The Pingry Record - November 2022

CONVOCATION MARKS THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

SRIYA TALLAPRAGADA (IV)

“If you are not sure who you could discuss frustration with, concern with, or a struggle you are having… ask a friend you could talk to, ask a teacher, ask a counselor, ask your work colleague. Just try, and you will find support here. You are not alone.”—Board of Trustees Chair, Mr. Ian Shrank ’71.

The above excerpt from Mr. Shrank’s speech was just one of the many affirming statements students heard on Friday, September 9, at Convocation. Since 1987, this event has been a tradition where Upper and Middle school students submit their

Honor Code pledges, and students and faculty listen to various speeches.

A common theme in the remarks this year was the importance of trying something new. Senior Magistri faculty member Miller Bugliari stressed the significance of going outside the lines. “Pingry is on a new path with a new Head of School, so let’s make it a positive, memorable year with many more to come,” Bugliari said. Similarly, Student Body President John Paul Salvatore (VI) talked about the importance of investing in the community. Salvatore stated, “This is an opportunity for us to make each other’s youth a joy to

reminisce on later in life. Go to the next football game, the next LSU meeting, the Homecoming Dance, and pay attention to what your peers say at Morning Meeting because those people will return the favor, improve your experience, and help you build those core memories.”

Another standard message shared was the value of teamwork and collaboration. Stephanie Ticas (VI), the Honor Board Chairperson, talked about our impact on others. “So, how are we making people around us feel, on our way onward and upward? Pay attention to those around you and the impact you are leaving behind daily,” Ticas urged.

Mr. Shrank discussed the importance kindness has in education and said, “Studies have shown that small acts of kindness have an outsized positive impact on those being helped. It takes so little to help someone in what will be a meaningful way. It will make you feel better when you’re helping someone.”

The new Head of School, Mr. Tim Lear ’92, shared his experience attending Pingry as a student. His decision to return, this time as a teacher, was due to the connections he had formed with others. He said, “I love that the Honor Code mentions the word ‘community’ three times, urging us to think of others, join

our classmates, and improve the places and spaces we inhabit.”

After hearing these remarks, students partook in the pledge ceremony, in which one student from each advisory submitted the signed Honor Code. This tradition began in 2007 and was initiated by Student Body President Jessica Westerman ’08. It is a process of significant meaning, reminding students of their commitment to the Honor Code. Overall, Convocation was a great success. It welcomed new students into the Pingry community and kicked off the school year by reminding everyone of the importance of the Honor Code.

Photo Credits: Pingry Communications

Miller A. Bugliari ‘52 at Convocation

ALEX TERPSTRA (III)

For the first time in two years, the freshman class piled onto buses bound for the overnight class retreat at Bryn Mawr. I was a ball of nerves. I was new to Pingry and only knew a few others. I had so many questions. Would my classmates be nice? Would I fit in?

Would the kids who have already been at Pingry for years reach out to us and be friendly to us new kids, or would they stay in their existing friend groups?

Most of all, I wondered if my mom would ever stop texting me to see how it was going––I received her first message within minutes of exiting her car.

After an awkward first meeting with my peer group, all the freshmen boarded buses for a two-hour-plus drive. We arrived, ate lunch, and started our group bonding activities. And there were a lot. We performed poorly rehearsed

Freshman Retreat

skits, did an egg drop challenge, rushed through an obstacle course, made “chariots” out of cardboard for a race, and created banners for our peer groups. We got yelled at by the camp director for our supposed bad behavior. Then we hit the dance floor where the peer leaders joined us, dressed in costumes. Of course, who could forget the “bear” lurking around the camp, which many of us believed was just a way to keep us in our cabins. After a terrible night’s sleep thanks to the cabin window being left open and its consequential draft, we ate breakfast, finished our activities, and boarded the bus back to Pingry.

The 24 hours we spent at Bryn Mawr were a whirlwind, much of which we won’t remember. We won’t remember who didn’t break their eggs or who had the best skit or the fastest times for the obstacle course and chariot race. What will remain with us is the

fun we had and the excitement we felt about starting high school, some of us starting both high school and our Pingry careers. Even if our goals and tasks were silly, these activities helped us work as a team, and we bonded and laughed together at their cheesiness. After the retreat, all the qualms I had about starting Pingry were gone. My classmates were nice, I would fit in, the “new” kids and the “old” kids would indeed mingle, and no, my mother never would stop texting me to see how I was doing. I left feeling like part of a community, and I hope all my classmates felt the same. Community is a word we hear a lot at Pingry, and as the first class that does not have to deal with COVID-19 in three years, we have an opportunity to reset and redefine the Pingry community. We can set a tone that will affect many classes to come. I hope we will choose

Sophomores Reconnect at the Macy Conference Center Seniors Retreat to Pocono Valley Resort

SRIYA TALLAPRAGADA (IV)

On September 7, the class of 2025 took a trip to the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff Manor, New York.

After a two-hour bus ride, students arrived at the conference center and were immediately greeted with a continental breakfast selection. Students then split into their advisory groups and were given

a list of tasks to complete with their peers.

Activities ranged from holding planks to reciting the digits of pi. Each advisory was also given a disposable camera, which could be used to capture memories throughout the day to later hang up in the advisory classrooms. “It was really fun to be able to bond with other people in our advisories,” Emily Dicks (IV) commented.

Afterward, students set off for their lunch

and spent the day to themselves. Some decided to pass the time playing the fun, camp-style games in front of the cabin, while others chose to explore the campsite and hike through the woods. The weather outside was warm and sunny, providing the perfect opportunity for students to enjoy the woody nature surrounding the conference site. Wooden benches stationed around the campsite were an excellent place for students to chat, play cards, or relax before the start of what is sure to be a hectic school year. Finally, students were treated to ice cream before splitting into their respective buses for the ride back to Pingry. On the way, students enjoyed sights of the city and talked among themselves. They left the day feeling energized and ready to take on the upcoming school year. “I think this retreat was a nice way to reconnect with my friends and reign in the new school year,” Malcolm Adedjouma (IV) said.

Junior Trip—Destination: Pottersville

KEIRA CHEN (V)

On the morning of September 7, Pingry’s Form V students boarded buses to the Pottersville campus for the annual Junior Trip. Instead of continuing the long-held tradition of a day spent whitewater rafting, Pingry decided to organize a day at the school’s newest campus. As Pingry seeks more opportunities to use the Pottersville campus to enrich students’ education, this year marks the first of possibly many future class trips to Pottersville. The aim of the day was to help the students learn more ways to take care of themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally in preparation for one of the most important and stressful years of their high school experience.

At Pottersville, students were grouped by advisory and then dispersed across the campus where they listened to several guest instructors about various ways to cope with stress. In the morning, some student groups did yoga while learning about mindfulness, perspective, and healthy coping mechanisms

such as breathing exercises and meditation. After a break for lunch, where the cafeteria served sandwiches, cookies, and mixed fruit, students returned to their buildings and learned from different instructors about topics such as dealing with grief, building healthy habits, and creating manageable goals for oneself. To enforce their learning, the instructors provided activities for the students including making a meal plan for a healthy diet, writing down achievable goals, and drawing on paper plates to represent personal grief. At the end of the day, students were rewarded with an ice cream truck serving ice cream sandwiches, and they were

given free time to enjoy themselves before finally heading back to the main campus.

When the day was over, students were given the opportunity to provide feedback via surveys. As this is the first time Pingry has made such a change to the usual traditions, the school hopes to use student feedback to improve the Junior Trip for future years. This is not just limited to the Junior Trip; as Pingry moves toward a more experiential curriculum, it anticipates incorporating ways to make students’ learning more engaging, fun, and applicable to their daily lives.

MIRIKA JAMBUDI (VI)

From September 6-7, just before the new school year began, Form VI students traveled to the Pocono Valley Resort in Reeders, Pennsylvania, for their senior retreat. After three years, this trip marked the return of the Form VI overnight.

The seniors spent the trip participating in a myriad of activities, ranging from ziplining to kayaking. They also spent some time working on their college applications. The trip’s goal was for the seniors to come together and enjoy themselves while working with their college counselors to make progress on their applications.

Once the seniors arrived at the campsite via bus, they went to their assigned cabins to unpack. Shortly after lunch, they were able to explore the resort and the activities offered. Students went to relax by the pool or to play sports like volleyball and mini-golf. They also had the choice to participate in waterfront activities (like fishing and kayaking), to ride a zipline across the lake, to test their agility in a ropes course, and more.

“The ropes course was really cool, and it was nice cheering on my friends as they were racing through the obstacles. I also got to go on the zipline, and that was really fun,” Sydney Langer (VI) said. Zala Bhan (VI) agreed and mentioned that she “really enjoyed the activities,

and it was great catching up with friends [she] didn’t see all summer.”

After a day filled with activities, the seniors returned to their cabins to prepare for the dance. Students donned white dresses or paired white collared shirts with shorts for the “allwhite Wimbledon theme.” Following the dance, seniors enjoyed pizza and a campfire with s’mores. They also had time to socialize with friends in their cabins before the night ended.

The next morning, students participated in the college counseling component of the retreat. Despite some internet connectivity issues, the college counselors were able to highlight important information for the seniors. Afterward, seniors were given time to work on their Common App, revise their personal statements, and meet with their college counselors. All of the counselors — Mrs. Amy Cooperman, Mrs. Susan Kinney, Mrs. Meghan Finegan, Mr. Scott Garrow, and Mrs. Cynthia Santiago — were present to help the students with any questions.

After working on their applications, the seniors had lunch, packed their bags, and returned to Pingry on buses. Olivia Taylor (VI) said, “It was great catching up with everyone and having some fun with the people I care about right before the year starts.” Despite the downpour during the retreat, the trip was an overall success.

inclusivity, where we challenge each other to step out of our comfort zones, try new things, and get to know our classmates without fear or hesitation. From what I saw at the retreat, I believe

this is where we are headed. Let the future generations of Pingry students aim to be more like the class of 2026.

