Whittier Homecoming 2016

The

THEME: UNITY AMIDST DIVERSITY

Whittier Miscellany

Evie Kortanek ’18

SINCE 1895 • WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • WILMINGTON, DELAWARE

The Quaker Matters Board: Read about the newest addition to student life at Friends, put up by the QYLC, through Whittier Online, www.wfswhittier.com.

Situation in Syria: How much do Students know?

Zach Horowitz ’17 News Writer If you ask anyone about what is happening in Syria, most will speak of the “Syrian refugees” who are taking refuge in Europe and other parts of the world. But if you ask them why the refugee crisis is occurring, expect blank stares and looks of perplexity. So, what is really happening in Syria? Why have millions of Syrians been forced to flee their own country to start brand new lives in unknown places with unknown people, leaving everything they know behind? The answer lies in two words: Civil War. In 2011, there was a protest in the Syrian city of Deraa because of the arrest and torture of 15 schoolchildren for drawing anti-government graffiti on a wall. From this event forward, frustration and anger towards the government heightened, resulting in the

rise of countless rebel groups who wanted the Syrian president to step down from his position. Syria has become an anarchic society with violent rebel groups, most prominently ISIS, fighting and killing each other, which puts regular citizen’s lives in grave danger.

The Syrian refugee crisis has become a hot political topic, and, when asked what they thought about it, many Wilmington Friends students spoke passionately about the issue: An anonymous senior girl said, “What else is it going to take for people to make a difference and step up? Whether it’s the Syrian refugee crisis or racial issues, it is easy to ignore something when it does not directly affect your life.” This provokes the question of whether or not one is morally required to help a situation that doesn’t directly affect them. Ryan Wolynetz ’18 commented: “It’s a horrible situation, and it’s horrible that they do not all have a place to take refuge in.” Henry Tucker ’18 shared his

thought about media coverage on the issue: “I think that news outlets should be covering more about what is happening inside of Syria rather than what politicians are saying about the refugee crisis. The public needs to be more informed about the actual issues inside of Syria.”

When asked about what was actually happening inside of Syria, many Friends students were unsure.

A student, who wished to remain anonymous, commented, “I know absolutely nothing about the situation in Syria, so I have nothing to say.” Perhaps this ignorance about the situation in Syria should be seen as a call for change in how the media and educators speak of the situation.

The Syrian civil war shows no signs of ending in the near future. As a result, the living conditions and the refugee crisis continue to deteriorate rapidly, and require recognition worldwide.

Bombing in Chelsea reignites fear, leads to understnading Olivia O’Donnell ’18 News Writer Just days after American citizens mourned the anniversary of 9/11, residents of Seaside Park, N.J. experienced an act of terror of their own. Along the annual Marine Corps Charity 5k route, a pipe bomb-style device detonated, but fortunately did not result in any reported damage. Later that evening on Manhattan’s West 23rd Street, another explosion occurred, this time leading to 31 injuries and a widespread remembrance of pain that hit home for the already scarred masses. Police investigators recovered additional bombs that failed to detonate elsewhere, including one enclosed in a suitcase on West 27th Street, just blocks away from the second explosion.

Louisa Spinner ’18, having familial ties to the city, shared similar sentiments to those stunned by the attacks: “My immediate reaction to the bombing was a mix between shock and disgust. As my knowledge about the bombing grew, so did my concern, as the incident was just one block away from my aunt’s apartment in NYC. The fact that it was so close to where my aunt resides made me realize the severity of these situ-

ations as well as the consequences of these inhumane acts and the ensuing tragedy that all of the innocent people and their families face.”

Authorities apprehended their primary suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami, whose fingerprints matched those found on the unexploded bomb in Manhattan.

Rahami, wounded by police during an altercation involving firearms, was charged hours later with nine counts stemming from the attacks.

Since then, his story has been sensationalised by several established publishing agencies, who attribute his gradual recruitment into violent jihad to his dissatisfaction with the travails of a first-generation immigrant; unable to climb the socioeconomic ladder, Rahami struggled to transcend the confines of his traditions in order to embrace America and its culture.

In order to construct the most authentic, unbiased description of Rahami and his background, it was necessary for media outlets to examine his history thoroughly. Upper school history and TOK teacher Javier Ergueta offered additional insight to the accuracy of his portrayal: “The accounts I read in the New York Times and the (UK) Guardian were fragmentary, but did attempt to present him in a way that allowed him

some human depth, which is what most other news sources seek to deny.” In an attempt to humanize Rahami, the articles written by these sources provided background on his humble beginnings and descent to extremism that ultimately enriched the public’s perceptions about his character.

Providing an all-encompassing view of Rahami facilitates the acceptance of all peoples and cultures while also minimizing ignorance and violence that targets those belonging to a minority. Ergueta continued: “I was not surprised [by the bombings]. Unfortunately, it is all too understandable how a not-very sophisticated Muslim today might come to the conclusion that the United States is making war on all Islam. The more we give in to our fears, further de-humanize Muslims, intervene militarily in the Middle East, and disrespect their religion, the more troubles of this sort we can expect.” The key to obtaining success, therefore, is to maintain objectivity and treat all humans with dignity.

However, impartialness to people of all religious and cultural backgrounds requires the absence of bias, whose presence remains prevalent since being fueled by the 9/11 attacks. The hurt stemming from these (Continued on Page 12)

COMMUNITY

BLACK LIVES MATTER: UNITY THROUGH UNDERSTANDING SARAH GOODERHAM ’17 Editor-in-chief

Civil Rights movement, but that the media sensationalizes any ounce of violence it can find and blows it up to make it seem like the whole movement is violent.

In reality, the violence in the movement is comparatively nonexistent compared with the prevailing tone of nonviolent direct action. It was at that moment that I realised I had been played by the white media. There

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vard University’s Pluralism Project explains that pluralism is not merely the acceptance, but the energetic engagement with diversity, the active seeking of unTwelfth grade English classes are currently studying derstanding across lines of difference, is based on dithe collective works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Realogue, and does not require us to leave our identities cently, a question was posed to my class: How does and our commitments behind and instead encourages the Black Lives Matter movement compare to the Civil us to celebrate our commitments. During a speech Rights movement? Is there anything the Black Lives at AT&T’s Employee Matter movement is doing wrong? I responded by Resource Groups concomparing the current racial climate in America to ference, Randall Stea forest in need of burning. Periodic forest fires clear phenson, the current away everything that threatens the survival of the CEO of AT&T, said, trees, while ensuring their growth and regeneration.

“Tolerance is for cowForests that have not burned in a while are so dry that ards. Being tolerant one spark can ignite the entire forest in an instant. The requires nothing from Black Lives Matter movement is this fire ignited by a you but to be quiet and single spark: All the pain and suffering experienced not make waves.” In by black people in America every day is finally being the past, people were brought to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness. encouraged to simply I then went on to explain that the difference between tolerate diversity. Now, BLM and the Civil Rights movement was that Civil it is understood that in Rights had King at the helm, guiding the movement order for white people in a nonviolent direction. I said, however, that BLM to properly comprehas no such leader and is therefore more prone to vihend the importance olence, implying that BLM was an inherently violent of the Black Lives Matmovement. What I didn’t say, though I realised it the ter movement, nothing instant that comment left my mouth, was the truth: less than pluralism is Young people use non-violent direct action during a Black Lives Matter march. that BLM is actually not violent at all, much like the required.

