Issue 3 - December 2019/January 2020

the Standard December 2019/January 2020 | Volume 45, Issue 3

The American School in London | One Waverley Place | London NW8 0NP U.K. | standard.asl.org

News 3-7

Australia bushfires rage on Members of the school witnessed the Australian wildfires first hand as they traveled to Australia and New Zealand over break.

PAGES 6-7

Opinions 8-11

Youth movements need reform

Editor-in-Chief John Towfighi examines the state of the climate crisis movement and the importance of engaging all demographics of young people.

PAGE 9

Features 12-20 The plant-based mentality

In recent years, plant-based diets have received increased publicity. Influenced by environmental impacts, ethical concerns and perceived health benefits, multiple students have adopted a vegan diet.

PAGES 16-17

Culture 21-22 Meme culture conceals crises

Features Editor: Online Helen Roth breaks down the recent social media trend of WWIII memes and how posting them undermines a serious socio-political issue.

PAGE 22

Sports 23-28

Students treat robotics as sport

Students who participate in robotics in the winter season dedicate countless hours to preparing for competitions, building and programming robots. Students describe their commitment and reasoning for considering robotics a sport.

PAGE 25

A look toward the future Houdah Daniels | Staff Writer

Story on pages 18-19 PHOTO BY MADDY WHITMAN

Online

SPORTS

NEWS

• Freshmen granted open campus priveleges

• Jack Wilkin (’20) to row at UPenn • Varsity basketball photo gallery Nate Lewis (’22) goes to shoot a layup in the boys varsity basketball homecoming game against Lakenheath Jan. 10. The team won the game 57-48.

PHOTO BY IMOGEN WEISS

Freshmen leave campus during lunch. Grade 9 students were granted off-campus privileges starting the week before second semester.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACK WILKIN

Jack Wilkin (’20) rows in the National Schools Regatta for the crew team May 24-26, 2019.

Wilkin has been rowing since he was 15.

PHOTO BY EMILY FORGASH

In case you missed it... standard.asl.org OPINIONS

• Looking beyond inherent disconnections • Global leaders fail to embody leadership qualities • Approaches To Learning reflections must change to become less tedious, basic

Illustration by Zainab Shafqat Adil

FEATURES

• Bergeron Fellow reflects on the power of storytelling

CULTURE • ‘Mary Quant’ exhibition celebrates designer behind Britain’s boldest trends

PHOTO BY RAUNAK LALLY

Mannequins modeling variations of the “Jersey Dress” on the second floor of the “Mary Quant” exhibition.

@TheStandardASL

2 Online

The Standard

Students to attend Parent-Teacher Conferences Elliot Nilson Guest Writer For the first time, High School students will join their parents at spring Parent-Teacher Conferences Feb. 6-7.

The decision to include students in the meetings was made at the beginning of the school year by the administration and follows the Lower School and Middle School, who have already made this transition.

“

Parents don’t know about your attitude in class.

Sophia Kalimtgis (’21) Former High School Principal Jack Phillips, during his tenure, initiated the idea of having students involved in conferences.

Since Phillips’ departure, current High School Principal Devan Ganeshananthan has been tasked with carrying out this change, and he said that the new format of conferences “makes a lot of sense in terms of Kindergarten to Grade 12 alignment at ASL.” “The Middle School has included the students in conferences, so the next step after Middle School is High School,” he said.

Ganeshananthan said that the change in the format of the conferences will bring about many benefits to the community, and that they will allow students to “have a voice and ownership over their learning.”

This change also prepares students for life after high school, as they will learn how to reflect on their learning which is essential for their future.

“When students graduate from ASL, almost all of them go onto college and university,” Ganeshananthan said. “When they are living at the college or university, their parents are not there.”

This means that it becomes solely the responsibility of the student to assess and make adjustments to their learning habits.

English Teacher Christopher Moore also said that there are many benefits associated with the new format of conferences.

One upside he sees is “the idea that students are driving the conversation and the focus is on them [during conferences].”

“Students benefit from hearing the conversation firsthand rather than what is reported to them by their parents second hand,” he said.

“This takes a middle person out of [the equation].”

Sophia Kalimtgis (’21) also said that she sees important positive aspects of the new conference format.

“You can’t hide anything from your parents when your teacher is there,” she said.

Leanne Lewis, parent of Taylor (’21) and Nate Lewis (’23), is “really looking forward to having both of my children participate in the February conferences.”

Lewis said that it is “important for students to be a part of the discussion with teachers and hear the direct feedback.”

She also said that the adjustment in the format of the conferences will make it easier for parents, who previously had to communicate teachers’ evaluations to students.

“I always find it somewhat difficult to come home and summarize the conversations that I have had with [my kids’] teachers, as it sometimes results in questions or additional feedback from the kids that would have been helpful in the conference,” she said.

However, Kalimtgis said that she sees several downsides to the new format of the conferences and the uncomfortable situations that they potentially could possibly put students in.

“Parents know about your grades, but they don’t know about your attitude in class,” she said. “No student wants to be there while their teacher explains about their attitude. I don’t like the idea.”

Owen Steege (’22) also said that there will be several negative impacts of the new conference format. Steege believes that the parents should meet with the teachers separately from the students in order to “avoid conflict of saying something bad about [you] when you’re there.”

“There are certain things that a teacher can say with a parent [present] but not with a student [present],” he said.

Lewis, however, is not in total agreement with Steege. She is optimistic about the potential upsides of the new format of the conferences.

“I really don’t see any drawbacks as long as the same objectives are accomplished,” Lewis said. “For me, that is an open, honest and constructive conversation on the successes and opportunities for growth and development for my kids.”

Steege recalls moments from when he was in Grade 8 when he would come home from school and was asked how his day was, and would reply with a brief response.

Now Steege is able to “show [his parents] what I learned throughout this whole year and how I can get better.

That helps me grow as a person.” *Cameron Spurr contributed to reporting.

December 2019/January 2020

News

For the first time, students will attend Parent-Teacher Conferences Feb. 6-7.

Though there will still be no classes on those days, students will be expected to meet with their parents and teachers.

By the numbers

74.6% Student preference on being involved in P-T Conferences

25.4% NOT INVOLVED IN P-T CONFERENCES

INVOLVED IN P-T CONFERENCES

Whether or not the new format helps students talk to teachers about grades

69%

of students believe their education won’t benefit from the change.

NO

65.5%

YES

34.5%

51%

of students believe that students being included is unreasonable.

GRAPHICS BY LUCAS ROMUALDO AND CAMERON SPURR Data collected from an online survey conducted by The Standard from Jan.17 to Jan. 20 with 179 responses.

News 3

Uber ban could alter transportation use Since the suspension of its London license in late 2019, Uber is still operating as usual. However, its presence in London continues to be threatened by TFL’s impending decison.

Isabel Link News Editor: Print Transport for London has revoked the operating license of rideshare company Uber Technologies. The license was set to expire Nov. 25, but TFL suspended it slightly earlier in the day, primarily citing their concerns for passenger safety.

Founded in 2009, Uber has now extended their services to food delivery, as well as electric bikes and scooters. However, their business in London may soon be shut down indefinitely, although a conclusion could take months to reach.

According to the BBC, Uber is also appealing in Germany, promising to adjust its rules in response to complaints about drivers not returning to company base and parking in certain locations to wait for trips.

Faced with a period for appeals to renew their license, the company is still functioning as usual.

While a ban may create a substantial change in certain people’s lives, Ambrose Vannier (’21) said he believes that other companies will be the greatest benefactors. “[The ban] would definitely help many cab services who were particularly hurt by Uber’s business because they undercut them on their prices and efficiency and ease of use,” Vannier said.

Similarly, Evelyn Snizek (’23) also predict that different services will gain back business.

“People would definitely take black cabs more and also things like Lyft,” Snizek said.

However, KT Kentopp (’22) said Uber is currently more appealing because of how “easy” and “accessible” it is to use. But customers are relying less on local black cabs.

“Everyone will just order people Ubers,” Kentopp said. “But one of the drawbacks is [that] they’re taking a lot of business away from London taxi cabs.”

Although Snizek also acknowledges the decrease in black cab use, she sees a large disparity in price between traditional cabs and Uber fares, therefore opting to take Uber.

Oftentimes, Snizek defaults to using Uber instead of the tube, bus or even black cabs.

“When it’s late, like if I have basketball [and] it ends at 7:30, 8, I’ll usually take an Uber home because it’s cheaper than cabs and it’s easy,” she said.

Because of this reliance, Snizek said the ban would be an “inconvenience” in her life.

“It’s something I’ve used for a while, so I don’t want to have to get used to another thing,” she said.

On the other hand, Kentopp does not often take Ubers.

“I can easily get places with public transport, and it’s less expensive to do it,” she said.

Additionally, Kentopp said using Uber is not a realistic option for her when travelling to and from school, especially when she is attending sports practices.

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL

“Because I live far away, it’s easy just to take the tube which has less traffic,” she said.

However, if the ban is finalized, Snizek said customers may find and start to rely on a new and similar start-up company.

“There’s a bunch of other things like Uber that are coming out that aren’t as popular right now because Uber is on top,” she said. “Eventually, a new up-and-coming company [will] come up and be exactly the same.”

What is your main source of transportation?

Taxi 10% Bus 17.4% Tube 44.3% Other 10% Car 10.9% Uber 7.4% Data collected from an online survey conducted Dec. 21-26, 2019

by The Standard of 230 students.

4 News

Currently, there are multiple allegations that threaten the company’s standing in London.

“The potential ban was focusing on two things,” Vannier said. “Both the sexual assaults and the identity changing, how Uber drivers would pretend to be someone they weren’t when they were on the app.”

After reading a report of assault cases, Vannier said he was “surprised” that the number was not larger.

“For a public transport service, anyone could get in that car,” he said.

“I’m actually amazed by the safety features they’ve built in to limit that number.”

Similarly, Snizek also said that danger is not limited to car services.

“Anything could happen,” she said. “It could happen in a black cab, you could get hurt on the tube.”

As reported by Uber in the U.S., 3,000 incidents of sexual assault occurred during Uber rides in 2018.

Although this is larger than similar companies like Lyft, Vannier said these numbers are realistic with a larger base of users.

“The number we’re seeing with the sexual assaults ... will be much higher [compared to competitors] just generally because [Uber] is a more popular company,” he said.

Nonetheless, TFL has not made the same accusations or advances in taking away licenses of other companies as they have with Uber.

“There isn’t really any allegation against the rival company Lyft, so that might be seen as unfair targeting,” Vannier said. “Instead of directly targeting Uber ... [TFL] should target all ride sharing companies in general.”

Despite any allegations, some customers feel safe using the service, taking their own safety precautions.

“A lot of people say they don’t feel safe,” Snizek said. “Just make sure you get in the right car and ask ‘who is this for?’ or ‘where are you going?’

That’s what I do and I feel fine.”

If the ban is settled, it may not only affect how students get around London. Vannier said there could be an environmental impact if more cars are taken off the road as a result of Uber drivers not operating.

“

It’s something I’ve used for a while, so I don’t want to have to get used to another.

Evelyn Snizek (’23) “One long-term effect would be a reduction on climate change from reduced CO2 from all these cars,” Vannier said.

However, there is some doubt surrounding the decision to remove Uber’s license in the U.K. Back in 2017, they lost their license temporarily and being given two extensions as well as another 15-month license in 2018.

“I don’t think that TFL will, in the long run, stop them from providing their service in the U.K. or in London,” Vannier said, “There are too many people who use Uber.”

The Standard

SJC runs Aequitas Week The annual Aequitas Week event, organized by the SJC and held on the last week of January, included workshops and speakers with a focus on social justice issues.

Elsie Androulakakis Guest Writer The Social Justice Council ran the annual Aequitas Week event Jan. 20-24, organizing various activities focused on social justice.

Aequitas Week was extended from the original Aequitas Day in 2018, spreading out speakers and workshops over multiple days.

The aim of Aequitas Week was to stimulate and facilitate conversations within the student body on topics that can be controversial or challenging to discuss.

“

Participating in Aequitas Week is rewarding, insightful and inspiring.

Talia De Beer (’20) Across the week, there were selected guest speakers and workshops, as well as both student and teacher-led workshops on social justice topics, ranging from the environment to urban issues. Speakers shared issues significant to them with the High School student body.

As soon as the council was formed in early October, the head of the Aequitas Committee was selected. They were responsible for organizing the event and coordinating workshop leaders.

This year, the head of the Aequitas Committee Houdah Daniels (’20), in addition to CoPresidents Jasmin Taylor (’21) and Talia De Beer (’20), worked with the members of SJC to organize Aequitas Week.

SJC Member Alice Agostinelli (’22) was involved in organizing Aequitas Week. She said that the event is important to raise awareness of social and political issues among the student body.

“Because ASL has such a global outreach due to our diversity, we need to be aware of issues that are happening around the world,” she said.

Aequitas Week called attention to significant worldwide events such as the turmoil in Gaza and

historical oppression in Latin America, by shining light on them in school.

Agostinelli said this event allows students to become aware of the prominent issues that exist outside the High School community and can inspire them to take action.

“Everyone should know a little bit about [global issues] just so that they can choose whether they want to help by making an educated choice after they have found out more about it, rather than just saying no,” Agostinelli said.

Agostinelli also said that Aequitas Week is an important event even for students not interested in social justice, given the importance of understanding political issues.

“It’s a chance for everyone to be involved in social justice, even if you are a student who doesn’t identify as someone who wants to fight to combat social injustices,” she said. “Aequitas Week works for everyone because it’s just this one chance to be involved in issues which are worldwide and present everywhere.”

SJC is also currently considering implementing a Middle School SJC and Aequitas-style event in order to offer this experience to other grade levels.

SJC Faculty Advisor Neil Basu said that the purpose of this project is to prepare and encourage younger students to participate in SJC in the future, as well as to promote activism among the student body.

“Last year, some Middle School kids were in volved,” he said. “Those kinds of things are just so great … having a wider conversation about issues in the world.”

De Beer said that SJC is hoping for students to appreciate and learn from the experience by organizing their own workshops. “[Participating in Aequitas Week is] rewarding, insightful and, as cheesy as it sounds, inspiring,” De Beer said.

Basu agrees with De Beer about the value of the event. He added that the objective of running Aequitas Week was to help foster awareness of pressing social and political issues among the student body.

“It is about the idea that there is a group of kids who are willing to organize something for

all the [other] kids that focuses on social justice issues,” Basu said. “It’s important for students to think about more than just themselves and their curriculums in their classes.”

De Beer co-led her first Aequitas Week workshop in 2018 on topics regarding social justice and American literature. The experience of running this workshop, which she led with English Teacher Alissa Mears, encouraged her to apply for SJC the next year.

