The Lion's Roar 33-3

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Volume 33, Issue 3 140 Brandeis Road Newton Centre, MA 02459

Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper · Newton, MA · Established 1984 · October 21, 2016

Class sizes push limits in all departments, challenging both students and faculty

139

By Michelle Cheng and Ilan Rotberg

Over 30 students are currently enrolled in French teacher Catherine Foster’s senior ACP class, a record high since she began teaching at South. Foster’s large class size, however, is not an anomaly this year, for South’s enrollment has exceeded the district’s projection by 50 students.

Due to the miscalculation, many students have seen their classes reach and surpass capacity, resulting in major implications for students and teachers alike, according to Principal Joel Stembridge.

Former Vice Principal Mary Scott, who is currently in charge of scheduling, said that enrollment has not been an issue for the past few years.

“There was nothing to indicate that this year we would be over [our estimate],” she said. “Being over by 10 or 15 would’ve been fine, but [being] over by 50 is causing some problems.”

When the School Department deter-

mines the budget for the next school year, it takes the previous year’s enrollment into account, guidance director Dan Rubin said.

“Last year, we actually came in under our projected enrollment, and as the city each year balances and distributes resources, we actually have slightly fewer classes than we had last year,” he said.

These calculations mean that South’s student-teacher ratio is “out-of-whack,” according to Stembridge.

“Around 15 students equals one fulltime teacher that gets spread out among all the departments. If you think about it that way, we’re about three and half teachers short of what we would want to have on a normal year for 1,850 students,” Stembridge said. “It’s not that we have fewer teachers, it’s that our enrollment is higher than we expected.”

CROWDING, 3

compared to only students so reported far this year, last year.

classes have over

25

89

source of information: Skyward, 2016 Enrollment Planning & Class Size Report

Technology brings new opportunities and challenges Emily Belt & Sophie Lu Sr. Centerfold Editors

Before sophomore Eva Sours gets dressed each morning, she checks the weather on her phone. Later, she uses headphones to listen to music on the bus, her phone clock to make sure she is not late for her first class and her laptop to print out a last-minute homework assignment in the library.

Sours’ schedule is not unique. In fact, according to junior Mark Khrapko, students may be too heavily dependent on technology.

“At this point, we have had technology integrated into our [lives] so much ... [that we expect] it, and when [it is not] provided, ... students [are] unsure of what to do.”

As the digital age advances, some argue that South should also adapt to the times by investing in more technology.

“Technology is our best bet to enhance experiential learning, foster projectbased and inquiry-based pedagogies, facilitate hands-on activities and cooperative learning, deliver formative real-time assessment and support ... teaching communities,” Andreas Schleicher, Director for

Education and Skills at the Paris branch of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said. The OECD is an international group that aims to promote policies that better the social and economic lives of people around the world.

As of now, South does utilize some technology, but not to the extent of many neighboring high schools.

“Most of the teachers use Schoology. ... [There are] computer labs and computers for the students ... who don’t ... have a laptop to bring to school every day,” Khrapko said.

According to history teacher Faye Cassell, South’s limited technological resources are in high demand.

“We have a lot of students here at South, but not that many computers, so trying to schedule a computer lab or the computer cart is really difficult.”

Cassell added that students’s varying economic situations can make using technology in the classroom challenging: teachers cannot assume that all students have laptops or cellphones to bring to class.

TECHNOLOGY, 12

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

charter schools

Two students advise votors on the expansion of the charter school system in Mass.

8

Lights out

Social joint Students attribute widespread drug use to social rather than addictive influences.

17

After sponsorship issues, the future of under-thelights games is up in the air.

20

NEWS 2 EDITORIALS 6 OPINIONS 8 CENTERFOLD 12 FEATURES 15 FUn page 19 SPORTS 21

NEWS page 2|October 21, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

news@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 33, ISSUE 3

this month in

review Burr water tests safe After months of remediation efforts, Burr Elementary School’s water fixtures finally tested below the actionable limit for lead of 15 parts per billion (ppb). The city completely replumbed the school this summer, whose water tested the highest for lead districtwide.

Administrators hoped to have all water testing safe by the start of school; but even after extensive replacement efforts, test results at Burr did not fall below 15 ppb until Sept. 26. At the request of parents, fixtures at Burr remain turned off while the district determines the cause of the decrease.

Confederate flag flying On Sept. 27, a student posted a video on Facebook of the Confederate flag flying out of a car at North, which immediately caught the attention of administrators. “A small group of North students have now been identified as involved and we are taking appropriate action,” North principal Henry Turner wrote in a letter to parents the following day.

Mayor Setti Warren later visited North to personally address the issue. The Confederate flag is “a hurtful symbol to many in our schools and our community,” he said.

Newton debates charter school proposal Dina Zeldin & Hope Zhu News Contributor, News Reporter

This November, the statewide ballot will pose four ballot questions to Massachusetts voters. Question 2, which proposes expansion of the state’s charter school system, has sparked particuarly contentious debate within the Newton community.

If passed, the proposal would take effect on Jan. 1 and allow for the addition of 12 new charter schools a year, almost triple the amount of new schools added each year.

The ballot question defines charter schools as “public schools open to all children [that] offer longer school days and more individual attention, and have a proven record of closing the achievement gap for kids trapped in failing school districts.”

The new charter schools would be located in districts that fall in the lowest 25 percent in terms of statewide academic photo courtesy of Jason Leto performance. There are currently no charter Community members protestesting with Mayor Setti Warren on Oct. 15 at North. schools in Newton.

Charter school officials, not subject to is unusual for the School Committee to be students who lose the lottery,” she said. “The state regulations, may extend the school day, split. ... That doesn’t mean there is anything benefits are very clear.”

English teacher Kelly Henderson hire and fire teachers at will and forgo other wrong with [the vote], but it is very unusual.” state regulations. Charters can thus develop South faculty members said the charter disagreed with Rucinski about the value of and implement their curricula in more cre- school initiative may pose a threat to teacher test scores.

“The suggestion that a test score indiative and unregulated ways. As members of unions, which have fueled much of the “No cates a better education is outrageous to me. the South community noted, however, with on 2” movement. freedom also comes risks.

According to history teacher Jamie So right there on the basis of it, the idea that The Newton Teachers Association Rinaldi, most charter school teachers are a student’s experience in school can be boiled down to a test score is absurd and insulting,” (NTA) has expressed its opposition to the overworked. proposal.

Acknowledging the stories he has she said. “If we just look at the numbers on “The most important thing Newton heard from teachers at South who transferred the surface, it can tell one story, but if you educators and residents can do right now from charter schools, he said “[they] feel actually look at where those numbers are is make it possible for kids in Dorchester, dramatically more flexible here than what coming from, it tells another story.”

Principal Joel Stembridge shared a Mattapan, Lawrence and Holyoke to have they experienced in charter schools.” better educational opportunities is to vote The experience of Aisha Tipnis, a fiscal perspective.

Some charter schools “don’t end the no on 2!” it said in a public statement. sophomore at Needham High School who Its supporters argue that improving attended Advanced Math and Science Acad- year with all the students they start with,” he current public schools would have greater emy Charter School from sixth to eighth said. “When they report the results, they’re benefits for students overall than an increase grade, reflected the teaching environment only reporting the results that stayed with them for the entire year. So ... when money in charters, especially since funds for both Rinaldi described. comes out of the pubstem from the Do we solve [our educational shortfalls] by providing an alterna- lic school system and same budget.

NTA presi- tive system that caters to a small percentage of students, or do we goes to the charter it doesn’t d e nt M i c h a e l say ‘What is it about our public school system that needs fixing?’ schools, necessarily follow Zilles highlighted the kids who are most resources as one of Jamie Rinaldi, history teacher challenging to teach and his key worries.

“In the long run, raising the cap that “The curriculum at the charter school who need the most resources.”

When charter school applicants consist much every year will eventually bring charter that I went to was really good ... compared schools into Newton and rob funds from our to the public schools that I’ve been to. But only of families who realize the importance public schools,” he said.

I’ve noticed that the teachers at my charter of education and have the means by which On Oct. 7, the School Committee school were not as qualified as the teachers to access it, Rinaldi said, children whose passed a resolution opposing Question 2. at public school,” she said. “The concepts that parents are less involved will ultimately lose.

“The applicant pool, most often, According to junior Michael Ryter, a member were taught at the charter school were very of the Student Advisory Committee, the complicated and difficult to understand, and is somewhat self-selecting and probably School Committee’s decision was a product having teachers who couldn’t explain them represents at least a strata of students who come from families who are seeking better of its “institutional role,” rather than the correctly hindered my growth.” personal opinions of its members.

For South graduate and researcher opportunities,” he said.

With the potential addition of 12 new “The School Committee isn’t taking Melanie Rucinski, another area of discussion an up or down stance on whether charter in the charter school debate is student test schools a year, charters would amount to schools are effective or should exist,” he said. scores, which can determine college admis- only one percent of total state public school enrollment.

“They think that it’s generally a bad idea to sions and scholarships.

“I guess the question is, do we solve pass educational policy via ballot reform.”

“Our research compares students who The committee voted 5-3 in favor, with win a charter school’s lottery to students who [our educational shortfalls] by providing one abstention. School Committee Chairman lose the lotteries, [and we found] that the an alternative system that caters to a small Matt Hills, who voted against the resolution, students who randomly get into the charter percentage of students, or do we say ‘what said the division is striking. school perform far better than students who is it about our public school system that “I think the School Committee being so lose the lottery. They have higher test scores, needs fixing,’” Rinaldi said, “not only for the divided is a reflection of just how complicated they are more likely to pass AP tests, they’re families that seek the alternative, but also for this issue is,” Hills told the Newton Tab. “It more likely to attend a four-year college than the families that don’t.”

october 21, 2016|page 3

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|news

Upperclassmen see class sizes on the rise CROWDING, from 1 The over-enrollment is partially because some students enrolled after the budget was finalized a few months before the school year began, according to guidance couselor Aaron Lewis.

He added that an unusual number of new students registered before the start of the school year.

Junior and senior electives usually run with more students in order to give upperclassmen their top choice elective, Rubin said.

According to Foster, large senior classes are preferable to large classes of underclassmen because students choose to be there; they are likely to be more engaged and interested in the curriculum.

Additionally, seniors often require less support than freshmen, history and social science department head Jennifer Morrill said.

“We want to welcome [freshmen] into high school in a class where the teacher can really give them some attention,” she said.

“We assume that if we’re going to have to run any classes bigger, seniors can handle that more than freshmen.”

Junior Leoni Foster said that a larger class comes with certain benefits, especially for an English or history class.

“You can do more with the discussion,” she said. “You can learn a lot from each other. ... It could give you a bigger perspective of what you’re learning about.”

“I have taught classes where there were not enough students who wanted to actually participate,” Morrill agreed. “[With a large class,] there is more of a chance that the kids will have ... different points of view and will be able to interact with ... different kids that they don’t know.”

History teacher Jonathan Greiner said he often witnesses more energy in large classes.

“There’s always going to be somebody

who has a question; there’s always going to be somebody who has an answer,” he said. “The class feels vibrant and the walls are shaking ... in the best way, in a way that I think is really pretty conducive to learning, as far as learning from each other goes.”

More students means more support from classmates and independence from the teacher, junior Ariana Bakhtyari said.

“In a larger class, there are more people to help out the other people who don’t know [the material], like a helping hand to the teacher,” she said.

There are also some critical drawbacks to a higher student-teacher ratio, Greiner said. With a higher classroom population, a teacher’s workload and the quality of written feedback may suffer.

English teacher Ashley Anderton agreed and said that the increased number of students can be a burden when grading.

“Normally, my classes are around 18 to 20 [students], which is quite manageable,” she said. “Each paper takes me about an hour to grade. ... Last year I had 18, but this year I [have] 25. ... That’s seven more hours of reading papers.”

Individual time with a teacher which has become more difficult to find, is a vital part of learning for senior Nicholas Komarovsky.

“Especially in English and history class[es], ... it’s more about one-on-one time with the teacher, and you get more of that with [fewer] people in the class,” he said.

In a world language class, where students should be learning through immersion, class participation is key, according to Foster. In her senior ACP class, this is difficult to attain.

“They’re not getting enough opportunities to practice their speaking skills or to participate in class, and those two things, to me as a language teacher, are vital to [a student’s] learning,” she said. “Particularly in

photo illustration by Bailey Kroner

world language classes, [where] there’s that interpersonal piece.”

Teachers like Foster have had to come up with creative solutions to the class size issue, according to senior Hannah Zygadlo, who is in Foster’s French 5 ACP class.

“She divided us up into thirds, so that a third of us took first lunch, a third took second, a third took third, so that [we] could have more one-on-one time [with her],” Zygadlo said.

Though with this system, students are given more individualized attention, aside from the fact that Foster takes no lunch break. Zygadlo added that “it doesn’t help [with] creating a classroom environment.

The class is not always doing the same thing, which isn’t ideal.”

History teacher Michael Kozuch said that large classes can also hurt South’s reputation. “If we want to maintain our top level of education, we can’t have class sizes of 27, 28,” he said. “This is not what people expect

in Newton.”

Pablo Martinez de Larramendi left South after his freshman year, and now attends the British International School of Boston, where “there are ... usually around 12 people — sometimes even eight — [in a class],” he said. “Something you really appreciate is that the teacher really focuses a lot on you, letting you get to know the teacher much more.”

