

Barile has helped raise over $794,000 for the American Cancer Society thus far. He also received two service awards from the American Cancer Society, in 2006 and in 2014. Brendan remembers his father organizing this event as he grew up, and hopes to emulate his father’s impact on the people around him.

“It’s been an honor to work at Horace Mann,” Barile said. “Horace Mann was the place I [learned] to grow up and became a professional and the person I am today.”

14

THE RECORD ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

NYC SUMMER REVIEWS

Students’ favorite spots for summer adventures in the city SUN (11) EXPLORES THE SWISS INSTITUTE Emily Sun Staff Writer

The Swiss Institute (SI) is my goldilocks of contemporary art museums — free, quick, and never too busy (especially for a museum in NYC). Tucked in a corner in the East Village, the museum has four floors of galleries with just enough art that you can spend time on each piece without feeling rushed or overloaded.

Two exhibitions are on view from September 9th: Tobias Spichtig’s “Good OK Great Fantastic Perfect Grand Thank You” and Rosemary Mayer’s “Ways of Attaching.” Outside the galleries, semi-permanent installations deck the walls, stairways, and the rooftop terrace, bringing art to every step you take.

Look for a swarm of palm-sized fruit flies on the walk up to the second floor, cast in resin and filled with bright beads.

On a wall, ceramic peels curl around ceramic apples, so lifelike you could bite into them. Even the rooftop garden is an art piece; each aluminum cube is home to a plant that is extinct in the wild. Spiked Lotus berthelotii spill from the soil, Cosmos atrosanguineus bloom wine-red flowers, and Ginkgo biloba stretch against the NYC skyline.

Hungry for art but too busy to visit? Head to swissinstitute. net for the online exhibition, Sable Elyse Smith’s “FEAR TOUCH POLICE.” It is a three-part digital magazine with contributions from five artists — poems, stories, music, and video typed in white text over a dark clip of a burning car.

Another online feature is the “SI: Visions” video series. The 16 clips give a glimpse into how artists find inspiration as they lead viewers down rabbit holes of medieval manuscripts, Rubbermaid trash cans, improv exercises, and ecospheres. My favorite is “Ian Cheng on the Society of the Mind.” The video

Sophia Liu/Staff Artist

flashes between scenes from his work as Cheng unpacks how he “creates a mind” in his video simulations with each frame packed with details for you to pause and excavate.

Contemporary art can feel distant — what is that pile of forks and floss doing on the floor, and how is it supposed to make me feel? “Visions” make sense of the abstract fixations that artists imbue into tangible works. It snaps an X-ray of a piece so you can see the mosaic of media that influenced it and the ideas it stands on. The pile of forks and floss from Nancy Lupo’s “All, Always, Already” comes alive with the hours and energy she spent weaving them together.

To borrow a line from Joseph Giovannini’s New York Times review of the SI, these videos shift your perspective on contemporary art from “I could have done this” to “I actually could do this.” They hit you with a jolt of inspiration to lean into whatever theories fascinate you and maybe create something out of it.

If you visit the SI onsite, do not miss the Printed Matter bookstore by the entrance stocked with artists’ books and zines, self-published booklets. I spent as long browsing the floor-to-ceiling shelves as I did wandering through the galleries.

A parting tip: It goes against my instincts, but I try to discover a piece of art myself before I read its description or take a photo. Stare at it, get up close (or as close as you can without triggering the security alarm), notice whatever comes to mind, then see what the artist has to say, or snap a shot for Instagram.

PATEL (12) BROWSES ARGOSY BOOKSTORE Lauren Kim/Art Director

Neeva Patel Staff Writer This summer, in an effort to get out of the house, I decided to explore some of the bookstores around me. While I had visited the Barnes & Noble on 45th St. and 5th Ave. and the one near Union Square, I wanted to find something more unique. One day, I searched for bookstores on Google Maps and walked towards the closest one. I was under the impression that it would be a modern bookstore selling contemporary fiction books, but I was wrong.

When I arrived and peered up at the old six-story townhouse, I realized that it was antique and probably didn’t sell trendy books like “Malibu Rising” and “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” as I had wanted. The building was dark brown, slightly corroded, and displayed smudged windows on each floor. Regardless of its appearance, I decided to explore inside, unaware that I had just come across the oldest independent bookstore in all of New York: Argosy Book Store.