“The students really enjoyed ... debating and having some challenging conversations that you don’t see on a daily basis in your classes. That’s something that really inspired me,” De Beer said.

“I’ve seen the potential that students have and it’s just amazing to me.”

By the numbers

23 29 2 37 23

SJC members ran Aequitas Week workshops ran in Aequitas Week guests spoke and ran workshops students led Aequitas workshops teachers and staff ran workshops

.

News in Brief High School to hold annual Spirit Week The annual High School Spirit Week will take place Feb. 10-14, the week before February Break. Each day will have a different theme, and students will dress up in accordance with that theme to earn spirit points for their grade. Themes for the week will include the school colors of orange and black, different sports-related attire and pajama day.

Spirit Week will culminate in the Spirit Assembly which will occur at lunch on Friday. It will include a several different activities and games in which each grade will compete to win the Spirit Cup.

Student Council plans Grade 9 Winter Formal Grade 9’s Student Council representatives have planned a Winter Formal dance to take place the evening of Jan. 31. The event was originally planned to occur in late November, but was postponed after low student interest in a survey and a lack of chaperones.

The event has since been rescheduled and will include winter-themed decorations, music and a photographer.

ASL to host West London Model UN Conference High School students and faculty will run the West London Model United Nations (WLMUN) conference Feb. 1. Participants have been placed into different committees and assigned to represent various countries.

The secretariat is comprised of Laura De Beer (’20), Emilie Faracci (’20), Liam Hamama (’20) and Micaella Lavi (’21). The topic of the conference is climate change, with each committee focusing on a different aspect of the issue, such as air pollution and sustainable energy.

Delegates and committee chairs will be High School and Middle School students, as well as students from other nearby schools.

Sustainability Council organizes fashion show

PHOTO BY JONATHAN NOVAK

PHOTO BY MADDY WHITMAN

Left: The Social Justice Council put up an Aequitas Week board at Top O. Sticky notes were provided for students to write and post their views on the meaning of social justice. Right: Poet Jaspreet Kaur speaks to a High School assembly Jan. 21.

She discussed her poetry and social justice.

December 2019/January 2020

Sustainability Council members will run a fashion show to promote eco-friendly brands and shopping alternatives such as garment rental and thrifting. Around 20 brands donated pieces for the event that will feature student models.

The show will include volunteers for the stage crew and taping as well as three guest speakers dispersed between walks on the runway, and will occur March 16.

News 5

Australia bushfires rage on Since the end of 2019, fires have consumed parts of the Australian continent.

Students and faculty members who visited over winter break experienced firsthand the scale of damage.

Lea George | Lead Features Editor

1 Billion Animals

GONE

B

unny ElliotGranger (’22) returned to Australia for winter break. Her entire family resides in Australia, and many family members and friends of hers have been affected by the fires.

When visiting, Granger’s original plans for the holidays had to be changed because of the situation.

On Nov. 11, 2019, a fire started in Ravensbourne, Australia, burning through 20,000 hectares of forest.

Since then, rampant bushfires have overtaken the country, forming growing and damaging fires.

As a result, homes have been destroyed, citizens evacuated and species of Australian wildlife has become seriously endangered.

“We went back for Christmas, and at the beginning we were meant to be in Sydney for about five days, but we ended up going to the countryside of Melbourne to escape the smoke,” Granger said.

Matthew Pope (’20), who is from New Zealand, visited Australia over the break, and said he clearly

felt the byproduct of the fires.

“It felt like the air wasn’t clean, you couldn’t really breathe properly,” he said. “Although we never saw the fires themselves, we could definitely see the effects of it.”

However, Pope said that these effects extend beyond only Australia and into neighboring countries.

“When I was in Auckland, New Zealand, the sky was blood red,” he said. “New Zealand is getting all the smoke from [the fires] and all the haze.

The glaciers down south are turning black with smoke and ash.”

According to the BBC, 6.3 million hectares of land have been burnt in Australia so far. The Australian bushfires, although started unintentionally, have had devastating impacts on the geography, causing relocation. There have been 29 reported deaths as of Jan. 22.

Science Teacher Marisa Wilson said that the bushfires stem from the accumulation of dry materials such as kindling in vast land areas. These materials therefore become more susceptible to the dry climate, and are vulnerable to inciting large fires.

“When you have a situation where it’s very dry, which Australia is anyway, and it’s being exacerbated by climate change, you end up with basically the recipe for disaster,” Wilson said.

Wilson said that although

the trees in most of Australia are already accustomed to the dry climate, the increase in heat has made it harder to control the fires. In the past, the Australian government has tried to decrease the amount of bushfires through a system called “prescribed burns.” “[The government] will light smaller fires that they can control around the edges,” Wilson said.

However, one change that Wilson suggested that could possibly decrease the impact of the fires on citizens and their property is to make property more fire resistant.

“A lot of what [the government] can do to is protecting property better,” she said. “Whether that entails making sure that there is not too much material that can burn around the house, I guess that can be done more than it is now.”

In efforts to combat the rampant fires, Australian firefighters, police and military have fought tirelessly to put out the fires. However, in addition to the internal efforts that are directed toward extinguishing the fires, the U.S. and Canada have sent hundreds of firefighters to aid Australia’s force.

Pope’s cousin is a firefighter for New Zealand and was sent to Australia to help combat the fires. However, Pope said he believes that other neighboring countries can make more of an effort to help Australia.

“Asian countries like China and Japan are not too far, so something they could do is help,” he said.

Wilson said she also believes, however, that more international aid is

“CERTAIN SPECIES WILL TAKE GENERATIONS TO RECOVER, IF THEY EVER DO.” SCIENCE TEACHER MARISA WILSON 6 News

The Standard

“A LOT OF PEOPLE REPOST BUT DON’T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.” BUNNY ELLIOT-GRANGER (’22)

needed to help combat the active fires.

“Some people think ‘Oh, it’s a developed country, they don’t need any help with the money’ but in a situation like this, it is so large scale,” she said.

Wilson said that overall, not just for Australia, a lack of emphasis is placed on the severity and dangers of environmental issues.

“There is so much help that needs to be done and, to be honest, we don’t put enough money into environmental issues. We just don’t,” she said.

Granger said that she condemns the Australian government for their slow response to the raging fires. According to Australianmining.com, coal exports from Australia accounted for $66 billion in revenue in 2018. Since most of the income of the country stems from this coal exportation, it has relied heavily on its production.

“It’s just the production of carbon dioxide that [the Australian government] haven’t really done anything about, so there’s a lot of things they can do,” Granger said.

Granger said that she believes even though many Australians have moved away from plastic use, more effort needs to be made to decrease the country’s carbon emissions.

“People need to realize that getting electric cars and taking more public transport and walking needs to be a big step,” she said.

Similar to Wilson, Granger said that environmental issues simply are not be-

ing discussed nearly enough.

“People have to wake up and realize that things are happening and have to properly change and not just talk about changing things, because most of the changes that have been made are quite small,” Granger said.

As the fires continued to break out, many turned to social media to raise awareness on the situation in Australia. Granger said she believes social media effectively spreads the word about the importance of an issue, and that it can act as a guide when considering how to help.

“I follow a lot of celebrities and they are all posting about how much they have donated and they give you websites and how to help,” Granger said.

“That’s how I got information and how I reposted.”

However, Granger feels that it is not sufficient to solve the issue at hand.

“It can also only go so far, and a lot of people repost but don’t actually do anything about it,” she said.

Regarding the wildlife, according to The New York Times, around one billion animals are estimated to have died as a result of the bushfires. However, Wilson said usually fires can be beneficial for some ecosystems.

“When you have a smaller fire that isn’t as hot and damaging, you have regrowth,” she said. “You have regeneration, nutrients are recycled. New species of plants can develop and fires can be increasers of biodiversity.”

However, due to the large scale of the fires, Wilson said she is skeptical of the ability of the wildlife to recover from the damages.

“These fires have been so hot and damaging to such a large scale area that certain species will take generations to recover, if they ever do,” she said.

Like Granger and Pope, Wilson was in Australia during the fires. Wilson’s

Areas Burned California 405 square miles partner is Australian, and they visit the country every four years. But, this time, she said that it was very unlike what they were used to seeing when visiting.

“You step out of the airplane, you enter the Sydney airport, and it smells like smoke,” she said. “It is in the building. It’s crazy. The sky is not normal cloud color. It has a yellow tint to it. It’s dark and it’s awful.”

The Amazon 27,265 square miles

Australia 32,432 square miles

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ISABEL LINK Data collected from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Brazil National Institute for Space Research, Reuters

December 2019/January 2020

News 7

EDITORIAL

These speakers have brought a certain energy that students enjoy. They are both captivating and genuine.

PHOTOS BY JOHN TOWFIGHI, ISABELLE LHUILIER, EMILY FORGASH GRAPHIC BY JOHN TOWFIGHI

Guest speakers impact community for better In many High School classes, students have watched videos of inspirational figures or listened to recordings of motivational speeches. However, this year, there has been a noticeable change for the better.

This school has brought in exciting speakers into the school. From Innovator-in-Residence Kwame Alexander to author and Barnard College professor Jennifer Finney Boylan, speakers this year have had an unprecedented positive impact on the culture of the High School.

For example, fashion influencer and activist Sinead Burke was memorable, even after watching her TED Talk a week before. She mentioned that people always assume that she won’t be able to command an audience at first, especially one that is full of kids that are taller than her.

However, she did just that during her assembly.

There was a sense of respect and engagement present in the school center. Not only did she have the student body laughing and listening intently, but students continued talking about her presentation long after it had finished. She left a lasting message with the High School.

While the school has brought in speakers in the past with varying professions, this is the first time

where each of our guest speakers have put an emphasis on their identities along with their fields of work. There have been multiple guest speakers of color, one who was transgender and another who had a disability.

All have brought different perspectives that students may not necessarily identify or interact with otherwise. This highlights the school’s recognition of the importance of diversity and bringing in role models that embody underrepresented identities.

For the first time, there is talk amongst students about which speakers are coming to assemblies. Having people like Alexander in the school has created an environment where students are engaging with individuals who are role models for possible career paths.

These speakers have brought a certain energy that teenagers enjoy. They are captivating and genuine. Listening to Alexander talk about his love for poetry was intriguing. Hearing Burke’s story of fashion success was fascinating.

The wider range of speakers this year has also reflected that the school is trying to give students alternative ways to learn. They are being active about trying to build appreciation for life beyond high school which is quite exciting for students.

Not only have students been able to take advantage of hearing from these incredible speakers, but most of us were able to follow up with them either in class or throughout the days they came to speak.

For instance, Boylan came into several English classes to discuss the process of writing as a columnist for The New York Times. She gave tips and suggestions to aspiring writers and talked about her experience as a writer and professor.

Alexander has been available to students during his office hours in the Mellon Library, providing writing feedback and critiques to those who seek it. In the Social Studies Department, Alexander has visited classes such as Topics in Government and Law to discuss social issues currently faced in the U.S. Having these talented speakers come into classes has made the experience of hosting them a lot more personal.

Although the speakers have been beneficial to to the community, students should have more of a say in the types of guest speakers brought in. Surveys, polls and advisory discussions always serve as a means of gauging student opinion.

Recently, Grade 12 students received a survey with a list of potential graduation speakers and voted on who they would most like to hear from.

Similar surveys could be sent out to the student body for assemblies. Additionally, students and faculty should have opportunities to suggest topics or fields which they would like to learn more about.

Furthermore, the school community should focus on making assemblies more of an event. It is important for students to look forward to attending assemblies and it is more fun to not just view them as mandatory.

A possible way to increase engagement is to send out bios of the guest speakers a few days before each talk.

There is still sometimes a slightly awkward pause after talks when the floor is opened up for questions, so these bios would allow the community to prepare questions beforehand.

Since we usually hear we are having an assembly but with no other context, it would be more exciting if we were told in advance who we will be hearing from.

It is refreshing to see the school trying to engage the student body in means beyond just class.

Thank you for giving students the opportunity to explore the real world a bit. Thanks for letting students meet these great people.

Standard JOHN TOWFIGHI Editor-in-Chief ISABELLE LHUILIER Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Print JONATHAN NOVAK Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Online CAMERON SPURR News Editor: Print ISABEL LINK News Editor: Print LUCAS ROMUALDO News Editor: Online ALLEGRA ALBANESE Opinions Editor: Print SAL CERRELL Opinions Editor: Online LEA GEORGE Lead Features Editor ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL Features Editor: Print HELEN ROTH Features Editor: Online EMILY FORGASH Culture Editor: Print RAUNAK LALLY Culture Editor: Online LILY WHITMAN Sports Editor: Print MICHAEL FLAHERTY Sports Editor: Online IMOGEN WEISS Media Director MADDY WHITMAN Media Editor ROHAN HAARMANN Video Editor LOUISA AVERY Adviser STAFF WRITERS Maarya Shafqat Adil, Willa Blair, Kira Crutcher, Polina Dashevsky, Daniel De Beer, Amber de Saint-Exupéry, Anabelle Fox, Mia George, Grace Hamilton, Chloe Howell, Gabrielle Meidar, Ella Podurgiel, Gabriel Romualdo, Ellie Taylor, Jasmin Taylor

8 Editorial

CARTOONIST Zainab Shafqat Adil CONTRIBUTORS Duda Figueiredo MISSION STATEMENT The Standard staff and adviser are dedicated to creating a collaborative, open forum that cultivates productive dialogue within the School community by publishing exemplary student news media according to the strictest standards of journalistic integrity.

CONTENT The Standard covers news related, but not limited, to the School community. Issues-driven coverage that aims to explore ideas, themes, concepts, trends and recent developments beyond the campus that are relevant to members of the community are also included.

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The Standard

JOHN TOWFIGHI john_towfighi@asl.org

“

Yet, in reality, Greta can be hard to connect with for many.

Currently, a wave of reform that is picking up steam is the climate crisis movement. The possibility of changing the way humans interact with the environment is receiving extensive international exposure.

Much of this newly acquired attention is due to 17-year-old Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist who has helped organize thousands of studentled protests across the globe.

younger generation – by people like her.

As Thunberg’s initial impact settles, it is important to analyze whether her movement will continue to pick up steam or fizzle out. The unfamiliarity of having a reform movement entirely monopolized by the youth makes it more difficult to put within the context of past historical patterns. Due to the uncertainty of how things will progress as our generation grows older and enters adulthood, it is important to check in on the movement’s current state.

For me, an apparent interruption in the progression of the movement is the lack of recognition of true teenage public opinion. My generation has often been represented as all-loving of Thunberg. Yet, in reality, she can be hard to connect with for many. I have heard several comments from my peers about feeling disillusioned by her attitude and confused by her message.