Homecoming 2022

OLIVIA BUVANOVA (IV)

On September 24, students attended the much-anticipated Homecoming, which was packed to the brim with events, featuring everything from Back-to-School Day to Big Blue face-painting to cowboy hats and the Cotton Eye Joe.

The day began with Pingry’s Back-to-School day for parents. For the first time since the pandemic, parents could meet and greet teachers in-person, with the opportunity to experience their child(ren)’s typical school day and meet other community members. Their day at school culminated with the Big Blue Barbecue.

The PSPA’s Big Blue Pride table was a big hit, offering arts and

crafts, face painting, and Pingrythemed stickers. Homecoming T-shirts were distributed to over 1,000 people, with many cheering throughout the afternoon, which was filled with sporting events, games, and matches.

In addition to community activities, Homecoming celebrated various athletic occasions. Starting with the Girls Tennis Somerset County Tournament Finals, Pingry had finalists at all five flights, of which the team won four. They were followed by Boys’ Varsity Soccer, who played against BridgewaterRaritan High School, ending in a 0-0 tie. Lastly, Pingry’s football team played against Capital Prep Harbor Day School, where Pingry was unfortunately defeated 12-20.

Friday Night Lights

JOAQUIN STEVENSON (IV)

On Friday, October 14, hundreds of community members gathered on Parsons Field to cheer on the Pingry Football team at the highly anticipated Friday Night Lights.

Led by Coach Joe Passaro, the team played against Montclair Kimberley Academy. A large white tent had an assortment of food and refreshments for attendees: Jersey Mike’s sandwiches, Texas BBQ, hot dogs, hamburgers, and much more. For dessert, there were donuts and churros. Festive gear, such as light-up glasses and glow sticks, were everywhere.

As game time drew near, parents and students lined up on the football field to create a tunnel for our players. The players sprinted onto the field through the tunnel, electrifying the crowd. Parents and students donned Pingry jerseys in support of their players.

The game commenced with quarterback Mike Hollomon (V) opening up the scoring, making a 15-yard pass to Jason Weaver (VI). The crowd cheered as Pingry went up 6-0. Running back Josh Woodford (V), with 167 rushing yards, an efficient passing attack from quarterback Mike

On the defensive side, Henry Pyne (VI) led a shutdown defense with 14 tackles in tandem with timely plays, like Andrew Schauer’s (VI) pick-six, causing MKA to leave the Pingry field with its lowest point total of the year: seven points. After a challenging game, our team closed in on a win at 36-7.

Friday Night Lights is never just about football—it is always about bringing the Pingry community together at an event that supports our sports team and bolsters our unity. Friday Night Lights brought an electric atmosphere to our campus, complete with lights, camaraderie, and Big Blue Pride. After each scored point, the crowd would cheer with pride for their friends, classmates, and community members. The excitement of the win spread unbeatable energy throughout the crowd. The Pingry community was dazzled by the food, the game, and, most importantly, our players. Friday Night Lights is, and always has been, integral to fostering a sense of school pride. The team looks forward to the many wins following this victory!

As the sun set, Upper School students began preparing for the annual Homecoming dance. As per a student body vote, the “Wild West” theme characterized dance outfits and decorations. Emily Dicks (IV) noted that dancing the night away in cowboy boots was “such a fun experience, where [she] could hang out with my friends outside of class and enjoy this night together!”

Finally shifting away from COVID-19 restrictions, students could finally enjoy Homecoming without limitations, a welcome reminder of the vibrant school community. Thank you to all faculty and staff: Homecoming would not have been as fun and eventful if it weren’t for them!

Fall Awards Ceremony

MIRIKA JAMBUDI (VI)

On Friday, September 23, the Upper School gathered in Hauser and advisory locations to acknowledge student achievement and exceptional academic effort during the 2021-2022 school year.

The ceremony started by recognizing Form VI students who were distinguished for their scores on last year’s PSAT/NMSQT exam by the National Merit Scholarship Program. This year, 32 students were named National Merit Commended Students. A total of three seniors, Mirika Jambudi, Milenka Men, and Leo Xu, were recognized as National Merit Semifinalists. This allowed them the chance to advance in the selection process and potentially become finalists in the spring. Last year, all seniors selected as semifinalists advanced to the finalist stage, and Natalie Devito ’22

won one of the highly competitive scholarships. Allen Wu ’22 and Katherine Xie ’22 were recipients of the National Merit Special Scholarship.

Following these distinctions, Upper School Interim Director Dr. Reid Cottingham presented the Citizenship Prize, which is given to one student in each grade who best represents the Honor Code’s spirit. Afterward, the Faculty Prize was awarded to students who showed dedication and commitment to their school work during the past academic year. The Scholarship Prize was awarded to the student(s) with the highest GPA in each grade.

Seniors excelling in math and science were recognized with awards from their respective department. The Rensselaer Mathematics and Science Award and the Whitlock Prize for Math were among the awards presented. In lieu of the college book awards, Pingry awards

such as the Intellectual Leadership and Innovation award, Headmaster’s award, and the Humanities award were given to students. On behalf of the English Department, Dr. Ann Dickerson announced the winners of the annual Justin Society writing contest. Students submitted their entries last spring, which the English Department reviewed. Writers and poets from each grade received awards for their creative writing, poetry, memoir, and more. The annual Fall Awards ceremony is a celebration within the community celebrating student achievement, excellence, and honor. It serves to recognize the efforts every individual in the community puts into school every day. The community looks forward to another year of hard work and congratulates all the students honored in the ceremony.

Hollomon to Rafferty Harris (IV), three catches, 77 yards, and one touchdown, propelled the team to a victory on the offensive side.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

Carver Lecture

AVERY HOFFMAN (III)

Sarika Agarwal from “Minding your Mind” delivered this year’s Gilbert H. Carver ‘79 Memorial Lecture on October 7 in Hauser Auditorium to Middle and Upper School students.

A speaker on mental health, Ms. Agarwal came to discuss her mental health challenges throughout high school and college. She talked about different types of external validation many teens seek and discussed the draining power of impossible standards, which caused her stress and exhaustion.

Ms. Agarwal’s presentation also focused on academic validation, peer validation, and setting healthy boundaries concerning school work and relationships. She addressed the stigma surrounding mental health issues and how it affects young people. Ms. Agarwal hopes to “inspire others to accept themselves for who they are and

appreciate every quality they possess, regardless of social norms.”

ALEX WONG (IV)

Honor Board Speaker

and it served as a great way to kick off the Honor Board Speaker Series.

On September 30, 2022, Milenka Men (VI) gave a speech about her two weeks spent in Moldova, where she helped Ukrainian refugees who had fled from conflict in their homeland. In her remarks, Milenka touched on her interactions with the refugee children, the local people, and how the people around her in Moldova treated her with proper dignity and respect. She also mentioned how the Moldovans could see her as American, even though some people in America might not. Her speech was very moving and motivational,

The Honor Board Speaker Series aims to provide a platform for speakers from both within and outside our community to talk about issues specifically related to Pingry’s Honor Code. Honor Board Faculty Advisor, Mrs. Alisha Davlin, remarks, “I hope that the Honor Board Speaker Series is inspirational about how it is important to live an ethical life and revitalize the Honor Code.”

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spirit of the Honor Code has taken a hit. Counts of plagiarism, academic dishonesty,

and other forms of immoral and unethical behavior have been on the rise. Thus, as life goes on, it is important that the community shifts its focus back to the Honor Code.

As the year progresses, and assignments pile up, students should maintain the academic integrity and standards of ethics and morality that it is known for. The Honor Board hopes to ensure that the community maintains its high ethical and moral standards. In this respect, the Honor Board Speaker Series serves, and will continue to serve, as a great vehicle continuing to put the Honor Code in the spotlight of our community.

committee,

changed since Gibb was a student at Pingry, and no one needs to face mental health challenges alone anymore.” Dr. Julie O’Rourke, co-director of the Counseling and Academic Support Team (CAST) and also on the committee, added “we very clearly heard student feedback which said they wanted someone they could relate to. The purpose of the ‘young speaker program’ from Minding your Minds is to reach young people on a personal level rather than a didactic or instructional level.”

This summer, the CAST suite underwent a significant renovation to further support students as they meet with counselors. Dr. O’Rourke added “All the counselor offices are now in a central room so students can drop in and more easily connect with a counselor. The counselor doors are always open to students, and a new CNTR (calm, nourish, tranquil, recharge) space has been created where students can come for a brief respite during their busy days to center, calm, and recharge themselves.”

Reflecting on Rufus Gunther Day

SRIYA TALLAPRAGADA (IV)

On Friday, October 28, students and faculty members from the Middle and Upper schools came together to participate in the annual Rufus Gunther Day. Run by Ms. Shelley Hartz, the Director of Community Service, Rufus Gunther Day is an opportunity for students to volunteer for various community service organizations. Ms. Hartz has been responsible for Ruthus Gunther Day for 20 years, and she reflects on her experience coordinating this program: “There is nothing that brings the day to me more than when everyone is finally out, and the school is quiet, but I know that everyone is out to do something really special and different. I enjoy it when everyone returns, and I see the smiles and energy…I believe in my heart that this is our responsibility, not just as Pingry School, but as individuals.”

Students worked with various organizations, from volunteering at the New Jersey Audubon Society to helping the Sharing Network in New Providence, New Jersey. An example of a new initiative the

community launched this year is Peer2Peer—a social, multicultural, and philanthropic student-led group. The group was split off into volunteering at Newark Science and Sustainability and working with the Link School in Newark, New Jersey. Students introduced themselves to one another, learned about the importance of community work in urban gardening, and went straight to cleaning up and helping Tobias Fox, Director at Newark Science and Sustainability, with his daily tasks. Mr. Harlen Shanghold, the program founder and coordinator, talked about the impact of this program: “Pingry and Link students ultimately sorted enough vegetables to feed over 150 families by the end of the day. The experience of connecting and working with Link students in their neighborhood had a tremendous impact on our students.”