Argosy was founded by Louis Cohen in 1925, who chose the name because it starts with the letter ‘A’ and would therefore

be listed first in telephone books, increasing publicity. In recent years, the bookstore has been featured in the movie “The Goldfinch” (one of my favorite books) and the popular show “Law & Order.” Argosy isn’t solely a home to books — the store also sells antique prints, rare maps, and old autographs.

When I first went to Argosy, there was a sale for old paperback books ranging from $3 to $10. Curious customers eyed the inexpensive books sitting on a wooden shelf outside the store. As I entered the store, I was immediately drawn to the antique prints that sat in baskets next to the checkout counter. These prints consisted of fashion plates drawn by Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior, and Hubert de Givenchy. The history evident in the prints was fascinating to explore and an enjoyable activity for anyone who loves to discover and analyze old art and clippings. One print from 1892, a rare bird’s eye view drawing of the Port of New York, is for sale on the Argosy website for $12,500!

Next to these prints were huge shelves holding around 60,000 books in all shapes and sizes from over 220 genres and topics. I also came across two pamphlets from 1928 called “Hints on Etiquette” and “The Mental Differences Between

Men and Women” that were about the length of my pointer finger.

Argosy recognizes that all parts of a book are art.

As I wandered around the store I came across a basket of old book covers for sale, without the actual books inside. One beautiful forest green cover of “Black Beauty” caught my was then that Argosy transformed mere bookstore into a historic book and art

eye. It from a museum.

I recommend Argosy to anybody interested in art, literature, or history. All the books and prints are in great condition for their age and there are many genres to explore. Even though the bookstore was bustling with customers, the workers at Argosy were incredibly helpful and kind. This was a great place for me to find, and I will definitely be returning to visit!

KARPF’S (12) TRIP TO THE QUEENS NIGHT MARKET Brett Karpf Contributing Writer In the height of the pandemic, waiting in line was certainly not one of the things I expected to miss. It wasn’t until I stood in lines for food at the Queens Night Market that I realized this quintessential New York experience had been lacking from the last one and a half years. The Queens night market offers amazing ambiance, live music, and delicious and diverse food. The Market is located in (the unfortunately named) Corona Park and is open exclusively on Saturday nights. It is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the comfort of the Lauren Kim/Art Director

reopening city .

In mid-July I took a Mets fan-filled seven train to MetsWillet point. After leaving the train and getting lost trying to find the market — don’t get distracted by the old world’s fair globe — I had arrived. Rows of vendors selling art and food extended all the way to the entrance. Smells of distant country’s foods wafted about the market and pulled my attention from vendor to vendor. The options were so varied and enticing that it became nearly impossible to choose only a few things. Everything from Brazilian, to Burmese, to Sudanese, to Ethiopian piqued my interest and my taste buds.

After looping around the market four times, I decided to start with Taiwanese fried chicken. The crispy chicken was covered in a rich sticky sweet sauce. Next came Bengali chotpoti, a cone filled with spicy potatoes, chickpeas, and other aromatics.

Soon after, I opted for Korean jajangmyeon noodles —

delicate and delicious noodles covered in a black bean sauce.

Lastly, I got bubble tea and made my way to the side of the market farthest from the entrance.

Adjacent to the far side of the rows of vendors was a dance floor with a DJ playing live music. Sadly for the DJ, the dance floor was entirely populated by children playing tag, with some people sitting on an open field behind them. By the time the sun started to set, people transitioned away from the vendors toward the grass. Around nine, the DJ stopped playing music and a live band began playing acoustic songs. Across the field, groups of people swayed along to the music as they laughed and talked. Despite the news of the pandemic, as I sat on the field next to the market eating delicious food surrounded by warm weather and music, the city truly felt recovered.

THE RECORD ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Riva Vig/Art Director

Lauren Kim/Art Director

Students’ favorite songs of the summer, according to a Record poll

Riva Vig/Art Director

Riva Vig/Art Director

Lauren Kim/Art Director

Lauren Kim/Art Director

15

16

THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

“Pressure cooker” summer

Students struggle to prioritize relaxation over productivity Emily Sun Staff Writer “Every time you relax, you feel bad about it because you know that you’re wasting time that can be useful,” Avi Kumar (11) said.

Summer is a time to unwind, but for Kumar and other students, a culture of productivity stands in the way.

People often equate being productive to always being busy because they believe that persistent effort is the key to progress, Gabby Chong (12) said. For many teenagers, progress means academic advancement or recognition for a passion, and the expectation is that they pour all their time and energy towards that pursuit. “It’s a mindset that most people have, especially at Horace Mann, to constantly be doing work.”

“It’s an expectation that in whatever you’re doing, you’re being fruitful.”

