The Lion's Roar 32-5

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Volume 32, Issue 5 140 Brandeis Road Newton Centre, MA 02459

Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper · Newton, MA · Established 1984 · January 8, 2016

Russell headed to Switzerland after nine years

The

Elephant Room in the

Michelle Cheng & Carina Ramos News Reporter, Sr. News Editor

Adding to a litany of international experiences, history teacher Kirsten Russell will take a leave of absence and move to Switzerland at the end of the first semester. Russell, who is leaving to join her husband while he works for the World Health Organization, said the move is currently temporary, but could become permanent at their discretion.

This move comes as Russell’s latest trip in her life of extensive travel. Her experience with different cultures gives her teaching a unique, worldly perspective, which both her colleagues and students said they will miss.

“She gets people involved,” sophomore Gretchen Zhang said. “She creates more discussions. She doesn’t like to tell you the [material] — she likes for you to think about it. …

Every teacher wants that, but she kind of accomplished that.”

In her past career, Russell worked in economic development while living in China and Pakistan, as well as traveling through eastern Africa, Europe and Latin America. She dealt primarily with food policy, including analyzing how the nutritional status of Pakistani children correlated with their mothers’ empowerment.

Senior Paul Chan agreed that Russell brings something new to the classroom.

“A lot of times teachers in other history classes would give us discussions that we’d sort of already know the right answers to because it was in the textbook,” he said. “But … [in her class] you’re forced to infer or connect between the lines.”

Subhead subhead subhead subhead subhead subhead subhead subhead subhead subhead

The marginalized members of the NSHS GOP Mona Baloch & Emily Belt

Sr. Centerfold Editors “What do you expect?”

This was his friend’s response when sophomore Alec Liberman mentioned the backlash he receives for his conservative political views.

“I’m a fan of some of the Republican candidates. People just started calling me a racist and a homophobe and a bigot, even though

that’s not true,” he said. “The second they … linked me to the Republican Party, I was automatically each of those things.”

Every student and teacher interviewed agreed that Newton is known as a generally liberal city.

Some, however, said the number of conservatives is underestimated, and that the perception of a homogeneous political culture can result in a

RUSSELL, 4

CONSERVATISM, 16

Austin St. Approved 17-6

Nef, ‘11, adjusts to new fame Karin Alsop & Celine Yung

Features Editor, Features Contributor Though she is only 23 years old, ’11 alumna Hari Nef has already been profiled by The New York Times and Vogue, has starred in the Amazon show

“Transparent” and has become the first transgender model to sign with IMG Models.

English teacher David Weintraub, a former teacher of Nef ’s, remembers her bold character. “She was always the kind of person who was focused on the big picture. She always knew she wanted to make a big impact. I

kind of missed the point where she decided how she was going to make that impact — I think that happened in undergrad during college. But I always saw her as very ambitious, very direct, very focused, very bold and provocative,” he said.

NEF,

page 5

20

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

bracing for impact

Get with the program

13

21

Student argues high school football needs more regulation in light of the dangers of concussions.

Programmers recount the joys and frustrations of the notoriously difficult class.

Dieting for Sport

The wrestling team adopts strict diets to cut weight and prepare for the season.

27

NEWS 2 EDITORIALS 8 OPINIONs 10 CENTERFOLD 16 FEATUREs 20 Fun Page 26 SPORTS 27

NEWS page 2|january 8, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

news@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 5

SOUTH

Zervas rebuilding prompts reflection

SPOTS

information on school events compiled by Roar editors

Start Time Forum

The PTSO and North School Council will host a forum on high school start times on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. in the North cafeteria

The featured speaker will be Dr. Christopher Landrigan, director of the Sleep and Patient Safety Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Teen Expo

The “Just Think: Teens Making Smart Choices” expo will take place at North on Jan. 21, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

The expo will feature live music, refreshments and informative exhibits regarding health and safety

Concerts at South

The Composer’s Concert will be held on Jan. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. featuring allAmerican music

Winterfest will take place on Jan. 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. featuring the Jazz Ensemble, Lab Jazz, Jazz Improv 1 and 2 as well as the Jazz Combo

The Chamber Ensemble Recital will be held on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. featuring a sonata duo and the Honors Symphonic Band

Design Partnership of Cambridge

The Frank Zervas Elementary School will be torn down this month and rebuilt to accommodate a growing student population.

Sophie Lu News Editor

As part of a citywide push to increase elementary school space, the Frank Zervas Elementary School will be demolished this month, opening space to accommodate NPS’s growing student population and prompting students and alumni to share their memories.

A “Goodbye Zervas” night on Dec. 11 gave alumni the chance to return to the 61-year-old school and reminisce.

Sophomore Rebecca Silverman, who attended the event, was impressed by the number of people still connected with the building.

“It was amazing to see how many people loved that school. The hallways were packed, and you couldn’t get through. ... All of the teachers were there, including the ones who retired or moved away,” she said.

Though the alumni community may be large, senior Emma Henderson said Zervas’ small population allowed students to have a uniquely personal experience.

“I think there was a great sense of being known there,” Henderson said. “For an elementary school kid, you’re not really at the top of the food chain much, but for

your principal to know your name, you felt important. And I think that sense of being known is so important for anyone.”

Henderson is worried that having a larger school could weaken this sense of community that was an important part of her class.

“A big part of our experience was [how]

“A big part of our experience was [how] we knew each other so well. Even now, … I say hi to kids all the time just because we’re Zervas kids.”

- Emma Henderson, Zervas alumna we knew each other so well,” she said. “Even now, … I say hi to kids all the time just because we’re Zervas kids. It’s really frustrating for us to see that community of kids become 50 percent larger. I think there’s no way it can be the same for kids to have the same experience we did.”

The new school will have four classrooms for each grade level as well as more

spaces for small groups. The building will be able to support between 465 to 490 students to accommodate an expected increase in enrollment from 308 to 443 students, a growth of almost 44 percent.

Current Zervas students will move to the Carr School in Newtonville through June 2017.

Silverman agreed that the strong sense of community made Zervas a good way to start public school.

“Everyone was always there for each other, and we were all friends. Even though we might not stay friends, I still see the people in the hallway and … they’re familiar faces [that] I feel comfortable with,” Silverman said.

“I feel like, going into middle school, Zervas was closer than other [elementary schools].”

Zervas graduate David Ryter has mixed feelings toward the demolition. While he is sad that the old building will be torn down, he is also confident that Zervas’ values will carry over to the new building.

“On one hand, I’m nostalgic that the place I went to elementary school will be no longer and I have fond memories of the building,” he said. “On the other hand, I’m a firm believer that a school is primarily about a community and the teachers, and secondarily about the building, so it’s probably time.”

Enrollment plateaus unexpectedly Jake Rong

Sr. News Editor

In an unexpected turn, NPS enrollment has plateaued in the 2015-16 school year. Following 10 years of consecutive growth that brought 1,240 more students to the system, the student body increased by only five students this year, from 12,503 to 12,508.

“We aren’t able to define causes of changes in demographics,” deputy superintendent Sandy Guryan wrote in an email.

“For that reason, we supply data around

many factors: housing development trends, housing sales, birth rates, student move-ins (entrances) and move-outs (exits) which help to give context for the changes from year to year.”

This year’s enrollment of 12,508 is 175 students, or 1.4 percent, below the projection made in November 2014. The middle and high schools saw a growth of about one percent that was balanced by a decline in growth at the elementary schools, which saw a decrease in enrollment for the first time since 2004.

South’s enrollment actually decreased

by six students, from 1,804 to 1,798, but the school’s enrollment is not projected to decrease again until 2020. “We have seen sustained growth in kindergarten populations as well as overall elementary school enrollments for 10 years, and this growth is now arriving at the high schools,” Guryan said.

Over the next five years, NPS enrollment is projected to grow by three percent, or 393 students, to 12,901 students by 2020.

This year’s falloff is not expected to affect the elementary redistricting process.

Additional reporting by Nathaniel Bolter

January 8, 2016|page 3

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|NEWS

ELL instruction requirements prove ineffective Michelle Cheng & Celine Yung

News Editor, News Contributor As part of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners (RETELL) initiative, all core academic teachers statewide must earn a Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Teacher Endorsement in order to renew their teaching licenses for 2016.

The lengthy process toward earning this endorsement, either through an SEI teacher course, created by the state, or a Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL) exam, has added hours of class time or studying to teachers’ already full workloads, and for many, has proved relatively ineffective in classrooms.

The state mandate aims to close the growing achievement gap in Massachusetts, where ELL students tend to fall into the lower ranks. Strategies for educators, however, spanned a broad range of students, making many inapplicable to high school students.

History teacher Jonathan Greiner, who chose to take the MTEL exam over the class, said he spent a long time preparing.

“I studied for weeks, and I took this test, and [it] was pretty hard. I passed it, but it ended up meaning weeks of studying,” he said.

Though she chose the class instead, history teacher Jessica Engel had a similar experience.

“It was extraordinarily time-consuming, and while there were some useful techniques, the amount of time it took them to share some relatively basic approaches was

remarkable,” she said.

According to ELL teacher and RETELL instructor Natasha Galichina, the goal of the class is to show educators how to help ELL students achieve.

President of the Massachusetts Educators of English Language Learners and RETELL teacher Katherine Lobo said teachers must provide clear expectations for their ELL students.

“We’re told as RETELL instructors to remind teachers that if you want them to write something, you have to show them an example, and it has to be parallel,” Lobo said.

“We invite ... the teachers in our classes ... to

look at the kind of words, the kind of sentence structures, the kind of grammar, the kind of pieces of writings that students are having to interact with in their classroom, and also the kind of writing they have to produce, so then ... think about how can they make that explicit in their instructions.”

Engel, however, said she encountered issues when applying the techniques she learned. “[The strategies] I was expected to be learning for my twelfth graders are the same things that kindergarten teachers were learning, and while someone learning a second language is learning a second language, developmentally, [these students are] in totally different places,” Engel said.

Senior Jason Ma, who had experience

you’re supposed to follow what [instructors] build in and thinking about other ways to demonstrate knowledge, but it’s only been little things that I’ve added to my classroom; I can’t say it’s been a huge sweeping change,” Greiner said.

Math teacher Jennifer Chen said that while well-intended, the test and class are not efficient.

“I think that this requirement for teachers to know how to teach ELL students is great in theory. I feel like in practice, me and other teachers who are studying for it or who are taking the class, it’s like learning a lot of jargon or busy work, like knowing the correct vocab for this type of student ...

It’s like knowing a lot of technical things that aren’t helping me in my day-to-day practice

with my ELL students,” she said.

Greiner agreed that the objective is well-meaning, but the process itself has questionable implications.

“It’s definitely a noble goal; all students should have access to the full curriculum.

I like the idea that they’re worried about a group of students and that they’re hoping and they’re trying to get them to achieve at a high level, there’s no complaint about that ... but the implementation of the goals fits this narrative of ‘teachers are failing their students.’”

According to Engel, the class is largely ineffective in teaching teachers new approaches to support ELL students.

“I feel like the majority of the ones that I would use ... I already knew about and was using, and some of the other ones aren’t helpful ... we spent a lot of time learning about things that ultimately we at the high school level wouldn’t use,” she said.

Galichina said that despite some challenges, the initiative still helps provide educators with an eye-opening experience that will help them better understand ELL students.

“I think to just become aware of, first of all, the challenges ELL students face every day ... I think it’s already a big plus in this course,” she said.

“Teachers come to the first session without really having this awareness, and then 12 weeks later when they finish, some of them in their reflection actually write that [they] never actually thought about these things, [they] never thought about that what [they] say in class might be misinterpreted

by ELL students, might be misunderstood, and they become aware.”

ELL projected growth

ELL demographics

ELL in Newton

This requirement ... is great in theory. I feel like in practice, me and other teachers who are studying for it or who are taking the class, it’s like learning a lot of jargon or busy work.

- Jennifer Chen, math teacher

L

E

ELL growth in the US

as an ELL student, said that teachers should be more attentive toward helping ELL students. “My teachers didn’t know [I was an ELL student] ... and I never told them, so they treated me [like] everyone else,” he said.

“So if teachers were taught how to teach ELL students and know beforehand that they are ELL students, it might be really helpful.”

Greiner said studying for the exam has allowed him to make small changes in his classroom.

“I know that I’ve been a little more aware of being more explicit in teaching new vocabulary words and repeating those words, and there’s a whole strategy on how

L

US ELL Enrollment 10 million Elementary ELL students’ birthplace

ELL students’ socioeconomic status

1000 South

7.5 million

500

Newton

2.5 million

1995

2005

2015

Over the last 20 years, enrollment in the ELL program in the US has

quadrupled from 2.5 to 10 million students Infographic by Carina Ramos

Nearly one out of every four US public school students will be in the ELL program by

2025

Source of information: The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA)

76 percent 2/3 of ELL

of elementary students ELL students come from are born in low income the US families Source of information: The New Demography of AMerica’s Schools: Immigration and the No Child Left Behind Act

854 ELL students are

enrolled in NPS 70 of these students attend South and represent 18 languages Source of information: Newton South High School

page 4|January 8, 2016

News|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

Russell announces move to Switzerland RUSSELL, from 1

photo by Sophia Fisher

Students’ understanding is one of Russell’s priorities, according to senior Ksenia Potapov. “She’s going to challenge us, even if she agrees with what we’re saying, just to get us to make our point clearer, or make it stronger,” Potapov said. “Everything is very much about negotiation or back and forth, and you get very interesting discussions out of that.”

History teacher Jamie Rinaldi added that Russell’s emphasis on the nuance of history is especially important today.

“In a world of … 140-character Twitter messages and news on Instagram, having an adult in your life who’s going to push you to think deeply and richly and to read extensively is so valuable,” he said.

Russell said that living in or traveling to a new country helps her better understand the complicated factors that influence history. This exposure informs not only her students, but collegues as well.

“Having someone who has traveled so extensively and who’s had personal contact with people from all around the world, Dr. Russell is able to help me see a more human component to so much of [history],” Rinaldi said.

“Exposure to the world sort of gives you the sense that … there’s a world where good things happen and bad things happen and people are around the world trying to do the best for what makes sense for their situation,” Russell said. “I think that understanding … encourages other people to have a more sympathetic and sophisticated

understanding.”

Potapov agreed that Russell’s experiences provide a wealth of additional material for her class.

“She knows a lot of different things that would never be in the textbook, and you’d only find from real experience, or being in the country for a while,” Potapov said. “She knows about the atmosphere; she knows what the people are like.”