At the end of the day, students were treated to pizza and participated in the Halloween costume contest. Rufus Gunther Day 2022 was a success, bringing the community closer together and allowing students to participate in service.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

to

The Gilbert H. Carver ‘79

Memorial Lecture was established in memory of Gilbert Carver ‘79, by his father, Calvin, and stepmother June Carver, his sister Marcey Carver, his brother Chip Carver, Jr. ‘77, and Chip’s wife, Anne DeLaney

‘79. The lecture series supports open dialogue on self-esteem and acceptance and—thanks to the generosity of its supporters— will continue in perpetuity. Each year the selection

composed of mental health professionals, faculty, and administrators, meets to select a speaker for the lecture series. Ms. DeLaney, who sits on the selection committee, remarked, “Times have

Diwali Celebration

AANVI TRIVEDI (III)

On Friday, October 21, the South Asian Affinity Group hosted a celebration for Diwali in Hauser Auditorium. Diwali is the festival of lights, celebrating the return of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita Devi to Ayodhya after their 14-year exile. The festival signifies the start of a new year and is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains around the world. This year, Diwali fell on October 24. Traditions include dancing, making rangolis, sharing

sweets, and setting off fireworks. Students and faculty from both the Middle and Upper School were able to attend and watch the various speakers and performers who presented at the event. Saniya Kamat (V), one of the performers, says that she “had a lot of fun singing and dancing,” and that “it was nice to be able to perform something from [her] culture.”

Prior to the celebration in Hauser, a beautiful rangoli—art made from colorful sand—was created by middle and high school students in front of

the main entrance. To prevent the art from blowing away, the rangoli was made with colored chalk.

The Diwali celebration started at the beginning of CP, with the South Asian Affinity Group leaders, Meher Khan (VI) and Rahil Kakar (V), welcoming everyone to the event. Each briefly spoke about their own experiences with Diwali and the importance of cultural appreciation. Then, Aria Saksena (II) and Sahana Kakar (I) described the significance of Diwali and spoke about some of the common traditions that families perform during the holiday. Afterwards, Kamat, Vinav Shah (IV), and Aanvi Trivedi (III) shared some of their own personal traditions during Diwali.

Following the speakers, Vaissnavi Gautam’s (I) stunning dance performance to the song “Laal Ghaghra” kicked off the performances. The next performer was Saanvi Nacha (Grade 6), who sang “Nahin Saamne Tu.” After that, Kamat sang “Nachdi Phira.” She then returned to the stage to perform an amazing semi-classical dance with Ananya Sanyal (V) to the

song “Breathless,” which they had also performed at the Middle School Talent Show three years prior. Next, Radhya Shah (I) and Vanya Shah (II) performed a Bollywood dance to the song “Raatan Lambiyan.” Last, but certainly not least, Kamat and V. Shah ended the celebration with a bang, performing another Bollywood dance to the upbeat song “Fevicol Se.”

The Diwali activities were completed with a couple of closing notes

from Khan and Kakar, including thanks to everyone involved, and a reminder for the audience to head to the cafeteria for a taste of some traditional Indian snacks. Between the number of attendees and the amazing performances, the event was definitely a huge success, and will hopefully be continued for years to come. Thank you South Asian Affinity Group for hosting the celebration!

HANSEN ZHANG (V)

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, students worked with faculty to make the second annual Hispanic Heritage Month assembly possible. The Latino Student Union (LSU), which organized last year’s Hispanic Heritage Month assembly, created an entertaining assembly on October 14 and honored Hispanic/Latino/Latinx culture. This time, students and faculty in both the Middle and Upper School participated. The first part of the assembly consisted of Middle School presentations. It began with a presentation by Señora Nuñez’s Middle School Spanish B students on famous Latino individuals, including Roberto Clemente and Dolores Huerta. Following the presentation, the audience

KEIRA CHEN (V)

On October 21, Pingry held its first-ever LGBTQ+ History Month assembly to celebrate and shed light on the long history of queerness and queer activism in the United States. LGBTQ+ History Month was created in 1995 and is held in October due to National Coming Out Day being October 11. The assembly, organized and run via the combined

answered trivia questions relating to famous Latinos made by Señora Del Pozo’s Middle School D students. Next was the Middle School art showcase. Grade 6 students created Día de los Muertos marker prints and Form I students created vejigante masks, which are folkloric masks worn for an annual celebration called Carnival Ponceño in Ponce, Puerto Rico. After the Middle School performances, the audience was surprised with “Just Say It,” a group of Latino artists who brought acts ranging from poetry, to drumming to the stage. Zeph and Saint Jude’s poetry brought light to issues pertinent to the Latino community, and Carlos Ferreira performed different genres of Latino drumming. Their acts emphasized “La Comunidad” or “The Community” of Latino speakers around the

world. The next video of student and faculty testimonies brought “La Comunidad” back to our Latino community at Pingry. After that, James Beacham (VI) presented his research on Latin American History displayed in the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts; Middle and Upper School students played Family Feud with questions related to Latino music and culture; and Sylvia Ardon (IV) received a resounding standing ovation after singing “No Me Queda Más” by Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla. This Assembly was successful in showing off the richness of Latino culture. John Paul Salvatore (VI), a co-leader of LSU, stated that he and the other leaders of LSU created the Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly “because there had been a lack of Hispanic representation in school,” and he

Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly Pingry’s

efforts of Mr. Steve Benoit, Mr. Gilberto Olvera, Annabelle Shilling (V), Mykah Weckesser (IV), Aadi Stewart (III), Sia Ghatak (IV), and Carolyn Zhou (IV), featured guest speaker Cathy Renna, who has been a queer activist for over 25 years.

As students trickled into Hauser, the speakers played a selection of songs by queer artists, which segued into a short presentation on LGBTQ+ artists including Janelle Monáe, Sam Smith,

Nina Simone, David Bowie, and more. After that, Renna was introduced, and for the rest of the hour-long assembly, Upper School and Middle School students listened as she explained key events of LGBTQ+ history that have long gone ignored and unacknowledged in schools.

Renna has been a part of several significant events, both historical and recent. She worked on WorldPrideStonewall 50 (held at Times Square in 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots) as a media consultant, with the goal to “focus on what [she] does best…tell our history.”

Besides that, Renna has worked at GLAAD—an organization focused on preventing defamatory coverage of LGBTQ+ demographics and portrayals in media—for 14 years, in addition to being the Communications Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force and co-founding Target Cue and Renna Communications, both organizations dedicated to providing communications and PR services to the LGBTQ+ community.

wanted to “educate the student body on Hispanic pride and community.” Alessio Passini (III) expressed a similar opinion, stating that his favorite part of the assembly was the opportunity the Latino community at Pingry had to “share [their] culture with others that aren’t as familiar with

it.” Whether it was the poetry by “Just Say It,” the presentation on Latino celebrities, the interviews with Latinos at Pingry, or Sylvia’s amazing singing, every audience member walked away with greater knowledge and appreciation of “La Comunidad.”

From pre-Stonewall to the present day, Renna illustrated a timeline with each event’s significant figures and lasting effects. In the early 1900s, organizations like the Society for Human Rights were established to advocate for gay rights and produced publications for LGBTQ+ people; these organizations were some of the first to introduce the idea of what would later become the gay liberation movement. The efforts of the Daughters of Bilitis and Ruth Ellis in the 50s and 60s also introduced diversity into the movement, which had previously been very maledominated and racially segregated.

In 1969, the Stonewall Riots in NYC inspired a major shift in queer activism, particularly with the establishment of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). The event also attracted a lot of media attention, empowering queer people both in the US and internationally. In the 1980s, the AIDS crisis devastated the LGBTQ+ community, hitting gay and bisexual men especially hard, but it united the community as a

whole in unprecedented ways with lesbians coming to the men’s aid and organizations like ACT UP being created to protest governmental negligence of the crisis. From the 1990s onwards, queer activist efforts progressed significantly, and the 2000s brought a burst of LGBTQ+ media as well as the repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.

Now, with widespread access to educational resources and a worldwide community via the Internet, queerness is becoming normalized and celebrated—a far cry from the stigmas it suffered (and sometimes still suffers) from in the past.

After the assembly concluded, a meeting was held in the O’Connor Boardroom where students could discuss questions with Renna, with topics ranging from recent political bills regarding LGBTQ+ issues to queerness within Pingry.

Thank you to the students and faculty who helped make this assembly possible!

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

MIRIKA JAMBUDI (VI)

I’ve always been terrified of making the wrong or an irrevocable decision. As a child, I was obsessed with the Choose Your Own Adventure books at the library. I would flip to the end and scour through the outcomes of every choice, driven by my fear of committing to just one. After all, why limit yourself to one option when you could choose all of them?

But as I progressed through the years, I found myself faced with difficult decisions that extended far beyond the pages of children’s books. Whether it was deciding what clubs to join, shopping for a new phone case, or trying to pick between pinto beans and black beans at Chipotle (life hack: get both), I was scared of making a mistake with my choice, always overthinking the different options in front of me and what could go wrong.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about our natural tendency to delay big decisions that are life-changing but

CAYDEN BARRISON (VI)

College Board: a name you have almost certainly heard or come across at one point or another. If you somehow haven’t heard of this omnipresent company, they offer the Advanced Placement (AP) course curriculums, exams, the SAT, and PSAT. While I haven’t had the pleasure of taking the SAT (sorry College Board, ACT is better), I have come to know it as one of the two accepted college readiness tests. Being one of the only options available, there is an enormous demand for high school students to take the SAT as many times as possible. The same thing goes for APs, as it is drilled into every high school student’s head that more AP classes and higher AP scores lead to better colleges. College Board wields immense and unchallenged power over the millions of students in the United States.