I was, another ill-educated and uninBlack Lives Matter is arguably the most important formed white person making a factu- movement of our generation. As for the difference beally inaccurate point to my English tween Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter, someclass. I’ve never wanted to eat my one once put it to me in a way that was incredibly easy own foot more. I had uncovered one to understand: they compared All Lives Matter to ‘All of my own unconscious racial biases, Houses Matter’, and showed an image of a burning the one that allowed me to unques- house next to a regular, uncharred house, and a stick tioningly accept the notion that BLM figure pouring a firehose onto both the houses equalwas in any way a violent movement. ly, saying “All houses matter!” This analogy was so Virtually every white person pos- striking for me. It really made the issue crystal clear. sesses these racial biases, conscious Yes, all houses do matter, but the house on fire was the or unconscious. During a conversa- one that needed immediate assistance. Yes, all lives do Sarah Gooderham ’17 & Sadie Proud ’17 tion with a dear friend after having matter, but black lives are the ones being systematicalNEWS EDITORS: Leah Johnson ’18 & Katrina Skibiki ’17 watched the movie Selma, I uncov- ly harmed, endangered, and ended. This movement SPORTS EDITORS: Alice Irwin ’18 & Matt Tornek ’17 ered another unconscious racial bias: is not only good, but necessary to make those who ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS: Mike Coons ’17 & Abby Klemen ’18 that, although I truly know that black are not involved in the daily struggle of being black FEATURES EDITOR: Lindsay Weber ’17 people aren’t all bad, I believed that in America understand that issues of race remain part lots of them in Wilmington were, and of our everyday society. Only when outsiders to the PHOTO EDITOR: Evie Kortanek ’18 subconsciously, I had equated people struggle, like myself, realise the reality of microagCOPY EDITORS: Meggie Flanagan ’17 & Evie Kortanek ’18 who I thought looked “sketchy” to gressions, can we work to create change and create a WEB EDITOR: Evelyn Wakeley ’17 black men. I realised that a part of united society. Black Lives Matter is a movement that FACULTY ADVISOR: Daniel Scott me thought that there was simply a seeks unity, purely and simply. higher chance that a black person on Issues of race have been pushed under the rug for ENTERTAINMENT STAFF the street would want to hurt me or so long that America as a nation has become blind Ashley Brooks ’18 NEWS Matt Byer ’18 rob me than a white person. Feeling to the atrocities being committed practically on our Anna Fahey ’20 Allie Fulginiti ’17 beyond ashamed, I began thinking doorsteps. Too much time has passed since the CivZack Horowitz ’17 Olivia Ivins ’20 Hareena Houston ’18 about all the subtle but impactful lit- il Rights movement, when these issues were brought Emma Landis ’19 Olivia O’Donnell ’18 tle thoughts like that that I, as a white into the forefront of our national conversation; the SPORTS Annika Siddal ’19 person, have accumulated in my sub- forest needs to burn to allow for the regrowth of this Carlin Beskrone ’19 Nick Urick ’20 John Blackwell ’18 conscious. I, like most others, have nation as one united amidst diversity. Thanks to the FEATURES Connor Miller ’19 Tess Beardell ’17 never been outright taught to be rac- legacy of MLK (and no thanks to the media), this Bella Stuccio ’19 Isabel Crowther ’17 ist, but I realised that all the tiny un- all-too-important movement remains nearly comCOLUMNISTS Lucy Knudsen ’19 conscious biases amount to essential- pletely without violence, and certainly without signs Cecilia Ergueta ’18 Addie Trudel ’19 Marley Morton ’18 Krystal Xu ’19 ly the same thing. By bringing these of slowing down anytime soon. thoughts to the forefront of my mind, During a meeting of African American Affinity reThe Whittier Miscellany is published six times during the school year I could begin to fix the way I think, cently, Robert Baldwin ’18 put the whole matter simby the upper school journalism staff of Wilmington Friends School, and I feel lucky that I go to a school ply and beautifully: “All lives can’t matter until black 101 School Road, Wilmington, DE 19803. To access the Whittier and have friends who help me ‘stay lives matter.” And in order for black lives to matter, Miscellany online, go to www.wfswhittier.com. woke’ and realize that society has pol- white people need to exercise their pluralistic muscles luted my brain with racist ideals, even and work hard to truly understand and embrace the Check Whittier Miscellaney online for Weekly Updates! if they come short of outright racism. black struggle for real equality. The only way America The need for white people, like as a nation can achieve unity across the lines of race is The Whittier Miscellany welcomes respones in the form of letters to myself, to rip open their subconscious through complete understanding from all sides, and the articles, editorials, and features of this paper. and expose the ugly parts in order to in order to understand, we need to acknowledge our Contact: wfswhittiermiscellany@gmail.com be rid of them, is an important step in faults so we can move past unconscious prejudice and ‘Like’ Whittier on Facebook at ‘WFS Whittier’! the journey to reach pluralism. Har- on to a united future.

The

Whittier

Miscellaney EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

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HOMECOMING ISSUE 2016 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANEY

NEWS

BUrkini Ban Met with mixed views The Ousting burkini ban, there are many individuals with different ideas. Many are also beginning to understand that the issue goes deeper than just the piece of swimwear; The Burkini Ban in France was set in late July, 2016 it connects to the Muslim religion as well. During an by the Mayor of Cannes, France, David Lisnard. The interview, Betsy Cepparulo, Global Peace and Justice “Burkini” swimsuit was banned across all of France’s Teacher, commented, “I think bans like this are a scared public beaches, because it was said to be the “uni- gut reaction that is misinformed. The world needs to form of extreme Islamism.” A burkini is a swimsuit, know that there is a significant difference between commonly worn by a Muslim woman that covers the Muslims and fundamentalist extremists who are comwhole body from head to toe, only showing from their mitting acts of terror. It’s like comparing all Christians forehead to their chin, and revealing their hands and to the KKK.” In this quote, Betsy showed how easily feet. The ban ties into the already existing French bur- the ban showed racism in the French government. By qa ban. The burqa is a garment of clothing that covers targeting an aspect of someone’s religion, even if it is a muslim women’s whole body, only revealing their as simple as a piece of clothing, it is a breach of their eyes. The burqa was banned for security reasons, but religion freedom. As a result of the more liberal nature should a swim-suit that protects a woman’s modesty of the US, many citizens in the US believe that everybe banned? The two main questions revolving around one should be able to choose how they want to dress, this issue are why France placed and are shocked by the existhis ban, and whether or not it tence of the Burkini Ban. Lena is acceptable for them to do so.

Urick ’17 explained, “Regardless According to a BBC report, of religion, people should be recent polls show that 64 perable to wear what they’re most cent of France’s public supportcomfortable in on the beach, or ed the burkini ban. Mike Gonanywhere else. Their country zales, a senior at the Center for shouldn’t tell them what they International Studies at the Hercan wear as what you wear is a itage Foundation, commented, personal choice, and I don’t re“France does not believe in mulally understand at all how the ticulturalism,” suggesting that burkini was a safety risk to the the French government would people of France. However, I rather stick to their default understand that France may racial, religious, and culturhave taken this precaution due al groups, instead of accepting to feelings of paranoia after the others. Another prevalent theoattacks in Paris.” It seemed that ry is that the French Revolution Muslim women use the Birkini to express most of the people in France their beliefs introduced a strong anti-reliopinion’s were influenced by gious notion that has kept religion from the public their government, which is not uncommon. space. This idea is widely shown in France’s concept of The burkini ban was so controversial that it was laïcité, which is commonly used to defend bans target- eventually lifted in many places in France. It seemed ing religious practices. According to The Economist, that many members of the Wilmington Friends School laïcité is a “strict form of secularism enshrined by law community were against the ban. Ruth Hazzard ’19 in 1905 after a struggle against authoritarian Cathol- stated “I was confused when I first heard about this icism.” Government officials in France view bans on ban. I didn’t understand how France was even allowed religious wear such as burkinis as a way to preserve to make a ban that so clearly violated muslim womtheir secular values. A young French Muslim woman en’s religious freedom. Although the ban is clearly inwho resides in Marseille said that she was stopped by a appropriate, after digging deeper into the situation I group in a grocery store while shopping, after express- understood the fear the French people had after the ing her reason to wear a burkini on live television. The terrorist attacks earlier in the year.” Others in France group told her, “You aren’t home here. Go home. This were neutral on the situation and stated, “A bathing is fundamentalism.” This is a sign of the start of more suit is just a bathing a suit.” Overall, the ban brought widespread discrimination against Muslim women/ many mixed reactions. Some agreed that the ban was people. the right thing to do to protect the people of France’s Although the majority of France agrees with the safety, while others believed the opposite. www.terceramino.com

NIck Urick ’20 News Writer

of Dilma Rousseff ANNA Fahey ’20 News Writer

Brazil’s first female president Dilma Rousseff ’s second term came to an early end on August 31st when she was impeached by the senate and stripped of her title. The country had been gripped by a power struggle between warring political sides since she came into office. The main struggle has been between the Worker’s Party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, and the Brazilian Social Democracy Party. The power of the leftist Worker’s Party, which had been strong for the past thirteen years, has now come to a final end. Rousseff ’s vice president, Michel Temer, has come into power in her pace and has made many promises for the future of the country.

Rousseff was originally suspended in May to face trial on charges for borrowing from state banks to cover up an impending deficit. She is accused of borrowing a sizable 11 million dollars, about 1% of the nation’s economy, to pay for social programs that made the Worker’s Party attractive to many voters. “That’s crazy,” said Luke Fahey, ’20.