Thunberg earned There is a silent population that the title of Time Perdoes not view Thunberg as someone son of the Year for who is representative of the youth.

2019. She has since Though her presence empowers one become a role model demographic of young people, it’s not for countless young a given that it works well for all. people interested in Thunberg’s speech to the United furthering the cause of Nations General Assembly Sept. 23 the planet.

2019 underscored how she is beReform movecoming an increasingly polarizing ments that call on individual. Thunberg’s rhetoric was political leaders accusatory and dramatic. She repeatto make change are edly asked “How dare you?” to world not a new occurrence. leaders. She received applause from However, the differher core supporters, who argued that ence with this current calling people out is the only way movement is that it to get politicians to listen. is spearheaded by the ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE Yet, it also deterred large

portions of young people who saw the speech as her failing to make the most of an opportunity to address those in power with scientific facts and solutions.

While there was a feeling of satisfaction in ranting about what people felt, it was not an effective strategy to deal with the audience at hand.

Our generation is currently witnessing adults experience polarization. Eccentric leaders and a toxic climate of social media politics has exposed the negative effects polarization can have on society.

It is essential that as my generation grows older and continues to critique adults we remain introspective, and ensure that we evolve ourselves beyond talking about politics in such a taboolike manner.

Tackling issues like the climate crisis require full participation, and there must be open conversation about who we want our leaders to be and how we want to approach achieving change. The climate crisis is legitimate and concerning, and there needs to be continuous reform as to how to engage everyone in the discussion.

It is not surprising that Thunberg is disliked by some young people, as there is always an extent of divisiveness on any issue. But it seems that this important element of how the movement is progressing is seemingly absent from conversation.

Thunberg is remarkable for bringing awareness to the issue and setting an example of how to get involved and help. Yet, her approach has arguably solidified the identity of a student activist for many students as a leftist, marchattending individual. Like any identity,

OPINIONS

Youth movements need reform

it does not fit everyone, and it has caused certain groups to feel marginalized.

Not every student feels that attending marches is a form of protest that they can engage with. This does not mean that these people do not care. It is simply a result of the fact that people have different forms of support when it comes to raising awareness.

Politics aside, Thunberg’s personality radiates confidence to a young generation. She is a beacon of hope for those fed up with being ignored by politicians and millions love and respect her as a result. Thunberg should be applauded for the work she has done and given due credit.

The area that needs addressing is how to inspire those who do not feel connected to Thunberg, rather than leaving them unheard, unmotivated and prone to anti-climate opinion as they grow older.

There are plenty of simpler, less outgoing ways to get involved. Education through reading and building academics paths around professions related to the environment are feasible and exciting opportunities. There needs to be more role models and entry points into getting involved.

It is idealistic to say that because the youth are growing up together, they must all save the world together.

However, as the planet is reaping the consequences of our careless actions, that is a better future to look forward to than the reality of another adult generation that is split between progressives and those who don’t want to push for change.

Teenagers face unfair expectations ELLIE TAYLOR ellie_taylor@asl.org

“

Teens are largely defined as people who are treated like children but expected to act like adults.

I don’t know when I first realized that people were treating me differently because of my age. For a while, it went undetected because I was engrossed by the prospect of being a teenager, like how I would be able to go out with my friends more, how I was moving up a grade, and how I could babysit.

I thought that the minute you went from 12 to 13, like magic, you were an adult wih all the fortune, autonomy and opportunities. I would go on cool adventures like in “The Darkest Minds,” by Alexandra Bracken, where you get powers and everything changes when you turn 10.

Even more so, I would finally be able to stay up late.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t turn out that way. I woke up on my 13th birthday and the only thing that was different was that I was sick. However, I soon realized that another thing had changed: peoples’ expectations of me.

There were some advantages to being a teen, but also disadvantages.

Thirteen comes with a later bedtime and an extra load of homework. Happy birthday to me.

A few years ago, I was standing in line with a friend on a school trip to Disneyland. We were both on our

December 2019/January 2020

phones, her looking at the map of the park trying to figure out where we should go next, me texting my mom assuring her that I was ok.

I remember hearing a loud, “Ugh, teenagers, always on their phones, never talking or anything.” I turned around, stunned that someone would say that with such certainty. I was confused, because he was on his phone too. I was also following my mom’s wishes of keeping in touch.

I brushed it off, but the rest of the day every time I picked up my phone to check the time or look at the map, I would feel a lingering sense of guilt that maybe the man was right. I felt that his opinion shouldn’t bother me, but that didn’t stop a small part of me from thinking that he was right. Now that I was a teen, had I inadvertently succumbed to the power of the cell phone?

From then on I heard negative remarks about teenage behavior more often and I began to believe that I was a part of this supposedly disappointing culture.

I tried desperately to avoid being accused again of whatever it was that as a teen I would now do. The problem was that I wasn’t exactly sure what that might be. It couldn’t be that bad,

right? After all, every adult in front of me had once been a teenager.

Teens are largely defined as people who are treated like children but expected to act like adults. It helped a lot to talk to my mom about what I was feeling, which may seem strange, but she is the closest person to me who had also been a teenager once.

My mom said that one of the best pieces of advice she’d ever been given was to think of me as a mini scientist.

She said that as teens we are trying to discover the world and

how we fit into it, not harm it.

Thus, I’ve decided to go about life imagining myself as a scientist. I’m not afraid to ask questions because I’m pretty sure I do not have all of the answers. I figure I won’t get everything right the first time and sometimes things will get messy, and there may be some flames. But in the end, I’m going to enjoy my teen years on my own terms, so that when I’m actually an adult, I look back on my teen years fondly.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE

Opinions 9

Importance of new mission statement DANIEL DE BEER daniel_de_beer@asl.org

“

The mission statement is an essential tool to guide our school in the right direction.

In recent years, I have observed countless emails, announcements and assemblies about the new mission statment. Like many others, I wondered why there was so much attention dedicated to the statement.

After a while, I knew the reasons behind the change, but didn’t understand the excitement surrounding it.

I barely saw any students paying interest to the statement. This made me curious about what students think about the mission statement and how much it is actually impacting our school community.

When first writing this article, my primary perspective was fixed on the fact that revising the mission statement was a waste of time. However, after further research and interviews, my stance has changed.

The mission statement is an essential tool to guide our school in the right direction, especially being a school with over 1000 students.

The new mission statement states that “The American School in London empowers each student to thrive as a lifelong learner and courageous global citizen by fostering intellect, creativity, inclusivity and character.”

As a school, a mission such as this influences the decisions faculty and staff make to accord to these values.

Not only does the mission help the school and curriculum, but it is also an effective guideline for students to set goals for themselves in order to prepare them for a better future. The mission statement includes a vision for

what ASL wants students to become, with ideal traits and characteristics of a good student.

However, did students actually take this into account? From a survey conducted by The Standard, only around 30% of students have actually read the new mission statement. This number is astounding, considering this is a significant and majorly worked on mission statement, with about 36 hours of work in focus groups.

The steps taken in order to formulate the new mission statement were inspired by a lot of the actions taken to create the previous mission statement.

In addition, most of the people that did help with revising the mission statement were volunteers who genuinely wanted to guide this school’s values in the right direction, including an idea for what students should be like in the ASL community.

Many students, including me at first, could not see how the mission statement affected them, only the mass amount of time and resources put into it. We didn’t recognize how the mission statement affects us from day-today, and therefore continue showing no interest.

What they don’t see is that the mission statement was meant to be used by students, to guide them in the right direction to become a thriving student body and successful in the future. It includes key terms including “life-long learner,” “creative” and “courageous global citizen” that were carefully formulated for the students to set a vision of how they can benefit the ASL com-

munity. This is why students should perceive the new mission statement as a tool they can use.

Not only does the mission statement serve as a tool for students, but I also believe it has directly affected them in other ways.

Sitting down and talking with the Head of school, Robin Appleby, I learned that every decision that the school or teachers make runs through the mission statement to assure that it abides by it. The school has already taken initiative on the mission statement with the new wellbeing program, ensuring students are capable of being independent when it comes to taking care of themselves.

In a survey conducted by The Standard, 45% of teachers surveyed said their classes had been affected by the mission statement. This demonstrates that teachers do abide by the new mission statement, and in turn, students are affected in their day-today lessons.

Students who have read the new mission statement

SENIORITIS

Yes

31.3%

No 68.7%

Statistics from an online survey conducted by The Standard with 166 responses sent in Oct. 2019

Progress Report NEW DECADE

Since the entire school is affected, both the school and students should take initiative to clearly convey the goals set out by the mission statement and improve the ASL community as a whole.

On the school’s part, there should be more transparency on the effects of the new mission statement and how, in time, it is affecting our school.

For example, the school should provide the reasoning behind decisions when it comes to the curriculum and how it is abiding by the new mission statement. This way, students are aware of how the new mission statement is affecting them.

For the students, they should perceive the updated mission statement as an improved goal or vision of how they can help the ASL community and be a prosperous student.

Since the school has implemented the changes they wanted to see at ASL, it is now a matter of showing us how they have actually taken initiative.

PHOTOS 1,2,4 & 5 BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE PHOTO 3 BY IMOGEN WEISS PHOTO 6 FROM FLICKR/ GAGESKIDMORE

LOVE ISLAND

BOTTOM O

1

2

3

4

5

6

This Editorial Board of New Decade (B) Three weeks back and I’m already beat.

O: (B) Posters on point, but it’s lacking leisurely fur4. Bottom 1. The Helen Roth niture. John Towfighi The Standard gives the Senioritis: (A+) It’s nice being able to sleep more than five hours Love Island: (F) The Flack will never be back and it’s just 2.

5. a night. Izzy Lhuilier not right... Allegra Albanese school its third progress Scuffle: (D-) The pair looked like an old married Day: (A-) Insightful and helpful.

6. Bernie-Warren report of the school year 3. Alternatives couple. Sal Cerrell Zainab Shafqat Adil

Post Scriptum: Charlotte’s Cupcakes

10 Opinions

The Standard

America First creates more problems than it solves

MIA GEORGE mia_george@asl.org

$105 Million

$ authorized by State Department and Congress

$450 Million

$

It is essential to recognize that the U.S. has contributed and supported many smaller and unstable countries in the past by harnessing the vast economic power it possesses. This has largely resulted, or at least been a factor, in the progression of that nation.

The Marshall Plan, a massive undertaking by the U.S. to rebuild Western Europe after World War II, exemplifies this. Its success produced a period of political stability and prosperity, as well as an example of the cruciality of American foreign aid.

As a result, the United States Agency for International Development, a department tasked with overseeing the aid’s distribution, has played an active role in crafting foreign policy in presidential administrations across the political spectrum.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump has actively disrupted this longstanding policy by promoting an ideology referred to as America First.

America First emphasizes the idea of American nationalism, protectionism and isolationism. Trump has firmly embraced the slogan throughout his campaign and stated, “America First will be the major and overriding theme” of his administration. This concept is extremely short-sighted and lacks an informed understanding of threats posed to the U.S. Two different countries on either side of the world demonstrate the consequences of America First: El Salvador and Lebanon.

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. According to the World Bank, El Salvador suffers from low levels of economic growth and high rates of crime and unemployment.

cut off by Trump Administration

The country only produces 30,00 jobs per year, short of the 40,000 required to satisfy those entering the labor market. This has made doing business domestically less appealing and more expensive. For this reason, illegal migration to the U.S. has increased, as many Salvadorans see no opportunity for social mobility within their country.

In an attempt to limit the number of migrants at the U.S.’s southern border, the country had been sending foreign aid to El Salvador. However, in the spring of 2019, it became a controversial policy.

The Washington Post reported that U.S. officials had used El Salvador as a case study to underscore the fact that foreign aid could help curb levels of migration. This is supported by the fact that southern border crossings were at a 50 year low when former U.S. President Barack Obama, who increased the level of aid devoted to Central America, left office.

However, the Trump administration didn’t agree and announced that they would be withdrawing economic aid to the Central American country, along with its neighbors Guatemala and Honduras.

Analysts were quick to critique this as counterproductive. It was argued that since people were leaving the country because of the high levels of violence and lack of economic opportunities, U.S. funding could be beneficial and could help counter those forces.

Then in June, according to The Financial Times, Mark Schneider, a senior advisor to the Americas program, said that cutting aid to programs designed to improve living conditions and reduce crime made “no sense at all,” and spoke to the

importance of reforming the program in order to make them functional.

Having understood these needs, it is vital to recognize that these efforts will not be possible without money, hence the importance of economic aid from the U.S. Though decreasing illegal immigration was one of President Trump’s key promises, he has taken steps that will only worsen the problem by ascribing to his deluded policy of America First.

The aid is proven to benefit not only El Salvador, but the U.S. too.

Lebanon is another country that has seen its foreign aid almost get cut off by the United States. As I am Lebanese, I feel motivated to speak about this issue and advocate for my country.

The L.A.F., the Lebanese armed Forces, is a multi-sectarian army whose primary mission consists of defending

“

Using this concept as an argument for the freeze is preposterous, as the protection of U.S. borders goes beyond, say, California, Texas or New York. The fight against terrorism and illegal immigration is a global challenge; countries like Lebanon and El Salvador are playing a pivotal role in countering and defeating potential threats.

The Lebanese army is perceived by a majority of Lebanese citizens as the only legitimate institution able to provide internal stability and safety in the current political environment.

The significance of their role in society should not be underestimated.

Though the assistance might be small in comparison to what Ukraine and other countries are receiving from the U.S., it will go a long way to help a small country like Lebanon.

The country is also going through

The cases of Lebanon and El Salvador both emphasize the fact that America First is a flawed lens through which politicians often view the world. the country and its citizens against external aggression, confronting threats against Lebanon’s interests, and maintaining the country’s internal stability and safety.

It has historically been an ally of the U.S. and relied heavily on substantial military assistance through the delivery of essential equipment and ongoing personal training. The U.S. State Department estimates that the U.S. has provided $1.7 billion worth of military aid to Lebanon since 2006.

However, the Trump administration has just ignited a recent controversy, by freezing all military assistance to the Lebanese army. This includes a $105 million deal package approved by both the State Department and Congress in September.

The reasons for the delay are unclear. Some link it to the delay of assistance to Ukraine, which has led to Trump’s impeachment. Others link it to the presence of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed milita, and some blame it on the recent social and economical civil unrest.

an unprecedented political and economic crisis; banks are restricting cash and is currently the third most indebted country in the world. A strong L.A.F. means a stable Lebanon, which means a safer U.S. Given its tenuous state, it is paramount that the U.S. not only sustains its current level of support, but increases military aid to Lebanon. We, as nations, share the same moral values of freedom and democracy.

