The Lion's Roar 32-2

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Volume 32, Issue 2 140 Brandeis Road Newton Centre, MA 02459

Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper · Newton, MA · Established 1984 · September 11, 2015

John Lawless, custodian and poet, retires

APPROVED

NTA ratifies new contract; NSC next Carina Ramos

Veronica Podolny

Sr. News Editor

Editor-in-Chief

After more than a year of uncertainty, the teachers union approved last week a new contract that guarantees a substantial wage increase over the next three years, along with other benefits.

At a meeting on Sept. 2, more than 1,200 members of the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) gathered in South’s field house to discuss and vote on the proposed contract that is the result of almost 18 months of negotiation between the NTA and the School Committee.

Fewer than six hours after voting ended, NTA President Michael Zilles informed the community that union members had overwhelmingly voted to ratify

Custodian John Lawless has spun his last stanza at South.

Lawless, who endeared himself to both students and faculty through his poetry and quirky witticisms, announced his retirement at the faculty meeting last June after working and writing at South for 12 years.

Lawless, who recently turned 70, has decided to retire because of problems with his knees, which made it difficult for him to perform his duties as a custodian. In his retirement, Lawless will have more time for fishing, kayaking and, at last, relaxing. “I’ve been working since I was 14. My wife said, ‘Maybe you need a break,’” he said.

Around South, Lawless has enjoyed unique prominence as the resident custodian-poet. Lawless began sharing his poems with the school at the urging of his granddaughter, during the poetry unit of her English class in her freshman year at South. Lawless came in several times during the unit to work with the class.

LAWLESS, 3

as they fade from memory, what do we teach about the attacks? why?

9/11

NTA rejects proposed budget increase

2011 contract expires, contract negotiations begin SPRING 2014

WINTER 2014

fall 2014 At faculty meeting, teachers wear Tshirts in protest

pages 16-20

CONTRACT VOTE, 2

photos by Nathaniel Bolter

Teachers vote to approve new contract FALL 2015

SPRING 2015 Teachers march from North to Ed Center

Football flounders against North in scrimmage Lions and Tigers fought hard in preparation for the regular season.

Failing to contain North’s The Tigers stormed to high-powered offense, the football an early lead, scoring on a long team lost 31-22 in its annual pre- touchdown pass just three minseason matchup with the crossutes into the game, though the town rival on Sept. 5. Though extra point attempt clanged off the scrimmage does not count the upright. for either team’s record, both the Following the Lions’ punt,

Sam Rosenblatt

Sports Editor, Denebola

the Tigers marched down the field again. A deep completion gave North a first-and-goal opportunity, and they quickly made the score 12-0.

“I think the guys were a little nervous. For some reason, when we play Newton North, we think it’s a bigger game than it is,” head coach Ted Dalicandro said.

“I think our guys sort of let that get to them.”

As they entered the second quarter, the Lions countered with an 11-play drive toward Tiger territory, but they were forced to punt again near midfield before they could do any damage.

South’s defense stepped up on North’s next possession, forc-

ing the Tigers to settle for a long field goal attempt, which they converted to extend the lead to 15-0 with 5:49 left in the first half.

After the Lions turned the ball over on downs on the following drive, the Tigers again capitalized, scoring to make the score 22-0.

FOOTBALL, 28

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

One book, two opinions

Students debate the merit of this year’s One School One Book selection, “The Other Wes Moore.”

10

farm boy

Junior challenges himself to go 30 days eating only food he has grown himself.

23

SEASON PREVIEWS

A first look at football, soccer and girls volleyball as they head into the fall season.

30

NEWS 2 EDITORIALS 8 OPINIONS 10 CENTERFOLD 16 FEATURES 21 fun page 27 SPORTS 28

NEWS page 2|September 11, 2015|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

NEWS@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 2

SOUTH

NTA votes to ratify new contract

SPOTS information on school events compiled by Roar editors

Senior Parents Meeting

The meeting will take place on September 17 at 7 p.m. in the field house

This informational meeting will address new obligations and opportunities specific to seniors

One School, One Book

On September 25, South will devote a day to discussing “The Other Wes Moore”

Students will participate in activities and discussions about privilege, race and other ideas addressed in the book

Club Fair

The club fair will be held during all lunches from September 30 to October 2 in the field house

Students may visit the fair to get information on many of South’s extracurricular opportunities

‘Eurydice’

South Stage will perform “Eurydice” from October 8 to 10 at 7:30 p.m in the lab theatre

The production, directed by Rebecca Price, is a modified Greek myth

photos by Nathaniel Bolter

Faculty vote on the contract on Sept. 2. The teachers have been without a contract since the beginning of the 2014-15 school year.

CONTRACT, from 1 the agreement. The last step to securing the agreement is ratification by the Newton School Committee. Should the School Committee ratify the agreement in its upcoming vote, about a month will be needed for polishing and processing before the new contract takes effect. The union is divided into teachers (Unit A), administrators (Unit B), aides (Unit C), substitutes (Unit D) and professional support staff (Unit E), each of which is governed by its own contract. Unit A, the teachers, had the lowest acceptance rate, at 89.4 percent.

The results of the vote did not come as a surprise to Zilles. “I think we brought them a contract that was what we said we needed to have. Something that made some real improvement both in terms of issues of the competitiveness of our wages and in terms of some equity issues,” he said. “We made some real inroads and I think people are happy to start their new year with that.”

In an email, School Committee Chair Matt Hills said that “the School Committee is very pleased to have reached an agreement with the NTA.” Union members will receive an aggregate wage increase of between 7.5 and 8.5 percent over the next three years, depending on where they fall in the “step” system, which allots wage increases based on experience. For teachers, the system itself has been reduced from 19 to 15 steps, each step constituting a larger wage increase.

“Measured on the contract alone, it’s one of the best contracts, I think, based on what I’ve seen in neighboring districts,” history teacher and NTA Chief Negotiator Jamie Rinaldi said. “When you factor in the

Voting results A breakdown of ratification by unit Source of Information: NTA infographic by Carina Ramos

last decade of history, though, it means that we’re starting to catch up [to neighboring districts’ pay], but it doesn’t mean we’re going to be leading the pack.”

In addition to salary increases, Rinaldi said that the contract guarantees other benefits that “will make the quality of teachers’ working lives better,” including improved maternity and paternity leave packages and up to four family sick days, on top of the personal days that teachers are already given.

Despite these gains, by the very nature of a collective bargaining agreement, the NTA was also forced to make some concessions. Among them was the lack of substantial retroactive pay for the 2014-15 school year, during which faculty worked without a contract, and therefore without any wage increase. Each teacher will receive only $180 to compensate for last year.

Instructional technology teacher Missy Costello and wellness teacher Todd Elwell were among the union members frustrated with the lack of retroactive pay.

“That was disappointing, to have so little in that year ... but at least we have a contract for three more years going forward,” Elwell said.

The NTA also conceded in raising the cap on the number of students a fulltime high school English teacher can have from 240 to 255 students over three years, increasing the average teacher’s student load by five students each year. Though other departments teach up to 300 students in the same time frame, the number of students per English class has been limited due to the number of writing assignments in an English class.

“Any addition to the number of students we have — if you do the math, that five extra students — that’s a lot of hours of

UNIT A

UNIT B

TEACHERS

ADMINISTRATORS

89.4%

95.1%

ACCEPTANCE

ACCEPTANCE

grading papers over the course of the year,” English department head Brian Baron said.

“But I think that given the realities and the disparities between other departments, I think it’s something we can absorb and it’s something we can do.”

But the prevailing sentiment, according to Rinaldi, is one of relief and optimism.

“Already you can almost feel a weight lifted off of the work environment. The atmosphere is tangibly different,” he said.

Rinaldi added that the contract helped to relieve frustrations from last year’s unresolved issues. “Because so much of this came down to a question of salary, and the way that those questions then raise deeper, vaster questions about how teachers are valued in the community, what is the place of the school system, what is the relationship between the community and the school system, what is the value of education? ... That’s just not the way to start a school year,” he said.

The faculty’s committment to the public campaign — which consisted of lawn signs, pamphlets, pickets and packed school committee meetings — ultimately paid off at the bargaining table, according to Rinaldi, who noted that close to 50 members spoke out at School Committee meetings to advocate for a more favorable contract.

“No one is going to forget the frustration that was felt that year. I think it’s going to make [the NTA] stronger in the future,” Rinaldi said. “We’ve cultivated a whole new group of leaders and people that are willing to speak out for the union.”

With contract negotiations out of the way, Zilles said, the district will be able to refocus. “Teachers can turn their attention to what matters to them most, which is teaching and the students that they teach,” he said.

UNIT C AIDES

96.3% ACCEPTANCE

UNIT D

SUBSTITUTES

UNIT E

SUPPORT STAFF

100%

90%

ACCEPTANCE

ACCEPTANCE

september 11, 2015|page 3

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|NEWS

Custodian John Lawless retires after 12 years

The Lion’s Roar

Silence at Sunset LAWLESS, from 1 interaction with the teachers and the student body,” he said. “The poetry is what got me to engage with a lot of the students.”

Until his retirement, Lawless would leave poetry in the teachers’ lounges and contribute poems for The Roar to publish.

“I always look[ed] forward to finding his poetry on the table in the teachers’ room in Goodwin,” Latin teacher Alice Lanckton said.

Although many knew Lawless only through occasional encounters in the hall and his annual Tertulia performance, 2014 graduate Yonatan Gazit got to know another side of Lawless through an AP Language & Composition assignment, for which Gazit shadowed Lawless at work and wrote a profile about him.

“My angle was to explore how ... he’s a school custodian, but he’s so much more than that to the community, and kind of revealing the side of him that contributes to that,” Gazit said. “Because he has this incredibly interesting and rich history.”

Before his time at South, Lawless worked an array of jobs from construction to military intelligence.

When he began working as a custodian, Lawless set out to do more than the minutiae of maintaining a school.

“I looked at the job description of the custodians — it says that we’re supposed to become a part of the community — and I took that to heart. I’m not just cleaning the toilets. I’m getting to be part of the educational environment, and I offer whatever I can,” he said.

Lanckton said that it was this commitment to the community, as well as the job, that made his poetry strike a chord.

“That’s what makes him a knowledgeable writer.

Because he is very aware of what’s happening at school, and he thinks about it deeply and writes about it very

articulately,” she said. “His being a member of the staff of the school meant that he was involved in it.

He didn’t just come in and do his job and go away.”

In fact, in June 2014, South’s faculty and the Class of 2014 recognized Lawless with the Chris Kim Mentorship Award.

2015 graduate Ahaana Singh, for example, said that while her relationship with Lawless consisted only of occasional hallway pleasantries, she could tell that “he’s just such a nice guy. He’s always smiling and happy.”

This charisma, Gazit said, is what made him special. “The people who actually interact with him — even just having like one or two conversations with him over four years at South — I think you very quickly realize that he’s not just a custodian-poet,” Gazit said.

“Just the way he interacts with students, you get the vibes from him that he’s having fun. … He’s genuinely enjoying himself. And it really doesn’t take that long of talking to him to realize that.”

Lanckton said that Lawless’ “wonderful humor and his intelligence and charm” will be missed.

“He was from the old school, and he knew how to do things right. You didn’t have to tell him a million times. Once was enough and he could do it,” custodian Ernie Peltier, who has been at South since its opening in 1960, said.

At the very least, Lawless plans to return to South for future Tertulia performances. But Lawless’ legacy will not be defined by a single aspect of his personality or his poetry, Gazit said; instead, he will be remembered as a part of the quintessential South experience.

“He made high school fun,” he said. “He made Newton South — he made it a bit of a cheerier place just by being himself around campus.”

Additional reporting by Nathaniel Bolter and Bhavik Nagda

By John Lawless

The kayak drifts silently my breath stills as do the trees the Heron, motionless, mimics the willow stalks long leg stuck in the mud.

A gift, this bluish grey sheen, majestic pose, survivalist, in full hunting mode..

A large doe gazes at me a motionless kayak.

She quizzically shakes her head, resumes quenching her thirst.

The chubby groundhog looks as surprised to see me as I am to see him eating the lush green now growing on the exposed river bottom.

The water is about four feet low, a bounty for some, a dilemma for others.

The turtles look annoyed when they see me watching them, slide through the mud into the shallow water.

I glide past offering my apologies.

page 4|september 11, 2015

News|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

Sophomores pilot new interdisciplinary program Sophie Lu & Harrison Wong

DaVinci at a Glance

News Editor, News Reporter

Citing the unorthodox learning environment as the reason they enrolled, a class of sophomores will pilot the new DaVinci program, which aims to expand South’s interdisciplinary learning community by promoting crossover among science, technology, engineering, art and math.

Some students, however, expressed concern that the program’s interactive nature could create a distracting or chaotic environment.

Sophomores will take a two-year biochemistry course (8270/-1/-2) as well as Theory of Creativity (0270), in which students study the creative process and innovation, and a new Math 2 course (6270/-1/-2).

The three-year multilevel program will be offered in future years to juniors and seniors who enroll as sophomores.

Math teacher Divya Shannon, who will teach the math portion of DaVinci, said that the program will involve fewer traditional tests and quizzes and more projects.

“We’ll have the main concept we have to learn, but [students] can choose the avenue in which they want to learn it,” she said. “There’s more student choice [and] less formal sitting in rows.”

The program’s interactive nature attracted sophomore Hannah Gonzalez. “We’re not just staring at the board and having the teacher just talk at [us], because that’s not really effective for me,” she said. But in

DaVinci will combine science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics Courses will include:

Biochemistry [DaVinci] you’re working in groups more.”

“It will be a lot of learning on your feet, … getting up [and] drawing on the board, really interacting a lot,” program coordinator and history teacher Michael Kozuch said. “It sort of shifts the dynamic from a teachercentered to a more student-centered learning environment.”

But the liberal atmosphere of the program could create distractions, sophomore A.J. Kret said.

“It [might] be a bit disorganized because there’s so many people in one class at a time,” he said. “I don’t know how teachers would keep it under control. It could be kind of distracting to work in a class like that.”

Theory of Creativity While logistical problems could arise during DaVinci’s first year, Shannon said students will have to be flexible.

“They just have to trust us and know that we’ll take care of … their education,” she said.

Using the money raised by the Newton Schools Foundation, Newton Public Schools and the PTSO’s Success@South fundraiser, which alone raised $20,000, the DaVinci program now has a lab in the 9000s open to all three of its classes as well as courses outside the program. The room, designed to increase collaboration, will have moveable tables, computers, a 3D printer and walls covered in whiteboards.

“It’s just an open space where we can build things, where the kids can interact with each other,” Shannon said. “We don’t want desks; we want it to be a free space.”

By its third year, Kozuch said he hopes that each of the program’s three grades will have two sections instead of one, as well as a larger selection of electives.

He added that DaVinci’s format is designed to imitate working conditions outside of high school.

“When you go out into the real world … you don’t have segmented working groups.

Everybody has different things they contribute,” he said. “We hope that’s the kind of learning environment we’ve created.”

New PSAT date presents challenges for South David Li

Sr. News Editor In accordance with the College Board, South will administer the PSAT test to sophomores and juniors on Wednesday, Oct. 14 instead of the traditional Saturday test session.

The move will disrupt a school year already filled with days devoted to standardized testing.

In previous years, the College Board has given schools the choice to administer the PSAT on either a Wednesday or a Saturday; as part of the recently redesigned PSAT test, however, the College Board has decided to pilot a policy of offering the PSAT on Wednesdays only.

According to Principal Joel Stembridge, the College Board decided to offer the PSAT exclusively on Wednesdays in an effort to increase revenue.

“I think the College Board will have an opportunity to give this test to a lot more

students, which will make them a lot more class time due to the MCAS, PARCC and AP money,” he said. tests, according to English department head In the past, Stembridge said, South Brian Baron. offered the PSAT on Saturday instead of Senior Amanda Stavis said that offeraWednesday to prevent the college process ing the test on a weekday might even affect from becoming too intrusive daily lives. test performance.