“When you think about it, 1% of the entire country is a huge amount of money.” However, legal experts debate whether this was an impeachable offence, and if the Brazilian government could finally target Rousseff and end an abysmal term.

On May 12, 2016, after a vote of 55 to 22, lawmakers accepted the charges and accused Rousseff of borrowing a large sum of money from state banks in order to cover up a looming deficit. While she was on trial, her place as President was taken up by Vice President Michel Temer, who has also been accused of violating campaign finance limits.

Rousseff claims the successful attempts to impeach her were a government coup. “I did not commit these crimes that I am arbitrarily and unjustly accused of,” Rousseff said during her impeachment trial, adding, “We are one step away from a real coup d’etat.” When she reached out for national support by talking to reporters about how she was innocent and being attacked, worldwide media lashed out at her for trying to ruin Brazil’s reputation.

(Continued on Page 12)

Election in BERLIN: Merkel let in Too Many Refugees ANNIKA SiDDALL ’20 News Writer In late summer of 2015, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, directed Berlin to admit millions of immigrants. A few days ago, there was a regional election that dictated which party would have the strongest influence in the upper house, the Bundesrat. The Bundesrat is made up of representatives from each of the 16 states. The party that wins the regional election chooses how that land votes in the the upper house.

The Bundesrat has real power, and is not just a symbol of Germany, like the Senate.

The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party secured a good percentage of votes from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats party. Merkel took full responsibility for her party’s losses. Her decisions to admit these immigrants caused an aftershock

leading to reversal in Germany’s popular parties. The Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, and the Social Democrats emerged as the strongest two parties in the state election. During the regional elections, they each lost around 7 percent of their votes. The new, anti-immigrant party Alternative for Germany, and the anti-capitalist Left Party both rose in power. The voters felt as if there was a threat towards their own personal stability and success by the flow of immigrants in their country. Many voters are concerned that Germany cannot handle the amount of immigrants entering the borders, and they have started to raise questions about their safety. This is a trend is present throughout Europe, and the rise of power of these far-Right parties, such as AfD, has not been seen since World War II. Liam Harron ’19 was asked what he would do if he was a German voter. He responded, “I don’t know. In a way, I’m for the Christian Democrats party. I think

HOMECOMING ISSUE 2016 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANEY

that it’s beneficial for the refugees to stay in Germany, but at a certain point, there can be too many of them.

I wouldn’t want the country to be overpopulated, so if that is the case, I would be more for the Alternative for Germany party. But I do believe there should be somewhere else for them to live.” Dani Nathan k19 commented, “I would vote for the Christian Democratic party. After learning about Syria, and the events that are occurring there from my Global Peace and Justice class last year, I feel bad for them. Even though it might affect my success and sustainability, it would be better for them to have a place to live. I do agree with the Germans in thinking that the Chancellor allowed to many of them in, but she had the right idea.” Connor Nisbet ’19 added, “I would vote for the Democratic Party because the emerging right wing anti-immigration parties are pretty much filled with racists and bigots, many having ties to neo-nazi groups.”

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FEATURES

Changing Leaves and Homecoming Festivities Isabel Crowther ‘17 Features Writer Every October, as the trees start turning bright colors and the weather is finally starting to cool, the Wilmington Friends School community is alive and buzzing with the excitement of a new school year finally setting in. With the return of school comes undeniable stress, but this is offset by the resurgence of the sense of community that WFS prides itself on. There are countless homecoming events and festivities planned, including sports events, upper and lower school pep rallies, and the upper school homecoming dance. Every year old and new friends come together to celebrate homecoming traditions and school spirit.

The first highly anticipated homecoming tradition is the pep rally, which is always an event full of school pride as well as fun; this year is bound to be no exception. The event takes place October 21st, the Friday before the homecoming dance. “The pep rally is going to have a lot more inclusive activities for middle and upper school,” commented Aleman ’17. “We are adding some events to it that should make the experience a lot more fun to watch and overall more interactive.”

Pep rallies in the past have included performances from chamber singers, chorale, band, and other student groups. “I always like when all the grades cheer and we compete to see who can cheer the loudest,” Myla Brilliant ‘17 added.

The most exciting and anticipated events for the upper school is the homecoming dance, which will be held Saturday, October 22nd at 8:00pm in the lower school gymnasium. This annual event is always a good time full of music, dancing, and celebration among the student community. “I’m excited for homecoming; I hope that people dance as much as they did at prom!” an anonymous student said. This year’s theme is “Red Carpet”, and the students are gearing up for the chance to dress up for a fun, glamorous night. “The homecoming dance is going to be very extravagant and elegantly decorated, going with the theme of Red Carpet/ Grammies,” said Christina Aleman ‘17, a clerk of Spirit Committee. Spirit Committee is a club of students in charge of planning the dance, as well as the upper and lower school pep rallies. The morning of the same day, there will be a football game against Tatnall held at school at 2:30pm, featuring a halftime show by the 4th-8th grade band. There are a variety of other homecoming events leading up to the dance and football game, starting Friday, October 21st. Volleyball will be playing Concord at 6:15 (JV 5:00) and field hockey will be playing Tatnall at 11:00am the next day. Later in the day soccer will play Tatnall as well, at 12:00.

This year’s homecoming at Friends will not disappoint, and is destined to be a week full of school spirit and cheer. All of the highly-attended sports events, dances, and other homecoming events show the whole WFS community cannot wait to show their pride for what makes Friends great.

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MUSIC AND UNITY AT Wilmington FRIENDS Tess Beardell ‘17 Features Writer When window shopping for a new school, many parents have the same standard list of requirements: good teachers, a welcoming community, triumphant arts programs, and an environment that encourages student involvement with school activities. When following this checklist, many families are led to Wilmington Friends School. At Friends, we are lucky enough to have all of these aspects present in our community, but what is even better is that they all combine to bring us closer. This is especially true when it comes to the various arts programs at Friends.

We see the ways that the arts can bring us together in the theater programs at friends. Take it from Alexandra Musi ’17, who has participated in three Friends musicals since her freshman year. “I find the musicals strengthen bonds between students because they give time for us to spend time with people in other grades who share a common interest” Musi commented. Unlike regular class time, the rehearsals for the plays and musicals offer the unique comfort of being surrounded by people who are truly passionate about and invested in a common experience. This luxury of shared interest and equal effort combine to create a distinct connection between peers. Margaret Anne Butterfield voiced her wholehearted agreement with this thought when she pointed out that “because music is around us all the time, it’s quite easy to forget it, but when there are groups like chamber singers and the cast of our musicals presenting it to the rest of the school community it’s much easier to remember its significance. For example, most of those smaller groups have special bonds within themselves, so when they present a piece of music or a play to the whole community it

is as if the whole community is getting to be a part of that bond.”

One of the most prominent examples of this notion can be taken from the outpouring of support and words of praise directed towards the cast and crew of last year’s spring play, The Laramie Project. The play surrounds the act and aftermath of a brutal hate crime committed against a gay teenager, Matthew Shepard, in Laramie, Wyoming. Instead of continuing with regular school activities after the in-school performance, students and teachers alike were welcomed and encouraged to share their preliminary responses to the performance in advisory groups directly afterwards.

Andrew Slomski ’17 participated in the play and was able to share his firsthand insight into the experience: “The Laramie Project obviously covered a very sensitive topic, so especially after the initial daytime performance of the play it was an incredibly valuable way to understand how our community can come together in wake of tragedy.” Slomski’s comment describes a feeling much of the Friends’ community can relate to, and in those groups we were all thankful to have such a strong network of support surrounding us.

At the end of the day, what is truly memorable about Friends School is its ability to unite students from all walks of life over music and theater. It shows that we are able to offer one another support in wake of difficulty and share a sense of common spirituality through music. Even Margaret Sullivan ’17, who was unfortunately unable to participate in this year’s musical was able to set aside her grief to offer words of support for the arts program. She proudly proclaimed, “I love the musicals, I have always planned to be in every single one!” Margaret’s quote expresses a sentiment common to much of the Wilmington Friends community.

a fairytale on Friends campus Krystal Xu ‘19 Features Writer

This fall at WFS, the Winter Musical Into the Woods

is beginning to rouse the attention of students and faculty alike. The story centers around a childless baker and wife as they attempt to start a family and reverse a curse put upon them by an evil witch.