The U.S. should be of assistance to vulnerable democratic nations; not abandon them for political purposes.

The cases of Lebanon and El Salvador both emphasize the fact that America First is a flawed lens through which politicians often view the world.

Sending foreign aid is mutually beneficial, and is therefore in the interest of the U.S. This administration must, in the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, strive to “make our planet great again” by embracing global cooperation, rather than continuing to reject it.

$1.7 Billion

$ granted to Lebanon since 2006 ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEGRA ALABANESE

December 2019/January 2020

Opinions 11

Features

Community combats menstruation mindset Students and faculty address the stigma surrounding periods in the school and society. Some look to tackle the period culture they see present, while others don’t see the topic being particularly controversial.

Imogen Weiss | Media Director

T

he Department of Education in Britain announced that starting in 2020 all primary schools, secondary schools and colleges in the U.K. will provide people with uteri with free sanitation products. Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi spoke of the British government’s dedication to ensuring that every citizen can reach their full potential in every facet of their lives.

In the school, female sanitation products have always been free. However, the locations of the products are not always completely accessible to High School students.

After noticing that the school did not provide students with sanitation products in bathrooms, Micaella Lavi (’21) and Olivia Benjamin-Macdonald (’21) started a campaign through the Social Justice Council. They started to regularly stock the High School bathrooms, with pads and tampons from the nurse’s office.

However, female hygiene support did not stop there.

fore, everyone should understand what periods are.

“In being equal to one another comes sharing knowledge and just being aware,” Lavi said. “Having everyone be educated on the matter normalizes [female hygiene and periods] more.”

The aim of the information boards was to destigmatize and debunk myths surrounding periods and female hygiene by putting up relatable and humorous memes and graphics. “[We] wanted to create something where people would feel safe talking about periods and get all the information they need. Periods are something that happens and it’s not something that girls should feel they need to hide.

It’s part of our life,” Lavi said.

Nurse Adam Bonnington said the council’s campaign to put products in the bathrooms was a great idea, as though products have always been in the office, Bonnington can understand why students may feel uncomfortable to receive supplies from a male nurse.

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL

“PERIODS ARE NOT SOMETHING THAT GIRLS SHOULD FEEL THEY NEED TO HIDE. IT’S PART OF OUR LIFE.” MICAELLA LAVI (‘21) “When we came back to school last semester we both thought since the campaign was going well it would be good to add information,” Lavi said.

In order to educate students, the council hung the boards in both the girls and boys bathrooms as “there are basic things that boys should know as well”, seeing how a large percent of the population deals with periods, there-

Like Lavi, Bonnington thinks boys should be educated on female hygiene.

“There’s almost something in society that keeps periods as a women problem. Boys and young men should be educated on [periods] because it is something that they will probably come across in their life,” he said.

Similarly, Health Teacher Bambi Thompson said men should have a basic knowledge of female hygiene.

“We have a better society overall

PHOTO BY DUDA FIGUEIREDO

A poster hung in the girls’ bathroom that explains the period cycle.

Since the beginning of the year, posters have been hung up in both female and male bathrooms to promote awareness of periods.

12 Features

when all genders have an understanding of one another,”she said.

Thompson said that “it goes two ways,” and women should also have an understanding of male hygiene.

Tannar Hatzman (’20) said that boys should learn about female hygiene as “having more of an understanding makes [one] more mindful.”

George Yardley (’21) agrees with Hatzman and said that after learning about female hygiene as part of the Health curriculum, he was “more empathetic towards his sister.”

Grade 11 Dean and Director of the Advisory Program Jennifer Craig echoed Lavi and Bonnington’s sentiments and said that “anyone who has a sister, a mom, or a female partner one day is going to be educated on periods, so it’s useful to have the facts.”

While Craig said that though there is not a stigma surrounding periods at ASL, there is one on a societal level.

“There’s a societal judgment around women’s bodies and what they do that there isn’t with men,” she said.

Similarly, Piya Garg (’20) said that she does think there is a societal stigma surrounding female hygiene.

“A lot of people think that the stigma only exists around boys, but

even with my female friends, if I talk about my period or anything related to that they’ll think it’s gross and that I shouldn’t talk about it,” Garg said. “I feel like it’s taboo for no reason.”

Garg said she believes that the stigma surrounding female hygiene stems from a lack of conversation.

“The less you talk about something, the more stigmatized it becomes,” she said.

Thompson wonders “where the line [is] between stating facts and oversharing.” While she thinks that it is important to discuss female hygiene, she said.

“It should be done practically and without going into “graphic detail.”

Craig shared similar beliefs. “To be culturally competent [one should] be careful about what [one] is saying and in what company,” she said.

However, for Garg, instead of hiding her pad in her shirt sleeve, she recently began to have her pad out as she walks to the bathroom, in order to make female sanitation a more normalized topic and hopefully catalyze needed conversations.

“It was weird at first, I would get looks mostly from guys ... but it felt liberating and empowering,” she said.

Both Craig and Bonnington said that while many students at ASL are

privileged and can afford or have access to sanitation products, in many parts of the U.K. and the world, women cannot afford the tax placed on products.

“I’m not really concerned about people who are privileged and can pay the tax, I’m more concerned about the soup kitchen that isn’t providing women with sanitation products,” Craig said.

Craig said that the cheaper the products are, the better it is.

Craig also said that “having a tax on sanitation products is one little tiny blip in a patriarchal society.”

Bonnington also said placing tax on period products is a more subtle example of “gender discrepancies.”

He said it is “outrageous” that women are taxed as periods are “a natural part of a woman’s life,” and “To tax women feels wrong.”

Thompson agrees and said the tax discriminates against women.

“It’s an extra expense and burden on top of paying for the product,” she said.

Moving forward, Thompson wants to expand the health curriculum at ASL to include empathy exercises surrounding both female and male hygiene.

She said that “If people are aware, there would be more compassion and empathy.”

The Standard

Students consider importance of current events Following a rise in digital news, there are a variety of forms from which one could learn about current events. While keeping up with current events is very important for some, others don’t see it as a necessity.

Zainab Shafqat Adil | Features Editor: Print

I

n this day and age, the news can be found on anywhere and everywhere.

However, despite the vast availability of information regarding current events, not all students choose to approach getting this information in the same way or the same frequency.

According to a recent survey conducted by The Standard, out of 92 students, 71% think that being knowledgeable about global current events is very important, while 27% students thought that it was somewhat important.

Only one student said that they thought being knowledgeable about global current events was not important.

For Mia Harrell (’22), knowing about current events isn’t a priority, as she said that most current events don’t “really affect [her] personally.”

She said that unless an event is very “well known,” she doesn’t usually read more about it.

Despite having lived in several countries, Harrell said that when she does read the news, it’s usually much more U.S. focused because of her citizenship.

Even when living in other countries, she “mostly just lived in [American] bubbles all the time,” and was influenced by the presence of American people around her to focus on news related to the U.S. Harrell said she usually

December 2019/January 2020

doesn’t read about the news on her own, as her parents tell her about the current events.

However, when she does gather information about current events on her own, she uses the Apple News app on her iPhone. Her phone allows her to easily access information by swiping left on her homescreen in order to view daily news.

“

The news affects everything.

Connor Eaton (’21) “It just pops up on my phone,” she said.

Similarly to Harrell, Laeticia Perrin (’23) said that keeping up with current events isn’t a priority for her.

Perrin said that her lack of understanding of international politics deters her from taking an interest in the news.

“I don’t understand that much about [the news], and if I don’t understand much about it, then I’m not really interested in it. I’m not going to look into it,” she said.

Perrin’s main sources of news are her family and friends.

Furthermore, much like Harrell, Perrin said when she does read about the news, she mainly focuses on news regarding the countries she’s from.

“What happens in countries where I’m from, like Brazil, I’ll look into that,” Perrin said.

Contrastingly, Connor Eaton (’21) said that reading about current events regularly is “particularly important” for him, as he said the news affects him and everyone else greatly.

“The news affects everything,” Eaton said. “It affects stock prices, which in turn affect how much money your parents make or how much money you’re making.”

Eaton said that though learning about big news stories is very important, so is reading about smaller, more local news stories.

“There are a lot of smaller news stories that lots of people sometimes overlook, which could possibly end up affecting larger things in your life,” he said.

Eaton said that his main main motivation for reading the news so often is because he said that knowing about the news can make someone a “well rounded person.”

Eaton believes understanding

current events makes a person more “conversationally competent.”

In the same survey, 80% of students said that they feel motivated to stay up to date with current events, while 20% said that they did not.

Eaton said that his source of news is a 70/30 split between digital media and physical newspapers. He tries his best to read news from sources which are less biased, and more neutral in their political stance.

“I try and keep moderate left and moderate right,” Eaton said. “That means I stay away from The New York Times, but I also stay away from stuff like The Daily Wire. I try to keep as centered as possible.”

Furthermore, Eaton’s passion for current events and its importance

motivated him to co-found the Current Affairs Club.

Eaton tries to bring topics from the news into a discussion which members of the club can participate in, while also ensuring a variety of stories.

He said that his hope is that the club can be “a forum to discuss [current affairs] in a casual manner.”

“There are a lot of people in our school who would benefit from knowing more about the world,” Eaton said. “[The club] tries to mimic the group dynamics of discussion you’ll have in the work environment about the news, so it’s preparing everyone for the future, but it’s also trying to encourage good habits of current events discussion.”

How important is it to be knowledgeable about global current events?

Very important 71.7% Somewhat important 27.2% Not important 1.1%

What is your main source of news?

TV broadcast 7.6% Radio broadcast 1.1% Newspaper (physical) 3.3% Newspaper (digital) 37% Social media 30.4% Friends/family 13% Other 7.6%

Do you feel motivated to stay up to date with current events?

No 80% Yes 20% Data from an online survey conducted by The Standard Jan. 14 to 16 of 92 High School students.

GRAPHICS BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL

Features 13

T

he first time Amanda Mond (’20) wore makeup was for her ninth birthday party.

“My mom put mascara on me and I remember looking in the mirror and I was like, ‘Oh my God, my eyelashes are so pretty,'” she said.

Since then, Mond has become a practicing makeup artist. She credits other makeup artists on YouTube for teaching her the initial base knowledge.

At 13, Mond began watching YouTubers such as Jeffree Star, NikkieTutorials and Jaclyn Hill.

Mond said another reason that she’s interested in makeup is because she had

the age of 14, everyone’s face would be caked in makeup,” she said.

However, Mond said that she received a culture shock upon coming to ASL because it’s not as routine for girls to wear a full face of makeup.

“I remember my first day of school I was wearing so much makeup,” she said.

“Now it’s kind of embarrassing when I look back because I came to school fully done up.”

Mond said that the culture at ASL doesn’t leave room for heavier makeup.

“Kids at our school [are] so stressed with work, they don’t have time honestly,” she said.

said.

"Obviously I get insecure about acne, everyone does, but I feel like no one cares that much. Everyone's doing their own thing and focused on themselves."

that goes beyond that, and is almost artistic and expressive.”

Tom Deagan (’20) agrees with Farina, adding that he often sees people drawing

However, Mateo Farina (’21) said that the amount of makeup a girl wears is often questioned for other reasons besides the time allotted to it.

Farina said that growing up with a sister changed his perspectives on why girls wear makeup.

their own conclusions as to why girls wear makeup.

“A thing that I hear so often is, 'Oh, you don’t need to wear makeup, you’re beautiful as you are,'” Deagan said. “People are constantly [asking]—if

“Makeup isn’t about trying to be beautiful for someone else, it’s [about] being beautiful for yourself and feeling good in that way,” he said.

a h fe

Deagan said that he believes another positive aspect of the beauty community is that it is one of the most accepting industries in terms of who can be a part of it. “[The makeup community is] one of the leading communities in acceptance for all,” he said. “[The community isn’t] just bringing in gay men who like

d in gr pe

“THERE IS THAT CONNOTATION THAT IF YOU

WEAR MAKEUP AND IDENTIFY AS A BOY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME NEXT LEVEL OF IDENTITY.” TOM DEAGAN (’20) gone to a British school where girls wore heavy makeup.

“The reason why I’m more into makeup is because I came from a British school where, on the weekends, from

14 Culture 14 Culture

Selma Hansen ('23) said that she doesn't feel the need to wear makeup to school.

"I feel like school's not an environment where I need to wear [makeup]," she

“At a younger age I used to think that [makeup] was something that you do to cover yourself up,” he said.

“But then growing up and having a sister, I realized that it’s something

you are wearing a full face – 'what’s the reason, if it’s not for a boy or a group of people, then what’s the point?'"

Deagan said people don't need to have an ulterior motive for wearing makeup.

makeup or bringing in transgender people who want to experiment, it’s really bringing in everyone.”

Similarly, Mond had said that she thinks the beauty community has done

iz m

lik ar to

yo yo h ti

The Standard December 2019/

The art of an industry Makeup has evolved drastically in recent years. The rise of YouTube and social media brought shifts to the beauty community with regards to gender equality. Within the High School, makeup has both explicit and implicit influences on a variety of individuals.

Emily Forgash | Culture Editor: Print

good job of making boys who might have previously felt “shunned” instead eel included.

However, Mond said that she doesn’t see this being carried through nto other communities because of inrained stereotypes about the type of eople that makeup is meant for.

“I still don’t think it’s totally normal-

to be wearing makeup,” he said. “You wouldn’t look at a guy who’s wearing a full face of makeup and not question who they are.”

Mond said that this mind-set is negative and old fashioned.

“I totally understand guys not wanting to wear makeup because they think that that’s ‘gay’ ... they need to get over themselves because it’s just product,”

makeup] because that’s not our normal,” he said. “We base our beliefs and what we’re comfortable with on what’s around us in the moment, and currently, I don’t know any boys at ASL who wear makeup to school.”

Mond said that the effects of the beauty community go beyond gender issues. She credits the beauty communi-

Deagan agrees and said that James Charles is an important example of ‘cancel culture,’ which is when people denounce someone, usually an influencer, as ‘cancelled’ because of a mistake they made. In Charles’ case, another influencer told a story about him being a predator to another boy. In the span of a few weeks, his subscribers on YouTube dropped from 16 million to 14 million.

However, the biggest problem Mond sees in the beauty community is the warped sense of beauty people have as a result of wearing makeup.