“We try to de“Students are emphasize college usually tired during sophomore year bethe school day, and cause we don’t want “I think the College Board will taking the PSAT durstudents to be stressed have an opportunity to give ing a school day might out,” he said. “I mean, this test to a lot more students, affect the students’ the college process ability to perform well is already stressful which will make them a lot on the test. Students enough around here, more money.” have to worry about and so we actually try other school stuff, - Joel Stembridge, Principal homework and other to have students not think” about it. tests,” she said.

B e c aus e t he According to PSAT will now be administered on a week- Stembridge, the change could allow for day, South will be forced to set aside time in more students to take the test in the first for sophomores and juniors to take the test. place, given that school buses are available This presents a potential obstacle for for transportation to South on the weekdays, teachers, who must already contend with lost and not on the weekends.

1,595,486

2014 PSAT: juniors By the Numbers sophomores

1,812,143

Source of Information: collegeboard.org

52.8% of

juniors were female

47.2%

were male

The policy will also better accommodate students’ busy schedules, senior Michael Slabine said.

“It will be easier for the students to take it during school rather than coming back to school on a Saturday,” he said. “Students have many plans during the weekend, so it might be hard for students to come back to school and come back to take a test.”

Beyond the minor conveniences or inconveniences, the weekday test may ultimately achieve a loftier goal than making some money for the College Board, Baron said: reaching a wider audience and better preparing those students for higher education.

“There are students at our school that could benefit more from the knowledge that they get about how to take a standardized test and how to succeed on the SAT,” he said, “and this means that we can get every student involved in that process.”

Additional reporting by Anisha Dam

Juniors’ Average Scores: Critical Reading: 46.9 Math: 48.6 Writing Skills: 45.3 infographic by David Li

september 11, 2015|page 5

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|NEWS

School Committee to vote on redistricing scenario Jake Rong

Sr. News Editor After months of work on the elementary school redistricting process, a benchmark is approaching. On Sept. 16, the School Committee will vote on whether to adopt option “G3” as its student reassignment plan to address elementary school overcrowding.

G3 is the recommendation of the Student Assignment Working Group, a committee appointed by Superintendent David Fleishman, to review and evaluate potential redistricting scenarios in the elementary schools. The group presented the option to the School Committee on June 15.

Fleishman announced the beginning of the reassignment process and the establishment of the Student Assignment Working Group in a letter to the community this past December.

The group eventually settled upon G3 out of several original scenarios. If G3 is approved, it will amend present school boundaries and buffer zones to ease overcrowding at schools.

According to School Committee members Ruth Goldman and Steve Siegel, both of whom serve on the Student Assignment Working Group, Newton’s elementary schools have seen the strongest growth in enrollment in the past few years, especially Angier, Burr, Countryside, Mason-Rice, Williams and Zervas, all of which are overenrolled. Among these schools, Mason-Rice and Countryside are of particular focus, as those buildings are also the most dilapidated, Goldman said.

The group is also being mindful of where the reassigned students will end up once they graduate from their elementary schools.

“We’re tracking those impacts all the way through middle school and high school because we don’t want to solve the elementary school issue at the expense of the space availability at the middle and high schools,” Siegel said.

Tracking middle and high school enrollments has grown in importance as elementary students advance to the upper grades. “Some of the biggest class sizes are currently in middle school and entering high school,” Goldman said.

The criteria used to create and evaluate G3 were based on five aspects: enrollment, impact on families, community, sustainability and finances, with a primary focus on enrollment.

The group also made it a priority to preserve communities and minimize disruption for students and their families.

“We really focused on neighborhoods, we focused on crowding, we focused on walkability,” Goldman said. “We don’t want to move a group that’s walking to one school [so that it must] take the bus to another school.”

The concentration on minimal disruption also means that only incoming students, not currently enrolled ones, will be affected by the assignment changes. Therefore, the families of future Newton students — who are least informed about the redistricting process — are unfortunately also the ones most likely to be impacted. “[The parents of] that family that’s moving in this summer, they’re completely unaware of this student assignment, unless somehow they’ve been following it,” Goldman said. “But they could be moving from California. They could be moving from Brookline. They could be moving from New Jersey. So they’re moving in, and they may not have even any idea where their kids are

Newton Public Schools

The School Committee will vote on the Student Assignment Working Group’s recommended scenario, G3, on Sept. 16. going to go.”

The group is therefore trying to communicate with incoming families by holding several public forums, mailing letters to

a handful of towns including Newton and Brookline have student populations that continue to grow,” Siegel said. “It’s a testament to the popularity of these communities, their

“[The overcrowding is] a testament to the popularity of these communities, their proximity to Boston, the quality of the neighborhoods and the quality of living here.”

- Steve Siegel, School Committee member families in the affected areas and hosting a tabling day in Upper Falls on Sept. 13, which will be open to the public.

Newton’s overcrowding problem has arisen out of its desirability. As more and more families move to the area, the district is unable to match the pace of growth.

“Even as much of Eastern Massachusetts has reduced student populations,

proximity to Boston, the quality of the neighborhoods and the quality of living here.”

A lack of new facilities has also contributed to overenrollment. Before the district announced plans to rebuild Angier, Cabot and Zervas, it had been years since new buildings were added, mainly due to a low facility budget and a gradually declining student population.

As a result, when enrollment began surging a little more than a decade ago, the district was overwhelmed, according to Goldman.

“You can’t just turn around tomorrow, and decide, ‘Oh, we’re going to build a new building.’ It takes several years to plan and finance a building, and once you start building it, it actually takes another two years to build it,” she said. The district has been working on new building projects for about five years.

Both Siegel and Goldman are optimistic about G3, even if the process is not perfect. “[Some families] find out that Mason-Rice has the highest MCAS scores in Newton, and they decide they want to live there and they move into that area and they’re a bit disappointed because they have to go to Zervas,” Goldman said, “but the fact is, Zervas is a pretty good school, and they’re going to be fine.”

page 6|september 11, 2015

News|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

ELECTION 2015 School Committee The Job: The School Committee sets

policy for NPS and is composed of nine voting members: eight elected from each ward and the mayor.

The Candidates: Cyrus Vaghar and

Susan Huffman are challenging incumbents Margaret Albright and Steve Siegel in Wards 2 and 5 respectively.

Ellen P. Gibson Cyrus Vaghar Margaret Albright Angela Pitter Wright Diana Fisher Gomberg Susan Huffman Steven Siegel Ruth Goldman Matthew Hills Margie Ross Decter

School Committee, Ward 1 School Committee, Ward 2 School Committee, Ward 2 School Committee, Ward 3 School Committee, Ward 4 School Committee, Ward 5 School Committee, Ward 5 School Committee, Ward 6 School Committee, Ward 7 School Committee, Ward 8

Voters to decide whether or not to revise charter Jake Rong

Board of Aldermen

The Job: The board is the legislative branch of Newton’s government, consisting of 24 aldermen elected to two-year terms: eight Ward Aldermen, elected by their specific wards, and 16 Aldermen-at-large, elected by the entire city.

The Candidates: There are contested seats for Ward Alderman in Ward 1 and Alderman-at-Large in Wards 2, 3, 5 and 8.

Scott F. Lennon Allan L. Ciccone, Jr. Alison Leary Allan Ciccone, Sr. Marcia T. Johnson Susan S. Albright Jacob Daniel Auchincloss Jessica C. Barton Lynne Lise LeBlanc Emily Norton Ted Hess-Mahan James R. Cote Julia Malakie Barbara Brousal-Glaser Leonard J. Gentile Amy Mah Sangiolo

Alderman-at-Large, Ward 1 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 1 Ward Alderman, Ward 1 Ward Alderman, Ward 1 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 2 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 2 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 2 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 2 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 2 Ward Alderman, Ward 2 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 3 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 3 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 3 Ward Alderman, Ward 3 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 4 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 4

John W. Harney Brian E. Yates Deborah J. Crossley Christopher Pitts John B. Rice Victoria Danberg Gregory Schwartz Richard B. Blazar Ruthanne Fuller Marc C. Laredo R. Lisle Baker Frank Wolpe Richard A. Lipof David A. Kalis Cheryl Lipof Lappin

Ward Alderman, Ward 4 Alderman-at-large, Ward 5 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 5 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 5 Ward Alderman, Ward 5 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 6 Alderman-at-large, Ward 6 Ward Alderman, Ward 6 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 7 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 7 Ward Alderman, Ward 7 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 8 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 8 Alderman-at-Large, Ward 8 Ward Alderman, Ward 8 source: Newton Election Commission

North graduate running for NSC David Li & Jake Rong Sr. News Editors

Sr. News Editor

2015 North graduate Cyrus Vaghar is challenging incumbent Margaret Albright for In addition to the candidates for the Ward 2 School Committee seat in a bid to School Committee and Alderman, baladd a student vote to NPS’s governing body. lots this fall will feature a question asking As a student who barely passes the whether or not to form a commission to minimum age limit of 18, Vaghar would be revise the city charter, and if so, who its an anomaly on a School Committee in which nine members will be. the youngest member is currently 45.

In order for a question to be placed He has claimed that his age is an asset, on the ballot, 15 percent of Newton voters however. While acknowledging that concerns registered in the last state election must about his inexperience are “reasonable,” sign a petition. Over the past seven years, Vaghar insists that a younger committee the League of Women Voters, which is rewould be more attuned to the needs of the sponsible for the ballot question, collected students under its jurisdiction.

12,850 signatures, exceeding the required “I think what needs to happen on the number. If established, the commission will School Committee is there needs to be a mix propose changes to be approved by voters of different groups,” Vaghar said. “Instead in 2017. of just parents on the School Committee, A candidate for the commission which is what it is right now, there needs to needs 100 signatures to receive a spot on be students, teachers, administrators [and] a ballot and must file nomination paadditionally parents.” pers with the City Clerk by Sept. 22. Ten Vaghar expects that his outsider status people have done so: Bryan Barash, Miles will attract attention to his campaign. Aside Fidelman, Jane Frantz, G. Groot Gregory, from the Ward 2 election, there is only one Howard Haywood, Rhanna Kidwell, Joshua other contested School Committee seat: Krintzman, Brooke Lipsitt, Thomas Sheff Ward 5, where incumbent Steve Siegel faces and Christopher Steele. challenger Susan Huffman.

The League intends for the comVaghar’s primary campaign theme is mission to reduce the size of the Board change — he has emphasized his youth in of Aldermen, presently composed of 24 contrast with Albright and the rest of the members. Newton-Needham Chamber of School Committee, as well as how he differs Commerce President Greg Reibman said from them on certain issues. he hopes the commission will do so, as the In a Youtube video published on July 24, current arrangement leaves voters with Vaghar said he is running to help his former too much to process. “When it comes to peers in Newton. Vaghar is declining donaelection time, ... voters don’t focus enough tions because, according to his website, he on making decisions on issues that matter does “not want to owe anything to anybody to them or positions that matter to them, but our students.” because there’s too many for anyone to Also on his website, Vaghar presents know,” Reibman said. three key issues: later school start times, Voters, Reibman said, should value better anti-drug techniques and smarter this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spending. For each of them, he explains why rethink the way that our city is organized.” he would accomplish more than the current

photo courtesy of Cyrus Vaghar

Vaghar, pictured at North, hopes to bring a fresh face to the School Committee. committee has.

Regarding later start times, for example, Vaghar believes that the School Committee has failed to act because its members are too out-of-touch.

“They might have to drive their kids to school, but to them it’s not really an issue,

candidacy “a game changer.” Both she and Albright also expressed uncertainty about Vaghar’s ability to manage the dual responsibilities of attending college in Weston and serving on the School Committee, something Goldman dubbed “a tricky balancing act.”

Albright noted that “[w]e rarely see people as young as 18 run for public office, because it takes a lot of time and effort to do so.”

“Even though I’m young, I feel Newton politicos Greg Reibman, presilike being in the schools I’ve dent of the Newton-Needham Chamber of seen a lot of stuff first hand, Commerce, and Gail Spector, former editor of the Newton Tab, said they find it difficult and I can really bring that to take Vaghar seriously.

Reibman attributed this attitude to his opinion to the table.” opponent’s formidability, saying that “almost - Cyrus Vaghar, Ward 2 School any candidate, no matter how good they Committee candidate are, would have a really tough time running against Margaret Albright.”

Despite his skepticism, Reibman lauded Vaghar for his audacity. “Students could so they’re not really going to fight for it,” he get a lot more input just by being active,” he said. “I was there. I understand the issue.” said. “And the fact that Cyrus is willing to be School Committee member Ruth this active ... he deserves a lot of congratulaGoldman, however, does not consider his tions for that.”

september 11, 2015|page 7

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|NEWS

A Glimpse of the Globe Information compiled by Roar editors from CNN, The Economist, BBC, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, Twitter and the rest of the Internet.

The rise of Europe’s far right Seventy years after World War II formally destroyed the last of the fascist regimes in western Europe, far-right parties are again on the rise across the continent.

The change is, in many ways, not a startling one: polarized political parties tend to gain power after economic or social turmoil. Increased immigration from Africa and the Middle East as well as the 2008 financial meltdown have introduced both.

Many historically homogenous western and northern European countries are now inundated with immigrants, and the financial crisis has spawned widespread unemployment and triggered cycles of debt across the continent.

Fascism, a nationalistic ideology that establishes the state as the ultimate authority in both the economy and social life, has not experienced so strong a resurgence since the 1930s, when the Great Depression raised doubts

about whether democracies could effectively respond to modern crises.

In Greece, the neo-Nazi and anti-immigrant Golden Dawn recently held onto 17 of its 18 seats in the Hellenic Parliament; it currently has the third most seats of any party. In 2012 the party vowed it would “rid this land of filth” and set up “Greek-only” food banks.

France’s National Front, meanwhile, received just over a quarter of the country’s votes in January’s local elections. The National Front, too, takes a staunch anti-immigrant stance. Facing a recent influx of North African immigrants, the party has lobbied for stricter laws that would decrease immigration quotas by 95 percent.

Jobbik in Hungary, which won 14.7 percent of the national vote in the 2009 parliamentary elections, had one of its politicians argue that all Jews living in

the country should register with the government, citing a national security risk.

Neo-fascist parties in Germany, Denmark, Finland and Austria run on strikingly similar platforms — all oppose immigration and many have been accused of racism and anti-Semitism.

These nine parties captured 5.5 percent of seats in the European Parliament in the 2014 elections. This number, while seemingly low, represents a more than 400 percent increase in seats from the 2004 elections.

As Europe’s economies continue to founder and a chaotic world forces immigrants into previously homogenous nations, different political factions will gain popularity and many, inevitably, will soon fall. Social and economic strife push populations to seek new remedies to old problems — the only question remaining, then, is whether any of the movements will last.

An Overview: The issue: Far-right parties are growing in popularity across Europe, largely in response to lingering economic strife and an influx of immigration.

The effect: As the parties gain political power, some have begun to implement or normalize radical policies, many of which are brazenly xenophobic.

Public Domain

EDITORIALS page 8|September 11, 2015|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

editorials@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 2

Unify online platforms to help the CAT’S student organization, reduce stress

MEOW All the news that’s fit to print ... and then some!

Ban on Adverbs English department head Teddy Bearon has ordered faculty not to teach adverbs, saying it “disrupts the traditional sentence structure.”

“Adverbs always just seemed a little off to me, and I’ve been taught since grade school that they don’t belong,” he said. “The federal government can say what it wants, but in my school, adverbs will always be inferior.”

School Committee candidate Kohn Jasich criticized Bearon’s obstinacy.

“If I had a daughter who liked adverbs, I would accept her for who she is,” he said. “I have friends who identify as adverbial — I’ve been to their English classes.”

When accused of flouting grammar conventions, Bearon justified his decision by saying he was “acting under God’s authority.”

“It would violate my conscience,” Bearon said from county jail. “I’m sick of these teachers pushing the adverbial agenda. Liking adverbs is just a phase.”

Tom Is Free After a tumultuous nine-month ordeal, ‘14 graduate Tom Howe is free. Howe was suspended in May from four WashU raves after he was accused of significantly inflating his Chipotle burritos. “I am not and nor have I ever been generally aware of any burritorelated misconduct,” Howe said. “I’m just glad this is finally over.”