“Trying to have an open mind to why people have the actions that they do, I think, makes life more interesting,” Russell said. “Certainly more confusing and complicated, but more interesting.”

If the move indeed becomes permanent, Russell said she may look for a job in Switzerland, whether it be in teaching or more similar to her past career. Regardless, she will miss the classroom environment in the coming months.

“Life is an adventure,” Russell said.

“In my past career it was doing policy work in China or Pakistan. And now it’s been sort of this adventure in high school education. And I will absolutely miss that. … I’ll miss hanging out with the students; that’s a big piece for me. The curiosity and intellectual enthusiasm of youth is wonderful, and to be around that every day is pretty special.”

During her time off from teaching, Russell said she will enjoy exploring her other interests, including Swiss cooking, language and culture.

“It’s interesting to me in that Americans very much identify themselves by their profession, and I don’t necessarily identify myself by my profession always,” Russell said. “There are different ways to be a fully formed human being.”

Where in the world is Dr. Russell?

PAKISTAN Working for USAID in the Ministry of Planning and Development’s Nutrition Section

USA Visiting all 50 states before age 50

CUBA NPS trip with students

TANZANIA Traveling with NPS as well as for past career

CHINA Studying at Beijing University and working for Cyrus Eaton World Trade

MONGOLIA Stopping on the Trans-Siberian railroad

Points on map indicate countries where Russell has lived or to which she has traveled.

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|NEWS

Austin St. proposal approved 17-6

January 8, 2016|page 5

Making progress

daniel abdullah Class of 2018

south SEnate Update

Austin Street Partners

The development will consist of 268 rental apartments, 5,000 sq. feet of retail and restaurant space and an Innovation Center.

Hans Wang News Reporter

In a dramatically close decision, the City Council voted 17-6 on Dec. 8 to approve the special permit for a development at 28 Austin St., bringing to an end a contentious debate that has divided city residents for months.

A two-thirds majority — 16 votes — was necessary to approve the proposal.

The final vote came after hours of heated debate in a packed council chamber over the merits of affordable housing, transportation and the development’s economic impact on Newtonville. Seventeen aldermen, one more than needed, voted in favor.

The six-member opposition consisted of councilors Emily Norton, Richard Blazar, Allan Ciccone Jr., Jim Cote, Leonard Gentile and Jay Harney. Ward 5 Councilor-at-Large Brian Yates was absent from the meeting.

The vote decided the fate of the parking lot at 28 Austin St., which had been the subject of debate since 2011, when the City Council established a group to look into potential future uses for the site.

Following the recommendation of the group, the City Council in 2012 rezoned the lot from public to mixed use, opening the land to private development. Austin Street Partners (ASP) was designated as the official developer in May 2014.

Supporters have championed the development as a means of increasing diversity and vitality in Newtonville, while opponents have criticized it for potential consequences for local businesses and a loss of parking space.

The decision by ASP to raise the quantity of affordable housing units from 17 to 23 at the last minute sparked controversy.

Ward 2 at-large Councilor Jake Auchincloss, who replaced Marcia Johnson

last week and opposed the proposal, believes the decision had to do with gaining approval. “[ASP] didn’t think they would have the votes otherwise,” Auchincloss said.

The decision may have swung some councilors in favor, particularly Lisle Baker, Barbara Brousal-Glaser and Amy Sangiolo, who appeared undecided during the debate prior to the vote, but eventually voted for the proposal.

Others thought that 17 affordable units had been insufficient to counter high real estate prices and the perception that Newton is a place for the wealthy alone.

Opponents shared concerns about the effects of the construction on both local

“It’s a great outcome for the people who are looking for affordable housing, the people who want to downsize, as well as the young people who are looking for a place to live.”

- Susan Albright, Ward 2 Councilor-at-large businesses and the parking lot at 28 Austin St. In response to these concerns, ASP will provide $475,000 to benefit Newtonville and businesses in the area during construction, as well as a $150,000 revenue-loss support fund and a $50,000 contingency fund, and a shuttle bus for those affected by construction.

ASP has also, in cooperation with the city, made parking arrangements for faculty and students at Newton North, whose spaces will be replaced by the residential units.

Project proponents such as Ward 2 at-large

Councilor Susan Albright are confident that any negative impacts will be minimal. “Life goes on even when there’s construction,” she said. “I think it’s going to be okay.”

Moving forward, advocates and opponents alike hope to capitalize on the development in different ways. “We’re trying to make opportunities for people to move to Newton,” Albright said.

Auchincloss, too, believes that it will benefit the region. “Mixed-use development near public transportation creates a more walkable village, and walkability is a primary criteria in all age cohorts when it comes to quality of life,” he said.

Gail Spector, a former Newton Tab editor, hopes the project will give Newton a more welcoming reputation. “Being able to get this development done,” she said, “is good for the city of Newton because we show we’re more willing to have people move here.”

This project will also attempt to facilitate downsizing, the process of allowing seniors to move into smaller units at an affordable price.

“It’s a great outcome for the people who are looking for affordable housing, the people who want to downsize, as well as the young people who are looking for a place to live,” Albright said.

Newton-Needham Chamber president Greg Reibman agreed that the project will provide millennials and seniors an “affordable alternative [to] still be in Newton.”

Even supporters like Reibman acknowledge, however, that last month’s vote “was only the start of this process.”

“It’s a drop in the bucket,” Albright said. “We have to do much more to make an impact.”

Additional reporting by Jaehun Jeong and Karen Kwan

Start Time Group begins data collection Rachel Gu & Sophie Lu News Reporter, News Editor

The High School Start Time Working Group conducted surveys during the last two weeks of school in 2015 about a typical high school day to collect data for analysis this month. Surveys for faculty and parents will also be distributed in the upcoming weeks.

According to Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education & Special Programs Toby Romer, the goal of the survey is to help the School Committee assess the current

situation and examine the possible impacts of a later start time.

“The survey focuses primarily on hearing from students about their daily routines,” Romer said. “We wait until we get all the responses, and then in January we will have an update for the School Committee that should include some interesting information that can explore options.”

The Working Group, formally introduced in mid-September, is researching the possibility of delaying the start times of both high schools and will deliver a final report at

the end of the year. Though working toward a later start time is the ultimate goal, School Committee and Working Group member Ruth Goldman hopes smaller changes can be implemented in the near future.

“We’re hoping to make some positive changes in other directions — like a lot of people have said, ‘The late bus isn’t late enough,’ so maybe there’s something we can do about that in the shorter term,” Goldman said, “even if the high school start time adjustment is something that’s going to take a little while.”

This year the Senate immediately started working to come up with feasible, relevant ideas requested by the general student body. After the first meeting on Sept.

17, each senator submitted at least one plan that either instituted new policies or built upon plans ongoing from last year. These plans were organized into several groups and assigned to corresponding committees.

The Grades Committee is working to improve grade transparency by promoting websites such as Schoology and Engrade and insuring that all students of the same course have the same workload. This will help students plan their schedules by clarifying course workloads. The difficulty of a class would no longer depend on the teacher, but would instead be determined by the course’s actual content.

The Homework Committee is planning to maintain the homework limit and institute homework-free Wednesdays to supplement homework-free weekends.

The Mentorship Committee is developing a system by which juniors or seniors can help freshmen get more accustomed to the school.

The Stress Management Committee is aiming to modify the anti-bullying curriculum to include mental health, as well as ensure that students aren’t given an unreasonable amount of work.

Since many of their goals overlap, these committees will collaborate on certain issues to work most efficiently. These committees strive to maintain and advocate for the rights to which South students are entitled.

The Senate is also working on its publicity to create a solid communicative link between senators and the student body. We plan to update our public image by both expanding existing conduits, such as the Senate Facebook page, and by using newer innovations, like the NSHS Guide app.

Any such changes would be made with the intent of not only allowing the Senate to reach out more, but also allowing us to receive feedback on our progress.

This sort of collaborative communication is crucial as it helps keep the Senate on a focused path in which the policies we pass represent the wishes of not only senators, but of the entire student body.

For an idea to be put into action in the Senate, a senator must first draft a resolution, a document that expresses the Senate’s approval of an idea and includes a general plan for how that idea would be implemented. Once the resolution is passed, the senator writes a bill which highlights the need for the idea and specifies a detailed and exact method of implementation. The bill then must be approved

by Principal Stembridge and any applicable faculty for it to take effect.

At the rate the Senate is working now, each committee is on track to have passed a useful policy before the end of the year.

If you have ideas you want the Senate to consider, you can fill out online surveys (usually on Facebook), drop in on meetings (in the Lecture Hall during Thursday J blocks) or e-mail any member of the Senate (e-mail addresses are posted in the hallway by the library and student center).

page 6|january 8, 2016

News|THELIONSROAR.COM|THE LION’S ROAR

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 migrant crisis you’re not hearing about’ The country is ranked second in number of fleeing refugees. An estimated 40,000 migrated to Europe between January and August. Afghanistan is in shambles, and the Taliban — at least most immediately — is to blame.

The Taliban controlled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when the United States’ post-9/11 invasion toppled the regime. The organization, consisting of regional fighters who were armed by the United States during the Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, disappeared, but did not dissolve.

Beginning in 2005, the Taliban began launching offensives throughout the country. In 2014, NATO withdrew most of its troops from Afghanistan, providing the Taliban an opportunity to seize control.

2015 saw the most fighting in Afghanistan since 2001, though the government met with the Taliban for peace talks in early July.

The talks started auspiciously, but on July 29, the Taliban confirmed that its leader, Mullah Omar, had in fact died over two years earlier. Leaders had kept the death a secret to maintain morale and prevent defections, which are becoming more and more frequent as fighters leave to join ISIS in neighboring Iraq.

Facing high-level disagreements over its new leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, the organization delayed and finally abandoned the peace talks. It has since been reasserting its dominance throughout Afghanistan.

Thirteen of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces have seen significant fighting this year and Taliban-controlled districts pepper the country. Highways, too, have been under siege, making transportation of troops and supplies extremely difficult.

On Sept. 28, fighters seized the geographically important northern city of Kunduz, which has a population of 300,000, and held it for two weeks before retreating. The Taliban had not held a city this large since 2001.

The larger offensive comes as a distinct shift in the Taliban’s strategy. The terrorist group used to employ suicide bombers and small hit-and-run attacks, but now seems intent on capturing and holding vast swaths of territory.

But most frighteningly, the attack wasn’t unexpected. The Taliban had been besieging the city for months, and 7,000 Afghan security forces surrounded the city even as it fell.

The problem, a district governor said, wasn’t lack of troops but lack of leadership. Political deadlock has

stymied any attempt at decisive military action, and many troops have either lost their morale or remain loyal to regional strongmen.

After the taking of Kunduz, the government announced a last-ditch plan to expand the Afghan Local Police program, which recruits fighters into local militias.

The program, however, has been accused of human rights abuses, and President Ashraf Ghani’s national security advisory Hanif Atmar acknowledged that the Afghan army has not yet been able to fully control the militias.

The plan has not yet had tangible effects. For several months, the Taliban has been besieging the vast Helmand Province, which not only shares a long border with Pakistan — where Taliban headquarters are located — but could provide the group with a huge source of revenue through its opium production.

Even with an increased American Special Operations Force and extra noncombat British troops, the fighting has consumed all but two of its districts and has displaced an estimated 7,000 families.

The Taliban now controls the majority of Helmand’s districts.

Smaller attacks have plagued the country since Kunduz was taken; suicide

bombings and shootings have killed at least 60 people over the last month, including six U.S. soldiers.

On the other side of the world, President Obama announced a new plan to delay withdrawing the remaining 10,000 U.S. troops until at least late 2016.

Upon entering office in 2008, he promised to withdraw all troops by the end of his term, but has revised that strategy several times, arguing that the troops are necessary to maintain the security of a country beset by the Taliban, al-Qaida and ISIS. It is now widely agreed that U.S. troops were integral to the retaking of Kunduz and the ongoing effort in Helmand.

President Ghani has recently succeeded in restarting the failed peace talks with the United States and Pakistan, but this effort remains meaningless; the Taliban has yet to come to the table.

The Taliban itself still faces internal disputes: tensions among high-level commanders and religious leaders, as well as Mansour’s internal crackdown on dissenters continue to stoke tensions.

Unless the Afghan government conjures up a way to unify its soldiers, it faces another long, uphill battle to becoming a peaceful, functioning state.

An Overview: The issue: Empowered by a new leader, the Taliban is once again extending control over Afghanistan, intent on capturing and holding large swaths of territory.

The effect: Thousands of civilians have been uprooted and the Afghan security forces are in disarray, prompting President Obama to keep more troops in the country.

Wikimedia Commons

5 WRITING TIPS

EDITORIALS page 8|January 8, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

EDITORIALS@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 5

the CAT’S

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

#newyearsrevolution Mistaking tweets about New Year’s “resolutions” for calls for a “revolution,” freshman Bolsh E. Vick stormed Newton City Hall on New Year’s Eve, briefly incapacitating Mayor Swetti Warren in what is now being called the December-January uprising.

“I saw someone tweeting about losing weight under the hashtag ‘#newyearsrevolution,’” Vick, who is now in police custody, said.

“I interpreted that to mean that the bourgeoisie — essentially dead weight — needed to go.”

Upon seeing the status, Vick rode his bike from his Waban abode to City Hall, where he wrestled Warren to the ground as the mayor exited his office.

“There’s always next year,” history teacher Ryan Aldi said.

No. 1 Problem Students have been forced to pee outside following the School Committee’s decision to replace all school restrooms with extra classroom space to reduce overcrowding.

“I was giving my cousin a tour of the school, and she asked if the school had a bathroom she could use,” sophomore P. Mai Panse said, “and I had to respond, sadly, ‘No.’” In lieu of proper facilities, students have taken to urinating in the sustainable farm. “I’m just trying to go back to nature,” junior Noah Cough said.

School Committee Chair Matt Mountains said there just wasn’t enough money in the budget to maintain school bathrooms.

“Trade-offs, trade-offs, trade-offs,” he said.

Students go home to poop.

Mascot Replaced Following a disappointing early application season for the second year in a row, Principal Stoel Jembridge announced that South’s mascot would be replaced with an MIT rejection letter.

“We just felt it more accurately reflected the student body,” Jembridge said. “Also in the running was a Harvard acceptance letter.”

The new apparel is off-white, designed to appear as though stained with tears. Instead of the word “Lions,” the front of the new jerseys bears the words “We regret to inform you …”

Student drowns in deferrals “The pool of applicants was just too big this year.”