“When I do a lot of makeup, afterwards, when I take it off, I feel less beautiful,” she said. “I think that it forces a lot of girls to feel that they need to look a type of way: they need to have long eyelashes, they need to have per-

“WHEN I DO A LOT OF MAKEUP, AFTERWARDS, WHEN I TAKE IT OFF, I FEEL LESS BEAUTIFUL. IT DOES WARP PEOPLE’S IDEA OF BEAUTY.”

zed in society for a guy to be wearing makeup,” she said.

Deagan agrees, and said that, just ke girls who wear more makeup, boys re constantly questioned if they decide o do the same.

“There is that connotation that if ou wear makeup and identify as a boy ou have to be flamboyant or gay, or have to have some next level of idenity that would make it okay for you

AMANDA MOND (’20) she said. “There’s no difference from a 6-year-old boy getting Spider-Man face paint at a birthday party.”

In terms of the ASL community, Deagan said that these stereotypes are still present because of a lack of exposure to boys in makeup.

“ASL is an accepting community, but I don’t think people have really gotten over that shocking ‘wow’ factor of [a boy] ... coming into school [wearing

December/January 2019/20 /January 2020

ty for having positive impacts on many people’s lives, including her own, however she said there has been a change in the overall positivity of the beauty community in recent years.

“There are so many flaws and problems with the beauty community, it’s disgusting now,” Mond said. “The community seems so toxic. Everyday someone’s getting cancelled, and die hard fans are turning on people.”

“When you get people like James Charles who quickly obtain millions and millions of followers, it’s so easy to hate someone that has become popular so quickly,” Deagan said. “As much as I’m sure James Charles makes a lot of people feel uncomfortable for who he is, it makes a lot of other people more comfortable [with who they are] and that is the direction we need to be moving in.”

fect eyebrows, they need to have clear skin, and anyone can have those things with products. So I think it does warp people’s idea of beauty.”

Overall, Mond said that she is “very grateful to have makeup in [her] life,” despite the negative and positive aspects of the community.

“There are positives and negatives,” she said. “Everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY EMILY FORGASH

Culture 15 The Standard 15

The plant-based mentality In recent years, plant-based diets have received increased publicity. Influenced by environmental impacts, ethical concerns and perceived health benefits, multiple students have adopted a vegan diet.

Isabelle Lhuilier

F

or Earth Week in 2019, Dom Alberts (’20) set himself a challenge – to go vegan for the whole week.

Having already spent a year on the Sustainability Council, Alberts gained an interest in the food industry and understanding the environmental impacts of the food he was eating. The following summer, Alberts attempted to go vegan for the entire break and ended up deciding to adopt the diet permanently. Six months later he is still going strong.

For Alberts, food inefficiencies are one of the main environmental problems in the food industry. For example, he said the equivalent of 10 meals of corn would have to be put into a cow to produce one meal of beef. For pigs, the ratio is six to one and for chickens it’s four to one.

“You are getting way less food than you could. It doesn’t really make sense when you think about all the people who are hungry in the world,” he said. “We have all this food, but we are feeding it to animals because that’s how we prefer to eat.

It’s inefficient.”

Additionally, Alberts cited greenhouse gas emissions and water inefficiency as other reasons for going vegan. He said that since cows produce methane gas, large industrial farms contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Furthermore, the amount of water needed to facilitate a meat-inclusive diet is much greater than the amount to facilitate a plant-based diet.

Likewise, Isabella Mattera (’20), who went vegan at the start of June 2019, was also inspired by environmental factors to make the change.

She said by avoiding animal products, a person can reduce their carbon footprint because they are not contributing to the mass production and commercialization of meat and dairy products.

Ethical Implications hen Technology Support SpecialW ist Luchano Bogdanov, who has been vegan for four years, was first

considering the diet, he witnessed the ethical effects of the food industry first-hand.

To learn about the process of a dairy farm, Bogdanov visited a mass production plant for milk and was shocked by what he saw.

“It seems like a lot of suffering goes on there,” he said. “The smell

16 Features

is terrible and then you look at the cows and they don’t look happy.”

Additionally, when watching documentaries and researching the food production industry online, Bogdanov is continually struck by the “horrible images” of animal cruelty.

He cited seeing calves separated from their mothers, cows being continuously forcibly impregnated so they can give milk and male chicks being ground up alive as they can’t lay eggs.

“

I enjoyed knowing I wasn’t harming any lives while eating.

Isabella Mattera (’20) “Those images really stayed with me,” he said. “Hearing the sound of whatever is happening to the animals in slaughterhouses plays a trick on you and just makes you think ‘wow these animals have emotions and feelings, they don’t want to be separated from their families just so I can eat them’.”

Although Alberts went vegan for environmental reasons, he said that what prompted him to adopt the diet perminently was learning about the ethical implications of the food industry.

“That’s why I stayed vegan,” he said. “I started watching documentaries.

I’d always known about the animal cruelty side and seeing those documentaries and seeing the real footage bothered me.”

Similarly, Mattera also said that there was a moral standpoint in her decision to go vegan as she did not want to contribute to any animals suffering.

“The intelligence of pigs is known to be the same as the intelligence of dogs, and there’s been plenty of studies to prove that, yet we eat pigs but we don’t eat dogs,” she said. “Obviously we are emotionally attached to dogs, but then why aren’t we also emotionally attached to pigs and chickens and all of the above?”

Likewise, Michelle Raiole (’22), who’s been vegan for a year, felt “hypocritical” saying she loved all animals when she “was contributing to their suffering every single day.”

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Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Print

“I found it interesting how we choose to love dogs and cats but at the same time kill cows, pigs and chickens,” she said. “It’s very unfair that we can pick and choose like that even though they are all sentient beings that deserve a life.”

Moreover, Mattera said that calling animal products a different name from the actual animal, such as using bacon instead of pig, often causes people to become desensitized to the fact that an animal has been killed.

“Because we don’t name a lot of the meat that we eat after the actual animal that we, see we often dismiss that concept that we are actually eating living things,” she said. “I came to realize that and I started to become really uncomfortable with the idea of eating meat even though I liked the taste of it. As soon as I stopped I really enjoyed that feeling of knowing that I wasn’t harming any lives while eating.”

Although there are some methods of slaughtering animals for food that are commonly viewed as more humane, Bogdanov views this as a contradiction. He said that there is nothing benevolent about killing an animals for food if there are other alternatives.

“A humane way to kill something?

It just doesn’t seem right. If I don’t want anyone to suffer I shouldn’t be eating meat,” he said.

Additionally, Bogdanov said that marketing plays a significant role in masking the ethical implications of the meat production industry.

“You see these milk cartons and there is always a happy cow. I don’t think cows are happy to be milked on a mass scale day and night,” he said.

“When you buy a cheeseburger you get it in a happy meal and they give you this happy,

cheerful menu to choose from but there is nothing cheerful about killing another living being.”

However, for Alberts, the most concerning implication of the industry is actually how humans are being abused in the process.

“There are minority communities that are being exploited because

industrial farms will just dump all of their waste in the neighborhoods they live in,” he said. “They are traditionally poor and ethnic minorities because those are the areas where no one can afford to do anything about it.”

Health Benefits going vegan, Alberts said he Aownfter quickly noticed the benefits to his health.

“My skin definitely got clearer, that was a big one, and I definitely have a lot more energy,” he said.

Likewise, Mattera feels “better every day” and has seen an improvement in everything from her digestion to her

day to day energy levels since becoming vegan.

Since she was previously vegetarian, Mattera attributes these health benefits mainly to cutting dairy from her diet. She said that, although humans have built up a tolerance, they are not actually meant to be able to process dairy from other animals.

“I always had issues with feeling un-energetic or feeling run down.

My digestion was sometimes all strange and I could not figure out why,” Mattera said. “The moment I gave up dairy, the next week, I was seeing differences.”

On the other hand, Bogdanov said that the idea that vegans have more energy is “a bit of a myth.”

He said that many vegans pay close attention to the foods they eat and have a cleaner, leaner diet which may contribute to feeling more healthy but this does not apply to every vegan.

“When I used to eat meat and dairy I had energy and now I also have energy. It’s mostly about complete nutrition,” he said. “You could be a vegan and have a really poor diet but you could also be a meat eater and have a really poor diet and have really low energy.”

Moreover, Alberts said that going vegan “makes [him] make better choices.’’ He is now eating much healthier in general because he is

The Standard

Most common student diets

High School

No red meat

By the Numbers

Vegetarian

7% 11%

Other 9% Vegan Pescatarian

3% 4%

No restrictions paying greater attention to what he cooks and eats.

“When you are eating an animal based diet it’s much easier to eat processed stuff,” he said. “Now when I’m out I can’t just go into a store and buy a candy bar because it has milk in it.”

Similarly, Raiole said she has also noticed an increase in stamina and doesn’t feel as “heavy” after meals as she did before.

“After lunch I would always feel really tired and just want to take a nap, but food actually energizes me now,” she said. “If I eat before practice or if I eat before a game I actually feel like I can perform really well.”

to be informed on how the food they eat is produced.

“We live in the information era and it would be great if everyone did a little bit of research on what they eat and their food is coming from,” he said.

Although Mattera does not want to impose veganism on anyone, she would encourage anyone considering the diet to try it.

She also said that everyone should be educated on the ethical and environmental factors of the modern food industry that prompt many people to make the change.

“Animal products are ingrained in our culture which [can make] it difficult,” she said. “But everyone should give it a try or at least do their part in trying to reduce the amount of meat

“I don’t really care. I know why I’m doing what I’m doing and that’s all that really matters,” he said.

However, for people with health issues such as iron deficiencies, cutting out meat entirely is not possible.

Although Alberts said that not everyone needs to go vegan or vegetarian to make a difference, people should try to make their diets more plant-based.

“If we are going to combat the climate crisis, and also if we just want to tackle global hunger, the way to do that is through a plant based food system,” he said. “We do have the ingredients to feed the world. It’s just we are choosing to eat meat and animal products over feeding everyone.

I think that that’s a distinction people haven’t quite made yet.”

66%

48% of students have considered going vegan.

Social Trend attera said that she has noMincreasingly ticed veganism becoming trendy and believes

the diet has been mainly popularised through social media.

“All of it is so plastered in front of us you can’t ignore it,” she said.

“We are seeing tons of blogs about sustainable lifestyles. We see people going out and doing something to try and better their world. If we see other people doing that we are more likely to do it ourselves.”

However, Bogdanov said that this trend is not always entirely positive. He said that some people take advantage of social media by promoting a vegan diet they do not actually follow or by giving incorrect advice.

“They tell people to take certain supplements when they shouldn’t be taking them so it’s a bit tricky,” he said. “There is a lot of misinformation on social media and that’s not great because people can be put off.”

Veganism’s Importance or Bogdanov, the decision of F“personal whether or not to eat meat is a choice,” that everyone needs to make.

However, he said that in order to make this choice, people should aim

14% believe it is unethical to eat meat.

77% they eat or just animal products in general because every little will help.”

Alberts said that, on the whole, he does not receive any serious judgment for going vegan. However, people do sometimes make fun of his dietary choices.

December 2019/January 2020

believe it is important to know where their food comes from.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ISABELLE LHUILIER

Data collected from an online survey conducted by The Standard on Jan. 17, 2020 with 160 responses.

Features 17

A look toward the future Members of the community shed light on how the education provided by the school is progressing, as well as how recent changes have brought new oppurtunities.

Houdah Daniels | Staff Writer

“WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE STUDENTS THE ABILITY TO REALLY THRIVE. ” PRINCIPAL DEVAN GANESHANANTHAN

Teacher perspectives O

ver the summer, construction took place to redesign and renovate parts of the High School. As students returned to school, a noticeable change was that the High School Principal and High School Assistant Principal now shared an office. In the midst of their first year working together as the two new administrators of the High School, Devan Ganeshananthan and Natalie Jaworski have been attempting to bring new ideas and perspectives to the High School.

Some of the ways in which these ideas have been executed are through individual perspectives, such as Jaworski’s idea of what student learning should be. Before all else, however, Jaworski said that her work stems from a genuine love for the community.

“I love ASL, I love this community,” she said. “I think we have a really really really good school, and I think that we could be a great school by making some changes that really, at the heart, for me are about student learning.”

She recognizes that education has gone through what she called, a revolution in the past 30 years and credits this progression to advanced neuroscience research.

“We know so much more about the brain,” she said. “The difference between teaching a 10-year-old something versus a 14-year-old something versus an 18-year-old something.”

She said that while, historically, teaching has resembled a lecturing adult at the front of the class with students required to regurgitate back what they are told they need to know, learning should be student-driven in a way that, not just

18 Features

ASL, but most schools don’t adopt in their underlying philosophy.

“The students are the curriculum.

You [all] are the ones who bring with you such a rich life experience,” she said. “We need to be able to comment on the way that we teach to you in a way that I think teachers want to do, and a lot of times do by accident, but it’s not like an underlying philosophy of most schools right now.”

From Ganeshananthan’s perspective, there are projects currently underway to help develop the education provided by the High School. He recognized six major projects for this year. The first was a personal goal of “[continuing] to build upon the relationships that I have created and crafted last year,” he said.

“With [Jaworski] being a new member of the administrative team, for us to really solidify our teamwork together.”

“

Third – “a smaller event-based goal: the inclusion of high-school students at the parent-teacher conferences in the Spring.”

Fourth – “new learning management system: Schoology.”

Fifth – “to give a full assessment to our hands-on and experiential learning – not necessarily to only the community action work that Director of Community Action Brandon Block does, but many things in that space.”

As a part of the Teaching and Learning Committee, Jaworski is reading “Answers to Essential Questions About Standards-Assessment Grading & Reporting” by Thomas Gusky.

Ganeshananthan said that, from the administration’s perspective, the betterment of the school is monitored by the extent of which the community is directed in the trajectory of the language

The students are the curriculum. They are the ones who bring such a rich life experience.

Natalie Jaworski, Assistant Principal Ganeshananthan said that there are five projects remaining for this year.

First – “the rollout of the Approaches to Learning (ATL)’s.”

Second – “a specific focus that the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Group is assisted with in terms of providing professional development for faculty and staff, specifically on the topic of religion.”

in the new mission statement.

“Through the lens of that mission statement, we wanted to be able to give students the ability to really thrive,” he said.

In mirroring the socio-political climate with rising environmental awareness, Ganeshananthan said that the mission statement does not explicitly state language of “global awareness, cli-

mate change, sustainability, things of that nature.”

Nevertheless, he does not dispute that the statement encourages students to pursue these issues. For instance, Ganeshanthan said that, through the language in the mission statement, students were given independence and flexibility in assembling speakers for the TedX program.

“They had the creativity and breadth of latitude to then have a variety of speakers, one of whom happened to be this gentleman from Extinction Rebellion,” he said.