Howe refused to turn in his receipts, citing concerns over personal privacy. “I got, like, three numbers from Chipotle cashiers on those receipts!” he said. Howe said he is relieved to be free from distractions so he can focus on the upcoming rave season.

Students Fight For Contract Inspired by the NTA’s successful campaign for higher wages, students have begun organizing to advocate for a new contract.

“We’ve been working under the same conditions since 1960, when the school was founded,” chief negotiator and suspected radical Jay Mee said. “You have to attend every class, do every homework assignment and write every paper. Students in surrounding districts do not have to put up with this. Sooner or later, students are going to start moving to those areas.”

Donning shirts that read “Fewer School = Many Learning,” the students staged a walkout during C block Thursday. Administrator Matt Mountains said in a statement: “No.”

To keep track of grades and tors all use the same online platform Keeping an updated gradeassignments, South teachers use for the ease of both students and book gives students time to meet several online platforms, including teachers. with their teachers about questions Schoology, Engrade and teachers’ Websites allow students to acor concerns and greatly relieves personal sites. cess materials outside of class with the stress that tends to overwhelm Instead of letting teachonly an internet connection. Absent students at the end of each term. ers choose or develop their own students in particular benefit from For teachers who want to dewebsites, South should formally these sites, which allow them to acemphasize grades, Schoology, unlike adopt Schoology as its sole online cess missed work and communicate Engrade, does not prominently platform to streamline students’ easily with teachers. Losing track of display them on the home page. online experience. assignments is virtually impossible Schoology’s setup is not Currently, students are ex- and students can find online notes dominated by a single element, pected to manage multiple ac- that they may have missed in class. but instead gives equal weight to counts, check grades, calendar, each daily and While many of these sites are helpful organizational messages and keep up with notifications, tools, there are simply too many of them postings in all of which are various places.

Schoology is the most comvaluable tools for students.

While many of these sites prehensive of the sites teachers use, Additionally, Schoology gives are helpful organizational tools, with features for grades, assignteachers the option to have an onthere are simply too many of them. ments, calendars and messages. line discussion, where students can Instead of making students’ lives With every teacher on School- post and respond to comments. easier, the excess of sites ends ogy, students will no longer have to This offers a useful alternative up causing confusion between maintain accounts on several sites, to other types of homework and a students and teachers. It is difficult each for a different class. more engaging way for students to to go back and forth among sites And if the district officially learn and absorb material. each night to comply with different adopts a platform, it could bring South should use an online teachers and classes. in a representative to give educaplatform to keep students updated In addition, though each new tors a deeper understanding of the and organized. The variety of platplatform South introduces seems site and its functions, encouraging forms currently in use, however, to be more modern than the last, widespread use. overwhelms students and defeats many teachers do not actually use On Schoology, teachers the purpose of these sites in the first them, instead sticking with old should make use of every function place. Therefore, South should use methods and outdated sites. and keep it updated with grades, only one website to simplify access NPS should make its educaassignments and assessments. to educational resources.

Editorial Policy The Lion’s Roar, founded in 1984, is the student newspaper of Newton South High School, acting as a public forum for student views and attitudes.

The Lion’s Roar’s right to freedom of expression is protected by the Massachusetts Student Free Expression Law (Mass.

Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 71, Section 82). All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of The Lion’s Roar in no way reflects the official policy of Newton South, its faculty or its administration. Editorials are the official opinion of The Lion’s Roar, while opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Lion’s Roar. The Lion’s Roar reserves the right to edit all submitted content, to reject advertising copy for resubmission of new copy that is deemed acceptable by student editors and to make decisions regarding the submission of letters to the editors, which are welcomed.

The Lion’s Roar is printed by Seacoast Newspapers and published every four weeks by Newton South students. All funding comes from advertisers and subscriptions.

In-school distribution of The Lion’s Roar is free, but each copy of the paper shall cost one dollar for each copy more than ten (10) that is taken by any individual or by many individuals on behalf of a single individual. Violation of this policy shall constitute theft.

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September 11, 2015|page 9

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|editorials

Shouldourheadlineslooklikethis?

EDITOR’S Discovering the virtues of spacing DESK from the

Nathaniel Bolter Editor-in-Chief

We don’t use spaces when we talk, I realized as I listened to a lecture on international law this summer. Instead of using spaces, those divine aids that render meaning from incoherence, we count on our ears to be capable of the sorting that overwhelms our eyes.

“AnotherthingtoconsiderwhenexaminingthelegalimplicationsofmilitaryactioninSyria” is the literal transcription of a line from the lecture, but it didn’t register as nonsense when it was filtered through the double-strainer of the ear and brain.

Try to speak the sentence printed above as you would in conversation; you’ll find that the time you spend negotiating the gap between the “n” in “when” and the “e” in “examining” is more or less equivalent to the time it takes your tongue to roll over the transition between the “l” and the “i” in “military.” Just like “military,” “InSyria” becomes a four-syllable word; in fact, the latter is easier to say than the former.

With very few exceptions, we pause only at the punctuation that demands it: periods, exclamation points, question marks, semicolons, colons, dashes, parentheses (sometimes), commas and ellipses.

Any attempt to draw out your speech with

each space would sound like an exaggerated and bizarre impression of a President Obama-Arnold Schwarzenegger hybrid.

Here’s what’s puzzling: As the brain performs the necessary magic to extract meaning from our scratches, it removes those spaces we so meticulously inserted to avoid confusing our delicate eyes. The spaces are nothing more than a hindrance; the brain processes information in one long stream, just as that information would enter through the ears.

So why do we use spaces in the first place? Are we truly to believe that our eyes are incapable of what our ears and our brain perform with ease? Are we to believe that spaces, those “divine aids,” really do render any “meaning” at all when the meaning comes across just fine in our spoken mishmash?

At this point in my ramblings, I decided to, well, actually do some research, and found that the reason spaces exist is simple: they make reading easier. (Okay, that may have been obvious to some of you already.)

This makes sense. Sure, the brain processes whole sentences at once. (For evidence of this, try turning on the subtitles next time you watch a sitcom; you’ll find yourself laughing before the punch line is delivered. Not only are you reading faster than the characters are speaking,

you are seeing the entire joke — start to finish — in a single glance.) But the brain processes a whole sentence as a collection of words, not letters. The words themselves still need to be separated, and spaces give the brain one less thing to worry about.

So while it may seem more efficient — or at least it did to me — to omit spaces altogether, doing so is counterproductive.

The Romans, according to journalist Rex Winsbury in his “Roman Book,” used interpuncts to separate words for much of their history. These were spaces with a period-shaped dot in the center, used today to indicate multiplication in math and befuddle middle school students who spent the first 11 years of their existence using an “x” instead. (I still don’t understand the difference.)

Yet around the time of Hadrian (early second century), Winsbury reports, change was a-brewing. Romans began writing scriptio continua, in which the words and letters ran into one another in a stream-of-consciousness-like style, Faulkner on steroids. Despite my skepticism of spaces, as a Latin student who sometimes finds it difficult to decipher sentences about farmers attacking towns, this development seems irrational.

Most scholars tend to agree. Winsbury writes that one professor called the switch “one of the most astonishing

cultural regressions of ancient history ... an amazing and deplorable regression [for] no reason other than an inept desire to imitate even the worst characteristic of Greek books.” Others chalk the Romans’ infatuation with scriptio continua up to aesthetics — the so-called “river of letters” was seen as neat and orderly. Or perhaps the switch was yet another attempt by the Roman elite to bring reading under the exclusive domain of the privileged.

Whatever the rationale, even the stubborn Romans eventually abandoned this technique because, like Faulkner, scriptio continua is really hard to read.

What does all this reveal? Language is to be spoken; writing is imitation, a best approximation with a different set of rules and aesthetics. Spaces may be prudent, but they are not and never were a foregone conclusion. They are arbitrary scratches (actually a lack thereof), just like every letter, comma and colon that tries to capture the music of our mouths and minds and sometimes fails. In the end, we are dealing with three distinct but interactive planes; what the brain thinks is different from what the ear hears and the pen writes. We are “speaking” three different languages.

So let’s stick with spaces, but let’s question everything. We have kindly applied appropriate spacing to this article. I hope it didn’t take you too long to read.

Volume XXXII The Lion’s Roar Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper The Lion’s Roar 140 Brandeis Road Newton, MA 02459 srstaff@thelionsroar.com

Editors-in-Chief Nathaniel Bolter

Veronica Podolny

Managing Editors Sophia Fisher

Shelley Friedland

Section Editors Opinions

Features

Maia Fefer Andrea Lirio Karin Alsop

News

David Li Carina Ramos Jake Rong Sophie Lu

Centerfold

Bhavik Nagda

Mona Baloch Emily Belt

Business Manager Andrew Fu

Graphics Managers Sophie Galowitz Celine Yung

Aidan Bassett Clare Martin Ben Rabin

Sports

Noah Shelton

Distribution Manager Daniel Morris

Faculty Advisers Ashley Elpern Ryan Normandin

Webmaster Sasha Badov

Photo Managers Alexa Rhynd Bailey Kroner

OPINIONS page 10|SEPTember 11, 2015|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

opinions@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 2

Perspectives: One Book, Two Opinions

photo illustration by Sophia Fisher

bad read

good read

B

by cassandra luca

efore I started reading “The Other Wes Moore,” I was skeptical. The book seemed to be yet another attempt to get Newton students to check their privilege, an attempt doomed to fail due to most students’ overall apathy or discomfort or both. Yet as I kept reading, I realized that despite my initial prejudices, “The Other Wes Moore” contains valuable lessons that we often ignore in Newton’s social environment.

The book chronicles the lives of two men named Wes Moore from their childhoods in the 1980s to 2000, when the “other” Wes, the one who isn’t writing the book, is sentenced to life in prison. We see him and the author (hereafter referred to as “Moore”) break laws, run into trouble at school and struggle with a lack of guidance. Though both are black, about the same age, from Baltimore and born into fatherless homes, the similarities end here.

While Moore consistently alludes to the supposed similarities between himself and Wes, I disagree — the two men’s childhoods were different in fundamental ways, which may have been responsible for their paths today. Crucially, Moore’s mother realized that she needed a support system after her husband died, causing her to move to the Bronx to be with Moore’s grandparents. Moreover, once Moore’s mother had had enough of his bad behavior, she decided to send him to military school.

The other Wes’ mother was either indifferent to or unaware of Wes’ activities; he sold drugs, skipped school and fathered several children — all while he was still a teenager. From the very beginning, Wes’ life had no authority; he was young and vulnerable in a tumultuous environment

that offered him no future.

It is this difference that made the story so poignant, emphasizing a lesson that perhaps Moore himself had not intended to teach his audience. Some students say that with hard work or determination, anyone can make it in America.

This sentiment often comes with a further qualification — that it is a person’s fault if he or she does not succeed in America; it is this person’s fault if he or she is poor in a land of wealth.

“The Other Wes Moore” highlights the small differences that can send an individual toward success or failure. As readers, we are exposed to the trajectory of each man or woman’s life, showing us that dismissing those who do not succeed as merely lazy can be premature and damaging.

The other Wes was not guided throughout his formative years; the narrator was. Minute differences like this indicate how precarious growing up disadvantaged in America can be. Despite Wes’ poor decisions, I found that I could not truly judge him; the odds were stacked against him, and those around him either did not guide him or led him in the wrong direction.

In this way, South has achieved its goal of getting us to think more about our own inherent advantages and privilege.

“The Other Wes Moore” underscores that it is wrong to blame others for their misfortune when they come from unprivileged surroundings. Preaching from our high horse, it’s easy to say that disadvantaged individuals do not work hard enough — but when that person does not even have the chance to work hard, how can this be true?

W

BY risa gelles-watnick

hen I first heard that South had chosen “The Other Wes Moore” as this year’s One School One Book, I was instantly excited because I thought it would have an interesting plot while discussing relevant issues. I had heard about the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests in Baltimore, so naturally I assumed that the book would make the situation seem less opaque. After only a few chapters of the book, however, the author had alienated me, and the writing itself had drawn my attention away from the actual story. Although I found the concept of this story to be compelling, its execution left something to be desired.

The author, Wes Moore, is an intellectual. The entire book, in fact, is based on the story of how Moore became an Oxford-educated academic while another man named Wes Moore got into drugs and dropped out of high school. One of the essential problems with the book is that telling the story of a kid on the streets often comes off as phony. As a result, Moore’s word choice often seems insincere when describing the other Wes’ life. Many times as I read the book, I would be engrossed in the other Wes’ story, only to be jolted out of it by an ill-chosen word that didn’t fit. It is hard to become immersed in the world of a drug dealer when the language used sounds like it came out of a textbook or a scholarly study rather than a story about a disadvantaged youth.

The dialogue especially contributes to the phony feeling of some chapters. Obviously it is impossible to recall conversations that happened in the distant past verbatim, but the way the author formats the fabricated dialogue can seem stilted. For

instance, Moore often puts an exclamation point after nearly every sentence spoken in a conversation, making it feel unnatural.

The author also inserts condescending assumptions into his narratives that demean the characters. When Moore’s mother realizes that her husband has a substance abuse problem, Moore comments that she “was caught in a familiar trap for young women and girls — the fantasy that she alone could change her man.” This speculation is problematic not just because it has traces of sexism, but also because Moore loftily categorizes his own mother in order to simplify her. He previously described her as a complex, three-dimensional character yet in one fell swoop diminishes her to an offensive stereotype.

Another example of the author’s elitist tone comes when he describes the character Tony. Moore consciously remarks that Tony’s “tough façade is just a way to hide deeper pain or depression that kids don’t know how to deal with.” There is no way that Moore could have known enough about Tony to make this type of judgement. Even if the author did know enough about Tony’s inner thoughts to make this statement, he reduces a wellwritten and genuinely interesting character to a silhouette.

Throughout most of the book, Moore creates a captivating narrative and provides thought-provoking discussion about our own privilege and intrinsic social advantages. Despite this, Moore’s elitist tone, unnatural language and apparent distortion of facts ruin what could have been an excellent read and an informative lesson. The details of a narrative can make or break it, and in this case, they broke it.

september 11, 2015|page 11

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|opinions

Paper Tigers

By Alex Song

To read more about different parenting styles, see Features (page 22)

graphic by Josh Finkel

“Y O

Senior explains why the term “tiger parenting” is unfair

our mom is such a tiger mom!”

Stereotypes.

As a student, especially as an Asian one, hallways, locker rooms and classrooms can be filled with them. Small eyes, straight As, Harvard and MIT should sound pretty familiar.

And while some jests can be unpleasant, many aren’t actually that offensive. I mean, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone thought you were smart? But from firsthand experience, I can tell you never to call a mother a “tiger mom” without knowing what you’re getting yourself into.

Amy Chua’s 240-page parenting manifesto “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” is, paradoxically, both an exposition of strict parenting and a self-described “self-mocking memoir.”

While there are actual examples of her toughness (rules about not getting any grade below an A, exceedingly long manda-

tory piano and violin practices, threats of no food and calling her daughters “garbage, cowardly, and pathetic”), Chua also admits to exaggerating some aspects of her parenting, including control over her daughters. Never did she actually burn stuffed animals as

in 2011 sets up the term “tiger mom” to become popular without a proper definition. Many reviewers and critics did an awful job of reading the book, most only citing the first few chapters, which left out all of the more rational content. Her ideas spread

another colloquial way to refer to a “strict Asian mother,” but those who have a better understanding of the term would be confused to be labeled something they are not. Whether it’s Amy Chua’s fault or not, her sensational depiction of parenting has caused

Be careful how you label someone — your definition and theirs may not be as identical as they seem a warning, nor did she partake in the more severe methods of punishment outlined in her writing.

But after its publication, people were too ready to believe all of it and then criticize it.

Therein lies the problem.

The inflammatory reaction when the memoir was published

like wildfire, with some applauding her strategies and others condemning her practices as child abuse. Much of the general public had no in-depth knowledge of the book and jumped to its own conclusions.