- Jhanae Ottey (12) American culture is hyperfocused on productivity, and students at the school in particular thrive on challenges and high expectations, Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein said.

“I don’t want to say it’s negative because it brings people a lot of joy, but it’s problematic when it feels like you’re on a treadmill that you can’t get off of.” That feeling can arise if students base their satisfaction and sense of worth on external validators such as grades, parents, teachers, or the college application process so they feel an incessant need to work for that approval, even during the summer, she said.

During the school year, what counts as productive is clear cut: finishing a handout, turning in a paper, studying for a test, Jhanae Ottey (12) said. The assignments stop over the summer, but the pressure to be productive persists — the difference is that students must now define productivity for

For Miller Harris (11), summer is the time to show colleges that he knows his passions and uses his free time to engage in them, he said. So, he took a science course at the University of Pennsylvania in June. The course made it hard for him to step back from work because he spent hours on his assignments, double-checking every answer and staying up late to make sure they were perfect. “I was so used to the work ethic of ‘I need everything done’ that I couldn’t chill for one second.”

The demand for productivity as a nonstop grind can encourage people to push themselves to their breaking point instead of resting when they feel overwhelmed, which is important after a tough school year, Chong said. “It’s okay to not be doing anything because we’re so hard working during the school year. We all need a break sometimes, you shouldn’t feel bad about it.”

It is hard for students to let go of the mentality that they need to keep moving from one task to the next, Levenstein said.

“Throughout the school year, I keep various lists and I feel good at the end of the day if I’ve accomplished a lot of the goals I had, so I tend to also feel a little bit adrift [over the summer] without that.”

The key is to reframe productivity over the summer so students can still feel accomplished, whether by reading a novel, taking a walk, watching a film, or other activities that are commonly deemed relaxing and unproductive during the school year, she said.

People view relaxation as the antithesis of productivity, but the two are dependent on each other, Chong said.

Productivity w it h out relaxation b r e e d s

three days every week to relax, but taking time off often made her feel guilty. “When I am relaxing or just doing nothing, I sometimes stress out over not doing something in the moment, and I tell myself to get up,” she said. “That mindset of always having to be doing something will actually make your relaxation time less productive.”

Chong avoids stress by planning her work on Google Calendar and leaving empty spots as free time. “It helps me really enjoy the time when I’m not doing tasks and accept that it’s okay to not actively be doing something.”

A productive day for Chong involves physical or mental activity such as running an errand, cleaning her room, doing the laundry, or working at her internship. “Taking care of my mental health also counts as being productive because I’m giving myself time to rest,” she said. She strolls outside, listens to music, reads, bakes banana bread, grabs dinner with friends, or just lies in bed.

Kang found a balance between extracurriculars and rest by viewing productivity as striving towards a goal, a process that requires both work and relaxation. “My brain needs some objective to properly function,” she said. “If I’m just sitting there all day watching TV and not working towards any goal, I feel like I’m just existing and not doing anything.” She worked on weekdays and left weekends free to spend time with friends and rest until she felt energized and focused, but any more relaxation felt unproductive.

Aside from college preparation, the other objective of summer is to relax, Kang said. “Productivity isn’t the only goal in life — you want to live a little, you want to be happy, and relaxing helps you do that.” She visited her cousins in San Francisco, toured colleges with her older brother, and spent time with her dad at the Delaware River.

Unlike many of her peers who attended summer programs or internships, Gisella Fischberg (10) spent most of her summer baking, beading, and taking dance classes. Some people might think she wasted her time, but she sees summer as a time to do what she wants and relax, she said. “If you consider something worth your time, then you shouldn’t be guilty about spending it

Felix Brener/Staff Artist

themselves and balance the need to be productive with their desire to relax.

People generally value being productive over relaxing because it produces a measurable outcome, Elise Kang (10) said.

Even while relaxing, people value activities that yield a product, Ottey said. For example, doing crafts is more fulfilling and thus held in higher regard than scrolling on TikTok because there is something to show for it at the end of the day, she said. “It’s an expectation that in whatever you’re doing, you’re being fruitful.”

Many students view productivity over summer as a way of boosting their extracurricular profiles for college applications, Kang said. The three months become a “pressure cooker” for Kang, as she scrambles to check off boxes for pre-college courses, internships, and contests to make sure she does “enough” compared to her peers. Otherwise, she fears that colleges will view her as less productive and therefore less qualified compared to other applicants.