Despite College Board claiming to be a non-profit organization, don’t let this glorified title fool you— College Board made a revenue of $1.2 billion and profited $278

Choose Your Own Adventure

also fear-inducing, like figuring out what colleges to apply to. When deciding on an early school, I was down to two equally great choices that offered programs that interested me, but I couldn’t choose between the two until a week before the applications were due. Doubt continues to haunt a corner of my mind and forces me to contemplate whether or not I made the right decision, and I find myself still beleaguered by the “what-ifs.”

After making that choice, I started reflecting on how I choose to live my life, especially when confronted with making a decision. Two things in particular inspired my ruminations. The first is a book called How to Live, by Derek Sivers, which I read a few months ago; the second is the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which I watched for the first time earlier this year. While completely different as forms of media, both teach their audience how to live life. Sivers uses science and other philosophies to guide his readers through a reflection on their lives. According to him, people are bad at coping with change for two main reasons: first, it’s hard for us to act on rational feelings or go with our gut. Second, we strive for personal perfection — something commonly seen at Pingry — and it is hard to settle for anything less than the high expectations we set for ourselves.

When I first watched Ferris

Bueller’s Day Off, the titular character, Ferris, seemed like the complete antithesis of myself. Ferris lives in the moment, acting on spontaneity as he skips school with his friends for a memorable day exploring Chicago — all without getting caught. He lives the concept of “carpe diem,” seizing the day and making the most of it. His famous quote from the movie, “‘Life moves pretty fast — If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it’” made me seriously confront my tendency to put off decisions.

Over the past few months, I’ve taken Siver’s and Bueller’s advice to heart. I’ve tried to be more spontaneous, open to new things, and break out of my comfort zone. I lime-scootered with friends down the streets of Lubbock at 3am to get pancakes from Denny’s, gave a speech to the entire school during LeBow, and even tried out (and fell in love with) rock climbing over the summer. While my choices have backfired at times (don’t eat three packs of Little Bites in one sitting), I’m enjoying myself so much more than when I used to stress and agonize for hours over making the “perfect” choice each time. My new perspective has made me reflect on my decisions by questioning not whether they were right or wrong — but whether they were worth it. I’ve made some questionable

decisions during my time at Pingry, but if I had to go back in time, I don’t think I would have done anything differently. Maybe I could have spent some more time studying for a test or worked a little longer on my Honors Bio problem sets, but would I have gotten to spend time exploring actual hobbies and extracurriculars that I now love doing? If I didn’t have two stress fractures freshman year and decided to stick with cross-country — would I have had a different friend group? And what if I had chosen to go to a different high school altogether — who would I have become? I’ve made decisions like these along the way, and they have become an integral part of who I am.

I’ve spent most of my life trying to make the right decisions, and

I’m sure everyone else has too. Unfortunately, there’s no magic crystal ball to help you make the right choices. What I’ve come to realize is that waiting for the perfect opportunity to arrive at the ideal time and place in your life is impossible. Don’t wait for an opportunity. Seek it out, try out a bunch of things, and hold on tightly to what you love. Yes, go for that goal. Take risks, be bold. Audition for the fall play, write for the publications, start talking to a classmate in your history class (maybe you’ll hit it off!), and pull all-nighters with your friends. Because at the end of the day, while decisions can be overwhelming, you only get one chance to live in the present. Just taking a chance may change your life in ways you would never expect.

The College Board Monopoly

million off its tests and courses in 2021. College Board charges at least $95 for each AP exam if you register early and $52 for each SAT test. To some, this may not seem like an exorbitant amount, but for others—this money can be tough to come up with. College Board offers some qualified students a reduced fee of $33 for the SAT, but this is still an unusually high price for a mass-produced test. This doesn’t consider the money spent to get SAT tutoring and test prep. In most cases, students need to complete multiple tests to get the score they want. This puts people with the means to pay the fee at an advantage over those who do not. College Board has free reign to do this because, well, they can. Besides the ACT, which has a $60 minimum fee, the SAT is the only college readiness test that colleges will accept, leaving the College Board with no competition. To use a more definitive term, a monopoly is defined (according to The Economic Times ) as “a market structure characterized by a single seller, in which the seller faces virtually no competition,”

which perfectly fits College Board. Although College Board is a non-profit, the guidelines for these organizations are very vague, to say the least. Non-profits are allowed to pay their employees whatever they deem reasonable and are given tax-exempt status. Shouldn’t a non-profit reinvest all its revenue back into the company’s mission? Clearly, College Board does not think so. College Board’s CEO David Coleman made $1.67 million in 2019, compared to the American Red Cross’s CEO Gail McGovern making less than $700,000 in 2018, according to investigative journalism site ProPublica. If College Board claims to be a “mission-driven not-forprofit organization that connects students to college success,” why are they gauging students and paying their executives so much? Recently, College Board’s empire seems to be weakening. With many schools around the country now test-optional, there is less incentive for students to stack their APs and retake the SAT. The College Board recently ceased offering SAT subject tests and the SAT optional

essay, possibly signaling change in the future of the company.

It is my belief the College Board’s main goal is to profit, even if it comes at the expense of the millions of students essentially forced to buy into their testing monopoly. Not only do they charge exorbitant prices for the SAT and

AP exams, but they seemingly don’t care about inspiring education and college readiness in disadvantaged students. They pay their executives like royalty and have the audacity to call themselves a righteous non-profit. Perhaps it’s time to do away with College Board.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Kain Wang

Entering My _______ Era

JULIA ENG (V)

The desire to default to predefined characters and aesthetics is not new to me. As a child, I would read old novels like Anne of Green Gables because I believed adults would see me through my choice of book as an intelligent literary princess. Of course, this manifests itself differently on the internet, where consumption reaches a pinnacle. From mediums as ubiquitous as TikTok to those considerably more “esoteric” like Tumblr, young women frequently list every aspect of their identity through items they consume in search of a core identity. Last year, in a genuine crisis of self-image disguised as a petty tantrum, I texted my friends a long-winded explanation of the dilemma I found myself in:

“I feel like I can’t decide between green juice/pilates/healthy glow/ crystals/riviera/vitamins/morning ocean swims/pasta with homemade pesto OR cigarettes without the lung cancer/Sylvia Plath/black coffee/Fiona apple/cold all the time/sheer tights/Chanel muse/ Lily Rose Depp/wired earbuds.”

I had curated a list of traits for two neurotic identities that I could potentially inhabit, both of which have nothing to do with my real hobbies, goals, or personality. Instead, they entirely depend on what I consume or desire to consume, the spaces and aesthetics I choose to inhabit, and the quote “vibe” I want others to perceive when they see me. Rayne Fisher-Quann, a writer for i-D Magazine, explains that “the aesthetics of consumption have… become a conduit to make the self more easily consumable: your existence as a Type of Girl has almost nothing to do with whether you read Joan Didion or wear Miu Miu, and everything to do with whether you want to be seen as the type of person who would.”

Curating and carving one’s identity down to a slim caricature

and stereotype of a girl is appealing at first. It’s straightforward. Do I look like I’ve read Lolita ? Do I look like I listen to Red Scare? Is there a photo of Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction on my bedroom wall? When girls that I met over the summer saw me wearing a Lana Del Rey locket to class, the answer to these questions was glaringly obvious.

But, of course, feeling understood can’t be as simple as categorization. Ultimately, I had sold myself out. I had Girl, Interrupted myself, and created a hungry, lonely shell. What began as a romanticization of my outward persona had bled slowly into my private life—which shampoo I bought, which books I read, and even which films I watched. The question was not, “Do I want milk with my espresso?”, but instead, “Do hot, skinny girls drink dairy milk? Is a hot girl too hot to care about lactose and fat? What would a hot girl do if she had a nut allergy? Is oat milk too many carbs for a hot girl?” It was disrupting everything—I was waking up at 5 a.m. to achieve “that girl” status but performing a bedtime ritual of putting on eyeliner before crying. I would lean off the back of my bed and look for shapes in my curtains as if I was in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” all to feel like a “real teenage girl.” After all, it was much simpler to brush it off as, “Oh, I’m just in my Fleabag Era, and I look like it too!” than to admit that I was unsure of who I was without my things. It’s a smaller, sweeter pill to swallow, like a little candy-coated Advil.

By becoming conscious of our consumption as a crutch for our lack of identity, we can better understand who we are without what we watch, read, listen to, and idolize. And although I am conscious of my habits, when I write, I think about my diary, bound like a Penguin Classic book, with my readers wondering whether I am more of a Black Swan or a White Swan.

EVAN XIE (V)

For many months following the conclusion of the tennis season last spring, my tennis equipment lay untouched in my basement. I had turned my attention to other sports, various summer camps, and enjoying my summer vacation; tennis was one of the last things I had on my mind. As such, when I recently returned to the courts, I fully expected myself to be rusty. As I gripped my seemingly clunky and imbalanced racket in my hand and buried the first few balls straight into the net, my suspicions appeared to be confirmed. Surprisingly, however, I settled into a rhythm a few balls later, and although I am by no means a good tennis player, I felt better than I usually did. The ball was flying off my racket with speed and accuracy, my feet were landing precisely on the court, and I felt in control and at ease, almost as if I had been living and breathing tennis for the past couple of months. By the end of the session, it was undeniable that despite my break from the sport, I had improved. Though somewhat shocking, this observation was not new for me, as I have experienced similar post-break improvements in the past, whether it be in another sport, a school subject, or even an instrument. But why is this the case, especially since conventional wisdom suggests that taking time off from an activity will result in declining performance?