Amid Trump’s blathering, a need to create space for real conservatism

2016 is here at last, and with Super Tuesday peeking out over the horizon, the presidential race is heating up in South’s classrooms.

For South’s conservative population, though, election season can be an uncomfortable time, especially when the Republican frontrunners include abhorrent caricatures like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. But students and teachers must cultivate an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable disagreeing with the school’s liberal bent, even as most Republican candidates make this kind of reasoned discourse impossible at the national level.

The true extent of Newton’s liberal-ness is unclear. Sure, the South parking lot has more than its fair share of Bernie bumper stickers (many of them plastered to the backs of Toyota Priuses or other environmentally-friendly sedans) and most students would be quick to declare themselves Democrats, but it seems that much of the student body might not hold strong political convictions, content to identify with those of their parents and peers.

For whatever reason, it is true that the conservative point of view is seldom heard at South. Not only are self-identifying conservatives few and far between, but those few often feel uncomfortable voicing their opinions, fearing judgment from peers and reprisals from teachers, who wield power over their grade point averages.

When these students are reluctant to speak out, everyone suffers. Schools should not be political echo chambers, but rather places where students learn from the process of rigorously defending their ideas.

Luckily, it is hard to imagine a teacher punishing a student with a bad grade for his or her political beliefs. But it is easy to see how South’s liberal atmosphere could feel suffocating to a conservative, or even undecided, student.

To preserve and nurture South’s ideological diversity, teachers must continue to check their

matter.

A recent article in The New York Times documented how, according to the non-partisan website PolitiFact, 76 percent of Donald Trump’s statements on the campaign trail as well as 66 percent of Ted Cruz’s have been outright falsehoods. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, each sat at 28 percent.

And while teachers and students should be tolerant of different points of view, they ought not extend their tolerance to intolerance. No thinking person should waste his or her time countenanc-

It is easy to see how South’s liberal atmosphere could feel suffocating to a conservative, or even undecided, student. own biases and encourage open discussion. Students must refrain from lashing out at peers who are simply expressing their beliefs.

Ignorance in all forms is ugly, and at South, it is easily found on both ends of the political spectrum.

But the ideal of nuanced, open conversation grows complicated in the context of the upcoming election season because ignorance is practically built into the modern Republican platform.

Led by the Bombastic Blondie, the Republican candidates are running campaigns fueled by vitriol and xenophobia, discarding facts along the way as though they no longer

ing Trump’s disgusting suggestion that Muslims be banned from entering the United States.

In spite of and, in fact, because of the intolerance seeping from the Republican presidential field, students and teachers need to make space for conservatives to express their beliefs instead of typecasting them as Sith lords; in other words, we must not conflate the demagoguery of the Republican candidates with conservative principles.

Should we fail to do so, South will fall victim to the polarization that already holds the rest of the country in its grasp.

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.

January 8, 2016|page 9

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|desk

Leaving an old friend on the brink EDITOR’S of new beginnings. Thanks, Lew. DESK from the

Veronica Podolny

I met Mr. Lewis after taking a particularly social group bear no meaning, a relief bad math test my freshman year. I slowly from and contrast to the normally rigid approached the door to his office with a tear- structure of high school.

Now that we seniors can finally begin stained face and saw him with four senior But of course, Mr. Lewis’ office is to slump after three-and-a-half years of boys, laughing at a video on the computer. complete only because of the man himself. hard work, I think it’s important to look The five of them turned around once they As someone who knew he wanted to be a back and remember those who helped us heard my sniffles, and Mr. Lewis asked the guidance counselor since high school, Mr. get to where we are today. boys to come back later, leaving the two of Lewis forms a connection with each and I walked into my parents’ bedroom us alone in his office. every student who walks through his door. last week and thanked them for the years There Mr. Lewis of Russian math classes on early Saturday we sat, me doesn’t get mornings, despite my incessant whining on the velvet to know stu“My high school experience turned out dents just as and pleading. I talked to teachers who green couch shaped my high school experience and crying about a the way it did because of Mr. Lewis. students, but friends who mentored me through tough math test, and Since freshman year, I not only had a he consciousclasses and anxiety attacks, but there’s one Mr. Lewis in a ly makes an safe space in the school that I could effort to learn person in particular who has supported, black leather visit at any time, but I also had someone about their challenged and advised me, and that is Mr. chair comfortLewis. ing me. I don’t to turn to when I felt like so much was whole lives: For those of you who don’t know remembertheir likes, going wrong.” of Mr. Lewis, he’s basically the world’s what he said dislikes, interbest guidance counselor. You can usually at this point, ests, goals, find him in his Wheeler office listening but it worked. dreams — to some ‘80s top hit on his computer, or After talking to Mr. Lewis, I really did feel weekend plans, even. more commonly, with his chair facing the better.

My high school experience turned students sitting on couches, chatting about On my way out, he told me to “come out the way it did because of Mr. Lewis. the Red Sox game or the best new show on back any time.” Probably a formality. But I Since freshman year, I not only had a safe Netflix. (He’ll probably tell you the Red Sox definitely took him up on that offer. space in the school that I could visit at any deserved to lose — he’s a hardcore Yankees To me, Mr. Lewis’ office is a haven of time, but I also had someone to turn to fan.) sorts. Before I even get to the door, I hear when I felt like so much was going wrong.

Mr. Lewis’ office functions by an the laughter and smell the waffles or pizza Mr. Lewis never fails to provide the peropen door policy, creating a friendly and (depending on the time of day) cooking in spective I always miss, and his guidance welcoming community I haven’t been able the toaster. has without a doubt gotten me through my to find anywhere else in my years at South.

In Mr. Lewis’ office, age, grade and toughest times.

Editor-in-Chief

Now all my friends laugh at me when I tell them I need to stop by Mr. Lewis’ office during a lunch or between classes.

“Of course,” they say, joking about how I am always there. If you’ve never been in his office, you won’t understand, but it really is a special place.

Last spring, Mr. Lewis and I were both upset about the seniors leaving. They were a special class to him, and they were some of my best friends. I was scared to lose those I had looked up to for years, and he was scared to lose students who had become more like friends to him. We’d sit in his office worrying and reminiscing, planning trips to visit certain people and reunions with others when they returned home for breaks.

I’m a little scared to leave behind such a good friend when I graduate, but I know Mr. Lewis will keep his promise to visit me, and I’ll do the same. It’s going to be strange not to have an adult in college to confide in, but I know that when I come home, Mr. Lewis’ door will always be open.

So thank you, Mr. Lewis, for all that you’ve done. A lot of it is too much and too personal to fit into this article, but I hope you know I am a better person because of your presence in my life.

And next time you’re celebrating a milestone or victory, don’t forget to thank those who helped you get there — odds are you didn’t do it alone.

Volume XXXII The Lion’s Roar Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper 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

Centerfold

News

David Li Carina Ramos Jake Rong Sophie Lu

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|janUARY 8, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

opinions@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 5

perspectives

Should Massachusetts towns raise the smoking age? photo by Alexa Rhynd

LEAVE IT

RAISE IT

by JASON MA

by JAMES RAO

W

hen our neighbors in Needham became the first city in the nation to raise the minimum age of buying tobacco products to 21 in 2005, controversy erupted over the unprecedented action. In hindsight, however, it has become an example of the benefits of raising the minimum age.

A study from the journal Tobacco Control found that in the five years following the policy change, high school smoking rates in Needham dropped from 13 percent to seven percent. The Massachusetts Department of Health found that illegal sales to minors and rates of smoking during pregnancy in Needham were 79 percent and 90 percent lower, respectively, than in the state overall. This success has led to a wider movement as more communities — including Newton and, more recently, Boston — have followed suit in raising the minimum age.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 16 million Americans experience smoking-related diseases, and 480,000 deaths can be attributed to smoking each year. Even people who don’t smoke can suffer the consequences — the National Cancer Institute found that 3,000 adults die each year from the effects of secondhand smoke.

A raise in the minimum purchasing age could reduce smoking addictions and habits that develop early on: 90 percent of daily smokers, those most at risk for disease, first used cigarettes before they were 19, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. And young adults who smoke early can find it a lot

harder to quit later, even if they desperately want to.

Significant opposition has come from tobacco retailer lobbying groups that would suffer a financial loss from such legislation. A study from the American Journal of Public Health, however, calculated that raising the age to 21 would cost the tobacco industry only two percent of short-term cigarette sales. The age increase would apply not only to conventional tobacco products but also to electronic cigarettes. While Massachusetts recently passed legislation to outlaw the sale of E-cigarettes to minors, startlingly little national regulation prevents their use.

Electronic cigarettes are the next public health battleground — one that we at present seem to be losing. This month, the website Wired reported that teen use of electronic cigs tripled in just one year from 2013 to 2014. Teen use of this little researched and potentially dangerous product is worrying, but it’s something that the age raise would help combat.

While the difference between 18 and 21 may seem insignificant, it represents a volatile time when even trying something like electronic cigs can quickly evolve into a regular risky habit. Nationally, the Institute of Medicine found that raising the age to 21 would reduce the number of new tobacco users and decrease overall smoking frequency by 12 percent, yet on a federal level, efforts to reduce smoking have stalled.

Too long has the smog of smoking clouded our judgment; it’s imperative that we clear up our future.

R

aising the minimum legal age to buy cigarettes from 18 to 21 may at first sound like a good idea, but a closer examination reveals that such a fix would have several unintended consequences.

It is undeniable that the United States has a massive underage smoking problem. Since younger teens frequently purchase or receive tobacco products from 18-year-olds, raising the legal age to 21 would, admittedly, prevent many of these kinds of transactions.

The big trade-off, however, is that such action would prevent all 18- to 20-year-olds from buying cigarettes legally.

Most smokers between 18 and 21 do not sell tobacco to teenagers; on the contrary, they are law-abiding citizens who smoke for recreational purposes — often to reduce the stress of a hectic lifestyle. If Massachusetts raises the legal age to 21, these people, who are not engaging in any immoral activity, would no longer be able to purchase the products they enjoy.

In other words, the majority is being punished for the actions of a select few.

This majority — the law-abiding recreational smokers who constitute most of the 18- to 21-year-olds purchasing tobacco products — should not be collectively punished for the actions of a couple cigarette dealers. Such reasoning intrinsically violates individual liberty. In principle, raising the legal age because some irresponsible adults sell tobacco to teenagers is the equivalent of banning all Muslim immigration to the United States because some terrorists practice Islam.

Furthermore, raising the smoking age would inevitably encourage smokers between 18 and 21 to seek out tobacco products illegally. In turn, these people could choose to smoke or sell products to teenagers, perpetuating the very problem this law tries to prevent. As such, while the severity of teen smoking would decrease, tobacco products would continue to end up in the wrong hands.

Even more troubling, raising the legal age to 21 would force smokers to seek out fake IDs. As a result, they would still be able to purchase cigarettes, and might be encouraged to engage in other illegal activities, like going to nightclubs or purchasing alcohol. Moreover, once high schoolers perceive that they can no longer get cigarettes from their friends in college, they would be tempted to acquire fake IDs for themselves. Similarly, these teenagers could also purchase alcohol and other substances that would have tremendously harmful effects on them — all while risking the legal consequences of owning illegal identification.

Eliminating underage smoking may well be a noble goal, but the proposition to raise the legal age to purchase cigarettes from 18 to 21 would fail at that goal, in reality doing little to prevent teenagers from obtaining tobacco products; instead, law-abiding recreational smokers would be disproportionately impacted.

Furthermore, despite its efforts to address the threat of underage smoking, it would inadvertently incentivize the more serious threat of fake IDs, ultimately leading to far greater harm.

JANUARY 8, 2016|page 11

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|opinions

A Rousing Call for Change We need to fix the way we talk about sex

photo illustration by Bailey Kroner and Ben Rabin

L

By Lily Borak and Aviva Rosenberg

et’s make one thing clear: Sex is natural.

We know. Shocking.

But, unfortunately, this completely human act has been morphed into a taboo, creating an atmosphere of confusion and insecurity for teenagers. And where are the greatest concentrations of this negativity?

The very places teens frequent daily: at school and at home.

Within the fairly liberal walls of South, Sex Ed teachers provide students with the information necessary to have safe sex. Students learn the fundamentals: how not to get pregnant, how not to get chlamydia or any other STD and, abstractly, how not to rape. There is so much information on how not to behave, but where is the how to?

Where is the conversation explaining how to have positive, consensual sex? While it may be uncomfortable to teach teenagers about sex, intimacy and relationships, it is vital that we tackle the discomfort and embrace the conversation.

South teaches by far one of the most comprehensive sexual education program in the country, a stark contrast to the abstinence-only “curriculums” (which have been proven to only increase the prevalence of STDs and teen pregnancy) that exist in much of the country. Still, even at South, the conversation on sex falls short.

In order to deftly navigate the complexities of teenage relationships, students must be equipped with the the information needed to avoid the insecurity and shame that all too frequently accompany their sexual exploration. South needs to create an open environment in which sexual activity, or lack thereof, is not frowned upon, but instead talked about in an acceptinging and respectful manner.

Freshmen should not fear judgment from their peers when raising their hands during Sex Ed. The anonymous question box should become the confident question talk! Outside of health class, parents struggle to create an open dialogue with their children, frequently avoiding discussion altogether. This strategy, however, can inadvertently jeopardize teens’ sexual health.

Though parents are entitled to their own opinions regarding teenage sexuality, it is important they discuss it in a positive light. On a scientific

level, puberty is a physical preparation for adulthood that promotes interest in sexual activity. To condemn teenage sexuality is to condemn natural tendencies. Thus, when parents discourage sex, teens experience shame and confusion for completely natural inclinations. Shaming sexual activity — instead of discussing it — does not stop teenagers from having sex.

Instead, it simply fosters relationships in which teens avoid honesty with their parents.

As a society, we fail to portray sex in a constructive manner, especially for young women. The media, with its endless stream of harmful messages, plays a large part in this. For example, a common cliché in contemporary television shows is the overprotective dad, a loving and caring figure who wants his daughter to remain an eternal virgin. This stereotype isn’t cute, and is in fact damaging to the perception of female sexuality.

Additionally, parents often fail to adequately discuss sex with their sons, leaving many teenage boys ill-prepared for positive sexual relationships.

Teens are not having the whole conversation in health class. Teens are not provided with an open, honest conversation at home. Teens do not see positive, realistic portrayals of teenage sex on television.

We’re surrounded by distorted information, misperceptions and stereotypes at the very time when clarity and confidence are most crucial. Sex is a matter of personal preference — whether or not one chooses to engage in or refrain from sexual activity, one should not fear judgment or shame from adults and peers.