Nowadays, “tiger mom” is so diluted in meaning that it’s just

an outburst of labeling. Ironically, however, many of those who use the term “tiger mom” to label others lack a true understanding of the phrase.

To a Chinese mother who has read the book and, while relatively strict, does not identify with most or all of the practices

in “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” being labeled one would be highly offensive.

The problem is not necessarily intention. If you want to call some parents stricter than others, go ahead. There are those who are stricter by nature, and many of them are Asian as it so happens. But do not confuse every “strict parent” with a “tiger mom.” They are vastly different.

The deeper problem of this stereotype is its negativity. “Tiger mom,” whether meaning abusive or simply strict, connotes bad parenting with a pinch of crazy, a demeaning label unfairly thrust upon some parents. Parenting is a sensitive subject; parents want to do what’s best for their kids, and implying that their style of parenting is harmful, however unintentionally, is obviously offensive.

So be careful how you label someone – your definition and theirs may not be as identical as they seem.

page 12|september 11, 2015

Running Through Life: 7 Lessons

opinions|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

BY clare martin

I started competing in track and cross country in sixth grade, and unlike other sports, running has impassioned me from day one. Peppered with peaks, valleys and plateaus, my running career has taught me important life lessons, which I hope to share with others, runners or not.

Although I am now a committed distance runner, my experience with hurdling has given me the opportunity to try new events like the 400-meter hurdles and the 2000-meter steeplechase, which combine my specialty in distance with my joy in hurdling.

Be (overly) prepared

… But never be afraid to try something new

Although running is now my favorite activity, my first experience with the sport was miserable. At the age of four, I ran in a Halloween road race in West Newton. All I can remember is my hands freezing in the cold October air, until a kind lady lent me her mittens.

I was again unprepared in third grade, when I ran the annual Heartbreak Hill road race. A little past the midway point, my shoe slipped off, probably because I hadn’t double-tied my laces. I painfully completed the race, running lopsided as my sock-covered foot pounded against hot concrete.

Now, I lug around 20 pounds worth of baggage to cross-country and track meets. Packing everything reduces my prerace frenzy and assures me that if faced with a last-minute issue like lost spikes, I will have a back-up plan.

Pursue your strengths …

Sometime in fifth grade, my mom bought a set of hurdles for me to practice on. By the time I reached middle school and could train on the Brown track team, I was convinced that hurdling was my event. But after a successful cross-country season, it was clear that distance running was my forte.

Two summers ago, I suffered from severe iron-deficiency anemia. Unable to perform at the level I used to in distance events, I turned my focus to sprinting and field events: 400-meter hurdles, high jump and pole vault.

I was intimidated at first by my fellow competitors, who were more experienced than I, but stepping outside of my comfort zone was ultimately rewarding, and I achieved marks beyond my goals.

My success in these events lifted my spirits when my performance in distance races faltered.

Enjoy competition I’ll always remember the fun of the middle school all-city meets and the enthusiasm of Coach Shepp (Bill Sheppard).

In the fall, during cross-country season, I try to focus less on the details of the race and take in the beauty of the changing colors.

Every meet is an opportunity to celebrate or commiserate with my teammates, an opportunity to make memories that will last long after high school.

Hurt faster My high school coach, Steve

McChesney, emphasizes this mantra during the cross-country season, when the long distances are especially grueling.

Slowing down will not alleviate the pain, so you are better off running faster, the logic goes. After all, the faster you run, the sooner you’re done.

I remind myself of this saying when doing homework — the sooner I finish, the sooner I can go to sleep!

It’s only an issue if you make it an issue My Waltham Track Club coach, Joe Tranchita, tells athletes not to sabotage themselves by agonizing over things they cannot control, like weather and schedule changes.

Rather than worrying about running a 2000-meter steeplechase in Florida in August, I prepared the best I could for the conditions — 92 degrees and 50-percent humidity — by drinking

lots of water in the days leading up to my race and equipping myself with a wet towel, hat and sunglasses the day of competition.

Balance, balance, balance!

It’s a chant we hear our guidance counselors repeat frequently.

At the end of my sophomore year, after dedicating so much time to the outdoor track season, I was swamped with work while training for New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Greensboro, N.C. Unfortunately, my final history project was due the day before my first race, the 2000-meter steeplechase.

My project worked out, but my race didn’t. I ran 12 seconds slower than my seed time, likely due to lack of sleep two nights beforehand.

I hope to improve upon balancing academics with athletics my junior year, when GPA counts the most and college coaches scout out potential recruits. grap hic b y Ha

das R osen

There is a reason why South administrators and counselors encourage students to join a club, service organization, performing arts group or sports team.

The lessons learned are directly applicable to the lives we will lead when we graduate from South.

So if you haven’t found your niche yet at South, take another look at the great opportunities high school has to offer this fall. And have a great run!

Refertilizing Farming Subsidies by noah kopf

Here’s what you need to know about farm subsidies: the government cares about exactly three crops: soybeans, wheat and above all, corn. Of the $13 billion spent annually on farm subsidies, corn receives half. More than any other crop, King Corn has shaped the 75-year history of the farm bill.

In the 1940s, corn prices were erratic; most years, corn was cheap and plentiful, yet a regional drought or famine could cause prices to skyrocket and families to starve.

In 1948, the government began to purchase all corn at market prices (which fluctuated) and resell it to the public at a steady rate, ensuring that everyone could afford to eat. The public supported the new policy, and the first farm subsidy was created.

In no time, farmers discovered that they could take advantage of this strange new agricultural economy.

In the past, if farmers produced too much corn, market prices dropped, but under the new system, the government kept on buying — an excess of supply could no longer be curbed by a lack of demand.

To maximize profit, farmers planted their land as intensely as possible, pur-

chasing new yield-increasing technologies as quickly as companies could create them.

In the 1970s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed strict limits on all subsidies, especially corn, yet unlike those of the 1948-era food system, this generation of farmers had recently spent huge sums of money increasing their production through multi-story harvesters, pesticide equipment and genetically modified seeds.

For anyone seeking to turn a profit, the answer was simple: Create more demand.

Corporations needed to find ways to transform worthless corn into valuable corn products — and they were very successful.

Their innovations included highfructose corn syrup, a sugary additive found in most snack foods and beverages; factory-farmed meat, raised in Concen-

[G]one will be the days of 99-cent Big Gulps and $2.99 hamburgers as the price of corn syrup and factory-farmed meat will increase.

Although the policy changes were regularly causing farmers to lose money, it was even more risky to slow production and try to pay off the expensive equipment by other means.

Despite falling corn prices and burgeoning debt, production increased and has been increasing annually ever since.

So what happens to the food industry when supply constantly exceeds demand?

trated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs); and ethanol, an alternative biofuel that contains as much carbon as any fossil fuel. These three industries have been repeatedly associated with obesity, animal cruelty and climate change, respectively.

If more subsidies fuel the CAFO/ corn syrup/ethanol industries, and fewer subsidies make farming unprofitable, what kind of subsidies should we keep?

The solution is to replace the old sta-

ple crop subsidies with alternative subsidies that reward a product for healthiness, organic or sustainable growing practices and local consumer bases, instead of sheer mass of corn production.

These new subsidies would benefit endangered family farms, support pioneers in eco-friendly growing practices and help develop small-scale, communitycentered food systems.

In addition, the new subsidies would create thousands of new jobs for entrepreneurs, innovators and social justice advocates willing to experiment with agriculture.

This ideal food system is not without sacrifice — gone will be the days of 99-cent Big Gulps and $2.99 hamburgers as the price of corn syrup and factoryfarmed meat increase.

Yet other foods will decrease in price; affordable vegetables could become accessible to a larger portion of the public, and a bulk container of quinoa or black beans would be far cheaper than a couple of steaks or chicken breasts.

King Corn has ruled the American food system since the first farm bill in 1948, but until humans stop eating food, it will never be too late to change our agricultural system for the better.

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|opinions

Standardized Testing: Needs Improvement

september 11, 2015|page 13

By aidan bassett

T

hough we often criticize standardized testing for diminishing students of diverse skills and backgrounds into mere statistics, the role testing plays in a student’s life has ballooned over the past two decades in an attempt to reform and revitalize a deflating education system. Standardized testing has also harmed teachers, whose pay or employment status is often tied to their students’ performance on such tests. Standardized testing should serve students and teachers, in that order, yet the proliferation of standardized testing after the 2001 “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB) has failed to improve the United States’ international educational standing; rather, over the decade following NCLB’s passage, the United States’ ranking dropped.

The new Common Core curriculum purportedly diminishes the influence of standardized testing, but President Obama’s “Race to the Top” initiative, tied to the new Core standards, added new tests into the mix. President Obama’s reforms, like President Bush’s before him, aim to qualitatively assess student performance with objective metrics, but the primary result of both education policies

has been a changed mentality in public education across the country. As outbreaks of cheating come to light in scandals across the country, we have condemned teachers for giving their students answers or otherwise falsely boosting test scores, instead of focusing on the root cause — in many cases, teachers with underperforming students would be fired.

but do nothing to help them understand the content. In this context, performance on standardized tests frequently becomes a matter of privilege, practice and luck rather than a genuine mastery of classroom concepts.

The testing mindset needs a solution, something eternally sought by education reformers and policy wonks.

[P]erformance on standardized tests frequently becomes a matter of privilege, practice and luck.

Ultimately, the great evil of standardized testing is that it inadvertently encourages these sorts of behaviors by prioritizing high test scores instead of actual learning. Testing forces teachers to focus on specific content and prescribed skills rather than allowing them the freedom to teach what they determine to be a holistic curriculum. For students, conceptual thinking falls by the wayside in favor of time spent mastering test-taking. When students prepare for standardized tests such as the SAT, they often have to master specific skills that help them ace the exam

New revisions of NCLB have passed the Senate and the House, and legislative compromises are in the works. All proposed legislation, however, leaves testing intact, merely altering other provisions. Different fixes are necessary.

The first step in meaningful reform is to divorce teacher pay and employment from student testing performance and to find alternative, objective indicators of teacher aptitude. If teachers are no longer obligated to teach to the test, they would have greater freedom to develop unique curriculums. Additionally, students should

be tested on a class-by-class basis, where teachers can assess whether the students grasp the concepts taught in a particular course rather than determine which students can master test-taking skills.

Most importantly, perhaps, and most abstractly, the culture of public education has to re-examine how its incentives work. Just as economists debate the efficacy of fiscal policy and its economic impact, the public education system needs to examine the implications of its own goals. If standardized testing is to remain an integral part of the American education system, its implementation must be radically different, and its role must be far more nuanced to capture an accurate picture of what students know.

Standardized testing currently fails to properly assess the state of American education, and if nothing else, testing should at least do that. Standardized testing was first proposed as an “accountability system” under the George W. Bush Administration, yet the consequences of that system are severely damaging. As standardized testing has been put to the test, it has failed. The American education system has failed along with it.

The Unaffordable Care Act By jason ma

I

n the recent landmark case King v.

Burwell, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that receiving health care subsidies through marketplaces established by federal exchanges does not violate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Simply put, millions of Americans were able to keep the subsidies that allow them to afford health insurance.

While this decision was deemed a great victory for President Obama’s health care reform and his legacy, it neither resolves the law’s significant flaws nor achieves its intended effects.

As its name would suggest, the ACA is meant to provide affordable health insurance to the American people, but it has actually made premiums more costly for both individual consumers and businesses. The ACA requires every American to purchase insurance or pay a penalty — the individual mandate — and prohibits providers from denying coverage to or charging more from people with pre-existing conditions or illnesses.

Both these provisions are the roots of the problem. First, according to the Wall Street Journal, most Americans who were uninsured want to stay uninsured because they prefer to pay the penalty, which is cheaper than actual health coverage.

Also, sicker people who require expensive medical bills are disproportionately represented among all the people who actually bought new health insurance through the ACA. As a result, the International Business Times explains, “health insurers were finding they had to spend more to cover the expensive medical bills, and because fewer younger and presumably healthier people had signed up for coverage, companies had a smaller pool of

funding to draw on.”

The real effect on premium costs is truly crippling: A report by the Kaiser Family Health Foundation found a benchmark silver plan in major cities in 10 states and Washington, D.C. was on average 4.4 percent more expensive for 2016 than for 2015.

Sure, poor Americans can get subsidies; the subsidy system, however, is also deeply flawed and counterintuitive at best. For example, an individual or family qualifies for a subsidy if it earns between 100 and 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL). Then, depending on how much you earn, you pay a fixed percentage of less than 9.5 percent of your monthly income on your health coverage, and the government pays the rest.

Deceptively, the government actually pays a fixed amount: the difference between the cost of the second cheapest silver-level plan available in your area and what you have to pay. This is counterintuitive in many ways.

First, it means that if you want to get better coverage than the second cheapest silver-level plan, the government’s subsidy won’t increase proportionally. You have to pay it all. The sickest people, who presumably want something better than the

second cheapest silver-level plan, still can’t afford it. In other words, the ACA does little to ensure quality care for the neediest.

Second, how much the

graphic by Celine Yung

government pays you depends on where you live. In fact, if your area’s second cheapest silver-level plan is lower than what you have to pay, you get no subsidy from the government.

The ACA helps reduce cost but does so selectively based on the costs of varying plans. The ACA does not make healthcare affordable universally to individuals and families, and it has similarly detrimental effects on health insurance providers.

Under the ACA, providers are merging. According to the Economist, the ACA, “by helping millions of poorer Americans shop for health insurance, will make [health insurance] a larger but lower-margin business, so firms must combine to cut costs.” The article goes on to explain that when providers merge, they gain more pricing power, and so consumers are left with even more expensive plans.

The business mandate of the ACA is equally disastrous. This mandate requires all businesses that hire more than 50 full-time employees to provide health insurance without the option to reimburse workers who purchase their own care.

Logically, small businesses that barely pass the 50 full-time employees threshold will often fire employees or make many of them part-time. Either way, the mandate prevents small businesses from growing.

Universal health care should be implemented in the United States, but it should not be executed by the ACA, which is poorly designed and fails to help parts of the health insurance market to the promised extent. Because changing the law via Congress is virtually impossible, repealing it and designing another universal health care program is the only feasible option.

Even though both Democrats and Republicans believe Americans deserve health care, it should not be established through incompetent, misguided policy.

page 14|september 11, 2015

UPGRADE

9 Taylor Swift Ms. Elpern’s engagement John Oliver’s continued excellence Good senior names Anderson Cooper still hot Freeing Brady Teachers have contracts The Roar’s readership

9

DOWNGRADE

Extra APUSH work Bad senior names Needham Climate change still a thing Dave Franco off the market Peach season ending John Lawless retiring Donald Trump

opinions|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

campus chatter The Lion’s Roar asked ...

What are you looking forward to in the upcoming school year?

“Being a senior ... and having fun with all of my classes, since they’re actually classes that I chose ... and having fun with extracurriculars.”

- Shira Abramovich, Class of 2016

“Being a TA for chemistry ... I just like helping people out, and chemistry is one of the harder subjects in the school, so I’m definitely happy to be [doing that].”

- Oliver Dyakov, Class of 2017 “Biology ... because I like learning about life and I think it looks fun.

I’m excited to learn about life in ways that help people in the future, related to medicine.”

- Katie Collins, Class of 2017 “[Being] happy with what I’m learning and how I’m learning it.

Trying to focus on the simple things instead of the most complicated stuff.”

- Joakeem Gaston, Class of 2018 photos by Bailey Kroner

“Straight Outta Compton”

BY Bruno ferreira In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, rap rose to unheard-of prominence on the music scene. Artists such as Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur rapped to express their frustration with life in “the hood” and the police brutality of which they were victims. In the new release “Straight Outta Compton,” director F. Gary Gray develops the story of rap’s birth into a Hollywood biopic.

Through personal anecdotes, “Straight Outta Compton” explains how Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) came together in 1980s Compton, Calif. to form the musical group Niggaz Wit’ Attitude (N.W.A) and revolutionize hip-hop culture.

Gray captures the viewer from the very beginning with an exhilarating sequence of a drug deal in Compton and the subsequent Drug Enforcement Agency raid. The tense atmosphere, enhanced by an ever-changing backdrop, captivates the audience.