Acknowledging the drawbacks, Morrill said that she still appreciates teaching a large class.

“It’s been a very good experience for me teaching a class of 30 students this year, because ... I’m gaining insight into some strategies that are working and others that aren’t,” Morill said. “We’re still in a really good place because there are some high schools where 35 is the norm for all classes. ... When you look at our freshmen classes, our sophomore classes, our junior classes and most of our senior electives, we’re in a really good place.”

Anti-bullying curriculum moves from advisories Rachel Gu & Sophie Goodman

News Editor, News Contributor In wake of last year’s series of hate speech incidents, a team of English and history teachers is working to implement a new anti-bullying curriculum focused on hateful language.

English teacher Emma Leslie and history teachers Rachael McNally and Robert Parlin collaborated in July to create a hate speech-specific curriculum broken into four lessons. Instead of utilizing the existing antibullying sessions in advisories, the program will take place in two English classes and two history classes.

South needed to address worsening incidents of hate speech, McNally said.

“It was clear to students when they saw the survey results,” McNally said. “There’s too much [hate speech]. ... We have to figure it out. ... We have to make it better.”

Students expressed worry that problems with the existing anti-bullying program would persist in the new curriculum — senior Will Silverman said the change could not have come sooner. “It’s gotten to the point where we’re just having the same material thrown at us year after year, and it kind of feels monotonous after a while,” he said.

Junior Aidan Sutherland agreed that the anti-bullying program presented the same

topics every year.

“Once you’ve heard it once, you got it.”

Sutherland said. “Teachers like to say that they change it up every year, but I haven’t had an instance where it was that much different.”

According to Parlin, South outsourced its past program, but the new, hate speechfocused curriculum is tailored to South’s specific goals.

“We’ve designed lessons that are kind of designed to get students to think about what they reported here at South,” Parlin said.

McNally clarified that any changes in the curriculum will not result in loss of material.

“So much of bullying behavior involves hate speech that [the new program is] really ... focusing in on one kind of bullying that’s going on,” McNally said.

According to junior Isabella Xie, if the hate speech curriculum moves from advisory to the classroom, students will take its activities more seriously.

“I feel like what’s different is that advisory is very casual, whereas in class, you can really have an in-depth conversation — especially in English,” Xie said.

Additionally, Sutherland said he feels more comfortable in a core class, where he spends close to four hours per week with his classmates, as opposed to advisory where he spends only 40 minutes.

The topics presented in the new

program, however, have a place in neither English nor history classrooms, sophomore Joel Metcalf said.

“Anti-bullying doesn’t really fall under either [subject] very well, and [fewer class days mean] you’re not actually learning the subjects.” Metcalf said. “Advisory is a community; we’re closer ... so it’s probably better [taught there].”

Parlin said that the hate speech lessons should not hinder classes, though they may be difficult for courses on a tight schedule. “[Generally], if the teacher is out, they lose a class, so I don’t think missing two days will have a dramatic impact.” Parlin said. “I am concerned sometimes for the AP classes that have a limited amount of time, but hopefully they’ll see the value in this and that ... class that’s missed ... won’t have a huge impact.”

Leslie, McNally and Parlin started by recording student experiences with hateful language.

“Our first lesson is geared around reading or watching those experiences and thinking about how [the speech] impacts fellow students.” Parlin said.

According to McNally, the team must use student input for an optimal end product.

“It has to be very dynamic,” McNally said. “We just have to keep being very open to what the students are saying in the classes.”

Parlin said that each installment builds on previous lessons and relies on student

feedback.

To test the new program’s effectiveness, the administration will conduct last year’s survey in June to see if students report fewer incidents of hate speech.

Parlin said he hopes that more students will think about the impact of their words and empathize with students who feel attacked or targeted.

“Our ultimate goal is to make South a place where everyone feels really welcome and really safe and [as though] they can share their ideas in classes and in the hallways,” Parlin said.

While the program may inform people of pathways for dealing with hate speech, Metcalf said no curriculum of this type will change South for the better.

“People who generally do the hate speech at South are the same people who are not going to care about these lessons,” Metcalf said.

Freshman David Gerard, however, said that the curriculum may indirectly affect the South community by raising awareness of hateful language.

Athough the new curriculum will not rid South of hate speech, its conception was a strong first step to create a more respectful environment, McNally said.

“It’s tiny moments that can add up to something big, and I think that’s how most big changes happen,” she said.

page 4|October 21, 2016

Planning for the New Year

news|THELIONsROAR.com|THE LION’S ROAR

New food vendor joins cafeteria

DANIEL ABDULAH Class of 2018

T

South Senate update

he start of a new school year brings a fresh batch of senators with new ideas and perspectives.

Due to a shortage of candidates last spring, there is still a seat open for a senior. As usual, freshmen will have their elections this fall to appoint six new members to the Senate. Freshmen interested in running should wait for election packets to be released.

We have modified certain practices within the Senate this year in order to reinvigorate the committee system and boost productivity. Additionally, we will be delegating committees to handle specific tasks in a given category. First is our outreach to the School Council and School Committee. Although some members have already been appointed, spaces are available to the general student body.

Working in cohesion with the Senate, these groups will discuss the possibility of a later school start time, focus on emphasizing a growth mindset in which students are encouraged to learn from mistakes and alleviate student stress.

This year, these committees will be highly specialized and leaders of each committee will attend meetings with Principal Stembridge to ensure that our propositions are acknowledged.

We have already introduced a few new ideas for the upcoming year.

First, we have proposed that a student with an A or A- average in a class should receive final exam grades that count for a lower percentage of his or her overall course grade, decreasing the likelihood that the exam hurts the latter. This policy would both decrease stress and allow for a fairer grading system that better reflects a student’s skills.

We have also discussed South’s management of free time in school. A few years ago, the Senate passed a bill that allowed second-semester sophomores to forgo directed studies and being sent to 6167 when their classes are cancelled.

This year, we hope to allow sophomores to eschew the two for their entire year, just like upperclassmen.

Finally, we aim to eliminate the stark disparity in parking pass prices that exists between juniors and seniors.

Last year’s efforts, such as discussing our school’s environmental impacts, will continue for the remainder of this one.

The plan to institute a mental health curriculum in freshman health classes will also be greatly prioritized. We have already laid a foundation for such efforts by getting senators on board with the plan, and our research on school policy shows that a new mental health curriculum could be on its way.

We look forward to another great year, and we encourage freshmen to run for seats this fall and seniors to fill the extra position as well. For more information, look out for updates on the Senate Facebook page or on the bulletin board between the library and the cafeteria.

If you have any ideas you want to share with us, you can reach us through Facebook, email or by dropping in on a meeting in the Lecture Hall during Thursday J blocks.

graphic by Mona Baloch

Kimia Tabatabaei

Based in France, Sodexo is a multinational company that provides food services to United States’ schools, military and other government entities. The company makes about $8.8 billion in annual revenue just from operations in North America.

“I don’t think anything good comes from dealing with such a large company,” senior Noah Kopf said.

The Newton Custodians Association president Tim Curry, who is currently working with Sodexo to establish a fair contract for the cafeteria workers, said that he “hated to see the kitchens privatized. The city used to have more control over what went on, … but it is what it is right now.”

Sodexo has been cooperating in contract negotiations, Curry said, despite several past instances of unreceptiveness to union-

heimer wrote that Sodexo acquired more than 90 percent of the previous food service Sr. News Editor employees and said that “Sodexo supports Upon last year’s expiration of the student engagement and improves the qualthree-year food contract between Newton ity of life for the entire school community.”

Public Schools (NPS) and Whitsons Culinary As a member of the hiring commitGroup, the School Committee chose Sodexo, tee that chose Sodexo, Bennett said that a multi-national food service company, to they interviewed representatives from each take Whitsons’s place. vendor in order to choose the best one. They In 2009, the School Committee atasked about food source, recycling and most tempted to reduce the deficit by outsourcing importantly, Bennett said, what they would food services to Whitsons. do to promote healthy eating.

According to Newton Teachers AssoAlthough Bennett said it is too soon to ciation president Michael Zilles, the School judge the company’s performance, she is very Committee had not raised food prices for pleased with their use of fresh ingredients many years prior to the decision to privatize, and local farm produce. despite the natural annual increase in the Kopf, however, said he is unimpressed cost of food, causing the city to lose money. with the food quality at South.

“They thought they would close the “Sodexo is a corporation [and] gap by privatizing,” corporations make Zilles said, “but Sodexo is here to serve students, but they’re also here because money,” he said. that’s a short term long as there they expect to make some money. Sodexo knows they’re going to “As solution.” is a major industry make more money if students are happy.

According to that makes money Chief of Operations off manufacturing Joel Stembridge, Principal Michael Cronin, cheap, low-quality private food service contracts expire every ization and poor treatment toward workers. food that just squeaks under regulations three years. When the Whitsons contract Eleven universities cut their ties with there will always be bad food in the cafeteria.” expired in 2015, the city sent an advertise- Sodexo in 2011 after the Human Rights Junior Katy Ronkin said she is disapment to the vendor community including a Watch reported that numerous Sodexo pointed because “they run out of things a lot city specific list of requirements. branches violated international standards faster and the cheese is less good.”

“Whitsons and Sodexo were the only by obstructing workers’ rights to unionize “Zero out of 10, do not recommend,” two companies that met the city’s original and threatening to freeze their wages if they freshman Adeline Busa said. “The lines are standards,” Newton Physical Education, supported unionization. super long and it’s so hectic. It takes forever Health and Wellness Curriculum CoordinaFurthermore, the Boston Globe re- to get food.” tor Dana Bennett said. ported that in 2014, Sodexo reclassified more Cronin, however, said that students The lack of bids, Zilles said, did not than 4,000 seasonal cafeteria employees as should allow Sodexo time to get its operasurprise him. “part-time,” thereby denying them healthcare tions up and running at full force.

“When school districts privatize, coverage.

Principal Joel Stembridge advised stuwithin five to 10 years, it comes back to haunt In addition, the Washington Post wrote dents to express their opinions on the switch. them. They can’t get good employees, they that in 2005, Sodexo paid $80 million to settle “Sodexo is here to serve students, can’t get good service and that’s where we a lawsuit from thousands of black workers but they’re also here because they expect to are with this … They get a very disreputable who claimed they were systematically denied make some money,” he said, “Sodexo knows company like Sodexo to come in that has promotions and segregated in the workplace. they’re going to make more money if students a history of serving really lousy food, like At South, however, Curry said that are happy.” horsemeat in England.”

Sodexo offered the same pay to all the caf“In terms of whether this company has Zilles was referring to a 2013 incident eteria workers who worked under Whitsons’s better quality food or not, I don’t know,” he when, according to the Huffington Post, management, though not everyone chose said. “We’ll all have to find that out together.”

Sodexo found horse DNA in some of its to return. products and withdrew all frozen beef from In an email, General Manager of the Additional reporting by Finn O’Rourke and its 3,200 British units.

Nutritions Solutions Team Rachel OppenBen Reinstein

October 21, 2016|page 5

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|news

World language dept. offers Seal of Biliteracy to seniors Michelle Cheng Sr. News Editor

Starting this year, the Seal of Biliteracy, a nationwide recognition, will be awarded to South seniors who demonstrate proficiency in both English and a foreign language.

Seniors who applied for the Seal by Oct. 5, 2016 can earn a silver, gold or platinum award. The silver seal awards an “intermediate mid” proficiency, the gold seal awards an “intermediate high” proficiency and the platinum seal awards an “advanced low” proficiency.

“We’re looking at [both] ELL and world language students. We want to be able to identify, recognize and promote the fact that [there] are graduating students who are highly confident in more than one language,” world language department head Suzanne Murphy-Ferguson said.

Senior Amber Lee said that she applied because the application process was so simple.

“The way that my French teacher explained it to me, I don’t really have much to lose besides the fee and the few hours that I’ll spend taking the test,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for me to really see how well I’m doing in French ... and it’s also good practice for the AP ... so it’s really only a win-win situation.”

After working at a restaurant where he spoke Spanish over the summer, senior Noah Kopf said the decision to apply for the Seal was easy.

“That was a really fun experience; [it] made me a lot more excited about learning

Spanish, and that really contributed to my decision to apply for the Seal of Biliteracy,” he said. “I’d say it was that experience more than the classes that I’ve taken at South that made me want to apply.”

The Seal is a unique way to reward seniors, according to ELL teacher Katherine Lobo.

“So many of our students have skills, aptitude and experience that [aren’t] acknowledged,” she said. “The Seal of Biliteracy is wonderful because students that have a really good facility with more than one language can ... [earn it].”

at,” she said.

Kopf said that he appreciates that the Seal is available only to seniors.

“It’s been tough for a lot of my friends and for a lot of students at South to stick with a language for four years since it’s not a requirement,” Kopf said. “The Seal of Biliteracy is a good way to reward you with a real significance or title that you can use for the future.”

Additionally, the Seal can demonstrate a long-term passion for a language, according to senior Iñaki Uribe, who said that he hopes to continue studying his world language in

We want to be able to identify, recognize and promote the fact that [there] are graduating students who are highly confident in more than one language.