Ganeshananthan said that the school is driven by guiding language, such as within the statement. He has consequently worked with both Jaworski and Administrative Assistant Ruksana Murtaza, as well as other departments, in ensuring inclusive language in all communication.

“When we have language that is going out, even like a simple letter to parents and guardians, should it just say parents? Should it say, guardians? Or, should it say families?” he said. “Not everyone is living here necessarily with two parents, or even with their biological parents or guardians. So, I’m using that as a fact to illustrate perhaps a more inclusive language, which to us is ‘Dear ASL families.’”

From the perspective of other disciplines, such as in the Music Department, there has been growth in developing teaching and curriculum. Choral Director Lisa Ross mentioned a portion of the many essential questions are becoming centered around similar ideas to Ganeshananthan and Jaworski’s approach.

“Our question is currently - who’s not being represented? If we were to put up pictures, as simple as that of our composers, who is not being represented?” she said. “We have a somewhat good representation right now and next year we’re committing to doing all women and people of color.”

Having been a choir director for 12 years, Ross said she has seen in recent years the ability to fulfill her “passion [of ] making sure that we’re representing beyond the Western European American traditions.”

She said that recently there is an environment in the High School where students are taking more risks.

“Progression wise, I would say notably the past three years, there’s an openness from students to take those leaps outside of our comfort zones,” she said.

Continuing to approach learning from different perspectives is pushing the choir to try a South Indian piece this year.

“It is from a Bollywood film - they are learning the tamil [language]. They are doing the whole thing,” Ross said.

To Ross, there’s an openness in student learning that she hasn’t seen in previous years.

“I am not having to convince students [to participate] anymore,” she said. “It is probably the biggest, most exciting change.”

As Ganeshananthan and Jaworski continue to work with different teachers and departments, Ross said that she hopes to continue to see similar “exciting change” in how students respond to the school environment.

The Standard

Student perspectives to change the way students TFarishelearneffort extends beyond the classroom.

Fakhry (’20) said that the organi-

zation and execution of the TedX program reflects increased administrative efforts to give rise to student-driven projects. Fakhry and Natalie Vann (’20) were the co-lead organizers of the event and worked collaboratively with faculty support Mariam Matthew. The TedX program combined videos and live speakers to encourage discussion within the community.

Fakhry said that in his early years of high school he faced challenges in trying to start the program. However, as he has grown up, he has witnessed administrative change that has a result offered new possibilities.

“Tenth grade, with the change in administration moving to Ms. Appleby, it was awesome [for trying new things],” he said. “Especially because this was a TedX youth event,”.

“The theme of The Times, They Are Changin’ was important so we could see the progression of the evolution of our lives and the world that we live in today.’’

In the selection of all workshops, particularly the guest speakers, the TedX committee had a goal.

“We wanted to promote discourse and discussion through the High School” Fakhry said.

One speaker at the event was environmentalist activist, Giacomo Mnca di Villahermsa Jiocomo. Co-president of the Sustainability Council, Dom Alberts (’20), said that having a socialist perspective in a predomi-

nantly capitalist environment was a unique and necessary experience.

“A lot of what Jiocomo talked about was really interesting and really cool and needs to be talked about,” he said.

Alberts recognizes ways in which social justice discussions have been integrated into the curriculum by the administration, and has made similar efforts for environmentalism to also be implemented.

“It’s climate change education from multiple different parts of the school, so not just from science,” he said.

In an effort to make these ideas a reality, Alberts has spoken to Head of School Robin Appleby.

“She was more in favour of the grassroot approach,” he said. “[Ms. Appleby] wanted us to build it from the ground up in I think a similar way as social justice was integrated into the curriculum.”

All withstanding, Alberts said that, in addition to administrative efforts, it is helpful when teachers are also on board in their own lesson planning.

“I think that our biggest asset has been teachers in individual departments who planned their own lessons,” Alberts said.

One of multiple instances of this is through the Social Studies Department where the Sustainability Council have collaborated with teachers, Social Studies Teachers Becky Ma-

son and Christin Putnam, in particular, to evaluate part of the U.S. History course.

“Effectively [we wanted to add] environmentalism in history,” Alberts said.

Alberts said that he appreciates the rising multidisciplinary approach to climate change education as he recognizes that, while current Grade 10 learning about climate change is “fantastic,” there is also a “limiting factor,” on how involved students can be if they are not “a science person.”

He said the council has achieved some major events this year with help from the administration.

“A big thing with the administration that we kind of worked with but, as a school, is getting the green flag last year,” he said. “I would say, in terms of progress and reform, that’s probably a big one.”

Alongside some of the opportunities Alberts and the Sustainability Council have seen being executed, Sofi Janssen (’20) said ASL allows much more opportunities for students today versus when she began in Kindergarten 2.

“It definitely gives me a very contrasting perspective compared to people who came in middle school and people that came in high school,” she said. “I mean, one way it would be different is just like walking around the school, when I started, the cafeteria did not look the way it did There was no Arts building.”

Janssen reflected particularly on her experience as a lifer and getting to witness how the school has become more progressive.

“I have my memories of what ASL was like for a 4 year old versus an 18 year old,” she said. “Whereas some people – this is just their high school – to me, this is my entire life just because I’ve been here so long.”

Janssen said that in her 12 years of being at ASL, she was most impacted be the re-enrollment rate.

“I think it’s turned from a more transient environment to just one that almost feels more reliable,” she said.

High School future goals checklist:

1. Approaches to learning 2. Focus on diversity, equity and inclusion 3. Students in parent teacher conferences 4. Implementation of schoology 5. More experiential learning

PHOTOS BY MADDY WHITMAN

Micaella Lavi (’21) presents at the TedX event Sep. 24. She gave a talk called “One Brick at a Time” where she discussed the Israel-Palestine conflict.

December 2019/January 2020

Features 19

Split between paper and digital The ACT is a test that many students who are applying to a university in the U.S. choose to take.

Some find that the digital interface works in their favor, whilst others prefer paper.

Polina Dashevsky | Staff Writer

A

cademic institutions, ranging from elementary schools to colleges, have been substantial consumers of paper and print materials for centuries. According to the University of Southern Indiana, every year, Americans use approximately 90 million tons of paper and paper board, and an average American school uses approximately 250,000 pieces of paper.

The popularity of paper in the sphere of education is attributed to its versatile quality, as its uses range from homework assignments to even printing diplomas.

However, vast components of modern-day education have begun to make the switch to digital platforms. The industry of e-learning, (electronic learning) has gained attention across classrooms worldwide. As its prevalence began to extend, the concept of e-learning has reached standardized testing.

The American College Test (ACT), a standard test used for college admissions in the U.S., with over 1.5 million annual test takers, has made a transition from its original paper form to a digital form.

While the exam is offered both on paper and on the computer within the U.S., students living elsewhere have only been able to take the digital version of the exam as of 2018.

The inability of international students to take the test on its paper form has had many adverse effects, and some students have said that they believe that this constraint threatens their ability to perform well on the test.

Mia Rasamny (’20) said it is much easier to make mistakes when completing the test digitally on the computer.

“

Dear board of ACT, please change this test back to paper.

Duda Figueiredo (’20) “It’s such a big weakness to not be able to write absolutely everything you want on a scrap piece of paper,” Rasamny said. “[Taking the exam digitally] places so many limitations of not being able to show your work. So then when your work isn’t shown, it’s so easy to make mistakes and get the questions wrong.”

While both scrap paper and white boards are allowed to be used during the exam, Rasamny said that she thinks that it is almost impossible to write everything down due to the test’s tight time constraints.

Rasamny further elaborated that having to complete the exam on the computer also makes the test more complicated. Everything has to be transferred from the screen to the scrap paper or white board, which she said she believes can be time consuming in the fast-paced ACT exam.

Similarly, Ludo De Giorgi (’21), who took the ACT on paper, found that it was much

20 Features

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL

more comfortable for him to work on a physical test. He said that having a physical test, through which you can flip and on which you can write can help when finding solutions.

“Being able to flip through sheets is very helpful,” he said. “Paper is more traditional and easier to work with.”

Additionally, the inability to have a paper version of the exam has caused some students to struggle with reading and understanding the content of the test.

“

I actually like the ACT online, because it has a timer and you can star things.

Colette Gagne (’20) As the exam consists of multiple sections, Eleanor Benton (’21) said certain sections of the exam are harder to complete on the computer. Benton said that she struggles with completing the math and science sections digitally, as the transition from paper to a computer was particularly difficult for her since she has used paper tests most of her academic life.

“Specifically for [those sections] on the ACT, it’s really hard to read the graphs and read tables,” Benton said. “Whenever you get towards the end of the test, which is when you take the science section, your eyes get really strained, so it’s even harder to read the graphs.”

Nearly all students who live outside of the U.S. are only allowed to complete the ACT exam on a computer. However, exceptions do exist: international students with specific learning needs, like Rasamny, are allowed to have access to the paper version of the exam.

“

I thoroughly enjoyed taking the ACT online, and I thought it was a fantastic experience.

Jeh Vendrevala (’21) Having taken the exam digitially and on paper, Rasamny said that taking the paper version of the exam actually helped improve her overall score.

“I’ve taken one [test] on paper and one [test] on the laptop, and I realized that on the laptop I feel more pressure than on paper, because when I take it on paper, I can really structure out all my working out and feel more confident because I would have gone through each question, step by step,” she said.

While Benton does not require special learning accommodations, she was able to take the test in both its digital and paper versions by taking the exam in the U.S. Moreover, this new restraint brings up the question as to why the ACT is only offered exclusively digitally to students who live outside

of the U.S., as compared to the other popular standardized test, the SAT, that is offered to students in and out of the U.S in both a paper form and a digital form.

Lina Destin (’21) said this limitation is not only inconvenient, but greatly partial, as those who do take the SAT outside the U.S. have the option of using the paper format of the exam.

“It’s just unfair that the SAT would be offered on paper, but not the ACT,” she said. “I don’t get why one group of students should have an edge over the others.”

“

Being able to flip through the sheets is very helpful.

Ludo De Giorgi (’21)

Even though some students prefer the ACT on the computer, Destin said students are still disadvantaged by the lack of choice when it comes to choosing the test’s format.

De Giorgi said having the ability to choose the test’s format can increase a students’ chance of getting a higher score on the exam.

“The [ACT Board] definitely should have digital and paper form for students,” he said.

“It should be a choice that you get to make based on your style of learning and the way that you work as an individual.”

The Standard

Following recent tension between the U.S. and Iran, speculations have arisen about the countries’ feud leading to the next world war. Rather than explicitly showing their fear, younger generations have responded to potential war threats with humor.

COMMENTARY

Meme culture conceals crises Helen Roth | Features Editor: Online

S

ocial media would be a dull place without memes. Opening your Instagram page to be greeted by a flood of relatable statements and pictures adds a comical side to social media.

Memes humorize every aspect of our life: how we percieve the information around us, academics, family and friends.

However, the media’s consumption of memes spurs the creation of some which make fun of aspects of the world which should not be joked about. Take the recent conflict in Iran, for example, which has been portrayed in the news as something far different than on social media.

On Jan. 3, the U.S. government succeeded in its attempt to assassinate the Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani. With the top-ranking Iranian general dead, Iran responded to the assassina-

In an instant, the prospect of WWIII became merely a meme.

According to an article published in August in Common Sense Media, “more than half of teens get news from social media ... fewer than half gets news reported by news organizations.”

The article also reported that teens prefer to see a video or pictures to get informed rather than reading an actual article.

With the majority of teenagers checking social media rather than established news outlets, they become more prone to interpreting serious issues as somewhat amusing with memes being a major contributor to that amusement.

Memes neglect the context, complexity and intensity of issues, leaving social media users with a false perspective of the issue at hand.

“

Making fun of gender equality and failing draft exams took away from the severity of the issue. In an instant, the prospect of WWIII became merely a meme. tion by stating that they would seek “severe revenge” against the U.S. With tension growing between the U.S. and Iran, the world started to ask a question: was this conflict going to be the catalyst of another world war?

Suddenly, the possibility of World War III was everywhere. The news, social media, conversations – you name it.

Yet, social media’s response to WWIII was purely comical and showed little genuine panic.

Refreshing my Instagram page, I saw dozens of memes about WWIII. One said that everyone should avoid getting drafted by failing their military eye exam.

One depicted videos of people fighting and saying “me talking s*** on the battlefield.”

There was a video of a friend group laughing, saying, “me and my girls on the battlefield trying to take it seriously.”

Some of the memes involved gender equality issues, with a video of a waitress saying, “me fulfilling my role as a housewife to avoid getting drafted to WWIII.” These memes angered me. It was absurd that there was a major conflict at hand, and people treated it as a joke, not a real-life situation.

Making fun of gender equality and failing draft exams took away from the severity of the issue.

Even though I was angered by these WWIII memes, I soon realized that they are a way to cope with frightening matters. Waking up to realize that a potential war is on the rise is alarming and hard to completely digest.

Memes are a way to articulate that fear with a sense of humor. They help to escape from the severity of the issue, and perhaps help to come to terms with the situation.

Though memes serve as a way to deal with conflict, it’s still crucial for those on social media to understand that there is more to the news than what a meme depicts.

Behind these WWIII memes are real life stories, ones we can only be informed about by checking established news outlets, not the latest meme posts.

When looking at memes which tackle reallife issues, think: memes make the news digestible at the expense of whom?

In the western world, where citizen are subconsciously protected by their country’s militant power, people are chuckling at their phone screens, sending the latest WWIII meme to their group chat.

Though, on the other side of the world – after the loss of their most important general – Iranians are a bit more vulnerable, threatened and frightened than before.

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL AND RAUNAK LALLY

December 2019/January 2020

Culture 21

REVIEW

‘We Contain Multitudes’ leaves lasting impact Sarah Henstra created a book that ticks all the boxes and then some: love, action, tragedy and coming of age. She forces her readers to question themselves and their familial and romantic relationships.

Emily Forgash | Culture Editor: Print

Emily’s Bookshelf I The Testaments Margaret Atwood

Never Have I Ever Joshilyn Jackson

The Tattooist of Auschwitz Heather Morris

Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story Jacob Tobia

n Sarah Henstra’s powerful novel, “We Contain Multitudes,” trying to mix Jo and Karl together would be like trying to blend water and oil. On paper, that is.

Walt Whitman influences every aspect of Jo’s life, from his vibrantly colored blazers to his everyday speech.

ing him personal questions about the murmurs he heard in the halls, getting vague responses in return.

Yet, before they knew it, their life stories were unfolding in the letters.

Jo’s mom passed away when he was little, and he is now being raised by his punk rock father and bombshell of a

daily affair. Inevitably, the title “family friends” becomes a façade for something deeper and much more threatening: intense, all consuming love and confronting one’s sexuality.