The film also addresses race bluntly, showing how black people are often victims of police brutality. N.W.A.’s confrontation with the LAPD, the Rodney King trial and the subsequent LA riots develop the movie’s theme of racial tension in the United States

“Straight Outta Compton”

“Straight Outta Compton” tells the story of Niggaz Wit’ Attitude’s creation of modern rap. and underscore its ongoing relevance.

Screenwriters Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff make the audience care about the characters and reflect on the evolution of race relations in the United States. But the film should have more deeply explored the debate over whether rap is an art form. While some view rap as a glorification of the “thug” life, others consider it an honest expression of the struggles underprivileged black people face daily.

Each character is accurately portrayed: all actors bring forth realistic impressions, as well as a raw energy that the music sequences reinforce. No single actor stands out; everyone has a chance to shine in the film.

Is “Straight Outta Compton” the perfect biopic? No. But the film manages to be both engaging and thought-provoking, capable of contributing to meaningful and much-needed conversations on race that N.W.A. so powerfully addressed.

september 11, 2015|page 15

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AMONG THE

ASHES This fall marks the last time the majority of incoming freshmen were born before 9/11. Fourteen years after the attacks, what do we remember?

BY MONA BALOCH AND EMILY BELT

S

enior Matthew Gubenko was at a babysitter’s house in New Hampshire when news came of the attacks on the Twin Towers.

“The babysitter came in, [and] she was very concerned and freaked out. She told us to get away from the TV, switched the channel, and [we saw] footage of trains [stopped] around the Twin Towers. My mom came around mid-afternoon ... to pick us up since everyone was like, ‘Get the kids home,’” he said. “That’s when they turned [the TV] on to the footage of the Twin Towers burning.”

Gubenko remembers the collective shock and confusion in the days that followed, along with a sense of patriotism. He recalls how people cheered when they saw planes flying again, no longer grounded.

Gubenko was 3 years old on 9/11. Although he remembers the event, many seniors do not. In fact, the seniors may well be the last class of students to remember the attacks at all; the incoming freshman class will be the last in which a majority of the students were alive at the time.

According to students and teachers, as the number of students with memories of 9/11 has dwindled, the attacks have faded from the curriculum and South’s collective conscience.

For sophomore Jackson Fyfe, though, the impact of 9/11 will never fade. Fyfe’s father was killed on one of the hijacked planes.

“It’s a pretty big part of our family … Every year we have a reunion and memorial,” he said. “Other people … pretty much don’t acknowledge the day — it’s just any other day for them ... It seems like a lot of people don’t understand how serious the event was.”

Emma Martignoni, a freshman, acknowledged that she feels a disconnect from the event because she does not remember it.

“I think that [when I learned about 9/11] I understood what happened, but not necessarily absorbed it. Kind of like when you watch a movie, and something bad happens, and you’re like ‘Oh that happened, but it’s not real,’” she said.

Though most of the student body has no memory of the event, many still see the importance of learning about the attacks and their repercussions. “[9/11 is] the biggest tragedy that’s occurred to the United States, [and] I would say in the modern era,” Gubenko said.

Senior Emma Talebzadeh, who has an Iranian background, said that educating students could be an opportunity to dispel stereotypes. “I think it’s really important to know that yes, people from the Middle East were behind what happened — but they don’t represent an entire region,” she said.

9/11 can also serve as a foreign policy lesson, according to history teacher Faye Cassell.

“In order to understand the political climate and the foreign policy decisions that the United States has made in the last decade-and-a-half, you have to understand 9/11,” she said. “In terms of the way we interact with the Middle East and the way we interact with the rest of the world — how we have presented ourselves, where we have invested time, energy, money, resources — all of that has been a direct result of 9/11.”

Junior Ruslan Crosby said education can ensure that a tragedy of 9/11’s magnitude does not happen again.

Freshman Tommy Cable, who said that it is important to honor the anniversary of 9/11, agreed. “It’s a negative day, and a negative thing as a whole, but I guess we can build from it as a country,” he said.

But with each passing anniversary, 9/11 inevitably slips from its position of visceral prominence.

Jonathan Winkler, a seventh grade teacher at Brown, was at ground zero just a few days after the attacks,

preparing to go overseas for military duty. Winkler said he was able to take pictures of the debris that traveled all around the city and collect some rocks from the fires in the buildings, which he has incorporated into a lesson he teaches on the anniversary.

According to Winkler, his connection to 9/11 means that his lesson is grounded in something personal, even though the way he teaches it has evolved.

The lesson began as an open discussion with his students about the trauma of the experience, before becoming a discussion of current events and eventually, after around a decade, a history lesson. “Around that time I made the lessons a little bit shorter [because] the kids were a little bit more disconnected,” he said.

For Winkler, 9/11 has had a lasting emotional impact. “I try to include my own personal story as well as the history of what happened on that day,” he said. “It’s kind of a mix of current events and history.”

But the same is not true for most students, of whom the oldest have only a hazy recollection of the event, if any.

“We’re now almost 15 years away from the event.

It almost feels as though it’s now become just another event in the past for students; we’re far enough away that students don’t feel an emotional impact,” Cassell said.

“Because it has no emotional resonance with students, I think it feels strange to try to memorialize it with them ...

So I sort of treat it as almost any other event that we’ve had in the past now.”

“In a lot of ways, people don’t really want to talk about it anymore because it was such a sad and traumatic event,” senior Emily Visco said. She recalled the discussion she had in class her sophomore year. “We were looking at revolutions and a lot of different wars … so 9/11 came up more. That year on 9/11, on the actual day, we spent a lot of time talking about it,” she said.

Continued on next page

page 18|september 11, 2015

Continued from previous page

Gubenko said he has had a different experience at South. While Winkler teaches his middle school students about the event every year, Gubenko said that this is not the norm in high school.

“Even in history class, like AP U.S. History, you’d think that there would be a discussion about this changing political event that has occurred in the 21st century to America, but we didn’t talk about it at all,” he said. “I haven’t heard an actual history teacher teach about 9/11 or inform people about what actually happened. I had to go out there and watch documentaries, read books, find out what actually occurred on my own.”

But in fact, teachers are encouraged to work 9/11 into the curriculum, according to Principal Joel Stembridge, though there is no standard lesson.

“We don’t have a set lesson plan because we think it’s more authentic to have teachers figure out a way to work it into their current lesson,” he said. “There’s a lot of parallels and similarities that are echoes of themes in other parts of history. It’s not too difficult to tie that into something else, and I think our teachers do a good job at that.”

Stembridge added that many elementary and middle schools teach about 9/11, so most students are aware of the day’s significance by the time they enter high school.

Yet the tragedy is difficult for anyone to discuss, Gubenko said, and some teachers may choose not to do so to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.

Martignoni agreed. “Bad things happen. That’s just the reality, and people tend to avoid talking about things that other people don’t want to hear,” she said.

The timing of the event — which overlaps with the beginning of the school year — also poses a challenge for teachers building lesson plans, Winkler added.

Junior Harir Zeidi said her elementary and middle schools took time to remember 9/11, but that changed as time went on. Cable said that in his last years of middle school, a 30-second moment of silence was all that remained to memorialize the day.

South, on the other hand,

centerfold|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

does not observe a moment of silence.

“I can’t really understand why we wouldn’t do it — it’s a moment of silence,” Gubenko said. “The rest of the world is remembering it.”

Stembridge, however, said that there is a reason for the lack of school-wide commemoration.

North’s former principal Jen Price lost family members on 9/11, and to respect Price and her family, South decided to honor 9/11 the same way as North did in future years.

Eventually, North stopped holding a moment of silence.

“There are other days in our history that we could also have a moment of silence for, but are now long past. I think everyone would agree that eventually you stop doing a moment of silence for something,” Stembridge said. “I think the thing we disagree on is when.”

Despite the challenges, some said it is critical to continue to find ways to remember and learn from 9/11.

A good option would be to have a school-wide assembly on the anniversary of 9/11, Zeidi said.

Visco agreed, but added that students need to be “educated every year about it, not only on the date, but [in] the curriculum.”

Winkler has tried to be creative while incorporating 9/11 into the curriculum. In 2012, just months before the Boston Marathon bombings, he had his students spend the day writing letters to Newton’s first responders, adding a human element to the typically impersonal anniversary.

“There were so many firefighters who rushed into the World Trade Center … so many police officers that went to help evacuate people and they completely risked their own lives for the safety of [others],” he said.

Teaching 9/11, he said, can be a way to teach about community and compassion in the wake of tragedy.

“One of the best lessons that came out of 9/11 was how it brought everyone together … We really come together during crisis, and I think we should find ways of doing that every day,” Winkler said.

“That’s where I’d like to see [teaching 9/11] go — acknowledging the details but keep the focus on how people reacted and what they did.”

illustrations by Sophie Galowitz

September 11, 2015|page 19

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Centerfold

The Memories Seniors recall Sept. 11, 2001

Hannah Arber

It was just a normal day, and everyone was at home going about their daily tasks. When it happened, the house went silent. You could feel the mood shift. All I could hear was the TV being turned up and my 12-day-old brother crying in the background. My dad called my mom to the TV. She ran over with my brother in hand, and they both stood there for several minutes, eyes glued to the TV, telling me to hush. I remember asking what happened, and all they told me was that they didn’t know yet.

I remember only details, which may seem counterintuitive. From outside my house, our landscaper-friend yelled to my babysitter to turn on Channel 2. Something was happening. From then on, I remember two things. A still-frame of the scene — the first tower in flames, the second plane on the way, the moment before. But my most distinct memory from that day is not of horror, but of confusion. I could not wrap my brain around the physics of it: Where did the plane go? How can something made of metal disappear into flames?

Nathaniel Bolter

I was in Italy, which is where I lived during the summer with my parents.

I had a very close friend, Giacomo, and I basically lived at his house because my parents both worked. One day we were watching “MotoGP” on this tiny little television when, all of a sudden, my dad got a phone call. He rushed over to Giacomo’s house, changed the channel and burst into tears. I remember seeing the plane crash but I didn’t quite process it, so I was really confused. There was a lot of hysteria Tomasso Auerbach and worry that we would not be able to get back into the country.

The

Aftermath Pieces of 9/11 related legislation introduced

by Congress the year following the attacks: Department of Homeland Security created

650

What changed after 9/11

130

Money spent on flag imports to the U.S.

2000: $747,800

2001: $51.7million

-fold increase in number of TSA officers and inspectors sources of information: CBS News, Flag Manufacturers Association of America, PBS, Department of Homeland Security offical website

page 20|september 11, 2015

Centerfold|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

How should we teach

Corey Davison History Teacher

I don’t think I’ll forget it for as long as I live: Stooped over a table in the cafeteria with my fellow ninth graders, sneering at Doug MacKenzie’s spurious pronouncements about how someone had driven a bus into the White House; wandering curiously over to John Philips, our student body president, who listened intently to a stern voice coming from a boxy black stereo; foolishly commenting that, “Hey, this feels like a movie” — and consequently receiving a condemning yet deeply sad glare; shuffling off to French class, where a flustered Mme. Townsend could not teach any French that day, as she was

Marcia Okun History Teacher

As a teacher, I am always trying to get my students to ask questions. The fact that The Lion’s Roar staff is asking the question of whether we should commemorate or teach about the events of 9/11 indicates that we are doing something right. In fact, it is a complex question that we should be discussing at a national level.

Before committing ourselves to teaching this event, we need to consider why this historical event and not others. We in the history department are always debating the question of what we should teach and why. It is clear that we cannot teach everything well. We pick and choose. Deciding what is worth teaching is based on many criteria, includ-

photo illustration by Sophia Fisher

unable to reach her son, Tory, a resident of Lower Manhattan; the relief of seeing my mom’s white minivan van swooping down the inclined road into the school parking lot, along with everyone else’s moms’ minivans; watching the news as the second tower fell, scared and bewildered.

Every year on 9/11, I share these memories with my students, who share theirs, faded and foggy.

This year, for the first time, I will face the challenge of what those who lived through the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Kennedy and King Assassinations have experienced for decades: teaching a moment that is at once personal and eradefining to those for whom it is but image, text and others’ recollections.

I don’t know how to teach 9/11. Frankly, I don’t think anyone really does. And since there is no quicker way to antagonize a group of teachers than telling them how to teach something, I won’t dare to presume that I know how we should teach it.

So, in confronting the annual task of the Sept. 11 lesson, I offer one question and one certainty.

Question: For how long will history teachers suspend their curriculum to discuss 9/11 on its day of remembrance? Indeed, I teach through Dec. 7 or July 14 without mentioning Pearl Harbor or the Fall of the Bastille, even though they are essential content for my 10th grade course (and are covered at their appropriate moment in the curriculum). But if

I don’t stop on, for example, Nov. 22 to reflect on John F. Kennedy’s assassination, should I not also relegate the curriculum content of 9/11 to U.S. History and 1945-topresent courses?

So far, that answer is a tentative no. Remember what I said about antagonizing the history department.

To be sure, there is variety in how much attention 9/11 gets in our history classrooms; some teachers spend an entire lesson, while others touch on it for a brief moment. And still, it does seem like there has to be something said on that momentous day, at least for now.

This brings me to my one certainty: We live in the 9/11 era, but what that means is not yet defined, as the Cold War or Re-

construction are by our textbooks and PowerPoints.

In light of this fact, as long as the world continues to respond on an almost daily basis to this event (think ISIS, Iran nuclear deal, NSA, etc.), it will be necessary to not only consider the causes, events and effects of 9/11 every year, but also to reconsider how we teach it every year.

What 9/11 meant in 2010 is undeniably different from its meaning in 2015, as it will be in 2020.

As Americans, our ignorance of this is dangerous because our actions as a nation define this era. And so as teachers, students and citizens, we are obliged to continually observe, consider and respond to the effect of Sept. 11 on the moment.

ing the state frameworks, consequences of the event, relevance to students’ lives and available resources.

Based on these criteria, 9/11 should be included in what we teach. Teaching about 9/11 is mandated by the state’s frameworks, but the recommended coverage falls far short of sufficiency: “Describe America’s response to and the wider consequences of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. ” (93).

The problem with this mandate is that it ignores the events leading up to 9/11.

The first step should be to consider what exactly happened and why. These are questions, however, that cannot be answered

if we focus exclusively on the events of Sept. 11, 2001 or U.S. reactions. We need to ask what events led up to planes flying into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as what the effects were worldwide.

There are places to teach about these causes and effects in both the 10th grade and 11th grade history curriculum. They can also be incorporated into many of the 12th grade electives in terms of ethics, psychology, economics or impact on current events.

How we should teach about 9/11 itself is less obvious. It can be taught as a stand alone event, but many South teachers use it to discuss U.S. foreign policy, differences between state and non-state terrorism or how we know what we know. There are many ways

of teaching this event within a context that not only informs our students of important events, but also leads them to think critically about historical systems and the world today.

So yes, we should teach about 9/11. Should we, however, commemorate it? Consider what events are commemorated at a national or state level. Criteria need to be articulated. What is worthy of commemoration and why? Commemorated for how long? The events of 9/11 were commemorated for several years following 2001, but that was more than 10 years ago. Some events are commemorated yearly long after they have occurred; Columbus Day and Veterans Day are marked by state-mandated school holidays. Other events, such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor and

the Million Man March on Washington, are not. These events are incorporated into our curriculum, but do not have yearly commemorations.

It is clear that the events of 9/11 should be incorporated into our curriculum in as many places as makes sense. Teaching, however, is not the same as commemorating. Communication requests more criteria than just educational value and typically involves a larger community than that of a school. Still, it is a right and responsibility of our students to ask what those criteria should be and propose that the school community discuss this as well as other issues. Commemoration is recognition of history by society, and helping students to engage in civil society is one of our highest goals.

FEATURES page 21|September 11, 2015|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

FEATURES@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 2

THE

COMMON APPLICATION

The Roar follows four seniors with different interests as they navigate through the college application process and will reveal their identities and college plans as they make their decisions

By Andrea Lirio

K

yle* is applying to art schools and plans to major in photography.