Competition intensifies over the summer because Kang does not know what most of her peers are up to, which sows more uncertainty into how she measures up next to them, she said. “It’s an invisible race,” she said. “I’ll think, ‘I bet so and so is doing all of this,’ and I try to keep up with a standard that’s not even visible to me.” Even though she took an Algebra II course, attended debate camp, and shadowed a physician, her stress did not subside.

“How you spend your summer can be yet another opportunity to beat yourself up,” Levenstein said. She does not want students to feel like summer is yet another thing they need to get “right,” but college applications and the comparative nature of social media create an image of a right and wrong summer for students to measure themselves up against.

Chong also assessed the productivity of her summer based on her peers in junior year, as she prepared for standardized tests and college. “This year, I’ve improved by trying to not compare myself to others because I know other people’s idea of productivity or doing something meaningful is different from mine,” she said.

burnout, and relaxation without productivity becomes boredom, she said. “You have to be working, but you also need to give yourself time to take care of yourself or else your growth isn’t going to be as fast,” she said. “You’ve got to find that balance that

“You have to be working, but you also need to give yourself time to take care of yourself or else your growth isn’t going to be as fast.”

- Gabby Chong (12) works for you.”

A Scientific American article titled “Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime” explains that “puritanical devotion to perpetual busyness does not in fact translate to greater productivity and is not particularly healthy.” Downtime restores the brain so it can be more attentive, motivated, and creative, as well as process new information, problem solve, and even maintain a sense of self.

Chong was less productive at the start of summer and incorporated more work days into her schedule in July. She saved

in that way because other people don’t think it is ‘productive.’”

Peter Yu (11) sees productivity over the summer as a balance of work and rest, with both ends of the scale holding equal importance, he said. His days were a mix of exercise, work for an online UC Berkeley philosophy course, and free time on Netflix, video games, or calls with his friends. “Those enjoyable aspects of your life are just as important, if not more, because they allow you to focus better and be more efficient.”

By contrast, Yu said he feels horrible if he spends a whole day only studying or relaxing. “I did that the first few weeks where I just was playing tennis, enjoying myself, talking with friends all the time,” he said. “It becomes less enjoyable over time, whereas if I have a contrast of work, I don’t feel as sluggish.”

Being productive in the summer can also mean expanding the limits of one’s comfort zone, Johanna Scher (12) said. She interned at an organization that works with older adults and took an academic course. The activities kept her busy, but they also helped her feel relaxed because she used her time to explore her interests. “I want to spend my summer very productively, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and I don’t want to do things just because I’m told I’m supposed to.”

Ottey sees productivity and relaxation as a negotiation between her current mental state and what she needed to finish by the end of the three months. “I need to do a bunch of stuff before August ends for college apps so I can have an easier senior year, but right now, I need a break because preseason is starting soon,” she said.

“It’s a balance of long term versus short term needs and wants.”

Summer is a time for students to develop that internal sense of understanding so they can spend their time on what they think is best, whether that is academic or leisurely, Levenstein said. “It’s not that there’s a problem with being productive, but students have to come to a place where the reward comes from inside of them and not from some outside body telling them they did a good job,” she said. “If you redefine productivity, I don’t see such a stark line between being productive and relaxing.”

THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Olympics, one year late: Community members react to controversy Zack Kurtz Staff Writer “[The Olympics] certainly added a bit of excitement back into our lives when there hasn’t been much going on this past year,” Jiyon Chatterjee (11) said. During the Olympics, everyone is able to come together to see incredible athletes do what they do best, he said.

This summer, Tokyo held the 32nd Olympics Games between July 23rd and August 8th. The games, which were delayed a year due to the pandemic, consisted of 339 events in 33 different sports. While there may not have been fans in attendance, many students and faculty took the time to watch the games from home.

This summer’s Olympics brought together 11,091 athletes from 206 different countries. The Olympics can be unifying because all of the athletes, no matter what country they are from, have been training for this moment their entire lives, so they have a lot in common, Dalia Pustilnik (12) said.

Despite this unity, Pustilnik observed a lot more controversy leading up to the games than she had in past Olympics, she said. From Sha’carri Richardson’s disqualification to the ban on the Soul Cap, Pustilnik was not

surprised by the incidents of racism showing up in sports, she said.

American gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the team event finals, though she later went on to win a bronze medal in the balance beam finals. Biles withdrew due to mental health issues and a loss of spatial awareness that disoriented her while in the air.

The public’s response to Biles’ w i t h d r aw a l caused Nitika Subramanian (11) to reflect on an issue in the sports world, she said.