During their journey, they meet Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack, each one on a quest to fulfill a wish. With the musical’s original and unique storyline, the WFS student body is excited to see the musical coming out.

Lauren Gutstein, assistant director of the musical, eagerly commented on the play’s unique characteristics. “In the musical Into the Woods, the audience can see how Sondheim (the musical’s creator) takes elements from fairytale like “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Little Red Riding Hood”, and put them together to come up with an entirely new storyline” commented Gutstein, director of the winter musical. “It is a challenging musical to carry out and requires a lots of great performers, because the music in this play is really complex. However, I am glad that this year we have a lot of great musical performers joining this play. It will be a lot different than musicals we have done before, and more interesting as well,” she added.

The musical Into the Woods is definitely attracting the attention of budding student actors and actresses: the audition process for this year was much more intense than usual. Lots of people tried out this year,

but unfortunately, due to the lack of a chorus, only some were offered a role. Bella Stuccio ’19 is one of them: she commented,“This is one of my favorite movies made by Disney up until now. I attended the audition last week and got a small part of the musical.

Even though I don’t have a lot of lines in this play, I am still excited about it and I just can’t wait to be in a part of the crew!” Not only are the actresses and actors of the musical excited to act, but many others cannot wait to see it performed on the auditorium stage. Brooke Hegenbarth ‘19 commented, “Into The Woods has always been one of my favorite musicals and I saw both the Broadway version along with the Disney version many times. I love almost every single piece of music in the musical, because they are all really fun and unique.” Overall, the music of Into The Woods is really unique and fun, generating abundant enthusiasm from the WFS community.

As well as the music, the story of this musical is also a highlight for spectators. Ruisi "Sissi" Jian '18 added, “When I first heard our school is going to make Into the Woods the winter musical, I was so glad! I love all kind of fairy tales, especially Into The Woods. I can see a lot of characters from many different other fairy tales and this was super exciting for me.”

The actors and actresses of Into The Woods seem to be gearing up for a spectular performance! The spectators are eagerly awaiting their chance to see the musical up on the stage. Do not miss it: the in-school performance will be November 11th, and weekend performances the 12th and 13th.

homecoming issue 2016 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANEY

Features

MYSCHOOLAPP becomes THE NEW NETCLASSROOM aDDIE TRUDEL ’19 features writer Myschoolapp was a new addition to Wilmington Friends for the Fall 2016 semester. WFS introduced the program to students as a place to gather all of their assignments, schedules, class progress, and other useful tools in one convenient website. Blackbaud, the company that made and hosted Netclassroom, created Myschoolapp so that they would no longer need to constantly update and improve the old software. The new technology has students and teachers talking; it seems to have received mostly positive feedback from the community.

Blackbaud reached out to tech leads Todd Tyler and Gregg Miller last year to inform them of the company’s new site. In the beginning of last school year, Tyler and Miller started toying around with the idea of using Myschoolapp. There were many business meetings between Blackbaud representatives and faculty, administrators, and staff members who work in the Jones’ House to discuss how the program would work in their different divisions. Right after last year’s winter break, the teachers started using the website’s pilot program, so they could get used to putting in assignments and seeing their schedules. The students

were initially introduced to the Myschoolapp when they registered for this year’s courses in late spring.

The faculty and students appreciate the new features that have been added to the “New Netclassroom”.

The website boasts many different features that help students and faculty with their class management. The progress section allows students to view their grades if their teacher has an open grade book, meaning they can see a regularly-updated grade in the class. Since the Myschoolapp also ties into the Wilmington Friends website now, users can easily access the different directories and links to different websites such as Quakers Sports, Whittier Miscellany, Daily Announcements, the Student Handbook, and many more. The new feature, “Messages”, can easily connect students and teachers to exchange information or schedule meetings with one another. Messages is also used between student athletes and coaches, the clerks and members of clubs and committees, and among different grade levels.

With the freshman class (2020) gaining fourteen new students, the Myschoolapp allowed them to have a smooth transition from their former middle schools to Wilmington Friends Upper School. One new freshman, Trey May ’20, stated, “It’s cool, because it shows my schedule and it helps me know where all of my

classes are.” Sophomore Alonia Needs ’19, who has been at the school for thirteen years, noted, “It actually makes me want to do my homework because it has the little completed box in the assignment center and it makes me feel accomplished and satisfied when I check it for finishing my work.” Even many teachers and administrative staff are finding the Myschoolapp to be useful. For example, chemistry teacher Mark Schmittle, who has been teaching at Wilmington Friends since 1994, finds the website to be very helpful. Since Schmittle has been teaching at the school for a long period of time, he has seen all of the different organization systems come and go. He stated, “First impressions: It has a lot of capabilities. It is better than what we had; better than the old management system.”

Some teachers have been having trouble putting in new assignments, while others find the website to be running smoothly.

In conclusion, the Myschoolapp has gotten primarily positive feedback from the student body and faculty members. Negative responses have been very minimal. It is a fairly new system, so people have varying opinions on it and how well it works for them. Hopefully the few kinks in the system will be worked out soon, and the new website will be entirely beneficial to all of the Wilmington Friends community.

CLUBS AT Friends ARe For the COMMUNITY Lucy Knudsen ’19 Features Writer It is the start of another school year at Wilmington Friends, and with that always comes excitement and a little bit of nervousness. As we begin to settle into our routines, something we have to be excited about is the start of clubs and committees. Friends actually has 47 registered clubs this year, more than the school has ever had before! Some clubs are made to discuss worldwide issues, some are to provide a safe space for specific groups of people, some are to learn about things, and others are just for fun! What they all have in common is the community they provide for their members and the friendships that they help to build.

Maggie Coons ’18 talked about one of the clubs she is a part of called GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance). This club strives to provide a place where people can speak their minds without judgement on LGBT+ issues. Of the club, she comments, “I really

like the community GSA provides because it’s a safe space where all kids can go whether they are queer or straight.” Coons is a member of several other clubs as well. She noted, “I like clubs, because people are coming together for something they like and are passionate about.” Maggie, like many others, goes to clubs to use their voice on topics that matter to them, and to connect with other people with the same interests.

Mary Agne is the clerk of Half the Sky, a feminist club that focuses on gender inequality and how to combat it. It is easy to tell that she is very passionate about her club. She says: “The community comes together because we see gender inequality is a big issue.

This crosses our boundaries of interests and friend groups because it’s an issue that personally affects us all, and that’s really powerful.” She also mentioned her experience with clerking the club: “I love clerking Half the Sky because I love finding the things that bring us together.” Half the Sky, among other clubs, helps people share their opinions in a community that cares about them.

Students are not the only community members involved in clubs. Mr. Ergueta is a history teacher at Friends and overseer of multiple clubs at the school.

He spoke on the importance of clubs at school, “I love to see how kids get involved in their interests.

The friends they find become very important to them: this can cut across classes. One thing kids do enjoy about school is clubs and more students should take advantage of them.” As Mr. Ergueta mentioned, clubs are a fun and beneficial part of school that we shouldn’t take for granted. They can be a great way to share your interests with a wider group, no matter what that interest may be.

As students begin to start to familiarize themselves with classes and classmates, they are encouraged to take a look at the list of clubs, ask friends where they go, and even push themselves out of their comfort zones. It is clear that the studnet body feels that, no matter what students choose to do, they are sure to learn new things and find a community at Wilmington Friends school.

HomeComing WordSearch LindSay Weber ’17 Features Editor

Enjoy the first Whittier puzzle of the year!!

Each issue, Features will include one fun game or puzzle to stump the community.

If you have any suggestions for inclusions in this addition, please tell one of the Whittier editors!

HomeComing ISSUE 2016 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANEY

WORD BANK dAnce

Football Friends

Game

Homecoming

Leaves

October Reunion

Wfs

Spirit

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Sports

ManChester United Makes Moves in the Offseason With over $1,512,443,775.00 spent over the past several months in the soccer transfer window, teams and fans are excited about their new players. The highest paid player, Paul Pogba, was bought for $115,700,000.

He shattered the previous record by 5 million dollars. The club that bought Pogba is called Manchester United. Even though they are one of the most prestigious soccer clubs, they finished the past Barclays Premier League season in 5th place. This year, with Jose Mourinho as their new manager, the team has hopes of winning the league. Mourinho spent the most money of all clubs when bringing in Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and several other talented players. With these new players, Manchester United’s game has improved greatly, however, they are currently in 6th place.