Although he has not begun the application process, he has toured several schools and said he is particularly interested in London schools. “I just did research and they just appealed to me,” he said.

“They were awesome.”

Kyle said he would like a school with a relaxed environment in a large city.

“I am looking for something that is in a city, like right in the middle of it.

I want something that has a very free program, like something that is not too restrictive that allows me to be free creatively,” he said. “It has to have a good facility for analog photography, like a dark room.”

His top choice is University of Arts London (UAL). Located just outside the center of London, the school comprises six colleges and fits all his criteria.

Within UAL, Kyle’s top choices for colleges are London College of Communication and Camberwell College of Arts.

So far, Kyle is still unsure of the details of the application process, but he knows what type of school he wants to apply to. “I know that for arts schools I have to have a portfolio and certain SAT scores and grade point averages, but I haven’t looked into exactly what they are for the colleges yet,” he said. “I don’t exactly know what the portfolio requirements are. I just haven’t really looked into it.”

S

ydney* is interested in psychology and her top four schools are Providence College, New York University, Johnson and Wales University and University of Miami.

So far, Sydney has visited several schools and has finished the common app essay.

She said the application process has been relatively easy because she has learned to budget her time wisely.

“I’m just trying to take it step-bystep and not waiting last minute to get everything done,” she said.

She has also found the application process less stressful than most seniors because she has recieved help from many experienced adults and peers.

“I’ve had a lot of outside help from other people to point me in the right direction.”

Although the application process is new to her, Sydney is confident that she is ready for what lies ahead in the college application process.

“I think I was [prepared] because I had older friends and older siblings, but going through it myself I don’t think I really realized that there are so many steps that you have to take,” she said. “I think I was aware of the requirements. I think I am [well-prepared].”

Sydney has one piece of advice for her fellow seniors: “Just get it done and don’t wait,” she said.

N

icholas* wants to pursue a major in information technology. So far, he has decided to apply to two colleges, University of Massachusetts Boston, to which he is applying early decision, and the Institute of Technology Autonomous of Mexico.

Nicholas is looking for a school with people whom he can relate to and an environment in which he can learn without distractions.

“I want to make sure that the school is filled with people that I like and people who are actually trying to learn something and become good at what they want to do in life,” he said. “I’m looking for a serious institution where I can learn and grow and meet people.”

Nicholas has visited both schools and is working on applications, but he is having particular difficulty with the common app essay.

“I still don’t know what I want to talk about because I want to make sure I show who I am, who I truly am, so that has been something really hard for me to find,” he said. “I mean you only have five paragraphs and 500 words. You have to summarize who you are into that essay.”

He recommends that people not be afraid of the college process and enjoy senior year.

“See it as something amazing. Don’t be afraid of getting accepted or not,” he said. “Just enjoy it rather than stressing out.”

L

graphics by Celine Yung

ayla* is applying to military academies around the country. She is specifically interested in Norwich University, Texas A & M University, Virginia Military Institute, West Point and the United States Naval Academy.

She is seeking a military school where she can grow and develop. “I’m looking for a regimented schedule, something that you know what you want to be and where you want to be going, a sense of camaraderie. That’s what the military is for me,” she said.

Although she is planning to go to military school, she will still study the same subjects as a regular student. She is looking to major in either physics or engineering and minor in criminal justice.

At this point, Layla has looked into all the applications for the schools she is applying to. Layla has already submitted her early decision application to Norwich in Vermont and is thinking of applying to Boston University early action, “I would say I’m right on track but in the middle [of the process] still,” she said.

Layla said juniors and underclassman should prepare for the college process ahead of time in order to avoid stress during the school year. “Get those SATs done.

Also start looking at the colleges that you want because it makes it a lot easier than when you are a senior and have to smash it all into one year,” she said. *Names changed to protect students’ identities

page 22|september 11, 2015

features|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

Perks and perils of strict parenting styles Shelley Friedland

know that there’s a lot of pressure put on ate an atmosphere in the household where them, and if they don’t excel in school, then the kid wants to excel,” he said. there’s going to be consequences for that.”

South parent Myrtha Chang said Sophomore John Floros agreed. that while she has grown less strict as her No sleepovers. No TV or computer “Their social behavior is definitely children have grown older, she believes her games. No grade less than an A. affected … because their parents are busy parenting has paid off.

These were some of the guidelines making decisions for them and controlling “To me, the biggest job of a parent is that Amy Chua, author of “Battle Hymn their life for them,” he said. to prepare your kids for the real world,” she of the Tiger Mother,” imposed upon her Junior Jacqueline Lee said that her said. “I feel like now [my kids] have those children. In the 2011 book, Chua describes foundational skills and the world has many the extremely strict and often controversial parents allow her independence, but as a reward. more options for “tiger parenting” she adopted, microman“My mom them because of that aging and pushing her children toward … gives me a lot of and that’s my definiachievement in all facets of their lives.

“I put hard work into school tion of success — to freedom to hang out Many students interviewed agreed that tiger parents, or more generally, strict with friends and go because I feel pressure to and have options.”

Several parents, impact students’ academic, extra- out, so all she really I want to. I think strict parents cares about is just me students said they curricular and social lives. But while high create an atmosphere in the believe that parentgetting good grades, expectations from parents to excel can be household where the kid wants ing style is often tied so then my reward an encouraging, excessive pressure largely for that is having to culture, suggestleads to bad results. to excel.” freedom,” she said.

Junior Isabella Auerbach said that a - Alex Song, Class of 2016 ing that Russian and But while high Asian parents in benefit of strict parents is academic sucparticular tend to be cess. “You are definitely able to stay on top standards may at first seem burdensome, stricter. of your school work, along with extracursenior Sasha Dubinsky said that those Lee, for example said she has noticed ricular activities, so I mean academically differences in parenting style between her you are doing well and getting good grades. standards soon became her own.

“They set high expectations for parents and those of her non-Asian peers.

It looks good on paper,” she said.

“A lot of my non-Asian friends’ parents Senior Brad Weissel agreed that hav- me, so I in turn set high expectations for myself,” she said. “That way, I’m always … instead of telling their child to always ing strict parents leads to better academic pushing myself to reach the goals that they get A’s, they just say ‘Always try to do your performance, but that this type of success set for me.” best,’” she said. comes at a price.

Senior Alex Song agreed. “I put hard Song, whose parents are Chinese, “I think my social life would really work into school because I feel pressure to agreed that a lot of the strict parenting suffer,” he said. “I think [kids with tiger parents] are also much more stressed. They and I want to. I think strict parents can cre- finds its origin in implicit expectations for Managing Editor

success.

“I don’t know how many times the parents of Asian kids tell them, ‘You need to go to Harvard’ or ‘You need to get amazing grades,’” he said. “I feel that it all comes from the pressure … that [my parents] don’t necessarily put on me consciously, but it’s still there.”

Even more than culture, parents’ expectations seem to be shaped by experience. Dubinsky said she believes her parents’ background has influenced how they interact with her. “My parents are Russian, so they have high expectations in school but at the same time they … give me wiggle room,” she said. “They might have an idea of the path that they want me to lead in my life, but if my idea doesn’t meet theirs, it’s not going to be the end of the world.”

In the end, Song said the long-term benefits of strict parents outweigh the short-term frustration.

“It’s really hard sometimes, but everyone goes through pressure,” he said.

“The pressure has allowed me to have so many more opportunities because my parents push me to be excellent,” “Sometimes I just want to say, ‘Why can’t I just be normal?’ That is something I’ve wanted to say so many times, but at the same time, why be normal? So I think it pays off in the long run.”

Additional reporting by Mona Baloch and Emily Belt

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September 11, 2015|page 23

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Features

HomeGrown

By Maia Fefer

Sustainable agriculture student and farm club member takes on the “Homegrown 30: A month of backyard eating” challenge

photos by Kiana Lee

A

fter six years of farming, junior Noah Kopf is putting his skills to the ultimate test. Over the past several months, he has revamped South’s garden, replacing the usual zucchini and cucumbers with beans and potatoes. Having stocked it with nutritious vegetables, Kopf is determined to make the most of what he can grow.

Kopf has challenged himself to go 30 days, starting on Aug. 23, eating only food that he has helped produce in the hopes of demonstrating the power of local agriculture. With the help of his sustainable agriculture and foods systems class, Kopf filled the South garden, a 3,000 square foot area, with caloric crops. In addition to harvesting from the school garden, Kopf takes food from his own garden, collects wild berries from local areas and eats eggs from chickens he has rented for the month.

Kopf came up with the idea last summer when he was working at the food project, a non-profit organization in Massachusetts dedicated to sustainable agriculture.

“When people think about local foods that are locally produced, they automatically think of little farmers’ markets or growing a tiny home garden. I think that local agriculture has the power to be much more than that. I think it is something that can deliver enormous change to how people eat and how our food system works,” Kopf said. “This project is a way to demonstrate to people that local agriculture can keep the world fed.”

For junior Grace Leuchtenberger, the project represents a returns to the autonomy humans once had.

“It is an interesting idea to see if one person can grow enough food in a small amount of space to feed himself for a month, especially in today’s day and age where we are not particularly self-sufficient,” she said.

“That is probably why Noah is doing it. It is like a return to ancestry.”

Once Kopf had planned the project, he shared the idea with his peers in the sustainable agriculture and food systems class. According to sophomore Kevin DamonCronmiller, Kopf ’s outline impressed the class.

“There was never any doubt that he was going to

Junior Noah Kopf tends to and harvests crops from the garden with sustainable agriculture teacher Jon Orren. do it,” he said. “He had it pretty mapped out. He planned it really well so that he will get all the nutrients he will need.”

While Kopf has a support system in place he is ultimately responsible for the project.

“Mainly, I would say we are being supportive to his idea and helping him and being there to advise him on any issue,” Kopf ’s mother, Stephanie Cogen, said.

Kopf has also been aided by local professionals, including some from the Food Project.

“Almost every day I come in with a few questions and they are really happy to help me,” he said. “Greg at the Newton Community Farm has been really helpful. He lets

“This project is a way to demonstrate to people that local agriculture can keep the world fed.”

- Noah Kopf, Class of 2017

us borrow equipment. He gives us advice, [and] lets us have some of his extra seedlings, which is great.”

According to Kopf ’s calculation, he is eating an average of 2,100 calories per day during the challenge, signigicantly lower than his usual consumption. Altogether, he is consuming 63,000 calories over the course of the 30 days, of which 57 percent, or 36,000 calories, is purely from potatoes.

Kopf prepared diligently and realistically for the undertaking, Cogen said.

“Over the year, he has worked so hard researching what crops to grow, [what] nutrition he will need and how many calories he could get from each food,” she said.

“I think he has done it in a very systematic and scientific [way]. He was very serious about the project.”

In February, Kopf began planting for the spring season in the South greenhouse, but lost many of the plants due to the long winter.

Weather continues to be a concern, sustainable agriculture teacher Jon Orren said.

“We did have those flash storms, [which] could have wreaked havoc on our crops, but luckily it looks as though it wasn’t that much damage.” he said. “Weather is unpredictable, [but] weather is something commercial farmers have to deal with year in and year out. If we do encounter it, it will be disappointing, but at least there will be some teachable moments,” he said.

Aside from the risk of weather, Kopf said he is not very worried, even about nutrition. He has been in touch with his doctor and nutritionist.

“It was doable for someone of my health and age to go without certain vitamins,” he said.

Kopf has been keeping a blog on Facebook called “Homegrown 30: A month of backyard eating,” where he has been posting photos and observations throughout the duration of his project.

“Food has taken up a huge amount of my waking hours,” he said. “On a normal day I am sure that I think about food a lot, but maybe I don’t notice it as much. I feel like food is taking up a lot of my thoughts these days, especially when I am around food that I can’t eat.”

Nevertheless, Kopf said he finds the project rewarding.

“It is satisfying in its own way, especially making new things like the gnocchi, or figuring out how to make peas taste better, or acquiring a taste for cherry tomatoes,” he said. “I am super happy that people are finding it interesting and engaging and that random people are seeing my work and thinking it is interesting. I think what I definitely need to do is get across how other people can eat locally too because … that is the ultimate goal. To not only change how I eat, but change how others eat as well.”

page 24|september 11, 2015

Features|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

Where

do you belong?

Cliques, in the stereotypical sense, seem to be rare at South

A

By Michelle Cheng and Alex Dobin

ccording to South students and faculty, “Mean Girls” had it wrong.

“The word ‘popular’ isn’t really accurate. ... I don’t think popularity becomes a thing at South because it’s a 2,000 kid school — there isn’t really room for ‘Lets sit down and vote on who we like the most,’” junior Yuval Dinoor said. “The popular group becomes who most fits the mold portrayed by the media.”

The black-and-white portrayal of high school in Hollywood, sophomore Windley Knowlton said, rarely ever plays out at South.

“In ‘High School Musical,’ like in [the song] ‘Stick to the Status Quo,’ they’re all sitting at the different tables, [and] they’re outlining the cliques,” she said.

“I feel like cliques aren’t that outlined [at South]. ... In reality, it’s not like ‘I’m in the A clique and you’re in the B clique and you’re in the F clique.’”

Besides being misleading, the media’s representation of high school can be harmful, instilling fear into incoming freshmen or causing students to turn down new opportunities.

“When I was going into high school, I expected [it] to be a mixture of ‘High School Musical’ and ‘Mean Girls,’” Knowlton said. “I was afraid that high school was really mean or exclusive.”

Whether or not South is considered “cliquey” depends on the definition of ‘clique.’ Most students interviewed agreed that South’s culture does unite people of similar interests, but that the groups are not exclusive. Though social groups in some form are inevitable, South’s large student body and range of activities beaks down the barriers between them, contradicting the media’s rigid portrayal of a high school’s social dynamic.

Many said that cliques, defined as “groups of friends,” can be a positive addition to the high school environment.

“If there’s a clique who is welcoming to other people in that way, I think that’s fine,” sophomore John Floros said. “It’s not a good thing, however, when they become exclusive and they are excluding other people.”

Guidance Counselor Chris Hardiman said that by definition, cliques are both exclusive and toxic to a high school atmosphere, but agreed that social groups are, to some extent, a necessity.

“The true definition of a clique, of being in a group of like-minded people, but who also really do exclude others, I think is definitely negative,” he said. “[But] I worry about students who don’t feel like they’re part of any group.”

While South may have some exclusive groups, Boston College psychology professor Lisa Goodman said that cliques are more common in middle school.

“In developmental psych, we talk about core conflicts. The core conflict in middle school, belonging or not belonging, is replaced by the core conflict in high school, ‘What’s my identity?,’ [which allows for] much more flexibility in cliques,” she said.

According to Hardiman, students are much more insecure during middle school, which affects how they interact with each other.

“There’s sometimes this feeling that they have to exclude others in order to feel more accepted by the group,” Hardiman said. “There’s that kind of mentality of fear of being ousted from the group, so they kind of protect themselves [by being] mean to others or excluding others.”

Middle school students are forced to choose among these fixed groups, according to sophomore Catherine O’Brien.

“At [Oak Hill], there were very defined cliques.

Like if you sat at a different lunch table, people were like ‘Why didn’t you sit with us today? Do you hate us?;” she said.

Goodman agreed.

“Middle school’s often quite fixed, and then high school’s somewhat less fixed, and then college’s even less, and hopefully out in the world, [it’s] even less so,” she said. “I’m picturing these groups of people, CLIQUES, 25

photos by Kiana Lee

September 11, 2015|page 25

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Features

Around the world in 75 days A look at where students traveled over the summer

Relationships

Taiwan

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every issue, The Roar publishes a different anonymous student’s perspective on relationships.

The views expressed in the “Relationships Column” do not reflect the official views of The Lion’s Roar, nor are they intended as a guide or source of advice for others.

Every time we come back to Taiwan to visit family, it’s amazing to see all the technological advances and different buildings that come and go, but it’s also comforting to see everything and everyone exactly as I last remembered them. It’s the timelessness of this second home that I love so much.