At the very least, teens need to hear that sexual intercourse is not inherently a vice; sources of authority in teens’ lives — parents, teachers and the media — need to foster an honest conversation about sex that does not condemn teens’ interest in a natural act.

The facts and nuances of teenage sexuality should be openly available to all adolescents in a positive fashion; to enable a supportive and honest environment, no questions should be off-limits. That way, teens can approach sexual endeavors with sufficient knowledge and come out of sexual endeavors with appropriate support from both peers and adults.

So, in the wise words of Salt-N-Peppa, “Let’s talk about sex.”

South needs to create an open environment in which sexual activity, or lack thereof, is not frowned upon, but instead talked about in an accepting and respectful manner.

page 12|january 8, 2016

opinions|THElionsroar.com|THE LION’S ROAR

College Athletes Deserve Pay by clare martin

If college athletes can bring about the resignation of their university’s president, then is successfully striking for wages next?

On Nov. 9, a protest by members of the University of Missouri football team called for the removal of president Tim Wolfe for failing to deal with racial incidents on campus. This event has led many to wonder whether college athletes will soon use their political capital to contest the salary ban on collegiate athletics.

Athletes in high-revenue college sports — football and basketball — should receive wages from their schools. Fans enjoy the games, coaches earn massive salaries and athletic departments rake in profits from ticket sales, media rights and the use of player likenesses. It is unfair that the players responsible for the big success of college athletics get no share in this fortune.

Supplementary wages,

though, are feasible for athletes only in big-revenue football and basketball programs, not for athletes in sports and colleges with smaller fan bases. Paying athletes would only put those programs and colleges into debt.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), however, should permit these athletes to accept money from sponsors just like the professionals. The NCAA governs collegiate athletics by a code of amateurism, which forbids athletes from signing contracts with professional teams; receiving salaries; accepting prize money above necessary expenses; playing with professionals; trying out, practicing or competing with a professional team; utilizing an agent or prospective agent; and delaying full-time enrollment to participate in organized sports competitions.

Violations of this code have prompted the revocation

of prestigious honors awarded to athletes. In 2010, football player Reggie Bush relinquished his 2005 Heisman trophy after revelations that he had received “improper benefits” from a sports agent during his collegiate career.

Lifting the NCAA’s amateur code would eliminate the temptation for athletes to surreptitiously accept gifts from outside parties.

Today, professional sports draw prodigies away from college competition with the prospect of wealth. On Dec. 17, 16-year-old Candace Hill became the youngest track athlete in the United States to turn pro when she signed a 10-year contract with ASICS. For those few athletes who have the choice, most will take the professional route for the money, the fame, the access to superior training and the opportunity to focus on their sport before their athleticism has peaked. Allowing collegiate

athletes to have professional contracts would prevent so many high school stars from rejecting NCAA competition in favor of going pro.

At the same time, allowing companies to intervene in college athletics could introduce new issues. Given that an athletic company like Nike can already sponsor a whole college team, trouble might arise if another company, such as New Balance, wanted to sponsor an individual athlete. Which brand uniform would the athlete wear?

Professional contracts could also interfere with regular college training if a company summons its sponsored athlete to appear in a photoshoot or commercial.

To prevent this scheduling conflict, committee members should amend NCAA rules to prohibit an athlete from missing a practice or meet for purposes unrelated to school athletics. If

a company seeks out a collegiate athlete, it should understand that the individual’s first priority is toward his or her college team.

The Olympic regulations requiring amateur status of athletes were largely abandoned in the 1990s. Athletes from certain communist countries were essentially professionals, as their governments supported their full-time training.

The International Olympic Committee officials eventually realized that television viewership would grow if the best athletes from all countries competed.

Reversal of the NCAA’s amateur code could therefore lead to increased caliber of competition at the collegiate level.

Before college football players start rioting for wages or more track sensations skip college to go pro, colleges should start paying their players in bigrevenue programs and the NCAA must drop the amateur code.

Slow and Steady Doesn’t Always Win by jake rong

Remember the tale of the tortoise and the hare? For several generations, parents and teachers have regurgitated this fable to children for its timeless moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

Reality, however, is much more nuanced. In much of our lives, the fast and hurried are continually rewarded. We associate slowness with apathy and laziness, speed with efficiency and competence.

In our community, we may have the right to freedom of expression, but we will never have the right to freedom from the clock. Our experiences at South and our private lives are increasingly defined by one word — time.

Every day, we move in herds precisely every 55 or 75 minutes. Every assignment has a due date; every person has a schedule. Timepieces are everywhere: in our phones, our watches, our classrooms, our cars.

Our standardized examinations exhibit this phenomenon; as a strictly timed exam, the SAT assesses one’s speed as much as it does one’s reasoning skills.

Someone can be the brightest in the room, but that won’t matter if he or she can’t write or bubble quickly enough. Regardless of whatever “new standards” the College Board concocts, students adept at speed, rather than reasoning, will always

have the upper hand. pressure led others to rush and see their Massachusetts has a chance to up- pyramids collapse.” end this phenomenon. On Nov. 17, the South’s biology curriculum Massachusetts Board of Elementary and teaches students to arrange experimental Secondary Education decided to develop groups so that there is only one variable a new hybrid statewide test for element. This method elimithe spring of 2017 instead of nates extraneous factors and administering the PARCC guarantees that the experior MCAS exam. The development tests exactly what one is ers of the new test are currently debating testing for. From this, we can extrapolate whether to preserve the untimed aspect that if the hybrid’s developers introduce a of MCAS, or to switch to the SAT’s timed new variable, time budgeting, they would paradigm. needlessly complicate an exam designed I urge the creators to choose the to evaluate one’s ability to analyze passages former, for a timed test would not only and answer math questions. benefit certain students more Moreover, it would be than others but would enplainly hypocritical for courage a flawed way schools to demand of thinking. demonic speed from us The inferiorwhen they do not deity and inadequacy mand the same from of timed tests themselves. Students have been demare severely penalonstrated in many ized for not meeting trials. Most notably, deadlines, yet instrucThe Boston Globe tors do not reciprocate. published a story this A former teacher of mine summer describing a once took three months to series of timed challenges return a project and the feedgiven to students at Chiback was no longer pertinent cago’s Bronzeville Scholasafter so long. tic Institute High School.

Our administra“In one exercise,” tion has behaved The Globe similarly in reported, regards to stress. “students Following the stacked tragedies of the 36 plastic cups 2013-14 school into a pyramid in year, the district has three minutes. Those become significantly more who succeeded kept aware of the prevalence and a steady pace through to consequences of stress among graphics by Sakura Miki students. Yet high-stakes timed tests, the last cup, while fear of time

from midyears to finals, remain an integral component of education at South.

In 2003, a three-state (Kansas, Massachusetts and Michigan) survey of teachers by the National Board on Educational Testing and Public Policy found that “in all three states, interviewees reported more negative than positive test-related effects on students,” including stress. Indeed, “Massachusetts interviewees were the most likely to note these effects.” If the detriments of the speed-based approach are most visible in this state, then we should pave the road to reform instead of maintaining the status quo. By making the replacement of MCAS and PARCC untimed, we can do just that.

As the Massachusetts Board of Education designs the new test, I hope it realizes that, in the real world, decisions are not made in high-pressure single sittings with stopwatches — they are carefully deliberated, taking into account the opinions of the community. Placing such a large emphasis on speed does not prepare students for their careers.

Rather than pandering to the speedy hare, the state should forge a test that rewards all star students who display actual knowledge and mastery — even the tortoises.

January 8, 2016|page 13

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|opinions

How To Reform High School Football by nathaniel flemming

A

n enduring American religion, football is the most popular high school sport in the country, with one million players taking the field each year. The sport is also one of the most dangerous; football players suffer from the highest concussion rate of any high school sport and high rates of severe injuries. This year alone, eight players have died as a result of on-field injuries, three more than in 2014. Such a state of affairs is intolerable.

There is no reason that the risks associated with playing football should be this serious, and rising concern has led to calls for reforming or even banning high school football, a demand to which some schools, faced with mounting injuries, have bent. Regardless of the outliers, a nationwide ban is utterly unthinkable. There are more realistic alternatives to reduce injuries and prevent further deaths.

Among football’s foremost concerns is the prevalence of head injuries. Research suggests that repeated blows to the head, concussive or otherwise, can result in mood disorders, behavioral problems, cognitive difficulties and even Parkinson’s disease later in life.

Such lasting damage merits attention, and in the past, heightened attention has been fruitful: Changes made to the sport in the 1970s aiming to reduce head and spinal injuries successfully decreased football-related deaths.

Now, it is evident that further measures are both necessary and feasible.

In an effort to limit head injuries, some schools have begun teaching new tackling techniques that avoid head-to-head and player-to-player contact during practices

and games. The clear issue with such tackling techniques is that they only prove effective in preventing injury if used by both teams.

Another more extreme proposal suggests eliminating player contact from the game for all players under a certain age. Banning younger players’ contact would prevent serious brain damage from occurring while the brain is in a period of rapid development and is more vulnerable.

Here, again, the downside is that athletes will be forced to learn how to handle tackles when they are bigger, faster and stronger, and thus capable of doing more damage.

If concerns only regard younger players, then such solutions would be effective, but they remain only slightly more realistic than a nationwide ban.

Any measure seeking to eliminate injury completely would be too dramatic a departure from the current game to be feasibly implemented. It is, of course, necessary to accept that in football, even with the best technique, injuries are inevitable.

More important is the capacity for immediate care when a serious injury occurs in spite of precautions.

MaryBeth Horodyski of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association suggests there be a minimum requirement of one athletic trainer and an ambulance with two paramedics on site in case of such an emergency. Improved techniques combined with staff present to address medical emergencies can amount to practical and sensible reforms, making football a more modern and level-headed faith for the nation’s worshippers.

Trouble Ahead

50 40 30

photo by Bailey Kroner other basketball soccer hockey

20

football

10

{

High school football concussions at a glance

{

infographic by Ben Rabin sources of Information: USA Today, Head Case and the National Journal of Sports Medicine

0

47 percent of all reported high school sports concussions come from football

33 percent of concussions happen during practice; 66 percent during games

In 2015, eight teenagers died as a result of football related injuries

Stop Worrying About the NSA by risa gelles-watnick Public opinion is a riptide that can sweep you up in an instant. It is easy to agree unthinkingliy with the general consensus before considering the bigger picture. Take, for example, the scandal about invasions of privacy by the National Security Agency (NSA) in June 2013.

When the news broke that the NSA had been collecting thousands of telephone records and tracking online communication, many were quick to ride the wave of public fury. People repeatedly asserted that these forays into personal conversations violated the Fourth Amendment — the protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

Although the Patriot Act

gave agencies like the NSA legal license to intercept almost any suspicious activity resembling terrorism, the government’s infringement on personal freedom troubled the American people.

The media only nurtured these

disrupted our lives. Given the NSA’s limited resources and the United States’ large population, the likelihood that someone would happen to listen in on one of your cellular interactions is slim. Do you really mind that a

received his or her license?

Many people argue that the government’s legalized snooping is, in fact, a matter of principle. It is true that we must set boundaries to prevent the government from infringing upon personal

Ask yourself: Why do you believe the view that the media promotes? Then, follow your instinct. unreasonable fears, sparking unwarranted panic and widespread misconceptions. Indignation bubbled up from every pore of social media.

Yet most of us did not stop to consider whether these surveillance programs actually

higher power has access to your data? Does it matter if the government knows that you earned a 74 percent on your math test?

Would the government bother acting upon records of a conversation in which you admitted that you drove with someone who just

rights; however, before we all bemoan the NSA’s invasion of privacy, we should reflect on whether this small surrender of freedom will keep us safe from terrorism in the long run.

I often hear people complain about smartphone apps’

ability to track our movements.

Usually, just by downloading an app, you give the app’s creator permission to pinpoint your location. While it may be a creepy prospect, ask yourself whether this ability restricts your freedom. After all, a couple of Google searches can reveal your address, phone number and occupation to anyone in the world. Releasing your location to a third party, therefore, has essentially no further effect on your life.

As tempting as it can be to go along with public opinion, it is important to question its veracity. Ask yourself: Why do you believe the view that the media promotes? Then, follow your instinct.

page 14|January 8, 2016

UPGRADE

9 Peppermint bark

opinions|THELIONSROAR.COM|THE LION’S ROAR

campus chatter The Lion’s Roar asked...

If you could time-travel, where would you go and why?

Two weeks until Senior Slump

“I would prefer to go back to the past [500 or 600 years], because I feel that people have too much stimulation nowadays in terms of technology, and I just want to get rid of that and go back and be a farmer.”

Fuzzy socks Snow (finally!)

Post-Christmas sales

- Shaw Miller, Class of 2019 photo by Bailey Kroner

“Sometime in the near future, because I think technology would progress a lot, and also people would be more accepting of minorities and LGBTQ+ youth.”

- Analise Castillo, Class of 2018

Downton Abbey starts up again

“Victorian England [during the late 1800s], because it’s sort of the height of the British Empire, there’s the Industrial Revolution and social progress ... and people are re-evaluating what it means to be part of society.”

New Angier school opens NFL Playoffs begin Spelling bee finals

9

DOWNGRADE

Early Valentine’s Day marketing Kale-and-carrots season No more Eggnog Lattes at Starbucks Last chance to take old SAT Writing incorrect date on papers PSAT scores come in ... late

photo by Kimia Tabatabaei

- Christian Goeselt, Class of 2017 “I would live in the Ice Age so that I could be friends with Manny the Mammoth and Sid the Sloth. Maybe riding dinosaurs would be cool, too.”

- Jacob Rozowsky, Class of 2016 photos by Adam Verga

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” by ben rabin This plot should sound familLike countless Star Wars buffs worldwide, iar, for it is virtually indistinguishable I had been looking forward to the seventh from the storyline installment of the saga, but I left the theater disappointed. Don’t get me wrong — “The Force of “A New Hope,” the first Star Wars film.

Awakens” is not a bad movie by any means — Only the genders, the film blows away the Star Wars prequel trilogy (Episodes I – III) in terms of aesthetics and names and appearances of some charcharacter development. acters have changed.