“I was annoyed to see how people were treating athletes like machines,” she said.

“Simone Biles has performed incredibly well; it does not make her less of an athlete.”

Ria Chowdhry (12) had not seen as much of a focus on mental health in prior Olympics, she said.

In the past, some athletes have set aside their mental health in order to push through their competitions, Chowdhry said. “Mental health issues don’t just arise in one day, people deal with them for a while,”

she said. “I find it interesting that this year is when we saw a lot of athletes discuss their mental health journey because maybe in past years they have not felt as comfortable in sharing what they are going through.”

The US Fencing team also sparked

also felt bad for the athletes because there was always the risk that the Olympics would be canceled, he said.

While Pustilnik felt it was a shame that the Olympics couldn’t host any spectators, including the athletes’ families, that safety measure was necessary to keep participants safe, she said.

Given the

Aimee Yang/Staff Artist

c ont rove rs y by allowing Alen Hadzic, a fencer accused of sexual assault, to compete, Pustilnik said. “That was really awful and just showed a real lack of prioritization for the safety of the other members on the team.”

With COVID-19 as an ongoing global issue, Corey Brooks (12) viewed the Olympics as reckless and inconsiderate towards the safety of those involved, he said. Brooks

circumstances, Tokyo did a good job handling the situation, Pustilnik said.

In contrast, Alex Nagin (12) was disappointed in the COVID-19 precautions at the Olympic games, he said. While watching the events, Nagin saw many coaches and others on the sidelines not wearing masks when they were supposed to be doing so.

The Tokyo Olympics was unique due to its addition of four new sports — skateboarding, surfing, karate, and sport climbing — as well as the reintroduction of baseball and softball, which were featured in

17

past Olympic games. The new sports made the Olympics much more interesting to watch than in previous years, Chowdhry said. “When you add new sports, it appeals to a new audience,” she said.

Pustilnik enjoyed watching skateboarding, especially because all of the winners were so young, she said.

Because a variety of sports was always featured on television, Steve Yang (11) watched whichever events were featured on television at the time, which allowed him to see sports that he would not normally watch, he said. Yang also paid close attention to some sports that he follows throughout the year, such as tennis, he said.

During the Olympics, Subramanian found herself becoming very patriotic, she said.

She frequently checked the medal count to see Team USA’s standing and couldn’t help but feel proud of the American athletes when they won, she said.

For Chatterjee, the Olympics go beyond each nation’s pride. The games represent the feats we are able to accomplish as human beings, he said. “Just to see us overcome all the things that the world has gone through and still excel, to me that’s really meaningful and powerful.”

Tumbling through tournaments: Romero (12) and Thomas (12) wrestle all summer long Clio Rao Staff Writer

Varsity Wrestling team members James Thomas (12) and Elias Romero (12) stayed occupied with tournaments, hours of training, and research into college wrestling programs.

Even though it can be hard to balance with multiple time commitments, training over the summer is crucial for staying fit and preparing for the coming season, Romero said.

Thomas attended multiple tournaments and other events this summer, including the Journeymen New York State Championships and local tournaments in Connecticut, he said. Thomas received a pin at states — wrestlers receive pins for pinning their opponent down on both shoulder blades for an automatic win — and top three placings at the local tournaments, he said.

Romero was unable to attend tournaments this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Because tournaments are large gatherings, Romero and his family did not feel that it would be safe to attend, he said. Also, due to his busy work schedule, it was more convenient for Romero to practice rather than compete, he said. However, a typical summer competition schedule for Romero includes multiple smaller, local tournaments that serve as qualifiers for larger tournaments.

Although he did not attend tournaments this summer, Romero wrestled around three

times a week, in addition to doing cardio and weightlifting three times a week, he said.

Unlike previous years, Romero trained at the Jersey Shore with a club coach and other teammates that he met this summer, he said.

Unlike Romero, Thomas trained alone.

However, he had support from his family, fellow teammates, and coach, he said. Thomas found unexpected benefits from training alone, such as getting to be alone with his thoughts and learning how to manage that process, he said.

Thomas found it difficult to achieve an extensive training schedule this summer due to a job at a sleepaway camp with a 14-hour workday, six days a week, he said. Regardless, Thomas tumbled and shadow wrestled for about an hour a day and ran sprints for two hours a day, he said.

Similarly, Romero worked a full-time job, which made it difficult to fit wrestling practices in his schedule, he said.