Suzanne Murphy-Ferguson, world language department head Senior Deana Korsunsky said she applied for the Seal in Russian because never before has she had the opportunity to demonstrate her knowledge of the language she speaks at home.

“I figured since I’m already going to get tested in Spanish, and I’ve been tested in Spanish since middle school, I might as well see how well my Russian is in a testing scenario,” she said.

Conversely, senior Laura Hernandez applied to earn the Seal in French, though she speaks Spanish at home.

“I know that I’m biliterate and I know that [Spanish is] my first language, so I wanted to take it in French to see where I’m

Lee’s Burger Place 216 Sumner St. Newton, MA 02459 Tel. 617 795 2022

the future.

“There are many seniors that have just dropped French, and I’m kind of the opposite; I want to just keep learning and just make sure that I don’t lose it,” he said.

In order to earn a Seal, seniors must show proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening in the language that they applied for. The assessment takes place on one of three dates in December and January.

The test for the Seal is not a normal standardized test, according to MurphyFerguson.

“It’s a real use and demonstration of an ability to use the language, so there’s no limit on [the number of students awarded]. Any

student who is able to demonstrate those skills in English and a partner language is eligible to apply for, and if they meet that threshold, earn the Seal,” Murphy-Ferguson said. “You can’t just meet it in one of the skills, you have to meet it in all four.”

Lobo said that the skills needed to earn the Seal are important for a bicultural understanding of the world.

Communication, Uribe also said, is a critical life skill.

“If you know at least one other language, you can connect with so many other people and enjoy so many other interactions in the country and outside the country,” he said.

Kopf said that because more people are beginning to understand English, it is especially important for people to continue learning other languages to preserve them.

“It’s beneficial to know those other languages to be able to participate in the global community,” Kopf said. “[It] gives you another perspective by speaking in a language that is not the dominant global language, which I think English is well on its way to becoming.”

While she said that she hopes underclassmen will aspire to earn the Seal when they are seniors, Murphy-Ferguson added that this year, she is looking forward to focusing on senior achievements.

“We have a lot of gifted students, students who come to us with a lot of talent [and] students who are nurturing and developing these talents,” she said. “I’m really excited to be able to recognize formally those achievements and just to see where else our students go from here.”

EDITORIALS page 6|October 21, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

editorials@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 33, ISSUE 3

the CAT’S

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

L-bench Nanny After monitoring L-bench activity daily for the past few weeks, Vice Principal Jardice Winemann has finally decided to hand over her duties.

Eager to get back to what she called her “real responsibilities,” Winemann has hired a part-time nanny to watch over some of South’s finest.

“Those juniors cannot be left alone,” Wineman said. “I was tired of watching them socialize, so I hired some help.”

The new hire, professional nanny Mini Mumwage, said this job has been her toughest to date.

“I’ve never handled teenage boys before; usually they’re fine on their own, I guess. These teenage boys? Not fine.”

Mumwage’s most effective tactic has proven to be simply taking a seat next to her charges.

“I’ve never seen the L-bench so tame,” Winemann said.

Cookie Monsters Acknowledging widespread Elmo Document Camera use across NPS, the School Committee has decided to upgrade all Elmos to a nextgeneration projection system: the Cookie Monster.

“I can’t wait for the switch — just think of the new capabilities!” math teacher Ine Stein said.

The math department recieved a Cookie Monster prototype in the mail just yesterday, and Stein said he was not alone in his excitement. The frenzy soon grew out of control, however, according to department head Calk Youlus.

“I don’t know what happened,” Youlus said.

“One second, we were all so excited about the new device, and the next thing I know, there’s a chocolate chip cookie lodged in its disk drive. I thought these were math teachers, not preschoolers.”

Swamp swimming Finally taking advantage of its swampside location, South will commence construction on its new, innovative wetland aquatic center this winter. Senior boys swim team captain Lock Tee expressed reservations about the project.

“I don’t think you can swim in mud,” he said. “You wouldn’t be able to see.”

Despite Tee’s apprehension, athletic director Matty Bee said she was excited for the South swim and dive programs to have their own practice space after years of using other schools’ pools.

“The kids will get so much out of swamp practices!” she said. “Mud is much denser than water, so they’ll get stronger and faster.”

“Is this a joke?” Tee asked. “I’m a lifeguard, but I’m legitimately afraid that I would drown.”

Large class sizes compromise learning, fair playing field

Projections of decreased enrollment at South for the 2016-17 school year led to underestimations of the number of teachers needed to accommodate South’s student population. Throughout the fall, students continue to note their crowded classrooms, some with over 30 students.

The unusually large classes have resulted in a host of problems, from scheduling issues to unorthodox seating arrangements, as students outnumber desks in some classrooms.

While a small class forms student bonds, large ones encourage the formation of small factions within the larger group.

Beyond the formation of social boundaries, students’ learning may be jeopordized as they lose opportunities to speak in class, particularly in a world language classroom; when so far outnumbered, teachers may be unable to effectively hold conversations and

evaluate students.

Additionally, an overwhelming number of graded assignments may lead teachers to decrease students’ workload, giving them less practice and feedback. Students should not fault teachers for this decline; educators cannot be expected to work extended hours due to class enlargements beyond their control.

students to become more independent, often improving their abilities to teach themselves or learn from their peers. Students may find these experiences helpful when they leave South for college, where they are often responsible for self-teaching.

While these advantages may help some, they do not arise intentionally; teachers should be able to

Independent learning is not optimal for all, and students deserve the right to learn in a way that best suits them.

Some teachers do, however, sacrifice their own free time to supplement overcrowded J blocks, giving up time after school or even during free periods or lunch breaks to meet with students.

While a classroom of 30 students can quickly devolve into chaos, a student surplus can create opportunities for collaboration; less individual attention pushes

act as resources for their students without sacrificing free time. Independent learning is not optimal for all, and students deserve the right to learn in a way that best suits them.

If each student is to learn as much as he or she can, administrators must find a way to keep class sizes down, creating a fair playing field for students who benefit from working closely with their teachers.

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october 21, 2016|page 7

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|DESK

Choosing aardvarks over princessEDITOR’S es and embracing your differences DESK from the

Mona Baloch

My aunt: “Maybe we’ll stop by your house after Sunday School.”

Cinderella (gasping from the other I didn’t spend last Saturday afterroom): “Hey, I go to Sunday School! Syma, noon doing math homework, studying for YOU go to Sunday school too??” an upcoming test or even working on this Syma (ruefully): “Yes. But mine is newspaper. Instead, I was at a party — a different.” tea party, to be precise. Surrounded by Syma then turned away, her expresmini cupcakes, cheese cubes and floral sion showing that she was in no mood for teacups, I found myself in the company of more questions. Cinderella got the meseight hyperactive first-graders, each clad in sage loud and clear. a poofy princess dress in celebration of my Syma has always been one for dracousin Syma’s seventh birthday.

My jolting transition from textbooks to tiaras was confusing enough to blur my memories of the Disney princesses, much to the girls’ chagrin. With too much amusement for my liking, they declared me the Beast to Syma’s Belle.

Syma’s birthday parties have always matics, so her response wasn’t anything been full of glitz and glitter; number seven surprising. Something about what she said was no different, though she had finally caught my attention, though: the word graduated beyond the Elsa and Anna “different.” theme that usually characterized her fesWhen I was seven, I seized every tivities. The whole ordeal was the epitome opportunity to be unique. I happily ate of a stereotypical “little girl.” strawberry jam and cheese sandwiches evThose of us banished from the lady- ery day for lunch, wore my favorite striped like proceedings sat in the living room, poncho throughout all four seasons of watching the partygoers giggle around the the year and dressed up as Arthur’s sister table and dribble their drinks onto their D.W. for Halloween — an aardvark, not a napkins. I turned to my aunt. princess. In my elementary school’s rendiMe: “Will we see you guys tomortion of the Beauty and the Beast, I was row?” cast not as Belle, but as Maurice, Belle’s Editor-in-Chief

aging father. Syma did not approve when I told her the story: I marched on stage and recited my lines with a pillow under my shirt, a bald cap on my head and cotton balls glued to my eyebrows (the pictures of that day have since been burned and destroyed). I was carefree, unaware of judgement.

At the delicate age of seven, Syma already so acutely feels “otherness” in the fact that her Sunday School is at a mosque, not a church or synagogue. She knows that

There is constant pressure to represent an entire group of people, an unfair expectation that assumes all people who share a label are exactly the same.

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the few hours each week she spends reciting the Arabic alphabet, learning about the prophets and chatting about Eid plans could single her out as “different.”

To be fair, when it comes to tricky identities like religion and race, being different — being in the minority — is far more complicated than having strange food or TV preferences.

Taking on the role of “the token” member of a group isn’t exactly desirable; in some cases, especially for kids who are still forming their own identities, it is an enormous burden. There is constant

pressure to represent an entire group of people, an unfair expectation that assumes all people who share a label are exactly the same.

Conversations about Islam, especially in current events, often put me on edge. Even if I’m not sure that anyone else knows that I’m Muslim — or even cares, for that matter — I feel the urge to jump up and shout, “I promise, that person doesn’t represent all of us!” Every developing news story has me anxiously waiting to find out more information about the perpetrator.

Despite this unease, it is important to embrace and discuss the identities that set us apart in controversial ways. When someone mentions Islam, I want my friends to think not of the awful stories they hear on the news, but of me. I want them to feel like they can ask me questions, and I want to be prepared to answer them. Even though it can be overwhelming, I carry this responsibility with pride.

Let’s be honest; Syma’s friends probably wouldn’t have understood her description of Sunday School, nor remember the information when they were old enough to understand. Syma’s response was typical for a first grader. As she gets older, however, I hope that she’ll learn to embrace her identity; after all, we could use a Muslim Disney princess.

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OPINIONS page 8|october 21, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

opinions@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 33, ISSUE 3

perspectives: SHOULD MASSACHUSETTS EXPAND CHARTER SCHOOLS WITH QUESTION 2 ON NOV. 8 ? graphic by Charlene Ng

IT SHOULD

IT SHOULD NOT

RHEA DUDANI

P

ublicly funded and privately run charter schools benefit students, families and teachers by providing more options and alternative styles of learning for those who feel the public school system does not meet all of their needs.

Although charter schools are public, I will hereafter refer to them as charter schools and refer to state-run public schools as public schools.

Teachers have greater accountability at charter schools. If the teachers are unable to meet certain academic standards, families in the charter community may decide to revoke their children’s enrollment, damaging the charter’s reputation or forcing the school to close. Situations like these push teachers to perform their best.

The community within charter schools encourages people of various races, classes and religions to mix more than that at some public schools.

For example, a town where most students and parents have the same political affiliation creates an atmosphere in which most people agree with one another.

By contrast, charter schools assemble students from different backgrounds into one environment, thereby broadening the perspectives of many students.

In addition, they have more flexibility in what and how they teach the curriculum. Since charter schools operate independently, they are able to employ different — and perhaps more effective — teaching styles. Teachers can thus tailor their curricula to fit the needs of a specific group of students with exposure to different viewpoints.

By contrast, the rigidity of the public school curriculum may work for only a few students. Even in places like Newton, where the education is excellent, public schools may not suit everyone.

Unlike overcrowded public schools, in which thousands of students may be

enrolled, charter schools provide smaller class sizes, allowing students to receive one-on-one attention from their teachers.

In order to grow, learn and build relationships, a small, intimate classroom setting is important.

In public schools, teachers instruct multiple classes of over 20 students, making it difficult to get to know each student personally.

Contrary to the common belief that charter schools create fiscal inefficiency for public schools, public K-12 programs will always be popular regardless of the establishment of more charter schools.

According to the Department of Education, 91 percent of students in the United States are enrolled in public schools. The establishment of charter schools just ensures that there are options for students who don’t do well within the public school program.

Educational institutions are funded based on enrollment, so public schools fear that charter schools will take away their students and funding.

In reality, the number of students enrolled in public schools won’t drop drastically with the expansion of charter schools; they appeal mostly to some students who don’t mesh with the large public system.

As alternatives to public schools, charter schools focus on a certain vision, carving out a niche for specific types of students and making them feel at home.

While many people may vote no on Question 2 in Massachusetts this year, others realize that the pros of charter schools outweigh the cons.

Charter schools will draw only a small sample of people who are attracted to their learning systems; therefore, the establishment of more charter schools will have little to no effect on public schools.

Charter schools give a more concentrated and individual education to struggling students.

Since charter schools operate independently, they are able to employ different — and perhaps more effective — teaching styles.

EU RO WANG

A

s Sen. Elizabeth Warren put it, “the trickle-down experiment that began in the Reagan years failed America’s middle class. Sure, the rich are doing great. But we need an economy where everyone else who works hard gets a shot at doing great!” This November, the Massachusetts ballot will feature those values when voters decide whether the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education should raise the cap on the number of charter schools allowed and students allowed in each one.

When examining the value and necessity of charter schools in Massachusetts, it becomes essential to ask: Do charter schools improve the state’s education system? Do they benefit all of society?

The purpose of building charter schools is to replace pre-existing systems of public education, where everyone is provided with equal opportunities, schools where select individuals receive the best quality education, while others in the same state suffer.

This “solution,” however, merely ignores the problem of low-quality education rather than addressing it. Charter schools actually harm surrounding public schools by diverting tax revenue from traditional public schools to privately-run charter schools.