Two clear reasons come to mind. Firstly, breaks allow you to recover from the stress of continued focus on an activity and reach maximized output potential when you return. For example, consider weightlifting. Every workout, the strain on a weightlifter’s muscles creates microtears in

their muscle fibers. Hours, or even days, after the workout, these microtears heal, and the muscle fibers grow back thicker, resulting in stronger muscle. However, if the muscle is re-exerted before recovering, these microtears grow even larger, resulting in decreased muscle growth and potentially even injury. Thus, spending less time weightlifting and more time recovering can lead to increased muscle growth.

The second notable advantage of taking breaks is that the free time created can often be devoted to other activities, many of which can indirectly benefit the initial activity. In my case, as my athletic focus shifted from tennis to my other sport, ice hockey, I focused more heavily on weight training and agility training. Although designed for ice hockey, this training still benefited my tennis gameplay, allowing me to strike the ball more powerfully and move swiftly and efficiently across the court. Many activities have similarities in their physical, mental, or even emotional

components. Taking a break from activity A to focus on activity B, which will likely be a refreshing and welcoming change, can reap additional benefits for activity A. In the hectic atmosphere of the school year, during which everyone has athletic and extracurricular commitments on top of their school work, taking long breaks can be extremely difficult. Thankfully, short breaks, which are much more applicable, can still reap many of the same benefits. Taking a short break the next time you struggle with an activity or feel burnt out may help. If you find yourself mindlessly staring at your math homework, consider doing your English homework first and then returning to the math problem, hopefully with a refreshed mind and new ideas. Or, if you find your motivation waning, take a day off to watch TV, hang out with friends, or do something that will help you relax and enjoy yourself. With that said: please, please, please do not use this advice as an excuse to procrastinate.

MILENKA MEN (VI)

35-year-running Broadway classic The Phantom of the Opera (which I will refer to as POTO ) written by musical genius Andrew Lloyd Webber will be playing its last performance on February 18, 2023. Let’s talk about why we should care. Well first off, it’s the longest-running Broadway show having played over 13,000 times with various casts through decades of history. It created the blockbuster nature of following musicals— Rent, Wicked, The Lion King —and revolutionized live performance. Not only an insanely produced set design clad with a giant chandelier, a spooky boat, and over 200 lit candles on stage, the music and costumes set

Tick, Tick... Boom

out to stun every time. It is quite literally Broadway royalty. As I grow older and somehow notice increasing imperfections in the world around me, POTO reminds me that perfection really does exist. As someone who has watched 29 Broadway shows over the course of my 18-year life, have I seen shows that may be considered objectively more complex or exceptional? Yes. But I can’t help but return to the lavish and ornate history of this show. It has indefinitely set the standards for me.

In the world of Broadway, POTO is a pioneer being forged into the proverbial Hall of Fame with an uncontested legacy, but in my life, it’s so much more. A true theater kid through and through, I grew up attempting Christine’s high note in “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and belting Eponine’s “On My Own” from other classic Les Miserables on the daily. While my parents had brought me to watch other shows before POTO, I don’t remember any of those performances. Watching the 2004 movie adaptation in the car with my sister on repeat, POTO

melded into my soul from birth.

I’ve been contemplating POTO’s impact on me and how to effectively encapsulate it into the written word. My only conclusion is that I will be very sorry if I don’t get the opportunity to see it one last time before the final bows, but more importantly, I find myself wondering about what I’ve put out there in the world and how my actions have influenced others. Take my time here at Pingry. This is my 11th year, just over a decade roaming these halls. It may only be 30% of POTO’s time on Broadway, but it has been 60% of my life. Pingry has undoubtedly shaped me into the person I am today. Some faces come and go, but I’ve spent the last 11 years of my life knowing that Pingry would either be there the next day, the next week, or the next month, but now I have to face the inevitable truth— that I will be leaving the Pingry sphere in less than a year.

If Pingry’s Short Hills to Basking Ridge is Broadway’s 41st to 54th street, I am POTO, and my time is coming to an end. The curtains are cued to close on June 11, 2023,

and by then I will have taken my last Pingry test, performed in my last Pingry production, and played my last Pingry moments.

I can’t account for my influence in the last 10 years I’ve been here, but I know I can account for my actions going forward. So this year, I’m setting some goals for myself. One: say “Thank you” a lot more often. Two: smile a lot more often. Three: learn to just be I can’t speak for anyone else, but if doing those three things helps

the others around me lead a more successful school year, I think I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.

To coin a phrase from a dear, dear friend Alexander Hamilton via his muse Lin-Manuel Miranda, “What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you will never see.” Alas, I will never leave a mark quite as grand as the National Banking System, and I may be starting a bit late, but there’s no time like the present.

A Musical Escape

BUDENBENDER (VI)

One day coming home from field hockey practice, much to my dismay, the car’s audio failed to work. Even after switching from Apple CarPlay to the radio and trying to reset the speakers, no sound came out. On a mundane drive home, I sat in silence and thought about simply how much better life is when accompanied by the songs and artists that I love.

Music combines a concoction of sounds, rhythm, lyrics, and more into a single, collective form of media that we all love. It offers a chance for people to express themselves, and each individual has a different taste. When we think of people engaging with music, we mostly think of band and choir members and are oblivious to the fact that listeners have just as important of a relationship with these sounds.

Studies show that listening to music is linked to several health benefits. Medical researchers say that listening to music can improve memory, lift moods, and manage pain. Specifically, music is processed in the brain's

amygdala, which is directly connected to mood and emotions and can help raise the brain’s dopamine production. Music can also help harness creativity, as a positive mood affected by music is linked to more divergent thinking. According to researchers, there is no conclusive categorization of the functions of music, which is part of what makes it so essential to our lives. To narrow down some of the most widespread uses, however, one 2013 study categorized music as an instrument in four different dimensions: cognitive, emotional, social/cultural, and physiological. The results showed a “Big Three” in music functionality, which are self-awareness, social relatedness, and arousal and mood regulation. Each function exists within varying dimensions of physiological thought, yet they come together in the way we utilize music.

Furthermore, music is a key aspect of our personal and cultural identities. We associate songs with individual memories and connect with other people based on shared tastes. In a study done at the Auckland University of Technology, music preference among university students was

found to be linked with gender and social characteristics. The experiment examined how “group identification strengthens and maintains self-esteem through ongoing positive evaluations of the ingroup,” meaning music both categorizes individual identity and belonging in a group (Shepherd and Sigg, 2015).

At Pingry, whether intentional or not, the way we express ourselves through music has been limited in different minor ways that add up to make a significant difference. In most art classes, students are not allowed to plug in earbuds and listen to their own music during independent work time even though it enhances creativity. In the gym as well, students are not allowed any sort of headphones or earbuds when exercising. Sure, they can use speakers, but as previously stated, everyone has a different music taste and varying emotional reactions to the same song. In terms of dress and the broader category of social perception, students are not able to express their tastes through band or artist t-shirts, as they fall under the category of graphic clothing. As students constantly face the

pressures of vigorous academic, athletic, and extracurricular life, listening to music provides a muchneeded escape. Not everyone has to like the same songs for music to have a similar impact, and each person has the right to react differently to a certain sound or genre with the fundamental functions of music remaining intact. As famous German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “without music life would be a mistake.” Let

us try to remember that idea and put it into action as we continue to encounter stress in our daily lives.

SOURCES:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC3741536/ https://www.meritain.com/ music-therapy-benefitshealth-benefits-of-music/ https://www.jstor.org/ stable/10.1525/mp.2015.32.5.507

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Kain Wang

ELLA

Mirika’s Reading Range

MIRIKA JAMBUDI (VI)

There’s a certain mournful quality to which I assign the fall season. Three months of summer’s respite fly by, and we gather once more to start a new year afresh, heading back to the books. However, while textbooks may be mundane, real books most certainly are not!

With the transition to daylightsavings time and the return of pumpkin spice lattes, November is the perfect time to pick up a good book. With a mix of classics and recent releases, here are some of my must-read novels to keep you going through the month.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro is a great book to start with, and it was longlisted for the Booker Prize. This narrates the story of Klara, an artificially intelligent friend with outstanding observational qualities. From her place in the store, she carefully

watches the behavior of those who come in to browse and those who pass by outside. However, Ishiguro goes to some lengths to show these are really Klara’s only skills. She has very little understanding of how the world works. Her mobility is limited, and she has no sense of taste or smell. Klara can visually perceive simple scenes, but when there are too many people or the setting is new to her, the scene breaks into scarcely connected boxes. For example, patterns of sunlight from a window, which a human would ignore, hold significance for Klara. On one level, this is a story about artificial intelligence and an ethical side that has almost been ignored. If we create beings capable of love and empathy, we should be responsible for how we treat them. Mary Shelley understood this problem when she wrote Frankenstein , but most of the discussion of the ethics of AI today focuses only on its effect on humans. On another level, this story is about society today and how we use other people and are used by them. The political and social backdrop of the novel— this dystopian setting—rings true in present-day America, where social inequality and individuality are taken to extremes, mirroring the exploitation we read Klara undergo. In the end, Klara’s naivety and intuition lead her to a sacrifice that may be considered pointless— but ultimately shows that she is the only human in the book. The vivid imagery and perplexing

characters are engaging, and I think it is a worthwhile read. The unique style of narration may be a little hard to adjust to at first, but it allows the reader to understand Klara and her perspective.

Another must-read is Please Look After Mother by KyungSook Shin. This book follows a family’s desperate search for sixty-nine-year-old So-nyo after she is separated from her husband among the crowds of the Seoul subway station. As secrets emerge, these characters are forced to question if they truly know the woman they called “mom.” This is such a uniquely written book. Told through four different perspectives, the book forces the reader to be engaged and piece together the narratives that each character offers. The book has a slow and steady pulse, with writing that allows you to walk with your thoughts and perhaps

even reflect on your relationship with your mother. This touching story weaves cultural aspects and the complex, dynamic relationship between a mother and her children. It leaves the reader with a spectrum of emotions and challenges one to reflect on their own relationships with family members. The story was moving, and the distinctive secondperson narrative style is unique and engaging. If you go into the story generally open-mindedly, you definitely won’t be disappointed.