Romero used all of his extra time this summer to stay in shape and to gain exposure to college programs and coaches, he said. One strategy for getting exposure to colleges is wrestling in front of college coaches in order to showcase drilling and technique abilities as well as live wrestling abilities, Romero said.

“It takes a lot to be the best,” Thomas said.

“It’s all in preparation for our senior season, and maybe college, but whatever makes me better is what I look forward to.”

Courtesy of Maddy Wu

Courtesy of Elias Romero

WRESTLING ALL YEAR Romero and Thomas at a tournament last spring.

Courtesy of James Thomas

Courtesy of Laila Farmer

SOCCER SENSATION Farmer practices with her team.

Ready for recruitment: Farmer (12) and Walsh’s (12) summer sports Max Chasin Staff Writer “The summer is a great opportunity to play in front of college coaches and scouts,” Aillil Walsh (12), who spent the summer competing in basketball showcases and tournaments, said.

Laila Farmer (12) had a similar experience playing soccer across the country at different camps in front of college coaches. Both she and Walsh spent the summer working towards the goal of getting recruited to play at the collegiate level in their respective sports.

In order to stay in shape and prepare for his tournaments and showcases, Walsh dedicated a substantial amount of time to practice, he said.

“Because there has been no school, I’ve had much more free time, so it’s easier to get two to three workouts a day.”

Walsh was not able to practice with his team, King Hoops NYC, both because of the pandemic and the distance to the team’s practice facility, but the independent workouts did an adequate job of preparing himself for tournaments, he said.

Farmer had to be in good shape for her showcases as well, she said. “I would run almost every day, and when I was not running, I was doing ab workouts to get stronger.” Farmer also competed against college athletes in pickup games on Randall’s Island or Riverside Park, she said.

Walsh had a very successful summer in regards to his competitions, he said. Walsh and his team won two tournaments and finished the summer with a winning record.

Farmer and her team, Manhattan Soccer Stars, also played well, she said. They competed in a tournament called Delco, which Farmer considers to be her best tournament of the summer, she said. “I gained a lot of confidence going into the summer and that was definitely something noticed by college coaches.”

Over the course of the summer, Walsh encountered difficulties caused by the pandemic.

It has been difficult to get in front of coaches to play, and Division III coaches are not traveling, he said. Ultimately, Walsh did his best to network and get his name out to certain coaches by emailing around, and he feels as though he made the most out of his summer, he said.

Farmer was able to receive excellent exposure to many college coaches by attending several ID camps, which are camps specific to colleges so that coaches can observe players, she said. “At the camps you play small side games, technicals, and larger games, so it’s a great opportunity for coaches to really assess your ability.”

Overall, this summer was helpful for both athletes as they worked towards their goals of getting recruited. “Going into my senior year, recruiting for colleges is huge, and this summer really helped me gain a lot of confidence going into next year,” Farmer said.

Sports Previews: 18

THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Students practice fall sports during preseason Girls Cross Country Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers This year, the Girls Cross Country team is made up of twenty students, the biggest group Sareena Parikh (12) has been a part of in her six years of cross country at the school, she said.

Many of the new team members are experienced runners, Catherine Mignone (12) said. She is excited to cheer them on this fall at meets and practice.

Some of the team members

prepared for preseason by running almost every day and doing workouts over the summer, team member Kat Benton (10) said. For example, Mignone participated in a high performance rugby program over the summer which required her to do a lot of running and sprintwork.

During preseason, the team warmed up with dynamic stretching and then ran different loops in Van Cortlandt Park, Mignone said. Team members ran up hills or long, flat stretches to

Courtesy of Lauren Landy

test their endurance, and ended practice with a cool down jog and stretching, she said. While it was challenging to run in the heat,the team pushed through by monitoring their hydration levels and taking breaks after each set, she said.

“I enjoyed coming back to school and getting to see everyone on the team and practice without masks,” team member Sadie Katzenstein (10) said.

THUMBS UP FOR SELFIES! XC members smile together after a run.

Courtesy of Piper Wallace

Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers

FASHION FORWARD Field hockey team members show off their gear.

The Boys Cross Country team prepared all summer and is now in great shape for the season, team member Jake Ziman (11) said.

The practices during preseason were not easy, Ziman said.

“Summer running is tough, with extreme heat and sun, so it was a challenge to get in the conditioning we’d like to before the season,” he said.

The Field Hockey team wasted no time in preparing for live game situations, Coach Caroline Surhoff said. Surhoff incorporated a lot of scrimmaging into preseason in preparation for the in-person competition to come this fall, she said.