This year alone, charter schools will divert more than $450 million from the public school system that could have been used to develop and expand programs at regular public schools.

Some argue that the principle of equal opportunity at public schools inhibits academic growth because not everyone learns the same way. More students, however, would benefit from investments in new programs designed to aid those who struggle in typical classrooms. For example, programs like Da Vinci and Global at South provide students with an alternative learning environment. The state

must similarly develop special programs at other public schools to serve everyone who needs them.

According to a study published in 2011 by the Center on Reinventing Public Education, charter elementary schools do indeed outperform traditional public schools in reading and math.

This result, however, may be influenced by the fact that charter schools can expel students for even the slightest infractions, even though students with disciplinary issues may need charter schools the most. Artificially boosted test scores do not reflect charter schools’ success when charter schools may prune their student body. The study also found that at the high school level, the positive effects of charter schools are insignificant.

Additionally, the importance of valuing teachers is often overlooked in the charter school debate.

Academic research and global surveys conducted by international organizations like the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Education International have found that student performance improves when teachers are better compensated and more respected; charter schools would not provide this kind of environment.

The Smithsonian finds a strong correlation between a school’s level of respect towards teachers and its quality of education, concluding that teacher underappreciation substantially diminishes American public education. Diverting funds from the traditional public school system to the charter school system could exacerbate the issue. Ignoring the needs of 96 percent of students in the public school system by further developing a system that favors a small pool of lucky students is absurd and misguided. To paraphrase Sen. Warren, we need an education system where everyone who works hard — not just a lottery winner — gets a shot at doing great.

Charter schools actually harm surrounding public schools by diverting tax funding from public schools to privately-run schools.

october 21, 2016|page 9

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|opinions

please rise National anthem protests do not send the right message to America

By Audrey Cunningham

I

n 1814, poet Francis Scott Key stood on a ship and watched Fort McHenry burn during the Battle of Baltimore.

Amidst the smoke and the fire, Key noticed something incredible: the American flag still waving above the chaos. He decided to write a poem about it, titled the Star-Spangled Banner, which inspired the song that is now our national anthem. Most commonly played at sporting events, but also at assemblies and military occasions, the anthem prompts almost all to stand and honor the flag — but not everyone.

Recently, incidents of people kneeling during the national anthem have caused an uproar, thought by some to represent disrespect toward our nation and the many men and women who have fought to preserve it. I asked myself if standing up for the national anthem defines what it means to be a true American, or if our freedom to choose is part of the liberty that we have fought so hard for.

When we sit for the national anthem to protest, we singlehandedly shame the the brave men and women who have fought to protect our rights. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines on Aug. 14, when he chose to sit during the National Anthem at an NFL preseason game. According to SB Nation, this was not the first time that he chose to do so. Kaepernick had protested the anthem on two previous occasions, both of

which had gone unnoticed. His reason for protesting? Racial oppression.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media during a post-game interview. He argued that because he is an influential figure, his choice to sit could effect change in police brutality discussions and show support for the silent voices of oppressed people of color.

Other athletes have recently followed his lead. In the past month, black football players across the United States have been sitting or taking a knee to stand against oppression.

But how does sitting to protest the government and the flag help movements that speak out about racial oppression and poice brutality, like Black Lives Matter? It doesn’t really make a change.

If anything, it takes away from the American spirit. Kaepernick plays an American sport on an American team in front of the American people, but refuses to join the rest of the country in praising the nation and people who have fought to preserve it.

By sitting down, Kaepernick is trying to stop police brutality, but is making little difference. In light of recent events, police officers who protect the 49ers’ games have threatened to stop securing them at all. It seems as though his protest has not

helped his cause at all; it has just sparked a firestorm and worsened an already complicated issue. Some veterans, however, back Kaepernick, explaining that they fought so that Kaepernick and people like him have the right to protest.

The hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick has been trending on Twitter for the past few weeks, with tweets such as “I serve for his right to protest. I don’t serve for police brutality,” from @JoeOnDemand, and “#VeteransForKaepernick because I didn’t volunteer to defend a country where police brutality is swept under the rug,” from @ Baltic_Anthem.

In fact, CBS Sports reports that over 80 percent of Americans agree with Kaepernick’s right to protest, but just don’t like his methods. Kaepernick has been voted the most disliked player in the NFL by the American public because of his demonstration.

His actions have sparked a national conversation about disrespecting the flag and the people who have fought so long and hard to preserve it, a very different discussion than the one he intended to start.

So I ask this question: what is the definition of a true American? Does Colin Kaepernick fit that definition? I believe that Kaepernick’s protest has made the conflict even worse, despite his initial goal to start a national conversation and advance an important cause.

graphic by Ellen Deng

page 10|october 21, 2016

Goodbye, Columbus (Day)

opinions|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

by sebastian tsao

To whom should the United States declare a national holiday: Christopher Columbus or Native Americans? By revisiting historical accounts of the 1490s, we must ask why Columbus Day was ever established. Pre-Columbian Native Americans thrived for centuries on America’s soil. The society was composed of hundreds of unique tribes, each containing its own rules and beliefs. Before Columbus reached America, many of these tribes, such as the Navajo and the Wampanoag, developed complex civilizations with unique history, architecture, art and language.

When Christopher Columbus and his men arrived in the Caribbean, they not only enslaved many of the natives but murdered them without restraint. European diseases, most prominently smallpox, ravaged the Native American population, which had never been exposed to such illnesses. Columbus’s takeover of the Americas prevented the development of Native American society, leaving its people weak and scattered as Europeans encroached upon their lands.

The idea of re-dedicating Columbus Day to North American indigenous people first arose in 1977 at the United Nationssponsored International Conference

on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas in Geneva, Switzerland.

In Berkeley, Calif., the city symbolically renamed Columbus Day “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in 1992 to protest European conquest of North America and to call attention to the demise of Native American

paid holiday; employees do not receive a day off. Bill AB55, however, would reverse this decision, making Native American Day a paid holiday and a replacement to Columbus Day. Although Columbus did help shape America into the country we know today, who knows how the nation would

NPR

Demonstrators march in protest of Columbus Day in Grand Park, Los Angeles, in 2015. culture through disease, warfare and massacre. California drafted bill AB55, which would formally replace Columbus Day with Native American Day. According to the Huffington Post, Native American Day became an official holiday in 1998 under Gov. Ronald Reagan, to be celebrated on the fourth Friday in September. It is not a

have developed had Native Americans remained dominant. In modern-day America, several holidays, such as July Fourth, honor the great feats of colonial Americans. But our foundation lies on the indigenous American societies, whose people now comprise two percent of the population. It would only be fair to devote

one holiday to Native Americans, the people whose culture first dominated the continent.

What surprised me the most was the fact that the Cambridge City Council discussed this very topic in June 2016, voting unanimously to officially change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ day.

As the Boston Globe explained, council members will change the city’s calendar and work with the school committee to alter the schools’ schedules, as well. The city’s historical commission will also recognize indigenous people currently living in Cambridge.

Civil rights campaigns and protests regarding the holiday change have recently dominated social media and news platforms. The preservation of Native American culture should be a more significant part of the larger movement toward racial equality. Native Americans are simply not as vocal or well-represented as are African-American or Asian groups.

If the government officially changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ day, I think that the Native American community would receive more of the recognition it deserves. Native Americans are a valuable part of American society and their voices must be heard.

Minimum Wage: Economically Divisive BY benjamin anderson-krim

I was watching an episode of “Late Night with Seth Meyers” when he noted that “conservatives are consistently wrong, whether it be on immigration, abortion or the minimum wage.” I found his last claim to be rather irritating, not because I am inherently for or against a minimum wage or against raising it, but because Meyers, a man known for progressive, liberal views, implied that there is only one correct stance to take on this issue.

The minimum wage is a particularly contentious matter in economics, on which there are no clear right or wrong opinions as Meyers suggested. Instead, complex academic debate persists between respected economists on both sides over whether we should raise the minimum wage.

While Meyers is entitled to his own opinion, it makes as much sense to accept economic advice from a professional comedian as it does to embrace an architect’s speech on the principles of neuroscience.

A $15 minimum wage has gained popularity over the past few years. While this policy idea, the “Fight for 15,” does have a catchy name, it begins to fall apart under close scrutiny. A 2015 survey conducted by the New Hampshire Survey Center found that almost 75 percent of economists oppose raising the federal minimum wage to $15 and noted that 83 percent of those polled believed that the raise would harm youth employment levels. Moreover, the survey found that 88

percent of economists believe that employers would need to raise the price of goods to stay in business, counteracting higher wages.

However, the survey still found that 19 percent of economists would support raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. They generally believe that the benefits to workers who are able to get a job would outweigh damage to those who missed out on employment opportunities, and that this would reduce the level of poverty.

Additionally, economists reason that with more money in the pockets of workers, there would be greater demand,

the same way that certain ideas are widely accepted in their respective communities, like climate change among climatologists, certain economic ideas are widely accepted by the academic community. These include markets’ general efficiency in organizing economic activity and free trade’s net benefit for countries’ economies.

Economic issues ought to be viewed as academic debates, not as partisan arguments between politicians.

Meyers claimed the minimum wage debate could be lumped with social issues, like immigration and abortion, which is simply not the case. Stances on social issues are based on personal or party ideology, and these stances may be ruled ethically correct or incorrect.

The minimum wage is an argument that needs to be fought in academic papers, not between so-called pundits in the absence of breaking news.

Viewing economic issues as political instead of academic has damaging consequences for the future of our economy.

An article published last month by the Brookings Institute noted that if this trend affects government decisions, U.S. economic growth could slow drastically as popular but damaging economic policies become rampant.

Would it make sense for the current debate among physicists over string theory to be decided by public opinion? If not, then I urge you to keep your answer the same if the subject were economics.

While a $15 minimum wage may not have much support among economists, the story is different if we look at smaller increases. ultimately offsetting increased costs to businesses.

While a $15 minimum wage may not have much support among economists, the story is different if we look at smaller increases. Economists are split over smaller increases from the $7.25 minimum wage, largely based on interpretations of how changes in labor prices would affect employers, although this is just one of many factors.

Neither side of this debate is right or wrong. All argue for what is “best” for the future of our economy based on the information available.

Economics is a science like any other, albeit far more divisive than most. In

California and New York are the only states with signed laws that will increase the minimum wage to $15

Adjusted for inflation, the federal minimum wage peaked in 1968 at $8.54 (in 2014 dollars)

63 percent of Americans support an even greater federal minimum wage increase to $15 by 2020 infographic by Clare Martin sources of information: NCSL, Pew Research Center and National Employment Law Project

october 21, 2014|page 11

campus chatter

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|opinions

UPGRADE

9 Tom Brady’s return

The Lion’s Roar asked...

What are your thoughts on the presidential election?

“I’m afraid of Donald Trump winning because he doesn’t really have a plan ... of what he would do for the country in terms of threats like ISIS.”

Goldrick Springs working again Fruit snacks in the vending machines The satisfying crunch of dry leaves underfoot

- Christina Bartley, Class of 2020 “I’m fearful because I believe that Donald Trump is very outspoken and not very thoughtful. ... I would probably end up voting for Hillary instead, even though I don’t think she’s the best option.”

- Joshua Faustini, Class of 2019

Not needing to shave because it’s pants weather “Saturday Night Live” sketches of the presidential debates

9

DOWNGRADE

The end of Big Papi’s career Pre-mature Christmas marketing Negative political advertisements One week to boost term one grades Walking to the bus stop in the dark A severely divided country

“I am fearful. I think that if I were to vote, I’d be voting for a third party.

I think that most Americans are probably going to be voting for the lesser of two evils.”

- Greg Umansky, Class of 2018 “This past year, I traveled to Peru and ... bonded [with] strangers on the street ... about the election. ... I think it’s kind of a shock to hear other countries and cultures talking about our election.”

- Estelle Cadrain, Class of 2017

photos by Suzie Na

TV Review: “Stranger Things” by holden kodish When I asked my friends what I should binge watch on Netflix over the summer, everyone suggested “Stranger Things,” a horror show released just this past year. Initially, I was turned off by its genre, but after watching the first episode and binge-watching the rest of the episodes the next day, I discovered that I loved “Stranger Things” — it was one of the best shows I had seen in a while.

The show follows four nerdy best friends in the small city of Hawkins, Ind. Mike is the leader of the friend group. Dustin, a kid who suffers Cleidocranial dysostosis and has a lisp, is selfless, while Lucas, an African-American kid, is his selfish, distrusted opposite. Will Byres vanishes and thus becomes the focus of the show as his friends search for him.

In the pilot, these friends play Dungeons and Dragons at Mike’s house and at the end of a very late session head home. After taking a shortcut, however, Will never returns. The first season focuses on finding Will and others who go missing.

I love the realistic special effects in the show. Everything looks so natural, as though it were happening in real life. The show also builds suspense perfectly. When the show starts, none of the main characters appears; instead, the audience sees a man running for his life from some sort of monster, which isn’t introduced

“Stranger Things”

Will Byres (Noah Schnapp), left, plays Dungeons and Dragons with his three nerdy best friends. until halfway through the series. By hiding the monster from the audience, the show makes your brain conjure up the scariest possibilities.