Chris Lee ’17 stated, “Pogba and Ibrahimovic should have a profound effect upon Manchester United; they are two of the strongest players at their respective positions and should be dominant for United on the field.” In recent years, Manchester United has not spent too much money in the transfer window, so this year their fans were extra enthusiastic about all the money their club spent. Evan Arai ’20 explained, “I hate Manchester United, but Zlatan is worth it, and Pogba is not. So far, that’s been true.”

Manchester United’s biggest rival is Manchester City. Manchester City also is starting with a new manager named Pep Guardiola. Every time the two teams play against each other, it is called a Manchester

Derby. These games are always packed with hundreds you might not think that Pogba is worth it, but he still is of thousands of people watching and it is one of the very strong and talented in the midfield. On an online most intense rivalries in the sport. The first time that post, 60% of people said that Pogba is not worth the they played against each other this season, United lost money, and another poll said that he should be worth 2-1. Currently, Manchester City has had an undefeat- 40-60 million dollars. Although Pogba has not proven ed first six games. The himself to be the best yet, season still has a long he’s already proven himself time before it ends, so to be a threat and he is only anyone can still win.

23 years-old; he has his enScott Clothier, Upper tire career ahead of him.

School teacher, added, Pogba also was named in “I do believe that these the 2015-2016 Team of the two additions will inject Year starting eleven, which new vitality to the side is an incredible accomafter a season that was plishment at 22 years-old, truly lackluster. Both much less achieving that at of these players are dyany age. namic, unpredictable, So is Pogba going to and deadly around the make an impact on Mannet. These are areas chester United and is he where Man U have been really worth all the monstruggling over the past ey? Although most people two seasons. I predict say he is not, new managthat the Red Devils finer Jose Mourinho seems ish in the top four this to think he is. Mourinho season.” Many people’s has managed nine of the thoughts vary over the world’s biggest teams, so next season. when he sets his eyes on So far, Ibrahimovic new players, they must be has scored five goals and good. Only time will tell Pogba has only scored what kind of an impact one. With those stats, Pogba makes.

Paul Pogba plays for his former team, Juventus. soccerly.com.jpg

Connor Miller ’19 Sports Writer

Taking a Knee in the Name of Our Country Colin Kaepernick, a professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers, has created a storm of controversy in the world of sports, and it shows no signs of slowing down. On August 26, 2016, Kaepernick did not stand for the National Anthem before his preseason game. When asked about it, Kaepernick said that he will not stand in support of a country which treats African Americans so poorly, and this has caused an uproar in the media. Many believe that what his manner of protest is unpatriotic.

Timmer Farley ‘19 commented, “He approached the situation aggressively, and I don’t think he thought through all of the options for protest before he chose this.

I think his stance is controversial and should have been avoided.” However, many other NFL players have followed his lead and either sat, knelt, or held a fist up in protest. Also, the protest is not restricted to football. Megan Rapinoe, a U.S. women’s soccer player, knelt for the national anthem before her game against the Chicago Red Stars on September 4, 2016. The Howard University cheerleaders knelt before Howard’s game against Hampton University on September Seventeenth. Kaepernick’s stance appears to be dividing our country between those who agree and those who do not.

Though Kaepernick’s stand may seem divisive, he believes that it is something

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that will unite our country against the face of racism.

After his game on August 28, he further expanded on his reason for the protest: “I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change. . . It’s something blog.eastbay.com

Carlin Beskrone ’19 Sports Writer

Kaepernick throws a pass for the 49ers.

that can unify this team. It’s something that can unify this country. If we have these real conversations that are uncomfortable for a lot of people. If we have these conversations, there’s a better understanding of where both sides are coming from.” Here, Colin Kaepernick says that even though we may be divided now, what he is doing is necessary for the unity of our country.

Kaepernick and the other athletes do not stand alone in their belief that this will unify our country.

Grant Sheppard ‘19 expressed, “His protest forces us to have a difficult conversation, one which is necessary for us to have. With so many current events, I don’t think anyone could argue that it isn’t a necessity.”

Sheppard believes that this stand, as well as forcing us to talk about uncomfortable topics like racism, is necessary for our country to move forward. There is also a belief that the other athletes coming together and supporting Kaepernick creates unity between the players and in the sports world. Donald Morton, a History teacher at WFS, explained, “I don’t think the point of him kneeling was to unify people. I think that the point was to highlight discrimination that he saw. Although, what I’ve noticed, is that people from all ethnicities have joined in the protest.” Here, Mr. Morton is saying that, through the course of raising awareness for his cause, he did inadvertently unite people.

Colin Kaepernick has undoubtedly created a stir in the world of sports. With his protest, he has angered many people, but just as many people stand with him.

However, though we are divided, Kaepernick believes that what he is doing is for the good of America and will eventually unify us as a country. Brandon Marshall, a linebacker for the Denver Broncos who followed Kaepernick’s lead, stated “I’m not against the military. I’m not against the police or America. I’m against social injustice.”

Homecoming Issue 2016 The Whittier Misscelaney

Sports

A League Of Your Own compete against each other.” Each student reflects on how this game is an easy way to keep in touch with friends and family, while doing something they all enWhen you think of the word “autumn”, what joy. comes to mind? Leaves of different colors, back Mary Agne ‘18 has been playing for four to school, and for most Americans, football. The years and plays to win. Agne commented, football season has become a huge part of au“I play in a league with all of my cousins. tumn and now there are even more ways to get When you do the draft, it’s really cool and involved, such as Fantasy Football. In this besome of the people who come to the draft loved game, every football fan has the chance to you don’t see often, so it’s nice to see them lead their own team to victory. and have something to share together.” Even Since 1962 when Fantasy Football came if you do not play as competitively as Mary, about, fans have been hooked. Currently, the who was previously third in her league, you game is full speed ahead and teams and leagues can still enjoy Fantasy Football. have already been formed. Each player creates a Another point is that while this game is fun team by choosing players from different teams to do, it is a bit time consuming. Jake Rashin the NFL. You are the coach of your own team kind illustrates the other side of the game by so you can trade and replace players. This way, saying, “it took time away from other things the online game corresponds well with the game that I wanted to be doing and it gives you on the field. The way you score is by how well the false illusion of control. I found myself your player does in each game they play during watching games that I cared nothing about.

NFL Fantasy Football; where every fan has the chance to lead their own the season. This game does not just use knowlI quit and I have been very happy about it.” football team. edge of the sport, but also mathematics and staFantasy football is a great sport to play, but tistics. One of the best parts is that you do not need to who share leagues through friendly competition, tied requires a time commitment some people may not be be able to play football to still enjoy it this way! to a fun, family game.” This is a great way to bond with up for. Whether you chose to play or not is up to you.

Fantasy football is a great way to bond with family people who you may not have known as well before. Fantasy Football begins each year right before the members as well as participate in a sport that is easy to Denzel Dixon ’20 added, “I do play it, but not often. I football season, so be sure to catch it next year and do, even when you have a busy schedule. James Tall- only play when my friends are playing because we can join a league of your own!

man ‘19 expressed “I think that fantasy football is a great way to become more engaged with the aspects of football, as well as it brings friends and family closer

www. flickr.com

Bella Stuccio ’19 Sports Writer

Friends Soccer Looks to rewrite the Books We are well underway for the 2016-17 school year, and everybody enjoys a great underdog story! A very intriguing story is the Quaker Men’s Soccer team. Last year, the Quakers fought to make up for an unimpressive 2014 season, going 2-13. This year, the team will look to improve on the 7-6-2 2015 record and hopefully make a strong playoff push.

The Quakers graduated eight seniors last year, and five were starting players. However, they have made up for it in this year’s rising freshman class. The team welcomed a whopping 17 freshmen to the team this year. Out of the 17, five are varsity players.

The freshman help out on and off the field. Joseph Mullen ’19 and Timothy Farley Jr. ’19 gave their honest opinion of the freshman on the team, “They’re good kids,” Farley said. “The freshman in my platoon just always seem to get it done”. Mullen, a member of the football team, added, “I don’t know Oryem Kilama, but apparently he’s incredible. I hear Jacob Jaworski is pretty good, and he’s also the kicker for the football team. I really respect how he splits his time to cover both of his duties”. The freshman look to help the team win a conference championship this year; the first since 1973.