Surhoff also set time aside for bonding and group discussion.

“It’s a way for them to get to know each other, build a support system and create goals and norms for the season,” she said.

The team focused on drills such as stick work during the first week and moved to scrimmages the following week, Surhoff said. The team has done many drills with

Ziman followed the running plans that Boys Cross Country Coach Jon Eshoo provided to the team. During preseason, the team worked hard in Van Cortlandt Park, continuing to build up mileage and doing speed work, team member Spencer Kim (10) said.

Kim ran over 300 miles this summer, he said. “Logging miles over the summer builds an aerobic base, which is important to success during the actual season,” Kim

said.

Kim is hoping to compete in races against other schools this upcoming fall season, but the team is still unsure whether competition is confirmed, Kim said. “We’re all looking forward to getting back to races after almost two years without them,” Ziman said. “We’re expecting to have at least Ivy League meets, and we hopefully will have some of our bigger meets as well.”

Courtesy of Piper Wallace

Field Hockey Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers

Boys Cross Country

passing and playing on the goal, team member Emmi Zeitler (12) said.

This year, the team’s eleven freshman players have been working hard and making large improvements every practice despite having little game experience in previous years, Surhoff said.

SAY CHEESE Field hockey team smiles for the camera while taking a break.

Football

Courtesy of Lauren Ho

Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers Since the Football team members are at various skill levels, coaches Matthew Russo and Ronnie Beller ran drills that focused on fundamental skills that everyone needs, team member Adande Nartey (10) said. The team also did many position-specific drills and had tactical discussions, team member Milo Mandelli-Valla (10) said.

ALL GEARED UP Football team members strike a pose at practice.

In the past two years, the team has evolved as players have started to take football a lot more seriously than before, Ryan Lax (12) said. This year’s team has shown the renewed energy and spirit necessary to prepare for competition after a year off from playing, he said.

The team’s practices were twice as long as other teams, which was difficult in the heat, MandelliValla said. “​​We just had to focus and play through it, no matter how

difficult that was.”

After training during preseason, Nartey is looking forward to playing a few games in the fall.

“They are a chance to see how the practices improved us, what we can improve on, and are also just a big team bonding opportunity,” Nartey said. “I am definitely looking forward to our game on homecoming and the games against some of our rival schools in our league,” Lax said.

19

THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

Boys Soccer Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers

The Boys Soccer team had a lot of fun during tryouts and the rest of preseason, team member Alexandre Saint-Sauveur (10) said. The team had the largest turnout ever for soccer tryouts at around 70 players, 14 of whom were seniors, Boys Soccer Coach Gregg Quilty said.

Prior to preseason, some players practiced on their own. Saint-Sauveur played travel soccer with an out-ofschool team, and Spencer Kolker (10) played soccer almost every week since July, he said. Gabe Jaffe (10) went on runs in order to get into aerobic shape.

During preseason, the players

started off with four days of an intense tryout process where players took part in back-to-back games with little rest, Jaffe said. After the Varsity and JV teams were decided, the members did warm ups, passing drills, shooting drills, and finished off with a scrimmage during practice, Saint-Sauveur said.

The team familiarized themselves with a 4-3-2-1 formation on the field through position-specific drills, and learning more about each position’s relation to another, Quilty said. They also practiced set pieces such as corner kicks and goal kicks, and other tactical work where the team creates designated plays, he said.

Jem Klancnik (10) enjoyed

Courtesy of Barry Mason

watching everyone improve and getting to know his teammates during practices. He also admired the goals that his teammates scored on the field, he said. “The work ethic has been great, and the team chemistry has also improved a ton,” Quilty said.

However, the team did face some challenges. “The heat has been hard,” Klancnick said. “We need to make sure we’re staying hydrated.”

Despite the heat, Saint-Sauveur is looking forward to playing games against other schools and practicing with the varsity team during the season, he said. “I’m really looking forward to finally playing games and just enjoying being together as a team,” Quilty said.

PLAYING HARD Boys soccer team hard at work in the heat.

Girls Soccer

Courtesy of Barry Mason

Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers During preseason practices, the Girls Soccer team focused on conditioning, skill work, and team building, Girls Soccer Coach Tim Sullivan said. The team’s ultimate goal is to compete for an Ivy Prep League Championship this season.

This year’s co-captains Eliza Becker (12), Rachel Kuhn (12), and Laila Farmer (12) have been very welcoming to the underclassmen,

Quilty said. “[The captains] have done a great job of working hard and inspiring the team,” Sullivan said.