Jo is openly and confidently gay.

However, Karl does not fit a single gay stereotype. Through fumbling

“

and slow. As the character’s hearts get noticeably jerked around on the pages, as if on a roller coaster, I felt jostled right along with them.

I couldn’t help but read this book for hours on end; it’s the type that stays glued to your hands. However, I had to stand up and walk around my room

Jo and Karl create a world where every touch is electric, every moment is cherished, emotions are heightened and time moves fast and slow.

On the other hand, Karl is a mysterious and, at times, dark ex-football player who was kicked off his team.

He is the definition of a lone wolf, and very few can infiltrate his bubble.

This unlikely pair would never have been created if it were not for an obligatory English class pen-pal assignment.

Jo and Karl’s letters were initially reserved; they stayed within the confines of their social standings.

Karl commented on Jo’s use of formal punctuation and the fact that he had most of Walt Whitman’s poems memorized.

Jo would overanalyze Karl, ask-

sister. Karl is being raised by his mom and abusive uncle, a couple created out of a widow’s sorrow.

This unique way of storytelling lends itself to exquisite character development. It was all too easy to become attached to Jo’s unapologetically endearing and vulnerable mannerisms as well as Karl’s defensive and layered personality.

Soon, Karl becomes family friends with Jo’s family, going over to his house every weekend. In addition, Jo and Karl start writing more than the necessary one letter a week to each other, turning the assignment into a

and awkward experiences that only Jo would have the patience for, Karl ran straight into his sexuality like a brick wall.

As Karl and Jo learn and grow together, completely and hopelessly intertwined, the reader has the ability to learn with them. Henstra gives her readers the opportunity to reflect inward, making everyone involved vulnerable and nervous.

Jo and Karl end up creating a world only visible to them. It’s a world where every touch is electric, every moment is cherished, emotions are heightened and time moves fast

every 30 minutes to keep my heart rate in check. Just like Jo and Karl, I was feeling every emotion at once. Only a few books have had this effect on me, so when I find one that does, I never want to let it go.

You don’t have to be a hopeless romantic, gay, heartbroken or come from a distorted family to find yourself falling into “We Contain Multitudes.” The themes are incredibly relatable, and Henstra left a noticeable indent on my heart.

This book is proof that love is love, no matter who it’s between or what shape it takes.

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL AND EMILY FORGASH

22 Culture

The Standard

With the winter season well underway, varsity captains discuss their team’s progress so far and their goals for the rest of the future.

Michael Flaherty | Sports Editor: Online

Swimming T

he varsity and JV swimming teams had their first meet the weekend of Jan. 18, with the American School of the Hague and Cobham traveling to ASL to compete.

Varsity swimming captain Anna Farrell (’22) said she felt like the team came into the season focused and ready to train.

“During first semester, we just tried to focus on training and getting everyone back, gaining endurance, things like that,” she said.

“We started a bit of team bonding things like a team breakfast to try and get people to come to morning practice and motivate everyone.”

Although many team members left last year, Farrell said she still feels confident about the team’s commitment to the team.

“We have a smaller team this year, but that always happens with people graduating or moving,” she said. “Everyone is really putting in a lot of effort and I feel like we’re trying to include everyone.

Rohan Haarmann | Video Editor

Hopefully we’re getting everyone excited about the competitions coming up.”

As for goals for the rest of the season, Farrell wants the rest of the team to become confident in their own abilities.

“I want everyone to just be happy with how they swim and do their personal best and swim for the team,” she said. “Everyone is motivated to try and get on the ISST team and hopefully everyone has fun traveling.”

Rugby T

he Rugby team have several tournaments coming up before ISSTs closes out the season. This year, the game has changed as matches are now seven-a-side rather than 12-aside, which was previously played in past years.

Rugby Captain Faris Fakhry (‘20) said he is excited about the shift.

“Although it is a physical challenge and forces players to step up their game, I think we will come out of it a better team,” he said.

“The pitch stays the same size with almost half the players, so there’s definitely a lot of running involved.”

The team will travel to Brussels for its first tournament Jan. 25-26 and Fakhry said he is excited by the prospect of finally going up against other teams.

“We’ve been focused on a lot of skill-based training these past weeks, and I’ve definitely seen progress in everyone’s tackling and ball handling ability,” Fahkry said.

After the Brussels games, the ASL team will participate in another tournament at home in Febuary followed

by ISSTs in March.

Basketball F

Jake Fellows (’21) catches a pass at the homecoming game Jan. 10. The boys varsity basketball team won 5748 against Lakenheath.

PHOTOS BY EMILY FORGASH

or Harrison Perfect (’20) season has gone well for the varsity basketball team so far as they have gone 8-0. Perfect said that he thinks that the team is working hard during both practice and games.

“It doesn’t really matter what the occasion is, we are always ready to work hard and get better,” he said.

The team is traveling the weekend of Feb. 1 to play against the International school of Dusseldorf. “[The] tournament will show our character as we will have to play a lot of games in a short period of time,” Perfect said. “After that tournament we will have a better idea of where we are at.”

Perfect said that he thinks

December 2019/January 2020

Sports

Varsity winter sports check-in Lily Whitman | Sports Editor: Print

that the team needs to continue to work hard during both practices and games as the season progresses towards ISSTs in March.

A

fter coming off a loss to start the season, the varsity girls basketball team has won the rest of their games. “I think the team has meshed really well together this year as we have five returners and seven new players but I don’t think we have felt any frustration with each other,” Captain Natalie Vann (’20) said.

The basketball team will be traveling to Dusseldorf the weekend of Feb. 1 for a tournament.

“That will be a great opportunity to play consecutively tough games to mimic ISSTs,” Vann said.

Crew C

rew is currently working on their longer distance races with time trials coming up before a string of races, starting with the The Hampton Fours and Eights Head Feb. 1, Bedford Fours and Eights Head Feb. 8.

Crew Captain Jack Wilkin (’20) said that the races this season are more preparatory, as the more important ones, such as the National Schools Regatta, take place in May 22-24.

For Wilkin, the season has been enjoyable as the crew team has gotten closer socially.

“We’ve done a couple team dinners. That’s been really fun,” he said. “We’re looking to do more of that in the future to keep the vibe strong.”

Dance W

ith only five members in total, and many members new to dance, the varsity dance team has had a slower start to the year.

Despite the small numbers, Varsity dance team member Mia Harrell (’22) said the team gets along well and is productive during practices.

However, Harrell said that the impact of having less members makes it more difficult for the team to perform.

“This fall since it’s a smaller team, it’s [challenging] performing, since a lot of us are beginners and it’s just [difficult] getting confidence to perform as it’s such a small group,” she said.

“When it’s bigger, it’s easier to go out there.”

Although Harrell said lacking members has been tough for the team, they had their first performance Jan. 15.

“It went really well,” Harrell said.

Looking toward future performances, she said that the team is working to become more confident as a whole.

“Overall, everybody wants to get better at dance in general,” she said.

Maddie Wilkin (’22) shoots a basket at the varsity girls basketball game Jan. 10. The team won 60-9 against Lakenheath.

Sports 23

Point Counterpoint SAL CERRELL

W

sal_cerrell@asl.org

Russell Wilson’s capacity to pass under pressure, throwing for more than 4,000 yards, makes him the most logical MVP.

hen Russell Wilson first entered the National Football League, expectations surrounding his performance were low. Hardly anyone knew his name, given he was taken in the third round of the 2012 draft. The Seattle Seahawks, the team that selected Wilson, had the intention of having him contend for the backup quarterback spot to Matt Flynn, who had just signed for the team.

However, Wilson’s sheer talent was quickly noticed by head coach Pete Carroll, and, after impressive performances in training camp and the subsequent pre-season games, he was named the starting quarterback for the 2012 season.

He has since become one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the NFL and is one of two quarterbacks in NFL history to have a passer rating (a number determined by passing attempts, completions, touchdowns and interceptions) of over 100 throughout their career.

Wilson’s biggest competitor for MVP, Lamar Jackson, is no doubt a special player. His ability to move the ball both in the air and through his legs is unquestionable. His leadership both on and off the field is admirable and has spearheaded the Baltimore Ravens to clinch both their division, a firstround bye, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

However, everything positive listed above, both the media and fans have attributed to Jackson’s success this season, has been continually exemplified by Russell Wilson throughout his career. This year has been no exception.

The Seattle Seahawks, on paper at least, came into this season looking relatively unintimidating.

The team that played in back-to-back Super Bowls was fragmented, with just three players remaining from that roster, with Wilson being one of them. Since then, they hadn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs. Bleacher Report predicted they wouldn’t even make the postseason in 2019, a stinging rebuke of the franchise who had once dominated the NFL. Despite the adversity Wilson faced, his team has cruised through the regular season, taking the Seahawks to 11 wins and five losses. At the time of writing, he has thrown for more than 4,000 yards, 1,000 more than Jackson. This is in spite of the fact that Seattle is a “power rushing team,” meaning they run the ball more than they pass on any given drive.

Though both Jackson’s touchdown numbers and passer rating have a slight edge on Wilson’s, this NFL LOGO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM PIXABAY

24 Sports

does not tell the full story. The Ravens’ offensive line is ranked second only to the Philadelphia Eagles, and have only allowed the defense to hit Jackson 58 times on the season.

In contrast, Wilson’s offensive line is the secondworst in the league, and he has had to endure 111 hits throughout the regular season, or roughly seven times a game.

In nearly 27% of plays this season, Wilson has seen his pocket collapse in under 2.5 seconds, giving him far less time to make a play, so his overall passing yards and completion percentage speaks volumes about his ability to perform with less help.

“

Wilson’s has thrown for more than 4,000 yards, 1,000 more than Jackson.

Despite his extraordinary regular season performance, Jackson’s shock loss to the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs underscores the prevailing issue of his youth and inexperience in big games. His offense only scored a mere 12 points, dwarfing their usual average of 33, and the three turnovers attributed to Jackson certainly did not help the cause. It marks a sour end to a season in which the young quarterback dominated the headlines and whose team was largely predicted to be Super Bowl champions. The Ravens, and by extension Lamar Jackson, still have a ways to go to prove themselves in a league far too susceptible to one-season wonders.

Lamar Jackson’s explosive ability to run with his 1,206 rushing yards in his sophomore season makes a strong case for MVP.

T

he first time I saw Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson run with the football tucked under his arm I didn’t know his name. I had stumbled across a widely popular video in which Jackson, then the quarterback for the Boynton Beach High School Tigers, broke out of the pocket and began sprinting for a touchdown pointing tauntingly at a chasing defender.

Just before the goal line, he stopped on a dime, sending another defender flying out of bounds in a futile attempt to tackle him. After watching the defender fly by him, Jackson nonchalantly strolled into the endzone and threw up his hands as if to say: “It’s too easy.” It was likely the craziest juke I had ever seen. A little disrespectful sure, but nonetheless crazy.

Jackson took the internet by storm first as a high schooler, then as a college quarterback at Louisville, and now he’s continuing his takeover in the National Football League. You can’t open the House of Highlights Instagram page without gawking at a video showing one of his pinpoint downfield passes or crazy 50-yard touchdown runs dotted with beautiful spin moves and earth-shattering jukes. But, the NFL MVP is not decided on highlight reels. Rather, it’s decided based on more important measures of a player’s ability; to lead, to win, to stand out.

Contrary to what many analysts will have you believe, statistics are an adequate metric to settle who’s the best player in the league, but they don’t capture a player’s value as well as the others I’ve already listed. But, if they all wish to talk stats so badly, here’s one to consider: Jackson, who plays a position not traditionally meant for running, had 1,206 rushing yards during the regular season. By comparison, the running back with the most rushing yards, Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, had 1,540. Jackson’s rushing total ranked him number six among the best running backs of the entire league. Not to mention Jackson’s sum came on just 176 attempts, a figure lower than all of the running backs in the top 20. Jackson is the best rushing quarterback since the Philadelphia Eagles’ Michael Vick, arguably better.

I’ll admit that Jackson’s start in the NFL was shaky.

Last year, ESPN’s First Take analyst Stephen A. Smith criticized him for being unable to complete passes at a high rate against competitive defenses like the LA Chargers or the Kansas City Chiefs. Jackson has responded to Smith and other critics’ comments by completing 66.1% of his passes this season.

The man who could beat Jackson to the MVP, Russell Wilson, is more of a

CAMERON SPURR

cameron_spurr@asl.org traditional quarterback. He stays in the pocket and delivers passes to his receivers. Wilson does, admittedly, have a strong and accurate arm. Yet, this season, Wilson’s completion percentage was identical to Jackson’s.

The Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2013, but haven’t come close in the six following seasons. They’ve only made it to the divisional round of the playoffs once: the 2014 season after their championship.

This year, they led the American Football Conference North with a 14-2 record, the best record in the NFL. This guaranteed them a place in the divisional round of the playoffs, also clinching homefield advantage for the match-up against the Tennessee Titans. Many analysts will argue that they had a real shot at winning the Super Bowl. In just his sophomore season, Jackson deserves credit for leading the Ravens to this position.

However, the highly anticipated divisionalround game was the last time Lamar Jackson stepped onto the field this season. The Ravens’ campaign to lift the Lombardi trophy, with Jackson at its forefront, was stopped by an impressive performance from the Titans. The Titans also knocked off reigning Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots. Thus, a loss still places Jackson and the Ravens alongside one of the greatest football dynasties of all time.

The loss to Tennessee, though unfortunate for Jackson’s chances, shouldn’t be viewed as ruining his likelihood of winning MVP. In fact, Jackson made NFL history in the playoff loss, becoming the first player to compile 350+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards in a single game, notching 365 and 148 respectively.

The NFL Most Valuable Player award is revered by football fans, players and coaches as the highest mark of success, talent and leadership over a single season. Previous quarterbacks to win the award such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have embodied the exact qualities that Jackson has displayed this season.

If Lamar Jackson is not announced as the NFL MVP during the NFL Honors Feb. 2, the league will have passed up the chance to reward a young, revolutionary and exciting player. They will have failed to commend an extraordinary athlete who keeps the eyes of football fans across the world glued to the TV every Sunday.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MADDY WHITMAN

The Standard

Students treat robotics as sport Members of robotics in the winter season dedicate hundreds of hours preparing for competitions and building and programming robots. These students describe their commitment and reasons for considering robotics a sport.

Amber de Saint-Exupéry | Staff Writer

S

ince its founding in 2004, ASL’s robotics team has brought home 24 trophies and awards. The students spend months working in the Make Innovate and Learn Lab to compete overseas in a system that students argue shows comparisons to the diligent culture of athletics schedules.