The final book you should add to your collection is I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. Initially, I picked up this book because I was intrigued by its unorthodox title, and I can say I was not disappointed. As someone who grew up on cable television, including Nickelodeon and Disney, iCarly and Sam and Cat were staples of my Nickelodeon viewing experience. Jennette McCurdy, who starred as Sam on these shows, dives into the challenges and difficulties she experienced as a child star. In her explosive debut, McCurdy chronicles her story of abuse, providing candid and brutally honest insight into the trauma and mental health struggles she endured at the hands of her mother, the “Creator,” and Nickelodeon. She recounts how she was cast in iCarly and thrust into the limelight as a star. While her mother was ecstatic, McCurdy was riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifested into an eating disorder, addiction, and unhealthy relationships, all

Club Spotlight: Robotics

GRACE FERNICOLA (V)

Although it may be best known for building robots from scratch, Pingry’s Robotics Club also creates a uniquely tightknit community each year, with students committed to hours of hands-on learning, cooperation and competition. Founded almost fifteen years ago, the club is mentored by faculty advisors Mr. Jeffrey Jenkins, who has been with the club since its inception, and Mr. William Bourne. Each year, the club participates in two competitions, the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), which involves small robots, and the FIRST Robotics Competition, which requires teams to create larger-scale robots up to 125 pounds. For this year’s FTC season, and for its first meet in November, the club hopes to build a robot that can stack cones on flexible poles to score points and play in a game similar to Connect Four by “possessing” poles in a line

from one side of the field to the other. (“Possession” happens when a team has its cone on top of the pole stack.) To create the robots, teams are provided with standard sets of parts but may also buy or make their own specialized parts. As part of the competition, Pingry’s team makes alliances with other teams and competes against others in a series of round robin-style matches. All club members play some role in each competition, whether as a member of the drive team, pit or scouting crew, or to offer assistance to other teams.

The club meets most days of the week during conference period to build, code, or work on robotic design. Though it is helpful to have some prior programming knowledge, no experience in robotics, coding, or any related field is needed to participate. Instead, the club strongly believes in “learning by doing.” According to club member Keira Chen (V), “The size of our team allows for students to be very hands-on and

actively participate, which helps new members learn quickly.” For its robot this year, the club hopes to extensively use an online software called CAD to model its design in 3D, and more senior members hope to train the underclassman to learn more about mechanics, code, and methods used in the lab.

Long hours spent working together make the club participants grow closer. Member Laura Liu (V) joined the club as a freshman, and her positive experience that year convinced her to stay, mentioning that “everyone was kind, eager to help, tolerant of my mistakes, and shared similar interests with me... we support each other as we move towards the same goal.”

“The program really does live by its values,” said Mr. Jenkins. “Cooperation and competition in equal measure— aka ‘coopertition.’ The contest really is about more than robots.”

Currently made up of fifteen student members, the Robotics Club still welcomes

new recruits for this school year. If you are interested in joining, don’t hesitate to contact any

spurred by her mother’s controlling and narcissistic behaviors. After her mother dies, McCurdy’s recovery is hard-won and complex, but it allows her to step back from acting to pursue writing and directing. Despite the bold title, McCurdy shows remarkable sympathy for her mother, even when she describes the emotional, psychological, and physical abuse she endured at the hands of her mother. Her narrative is raw and powerful, and her storytelling skills are brilliant as she takes readers on a journey from her early childhood years to adulthood. I was captivated by her memoir, and I would recommend it to anyone—this is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2022.

I hope you get the chance to pick up any of these books to get into the autumn vibes! It’s always the perfect time to read—especially with a pumpkin spice latte by your side. As always, happy reading!

of this year’s student leaders: Dwayne Bazil (VI), Diego Pasini (VI) or Olivia Taylor (VI).

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Google Images, Pingry Communications

AANVI TRIVEDI (III)

This fall, the Pingry community is thrilled to welcome Ms. Maribel Blas-Rangel, as she joins the Diversity and Inclusion Department as the Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). Ms. Blas-Rangel majored in French and Philosophy at Kalamazoo College in Michigan and later received a degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to arriving at Pingry, she spent four years at the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut as a French and Spanish instructor, Assistant Director of the DEIB, and Upper School Advisor. She also worked at Cranbrook

STELLA REHEMAN (III)

This year, we welcome Ms. Hope Coppinger, who joins as the new Assistant Director of Communications and Internal Strategy. Her job includes communicating with members of the community and writing the famous weekly Big Blue Bulletin. She hopes to participate in one of Pingry’s many clubs soon.

After attending Skidmore College, she received a

LEON ZHOU (V)

Pingry is thrilled to welcome Mr. Gabriel Behringer as a Form V and VI English teacher. Mr. Behringer most recently worked at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School for 14 years where he taught Upper School students. He also taught English at Princeton Day School and Salisbury School.

Mr. Behringer received an undergraduate degree

Ms. Maribel Blas-Rangel

Schools in Michigan, holding similar positions.

Although she has only been at Pingry for a couple weeks, she is already falling in love with the school, and she is extremely excited to get to know more of Pingry’s rich and vibrant community, both teachers and students alike.

Ms. Blas-Rangel has many goals for the upcoming school year, most of which involve positioning herself as a resource for students and partnering with adults and students to try and foster a heightened sense of inclusion in the school. As the Assistant Director of the DEIB, she aims to work closely with the advisors of the various affinity groups for both the Middle and Upper School.

In her free time, Ms. BlasRangel loves to be around her friends and family, as well as exploring her passion for music. Some of her favorite artists include Drake and Bad Bunny, the latter of whom she holds in high regard due to his work in promoting inclusion and diversity. She also loves food and is looking forward to finding those “nooks and crannies” of great restaurants in New Jersey. When asked what she would like to say to the community, Ms. Blas-Rangel said, “I’m really excited to be here. I’m really excited to see Pingry’s commitment to the DEIB, and the community seems to be for this work.” Welcome Ms. Blas-Rangel!

Ms. Hope Coppinger

master’s degree in education from Tufts University. She then received a master’s in fine arts and creative writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. Ms. Coppinger previously worked as a freelance writer for multiple colleges, including the College of St. Elizabeth, Drew University, and the Stevens Institute of Technology.

In her spare time, she loves reading books, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry,

and occasionally writes pieces herself. Ms. Coppinger has two dogs and two cats, and she enjoys spending time knitting. She loves Pingry thus far and considers it the most fun position she has ever held. Ms. Coppinger loves meeting students from all different grades, remarking on “how supportive and friendly everybody is…there is a real sense of everybody just being genuinely kind and helpful and fun.”

Mr. Gabriel Behringer

in Humanities from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s degree from Dartmouth in Cultural Studies in Literature and Writing. His decision to teach stemmed from his love of working with and observing the growth of young people as well as the profound impact his own teachers had on him.

Mr. Behringer loves the welcoming Pingry community, and is hoping

to settle in and get a sense of his classes, which include Ethical Dilemma and Afrofuturism. He is currently the co-advisor of Writing Center, and he hopes to improve the center’s visibility and space for students to use. In his free time, Mr. Behringer enjoys cooking for his family, playing board games, participating in sports, and hiking with his three sons.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

KEIRA CHEN (V)

This year, Ms. Naomi François joins the Pingry community as a Form III and IV English teacher, in addition to her roles as a coadvisor for Green Team and a leader for Black Student Union. After attending Williams College for her undergraduate studies and earning a B.A. in religion and Africana studies, Ms. François attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, where she graduated with an M.A. in religion. Before coming to Pingry, Ms. François taught at Wesleyan School in Georgia. She returned to her Northeast roots in June of this year to teach at Pingry. When asked what inspired her to become a teacher, Ms. François stated that rather than her choosing the profession of teaching, “it’s more like teaching

SRIYA TALLAPRAGADA (IV)

Ms. Megan Hilliard joined the Upper School English Department this fall to teach English. She joins Pingry from the Bentley School in California, where she taught high school English and served as Assistant Dean of Student Life, faculty advisor for Student Government and the yearbook, school photographer, and tenth grade English curriculum team leader.

Coming from a non-traditional teaching background, Ms. Hilliard explains that her decision to become a teacher comes from her love of helping children find excitement through education.

GABE RAYKIN (III)

This fall, Pingry welcomes Dr. Lisa Ievers to the Upper School Math Department. She currently teaches Geometry-Honors as well as Geometry and Advanced Algebra. She will also be coaching Middle School Track and Field in the spring. Before coming to Pingry, Dr. Ievers received a bachelor’s in mathematics and philosophy from Bucknell University, a

Ms. Naomi François

chose [her].” She reflected on her passion for education, “I found that I had a lot of fun in classrooms. Seeing students learn and understand things that they didn’t before is an amazing experience. I wanted to be a resource for people, and teaching accomplishes all those things.”

So far, Ms. François’ impression of Pingry has been quite positive. “I think the resources here are amazing, and the students are really bright and cooperative,” she says. She also mentions an appreciation for the freedom teachers have to incorporate their own ideas and personal styles of teaching into their classes. Her goals for this year include encouraging her students to enjoy themselves as they learn to analyze and think critically, for her students to feel like they learn something of

note, and to make her students “feel seen and cared for.”

In her free time, Ms. François enjoys reading (“because I’m a nerd,” she joked), listening to music, singing, and dancing bachata. Her interests include heavily theoretical conversations, politics, all things justice-related, and the genres of sci-fi and magical realism.