You are forced into following the characters’ thought processes as they learn new information and try to piece the mystery together.

Along with the show’s aesthetics, I like the score in “Stranger Things.” The songs written for the show all suit the sci-fi mood because they are played on a theremin, a musical instrument that you play by waving your hand over an antenna. The unoriginal part of the score is composed of a bunch of ‘80s songs, such as “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” by The Clash. It

sometimes feels like the songs were written for the show, even though they were not.

Since the show is set in the ‘80s, the producers include references to that decade’s pop culture, especially its movies. Some references are easy to spot, like when one character makes Mike’s bike fly à la “E.T.,” but some are harder to detect, like when Dustin and Lucas find pudding in a fridge, referencing “The Goonies.”

I would recommend “Stranger Things” to anyone who has Netflix and about eight hours on their hands. With Netflix’s announcement of another season up ahead, you will want to start watching this show soon.

WITH The Roar examines the effects of adopting a technological learning environment

graphic by Eunice Kim

Continued from page 1 “I would like to see a class set of laptops in every classroom so that every[one] can use [them] when necessary,” she said.

Additionally South can better utilize the technology it does have, junior Hannah Cole said.

“The technology that is already being used at South, such as Schoology and Google Docs, has ... been really beneficial, but I think there are other types of creative technology that would be even more helpful,” she said. “Technology allows you to do so many other cool things, like now there are ways you can create animation, movies [or] even ... make a song about what you are learning.”

A growing number of schools in the Greater Boston area, such as Needham Public Schools, have implemented a one-to-one program in which each student is given a laptop to use throughout the day.

Librarian Katherine Steiger, who worked at a Needham one-toone middle school last year, said she recommends that NPS consider the program. “[The one-to-one program] makes it easier for teachers to know what [they] can assign. ... For example, if they wanted the students to use a certain website or app that worked with an iPad, then they will know that every student has access to that,” she said.

Technology can “extend the walls of the classroom,” according to Melissa Alkire, a teacher at another one-to-one school, Beaver Country Day School (BCDS).

“They may use [laptops] to Skype with a professor from a university or to Skype with a classroom abroad,” she said.

According to BCDS junior Jack Saperstone, technology can also expand students’ problem solving skills and increase their inclassroom engagement.

“An issue we were given was how [to] keep people moving, while also keeping them engaged. So, we created an active video game in which you would jump around on different lily pads and try to jump on the one that was lit up,” Saperstone said. “[It’s useful because] it has real life applications; I think right now the world is very technology based, especially in the job industry.”

Adopting a one-to-one program would also benefit extracurricular activities, according to senior Ayush Upneja, who acknowledged the Debate Team’s reliance on computers.“There is a decent disadvantage [if you don’t have a laptop] because you won’t be able to fully participate in the research exercises and games,” he said.

Additionally, with a one-to-one program, a school coding requirement could be possible. Kia Freeman, a rocket engineer with a knowledge of the STEM industry, said she supports required coding classes, as they are important modern-world skills.

“If you don’t have access to a computer where you can try coding while you’re growing up, then your chances of becoming a computer programmer, which is a great field to go into nowadays, are extremely low,” Freeman said. “I think that technology is becoming pervasive in the job market.”

“Everyone is a consumer of technology, but ... more and more people are going to want to be able to create with technology in addition to just consuming,” Cole agreed. “There are programming

classes, but obviously not everyone has an opportunity to [take computer programming classes] because they are electives, so for most people when they leave high school, they’re leaving without really being able to create with technology.”

Many said they believe that technology distract from the lessons, however. Alkire acknowledged some of the negative consequences of the one-to-one program.

“Every now and then, we’ll have a student whose laptop will totally malfunction in the middle of class, or the internet will go down in the middle of the day, and then what do you do?” Alkire said. “We [also] have to worry about whether our kids are actually engaging in class — are they on Facebook? Are they on Instagram? We don’t have any censoring program, so kids can literally be on whatever website.”

Freshman Jessica Wu said that while laptops may be advantageous for some things, they could also interfere with learning.

“If I had my own iPad in class, I might go and secretly search things instead of paying attention in class,” she said.

In addition to the distraction factor, technology can hinder a school’s social environment according to junior Lizy Szanton.“I think phones can be a crutch for someone; for example, in an awkward

I hate that something that’s supposed to connect us can remove us from the world.

Lizy Szanton, Class of 2018 social situation, someone can kind of just go on their phone instead of interacting with people,” she said. “I hate that something that’s supposed to connect us can remove us from the world.”

Cassell agreed with Szanton and has even implemented a strict no-phone policy in her classroom this year to revitalize social connections.“Students do not have their phones out during class. We have a little spot we put them in [at] the beginning of class,” she said. “[Students] are more engaged with each other — it’s not just with me.

They’re actually talking with each other versus being on their phone all the time.”

An increase in technology can cause social disruption, South psychologist Andrew Aspel said. Cyber bullying is not uncommon.

Beyond distraction and social interference, many psychologists and neuroscientists question the benefits of a digital learning environment.

“Internet searching tends to engage … the executive functions [of the brain] in the prefrontal cortex. If you internet search a lot, then you can overtax that part of the brain and that can make you tired,” neurologist Amy Tindall, PhD, said. “Particularly in teenagers, a lot of decision making and impulse control is still developing in the brain compared to adults. … You could argue that you’re using [these executive parts of the brain] before you’re prepared to be using them.”

Not only can technology impact the brain’s development, but it can also impact students’ ability to learn. Daniel Oppenheimer, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said. He compared handwriting notes versus typing notes.

“People type faster than they hand-write. [When] taking notes on a computer, … there is less need for summarization in your own words. … Students who take notes on laptops therefore tend to have more verbatim records, but poorer understanding of and memory for material,” he said. “The process of writing down the notes forces you to think about the content as you try to summarize it in your own words, and that deeper processing helps you understand and encode the information better.”

Student achievement also varies in high- and low-technology environments, Schleicher said. “Our results also show no improvements in learning outcomes in those countries that have invested most heavily in digital technology in schools,” Schleicher said. “[In fact,] the more intensively students use computers at school, the less digitally literate they seem to be.”

Similarly, a 2011 study by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, found laptop immersion programs had little impact on the achievement of the 5,000 middle schools tested, with the exception of writing, which rose by 4.3 percent over five years.

Too much technology can impact more than just learning; it can also lead to mental health problems, according to a New York Post article by Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, which reported that “hundreds of clinical studies show that screens increase depression, anxiety and aggression.”

In fact, a high-tech learning environment may not even give students an advantage in securing a job in the growing STEM industry, according to Beverly Amico, a representative from the Waldorf schools of North America. “One of the reasons parents working in the digital industry are choosing a low-tech, no-tech education for their children is that it teaches students the innovative thinking skills many employers desire. … Students weaned on technology often lack that ability to think outside the box and problem solve,” Amico said in an article published in The Guardian.

The London Acorn School discourages the use of technology specifically among elementary school-aged students, Headmaster Carl McCarthy explained in an email.

“I don’t believe that, in general, schools need to focus so much of what is precious time at early stages of education [on technology] if it comes at the expense of time and space for children to develop a sense of connection to each other and the natural world that [is] around them,” McCarthy said.

Despite the possible negatives, University of Wisconsin educational psychology professor David Shaffer said that the advance of technology into schools is unavoidable.

“Technology is here to stay and it’s a really important part of the world kids are growing up in,” Shaffer said. “It’s important for schools to take on the job of preparing kids for that instead of closing their collective eyes and ears.”

page 14|October 21, 2016

Centerfold|THELIONsROAR.com|THE LION’S ROAR

Technology proves to be a valuable resource despite notable detriments

By Stephanie Luiz

W

hen I was in seventh grade, my private middle school was forced to acknowledge that the issue was someschool adopted a new policy: all students were how correlated to the increase in technology. expected to bring a laptop to school every day.

Despite the obvious issues with my middle school’s At first, my classmates and I were excited about all the cool laptop policy, it did enhance my learning tremendously. things we would get to do with the increase in technology. Having our own laptops allowed us to use the internet to It became clear pretty soon, however, that the develop discussions. We were no longer confined to our new policy was not always as great it seemed. First, not textbooks or the knowledge of our teachers and this imeveryone was able to afford new computers, so the school provement enabled us to access many different opinions, lent older laptops to many students. These students frerather than the our teacher’s one point of view. quently missed class due to technical issues and often felt When I came to South, these benefits became even ostracized from other students, who mostly owned new, clearer. Without a laptop in school, I felt like my learning expensive Macs. was limited; I was not able to delve deeper into subjects New social problems also arose. We had a lot of free that interested me in the classroom because without a time during the day, which we’d spend scrolling through laptop, I could not instantly access information. I became social annoyed with We were no longer confined to our textbooks or the the pace of my media. In the past, knowledge of our teachers and this improvement enabled us courses and bestudents gan turning to to access many different opinions, rather than the our hadn’t had my classmates very much for entertainteacher’s one point of view. time to ment — I was a do this with homework, sports and other extracurriculars distraction to both others and myself. taking up much of their afterschool lives. Having access If I were allowed to use a phone or a laptop during to laptops in school gave students that time, which wasn’t class time, I could have researched the topics that interestnecessarily a good thing. ed me rather than starting a conversation about what boy Futher, our school was met with a cyberbullying epi- I liked or my friend’s cute outfit. There is nothing more demic that eventually spiraled out of control. Using social important than the quality of my education because I am media at school meant students were browsing the web in school to learn, and my learning should be expanded in together — lots of kids used this as a tool to pressure their any way possible. friends to bully others. Ask.FM, a site in which people are I was never a target of cyberbullying, nor was I one able to anonymously ask each other questions, increased of the students who could not afford a new laptop: my parin popularity. ticular experience with the switch to more technology was Girls began to receive sexually-charged questions, altogether positive. Additionally, South is a high school, often bordering on harassment — some of my classmates and thus has an atmosphere very different from that of my were particularly targeted, receiving hurtful messages middle school. I believe that South students are ready for aimed at their physical appearances and characters. After the standardization of laptops in the classroom and that a student received a message encouraging suicide, the such technology should become an educational standard.

teens spend an average of

9 hours

8.3 percent

STEM professions are projected to grow by

17 percent from 2008 to 2018 compared to

per day consuming media

of South students enroll in coding classes

9.8 percent growth for other jobs sources of information from Adeco USA, the Department for Professional Employees, New York Post and CNN

FEATURES page 15|October 21, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

FEATURES@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 33, ISSUE 3

Feeling the pressure Impending college applications encourage casual participation in many activities

By Lanie McLeod and Daniel Sivachenko

W

hen senior Carol Zhang joined Future Business Leaders of America, it was not purely to fulfil a passion for business, she said.

“At first, I joined FBLA because I thought it would be pretty good on my college application. As I delved deeper into business or the club itself, I thought it was a lot more interesting than just a role on my application,” she said.

Zhang said that for college-bound students, resume building is a common motivator when choosing how to spend free time.

“I think that a lot of people try to be as wellrounded as they can in order to appeal to colleges,” she said. “They will do sports that they’re not interested in and join clubs that they don’t really want to do in order to get a leadership position.”

Senior Sarah Levine agreed.

“In the beginning of high school, it was more like ‘Pad your resume, get all this stuff on your resume so you look good.’”

The pressure to overextend does not only come from colleges, senior Justin Cheong added. It is a part of South’s atmosphere.

“[It] can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you have to be doing something that other people are doing,” he said. While Cheong opposes joining activities simply for college applications, he said that it is still important to show dedication through participation.

According to college and career counselor Kathleen Sabet, colleges used to value a students who participated in a bevy of activities.

“Back when I was looking at colleges, it was okay if you joined a club but didn’t really do much in it. It was all about inflating your resume, your application, so it would look ‘good’ for colleges. That was the mindset of

photo illustration by Lucy Gilbert

colleges, and students caught on to that,” she said. “Students get caught up with the ‘whomever does the most wins’ mentality.”

History teacher Corey Davison said that joining an assortment of activites is not false advertising. To him, it shows that students are willing to work hard to appear appear well rounded.

“I think that that’s what a lot of colleges want; however, it can be a little disingenuous because ideally as a person and as a student, you want to be intrinsically motivated, meaning you join clubs because you’re passionate about those things,” he said.

Today, however, colleges value commitment and interest over quantity of activities, Sabet said. Students try to keep this idea in mind, according to junior Hannah Phan, but are sometimes pressured by peer competition.

“People feel like if they don’t do something or if they don’t do a certain club, they are going to fall behind,” she said. “It’s because our school is so competitive.”

Phan said that this trend is not unique to South; it transcends the country’s education system. She noted that this trend, particularly at South, derives from the high concentration of high achieving students.

“People sometimes feel inferior. Maybe you’re not as good as someone in a certain club or a certain activity, but the thing that makes you you as a student is the collective clubs and activities and passions; all that makes you you,” she said. “You can’t compare yourself to other people. You can’t compare people on a club by club or class by class basis.”

According to senior Jackie Lee, however, competition isn’t a bad thing.

“Even though there are a lot of pressures exerted by parents and teachers and peers, they are exerting that pressure because they want the best for you,” she said.

“That’s where a lot of people misunderstand South as an institution.”

Extracurricular activities are where students have the ability to distinguish themselves, senior Kitty Moy added.