Some students say there are similarities to athletic culture and this has created controversy within the robotics community with people pressing for it to be universally recognized as a sport. Students in the school community question whether it should be included in the athletics program.

“

I think that people underestimate how much work goes into robotics.

Thomas Belinky (’20) Robotics team leader Sarah Covey (’20), said the controversy of robotics being a sport is a sensitive topic within the community, but she said that it does not fit into the athletics programs at ASL. “The competition has sports-like elements, where it is like a game and you are competing in a team [with] three teams [each] with three

robots competing against three other robots,” she said. “In that case the competition is set up a bit like a sports competition, but at the same time, it’s not you actually playing the game, it’s the robot.”

Although Covey said that their annual competition in the U.S. fosters athletic elements like competition, she said that robotics does not demand the same physical exertion that a sport would on a player. Hence, it does not emulate enough athleticism to be considered a sport.

Similarly, design leader Charlotte Fink (’22) sees robotics as a highly competitive system that requires a lot of skills, but agrees that its lack of physical activity separates it from being a sport.

For Fink, robotics demonstrates the partial definition of a sport, but she said that it fails to incorporate the most significant and defining element of a sport: physical activity.

“Do I think it is a highly competitive system and a highly competitive team?” she said.

“Yes. Do I think it requires a lot of skills? Yes. But do I think it’s a sport? No.” “The definition of a sport is ‘an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes with others for entertainment,’” Fink said. “There is no physical exertion in robotics.”

Like Covey and Fink, William Iorio (’22) said he values the competition, yet he is more conflicted on the topic of whether or not robotics should be considered a sport.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA FIGUEROA

Carolina Cardini (’22), Adil Farooq (’21) and Owen Humphries (’22) discussed robot ideas. The team travels annually to compete in the First Robotics Challenge.

December 2019/January 2020

PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA FIGUEROA

Dom Alberts (’20) and Carrie Kim (’22) discuss design ideas for a robot. The team has brought 24 trophies and awards to ASL since its founding in 2004.

When Iorio became familiar with the program of students working and running robots in the learning commons, he was excited about the prospect of joining such a competitive and highly respected team at ASL, especially with the hopes of going to the U.S. for competition.

“I feel like in the competitive matter, it’s very similar to sports in the way that you are working with your team to achieve a goal and compete with others while having to overcome obstacles,” he said.

To Iorio, the robotics team exhibits not just competition and skill, but also teamwork. He said that the lack of physical exercise in robotics does not automatically separate it from being a sport. Instead it neutralizes the argument and makes the answer unclear, which is why he is “half and half ” on the issue.

“Traditionally, a sport to me has to do more with physicality, and robotics seems more like an external thing to me,” he said.

On the other hand, Thomas Belinky (’20) is confident in his stance that robotics is a sport and said that it is one of the most under appreciated sports as one of the biggest contributors to the ASL community.

“It’s one of those sports or activities that takes the most commitment,” he said. “It’s five days a week. Last year we spent about 200 hours in the MILL working out for robotics, so I definitely think that people underestimate how much work goes into robotics and the intensity as well.”

Belinky views robotics as a sport for every-

one because of its various opportunities harness a diversity of passions.

“We also have a big mission lead, so for people who are less STEM inclined, there is still a lot of stuff for them to do with funding and writing so there are a lot of positions,” he said.

Co-director of the robotics team Colin McCarty talked about how their annual robotics competition has sport-like aspects.

“The competition we do is called FRC, First Robotics Challenge, is modelled as a sport. So we work as a team, there’s a competition usually revolving around a game piece. So they consider it a sporting event, but some people will think it’s not really a sport because you are not physically out there,” he said. “Some people consider it a sport of the mind. You have to do all the thinking and building and then the robot goes out and does the actual competition. I don’t want to side with one or the other.

It’s fun, so that’s all that really matters.”

Co-director David Hill said the line between sports and robotics is clear.

“I think of [a] sport as something that requires some type of physical ability. So whenever you are considering a sport, you are measuring something that you are doing physically whether it’s throwing or shooting a ball, running, jumping,” he said. “Since robotics involves building a robot and then controlling it from the sidelines, it’s more of a game and a competition than a sport. That doesn’t diminish the value of robotics, [but]to call it a sport, I just think it doesn’t make sense.”

Sports 25

Soccer teaches self-confidence Having played soccer for most of her life, Staff Writer Kira Crutcher (’21) reflects on what soccer means to her, struggles she’s faced and how she rekindled her passion.

Kira Crutcher

M

y eyes are focus on the girl with the yellow ball driving towards me. Breathing heavier than normal, I bounce up and down on my toes, reaching my blue gloves out in front of me.

The girl, number 12, leans back and strikes the ball hard at me. I dive to the right and catch the ball. A small smile forms on my face but my eyes stay focused ahead. I get up and kick the ball up to my offense.

Later in the game, after a few more saves, I tell my teammate Rachel Brooks (’22) that I think this is the best game I have ever played.

That night, I got an email from my coach, Richard Mahoney that says “Well done today. You were incredible! You made your dad SO proud. Me as well. Have a nice weekend. Safe hands : -).” I can do nothing but smile. After years of playing and many struggles with bullying, injuries and losses, all the blood, sweat, tears and hours I have dedicated to this game really feel worth it.

However, over a year ago, after many weeks stuck between a decade of memories and the inner and outer pain that had plagued me, I decided that

although I loved soccer, it wasn’t for me anymore.

When playing, I used to feel a rush that would take over my whole body, connecting me to the ball.

Over time it changed, the rush was gone and was replaced by a feeling of longing for the end of the game or the practice.

The many sports I have done throughout my life including gymnastics, dance, basketball, softball, field hockey, lacrosse, running and horseback riding, have come and gone, but soccer has always stayed with me, even when I quit last year.

The game was still such a crucial part of my life even after I stopped playing. I photographed Kinja FC men’s team on the weekends and regularly watched Premier League, Champions League and FC Barcelona’s La Liga games.

One week, as I stood at a Kinja game, the viewfinder up to my eye, I saw the passion and joy radiating off the players’ faces. My heart ached, and I longed to be a part of it again. I knew that I had to go back to soccer.

Going back into sports requires regaining the physical, tactical, technical and psychological aspects of the game.

And for me, it also meant regaining confidence.

Over a year later, I still struggle with confidence. I am hard on myself, and I take others’ words too much to heart, comparing them to the bullying I experienced three years prior.

This year at tryouts, despite working hard through pain, the stress of

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Staff Writer school starting and visiting my mom, who had a partial knee replacement surgery, after each day, I was not met with the result I desired. I was put on JV soccer for the third year in a row.

In my head, making varsity would have proved myself and the people who put me down wrong.

The feeling of not being great overwhelmed me.

Everyone had always told me that I was good at soccer, but to me at that time, being labeled JV meant I was not good enough.

After a few days, I accepted it. I realized that I could still make the most of my experience. I could give it my all, not only for myself, but for the team and for everyone who had ever doubted me.

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My heart ached and I longed to be part of it again. I knew I had to go back.

I strived to be a leader, especially for the younger members of the team. My efforts were rewarded as Coach Richie picked me as his choice for captain. I had always wanted to captain a team and loved the fact that I was not given the role because of popularity.

Coach Richie believed in me as a captain, player, future coach and person. Knowing that someone believed in me felt amazing.

Throughout the season I struggled to differentiate my role as a captain from the roles of a coach.

“In my experience, a coach is someone who looks to constantly improve the team, as well as the individual players that make up the team, both technically and psychologically. A captain is someone who reinforces the coach’s message in a positive and encouraging way,” Richard told me.

In an away game against Hillingdon, I was playing my best game of the season thus far, saving shot after shot, several times in quick succession,

that was, until an unmarked play drove down the right side, and scored.

I was frustrated. “Whose man was that?” I regretted my words as soon as they came out. “It’s all your fault,” one of my teammates spat at me. My breathing becomes heavier and heavier and my vision blurs due to the tears that filled my eyes and poured onto my cheeks.

“It’s all your fault,” repeats in my head over and over again, but not in the voice that just said it, in the voice of one of my former teammates. My defense tries to reassure me that it isn’t my fault, but they don’t know the real reason I am upset.

From that point on, I never had the same relationship with that girl, or even with the rest of the team. I did not feel like the captain I had always dreamed of being. I had a lot to say to the team, but sometimes I felt they would not listen.

Near the end of the season, I realized the difference between me and most of my teammates.

They played having a more relaxed attitude, but I put more pressure on myself, even more so when I let negative things people said get into my own head, believing them myself.

My coaches have always believed in me, especially when I did not believe in myself. My Kinja coaches noticed when my head really dropped.

Just the other week, one of them reminded me of a game where I let in a goal I really should not have, and then five minutes later, I wanted to come off with an injury.

My coach believes that the injuries were not real but psychologically. I convinced myself that they were worse than they were. The pain of some of my teammates’ words then stretched beyond my emotions.

But for my best friend Alex, my dad who is my biggest fan, my coaches at Kinja and Camden, and Coach Richie, I am forever thankful, because they taught me how to love the game, even when it causes some pain.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KIRA CRUTCHER

Left: Kira Crutcher (’21) takes a goal kick in a game against Queens College in Regents Park Sept. 23, 2019. JV girls soccer won 13-0. Right: Captains Kira Crutcher, Cece Muecke (’21) and JV soccer Coach Richard Mahoney attend the JV LSSA Tournament. The tournament took place on Nov. 2, 2019, and the team got third place.

26 Sports

The Standard

Kellner coasts on four wheels Dakota Kellner (’21) has been skating since he was 6 years old. Two years ago, he discovered downhill skating and has been involved in the community and competed in countless events.

Lily Whitman | Sports Editor: Print

D

uring Dakota Kellner’s (’21) first skating experience at 6 years old, he “drove [his] thumbnail off going off a ramp.” This caused him to stop skating for four years, but he kept at it when he got older.

Kellner has had a passion for skateboarding from a young age. He discovered a love for skating, and in 2017 he made the transition into downhill skating, where his initial fondness for the sport developed into dedication and adoration.

“I thought it looked cool. I had nothing to do in my spare time apart from sport ... so I just wanted to do something,” he said.

Kellner’s progression began through street skating with kickflips and tricks.

He was drawn to street skating through the satisfaction of improving, including learning to kickflip (which is when the rider flips the skateboard 360 degrees lengthways along the board) after just three months.

“There’s nothing that beats something you’ve been trying for however long,” he said. “You’re like ‘Yes! I’ve put in so many hours.’ It’s just really rewarding and once you get good enough, it’s an exponential growth.”

Kellner purchased his first downhill skateboard secondhand, and ever since, he has been fascinated all aspects of skateboarding.

“When I really started downhill was 2017,” he said. “May of 2017, I bought my first downhill board, and I remember because it was really expensive. It was my first major investment as a teenager,” he said.

Becoming part of the skating community and having fun with friends drew Kellner to competing.

“You can see each other and because you’re still skating, there is nothing that is really impeding you from getting really close together and talking at the same time,” he said. “It’s basically a massive community of really

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track is, but it is heats of four and it’s usually timed. Whoever has the fastest heat time advances.”

One of Kellner’s most memorable experiences was during a competition in September 2019.

“I won a race last year ... it was a summer themed one,” he said. “I was racing with some new gear I had just got and I’d never tested it, so it was a completely new setup. I was racing against a friend of mine who makes custom boards and he is from Ireland and goes to tracks all over Europe. I somehow beat him.”

Doing slightly dangerous sports has always been something that has intrigued me. nice people doing everything they love and doing it together, it’s just great.”

During the course of his skateboarding career, Kellner has competed in many different competitions around Europe. In general, the competitions he competes in are structured in heats.

“It’s basically like Mario Kart, but just going down a hill on a skateboard,” he said. “If there are too many people then it becomes too hectic. It depends where you are and what your

Kellner has competed multiple times over the course of the two years he has downhill skated, and has attended many skating gatherings. “[I went to a course in] Slovenia [but it] wasn’t a competition, it was more just a free ride, which is where they close a section of road and they just let people skate it,” he said. “I

competed in King of the North, which is one of my friends’ leagues. I came fourth in that,” he said.

One of the courses that Kellner frequents most is Hog Hill, which is held three times a year.

“There’s this [course] called Hog Hill,” he said. “It’s a cycling track, but there’s this massive downhill section. It gets up to 30-ish miles per hour. It’s not the fastest track, but it’s a closed course that people can go down. That one is [run] three times a year, and I go to every single one for that.”

Kellner won multiple races including two at Hog Hill.

“I’ve won two mugs, two sets of wheels [and] a T-shirt,” he said.

For Kellner, the adrenaline rush is what makes skateboarding so interesting and rewarding.

“Doing slightly dangerous sports has always been something that has intrigued me,” he said. “If there is a slight element of danger to it, I will do it without [a] second thought because I like to take risks.”

Along with the danger comes a risk

for injury, Kellner recalled his “worst” skating moment.

“I was in Slovenia,” he said. “The first day, I hit a lot of pebbles. I got nine stitches, I was hospitalized and I fractured my shoulder. I almost got internal bleeding as well.”

Reflecting on everything that entices him about the sport, Kellner said he is simply drawn to the excitement that skateboarding brings.

“It is really just an experience that one has to do for themselves,” he said. “Going fast on anything, I think anyone will agree that gives them an adrenaline rush, and so doing that for four whole minutes going down 16 hairpin corners in the middle of a forest in Slovenia is probably one of the most exciting things I have done.”

Kellner believes that in every aspect of his life, especially sports as a whole, danger is appealing aspect.

“One hundred percent, that’s the thing with every [sport I play], like rugby, skiing, snowboarding, skating, literally everything I do. That’s why I do it,” he said. “It’s just such a rush.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAKOTA KELLNER

Dakota Kellner (’21) skates down a closed course in Osilnica, Slovenia in the summer of 2018. Kellner has been downhill skateboarding for two years. Left: Kellner slides down the same course in Osilnica, Slovenia.

December 2019/January 2020

Sports 27

Sports

Winter sports success T

he annual homecoming basketball games took place Jan. 10. All varsity and JV teams played against Lakenheath. Varsity boys basketball won 57-48 and varsity girls basketball won 62-9. Aside from homecoming, teams played in other competitions as the winter sports season is in full swing. Coaches and captains talk about the success of their teams so far.

Read more on page 23.

Kieron Windless (’22) shoots a layup against Lakenheath in one of the homecoming games on Jan. 10. The varsity boys basketball team won 57-48. All JV and varsity teams played games, and teams who won gold at ISSTs in 2019 unveiled their banners.

PHOTO BY EMILY FORGASH

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The Standard