The team also officially welcomed Liam O’Donnell to the coaching staff this year. O’Donnell, a former middle school coach, has been coaching at friends since 2013. He came in as the head coach of the middle school, but also helped out with the high school Men’s team. O’Donnell has played professional soccer, and is currently representing Ireland in the Amateur

World Cup. He is a big asset in practice, helps out with many logisticals in games, like focusing on corner kicks and offensive attack, and overall is an amazing addition to the team.

On the topic of additions to the team, we also have a couple new players. As a new student to a school (or country for that matter), sometimes making friends can be a challenge. Roc Terricabres Esperalba 18’ certainly hasn’t had much trouble with that! Terricabres

on social media and talking to ranges of people in school. Roc’s passion for WFS is shown as he cheers on varsity soccer, after playing a full JV match! His humor and friendliness add such a great energy to the school, and I’m so happy he chose to come to WFS!” This year, the team is lead by Captains Chris Lee ’17, Danny Manley ’18, and Max Pickles ’18. This is the first time in a number of years that there have been junior captains, but that doesn’t stop Pickles and Manley from leading the team with confidence. For a team with a large roster of 45 players, it is very challenging for all three captains to lead as well as they have been. Lawson Chou ’18, a player for the Quaker Soccer team, commented on the leadership displayed on the team, “Because of the new leadership on the team, Friends soccer might have one of the best seasons in years. The addition of two junior captains, Pickles and Manley, is definitely a change for the better. With Chris, Max, and Danny, the team seems a lot closer and we are definitely going to the playoffs this year because of them.

Their leadership not only on the field, but in and out of school have left every team member excited to show up and play soccer everyday.”

The team chemistry shown so far in this Quaker Soccer team is very strong. It seems like this could be a very promising year for the rather young team. The Quakers are looking forward to having their best season in years. quakerssports.com

John Blackwell ’18 Sports Writer

2016 Quaker Men’s Soccer team

has had a very easy time fitting in as a Quaker. As an AFS student from Barcelona, Terricabres has made a very smooth transition to the team and the student body at Friends. He will be staying with Samuel Huo, also a junior, for the entire year. Terricabres wears #40 with pride and holds an amazing attitude, on and off the field. When asked about Terricabres, Louisa Spinner ’18 commented, “Roc has been such an awesome addition to WFS this year! From the first day of school you could tell he was going to fit right in with the community. He’s made such a great effort to get to know everyone at Friends, through connecting with people

Homecoming ISSUE 2016 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANEY

PAGE 7

Entertainment

TAKE A BREAK From School, And ENJOY THE MUSIC MATT BYER ’18 ENTERTAINMENT Writer The flashing neon lights in the Electric Factory, paired with thunderous music, combine to create quite the spectacle, all before a massive, adrenalized crowd.

Music festivals and concerts brilliantly gather fans of all genres to collectively enjoy an entertaining show.

These concerts not only provide a good time, but a much-needed break from the more stressful elements of school life.

The nature of concerts and music festivals creates a thrilling atmosphere. The majority of the WFS community has attended at least one concert or music festival (such as Firefly or Made In America), and most agree it is a fun and exciting experience. Ryan Fischer ’18 offered his opinion on music festivals: “Music festivals! Wonderful fusions of light and sound and majesty!” He went on to say, “Haven’t I heard the sound from a bird? No, not until the booming bass rumbles a racket in my ears, filling me with excitement. Truly

a great time it is, and one that we all share together!”

Fischer notes an essential aspect of concerts and music festivals: unity, as a large group of people shares the exhilarating experience. Nick Gauthier ’17 shared his opinion on concerts as well. “People should go to them because it’s one thing to hear an artist through headphones, but another to feel the music in your bones,” he said, “it’s an experience like no other to connect with not only the artist, but the people around you as they convey their emotions through their music in an incredible ambience.”

Concerts can also soothe anxiety and re-energize their attendees, making for an adequate recess. The student workload at WFS, especially for upperclassmen, is a heavy one, and can be the source of a lot of stress. Many student feel as though the workload is overwhelming. When asked about the amount of work she receives at school, Marie DeVoll ’18 said, “So far, the workload from junior year is more than last year. It is a lot of work and it is exhausting, but it does pay off because I feel prepared for tests and

quizzes that we have.” DeVoll, although she appreciates it, notes the exhausting nature of daily homework, studying, etc. Similar comments came from Nick Sotiropoulos ’18: “The work really piles up, especially as an upperclassmen. Doing all of it on top of sports and other stuff is stressful, and it can be overwhelming to manage.” This indicates that breaks are important for the mental health of students, which Sotiropoulos also commented on: “A break really helps lower stress, and when you have time away from something, you can think about it more in-depth when you come back to it.”

The stress stemming from schoolwork can be assuaged by a short break, which can come in the form of a concert or music festival. These events, with their exciting and fun atmosphere, are an effective way to take one’s mind away from an exhausting amount of schoolwork. However, concerts only last a night, and, in the morning, students must return to the realities of school and homework, hopefully a little more relaxed and ready to take on the challenges to come.

FALL FAVORITES: WFS RECIPE BOOK Political Olivia Ivins ’20 ENTERTAINMENT Writer

With summer winding down and the weather getting cooler, fall brings many wonderful things that allow for its seasonal fun. These include football games, apple picking, pumpkin carving, pumpkin spice, warm clothes, holidays, and more. Emi Arai ’20 explained, “I enjoy fall because I can wear my boots and sweaters that I could not wear in the summer.” Of these classic fall favorites, there is one that people are guaranteed to appreciate most: the food.

As the temperature drops, people tend to gravitate towards comfort foods. Here are a few fun fall recipes for you to enjoy this season: Cinnamon Roll Cookies INGREDIENTS 1 lb. Sugar cookie dough 1/4 c. brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 c. confectioners’ sugar 2 tsp of Whole Milk DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide sugar cookie dough in half and roll each half into large ¼-inchthick rectangles.

In small bowl, combine brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle rectangles with sugar mixture and tightly roll up each into tight log. Slice into ¼-inch-thick slices and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes.

Let cool on sheets 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

In small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar with whole milk and drizzle over cooked cookies. http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a44700/cinnamon-roll-cookies-recipe/ Chocolate Dipped Fruit (Kitchen Recipe) INGREDIENTS Fruit of your choice 8 oz. of bittersweet chocolate (Melt chocolate over indirect heat) 2 tablespoons of coconut oil

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DIRECTIONS Choose your fruit; whatever kind of fruit you like and think would go well with your chocolate. Strawberries, bananas, and even kiwi are good choices. To make the chocolate stick to the fruit, your best option would be to freeze the fruit prior to dipping into your chocolate.

Put your coconut oil in with your melting chocolate.

Melt your chocolate over a double broiler or on low heat in a microwave in small increments. As you melt, continue to stir the chocolate to avoid burning.

Get a plate and place wax over the plate.

After your chocolate is melted, dip your fruit in and coat the piece evenly, then place it on the plate with the wax paper.

Bread Pudding INGREDIENTS 6 slices day-old bread 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 4 eggs, beaten 2 cups milk 3/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/7177/bread-pudding-ii/ Fall is a wonderful season, full of fun flavors and great things to do. Jacob Jaworski ’20 commented, “Fall is a very good time of the year. The weather is perfect for my outdoor sports and the leaves are pretty when they change.” So this fall, try out these three seasonal recipes; they are sure to make the cold fall months even better!

Impressions by Comedians

Emma Landis ‘19 Entertainment Editor Over the past few decades, political impressions by comedians have been gaining popularity. During this especially controversial election, numerous comedians and television shows are participating in them. Celebrities are also joining in on the trend, including Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and even Meryl Streep.

Members of Saturday Night Live have been doing these impressions for a very long time and many people tune in to the popular comedy show. Some might wonder what the attraction is behind the impressions, while others enjoy the light humor that they bring to stressful political issues.

When asked why he thought these impressions were so popular, Grant Sheppard ’19 shared his opinion, stating that “It’s hard to say. I think Americans in an especially negative election want to make light of the negativity with humor, but a lot of times it makes more controversy because many late night T.V. shows often play to their base.” Some might find this to be true. Many popular comedic television shows mock Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, which begs the question, “are these shows meant to ease tension or do they simply create more controversy and debate?” On The Daily Show, Jordan Klepper goes to a Trump rally and essentially exploits and mocks Trump supporters. This video went viral, appearing on major social media sites including Twitter, which has more than 300 million active users. This caused extreme debate on both sides of the election. Although comedic relief was intended, this video caused the opposite. However, there do remain more lighthearted and innocent impressionists as well.