“That is where people shine. But because colleges do consider extracurriculars as part of their admission process, I do feel pressured,” she said.

Moy said that she has overheard many students refer to an activity as an obligation, rather than a passion or commitment.

While passion is difficult to find, it is the most valuable trait to college admissions officers, Vice Principal Candice Beermann, said

“In general, you don’t want to do a bunch of things because they look good. I think it’s more important to find what you’re actually passionate about, because it brings about this sort of energy in you,” she said. “If you ever have a conversation with someone, and they’re talking about something that they’re really interested in and really passionate about, it’s really engaging and it’s kind of contagious.”

Head of guidance Dan Rubin agreed.

“Colleges are looking for students who know themselves, have a really good sense of themselves and oftentimes that comes by trying out different things but then when you find what you love, digging really deeply.”

Rubin also said that activities and clubs serve as an outlet to help students find their passions.

“I would say [activities] are essential in the sense that they allow students to find their niche. ... But there isn’t a specific recipe, where if you do these things, you’ll look better for colleges,” he said.

Additional reporting by Libby Jin

page 16|OCTOBER 21, 2016

Features|THELionsRoar.com|THE LION’S ROAR

Home Sweet South South teachers and their children reflect on their unique experiences at South

E

ven though this is his first year at South, freshman Finn O’Rourke has had little trouble with directions.

Technically, O’Rourke has been familiar with South for nine years, as he often came to work with his mother, history teacher Rachael McNally.

“I feel like I have a place to go [at South]; I can come to [my mom’s classroom] no matter what, and it’ll be okay,” he said. “[The kids of teachers] know this school way before anyone else does, so we’re not stressed out about a new building or stuff like that.”

Junior Sam Linder, son of history teacher Deborah Linder, agreed with O’Rourke and said having a South teacher as a parent has also given him a unique level of familiarity with faculty members.

“Most of the history office has known me since I was five, and a lot of them have been to my house, so ... they know me better than they know most students,” he said. “I say hi to them in the hallways a lot more than some other students would.”

According to senior Rebecca Reinstein, whose father is English teacher Alan Reinstein, having a South teacher as a parent also has its downsides.

“Freshman year, I was known as Mr. Reinstein’s daughter, and I didn’t want to be drowned out by that reputation,” she said.

Despite some students’ greater familiarity with South and its faculty, senior Annah Bierenbaum said South has set up an equal community where there are no inherent in-class privileges for “con-

By Celine Yung

nected” students.

Alan Reinstein agreed with Bierenbaum and said his profession has not been directly advantageous for his children.

“I never get a sense that the kids get a break or Rebecca gets an easier grade,” he said. “I’ve never called a teacher about a grade asking for any leniency, so I’m comfortable saying I’ve never misused my relationship with teachers.”

While Alan Reinstein’s 15 years of South teaching experience are helpful, he does not have higher expectations than other South parents, according to Rebecca Reinstein.

“I think of it more like a parent is reading my essay,” she said. “I mean it’s

“I wouldn’t disrespect my teachers because I wouldn’t want other people disrespecting my mom as a teacher,” he said.

With both the perspective of the student and of the teacher in the same household, Alan Reinstein said confidentiality is an important dynamic to consider in his relationship with his children.

“I made a promise to all of [Rebecca’s] friends that I would never share anything with Rebecca about what happens in the class, and I asked Rebecca to make a commitment that she would never share anything with me that her friends say about the class,” he said.

Deborah Linder added that being both a teacher and mother of two South

Freshman year, I was known as Mr. Reinstein’s daughter, and I didn’t want to be drowned out by that reputation.

Rebecca Reinstein, Class of 2017 helpful that he’s an English teacher, but I make sure that I get different opinions that aren’t just his because even though he is an English teacher, he’s also biased because he’s my father.”

McNally agreed and said her familiarity with course material allows her to help O’Rourke in an informed way, but ultimately his academic success comes from his own interest in the humanities.

According to Alan Reinstein, his profession gives his children a unique perspective on South teachers.

The most noticable effect of being the child of a teacher, Sam Linder said, is his attitude towards his teachers.

students affects her view of her children’s friends. She said that it’s strange to be both a friend’s parent and a teacher.

“Now I have [Sam’s] friends in my classroom and I often wonder if it’s different having hung out at my house versus being in my classroom,” she said. “I think [students] kind of see teachers as teachers and not as people, and I wonder if they think of me differently from other teachers.”

According to Alan Reinstein, his role as an educator and a parent go hand-inhand, and he combines knowledge and experience from both on a day-to-day basis.

Chemistry teacher Sarah* said that

her parental experience influences her teaching style.

“I think having children ... really makes you focus in and reflect in on things,” she said. “Because when you go home and talk to your own children about their experiences in the classroom, they’re usually not talking about the content … they’re talking about the teacher.”

Bierenbaum added that her four years at South have taught her to see teachers beyond their roles as educators.

“I think as a freshman, [having my friend’s parent as a teacher] would’ve been weird, but as a senior, I would see that they are people and parents, and also teachers, and those things kind of come together,” she said.

Teaching at the same school as her children is a privilege, according to Deborah Linder.

“It’s not often that parents get to talk to their teenagers and be able to have a conversation and actually understand what’s happening at the school,” she said.

“The dinner table conversations are a little bit different at my house compared to other dinner table conversations.”

Rebecca Reinstein said that having a teacher as a parent is different than what most people think.

“The idea of having [a] parent work at the same school sounds daunting and everyone’s like ‘I would not be able to do that,’ but I maybe see [my dad] in the hall once or twice a month, honestly, and it’s kind of fun.” *Names changed to protect source’s identity

graphic by Rachel Honigsberg

October 21, 2016|page 17

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|Features

The

Social Joint

Students use drugs as social tools, particularly in the class of 2017

By Andrea Lirio And Noah Shelton

F

or senior Michael*, getting high is purely for social benefits. Despite initial apprehension about drug use, Michael continues to smoke.

“As a whole at South, there is generally more acceptance into friend groups if a kid is willing to [smoke marijuana]," he said.

According to the 2015 Newton Youth Risk and Behavior Survey (NYRBS), 46 percent of twelfth graders have used marijuana.

Senior Diana* said that she wanted to try marijuana as a freshman and began to smoke regularly by the end of sophomore year.

For Diana, the decision was easy, as many of her friends were getting high too. Diana agreed that most students choose to smoke marijuana for the social benefits, "not in the sense that it makes you cooler, but in the sense that it brings people together."

Dedham Board of Health member Sarah Rosenberg-Scott, MD MCh noted that using drugs for social benefits says something else about an individual adolescent.

“If you do it because everyone else is doing it, that’s not a great reason.

When people are doing it to feel more relaxed or have fun, that’s where you find problems with people because they can’t relax in a social situation unless they are high, drunk or have a little something on board,” she said. “That’s a sign of social anxiety. There are other ways to cope with that that don’t deal with the use of substances.”

Scott added that adults and health care professional alike are aware of how easily accessible marijuana is to adolescents. “I’m not entirely surprised about how easily it is obtained, which is very

disappointing,” she said.

Psychology teacher Paul Estin agreed and said that because marijuana is generally socially acceptable, students sense less of a stigma around it. “If somebody is kind of on the fence and knows that their friends are doing it — well it’s kind of going to be a little easier for them to make the decision," he said.

Unlike stereotypical situations involving peer pressure, senior Daniel* said when he first smoked, it was in a social setting, so he felt safe. “We were at a party.

I was just waiting for a good opportunity.

I was with some friends that I trusted, so they offered, and I accepted,” he said.

As a primary care and family medicine specialist, Rosenberg-Scott said

ting at a table outside and it is nice out.”

Before entering high school, Daniel said that he was convinced that drug use was unhealthy and dangerous. He heard about older students often getting high, but never conceived that he would do the same, he said.

“As you get older, you recognize that [drug use is common],” he said. "So I wanted to know what it was like.” According to the NYRBS, the percentage of students who reported ever using substances such as marijuana does increase with grade.

Adolescents assume that everyone smokes, which influences decisions, Rosenberg-Scott said. “A lot of students have the perception that everyone is doing

One time, I did coke. I know the serious effects of [cocaine], and I know how addicting it can be. I decided it would be something I'd try and be done with.

Daniel*, senior that she discusses the risk factors with her adolescent patients.

“It’s not safe. No matter how much you feel at the moment, the studies don’t support that. They still say that you are impaired. Using it socially is a difficult situation,” she said.

According to senior Hannah*, her friends hang out specifically to get high, which opens the door to new friendships — a situation very different than what many perceive, she said.

“I think that people tend to think that any drug is intensified, and you are doing it in secret. [People think you smoke] in a dark room or in a dark corner, but sometimes you are just sitting in the middle of the park on a bench, or you are in a party and five of your friends are sit-

it, and either they should do it to fit in, or because they are feeling unsure about themselves, and by doing it, they’ll fit in more,” she said.

Daniel said he is careful about which drugs he experiments with, for fear of addiction.

“One time, I did coke,” he said. “I know the serious effects of [cocaine], and I know how addicting it can be. I decided it would be something that I’d try and be done with.”

Prevention and intervention counselor Brian DeLesky, however, said that even the marijuana high is extremely harmful.

“The strains are much stronger [now] than when I was a kid — they were around six percent THC. Now, they are

around 20 percent,” he said. “My greatest concern is the population who can’t get away with [smoking marijuana]; they suffer academically and athletically. I have never met someone [who] becomes a better student or a better athlete when on weed.”

Sophomore Anika Sridhar said due to academic and extracurricular commitments, she refuses to use drugs. “I have always been told that they’re bad for me, and it was kind of a shock when people started using them,” she said. “But when they did, I always knew that I wasn’t going to partake,” she said.

According to Diana, she has become more experimental thanks to the social aspect of smoking: once she felt more comfortable with her friends, she decided to try things like cocaine, Xanax and OxyContin.

The NYRBS reported that by twelfth grade, 2 percent of high schoolers had used cocaine and 1 percent had used OxyContin. Daniel asserted that the class of 2017, in particular, has started experimenting with drugs not typically available to high schoolers.

Although she has tried other drugs, Diana said that she does not enjoy the effects and prefers smoking marijuana. “Oxy is very addictive, and it wasn’t enough of a good feeling to, like, get f*cked up with,” she said.

For Hannah, smoking is a way to make memories with friends in high school. “Personally, [smoking marijuana] is entirely a social thing. I would never do it if I was just by myself,” she said. “You don’t have to do it if we are going hang out, but it is a social thing.” *Names changed to protect students' identities

Percent of drug use by senior year

marijuana

1 percent type of drug

more males use marijuana than females 35

graphic by Karina Aguilar

percent

20 15 10 5 0

4 percent

cocaine

3 percent

OxyContin

18 percent

0

32 percent

25

other

32 percent

Newton students who currently use marijuana

30

cigarettes

2 percent

5

10

15 20 percent

25

30

35

46 percent of Newton students have used marijuana by senior year

<1 percent 7th grade

9th grade grade

12th grade

infographic by Andrea Lirio sources of information: 2015 Newton Youth Risk Behavior Survey and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

page 18|October 21, 2016

THE

Features|THELionsRoar.com|THE LION’S ROAR

COMMONAPPLICATION

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

graphics by Celine Yung

By Celine Yung

N

ate is applying early action to Boston University and Cornell University. He finished the major elements of his application over the summer to limit his workload during the school year.

Nate said he is relying on his essays to establish his character beyond his academic achievements “I want to show a different side of myself [because] I think we should be valued for the people we are rather than our interests and numbers on a paper,” he said.

Nate noted that so far, senior year has been an adjustment.

“I keep expecting someone I can turn to to be there, but then I realize that I’m turning to my peers, not someone a grade ahead.”

E

leanor is pushing to accomplish her short-term goals: finalizing her essays and confirming her college recommendations.

So far, she said she feels comfortable with her senior course load but worries that her schedule might cause problems going forward.

“If I get accepted to where I want to get accepted to, in early decision, then it’s just half of the first term that really counts,” she said. Eleanor said she tends to push her applications to the side, when she has a lot on her plate, so she is trying her best to finish them.

“You know the thing from Finding Nemo where Dory’s like ‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming’?” she said. “It’s like that but it’s ‘Just keep going, just keep going.’”

R

ufus has found that his school work reduces the amount of time he can spend on his applications; he still has a few main and supplemental essays to write over the next month.

He plans to place emphasis on his extracurricular activities and volunteering. Rufus wants to separate himself from other applicants by emphasizing his problem-solving skills and unique interests.

“I think I’m also going to put a lot of focus on social justice because it’s something I’m very interested in,” he said.

Rufus has enjoyed this year’s variety of senior electives. ““I like classes like ‘Race, Class, Gender’ because it really touches upon real issues that we face today” he said.

Rufus said he is excited about the prospect of beginning his life after South.

G

eorgina is determined to approach senior year with a positive mindset. Balancing her school work with college applications has already proven strenuous.

“My goal for senior year is to lead a balanced lifestyle,” she said. “I want to make sure I’m sleeping, and I’m getting my work done by the deadlines.”

Over the next month, Georgina is looking to complete her Common App essay, where she plans to reflect on her work as a suicide hotline worker.

Georgina is also looking for schools with suitable financial aid packages.