While the writers of the prequel trilogy I expected clearly had creative and intricate ideas, which more. Granted, the they developed into an innovative storyline, plots of the other epithey executed these concepts terribly. “The sodes weren’t always Force Awakens” suffers from the opposite powerful or complex, problem: although the film’s execution was “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” extraordinary, the plot was painfully derivative but at least they were Kylo Ren confronts heroes Rey and Finn in the Starkiller planet’s forest. creative, and with and unoriginal. every addition to the franchise, the directors and scenes — particularly the lightsaber battles — The story revolves around an orphan writers introduced new material. The creators entertaining, energetic and superbly shot. The named Rey who lives on a desert planet. She encounters a robot carrying an important mes- of “The Force Awakens” failed to achieve such actors, especially those cast as villains, delivered innovation. sage to Princess Leia, who is now the leader of stunning performances. Domhnall Gleeson, Furthermore, the film perpetuated the the Resistance, a group fighting the First Order who plays the Hitler-esque General Hux, was series’ cliche of depicting its villains as Nazis.

— a cadre of Sith lords and former generals absolutely marvelous: his visceral passion and bent on restoring the evil galactic empire from The uniforms, the regalia and even the physienergy stole the show. Adam Driver, in his porthe original trilogy. Rey also befriends a former cal appearances of members of the First Order trayal of Kylo Ren, beautifully humanized the stormtrooper named Finn, who later in the film abounded in unsubtle allusions to the Third antihero as an emotionally complex character.

Reich. Such a portrayal has lost its gravitas ever seeks redemption by joining the Resistance.

“The Force Awakens” had the potential since its use in Hollywood beginning in the Meanwhile, Kylo Ren — a commander to be one of the greatest films in the Star Wars 1940s. of the First Order — hunts Rey and Finn. Ren franchise, if not one of the greatest films of Despite the imitative plot, the film’s other 2015. Had the writers composed an imaginative sports a red lightsaber and a daunting metallic plot, they might have succeeded. elements worked perfectly. I found the action mask.

Burritos, tacos, nachos, quesadillas and more...

FREE FOUNTAIN DRINK WITH PURCHASE for high school and college students 1191 Center St. Newton, MA 02459 617-969-8100

The

Elephant in the Room The marginalized members of the NSHS GOP

The few kids who ... label themselves as Republican or conservative ... either get really really good at defending their position because they have to or they kind of wind up fitting the stereotype.

Continued from page 1

school environment that is single-minded or even repressive.

“The stereotype for Newton is that [it is] a progressive bastion,” senior Samuel Fishman said. “I really don’t feel that way. I think this is a leftist community, a liberal community, but it’s not a progressive community.”

“You can make Republican jokes in this school with impunity,” history and psychology teacher Paul Estin said. “We can’t [make] ethnic jokes, we can’t [make] gender-based jokes, we can’t [make] sexual-based jokes, but boy, we can slam Republicans all we want, and that’s perfectly okay.”

According to Estin, this mindset has clear consequences. “The few kids who … label themselves as Republican or conservative … either get really, really good at defending their position because they have to, or they kind of wind up fitting the stereotype — because, what the heck, people are going to believe that anyways,” he said. “They’re not challenged to make their position more nuanced.”

Many students said that, at South, this issue is most relevant in the classroom. Senior Nina Berezin, who tends to side with conservatives, acknowledged that class discussions can be challenging.

“In classes where I don’t what side people are on, it definitely makes me a lot more hesitant,” she said.

Junior Salome Tkebuchava, also a conservative, agreed.

“Sometimes I feel uncomfortable because I don’t want to be the one that raises my hand and says, … ‘No, actually I don’t agree with that,’” she said. Even so, she feels it is important to share her views.

Political identities can be especially relevant in AP U.S. Government, a senior history elective which includes a unit on political parties.

Senior Kim Gravlin, who takes the course, said teacher Deborah Linder attempts to find a balance between her political views and her students’ by clarifying that “[just] because she’s liberal doesn’t mean she’s necessarily right.”

Estin said he uses similar caveats in his class. “There are occasional times when I think that there’s a point to be made that relates to whatever the material is, and I’ll usually follow up by saying, ‘That’s just my opinion, you can think differently,’” he said.

For Berezin, however, these disclaimers are not always enough.

“I think that since teachers are mostly Democratic, … it makes kids a lot more resistant to saying their true beliefs. For example, on an essay

one time I had to go totally Democratic because I … didn’t want my opinion to affect my grade in any way,” she said But creating an open and unbiased learning environment can be challenging. “[Teachers] are human,” Estin said, and have their own political views. “I don’t know how good they’re going to be at defending the thing that they really disagree with.”

Linder agreed that being completely objective can be nearly impossible.“I don’t ever plan a class and think, ‘I’m going to be a liberal today.’ That’s not the goal,” she said. “[However,] there may be times where I move to the left unavoidably.”

Regardless, she still aims to be inclusive. “I really hope that in my class [students with different political views] feel like that’s okay, and they realize that I respect them as people,” she said. “It’s not my job to move someone one way or another; it’s the job of the students that talk to each other and challenge each other.”

Exposure to as many ideas as possible is critical. “The hope is just that there’s enough different views and different classes that any one student will take, that they’ll be able to not only get skills and analysis, but also maybe get questioned in different ways and [in] different directions by different people,” Estin said.

Berezin agreed and said that communities of people with generally similar views do not offer space for growth. “Sometimes, [people are] way too into their own beliefs that they just can’t even look at the other side in a rational way.” she said.

Estin used to be the advisor for South’s Conservative Students Organization, which discussed economic and political issues, though never issues concerning social conservatism. “It was kind of fun because there was also a liberal students union,” he said. “We had some really good debates when the two groups got together.”

The club eventually died out, but not before it encountered resentment. “When the club had been around for roughly a year, … we said, ‘Let’s try to recruit more people.’ We put out some posters with some blue tape all over the place one afternoon, but by the next morning they had all been ripped down.” Estin said. “It was kind of discouraging. We didn’t feel really motivated to try again after that.”

According to senior Giulio Cataldo, many believe that people who do not share their political ideals are “misinformed.”

Senior Sam Kopp said he has faced this prejudice firsthand. “I’ve been called racist, stupid, unintelligent — just a whole slew of hateful remarks from people who don’t agree with me,” he said. “I more or less

just let the remarks go because they’re not [from] anyone significant to me.”

Gravlin said that it is important to steer away from these notions, even when disagreeing with others’ views. “In terms of political beliefs, there is no such thing as one right answer,” she said.

Freshman Savannah Macero agreed. “I don’t think you should let people try to tell you that you’re wrong because you can’t really be wrong — it’s what you believe in,” she said.

Cataldo said that students should remain open-minded, especially in the context of the upcoming presidential elections.

“I think that there is a stigma [that being] anything but a Bernie supporter at Newton South is wrong,” Cataldo said “If you support Hillary you’re okay, but if you’re not a big fan of either, then people just don’t like you in terms of politics.”

Opposing parties go to extreme measures to prove that their beliefs alone are valid, Estin said. “It’s … two tribes basically saying, ‘This is my tribe; therefore, it’s right,’” he said. “I think you can see that in the current election, where I think that the standards that people have for their party candidates versus the other party candidates are very different.”

This uncompromising mindset, Linder said, disrupts national conversations about important issues. “You look at TV and the best ratings are when people are mean to one another and rude and they don’t actually have well developed arguments,” she said.

Rich conversations can occur only if students put in the time and effort to educate themselves, she said. “Don’t talk about loving Trump if you have no idea who Trump is. Don’t say you love Hillary just because your mom does,” she said, “It’s easy to be influenced by what your friends think because you just want to fit in really easily, but it’s important to not let that affect how you think … about politics,” Macero said.

Fishman said he believes politics to be an essential part of his role as a citizen. “It’s absolutely critical that you’re educated, and it’s absolutely critical that you’re talking about the issues,” he said.

“I think some conservatives need to step up and actually speak their minds instead of trying to play to teachers’ thoughts or their friends’ thoughts to be more accepted,” Kopp said. “Freedom of speech in learning institutions is actually one of the most important protections we have. Any school is supposed to be a healthy environment for political discourse to overcome these exact issues.”

graphic by Sophie Galowitz

page 18|January 8, 2016

Rallied Up Seniors Sam Kopp and Matthew Gubenko attended a rally for Donald Trump on Nov. 18 at the DCU Center in Worcester.

“It was actually pretty astounding how many people were there; the line to get in wrapped around two entire streets,” Kopp said. “The atmosphere was really lively. ... People were cheering and yelling.”

There were many counter-protesters at the event, and police force was sometimes necessary to maintain order, Kopp said.

For Gubenko, attending the rally was not a show of support for Trump. “There were some things that he said that I didn’t disagree with so I did clap,” he said. “But [for] the majority of things I just sat there silently

and watched and listened.”

He said that the crowd seemed very engaged and supportive of Trump.“Regardless of what he was saying, every time he would raise his voice he got an immediate applause,” Gubenko said. “The entire rally reflected [a] trend of being disillusioned with actual politics, and turning to radical leaders.”

According to Kopp, however, hearing someone speak live in this way is important. “If you see something live [and] unedited, it will change how you see things.”

Gubenko agreed. “The next time someone is in town I’ll go to their rally regardless if I agree with them or not. It’s important to stay informed.”

On Oct. 3, senior Carter Howe attended a Bernie Sanders rally at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

“I got there right as it was starting, like the speakers before Bernie. There were a ton of people there [who] had already filled up the convention center, so I stood outside,” he said. “It was a little less energetic than it would have been inside … But [there] was definitely … a lot of cheering, a lot of clapping. People were very enthusiastic to be there.”

For Howe, the experience of attending a rally was unique, especially in comparison to watching interview clips online. “I think Bernie Sanders is a very interesting candidate,” he said.

photo courtesy of Sam Kopp

Centerfold|THELIONSROAR.COM |THE LION’S ROAR

Five students talk about their experiences at presidential rallies

By Mona Baloch and Emily Belt

Senior Kim Gravlin attended a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton at Faneuil Hall on Nov. 29. This was Gravlin’s first campaign rally.

“I am a longtime Hillary supporter. … I found out [about the rally] online because I get emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign and from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,” she said. “It was like nothing like I’ve ever experienced before.”

Gravlin said that despite the long wait and cold weather, the crowd maintained a lively mood.

“I can’t even articulate how I felt because there was just so much energy in the room. … There was a lot of chanting and clapping,” she said.

Before Clinton addressed the

crowd, Boston mayor Marty Walsh and several labor-union leaders spoke about their support for her. “[She] came out and there was a huge roar of applause; it was crazy to see her step on stage,” Gravlin said.

“Her oration and rhetorical skills were outstanding.”

Gravlin said she enjoyed the experience and connected with both the candidate and other attendees.

“What was different with Hillary was that she talked about the privilege that she had, but she crafted it in a way that made me feel connected,” Gravlin said. “Just in general I think it’s really great for people who share the same views to come together, and it’s great to hear what the candidate has to say.”

“I think [attending the rally] helped me understand him more, kind of as a person, and not just hear about his policies and stuff. … It helped me kind of gain a very clear picture of what Bernie’s all about.”

“Bernie [might] be president, and I’ll be able to say I was 20 feet away from him, right there,” he added.

Junior Alana Bojar, who also attended, said that rallies provide an opportunity for young people interested in politics to get involved. “The group of friends I went with, we always talk about politics,” she said. “We always thought that it would be really cool, since we can’t vote yet, to get involved that way and support [Bernie] that way.”

photo illustrations by Bailey Kroner

JANUARY 8, 2016|page 19

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Centerfold

The Roar organized a

round table

with four students on current political issues

the following is an edited and condensed version of the discussion

Senior Jason Ma, senior Matthew Gubenko, senior Anna Kim and sophomore Michael Ryter gathered to discuss ISIS, gun control and tackling climate change.

Should the United States put boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria to fight ISIS?

How much of a priority should combatting climate change be?

Matthew Gubenko: I think the strategy of inaction and trying to fund other rebel militants on the ground by giving them arms has proved to be an incredibly harmful strategy in that it almost single-handedly created — coupled with the void left by U.S. troops on the ground — the rise of ISIS. Now we have a bunch of rebel militants armed with U.S. weapons. I think it’s imperative that instead of funding other factions, the U.S. actually get on the ground.

AK: Climate change should be a huge priority. It’s one of the biggest threats that we’re facing right now — not necessarily militaristically, although, it has been shown that if global warming and climate change lead to fewer resources in conflict areas, then that leads to serious conflict and drives things like terrorism and, frankly, global conflict. I think it’s one of the issues that we have to be taking very seriously, and that will affect us sooner than we think.

Michael Ryter: I don’t doubt our military capability, and I don’t doubt that we are militarily capable of defeating and virtually eradicating ISIS. However, last time we were in Iraq and we withdrew, that almost instantly led to the destabilization of the Iraqi government, which we supported, and led to ISIS. I don’t see how that is any different this time, unless we have a more cohesive endgame strategy, and perhaps work with our allies to institute that.

Anna Kim: We can’t get into another boots on the ground war with no defined endpoint, because clearly, that ends terribly, both for us and the people that we’re ostensibly trying to protect. … You have to remember that boots on the ground means American lives. It means American citizens dying, and I think it’s rash to just say, “We have to go in with boots on the ground, because that’s what’s going to work.” So if we can in any way prevent harm to American citizens, then I think that’s the route that we have to take.

Jason Ma: I think when you’re engaging in a war, you’re always going to have people dying. You can’t just say because American people are dying, we shouldn’t be involved. Tens of thousands of people are dying every single day because of ISIS. I’m not saying that we should sacrifice American lives; I’m just simply saying that when we are weighing each single person’s life equally, we should intervene, because in doing so we are minimizing the deaths in the long term. Obviously, in the short term, if we start a full scale war against ISIS, more people are going to die, but in the long term we’re actually trying to stop ISIS and actually make the region more peaceful.

JM: I think it needs to be a priority, but I’m not sure how much weight we can put on it. Because I think in the past, actions have failed in the U.S. because of how polarized our country has become. We need to find the right way, an effective way that would actually be able to work in our country because the political climate right now is really divisive. And I think just talking about climate change without actually trying to find a compromise between the left and the right would not be a solution in the long term.

MG: I think there’s no overstating the importance of meaningful diplomacy, especially domestically relative to climate change. But I think a big part of that in moving things like that forward is the cultural divide here that exists in the United States, in which people systematically neglect the fact that global warming is an issue. Republicans and Democrats now are stalling diplomacy. They’re disagreeing merely for a political reason. I think it’s important that we establish an underlying education about environmental change and procedure, and just encourage public discourse and awareness.