When asked if she’d like to share anything else with the community, Ms. François said that she got in trouble for reading too much as a child. She is also very good at getting ten thousand steps in every day, but admits this is mostly because she gets lost.

“If I wasn’t a teacher I’d be a professional sleep artist—I invented the profession, it’s where you’re very good at sleeping a lot,” she said. The community welcomes Ms. François to Pingry!

Ms. Megan Hilliard

Her first experience with this was at a wildlife sanctuary, where she had one of her first internships.

“I was teaching a fourth grade class about pythons. We had this 16-foot python out, and the entire class stepped back except for this girl who stepped forward and asked if she could touch ‘Popcorn.’ Her eyes lit up with wonder, and it was amazing for me to experience that moment with her.”

Her decision to teach English comes from a more personal interest in the subject that started in high school. “Literature saved me in high school—it let me travel the world even when I wasn’t physically able to.” She

was especially interested in Shakespeare, whose literature most students dread. She credits this interest to a teacher: “I had an English teacher who taught a Shakespeare seminar. I loved working with her. The way she was able to make something that most kids found challenging into something exciting was so inspiring to me. She is the teacher I want to be for kids.”

Ms. Hilliard expanded on how she wanted to influence students. She wants to use her diverse background to get involved with all community areas. “I’m not just an English teacher, and I want to be able to connect with students who don’t like English.”

Dr. Lisa Ievers

master’s in philosophy

from John Hopkins, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from John Hopkins. She taught various courses before transitioning to math at the Morristown Beard School in 2018. Dr. Ievers taught math at Mo-Beard for four years. She was inspired to become a teacher because she loves making complicated concepts easier for people to understand.

In her free time, Dr. Ievers loves long-distance

running and spending time with her black labrador retriever. Upon coming to Pingry, she noticed that Pingry is different from other schools because of the high caliber of students. She mentioned that her unit test averages were very high, and students make great use of their collaborative periods. Starting off the year, Dr. Ievers likes Pingry a lot and is excited for the rest of the school year!

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

Mr. Jonathan Kelly

ELLA BUDENBENDER (VI)

This year, Pingry welcomes English teacher Mr. Jonathan Kelly from the Delbarton School where he worked as a library director for six years.

Mr. Kelly graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Fairleigh Dickinson, received a master’s in English from Arizona State University, and has a masters in Library Science from Rutgers. He currently is in the process of

getting a doctorate in creative writing at Drew University.

Mr. Kelly has a love for working with students and is “excited to be here” and brings his energy to the classroom. His top goal is to “reignite the passion for writing” and help students become better writers. He is teaching freshman and sophomore classes, cocoordinating the Writing Center and moderating

the Creative Writing Club. Mr. Kelly is a co-advisor with Dr. Wakefield and will hopefully lead his own advisory in the future.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Kelly enjoys watching soccer, hiking, reading, and spending time with his pets and family. His favorite author is Chuck Klosterman, a non-fiction writer.

Mr. Joe Kinney

KYRA LI (VI)

This fall, Mr. Joe Kinney joined the Pingry Middle and Upper School as a permanent substitute teacher and coach. He will also work with students in recruiting education and coordination. He attended Lehigh University where he earned his B.A. in science and economics and M.A. in secondary education. Mr. Kinney taught Social

Studies, History, and worked in Special Education before becoming a college baseball coach, which he pursued for over 30 years.

Though he is a new member of the faculty this year, Mr. Kinney is not unaccquainted with the Pingry community. Both of his daughters graduated from Pingry, and he is married to Mrs. Sue Kinney, Co-Director of College Counseling. He feels that Pingry has

always been welcoming, which has encouraged him to fully embrace the community and develop relationships with students. He also hopes to help and improve the baseball team the best he can this year.

Besides baseball, Mr. Kinney enjoys skiing, golfing, and spending time with his family. He is happy to be a part of Pingry and looking forward to strengthening his ties to the community.

Mrs. Susan Kinney

KYRA LI (VI)

This fall, the Pingry Upper School welcomes Mrs. Susan Kinney back to its college counseling team. Additionally, she is a sophomore advisor and Girls’ Affinity Group co-faculty advisor. Before she left, she also helped out with the Ski Team as the unofficial “coach mom,” as she loves to ski and compete with her husband. She also loves to hike, read, and watch sports while spending time with her family and friends.

Mrs. Kinney graduated from Penn State University, where she received a B.A. in Psychology and Business. Later, she earned her M.A.

in Teaching from Montclair State University and went on to teach History. Before coming to Pingry, Mrs. Kinney started in college admissions at Lafayette College. In 2007, Mrs. Kinney realized that her passion for teaching and college admissions were combined in college counseling at Pingry. Then, in 2019, she ventured to Phillips Academy Andover for a new experience. After three years, Mrs. Kinney has returned to Pingry. When asked why she decided to return, she responded, “This is home.”

Mrs. Kinney states that her return has been wonderful, and she enjoys the closeness of the Pingry community,

compared to the spread out, college-like environment at Andover. Along with a few more blue walls and renovated offices, she feels that Pingry has become warmer with Mr. Tim Lear as the Head of School and feels lucky to have returned after COVID-19, as Pingry turns the corner to a brighter future. Her goals are to continue to get to know students and make sure that they always feel supported in the college application process. She hopes to be a positive presence in the community.

Mrs. Kinney expresses that while no place is perfect, “Pingry is a special place.”

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

OLIVIA BUVANOVA (IV)

This fall, Dr. Sterling Kouri joined the Upper School World Language Department. Currently, Dr. Kouri teaches French 1, French 2, and French 4-Honors, not to mention his role as the Boys’ Cross Country assistant coach and Polyglot’s faculty advisor.

Dr. Kouri received his undergraduate degree at John Hopkins University. He then traveled to France

SRIYA TALLAPRAGADA

(IV)

Ms. Kelly Mauger joins the Math department to teach AP Calculus AB and Geometry 1. Previously, she worked for 12 years at the Morristown Beard School and helped develop the integrated math curriculum there. She also co-authored the school’s Integrated Math 3 textbook with another member of the MBS Math Department.

Ms. Mauger received a B.A. in Mathematics from Drew University and an

Dr. Sterling Kouri

to achieve his master’s at Sorbonne University.

Afterward, Dr. Kouri got his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and went on to teach in boarding and allgirls schools in New York.

When asked what inspired him to become a full-time teacher, Dr. Kouri said, “I always loved being in the classroom, the opportunity to learn and share, and spreading cultural awareness, a lifelong skill.”

Dr. Kouri loves to cook,

play guitar, and ride his bike in his free time. Considering the year ahead, Dr. Kouri hopes to help his students become more confident in the French language. As a new member of the community, he comments, “Pingry is a very warm, welcoming community filled with motivated students, eager to learn.” Now heavily involved within the Pingry community, Dr. Kouri is excited to see this year unfold.

Ms. Kelly Mauger

M.A. in Mathematics

Education from NYU.

Ms. Mauger did not always know she wanted to be a teacher. “In college, I began TA-ing for some classes, and I decided that this was something that interested me. I enjoyed math, and I enjoyed sharing that with other people. The more I was teaching, the more excitement it brought me,” she said.

In addition to taking care of her four children, Ms. Mauger enjoys trying out new hobbies. Ms. Mauger stated, “Something I do for

fun is, on Wednesday nights, I take a hip hop class. I am terrible at it, but I have fun trying. I am learning routines with a bunch of moms in my community.” At Pingry, she is slated to help out with the Middle School Musical. Our community is privileged to have Ms. Mauger join us this year.We are excited to see Ms. Mauger’s future at Pingry blossom in both the classroom and in the extracurricular activities she is helping out with. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome in the halls!

Word In The Halls

Brielle Marques (V)

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications, Saniya Kamat

What Do You Do to Take Care of Yourself?

Mr. Jay Winston

Vanya Shah (IV)

Nicholas Meng (V)

“Uhh I play video games.”

“I sleep a lot.”

“[W]hile I like to be social, I also like to just sorta be out on my own and go on long drives and walk around places. I also think a massage is important every once in a while.”

“I do skin care. I really like investing in different skin care products and taking time... ‘cause it makes me feel relaxed, and having clear skin makes me happy.”

Dr. Maryann Woods-Murphy

GRETA PEW (V)

Last fall, the Upper School Spanish Department welcomed Dr. Maryann Woods-Murphy. This year she is teaching Spanish 2, 4, and 6. She co-advises the Student Diversity and Leadership Conference and leads the White Allyship Affinity Group.

Dr. Woods-Murphy attended Montclair State University, where she received a B.A. in philosophy and a M.A. in Spanish Literature. She also received a M.A. in Hispanic History at the University of Salamanca in Spain and a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University.

Before coming to Pingry, Dr. Woods-Murphy taught for

28 years at New Jersey public schools. In 2009, she was the New Jersey State Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Woods-Murphy says she started teaching because of the “‘Aha’ moments when students are able to speak Spanish for the first time.” She “fell in love with people expressing themselves in a new language.”

She retired in 2019 and became an educational consultant to help schools understand how to maximize their students’ talents. However, her work became online due to COVID-19, and she lost the connection that made her love teaching, prompting her to join Pingry last fall.

When Dr. Woods-Murphy is not teaching, she enjoys

writing, cooking, traveling, and having long conversations while walking. She is currently working on a memoir about the time she lived in Spain for four years with her husband. They agreed never to speak a word of English while they were there. When asked about her thoughts on Pingry thus far, Dr. WoodsMurphy said, “I was instantly comfortable when coming to Pingry and was amazed by the students’ hard work and respect.” Her goal while at Pingry is to “teach students how to be an upstander to their classmates and understand how bias may work in their lives.”

Ms. Lily Siegel

ALEX WONG (IV)

This fall, the Pingry community welcomes Ms. Lily Siegel to the Upper School History Department. She teaches four sections of World History 10 and is an assistant JV Girls’ Soccer Coach. Ms. Siegel received a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in English from Tufts University.