On The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Fallon does impressions of both our current presidential candidates, which makes the impressions appear less biased. Chase Fallon ’19 commented, “I think political immitations definitely ease the controversy because the comedians make both good and bad points about the candidates, which lets viewers laugh but also learn.”

(Continued on Page 9)

homecoming issue 2016 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANEY

FALLING INTO NEW (AND OLD) TV ALLIE FULGINITI ’17 ENTERTAINMENT WRITER

For many, fall is about new beginnings. While summer comes to a close, school brings a whole new year of possibilities and responsibilities for kids across the nation. Some might find themselves wondering, “What is the best way to cope with all of these new responsibilities?” One way is to start watching some new TV shows, or to pick up on ones you may have left behind over the summer. Now is the perfect time to start browsing through On Demand, Netflix, or Hulu to spark an interest in some new shows, and rekindle the flame with some old favorites.

One of the most anticipated returning shows this fall is Grey’s Anatomy. The thirteenth season of the show aired just a few weeks ago. The twisted love triangles, death of beloved characters, and intrigue of interpreting complicated surgeries has kept the dedicated fans of the show interested since the beginning. Kalyn Nix ’17, a die-hard Grey’s fanatic, explained, “I wasn’t ready for the show to be over so I’m really excited that they are bringing it back this year and focusing on the originals. I cannot wait to see what happens with my favorite character, Alex Karev.” While some are anxiously anticipating what is to come in the new season, others think the show has run its course: “Obviously,” added Lizzie Kane ’18, “if Grey’s is on I am going to watch it. However, I just feel like the show could not have gotten any better than last season or any of the previous seasons, so I think it would have been best if it ended on a high note.” No matter if you are happy about the new season or not, it seems as though the show’s true fans will always stick around to see what happens next.

One show that has just begun is the spin-off of hit show The Walking Dead. The new show, Fear the

Walking Dead, tells the story of families that experienced the very beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

Just as some of us are trying to fight off the stress that this year brings, our on-screen companions are fighting off blood thirsty zombies. Matt Denney ’17 commented, “I’ve been a dedicated fan of the show The Walking Dead, so I was super excited to find out that there was a spin off show. I always wanted to know exactly how everyone started dying and becoming zombies and how there became so few survivors.” Fear the Walking Dead offers viewers some answers to their questions about what sort of epidemic put the entire world’s population at risk and how different groups of people preserved neighborhoods or started other communities of survivors.

Additionally, on top of these new and returning TV shows, there are also some new and highly anticipated movies this fall, including the upcoming release of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which comes to theaters on Friday, November 11. Several of the current classes at Wilmington Friends School have read Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk in English class in their sophomore year. However, seeing a story portrayed in a movie may can oftentimes be remarkably different than reading the story in a book. Sully Connors ’19 said, “I’m interested to see how the movie differs from the book. I found the book intriguing, but I’m afraid seeing the movie might change my perception or liking of the book.” Those that read the book may have to decide for themselves if they would want to see it portrayed in a movie, but those who did not read the book may not be affected by the movie as they have never heard the story before.

While there are many fun activities you could invest your time in this fall, getting into new shows and seeing new movies are always a good way to wind down after a long week at school or at home.

Entertainment Landis, Continued from Page 8 Although many late night TV shows with immitations are comedy based, they often have a level of truth to them. When asked if he thinks impressions lighten controversy, Matt Cauchy, Upper School Physics teacher, stated, “I don’t think it does. [Political impressions] don’t change people’s opinion of whatever issue is controversial. Making fun of it doesn’t change how they feel about it.” While some find the impressions funny, others find them aggravating and biased.

Despite varying opinions of political imitations, they have grown to become one of the most popular things on television. When asked why he thinks they are so popular, Jenks Whittenburg, Upper School computer teacher, commented, “Politics are inherently very serious, so when you point out something absurd or ridiculous [about them], that appeals to audiences.” This circles back to the idea of making light out of an otherwise humorless topic. On The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Fallon does many comedic impressions of political figures, and his show can receive up to four million views. Whether it’s viewers looking to laugh or wanting a break from the hectic world of elections, political impressions are extremely popular in the United States.

Although political impressions are now gaining popularity at a fast rate, they have been used as comedic relief in politics for many years. These impressions can evoke controversy, but in general they tend to ease tensions between Republicans and Democrats and allow everyone to share a laugh. In all, political impressions center on comedic satire to alleviate controversy in political elections, and they can serve to unite people in this time of controversy.

MOANA possibly stereotypes polynesian culture Disney is in hot water right now with their upcoming movie Moana, which will be released on Wednesday, November 23. Moana is an animated adventure film about a teenage girl, Moana, on a mission to find her true identity. Along the way, she meets Maui, a polynesian mythical demigod, and together they sail across the ocean on a quest to save their people. This film is based on Polynesian mythology. Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania which consists of over a thousand islands in the Pacific. This is Disney’s second film that takes place in the Pacific, with the first one being Lilo and Stitch. There has been significant controversy about whether or not Maui accurately reflects Polynesian culture.

Many have been offended by the way Disney created Maui to be overly large. People are upset about the stereotypes that surround the Polynesians, and they think Disney purposely created Maui along those guidelines. The stereotype is that those of Polynesian descent are overweight, lazy, and unhealthy, and, though this is certainly not true in reality, many people of Polynesian descent are furious and think that Disney portrayed Maui as overweight. In the ancient myth, the description of the demigod Maui changes in each story. Mostly, Maui is described as “beautiful” and “attractive,” and when Moana came out, Maui became the opposite. Cynthia Stann Mellow, Upper School art teacher, expressed her thoughts on the topic: “Sometimes when creating a cartoon character it’s based on a story from the past, and it’s hard

to get away from some of the stereotypes. It’s a tough part of the movie it’s fine, but if they are making fun job. It also depends on what the character does and of his weight in the movie it’s disrespectful, and defirepresents rather than the form.” One of the toughest nitely not okay.” Disney won’t deliberately make fun things to do is to create a character from scratch and of Maui’s weight. Maui is described as a fallen hero, have everyone love it. Over the years, Disney has done but he joins a journey to redeem himself, so he doesn’t an outstanding job with making children all over the seem lazy from the description. Maybe Disney didn’t world content, until now. want to have an attractive hero like all the other adDisney is also taking the heat for releasing a new venture films. Victoria Shroeder ’18 said, “I think he’s halloween costume of Maui. The costume has brown more built and large. When Disney designs their charskin that is covered with tattoos, which has driven the acters they keep in mind the personality. I don’t think media insane. People Disney meant to offend are saying that brown anyone.” Many believe skin is not a costume, that it’s not fat shaming and that this is the first at all, but instead, it’s time Disney has done empowering. It could something like this. be a message to viewThis offended many ers that you shouldn’t Pacific people, and the judge someone based tattoos on the costume on their appearance. were very disrespectThere has been ful to the culture of the one other movie that Polynesians. Tattoos in Moana and Maui sail into a sea of controversy as Disney comes Disney has done with under fire for stereotyping Polynesian culture. their culture are unique Polynesian culture and and different for every single person. that would be the well known animated film Lilo In contrast, some do not think Maui is being por- and Stitch, which entered theaters July 16, 2002. Lilo trayed as an unhealthy and overweight demigod. and Stitch received great popularity, and there was Many are defending Maui saying that he has a strong no controversy about it like Moana faces today. The and built body type, not appearing lazy and laid back characters in Lilo and Stitch are portrayed similarly like the stereotype suggests. Disney possibly used a with dark skin, hula skirts, and other characteristics thicker body type to promote the idea that anyone that stereotype the Polynesian culture. Culture has can make a difference, no matter what shape or size always been a significant part of Disney movies, and they are. Emily Rossi ’17, a Disney movie fanatic, be- hopefully the culture portrayed in Moana will keep its lieves, “If Disney uses Maui being larger in size as a integrity.