MR: I don’t think it’s as much an issue in education. If you look at polling numbers, generally younger people are more invested in science and are far more likely to understand the importance of climate change. However, I think a large part of it is that a lot of politicians are heavily supported by the fossil fuel industry and the oil industry, especially with the rise of fracking in the U.S. and all the controversy that comes with that. Unfortunately, politicians are still so dependent on the funding and the support that they get from traditional energy industries that they’re going to be hesitant to support any kind of accord.

photos by Mona Baloch

Should the United States enact stricter gun control legislation?

AK: I think we need strict, comprehensive gun reform. I think that’s been proven by the fact that we’ve had more mass shootings than days in the U.S. this year. This is not a problem other western countries have. I think honestly that says enough.

MG: I don’t disagree that we need more gun control, but I think it’s important where we locate our efforts. I think that we do need more universal background checks, criminal checks, and especially one bigger issue that needs to come to the forefront of this debate is mental health checks and clearances. Because a big part of these shootings is that there’s always a shooter behind the gun. If you incentivize getting rid of guns, some people will want to latch onto them regardless. You’ll radicalize those people that have the guns and want them simply for self-defense.

And you’ll create a black market as we did in the prohibition, which will create gangs, violence and other organizations that can’t even be tracked at all under the government.

JM: I think by having a universal ban on guns, we’re just taking away guns from the good people. I think the bad guys will always take them no matter what. It’s like, if you’re a drug addict, even if we ban all drugs, you’re going to find them somewhere. People with training should be able to get guns. So when they are put into a situation where they have to protect themselves, or protect their families, they are capable of doing so. We’re not training everyone. We’re ensuring that when you get a gun, you have to have training.

MR: A recent FBI report said that only 3.1 percent of mass shootings are stopped by a good person — a non-law enforcement person with a gun, like a civilian shooting someone. So in practicality, that doesn’t really happen.

It’s not always about training. It’s about the gun getting in the wrong hands. It’s about a kid picking up the gun and accidentally using it thinking it’s a toy. Because people don’t know how to use guns, and because it would require an extensively high amount of training, like a law enforcement level amount of training, realistically it’s unfeasible.

For a video of the discussion, visit www.NSHSDenebola.com

FEATURES page 20|January 8, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

FEATURES@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 5

Transcendent Beauty Transgender South alumna Hari Nef becomes a hit in the fashion and entertainment world NEF, from 1 Nef said she did not plan to pursue a career in fashion as a South student. “I was really more interested in acting,” Nef said. “Fashion was really something I encountered through the Internet and through magazines.”

Nef ’s sister, freshman Sabrina Clebnik, agreed that Nef ’s passions in high school swung more toward acting, but that changed when she attended Columbia University. “Before college she was definitely more into theatre and Broadway, and I think the whole New York City vibe really showed her that she wanted to be in TV and modeling,” Clebnik said.

“I moved to New York, and I did one theatre internship and it was totally awful,” Nef said. “So I started interning in fashion, and I kind of found myself in the industry, and then I was working behind the scenes a lot. But then when I began transitioning, I guess people saw me in a different way, so they sort of nudged me to the other side of the camera.”

Nef said that she emulates her initial passion for acting during her modeling photo shoots.“I try to add an element to the story that couldn’t have existed without me. I try to just bring it to life and get the best photo possible,” she said. “It’s really fun when you can go out on a limb and do some wild stuff.”

Clebnik said the entire family is very supportive of Nef ’s budding career. “My whole Facebook feed was basically taken over with links that my sister posted. I support my sister and everything she’s doing. I help her through some stuff, share my clothes with her,” she said.

Weintraub too, noticed the support Hari recieved from her mother. “I had a parent-teacher conference with her mom, and the one thing that her mom said to me was that ‘I just want you to help me get Hari published,’” Weintraub said. “So I think that she always had a really strong motivation from the parental side and intrinsically the ability to make an impact on the world beyond just her immediate surroundings.”

In 2015, Nef signed onto IMG Models, which has represented models like Gisele Bündchen and Kate Moss. “It’s like that defining moment because I’d grown up knowing people who had gone into NYC like, ‘Oh, I want to be a big time model,’ and here was my own sister who was living in my own house and she got signed onto this big modeling agency,” Clebnik said.

This photos courtesy of Hari Nef

year, Nef was cast as Tanta Gittel on the second season of the Amazon show “Transparent,” which features a number of transgender cast members and premiered this December.

Seeing as there are very few transmodels and actresses, Nef said her career is often framed as a political or social statement.

“I don’t think I’m doing anything particularly special, but because of my gender identity, people tend to see certain precedents being set, or they see doors being opened,” she said. “I get emails and messages from kids in the Midwest who say that they showed their mom a picture of me and then came out to her.”

While this attention can be exciting, Nef added that it can also be exhausting. “Sometimes it’s really weird that people don’t see me as some other actor or model. It’s definitely a double-edged sword,” she said.

“Some days, I want to go out and say hi to the world and be a trans heroine for people, and some days, I just want to disappear and not have to talk about my gender identity.”

While this spotlight may be an opportunity to educate people and empower transgender kids, junior Jason Kan, who is also transgender, said Nef should be accepted without fuss.

“Trans people just need to be viewed as normal.

Like, it’s medical information about us. Sure, it’s an identity, but it’s not the only thing about us that’s important,” he said.

Yet Kan added he appreciates the wide acceptance of Nef ’s gender identity. “Our bodies aren’t celebrated much, because of how stigmatized [being transgender] is, and it’s a privilege for someone like her to be accepted without hate,” he said.

Nef still faces hardships, her sister said. “It’s definitely harder being a trans woman especially since people sometimes mistake her as a man or something like that. Even people who are not accepting of the whole transition can be really hard on her, but she really makes it look easier than it must be,” Clebnik said.

Weintraub said he thinks that “Transparent” and Nef herself could help start valuable conversations. “I think everyone should see it because the whole trans movement is about questioning binaries about males versus females, blurring lines that were formerly solid.

And that is a revolutionary project,” he said. “I’m so glad that we have Hari as a model for achievement and inspiration.”

Senior Sam Adams, who watches “Transparent,’” agreed that the show can help educate people about the transgender experience. “I think it makes the whole process very realistic, and it shows a wide variety of perspectives. [The show follows Nef] in her support group, with her family, with old colleagues and friends.

You see her trying on her new life and her starting over, going backward, and being young again. Almost trying to restart her life in a way,” she said.

Although Nef has been gaining visibility as a model, she said “Transparent” is only the beginning of a potential new career.

“I got this lucky break from ‘Transparent,’ but now is when I’m really starting my acting career in earnest,” she said. “Now I’m just trying to figure out what’s next.

And I’m not just going to wait for the phone to ring — I’m going to go out and get it.”

2011-2015 Attended Columbia University

2014

Cover of Frische magazine

May 2015

Signed to IMG Models

June 2015 Profiled by Vogue magazine

August 2015

Profiled by Out of 100

August 2015

Featured in music video

December 2015

Profiled by The New York Times

December 2015

Starred in Season 2 of “Transparent”

January 8, 2016|page 21

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Features

Progra m m i ng for Success The joys and frustrations of one of South’s most difficult classes

By Maia Fefer and Eunice Kim

photo by Bailey Kroner

I

n 1970, programming teacher Jeffery Stulin first learned to code. Now, 45 years later, Stulin is passing down what he learned to South students. Although his honors programming classes are difficult, students enjoy the challenging environment of the class and appreciate the importance of coding in the modern world.

The significance of technology is what caught ’14 alumnus Daniel Shaar’s interest. He is now majoring in computer science at MIT. “It’s super interesting because you can essentially solve any breed of problem using [code],” Shaar said. “Everything that we use now relies on it, and that’s why I got curious to start.”

Although coding is a science, Stulin is also drawn to its interdisciplinary nature. “[Programming] a mixture of science, art and trade. There is science in computer science, but to really be good at it there is an element of creative art in it, and you have to be [as] dedicated as a trades person would be in order to improve your craft,” Stulin said.

According to Shaar, the class’s environment also gives students the space to learn independently.

“The environment was very loose.

He seems to talk a lot about the theory. He gives lots of demos and guidance, but he’s very particular about questions you have to ask him. He’s not going to answer any question,” he said. “He wants to make sure you’ve looked into the question before asking. He focuses on you learning independently and being a guiding hand.”

Although coding offers the opportunity to create, sophomore Varun Oberoi said programming can also be frustrating.

“I like the fact that you can manipulate a machine and have it do what you

want,” he said. “Problem is, if you mess up a little thing, it won’t work, and sometimes you have no idea why it’s working, or no idea why it isn’t working.”

Stulin said students tend to struggle because coding is so different from what is usually taught in school.

“Experts in mathematics [when] they start programming, they think things will come really easy, but they hit a brick wall at first,” he said.

Despite these frustrations, sophomore Arushi Singh said that coding is integral to the modern world.

I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU CAN MANIPULATE A MACHINE AND HAVE IT DO WHAT YOU WANT. - Varun Oberoi, Class of 2018 “We’re working towards a generation based primarily on technology. We need computer scientists … to help program new technology and new innovations that are coming up, because now, most fields require some aspect of computer science,” she said.

Students must understand technology in order to use it effectively, Stulin said. Shaar agreed.

“We’re using the Internet and relying on it for our daily lives but don’t know anything about it, and it can be a little frustrating,” he said.

Due to its necessity, Stulin said computer science is a promising career option.

Some of the parents of students in Stulin class, like Oberoi’s, are programmers who encouraged their children to try the class.

“My father programs,” Oberoi said.

“He’s a software engineer, and if I learned programming, it’ll be better for me. I’d have chances in the real world. I’ll be able to work for him over the summer.”

Singh also said her initial interest in programming stemmed primarily from her parents, who are both computer scientists.

“My parents forced me to take this summer camp for programming,” Singh said. “It was a pretty fun camp, and I started taking more of those, and then this year, I decided I was [going to] take the school course that’s offered.”

No matter how students started coding, senior Sasha Badov said students in the class are motivated to apply their skills to their passions.

“I’m interested in applying computer science into education,” she said. “I was thinking to create a program that uses language analysis to read through students’ writing and pick out strengths and weaknesses, which is really difficult for a teacher to see.”

The first step to success, though, is simply persevering.

“You have to sit down and understand that nothing’s perfect the first time,” Shaar said. “As Mr. Stulin explains it, he’s going to throw you into the deep end, and you’re going to drown until you can swim to the surface. You’re going to go into the course knowing nothing. All the symbols look weird, and nothing makes sense. You have to learn everything that confuses you.”

Additional reporting by Misha Ocheretyanny

page 22|January 8, 2016

Features|THELIONSROAR.COM|THE LION’S ROAR

WORKING AROUND SENSITIVITY Trigger warnings are on the rise in the English curriculum and across the school

By Maia Fefer and Tiffany Wong

N O I T

U A C T

wo years ago, Shauna Pellauer’s sophomore honors English class did not read “Antigone.” Instead, she replaced it with Shakespeare’s light-hearted “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” After the three suicides in Newton that year, Pellauer felt the class needed something happier.

“Both [“Antigone” and “Things Fall Apart”] feature a suicide, and I decided not to teach one of those units,” she said, “generally out of concern for the mourning we were doing as a school and the sensitivity around that topic.”

Pellauer is not the only one to take precautions when discussing sensitive topics. While not all teachers alter their curriculums, many teachers have begun to share trigger warnings, letting their students know that a sensitive topic will be discussed and offering students another option if they feel too uncomfortable.

According to sophomore Bhairavi Chandersekhar, though, censorship of any kind must have boundaries, one of which is age.

“You probably don’t want to have a huge lesson on homicide for elementary school kids,” she said. “Once you get to high school, … people are old enough that they either already know about or should know about most horrific events that happen in the world.”

English department head Brian Baron agreed that

N O I T

U A C

high school is the place to talk about serious topics.

“I worry that people are expecting the world to always be gentle. The world isn’t that way,” he said. “What we want you to do is to be able to walk out of here and be an independent adult. We don’t want to make it traumatic, going through Newton South, but we also want you to know that the world is not always pleasant.”

He added that, often, good literature — as well as the English curriculum — revolves around sensitive themes.

“If you look at our curriculum, there’s not a year that goes by where a [sensitive] topic doesn’t come up at least once, and that’s just the nature of literature: There’s death and mayhem,” he said. “If you’re going to talk about literature, you’re going to talk about topics that are difficult to talk about.”

Pellauer added that intellectual discomfort can allow people to grow.

“The goal of teaching is to push students to a place where they might not be intellectually comfortable, but it’s a stretch that they can make, and they will surmount that challenge,” she said.

While there is value in academic discomfort, Pellauer clarified that students should not feel emotionally uncomfortable. Freshman Jasmin Rotem agreed. “[Teachers should warn] when they are aware that a student has been through something [traumatic] that they’re about to talk about,” she said.

For Baron, one problem with trigger warnings is that they can ruin a story’s surprises.

“We want you to have the experience of a reader, not knowing this is coming up. We don’t want to spoil it,” he said. “You do have to balance that with the ability for people to feel emotionally safe reading a book.”

Another concern with trigger warnings is that students can miss out on valuable information that cannot always be substituted with a different reading, Baron said.

“We pick [“The Great Gatsby”] because Gatsby has something transcendent to say about the human experience, and there’s no other book like that. You can’t just find another YA book and say, ‘Read that and you’ll know what Gatsby is like.’ You do miss out a little bit, and more than that, you miss out on the class discussions,” he said.

Teachers consider all these factors when deciding what to teach. When wondering whether to teach “Antigone” two years ago, Pellauer carefully weighed the benefits and consequences of omitting the play.

“It’s not as if knowing that unit is a foundation for future concepts, in the same way that it might be in math or in history,” she said. “I thought that it was important not to continually remind ourselves of the suicides.”

To circumvent the problems surrounding censorship, wellness teacher Lisa Petrizzi said she tries to present information in different ways for students who may feel uncomfortable with topics like suicide and depression.

“I would never want them to sit through anything that makes them uncomfortable. We always have the option to say, ‘May I go to the bathroom,’ and then it’s always ‘yes,’” she said.

Above all, Pellauer said that communication is crucial when approaching a sensitive topic.

“I did talk to the students at the time, so they knew the choices we were making and they knew what would be gained and what would be lost,” she said. “It’s important to preview the reading. … The last thing you want to do is just have students read and have no idea what’s coming.”

For Chandersekhar, the best way to help students feel safe is to develop supportive community in the classroom.

“I think it basically comes down to trying to make the class into a safe environment before the book is even taught,” she said, “making sure people feel like they can speak up and voice their opinions.”