Amber Lee, Class of 2017

photos courtesy of Amber Lee

Haiti This was my second time going to Haiti through the Saint Rock Haiti Foundation. While in Haiti, I sat in with doctors and played with all the little kids waiting to be seen. Patients came into the clinic with ailments as simple as a common cold and as life-threatening as cancer.

photos courtesy of Katie Kaufman

Katie Kaufman, Class of 2017

Armenia I went on a five week trip to Armenia, where I developed strong friendships with the teenagers there. Throughout the trip, we volunteered at day camps, preschools and kindergartens. Armenia has really warm, friendly people, great food, beautiful hiking and lots of churches.

Yael Day, Class of 2018

photos courtesy of Yael Day

Argentina & Chile photos courtesy of Jake Epstein

I traveled to Patagonia, a mountainous region at the very bottom of South America. We started in Buenos Aires, Argentina and flew south to El Chalten, on the border of Argentina and Chile, where we hiked, worked with park rangers and did community service at wildlife reserves and primary schools in both countries.

Jake Epstein, Class of 2016

At South, cliques not so simple CLIQUES, from 24 constantly reforming and reshaping.”

One area where exclusivity can still be a problem, however, is racial groups.

“You still see ... a lot of black students sitting together, a lot of Asian students sitting together,” Hardiman said.

Though South has no “Burn Book,” Hardiman said that social media can be an outlet for bullying behavior. Yet offline, Hardiman said he admires South’s welcoming nature.

“South, at least outwardly ... seems to be a very accepting place,” he said. “I’m impressed by how, in general, people seem to get along and feel like they can be part of a group and not be harassed for it, and

Defining (Sort Of) the Relationship

not be labeled and not be judged.”

Senior Liel Dolev said that while there is some truth to the media’s portrayal

“I’m impressed by how, in general, people seem to get along and feel like they can be part of a group and not be harassed for it.”

- Chris Hardiman, guidance counselor of students with similar interests grouping together, it is best to think of high school as a blank slate.

“I think you should go into high school with not really having any expectations,” he said. “It’s bad if someone’s like ‘Oh, I really wanted to do theater, but my other friends hang out in the science department, and now I can’t do theater.’”

To Dinoor, the word “clique” itself carries a negative connotation, but she believes people with common interests and personalities naturally tend to come together in high school.

“You can have the idea of a clique no matter what social group you come from, and it’s just the idea. It’s not really an attitude,” she said. “It’s just the inevitable idea that you’re going to like some people and you’re not going to like other people.”

Boyfriend and girlfriend. Friends with benefits. Casual platonic cuddle buddies with some possible kissing thrown in.

We live in a world where a string of somewhat random words conveys a very specific romantic model. I wouldn’t take my hookup buddy on a dinner with my grandparents, and I probably wouldn’t start sexting my friend who sometimes puts his arm around me when we watch movies.

Understandably, these somewhat contrived titles can cause tension when you’re forced to apply them to your situation. If we’re exclusive, but want to only hook up, does that make someone my boyfriend? If I consider myself straight but have entered into an increasingly sexual relationship with a female friend, do I need to start calling her my friend with benefits? The answer is no, you don’t have to call your relationship any of those things.

These labels mean very different things to different people, and we need to acknowledge that. I might consider someone my boyfriend after going on a single date, whereas someone else might require a much more vigorous vetting process.

What’s important is using the words that make sense to you. If “friends with benefits” has a connotation you don’t like, you don’t have to use that term.

At the end of last year, I was in a relationship that I didn’t entirely know how to describe. We cared about each other deeply, held hands openly in public and talked every single day about anything and everything, but I knew we weren’t officially dating. So when people asked, I used the phrase that felt right to me: “friends with emotional benefits.”

While you should feel free to deem you and your significant other whatever you see fit, it’s important that you, along with your partner, be able to identify the situation you’re in together. Defining the relationship (or DTR-ing) is one of the scariest things a person can have to do in a relationship, but failing to do so can cause incredible emotional distress for both you and your partner and can even lead to a nasty falling out. Whether you feel much more involved in the relationship than your partner seems to be, or your partner is falling way too hard, way too fast, and you’re not comfortable with it, it’s important that you both somehow get on the same page.

No matter what words you use or what conclusion you come to, you deserve to be with someone who respects you, your needs and your decisions. By expressing your desires or fears for the relationship, you and your partner are able to make more informed decisions about where you both are, and where you’re going.

page 26|september 11, 2015

ArtFocus

features|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

The Roar features work submitted by student artists

Anjali Shankar

Hannah Long

Adam Verga

Jacob Rozowsky

September 11, 2015|page 27

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|fun page

South Crime Watch Editors’ Note: Individuals are presumed guilty until proven innocent.

NOISE COMPLAINT September 2, Field House Neighbors reported “a Project X-style party gone awry” on the night after teachers voted to approve the new contract. One teacher was reportedly seen doing a keg stand.

graphic by Sophie Galowitz

PROPERTY DAMAGE September 8, Senior Lot Following the announcement that juniors will not be allowed to buy parking passes, several seniors reported a demolition derby being hosted by the junior class in the parking lot. The juniors responded to the complaints by smashing the windows of all cars painted with senior spirit.

PRIVACY BREACH September 8, Cutler House A math teacher was found using his personal email account to access blocked websites. South’s resident conservative suspected that the teacher may have been involved in Benghazi.

MOVING VIOLATION September 9, Cafeteria A senior was made to sit through a condescending lecture after attempting to switch into a larger class. The student was reprimanded for using the excuse of trying to avoid Newton Centre traffic during Friday lunch blocks.

VANDALISM September 10, Teacher Lot A student spray-painted the word “seniors” across the windshield of a teacher’s matching Honda Civic. The suspect is said to have hair dyed blue and orange and was last seen wearing an orange cape and blowing a whistle.

Overheard at SOUTH Ivy-bound freshman at club fair: “Isn’t this supposed to be good for college?”

Tech-savvy junior girl: “Oh my god, it’s so hot in here. Snapchat says it’s 90 degrees.”

Concerned woman: “I would be in deep sh*t if he went down there. I would be in, like, unrectifiable sh*t.”

Embarrassing Roar Staff Photo of the Month:

Belt shows her feelings about going back to school.

Making America Great Again COREY DAVISON & SAM LEE sr. fun editors

bffls & bad puns Over the summer, it was difficult to catch reruns of “2 Broke Girls” on TBS or browse through the #bestofyoutube playlist without being confronted with the dismal signs of a declining America: a stagnant economy, stubbornly high jobless rate, unbridled class warfare, Hillary Clinton being generally shady, the USWNT finishing the World Cup in a truly embarrassing fashion and squeaking out a win by a margin of less than 10 goals.

It is obvious that we need to make America great again, again. We’ve done it once before, back in the ‘90s when we basically invented the SUV and the boy band. We’ve also redeemed the cultural wasteland of the early 2000s with the triumph of Mean Girls.

As diligent observers of the world and as believers in America, we have a simple three-point plan to bring America back to its rightful status as the world’s leader in justice, prosperity and freedom.

1. One thing is clear: we’re going to need an educated populous if we are to return to the innovation, courage and foresight we possessed in 1776. That is why it is imperative to make certain that every man, woman and child — from every ethnic, socioeconomic and religious background, regardless of who their favorite One Direction member is — can excel at taking one multiple choice test administered on a very specific computer program. This speaks for itself.

2. Out of many, one. United we stand. These timeless phrases form the very fabric of the America we all believe in, and the America we want all of our kids to believe in. It is absolutely paramount, then, that we celebrate one uniquely American culture.

It will be the duty of every American to watch the following: each episode of “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Wire,” “House of Cards,” “Mad Men” and “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” as much of “Lost” as you can stomach before it gets too weird, the last two seasons of “How I Met your Mother,” Chris Pratt’s blooper reel from “Parks and Rec,” the first seven seasons of “Friends” (the last few get out of hand with the Ross & Rachel situation; although you really should catch the last episode), any three episodes of “Community” from the middle of Season Two, the “That’s What She Said” montage from “The Office” (American version; the British one was awkward and sad), a 15-minute clip from BBC’s “Sherlock” (or the last 20 minutes of an episode of “House”; they’re pretty much the same thing), a cursory glance at any of the “Ironman” movies (although the first one was actually pretty good), the scene in “Crazy.

Stupid. Love.” when they all meet for the first time and Kevin Bacon gets punched by Ryan Gosling, an annual viewing of “Zoolander,” and all 14 minutes of Kanye’s speech at the 2015 MTV VMA’s. No longer will any American fear spoiling the end of these seminal works of art. No longer will we be split on which new Netflix series to watch (“Daredevil” is totally missable, by the way). No longer will we languish in conversation with half-remembered Louis C. K. jokes. Together, we march forward to a new America; together, we will find the new funniest YouTube video; together, we will unintentionally phase out the cultural import of the printed word.

3. These days, America is faced with so many seemingly insurmountable challenges. Luckily, the application of a single solution can help us reestablish America as the great nation we know it can be: walls. Health care is too expensive; build a wall around our hospitals to cut down on security costs. ISIS is running rampant; build a wall around the Middle East, as well as parts of North and West Africa. The ice caps are melting and super-storms, combined with unprecedented droughts and floods, threaten our food supplies and major population centers; build a wall around the atmosphere to keep it in line. More Americans have died by gun-related deaths since 1968 than in every war in all of American history: build a bulletproof wall around each American. There are far too few parking spots allotted to South students, and - each year - this lack of access only exacerbates pre-existing frustrations and further divides us as young citizens developing in our involvement in democratic affairs; build a wall around the parking lot and force every student to take the bus or walk for better overall health.

With these three items, we can forge our way back to greatness, back to when we hung our flags with pride, back to an era when a group of idealistic young males could form a union so powerful, they crafted the beauty of “Bye Bye Bye”.

SPORTS page 28|september 11, 2015|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

sports@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 2

VARSITY BLUES

photo by Bailey Kroner

South falls to North 31-22 in first scrimmage of the year as defense falters against North attack FOOTBALL, from 1 North then immediately forced a three-and-out from the South offense, and responded with yet another touchdown drive to put an exclamation point on the first half with the score at 29-0.

“We made some mental mistakes; we made some physical mistakes. I look at the first half and say that was a perfect storm of disaster,” Dalicandro said.

Frustrated after the dismal performance, the Lions came out sharp on their opening drive of the second half.

Quarterback Austin Burton hit his stride, connecting with junior tight end Sasha Hoban for a critical fourth down conversion and finding senior Anthony DeNitto twice for two big plays, the second a 30-yard touchdown pass.

South’s extra point attempt was blocked and returned all

the way for North, making the score 31-6 four minutes into the half.

“We just settled down and focused on making plays on offense,” Burton said.

The South score inspired the defense, which promptly forced a North punt. Starting from their own 35-yard line, the Lions marched up the field for another score. Burton completed five passes on the drive, including a touchdown pass to Hoban. The Lions then scored on a two-point conversion attempt to cut the deficit to 31-14 with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter.

South’s touchdown drives showed the promise of the team’s returning players, Burton foremost among them.

“Austin [Burton] made some good checks from the line,” DeNitto said. “We saw some formations North was in, made some adjustments and took advantage.”

North’s next possession ended with a punt, and South’s offense drove into North’s territory before an interception ended the drive. The Lions’ defense forced another punt before finishing the game with a touchdown run, making the final tally 31-22.

Despite the tough loss, DeNitto said he believes that the team can improve with the right mentality. “We can’t get down after things don’t go our way,” he said. “We have to not worry about the bad calls, the refs or the other team, but rather on our own team and what we can do.”

Dalicandro acknowledged the team’s struggles, saying that the team must learn from its preseason mistakes to succeed during the regular season.

“We have just got to move on — it’s one game at a time,” Dalicandro said. “We need to just focus on getting better every day.”

Athletics department faces three departures Nathaniel Bolter & Sophie Lu would like use follow-up questions [beEditor-in-Chief, News Editor

Softball Coach Retires After 18 seasons, softball coach Dave Salett is retiring along with assistant coaches Bob Cohen and Alan Kaplan.

The three “best friends,” as Salett described, began discussing retirement toward the end of the 2014 season, and announced the decision to the team at Spring Sports Awards Night. The coaches, who all have young grandchildren, want to spend more time with their families.

Players described Salett as approachable and compassionate, with an affinity for puns and an unusual dedication to the sport and the students themselves.

“He would email you throughout the year, regardless of if it was actually in season,” senior captain Monica Cipriano said.

“And when he asked how you’re doing, he

cause] he actually cared about the answer.”

Salett, a former president of Newton Girls Softball and founder of a middle school travel team, will continue to hold hitting and pitching clinics with Cohen and Kaplan in the winter. “Just to ... go to the field every day, and spend your time with your best friends coaching and all these wonderful kids ... was such a rewarding feeling and such an escape,” Salett said.

“That’s what I’ll miss more than anything.”

Basketball Coach Hired After six seasons of coaching the South girls basketball team, head coach Sam Doner has decided to move to Natick High School to coach the boys basketball team. Joe Rogers, who previously held the position of assistant coach, will take over as head coach.

Rogers said he is excited to assume more responsibility and continue working

with the team.“I know that I’ll be looking forward to working with this group of kids because I know who they are, and they’re just a great group,” he said.

Athletic Director Patricia Gonzalez said she was impressed with Rogers during his interview.“We liked his ideas about teaching and the effort of the students, not just the end results,” Gonzalez said. “The idea about directing a program, not just a team, was important to us and also he had the experience of working here.”

Rogers said he has been working hard to get ready for the upcoming season.

“Right now, I’m more focused on the things I need to do to prepare to take away from those nerves,” Rogers said. “I have a lot of work to do to get prepared, but I’m confident I’ll be prepared when we have to get going.”

Senior Leaves for Salisbury Baseball captain Cam Meyer has ac-

cepted an offer to play baseball at Salisbury School in Connecticut. Meyer, who will repeat his junior year there, played on South’s baseball team since his freshman year.

Friend and co-captain junior Ben Alexander said the team is losing more than just a skilled player. “The team will definitely be affected when he leaves,” Alexander said. “We’re losing [a] shortstop ... and he played shortstop for the last two years. He was a great leader and captain.”

Meyer said he has mixed feelings about leaving South. “It’s difficult to leave my teammates and friends and coaches,” he said. “But at the same time I need an extra year.”

Despite his departure, Meyer said he is confident the team will be able to do well next year and in the coming years. “This is one of the best teams that we’ve ever had in the South baseball program ... so this is our best shot at winning a state championship. There’s no other team that can do it but this one,” he said.

September 11, 2015|page 29

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Sports

Fresh Pressure

The Real Awards NATHAN ELBAUM & NOAH SHELTON

sports columnist, senior sports editor

“

Each year, a few freshmen are called upon to play on varsity teams, forcing them to confront one question: Will they break under the pressure?

W

hen sophomore Sasha Hoban was a freshman, he played not one but three varsity sports: football, basketball and volleyball.

As the only or one of the only freshman on each team, Hoban said he felt the pressure to prove his ability to his coaches, spectators and, above all, older teammates — particularly on the football field.

“I wanted to prove to people that I could actually compete at that level, and I wanted to be really good, and I wanted to play well,” he said. “I felt pressure on a more personal level because people watching the game would say, ‘Oh, he’s just a freshman.’”

Several other students who played on varsity teams as freshmen said they also felt pressure to excel and live up to expectations. Like Hoban, most said that the pressure was self-inflicted, and often indirectly exacerbated by teammates.

For sophomore Olyvia Salek, who was one of four freshmen on the varsity softball team, the season was “very stressful.”

“Lots of expectations, lots of ‘freshman nerves’ is what my coach called it,” she said. Although Salek said the pressure on her was mostly internal, she also worried about meeting her teammates’ standards.

“We all put pressure on each other to be good,” she said. “[My teammates] were very supportive if you made a mistake, but if you kept making the same mistake over they’d get a little frustrated.”

As senior Ava Shaevel, who played soccer on both JV and varsity as a freshman, put it, “I didn’t want to make the other girls question why [my coach] brought me up.”