Prior to preseason, players made time during the summer to stay in shape and prepare for their upcoming season. “I usually ran three miles every other day,” Kuhn said.

Becker was excited to see the influx of young talent on the team, and cannot wait to finally compete after being unable to last year due

to COVID-19 restrictions, she said.

Practice was difficult due to the warm weather, Becker said. “It [was] very hot and sunny, but the team worked through it, and the overall attitude [was] great,” she said.

The captains are looking forward to competing again, winning games, and bonding with the team, Becker said. Quilty is also excited to see the team come together throughout the season, she said.

CHASING THEIR GOALS Athletes shoot their shots on the field.

Girls Tennis Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers

The Girls Tennis preseason practices have been a lot of fun, team member Emily Grant (10) said. “It’s good to meet and get to know the other girls — especially the upperclassmen who can mentor us,” team member Diya Chawla (9) said.

Because there are four courts, the team typically had three doubles or singles matches going, while the fourth court was used by remaining players to do drills and play other games to improve their tennis game,

team member Bella Colacino (12) said. They also ran drills working on movement, communication, net game, and ball placement, Colacino said.

“While playing, a major challenge was the heat, which made it hard to play, but everyone pushed through and worked hard,” Colacino said.

This year’s new Girls Tennis team coach is Coach Ken Burton, after Coach Rawlins Troop stepped down this past year. “I missed Coach Troop being there, but Coach Kenny has been great,” Grant said.

“Kenny, the new coach, is

Courtesy of Jade Ciriello

incredible,” Colacino said. “I have already learned so much from him.”

Coach Peggy Hartmann, the middle school Girls Tennis coach, and Coach Olufemi Salako, who will be coaching the Junior Varsity Girls Tennis team, also helped out during preseason.

Colacino said.

Grant is looking forward to team spirit during the season and finally being able to play matches during the upcoming season, she said.

“I’m really excited for this season because it’s my senior year and last year we didn’t have a real season,” team member Rhea Patel (12) said.

Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers

Courtesy of Gabby Chong

NICE KILL! Orloff (10) prepares to spike a volleyball.

Water Polo Erika Jiang and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers

The Water Polo team’s preseason this year focused on fundamentals and building endurance, Varsity Water Polo Coach Michael Duffy said. “Water polo is physically demanding and most players haven’t been in a pool in a long time,” he said.

Max Chasin (11) is one of the top players on the team, Duffy said.

Chasin prepared by practicing and competing with his club team, CT Premier Water Polo. Preseason was productive for Chasin, as it helped him get into better shape through ample swimming and treading practice, he said. The first part of practice consisted of treading exercises and passing drills, then moved on to shooting and eventually scrimmaging, Chasin said.

Another stand out player is Walker McCarthy (12), Chasin said.

“He’s one of my closest friends on

The Girls Volleyball team is setting up for a terrific season after running basic drills and scrimmages during preseason practices, Joann Yu (10) said.

Before preseason, some players diligently trained by themselves. Team member Maddie Kim (10)

GAME, SET, MATCH Tennis players go head-to-head on the court.

attended private volleyball lessons while she was away in Korea, she said.

Yu attended a two week NYC Juniors camp and a Virginia Beach Camp hosted by her club team, All Star Empire, she said.

Preseason training consisted of drills and scrimmages at the end of each session, Kim said. Yu particularly enjoyed the six-on-six scrimmages, she said. The team

Girls Volleyball worked on different types of sets, blocking, and serving, Gabby Chong (12) said. Certain drills were difficult to run as the team worked around missing players who were quarantined, Yu said.

Aside from drills, the team members worked on getting to know each other’s personalities and how they each play so they know how to work best with each other on

and off the court, Chong said. The team has done a lot of bonding, and also learned how to play new positions, Volleyball Coach Jason Torres said.

Torres is looking forward to the new team, new uniforms, and the new attitude, he said.

“This is a team that is looking to hopefully make some of their own history in the volleyball program.”

Courtesy of Lauren Ho

the team, and he’s a great player, so I can’t wait to see what he can do this year,” he said.

The team’s goals for the season are to have fun and work hard, Duffy said. The team looks forward to bonding and competing against other schools since last year’s COVID-19 restrictions prevented them from doing so, Chasin said.

“The water polo team always has strong camaraderie, so I can’t wait to spend time with my teammates,” Chasin said.

MAKING A SPLASH McCarthy shoots at water polo practice.

Cover by Vivian Coraci, Lauren Kim, and Riva Vig/Art Directors