“I want to follow a dream, even though it might put me in debt for who knows how long.” *Names changed to protect students’ identities

October 21, 2016|page 19

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

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

HACKING Sept. 25, Cutler Lab A senior was taken into custody after being found hacking into the Naviance server in an attempt to submit positive teacher recommendations to his favorite colleges.

graphic by Sophie Galowitz

THEFT Oct. 9, Newton Centre Tango Mango reported that 10 bags of rice and their entire supply of avocados were stolen overnight. A note left on the register read, "Sorry. Trying to preserve my heritage before Trump becomes president."

ARSON Sept. 18, Math Office Police responded to a call reporting that someone had set fire to a textbook. Further investigation showed that the incident had not been intentional, but was instead the result of the student's Samsung Galaxy S7 spotanteously catching fire.

IDENTITY THEFT Oct. 1, Senior Lot Following the announcement of the solar panel construction project, school officials caught a senior in a vehicle with "Ameresco" hand painted on the side trying to park in a blocked spot. The student sped away upon being approached by authorities.

PUBLIC DISTURBANCE Oct. 13, Library A group of rogue freshmen was caught running through the Quiet Study Area, pelting quarters at their peers and screaming “#repealthethird!” Upon arrest, one of the students reportedly told police, “We deserve to quarter our soldiers!”

Overheard at SOUTH Yes, we heard you say that.

Fed-up senior girl: “I can’t do this homework. It’s in Comic Sans.”

Pundit #1: “Donald Trump is held to a lower standard because he’s a white man.”

Pundit #2: “Well actually, he’s an orange man.”

Culturally confused consumer: “Does Chipotle have scallion pancakes?”

Irritated summer-lover: Why is this room so cold?

Impassioned English teacher: Because we haven’t filled it with the flames of our intellect yet.

Embarrassing Roar Staff Photo of the Month:

Aguilar struggles to paint with an applesauce pouch.

Adviser Throwback of the Month:

Chapman raises her glass to the 2016 election.

Choosing the Perfect College COREY SAMUELS sr. fun editor

bffls & bad puns Between the two of us, we have set foot on 27 campuses, attended classes at 12 schools and graduated from four institutions of post-secondary education. Even though our areas of expertise nowadays lie mainly in the act of intuitively wearing identical outfits to school, we have some indispensable knowledge to impart onto the class of 2017 on the subject of choosing the perfect college.

1. When choosing the right school for you, you need to consider one important thing: location, location, location.

We hear that Africa is nice. Australia also sounds like a lot of fun.

2. On your campus visits, make sure you sample the food at the main dining hall. If the cheesesteaks are tolerable, they’ll taste out-of-this-world at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Take that as a good sign.

3. Two words: Good. Wifi.

4. Two more words: Cheap. Laundry. It’s a big deal.

5. Spend some time walking around your prospective college. If you feel that you could see yourself with this college in the near future, go ahead and ask the college for its number or Snapchat username. Hold off on the post-1 a.m. “wyd?” texts for now.

6. Talk to other people who know the college. Get a feel for your college’s reputation and decide if it meets your preferences.

7. Find out what cafe your college tends to frequent, then “run into” your college on a Friday afternoon before the football game. Then, as though it's an afterthought, invite the college over to your friends’ place for “a small get together, you know, with just a few friends.”

8. Make sure that your college enjoys the same music as you do. It’s okay if your college indulges in the occasional ‘80s pop hair metal, as long as you and your college can jam out to Tom Delonge’s verse on “I Miss You” together when the moment hits on that long drive back from the beach.

9. Invite your college to the city art museum on a Sunday afternoon in October. Have a coffee and an apple spice scone awaiting them when they sit down in the passenger seat of your car. Read up on the exhibits beforehand; your college will be quietly, yet significantly, impressed.

10. Take your college out for a nice dinner, not too expensive, at a decently lit restaurant with a nice ambiance and a respectable wine list ($12 glasses; $60 bottles; look for more recent vintages than older, overpriced ones). While you and your college trade personal anecdotes about your ill-fated childhood forays into figure skating between spoonfuls of tiramisu, gaze into you college’s eyes. You’ll know.

11. For the holidays, make your college think that you didn’t get them much — a handmade card with a punny inscription, maybe, or some silly socks. Then, surprise them with two tickets to that thing they love at brunch.

12. Jokingly propose ridiculous names for your future children before trading names of other colleges that you found secretly charming and have a hard time forgetting.

13. Go stargazing. Remind your college that wherever you look into the night sky, you’re actually gazing into the past.

Reach over and squeeze your college’s hand.

14. Pay close attention to your college’s posture during and after your first real argument. How you work through your issues — honestly, but with respect — will set a precedent for future fights and prime you for long-term success with your college.

15. We know it’s old-fashioned, but your college will probably appreciate a call to its parents before you commit.

Have a nice bouquet of flowers sent after the conversation to let your college’s parents know how much you care about them.

16. If and when your college rejects you, don’t worry: there are many other colleges in the sea.

17. Also, consider things other than just academics, I guess. Extracurriculars can be important too, and so can nice new dorms with fancy showerheads in the bathrooms.

SPORTS page 20|October 21, 2016|THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM

sports@thelionsroar.com|VOLUME 33, ISSUE 3

Lights out Funding issues threaten South’s future under-the-lights games

graphic by Eunice Kim

By Thomas Patti Crowds of students, teachers and families filled the bleachers for the traditional slate of games under temporary lights annually funded by local businesses.

During the week of Sept. 25, three South varsity teams hosted night games: boys soccer on Sept. 27, football on Sept. 30 and girls soccer on Oct. 1. This fall, however, a sponshorship discontinuation left the future of South’s under-the-lights games up in the air.

MetroWest Subaru of Natick has been the primary financial contributor to the lights in past years, but was forced to pull its sponsorship due to budget restraints.

Players and coaches of South’s soccer and football teams said they feared that the long-anticipated games would hence be canceled. “[Not having the games] would suck,” senior girls soccer captain Kaavya Chaparala said. “There’s something about being under the lights that just transforms the experience, because the stadium is just normal — we practice there every day — but with the lights, it’s a stage. You feel like you’re performing, and you feel like people actually care.”

South was ultimately able to find an array of contributors to make the games possible, according to athletics director Patricia Gonzalez. The presidents of South’s booster club and the families of student athletes reached out to local businesses and secured a major sponsorship from Newton’s Honda Village. This contribution, accompanied by smaller donations from South families, was enough to cover the cost of the lights.

“I was excited because I’ve never really played a game under the lights before, or with a really big crowd,” freshman soccer player Lucy Jenks said.

Girls soccer captain Sydney Greene added that she looked forward to the freshmen’s opportunity to play in a game under the lights. “[It is] the classic high school under-the-lights experience,” she said. “There’s nothing like a whole crowd screaming your name, so for them to experience that as

freshmen is pretty cool.”

“It’s a really great way to get the whole community involved with sports,” boys soccer captain Peter Stephens said. “If you don’t like the sport, if you don’t like watching soccer or football or whatever, you can still go out, have fun with your friends, and it’s a great experience.”

For many in South’s athletic community, however, the rented lights are a temporary fix to a much larger issue. According to head football coach Ted Dalicandro, permanent lights would change the climate of South athletics, but the school and the city currently lack the proper motivation to complete the project.

“Newton South has a serious lack of school spirit,” he said. “Friday night football games bring the community together. The kids have something to cheer about, [for] the families, the parents, the community — it’s just better on the whole for the whole program, for the school, for everybody. I think the school needs to get serious about [getting funding for the lights]. There’s a thousand different ways to get it done — somebody just really has to want to get it done. I’m not sure that that’s happening.”

The issue of permanent lights at South has been an ongoing debate for over 15 years, Gonzalez said. She said that neighbors’ concerns with the lights’ potential disruption in the community are the main reason for the project’s current standstill.

“Our neighborhood feels very strongly about not having lights, so there’s not much room for negotiation,” she said. “They feel strongly that they do not want to have lights on the field. So that is a point of discussion that is beyond our school. We think we can support the lights. We think it will be a great experience for all our students to be able to [play] under the lights, but it is not pressure that we, as a school, can put on because it is an agreement between the city, Parks and Rec, school department and neighbors.”

Since the field is city property, Gonzalez said, the

funding for permanent lights would not come from the school’s athletics budget, but rather from the Parks and Recreation Department, the School Committee and private donors. The bulk of the school’s budget, she said, is used for practices, uniforms, safety equipment, referee salaries and team transportation to offsite games.

“Just putting lights on the field like that would cost almost a million dollars,” she said. “That’s way above what the department even spends for a couple of years.”

Junior Mia Calderone, who attended the Oct. 1 girls soccer game, said that the pros of permanent lights at South outweigh the cons.

“I think there’s something somewhat special about only having one [under-the-lights game] a year,” Calderone said. “But that being said, it would be better for people to have more options to attend the games.”

Dalicandro said that his team already suffers from lack of practice time when daylight savings takes effect, and with progressing discussions of pushing the school start time later, permanent lights will be the team’s only option. He added that the costs in time and effort of permanent lights is not only worthwhile, but imperative to South’s future in athletics.

“It takes compromise ... to make this happen,” he said. “If we look at the big picture, it is about the kids, it’s about the experience that these kids have here at the high school level playing sports. I think that it would be a huge change in the athletic atmosphere here at Newton South, and that’s what the focus has to be.”

He also said that the prospect of permanent lights could change South sports forever. “[There is] a huge impact when we do play the night game,” Dalicandro continued. “But for me, that sense of ‘it’s temporary, it’s not who we are’ — it’s somewhat of a false excitement. We should be doing this every Friday night.”

Additional reporting by Cam Miller

october 21, 2016|page 21

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|SPorts

Limited field space poses logistical issues Kevin Granfield & Andrew Mei Sports Contributors

Field space comes at a premium for South’s outdoor sports teams, with four on-campus athletic fields to share among four fall programs and six spring programs, forcing many teams to look to external locations and strategic scheduling to hold practices.

The most effective way to utilize limited field space is to allow JV and varsity to use the same field at different times, junior baseball player Adam Hurwitz said.

“I think the best way would be to stagger practice a little bit, which we experimented with a little bit last year,” Hurwitz said.

“That way both JV and varsity could use the whole field for some of the time and then the other part of the time varsity could benefit from the extra play.”

According to sophomore baseball player Brett Goldstein, however, this arrangement can hurt the freshman teams.

Goldstein said that he often practiced at Braceland Park with his freshman

team last year, 2.6 miles from South. He said that despite the inferior field quality compared to South’s, it was sufficient for the team. “Braceland wasn’t a very good field, but it got the job done.

Our team was pretty good, but our practices weren’t as good as they could’ve been if they were at South,” he said.

Sophomore field hockey player

everyone keeps on their side.”

According to junior soccer player John Javaloyes, the varsity soccer team plays on the stadium turf field, while JV uses the softball field.

He said that while the sand on the softball field can make play more difficult, varsity deserves the superior field.

“I think varsity teams should get

Varsity is varsity because they have the best work ethic; they work very hard, and they need a lot of space for what they need to do.

John Javaloyes, Class of 2018 Nola Quinn noted that her team often needs to split the turf field with the football team.

“It definitely affects [the practice] because it gives you a lot less space and it makes you have to resize your drills,” she said.

Junior Rebecca Silverman agreed that splitting the field can be difficult.

“Sometimes it’s harder because you can’t do full field scrimmages or anything and practice the full movement of the field,” she said. “Overall, it’s fine because

the priority,” Javaloyes said. “Varsity is varsity because they have the best work ethic; they work very hard, and they need a lot of space for what they need to do.”

Junior tennis player Wiley Chen said that the team uses indoor space when weather conditions make outdoor courts unavailable.

“Two years ago, there was a lot of snow, so we had to practice indoors for a month. Indoor environments aren’t really that good, but they’re bearable,” he said.

“Sometimes the time is really annoying,

because Gym B is used for volleyball ... practicing on anything is better than not practicing.”

Natanel Ervin, a junior soccer player, said that in addition to finding new practice locations, coaches also adjust schedules to help.

“Soccer is working out the way that they’re scheduling things. It’s very rare that we’ll have to start even one hour after school, so I think that the time is divvied up pretty well,” Ervin said.

Matt Briggs, who coaches both the boys soccer and lacrosse programs, said that even with the lack of space, he tries to finish afternoon practices as early as possible for the athletes.

Briggs added that staggering practice times can help players advance in the program.

“Any time the varsity coach can see the younger guys, or if they can see how the varsity coach wants things done, it benefits everybody.”

In the end, the lack of field space isn’t a huge issue for South, he said.

“If you’re creative enough, there’s going to be enough space.”

Coach enforces new policies in weight room

photo by Kiana Lee

Catherine Granfield Sr. Sports Editor

Since Isaac Nichols took over as South’s Strength and Conditioning coach this September, he has supervised the weight room five days per week — a day addition since last year — for up to four hours after school ends.

Nichols has also imposed a series of new policies that he hopes will make the weight room a more effective resource for athletes.

“We’re trying to create a new culture,” he said. “When I first got here, there wasn’t a set standard of rules.”

One of Nichols’ priorities is to revise the weight room schedule, he said.

“There are some open times when anyone’s allowed to come, but I’m also trying to work with some of the coaches to see if their teams would be interested

in coming in,” he said. “They can reserve a time in the weight room where it can just be their team.”