South’s former softball coach David Salett agreed that upperclassmen, not coaches, may have the highest expectations for freshmen. “[The upperclassmen] sometimes feel like ‘Hey, you’re not working hard

By Sophia Fisher enough, you’re not taking this as seriously,’ only because [the freshmen] are nervous. It comes across to the older kids like they’re not trying as hard,” he said.

“Most of the pressure is from my teammates,” Hoban agreed. “They might not say it, but as the only freshman on the field, they’re watching me to make sure I prove myself.”

The pressure a freshman feels, students said, depends on the sport.

“Football is just the kind of sport where you have to prove you’re a big, tough guy and can also play the game,” Hoban said. “I am pretty big, and I can catch and block, but there are other big guys on the team and proving to them that you’re the

“I didn’t want to make the other girls question why [my coach] brought me up.”

- Ava Shaevel, Class of 2016

biggest or toughest can be hard.”

Opposite football on the spectrum is gymnastics. Junior Laura Hernandez, who was the only freshman competing on varsity gymnastics, said she felt no harmful pressure from her teammates or coaches.

“The grades didn’t really make a difference in the way people made friends on the team,” she said. “Being a freshman wasn’t really a big deal.”

In varsity gymnastics meets, points from individual events add up to a team’s final score. Without direct collaboration on the mats, Hernandez said, there is less pressure not to mess up. “You know that you’re not the only person that’s contributing to the team score,” she said.

More directly collaborative sports, on the other hand, may lead to more pressure

photo illustration by Nathaniel Bolter

from teamates according to Shaevel. Soccer, she said, is like a puzzle.

“You have to put the pieces together, and if you’re not proving yourself or if you’re not working hard enough, that puzzle can’t be put together,” she said. “You need to hold up what you’re supposed to do and do your position, and I think that does add to the pressure that if you can’t get that done.”

Swimming, another individual sport, has one team, which leads to more interaction across grades. The atmosphere, sophomore Andrew D’Annolfo said, is mostly positive.

“I hear ‘fresh fish’ or ‘nice one, fresh’ more times than I can count, but it’s all in good fun. No one is attacking anyone. In fact, it pushes me harder to do even better and prove to them that I’m not ‘just a freshman,’” he said.

Depending on the athlete, pressure can also work in the other direction, bringing down performance.Hernandez acknowledged that pressure can sometimes be “hard to handle” and cause gymnasts to make mistakes in high-stakes meets. But these mistakes, Salett said, are just part of the process.

“That’s a natural thing,” he said.

“As coaches you just have to deal with that, have to let the kids grow into their positions.”

“Being a little nervous is healthy,” he added. “It shows a respect for the game, a respect for the transition that you need to go through to [go] from … a little ballplayer to a big-time ballplayer.”

Shaevel said that her own heightened expectations taught her to compete well under pressure, but hurt her play “I hyped it up so much to play well and then if I didn’t, I’d get really upset.” She said, “And I think me getting upset would really affect my playing.”

Additional reporting by Cam Miller

Stealing Second

You the real MVP,” exclaimed the 6-foot-9-inch Kevin Durant when he accepted his first NBA MVP award in 2014. K-Smoove has been a talkative player since entering the NBA at just 18 years old; his most famous words are, however, also his most erroneous.“The real MVP” belongs to the players who care about more than just on-court performance. These awards are named after specific people who have embodied what it means to be a professional athlete.

The J. Walter Kennedy Trophy, often recognized as the Citizenship Award, has gone to famous athletes like Magic Johnson and Steve Nash (the reason Canada watches basketball).

In 2014, the award was given to Luol Deng for working with The Lost Boys of Sudan, an organization that finds homes for children orphaned by the Sudanese civil war.

The NFL has its own award, named after Chicago’s greatest running back, Walter Payton. Thomas Davis, an outside linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, recently won the award because of his foundation – the Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation – which provides free programs like football camps and bike shows to poor children.

The third major sport also understands the important role that athletes play in their communities. The MLB has character awards that often go unnoticed.

The Roberto Clemente Award goes to the player who best represents the game of baseball, with a focus on sportsmanship and community involvement. This award is named for Roberto Clemente, who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 18 years, earning 12 All-Star selections, one MVP, four batting titles, 12 Gold Gloves and accumulating 3,000 hits. Most notably, Clemente flew to Nicaragua to provide aid for earthquake victims after the 1972 season. His plane crashed, and he died before completing his trip. It is this type of player that people should look up to.

The award goes to players who should be recognized for more than they are. Clemente was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously after only one year instead of the customary five so that people would not forget what he stood for.

Former winners include present Hall of Famers Craig Biggio, Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn and future Hall of Famers Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols and Clayton Kershaw. But other winners include lesser known players: Don Baylor, Ken Singleton and Eric Davis.

As we mentioned a couple issues ago, the sabermetric statistics tend to be blown out of proportion, taking over from more traditional statistics. The obsession with these new stats impairs our ability to look past the field and recognize players for more important achievements.

We need to choose our hereos based on how they conduct themselves on and off the field, not based on whether they can hit a ball 500 feet or drain seven threes in a row. The best way to change our perception is to bring these underappreciated awards to the front page, and bring character back into the conversation about what makes a star.

page 30|september 11, 2015

sports|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

Boys Soccer

Daniel Carney & Sam Rosenblatt

Sports Reporter; Sports Editor, Denebola Following a disappointing finish last year, the boys soccer team hopes to make this upcoming fall season a memorable one. Last year, the Lions started strong before losing seven games in a row to end the season with a record of 5-12-1.

According to coach John Conte, the team must generate a feeling of camaraderie to succeed this year. “It’s very important that the boys have a sense of trust – a sense of if they make a mistake, someone is going to be there to pick them up,” he said.

The team faces a difficult schedule in the Dual County League, as well as a game against Needham, the defending state champions. With such tough competition, Conte has made “bigger, stronger, faster” the boys’ motto for offseason training to prepare them for the season.

Though a challenging season lies ahead, the Lions said they are ready for a fresh start. The team will be led by a large senior class, composed of captains Nick Koci, Daniel Sellers and Albert Wu, along with Filip Krzyzanski, Caleb Brandstein, Nathaniel Bolter, Jake Epstein, Crane Friedman, Alex Kiritsy, Eli Kramer and Miles Palma.

Several seniors said they are eagerly awaiting their final season, hoping to make a mark on South soccer history.

“The hunger to improve on last year and make the tournament is making me really excited,” Koci said. “I’m excited to help, excited to play, excited to lead.”

“I think the thing that I’m most looking forward to is finally being the big people in town, being the seniors after all

Coach John Conte Captains Nick Koci, Daniel Sellers and Albert Wu 2014 Record 5-12-1 Next Game September 16 at Boston Latin

these years,” Palma, a striker, said, “People always say, ‘play every game like it’s your last,’ so we’ll actually be playing every game like it’s our last because it’s our last chance.”

The players said they hope better team chemistry will finally lead them to a tournament berth. “The goal is the same every year: it’s to make the playoffs and have a good playoff run,” Wu said. “We play in a hard league, but I feel like we, as a team, have a lot to improve.”

Conte, however, hopes to keep the game in perspective for the team. “My long-term goals are more about player development, making correlations between a good athlete and a good person,” Conte said.

Teammates singled out Sellers, an attacking midfielder, as the anchor and centerpiece of the South attack. This will be Sellers’ third year on the varsity team after breaking through as a sophomore.

“He’s the playmaker, and I think a lot of our play goes through him,” Palma said.

According to Wu, Palma will be another force to be reckoned with on the field this season after leading the team in scoring last year.

“Miles is another player who can change the game,” Wu said. “He’s a real fighter; he never gives up. Even if we’re down two or three goals, he will never stop fighting.”

While the lineup is not yet set in stone, the team will also grapple with a shift in defensive personnel after a large group of defenders graduated.

Other key players to watch include Kiritsy, a three year varsity player like Sellers, and goalie Brandstein, who received significant playing time in the net last season. But with an injured wrist, Brandstein

Girls Soccer

Player to watch Miles Palma Formidable Opponent North will start the season on the sidelines.

Epstein said that despite the Lions’ talent, it will take more than skill to accomplish the team’s objectives. “I think the best thing we can do is to realize that we can only accomplish our goals by working together, being able to learn from our mistakes, being able to rebound from bad things that happen,” he said.

Although the team’s 11 seniors will bring leadership to the team, Conte said that no one is guaranteed playing time because of seniority, with plenty of juniors and three sophomores also on the team.

“I want those boys to see past the individual traits and talents that they have

when they step out on the field, unless it’s for the positive,” Conte said. “Recognize what your teammates’ traits are and play to their strengths. Recognize what their weaknesses are and help them.”

This year, the Lions hope to finally make it over the hump in the DCL. Koci said he thinks that this year has the potential to be different.

“I just think this year we have a very tightly knit unit and we have been playing with each other for so long that we just have more chemistry,” Koci said.

“Everyone will be ready to step up, do their part and contribute to the team as much as they can.”

Coach Doug McCarthy Captains Ava Shaevel and Katie Summers 2014 Record 9-7-2 Next Game September 12 vs Somerville Player to watch Ali Nislick Formidable Opponent Lincoln-Sudbury Nathan Elbaum & Noah Shelton

Sports Reporter, Sr. Sports Editor

photos by Kiana Lee

After coming off a 9-7-2 year, the girls soccer team is looking to follow up last season’s postseason appearance with another playoff run.

Last year, the team made it to the first round of the state tournament, bolstered by a group of returning seniors, where they lost to eventual victors Whitman-Hanson.

Last year’s strong senior class included Tamar Bulka, Elizabeth Barry, Callie Tausig, Katherine Cullen and Izi Epshtein. Barry lead the way offensively for the Lions last season, scoring 11 goals and racking up seven assists. All of the seniors contributed heavily to last year’s playoff run.

This year’s team, led by senior centerback Ava Shaevel and DCL All-Star senior Katie Summers, a center midfielder, features 17 returning players, which means that many players will be relegated to the sidelines.

Seventeen returning players, however, will not be enough help if the team cannot avoid the injury bug that has plagued them in years past.

“Injuries and sickness really hinder our success, so if we can have everyone healthy and able to play, we can be the best team possible,” Shaevel said.

The team hopes the large number of returning players will bring everyone closer together. “I’d say the biggest key to our success is cohesion,” junior Ali Nislick, a striker who had seven goals and fives assists last season, said. “If we work together we can accomplish anything we put our minds to.”

Specifically the team is concentrating on beating its main rival Lincoln-Sudbury (L-S) again. Beating them last season was “a huge accomplishment,” according to Shaevel.

“I know both our team and their team are looking forward to it, so it’s going to be an intense and personal game,” junior goalkeeper Sydney Greene said. The Lions will be playing L-S twice: at home on Sept. 21 and away on Oct. 16.

While winning is always a high priority, Summers added that it is not the team’s only goal. “I think the most important goal going into the season is to create a strong team full of girls who are willing to give their all for each other, because in the end that will lead to the greatest success possible,” she said.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015|page 31

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|sports

Girls Volleyball Eli Braginsky & Thomas Patti Sports Reporters

Despite coming off a 5-12 season, the girls volleyball team remains hopeful that up-and-coming players will step up to help the team reach the state tournament this year.

Last year’s fall season fell well short of expectations. Head coach Todd Elwell recalls dropping “probably three or four matches that could’ve gone either way. It’s always tough to know that you probably should’ve made the tournament and you didn’t,” he said.

Despite the disappointing result, the season was by no means a bust in the eyes of many returning players, who said they were able to form friendships and strengthen team chemistry.

“We didn’t reach our full potential on the court, but off the court we really bonded as a team, and that was one thing that really connected us,” senior Jessica Lanahan said.

Although the program lost key seniors Charlotte Robbins and Rebecca Houston-Read, the team is confident it can turn its fortunes around and make an appearance in the state tournament beginning on Oct. 30.

Coach Todd Elwell Captains Monica Cipriano and Emma Lee 2014 Record 5-12 Next Game September 11 at Wayland Player to watch Ella Kim Formidable Opponent Needham

Players and coaches said they think that the youth and talent that remain will be enough to earn the team a spot in the tournament.

Elwell, along with the returning players, is especially looking to the underclassmen, saying that the girls program is “as deep as it’s ever been.” Elwell said that many of the younger players, specifically the sophomores, are primed to make an impact at the varsity level right away.

“We had some really amazing freshmen and sophomores last year who, after offseason and doing camps and doing club, will have improved a ton,” returning senior Noa Leiter said.

Likewise, captain Monica Cipriano noted that “the interest has seemed to go up a lot. There’s a lot of good people coming up, and then a lot of people who want to make varsity, so they are working really, really hard in the offseason,” she said.

“We’re looking for the young ones to step up and fill in the seniors’ places and to take leadership,” captain Emma Lee added.

The task ahead is difficult but not unprecedented, Elwell said. “Anytime that your seniors leave you, you have this void,” he said, “but if you have got excited kids behind them, the void gets filled pretty quick”.

Coach Ted Dalicandro 2014 Record 6-5 Next Game September 11 at Lexington Captains Frankie Barros, Anthony DeNitto, Herbie Floyd and Jamyre Soberanis Player to watch Austin Burton Formidable Opponents Acton-Boxboro, Needham Liam O’Brien

Sports Editor, Denebola Following a breakout season in which the Lions earned their first postseason berth in program history, the veteran squad is seeking another impressive showing in the DCL and the state tournament.

“We know what it takes to make the playoffs, and as a team we definitely expect to be back,” senior cornerback Omry Meirav said. “Anything can happen for us,” Led by quarterback Austin Burton, a junior who has received a Division One scholarship offer from UMass, South expects to furnish one of the most prolific offensive attacks in the DCL. “Last year we were able to accomplish so many great things, things we

haven’t done here in a long time, but I think this year we can go past that,” senior linebacker Maxx Teitleman said. “Our offense is even better than last season, with [Burton] and almost all of our receivers returning.”

In addition to his offer from UMass, Burton has been fielding interest from Boston College, Duke and Northwestern as he heads into his third season as the starting quarterback.

Burton threw a remarkable 34 touchdown passes in his sophomore year, earning himself the ESPNBoston.com Player of the Week award after a 425-yard, five-touchdown effort in an upset victory over DCL rival Acton-Boxborough.

“Austin is a great teammate who is very talented and is capable of changing

Football

the outcome of games with his dynamic skill [set],” Meirav said.

The 6-foot-1=-inch quarterback also appears on the Boston Herald’s EMASS Preseason All-Star Second Team docket, along with senior wide receiver Anthony DeNitto, a player who has the potential to be his premier target.

Before going down with a broken collarbone last year, DeNitto set the DCL ablaze with his route-running skills, tremendous speed and playmaking ability.

DeNitto first broke out with a 99-yard touchdown reception in an early season win over Boston Latin, followed a few weeks later by a 201-yard, four-touchdown effort in the Lions’ first win over ActonBoxboro in 25 years.

Opposite DeNitto on the line of

photo by Bailey Kroner

scrimmage is senior wideout Frankie Barros. Barros, standing 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 190 pounds, made a name for himself in 2014 with his blocking ability.

While the passing attack will feature a cast of characters similar to last season, the Lions have revamped their playbook in an effort to change up their offensive schemes.

South also plans to rely heavily on their ground game. At the halfback position is senior Jamyre Soberanis, who showcased his potential with a number of excellent performances last season.

A 5-foot-10-inch, 190-pound bulldozer of a running back, Soberanis possesses the rare abilities to both run through and around the defense. Soberanis opened up the 2014 campaign with a four-touchdown preformance in a win over Brookline.

Expect him to receive the majority of the carries behind a retooled offensive line, the one remaining question mark heading into the season. Having lost captains Liam Brandel and Wesley Fabrizio on the O-line, the Lions’ depth is uncertain.

According to DeNitto, the team is capable of filling these vacancies. “The guys have been working really hard and I think their effort will pay off. We may not have the sheer size that we did last year, but our young guys have really been stepping it up,” he said.

A sturdy offensive line is crucial.

The team’s upcoming schedule features some difficult matchups, including a home matchup against Acton-Boxborough as well as a night game against the Westford Grey Ghosts.