Ms. Siegel was drawn to Pingry since it reminded her of her own high school. She knew the school was

academically rigorous and well-regarded. In addition, she was very impressed by “the intellectual ability of the students and their kindness, and how down to earth everyone is… [along with] the strong sense of community.” Ms. Siegel is enthusiastic about educating students about world history, as teaching the subject “runs in the family.”

In her free time, Ms. Siegel enjoys yoga, cooking, baking, reading, and exploring the New Jersey/New York area.

Ms. Kimberly Ady

In addition to the aforementioned incoming faculty, Ms. Kimberly Ady also joined the Pingry Community this fall to teach Middle School and Upper School German. Ms. Ady was not available for comment.

Ms. Siegel is interested in learning more about music and design. She looks forward to getting more involved in the community and would love to advise any one of the plethora of Pingry clubs. Her words of wisdom for the community are “the only way out is through, since sometimes you might be overwhelmed with how much work you have, and the only way out of it is through it. However, you don’t need to go through it alone!”

Word In The Halls

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications, Word In The Halls - Mirika Jambudi (VI)

What Are You Doing Over Thanksgiving Break? “I’m going to Israel.”

Hannah Diao (III)

“See family in New York and spend time with friends.”

Kirsten Thomas (IV)

“My brother is coming home, so I’ll spend time with him.”

Alan Zhong (V) “Friendsgiving!”

Victoria Ramos (VI) & Ariana Saintil (VI)

Fall Sports Season Update

By KATE MARINE (V), CALEB PARK (VI), ADAM ELAYAN (V), HANSEN ZHANG (V), GABRIEL RAYKIN (III), SEBASTIAN SAMPEDRO (VI), SARAH GU (V)

Field Hockey

Midway through the season, Field Hockey is off to a successful start and currently holds a 6–2 record. The team is seeded third in the Somerset County Tournament and aims to win it this year. Across the sixteen varsity players, there is a dynamic array of talent. According to head coach Julia Martinez, the team includes many multi-sport athletes who “are able to utilize skills learned in other sports to help elevate their level of play.” Ten different players have scored goals so far and seven different players have made assists, meaning that over half the team has been directly involved in goal scoring plays. In addition to scoring goals, however, the team’s defense has been on point, holding four different games to shutouts. Goalie Ella Budenbender (VI) has been a valuable asset to the team and recently reached an impressive 500 saves. As the fall season progresses, Pingry Field Hockey will continue to uphold the work ethic that helped carry them to success thus far. For Coach Martinez, these values include “grit, communication, [and] appreciation [of] the various skills each member of [the] team brings to the field.”

Girls’ Tennis

The Girls’ Tennis team is once again having a dominant season on the courts. The group, led by captains Isabelle Chen (IV) and Ava Grunstra (IV), alongside coaches Ms. Marion Weber and Mr. George Roser, sports an undefeated 14-0 record, only

losing two out of 70 matches this season. After sweeping Princeton Day School, the team recently won their second straight state title. The team holds this year’s Somerset County, Prep A, and Non-Public State titles. Leila Souayah (IV) and Chen recently won back-to-back state first doubles championships.

Sydney Langer (VI), the only senior on the team and D3 tennis commit to Johns Hopkins University, is proud of “everything our team has accomplished in the last couple of years…so excited for the bright future of Pingry Girls’ Tennis.” This team is currently ranked #1 in the state by NJ.com and reached the podium at the end of the season. The team is clearly a force to be reckoned with and their dominance will be here to stay.

Football

Regardless of their 2-4 record, Coach Joe Passaro believes this year’s Football team has the ability to “go very deep into our league playoffs” and for good reason. After starting out the season hampered by various injuries, the team is back, healthy, and looking to make a run. With outstanding new transfer quarterback Mike Hollomon (V), receivers Rafferty Harris (IV) and Jason Weaver (VI) will pose a huge threat to opposing defenses in the coming weeks, and with a backfield of Joshua Woodford (V) and Christian Fassnacht (VI), there is no telling what Pingry’s offense can do. They will be backed by an impressive defense led by Harvard commit lineman Peter O’Mara (VI), transfer lineman Carson Deroner (V), and the senior linebacker tandem of Rochester commit Riley Cavanaugh (VI) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute commit Henry Pyne (VI). With talent oozing out of Pingry’s

roster, the boys will look to build on their positive momentum from their 34-3 trouncing of The King School into the playoffs and beyond.

Water Polo

The Water Polo team—led by captains John Grissinger (VI) and Matt Oatman (VI), head coach Mr. Granger Abuhoff, and assistant coaches Mr. Jeffrey Jenkins, Ms. Nico Jasbon, and Ms. Megan Hilliard—is back. After the recent Beast of the East tournament in Pennsylvania, the next important competition for the team was the Garden State Invitational on October 28-29 at Lawrenceville and the Prep Easterns on November 4-6. Mr. Jenkins states, “It’s hard to judge how we will perform in Prep Easterns because there are so many teams that we don’t play regularly that participate in this tournament. As for Garden State, our main competition will be Lawrenceville. The other

teams—Blair, St. Benedicts, and St. Peters—are solid but we generally can beat them, meaning the question is whether we can pull it together and beat Lawrenceville.”

Due to a large addition of freshman girls, a Girls’ Water Polo team was created. However, at some tournaments, the girls’ and boys’ teams will combine to compete as a co-ed team. For example, at Prep Easterns, the team will split into boys’ and girls’ teams, but at the Garden State Invitational, the team will be coed. Given they are set to do well at the Garden State Invitational, the team certainly has a bright future ahead.

Boys’ Soccer

The Boys’ Soccer season record currently stands at nine wins, one loss, and four ties. The team is currently ranked second in the state. They have worked very well together this year despite many

unfortunate injuries and unexpected results. Due to these injuries, some Junior Varsity athletes bravely stepped up, taking over for positions they have not played in before.

Practice varies depending on how far they are from their next match and which team they are playing. In anticipation for upcoming matches, the team works through a structured routine to strategically improve gameplay. However, in the practices shortly after their games, the team usually works on more of a repetition-based practice. This year there are multiple freshmen who have been great contributors to the team, continuing to excel and lead the team in the future. “The freshmen continue to shock me and the other coaches in our games in terms of their speed of play and athleticism,” Coach De Almeida says. The boys look forward to playing in the state tournament.

Photo

Fall Sports Season Update

Girls’ Soccer

The Girls’ Soccer season has been off to a great start. Their record stands at an impressive 8-4 with their only losses coming against four of the top twenty ranked teams in the state. After a year of rebuilding, the team is once again in position to win counties and states. Captains Allie Colella (VI) and Cece Korn (VI) give credit to the younger players who “bring a positive and competitive environment to the team.” Casey Phair (III) has scored 23 goals (averaging almost two goals a game) and shows promise of developing into a player like the legendary Madisyn Pila ‘20. Maya Nuwayhid (III) leads the playmaking with eight assists in addition to her 13 goals.

The team enters the county tournament as the third seed with an initial matchup against Ridge High School. Fresh off back-to-

back wins against Hillsborough and Lawrenceville, they strive to add another win to their record. The team is clearly capable of playing with anybody in the state and hope to show off their abilities during the remaining stretch of the season.

Boys’ Cross Country

Led by captains George Shavel (VI) and James Thomas (VI), along with coaches Mr. Matthew Horesta, Mr. Sterling Kouri, and Mr. Brian Taylor, the Boys’ Cross Country team is back and hungry to win this fall season. Although Coach Kory and Coach Taylor are new to coaching at Pingry this year, they are already playing integral roles as assistant coaches. From giving racing and recovery advice to helping Head Coach Horesta with managing practices, both coaches have been great additions to the team this year.

In addition, they are no strangers to coaching cross country. Previously, Coach Kouri coached the Girls Cross Country team at the Loomis Chaffee school, and Coach Taylor was an assistant coach at Washburn University and Felician University. Coach Kouri states that coaching the Boys’ Cross Country team has “been fun” and that “it’s been good to get to know Coach Horesta, who’s outside my department, as well as students that aren’t in my French Classes.”

As for the team itself, it has seen a strong showing of freshmen who have made big contributions in freshman, JV, and varsity races. They may even play an important role in the three key races ahead: Counties on October 20, Prep A on November 2, and the Non-Public championship on November 5. Shavel believes the team “is going to do really well” and has “a lot of hopes for both JV and varsity, especially JV. There are a lot of guys

on JV who want to prove themselves and break out into varsity and that’s going to push everyone to run good times.” With new assistant coaches and a strong group of freshmen, there is great potential for the cross country team this year and for future years.

Girls’ Cross Country

Stronger than ever before, this year’s Girls’ Cross Country Team has achieved great heights throughout the season. Captains Alexis Matthews (VI), Allie Jones (VI), Olivia Murray (V), and Head Coach Ms. Sarah Christensen led the team to win the Valley Division and place second overall at the Skyland Conference. The team is currently top ten in the state, the highest they have ever ranked. They hope to perform well at States and qualify for the Meet of Champions, in which the best schools in New Jersey race against one another.

The captains noted their incredibly hardworking and supportive team as a significant contributor to their success. “We have a bunch of new freshmen who are eager to run and love running,” Murray said. Their tough practices—consisting of threeto-six-mile runs, hills, speedwork, and weight room three days a week— only strengthen their bond. “I’ve noticed we have a good culture of ‘I want to push myself more’ and ‘I want to do better,’” Matthews said. Another prominent aspect is their team spirit and camaraderie. “I feel like I made so many friends through the sport, and I just love that we all cheer each other on and want the best for each other,” Murray said. The team is exceptionally tight-knit, with a beach trip over the summer and group trickor-treats on Halloween. “Everyone’s close this year,” Jones observed. “It’s like a little family together.”