Additional reporting by Aviva Gershman

CAUTION CAUTION

January 8, 2016|page 23

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Features

1 in 1,800 Zohar Kolodner, Class of 2019 What advice would you give to a stranger?

I would tell them that you have to live life and roll with it because sometimes you get thrown curve balls. Sometimes life doesn’t really like you, and you get the bad end of the deal, and you just want to go with it and make the best of it.

Have you ever had trouble implementing that advice?

Of course. Sometimes you just want to say ‘That is so unfair, why?’ Especially with tests. People are always saying it is one bad grade. Or not making a team or something. When you hear that you didn’t make it, you might feel like you want to give up, but you have gotta say ‘Nope. Next year.’

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page 24|January 8, 2016

THE

Features|THELionsRoar.com|THE LION’S ROAR

COMMON APPLICATION

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

By Andrea Lirio

K

yle* has completed all of his essays with help from his college coach.

He has also finished his art portfolio and filled out all his applications.

With his applications due in late January, Kyle is confident that he will finish all of his work. “[I’m] not quite sure what I’m doing or what exactly is going to happen, but I’m not worried about it,” he said.

Many of Kyle’s friends have already been accepted into colleges. He said he is happy for his peers and looks forward to getting accepted somewhere as well.

“They put in hard work to get their applications in early for the early process,” he said. “Even if they do not hear back from their top school, then they still feel secure because they were accepted into some school. I’m really happy for them.”

While Kyle said that hearing back from colleges is stressful for seniors, he remains positive.

“It’s going to be challenging, but all of the colleges that I am applying to are colleges that I am happy to go to,” he said.

“I would be happy to be accepted into or go to any of them.”

Throughout the year, Kyle believes that he has improved on managing workload.

“It’s a bit more complicated to do homework and college stuff on top of other stuff too,” he said.

He said that the one motivator throughout the college application process and senior year has been the idea of relaxing during senior slump.

“When people get into college they don’t really care about doing well at South because they have their future secured,” he said. “They stop working and don’t try as hard for the last part of senior year.”

S

ydney* has sent in applications to the majority of her schools and has added to her list more schools recommended by her counselor.

Though she was feeling eager early in the process, she has found application process more stressful than originally expected.

“I think I am okay. There are certain days when I kind of freak out a little bit and I’m scared that things won’t get done,” she said. “But I have my counselors helping me and they help me balance that.”

While counselors help, Sydney believes that teachers should be more understanding during the first semester and give seniors more work after the application process is complete in order to avoid unnecessary stress.

“I know a lot of teachers who try to pack everything during the beginning of the year and then relax toward the end of the year. I think that is kind of opposite, since everything is happening in the beginning,” she said. “I have this one friend who is constantly stressing about her grades, and the amount of homework that she has is ridiculous.”

The most exhausting part of senior year is balancing school, sports and college applications, Sydney said.

“It’s a lot of work. There are some classes where teachers don’t even acknowledge that you are seniors applying to college, and they pack on so much homework,” she said.

Sydney’s main complaint is that the college application process is time-consuming, as well.

“Many teachers wonder why you are sleeping in class,” she said. “The problem is you don’t have that energy to stay up and keep up.”

N

icholas* has completed all of his applications and is waiting to hear back from colleges.

He decided that he is no longer interested in applying to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and would not be interested in attending even if he were accepted.

Reflecting on his applications, he said that he is not worried about the outcomes.

“I don’t feel very nervous about it.

A lot of my friends are. They are looking forward to hearing back from colleges,” he said. “I am very relaxed for some reason. I am confident that I will make it in.”

Nicholas said that he is happy for his peers who have been accepted and can now relax instead of stressing about applications.

“I know that it is a very long and tedious process. I feel very glad that they finally kind of set that aside and can focus on school. It’s very time-consuming and stressful to wait and then apply for the college,” he said. “I feel very happy for them.”

Although Nicholas has already sent in all of his applications, he finds the class workload difficult to manage.

“It’s harder. I’ve been having to put a lot of time into it and I’ve been getting more school assignments and papers lately.

You need to work during J blocks and even during free blocks,” he said.

He also said that sending in the final application was both exciting and nervewracking.

“You feel very fulfilled and you feel very happy about it. Once you send it, you are pretty much done with the college application process,” he said. “Now you just have to wait to hear back from them and that’s when you feel nervous and anxious.”

L

graphics by Celine Yung

ayla* has completed and sent in all of her applications. She now needs to take the physical assessments required for the military schools.

“I am very comfortable with where I am. I’ve come so far from a couple months ago when I had to finish all the stuff for my deadlines,” she said. “I feel really good with where I am right now.”

She said that the uncertainty of the process can be daunting.

“I’m not as confident as other-people. I don’t think I’ve ever been overconfident with my application. I know that at South a lot of my friends are very bright and have so many clubs and sports and extracurriculars and great grades,” she said. “When I compare myself to them I’m like, ‘Wow, I do not look as good as they do.’ Sometimes I’m not as confident, and I don’t apply to some schools that I could actually get into because they are applying.”

Her biggest regret is comparing herself to her peers during the application process.

“It’s not good to compare myself to them especially because I don’t know what the college is looking for or wants,” she said.

Layla advises that future college applicants apply only to schools that they actually want to attend and keep an open mind during the application process.

“You don’t have to think that some of your reach schools are your reach schools when you compare to other kids,” she said.

“Look at what the schools are looking for, and don’t look at where your friends are applying. It’s all about what you want to do and where you want to go. Be more confident in where you want to go.” *Names changed to protect students’ identities

January 8, 2016|page 25

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Features

ArtFocus

The Roar features work submitted by student and faculty artists

Daniel Panero, Spanish teacher

Annalisa Flynn, Class of 2016

Hadas Rosen, Class of 2016

no night there is no night, this I know there is only a flannelclad touch and go there is only the ocean, trudging and slow there is current and seaglass and gloves in the snow I am cold to the bone I am aging too soon there is no night, no broken and stark only light, and halfway light and dark

Ksenia Potapov, Class of 2016

Lizzie Szanton, Class of 2018

page 26|january 8, 2016

New Year’s Resolutions COREY SAMUELS sr. fun editor

BFFLS & BAD PUNS It’s January 13th, 2009. Frost clinging to the restaurant window, my fork chases the crouton crumbs at the bottom of my salad bowl as the steam from Brian’s pizza dances beneath my nose, charming me with the promise of melted cheese. Only 12 days into a new diet, visions of a slimmer waistline flee from my fingers as they grasp the crust of Brian’s slice, ignoring his curt objection. A line of grease dribbles over my empty greens. As quickly as it had been born into this world, my resolution has vanished, smothered by marinara and hearty Italian spices.

In many ways, New Year’s resolutions are like melted cheese: full of life and affirmation out of the oven, but as they lose their warmth to the brisk January air, their appeal diminishes into rubbery goo.

And yet, like parmesan layered over marinara sauce, they are hard to refuse. To inspire your resolutions, here are some of my own from throughout the years: 1992 Resolutions 1. Eat mor Orreos; eat fewur caruts, brocollees and pees.

2. Find a hors. So then I can bee a cow-boy. Than, bee n astronut.

3. Stop beng scard of my basmint.

1996 Resolutions 1. Clime the hiyist tree in Brians bac yard, so we can bild a fort.

2. Gett Eleanor Parkr to stop chassing me on the playgrond. Shes grose.

3. Gett beder at speling.

2000 Resolutions 1. Read the next Harry Potter right when it comes out, so Brian can’t ruin it for me again.

2. Finally convince mom that no other 13-year-old still wears Osh Kosh.

3. Beat Super Mario 3. In one sitting. Bathroom breaks ok.

2004 Resolutions 1. Make some kind of plan for the next five years.

Want to get to California.

2. Stop starting papers right before they are due.

3. Work up the courage to ask Eleanor Parker to prom.

2006 Resolutions 1. Eat less pizza; eat more food like carrots, broccoli and peas.

2. Read all the Harry Potters, in one sitting.

3. Beat Super Mario 3, also in one sitting. No bathroom breaks this time.

2008 Resolutions 1. Make a five-year plan and stick to it. Have to figure out what I should do after college.

2. Stop starting papers right before they are due. You can always binge-watch “Friends” when you’re older.

3. Finally become the kind of guy Eleanor Parker would want to date.

2012 Resolutions 1. Start taking my five-year plan more seriously.

Have to keep my job.

2. Stop grading papers right before term grades are due. You can always binge-watch “Friends” when you’re older.

3. Eat less Chipotle and more foods like carrots, broccoli and kale. Find out what kale is.

2016 Resolutions 1. Read something other than Harry Potter. My room looks like a 13-year-old’s.

2. Stop making five-year plans; they never work.

3. Work up the courage to congratulate Eleanor on her engagement.

2046 Resolutions (probably) 1. Eat more things like Oreos. Life’s too short for carrots. No one likes carrots anyway.

2. Rewatch “Friends.” Surprisingly still culturally relevant.

3. Stop being scared of my basement.

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

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

DISTURBING THE PEACE Dec. 23, Goldrick House A student is being questioned after his comment about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict caused his history class to descend into chaos.

graphic by Sophie Galowitz

IDENTITY THEFT Dec. 25, Newton Math teacher John Cascino was asked to fill in for Santa Claus this Christmas after Saint Nicholas broke a femur while ice skating with his top elves. Rudolph reportedly did not take well to the replacement.

BRIBERY Jan. 5, Lecture Hall Four South senators have been arrested for taking bribes from various administrators. Though there is no direct evidence, investigators said that corruption must be at the root of the Senate’s ineffectiveness.

LARCENY Dec. 25, Whoville The Grinch reportedly managed to steal Christmas this holiday season, striking a heroic blow against the globalized capitalist system of alienated, fetishized consumerism.

ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON Jan. 7, Cutler House Freshman Kylo Ren was arrested after allegedly brandishing his light saber to threaten his math teacher.

Supreme leader Snoke declined to comment.

Overheard at SOUTH Yes, we heard you say that.

Philosophical bro: “Dude, what if we’re all secretly trees?”

Slumping senior: “Do you move through a car wash? Or does a car wash move through you?”

Insistent teacher: “He’s not Scottish; he’s Jewish!”

Curious girl: “Are a majority of Israeli guys hot?”

Philosophical bro part II: “In Tennessee, you can own a fox. It’s dope.”

Embarrassing Roar Staff Photo of the Month:

Lee’s Burger Place 216 Sumner St. Newton, MA 02459 Tel. 617 795 2022 Fu gives a shoutout to his fans at Disney World.

SPORTS Pinning the Scale page 27|January 8, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

Sports@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 32, ISSUE 5

Difficult workout routines and strict diets help wrestlers cut weight and prepare for the winter season Dark greens have fiber and nutrients that wrestlers cannot obtain through other foods. They provide large doses of vitamins A and C without sugar.

Chicken carries a lot of protein and ensures that wrestlers will not lose muscle as they eat less food during the strenuous season.

photo illustration by Nathaniel Bolter

Rice is a good source of carbohydrates. Some wrestlers shy away from carbohydrates for fear of gaining weight, but rice provides a lot of energy.

W

restling is not all singlets and sweat; it also requires spinach.

Wrestlers said that the key to success in the upcoming season might depend on what they eat, in addition to how much they can lift.

Preseason workouts and highly regimented diets, they said, can give them an advantage both late in matches and late in the season.

Sophomore Eli Beutel keeps his diet simple, yet effective, as he approaches the wrestling season. “Every morning I eat two eggs, and then have a good lunch and then a good dinner,” he said.

Senior captain Gabriel Betancourt keeps close tabs on his diet, as well.

“I have a smoothie in the morning that has spinach, milk, oats, berries and a banana,” he said. “I have a protein shake and then some beef and veggies for dinner.”

“Leading up to the season, I stop eating sweets, candy, all of that, [and] drink a lot of water,” junior Jeff Vardi said.

Equally important are workouts be-

By Thomas Patti fore and during the wrestling season. Even during the offseason, Betancourt said he lifts six days a week.

Vardi said that one offseason favorite is a vigorous crossfit workout that is “tough”, but lasts only 20 minutes.

Sophomore Joe Vedensky sees the benefits of these difficult workouts later in the season, when many wrestlers would otherwise be exhausted and physically drained.

“Everyone definitely gets better by the time you get to February where you’re at sectionals and states,” Vedensky said.

Vardi echoed Vedensky; he said the workouts pay off. “[The hard work] shows up on the mat, especially in the third period,” Vardi said. “Since we do all this conditioning, [in the] third period or even overtime, we’re in really good condition and we can just keep plowing through.”

Some wrestlers choose to either gain or lose weight in order to make the varsity team — only one wrestler on each varsity team can wrestle in a specific

weight class — or simply gain an advantage on the mat.

Many wrestlers emphasized, however, that cutting and gaining pounds is not mandatory, but rather an individual choice. “[Losing weight] is kind of just up to you,” Beutel said. “So, if you’re not interested in it, there’s never any pressure to cut weight or make weight.”

Vardi dropped weight in advance of the season, not to qualify for a specific class, but instead to enhance his performance during matches. “[Losing or gaining weight] is kind of a personal choice. So I chose to lose a few pounds just so I can get a competitive edge,” he said.

The intense workout routines and strict diets that wrestlers have adopted in preparation for the season may seem like overkill, but the wrestlers said they know that high-level competition requires a demanding lifestyle.

“Becoming a successful wrestler is the hardest thing in the world,” Beutel said.

page 28|January 8, 2016

Sports|THELIONSROAR.com|THE LION’S ROAR

Making Waves

Q&A with senior Alexia Miquel

photo by Alexa Rhynd

The Roar’s Nathan Elbaum sat down with the girls swim captain and Holy Cross commit to discuss the recruiting process and the status of the swim team this year

Q A Q A

What are the goals for the team this year?

Every year we have a goal to do better at our league meet, and then do better at states and sectionals. Last year, we came in a few places higher than we had the year before, and that was very shocking because we had a very small team compared to the other schools in our leagues.

How is the team doing so far?

We are in a really hard league. Usually, whoever wins our league meet will win states, either Division I or Division II. The swimmers are really fast, and it is really tough competition. I think that we have done a really good job this year. We are definitely giving the fastest teams a run for their money. Overall, we have gotten stronger over the four years I have been on the team.

Q A Q A

How did you get recruited by Holy Cross?

I looked at schools that were a good academic fit, and then I emailed the coach just to get more information on the school and the team. The coaches are allowed to contact you starting July 1. I had to send in my transcripts, my GPA and my ACT scores. They had to do a pre-read, and if I was approved, then the coach would continue to recruit me. If it didn’t go through, then he could not continue to recruit me. It was really scary.