According to athletics director Patricia Gonzalez, reserving time specifically for teams would help make the room safer.

“When it’s too crowded and there are too many people at each [piece of] equipment, there are distractions, and that’s how people can get injured,” she said.

Nichols allocated time slots on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the girls cross country team. Senior Midori Sangiolo said that the new schedule helps her team utilize the space efficiently.

“It’s nice that we have our own time just for our team to be in the weight room,” she said. “It allows us to access more machines and more people can be on the mat at the same time.”

Along with the new schedule came a weight room ban on cellphones and

headphones. Sangiolo, however, said that the rule is not heavily enforced. “[When I read the rule], I was kind of confused because I see people using their phones, and no one really cares,” Sangiolo said.

In contrast, sophomore Baxter Cardamone said that the new dress code, which requires shorts, a shirt and sneakers, is mandatory.

“If you have cargo shorts or khaki shorts on, [Nichols] doesn’t let you come in,” Cardamone said. “It stops people from working out sometimes, because if you wear khaki shorts and you don’t have extra shorts, or if you have boots on and you don’t have sneakers, you can’t work out for the day. It’s really disappointing.”

Nichols said that he has also stopped allowing students to choose their own music because students’ choices were not always appropriate.

“This year, I run it myself,” Nichols said. “I run it through the laptop here at my desk; students have no control over it.

It’s all school-appropriate music.”

“The other day, someone asked if they could play their own music and [Nichols] said no,” sophomore Jonah Meyer said. “[Playing my own music] would be nice, but I think that [the rule] is fine.”

Nichols said that he implemented the rules in hopes of creating a more accessible space for athletes.

“My most important goal is to create an environment that is fun and safe,” Nichols said. “I want it to be an open atmosphere [so] that many different people enjoy being in here.”

Gonzalez agreed that the new policies will help Nichols accomplish his goal.

“Having [the weight room be] more organized opens the doors to more people,” she said.

page 22|october 21, 2016

Sports|THELIONsROAR.com|THE LION’S ROAR

Male field hockey player raises questions of equality Jake Freudberg & Michael Ryter

Sports Reporter, Sports Contributor

When senior Ruslan Crosby decided this fall to play field hockey, a sport dominated by girls at most American high schools, the issue of boys on girls teams garnered attention within the South community.

Title IX grants equal opportunities for all student athletes to participate in school sports, regardless of gender. Traditionally, the law assures a female student the right to participate in any sports her school offers.

An exception to Title IX states that players of the underrepresented sex are not necessarily authorized to try out for contact sports. In response to a female injured by a male athlete during a high school field hockey game, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association passed a bylaw that created specific criteria for boys to participate in field hockey and disqualified teams with boys from the state tournament.

Crosby said that despite controversy, he plays simply for enjoyment.

“In previous years, I wanted to play, but the opportunity, timewise, wasn’t really there,” he said. “Since it is my senior year, I was like, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose. Why not try it and see what happens?’”

His gender should not impact his ability to participate in the sport, Crosby said.

“As long as you’re there to help the team and you’re being a productive member of the team, people will be happy to have you on, regardless of anything,” he said. “If you’re there and making the team worse or not having a good attitude, that’s when people start getting upset.”

Head coach Stephanie Pavao, who is coaching South’s varsity squad for the second year, agreed that field hockey should be played by those who want to

play it — not by those of a specific gender.

She said that she played with a number of male players during her time on the field, though this is the first time she has coached a male athlete.

“I think that, when the boys are coached appropriately, it’s phenomenal to have them on the team,” Pavao said. “Anyone who enjoys the sport is 100 percent welcome.”

Senior captain Morgan Neuwirth added that Crosby’s presence has a positive impact on the team. “[Crosby] is just like any other teammate: willing to learn [and] ready to give 100 percent at practices and games,” she said. “[He] has been doing a great job, even amidst criticism and negative comments from around the school.”

Pavao said that simply being male does not give a player a clear advantage when it comes to excelling in field hockey.

“It might be true that a boy may be able to clock a faster mile time or lift more weight in the gym, but at the end of the day, if you don’t have the stick skills, it won’t matter,” she said. “It’s not a contact sport, either, so a well-coached boy is not going to come in and start pushing and shoving, and if they do, the refs should call it.”

Junior Brianna Weissel, who plays on the varsity team alongside Crosby, said that the social aspect of having only one boy on a girls team does create a complicated dynamic.

“We’re more careful about the topics that we choose to talk about, and less open with what we say,” she said.

Crosby acknowledged this issue, but added that he was confident that his teammates would let him know if he caused any problems.

“I’m sure if I did something that made them uncomfortable, they would say something, but overall, I haven’t been given the vibe that I’m making anyone uncom-

photo by Caroline Whalen

photo by Caroline Whalen

Senior Ruslan Crosby takes the field as the only boy on South’s varsity field hockey team. fortable by being on the team,” he said.

According to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, 33 high school boys in the state played field hockey last season.

Sophomore baseball player Luke Ito said that he never has given real thought to playing field hockey, but would consider it if it became more widely available to boys at South. “[I] know that it’s a sport that can be played by both sexes at the same time, but it’s mainly played by girls, so [I] wonder if it would be fun to play if there were only three boys on one team,” he said.

Conversely, junior Matthew Huller, who does not participate in South’s athletics, said it is unfair for different genders to play together in a competitive environ-

ment.

“Women and men are different — that’s a biological fact. ... It’s probably just best to keep it separate,” Huller said. “[For example], there [are] professional girls American football teams, and you put them up against even the Detroit Lions and they lose; it’s just not fair.”

Pavao disagreed, adding that gender rights must be reciporocal.

“You can’t decide that you’re going to fight for women’s [equality] and then have a boy on your field hockey team and be like, ‘No, you can’t do that,’” she said. “It has to be fair all around.”

“Field hockey is not a girls sport,” Crosby added. “Here it may be considered a girls sport, but overall, field hockey itself does not have a gender.”

Middle schoolers adapt to high school competition Brendan Locke & Dorra Guermazi

Sports Contributors

Most South athletes begin their athletic careers at either Brown or Oak Hill, both of which offer eight sports programs, compared to South’s 20. While middle school teams give some athletes two or three years of experience before high school, limited options prevent other athletes from competing on school teams before arriving at South.

Isabella Villafuerte, who plays freshman field hockey, said that the lack of a middle school team has hurt her team’s performance.

“Since none of us really have ... as much experience as the other teams that we are playing, we are at a disadvantage,” she said. “It’s not fair to play against experienced girls, because our team as a whole doesn’t know how to play the game as well.”

Junior wrestler Omer Milstein also said that the lack of middle school programs means that athletes struggle to reach their full potentials.

“A lot of the wrestlers we have coming in, like incoming freshman, are not experienced, so at first, they don’t really know what they’re doing,” he said. “Junior

year, they start to get what they’re doing.

By senior year, it’s too late for them to achieve much. But if there was a middle school program, then they would be able to learn much more and be prepared.”

“I spent a lot of time last year learning the basics,” sophomore volleyball player May Boucher added. “I was still trying to learn a lot and [a middle school team] would have helped.”

[playing tennis] when they’re very young,” McFarland said. “If a student starts when they’re in middle school, and they are dependent on a middle school program to make the high school team, they would be at a disadvantage.”

McFarland also said that individual tennis lessons outside of school are more effective to prepare younger athletes than any middle school team practice would be,

I spent a lot of time last year learning the basics.

I was still trying to learn a lot and [a middle school team] would have helped.

May Boucher, Class of 2019 According to junior Wiley Chen, more experience would help prospective tennis players more than physically.

“Tennis is not 100 percent skill. It’s a lot of mental toughness, and if you had practiced during middle school, it would be easier to play during high school.”

Varsity tennis coach Patrick McFarland, however, said he feels the lack of organized tennis at the middle school level does not hurt South’s tennis program.

“A middle school team doesn’t really matter because a lot of people start

because of the sport’s difficulty to teach.

Oak Hill football coach Cleo Syph, however, said that exposing athletes to new sports is most important to the middle school programs.

“Just by practice and experience, you learn what it means to be on a football field, part of a team, and what the positions are,” he said. “Experience counts for everything.”

Experienced players have a huge advantage on the field, JV soccer player sophomore Mikey Brooks said.

“They’re all a little more fast and fit than the rest of us.”

Freshman Larissa Williams, who played Oak Hill soccer in eighth grade and now plays varsity, said that South athletes do not need previous school-sports experience, but that it could be helpful in building team chemistry.

“Honestly, maybe I did improve a little, just [in] communication skills on the field,” she said. “Maybe if you didn’t play [middle school soccer] you wouldn’t be as connected to everybody.”

Villafuerte agreed that middle school programs would help athletes connect with one another.

“If we played [field hockey] in middle school, we would know our team better,” she said. “So, not only would we be better, but the entire team [would be].”

According to Milstein, the lack of opportunities to compete in wrestling prior to high school stunted his growth in the sport.

“Even if I had just a year of extra experience, I would have been a much better wrestler by now,” he said. “[Some teammates have] told me that they’ve done wrestling before high school, and they’re much better wrestlers for it.”

October 21, 2016|page 23

THE LION’S ROAR|THELIONSROAR.COM|SPorts

Coach’s Corner The Roar’s Catherine Granfield asked dance coach Taylor Cocco for a season update

Taylor Cocco dance coach

Q A Q A Q A Q A

How does the team look so far?

They’re looking awesome; they’re working very hard. It’s hard with a new coach and a new style, but everyone has been adapting to it really well. They have really positive attitudes.

Are there any new standout dancers?

They’re all talented. They really are. I don’t even know who was on the team last year. I don’t know who is new or who is old. They were all new faces to me. They all stand out to me in their own special ways, and [I] picked the team on their excitement toward dance.

How is your style different from the previous coach?

They did more hip-hop stuff [last season]. I’m trying to mix it up a little bit, so a little more jazzy, but still incorporating hip-hop. I want to make them really versatile.

What do you hope to accomplish this year?

Aside from just having them dance, I want to give them some opportunities. I want to make sure that they’re competing, that they’re looking great at [the] Pep Rally. I want to bring in guest teachers to broaden their horizons, a lot of fundraising and team bonding to make it more than just a team, but more like a community within the school.

South Scoreboard

***All information is as of 6;30 p.m. on Wedneseday, October 19, 2016***

Team

Next Game/ Meet

Football

Oct. 22 vs Waltham

1-5-0

Girls Volleyball Boys Soccer Girls Soccer

Oct. 25 vs Acton-Boxborough Oct. 22 vs Brookline

10-4-0

Oct 21 at Cambridge

Record (W/L/T) 6-3-4 12-0-3

Boys Cross Country Oct. 28 at DCL All-League Meet

2-4-0

Girls Cross Country Oct. 28 at DCL All-League Meet

5-1-0

Golf

N/A

6-6-0

Field Hockey

Oct 21. vs Dedham

3-10-2

Tough as a Rock

GRACE LEUCHTENBERGER sports contributor

Floating Column EDITOR’S NOTE: Every issue, The Roar publishes a different athlete’s perspective from his or her position on a sports team.

Contact srstaff@thelionsroar.com if you are interested in writing this column.

Which sport would you say is dictated by toughness? Probably football, right? Or some other sport that’s brutally physical?

Although it is a not a contact sport, volleyball is a barometer for individual toughness. If you’ve ever played or watched a five-set volleyball match, then you know what I’m talking about. These matches separate the men from the boys, the women from the girls. They require intense physical stamina, plus the mental strength to keep pushing points, to keep going all out, despite your body screaming that it would be quicker to just give up.

Physical toughness is relatively easy to obtain. Through practice, you can do endless conditioning and drills to get the physical stamina you seek. But mental toughness, the drive to push yourself beyond your limits, is a rare skill that takes years of practice. A dash of intensity in your personality doesn’t hurt.

During a long volleyball match, which can sometimes last over two hours, mental persistance is key. In the girls’ varsity volleyball match against ActonBoxborough (A-B) on Sept. 22, we couldn’t afford any mental weakness. A-B, a team that has swept us in three straight sets — the quickest and most humiliating way to beat someone in high school volleyball — for at least the past three years, was undefeated. They had both a swagger and a record unmatched in the Dual County League.

Coach Elwell often describes tough matches using a metaphor about a rock and a river. No matter how big or dense the rock is, the river will always push past it, wear it down and win. We had to be the river in order to beat the rock that was A-B. We had to be resilient in the face of our perceived inferiority and wear them down.

And we wore them down. By keeping up the energy on the sidelines and the court, supporting our teammates even when we were all making mistakes and not giving up on the set when we were at least five points down, we beat the rock and sent A-B home with its first loss of the season. We beat them with our ability to buckle down, play hard and persevere, which are all components of the grand formula of mental toughness.

Mental toughness is a relatively vague term. But if you’ve ever played a sport, pushed through that last homework assignment on a Sunday night or done anything outside your comfort zone, that is mental toughness. It’s courage, focus, resilience and discipline, all rolled into one abstract concept. It’s this abstract concept that wins volleyball games and championships, and it’s what our team and every other South team, academic or athletic, puts into practice every day. If you want to see mental toughness in action, come to one of our games this October or even during our postseason in November. You will not be disappointed.

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