What would you tell high school athletes looking to compete at the next level?

What I learned is that I had to put myself out there.

The coaches wouldn’t come looking for me; I had to email the schools that I liked. Sometimes they are not going to respond because they receive hundreds of emails a day from swimmers like me who want to go to the school. I had to really put myself out there even though it is outside of my comfort zone. You just have to put yourself out there.

january 8, 2016|page 29

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Sports

Rogers takes over as girls basketball coach Daniel Carney Sports Reporter

As the 2015-16 girls basketball season opened against Wayland on Dec. 15, the team was without a familiar face on the bench.

After eight years with South, Sam Doner is no longer walking the Lions’ sidelines.

Instead, he has moved on to serve as the head coach of the Natick boys basketball team as assistant coach Joe Rodgers took over for the Lions. Doner had been coaching since 2003: first at Medway High School (20032006), then at South (20082015).

Doner resigned following a successful final season, with his team taking home the DCL Large Title and compiling a 17-5 record. The team knocked off Marshfield in the Division I South quarterfinals before losing to top-seeded Braintree in the

semifinals.

Given that Rogers has been coaching alongside Doner for several seasons, the girls’ gameplan is not likely to vary too much.

But senior captain Emily Chang said she is looking forward to a new coaching style.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot from [Doner], but I think it’s good that I’m able to learn from a new coach as well,” Chang said.

“I can kind of combine the teachings of both of them to make a more complete, wellrounded style of play. I’ve known [Rogers] for awhile now and he has already shown me new ways of the game, such as new ways to defend screens or new reads to make off of pick-and-rolls.”

Rogers was hired six years ago to be a scout, a position that he held for one season before moving into a coaching role; first for JV before joining the varsity team in 2011 as an as-

photos by Kimi Tabtabaei

Joe Rogers (center) has been coaching at South since 2008.

sistant coach. From 2011-13, he did double-duty for the JV and varsity teams.

“I was a head AAU coach for a long time while all that [first two years at South] was going on. I coached an AAU team that both Mark Karmiy [class of 2015] and [senior] Alex Kiritsy played on,” Rogers said. “With my prior experience, being a high school head coach was definitely an early goal of mine.”

Rogers is also the State Jaguars AAU Basketball Club President, a position that oversees and operates a nonprofit AAU Basketball Club with approximately 20 teams and 250 players.

In 2013, he led his U13 boys team to first place in the Division III National Championships.

David Goose, one of the assistant coaches who has spent the last three seasons working alongside Rogers, said Rogers will fit right in.

“He has a different style than [Doner], but it still works well, and a lot of the concepts are the same, just the teaching is different,” Goose said.

Rogers is big on a drill called the “shell drill,” which the team does every day to practice defensive rotations.

In his first few weeks of practice, Rogers focused on working with the new offensive sets he has put into place: helping players understand the offense before moving on to scrimmages.

“Their attention and the way they have been working at practice I like about the whole team from a straight, on-the-court standpoint,” Rogers said. “Obviously we have a very strong backcourt with Emily Chang and [sophomore] Veronica Burton, but then all the other pieces, everyone else, has been doing a great job.”

For gymnastics, teamwork trumps obstacles Jake Freudberg Sports Contributor

When the boys gymnastics team won the state championship last season, there were no South students in attendance. There was no crowd roaring as the team was handed the trophy. All the team recieved was a congratulatory statement over the intercom.

Although many agreed that gymnastics is gaining attention at South, some of the athletes said they believe the sport is not given the credit it deserves.

Gymnastics, they said, is a unique, physically demanding sport and one of South’s consistently highest-performing athletic teams.

Unlike many high school sports, gymnastics is scored subjectively. Judges give a score out of 10, and the scoring varies depending on the gender of the gymnasts.

The girls team score consists of the

top four individual scores from each event: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Only two gymnasts can compete in all four events, and six gymnasts may compete in only one event.

The boys team competes in six events: vault, floor exercise, high bar, rings, pommel horse and parallel bars.

Only one athlete may compete in all six events, but two gymnasts can compete in as many events as necessary for the team to qualify for the four gymnast minimum for each event.

“High school gymnastics is very team-oriented. [It’s about] how we can maximize everyone’s strengths,” girls gymnastics captain Alexa Rhynd, a senior, said.

According to Rhynd, many members of the girls team also compete in club gymnastics, which revolves more around individual performance. “[In] club gymnastics, you’re mostly competing for yourself, trying to get the best score possible for yourself. ... But for high school, it’s

really about competing for your team, and it’s really more of a team effort,” she said.

One of the biggest challenges of the gymnastics team is that the necessary equipment is available only at North, forcing practices and home meets to be held across the city.

Senior Kalena Wang, the other girls gymnastics captain, said this contributes to lack of awareness about the team. “It also gives our team a lot less exposure than it could have. Because the equipment is not at South, no one really knows of the team unless they know somebody on the team.”

After the boys gymnastics team won the state championship last season, awareness of the team increased only slightly. “I think before we won states last year almost no one knew it existed, but now a lot more people know about it,” boys gymnastics junior captain Ido Tamir said.

Another issue, according to Rhynd, is transportation, as there is no bus to

practices at North. “Transportation definitely [is a problem] for those who can’t drive,” she said. “A lot of girls go from high school practice straight to club practices, so there’s a lot of driving [necessary].”

Tamir, who captains the combined North and South boys team, agreed with Rhynd.

“Getting a ride to North is sometimes difficult, but [South and North] are both supportive, ... so there usually aren’t any issues,” he said.

Because many of the boys do not compete in club gymnastics, their practices are more frequent.

“Practices are six times a week, and depending on the day, can be quite intensive. We do bodyweight workouts almost every day, and the sport itself is demanding physically and mentally,” Tamir said.

Even with these complications, sophomore Adam Iskandar said that he still thoroughly enjoys the sport. “It’s a fun sport, definitely hard-working,” he said.

page 30|January 8, 2016

Sports|thelionsroar.com|THE LION’S ROAR

Stealing Second: Rounding The Bases Nathan Elbaum & Noah Shelton

Sports Columnist, Sr. Sports Editor After a long break between editions of The Roar, we decided it would be an injustice to tackle only a single issue in this column. So much happened since the first week of November. Instead, we’ll briefly explore multiple important headlines in the sports world.

A roundup of sports headlines from Kobe’s retirement and Aaron Golub to the Red Sox

The week we wrote this column was Jimmy V week on ESPN. For those who do not know, Jim Valvano led NC State to the 1983 NCAA Basketball National Championship. Ten years later, he was diagnosed with cancer and gave an inspirational speech at the 1993 ESPYs. With mid-years coming up, we think everyone could use a little inspiration. We would strongly recommend that when you have the time, listen to his speech as well as Stuart Scott’s 2013 address while you are at it.

Jaromir Jagr has told people not to vote for him for the all-star game, yet he was listed as the second highest vote getter on Dec. 30. This is the same guy who would go and skate with a weighted vest past midnight after games. He has a very good shot at becoming the second-oldest player ever to play in the NHL (behind the ageless Gordie Howe). Maybe if he says he doesn’t want to play, we should listen to him.

Aaron Golub, whom you might remember from his days as South’s long snapper, became the first legally blind player in an FBS game when he snapped an extra point for the Tulane Green Wave against UCF. Congratulations to him.

Rio 2016 wants to make athletes pay for their own air conditioning at the Olympics. Organizers claim it won’t be critical for them to have AC, even though temperatures will be consistently higher than 70 degrees. Maybe if Donald Trump truly wants to make America great again, he will fund the AC units to give American athlettes a competitive advantage.

Someone needs to invent a new term to describe Stephen Curry. He has been the fastest to 100 three-pointers, has tied with MJ for the most 40-point games over the first 20 games; he is hitting shots at such a clip that surpasses the saying “on fire”. We vote that his newest name should be Basketball’s Arsonist.

The Minnesota punter, Peter Mortell, gave himself the “holder of the year” award. In reality, the holder of the year award belongs to South’s own Kyle Brooks.

Maybe we should start doing that here. If you would like to nominate yourself for any award, let us know.

Coldplay is performing at halftime at the Super Bowl this year. This should be a good break from watching the Patriots whale on the Panthers. Fortunately, the band is not named after Tom Brady’s play, but rather Cam Newton’s. Unfortunately, there probably won’t be anything as iconic as last year’s left shark.

Old Man Time has finally caught up to Kobe Bryant. At 37, following a 20-year NBA career, the Black Mamba has announced his retirement. Kobe is a five-time NBA champion (two-time Finals MVP), two-time scoring champion, 17-time All-Star and 2007-2008 MVP. We could talk all day about why the Lakers should retire #24 instead of #8. Kobe can be summed up in one quote: “Be willing to sacrifice anything, but compromise nothing in your quest to be your best.” Shaq O’Neil was unaware that Kobe announced his retirement via a poem on The Player’s Tribune.

The referees this year in the NFL have been horrible. This year is worse than the replacement referees from 2012 – at least they had an excuse.

There are now commercials for daily fantasy hockey, which makes no sense.

What do they get points for? How can you score the players for their performance without recognizing that you are gambling?

The Red Sox signed David Price to the largest contract ever for a pitcher.

Although previous GMs discouraged contracts, this one should turn out okay.

Wikimedia Commons

Kobe’s Stats With...

#8

#24

3x NBA Champion

2x NBA Champion

8x NBA All-Star

9x NBA All-Star

4x NBA All-First Team

7x NBA All-First Team

Slam Dunk Contest Champion (1997)

NBA MVP (2008)

Of course, that’s what we said about Crawford, Gonzalez, Ramirez and Sandoval as well. Dombrowski claims the Doc is done with major moves this offseason, but he’s forgetting the biggest move of them all, making sure he keeps the fan base.

one, four, six, 11, 13, 21 and 33. We guess David Ortiz never gets his number retired.

If that’s the case; we might cease to be Sox fans. It’s also hard to believe that Ted Williams and Carlton Fisk get their numbers “unretired”. We’d also like to advocate for not removing Jackie Robinson’s number from the right field bleachers. Robinson did more for the sport than anyone else.

Scoring Champion (2006) Scoring Champion (2007)

Fenway Park appears in “Fallout 4.”

Photos from the game show the numbers

As of Jan. 6, Patrick Kane leads the NHL in points. If he holds on, he would become the first American ever to win the Art Ross trophy and could return the NHL to the 100-point plateau. He’ll have tough competition from Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars (it is still unclear why the Bruins ever traded him.) Benn won the trophy last year, but Kane had a 26-game point streak. The whole country should follow his season religiously, as this could turn into the biggest American hockey upset since 1980.

Peyton may try to come back from his injury, which came at the perfect time to cover up any real struggles. Maybe he should learn from Kobe’s mistakes and retire early so he doesn’t have time to actually plummet.

The NFL also needs to work on closing the disparities in power. Two divisions are in danger of having a champion with a losing record, while multiple divisions are in danger of having repeat champions. The NFC North is the only race worth watching, and even that race isn’t meaningful because the loser will face the NFC East winner, which has a losing record, in an easy wild card matchup.

The Monmouth University’s basketball bench is making more headlines than their starters. As players they might not cut it, but as actors and choreographers they definitely will.

Christian McCaffrey should have won the Heisman trophy this year. He broke the NCAA’s record for most allpurpose yards. He rushed for 1,847 yards, had 540 yards receiving, passed for 39 yards and had 1,042 yards on kick and punt returns.McCaffrey broke NFL Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders’ record.

Tim Peake is scheduled to become the first person to run a marathon in space. He will run in conjunction with the London Marathon on April 24. He probably Dreamt-far as a high schooler.

January 8, 2016|page 31

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Sports

photo by Bailey Kroner

The joint Brookline-South girls ice hockey team meets during practice on Dec. 30 to discuss strategy for their upcoming game against Weymouth.

Three years after merger, girls hockey skating strong Eli Braginsky Sports Reporter

Three years after a merger that combined the South and Brookline High School girls hockey teams, the “Warrior Lions” are successfully playing as a single team.

In 2013, facing increasingly low participation, the athletic directors of each school decided that a merger could save both programs. Senior captain Abby Hryniewicz, who was a sophomore at Brookline when the merger went into effect, believes that combining the teams has helped both programs.

“We compete much more in games

than we did in the past, so the season is much more fun and exciting,” Hryniewicz said.

As The Roar went to print, the Warrior Lions had a record of 3-3-3, with ties against Framingham and Braintree, teams to which they lost last season. The team also won their first game of the season against Martha’s Vineyard, something South had not done in five years leading up to this season.

According to captain Emily Visco, a senior at South, there was an initial adjustment period for both schools.

“It’s hard enough to coordinate all the practices and games for one team, but when you have to notify and organize

between two different schools it gets much harder,” she said. “One thing that has been harder to manage as a merger team is taking buses to away games because the bus either has to stop at both high schools or the players have to all be driven to one school.”

Head coach Meg Lloyd believes the biggest benefit of the merger has been the ability to separate the program into varsity and junior varsity, something neither team could do before combining, due to limited numbers.

“The co-op ... has made it so that we have enough skaters so that everyone can compete at the appropriate level in a safe environment,” she said. “On both

teams before the co-op, players that were not very experienced were playing at the varsity level, which often was unsafe and exhausting for them.”

Although the players do not see each other in school every day like most high school squads, team chemistry has not been an issue for this year’s Warrior Lions.

“I think hockey is a unique sport in this aspect in general because you practice outside of school so it already feels a little removed from the high school atmosphere,” Visco said. “This year especially I think the team has really been clicking and are really great together both on and off the ice.”

South Scoreboard

***All information is as of 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 6, 2016***

Team

Next Game/ Meet

Record (W/L/T)

Boys Basketball

January 8 at Lincoln-Sudbury

3-2-0

Girls Basketball

January 8 vs Lincoln-Sudbury

6-0-0

Boys Swimming Girls Swimming Wrestling

January 11 vs Waltham January 11 vs Waltham

4-1-0 1-3-0

January 13 vs Cambridge Rindge & Latin

0-3-0

Boys Gymnastics

January 15 at Burlington

0-0-0

Girls Gymnastics

January 14 at Westford

1-1-0

Boys Hockey

January 9 at Weston

3-3-1

Girls Hockey

January 9 vs Weymouth

3-3-3

Boys Track

January 13 vs Cambridge Rindge & Latin

2-0-0

Girls Track

January 13 vs Cambridge Rindge & Latin

2-1-0