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legionofleia.com

Ashley Brooks ’18 Entertainment writer

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Community

How News Consumption Causes Political Polarization Cecilia Ergueta ’18 Columnist Today, the majority of Americans receive their news from a single web site, placing the free distribution of ideas largely under the power of a single company–and that’s a problem. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 62 percent of American adults said they got their news on social media in 2016, and that number is rising quickly. This statistic holds among students at our school; when asked where she gets her news, Marie DeVoll ’18 said: “I follow Delaware Online on Twitter, and get notifications about what’s going on.” The convenience and relevancy of updating newsfeeds offered by social media sites is undeniable, and accounts for their popularity. Many believe getting your news online is simply a natural progression from the days of physical newspapers and radio; in our new age, consumers have merely shifted to a new media. However, this parallel is not applicable. With the change in news consumption, the majority of social media consumers flock to a single website: Facebook. Today, 44% of Americans get their news from Facebook, giving it greater power than any other company that offers news in America. By comparison, only around 15-20% of Americans read a daily paper.

Emily Rossi ’17 stated: “I get all my news off Facebook pretty much on a daily basis. I scroll through the news feed and look at things my friends have liked.” This dependency is only increased as readers get younger; for millennials, this is by 51%. Through this near monopoly, Facebook, being the central gateway to news, has the enormous power of controlling the distribution of ideas in our country.

The fact that the majority of Americans check their news on Facebook may seem harmless; after all, Facebook objectively shows you news from all around the world or content your friends share with you, right?

But the essential problem here is that Facebook is not a news site. Instead, Facebook is fundamentally a social media site, whose aim is to make advertising money by showing consumers content that is entertaining or engaging; Facebook’s main interest in news is to generate likes and comments to ensure user happiness, not to provide objective and illuminating information. It has highly developed algorithms to maximize its efficiency at these goals, shuffling around your newsfeed so you are most likely to see content that you agree with, have previous positive associations with, and are likely to engage with. None of these are standards for good information, and it’s not that we don’t know that. As Jake Morris ’18 stated: “It’s really important for us to read the things we do want to read and agree with, but also the things we’re not as interested in reading about or don’t agree with as much.” As well-intentioned as any individual Facebook user may be might be, Facebook does not give its readers that opportunity to read a variety of opinions and perspectives, and by readers, I mean 51 percent of our younger population. As Rossi stated, “a lot of my friends have really similar interests and that translates to what I see online. It’s not that I want to necessarily, but it’s just what I see.” By understanding this reality, one can begin to understand the political polarization our country is facing today; by relying on Facebook or other social media sites for their news, well-meaning Americans are surrounding themselves with pre-established beliefs, building walls around themselves until they are unable to understand those whose opinions differ– people who in turn, have constructed similar walls of their own, making political discourse polarized to an extent unprecedented in our post-Civil War history.

Facebook’s idea of catering to people’s pre-existing beliefs is not new. Those who have taken a Theory of Knowledge course at Friends with Javier Ergueta or Rebecca Zug will know this concept as “confirmation

bias”: a cognitive bias to support beliefs we already hold, including the tendency to notice and accept confirming information while ignoring or rationalizing disconfirming information. “It’s so important that we call ourselves out on [cognitive bias] when we read, but it’s easy to fall back into indulging our old ways, especially when it’s so much a part of human nature,” stated Hannah Kushner ’17. This bias is innate, and Facebook not only sanctions it, but encourages it. By this point, you might be getting frustrated: according to this article, we are essentially flawed, there are companies out there who capitalize on our flaws, those companies do extremely well while they distort our national discourse, and the whole world might as well be going to hell in a handbasket because there is nothing we can do to fix it, just like so many other things out there. However, this is one case where that is not true: we can change things. “It’s hard to read things that are not of your own opinion, but I really try to limit [practicing cognitive bias] in my news consumption, especially after learning about it in TOK,” explained Rachel Ramirez ’17. In today’s age of technology and information, we don’t need to rely on primitive algorithms indulging our close-minded tendencies. This may mean going to various news sites themselves and clicking on articles which may be somewhat outside your safety zone. Or it may mean joining one of the many clubs at Friends which encourage diversity of thought and genuine discussion. Regardless, this is on you. As Ergueta stated: “In my class, I try to teach my students that the world they inherit is not the one they must live in. In line with Quaker philosophy, I believe everyone has the ability and the responsibility to step away from mainstream culture and act for themselvesand that starts with thinking for yourself.” This election season, you have the responsibility to do just that: break from the easy, yet dangerous mainstream route, and start thinking for yourself.

ADHD: More Common Than Depression in Child Suicide With child suicide plaguing far too many young Americans, it is important to recognize its causes.

New research released in September 2016 shows that children who commit suicide are less likely to have depression and more likely than their peers to have attention-deficit disorder (ADD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Typically, “children under the age of 12 are overlooked or forgotten in conversations discussing suicide and prevention of suicide.” In reality, a small amount of children in the United States between age 5 and 11 kill themselves each year -- most of them lived with ADHD/ADD more than any other mental health diagnosis including depression. Databases tracking violent deaths showed that among suicide decedents with known mental health problems, young children aged 5 to 11 years were more likely to experience ADD/ADHD and less likely to experience depression/dysthymia compared with children and adolescents aged 12 to 14 years.

These findings raise questions for many about impulsive response to psychosocial adversity in younger suicide decedents, and they suggest a need for both common and developmentally-specific suicide prevention strategies during the elementary schools and early adolescent years.

So what do depression and ADD/ADHD look like? When someone is feeling depressed or down it doesn’t necessarily mean that the diagnosis of major depression would be appropriate. It is important to

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recognize that what is required for the clinical diagnosis of depression is the presence of a collection of different symptoms. According to DSM-IV, the publication of the American Psychiatric Association, the symptoms of major depression are: depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day (in children and teens, this can be irritable mood rather than depressed), loss of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities, significant weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain, time.com

Marley Morton ’18 Columnist

Map showing the percentage of youth ages 4-17 taking medication for ADHD as of 2011.

a significant change in appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia (i.e. sleeping too much) nearly every day, extreme restlessness or lethargy, fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day, feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt, diminished ability to think or concentrate nearly every day, and recurrent thoughts of death and/ or suicidal thoughts. Around five of those symptoms must be present during a consistent two week period in order for one to be diagnosed with depression.

Research also shows that the core symptoms for depression in children and adolescents are the same in adults. This newfound research suggests that depression found in children with ADHD/ ADD is not from the result of demoralization that ADHD/ADD can cause. Although such struggles may be an important risk factor in the development of depression in children with ADD/ADHD, more likely, the depression found in these children is a distinct disorder and not demoralization.

Lead author Arielle H. Sheftall, PhD, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, explained to Medscape Medical News, “The major message of the study is that the circumstances preceding suicide in children are, to a large extent, similar to those for suicide in early adolescents, with a few key exceptions that tend to fall along developmental lines.”

New research shows that children who died by suicide were most commonly male, black, died by hanging/strangulation/suffocation, died at home, and experienced relationship problems with family members and friends. Children were also less likely to leave a suicide note, be depressed, or experience boyfriend/girlfriend problems in comparison to early adolescents who died by suicide.

The Signs of Suicide prevention program is one shown to be effective in reducing self-reported suicidal behavior in middle and high school children. They raise awareness that suicide is a risk for some mental health disorders, especially depression, and teach how to act and recognize when someone is displaying warning signs related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

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Community

Welcoming the “young conservatives” to wfs Zack Horowitz ’17 Matt Tornek ’17 Guest Columnists

At the start of the school year, Whittier invited the community to bravely explore tough topics in a thoughtful and respectful way. Of course, we recognize that doing so is an inexact art form, particularly because of the dearth of non-adversarial coverage in present media. Moving from the norm will take effort, and we are grateful to the Young Conservatives Club for accepting our offer to use this forum to better represent the purpose and perspective of their club.

In Whittier’s coverage of student response to the first presidential debate, the club was spotlighted as an example of our community’s rich diversity. However, members of the club expressed concern that their group was inaccurately represented. As that was the opposite of our intention, we invite you to learn directly from the Club’s clerks - we asked them to share their mission statement, as well as to articulate a perspective that our community should consider throughout our upcoming discussions. - Sadie Proud ’17 Extracurricular clubs are a positive to our community; they show student leadership, diversity of opinions, and can be a great gauge of the morals of the average Wilmington Friends School student. Looking down the list of clubs reveals what students are passionate about outside of the classroom. When I was researching all of these clubs I realized that every major group in America is expressed in some way at our school

except the conservative point of view. Now I know that it couldn’t have been because there isn’t enough interest; plenty of Friends students identify with some aspect of conservatism. The problem was not lack of support, but rather the overarching liberal culture that envelops the school. This will not come as a surprise to anyone, as our Quaker ideals overlap greatly with many current liberal orthodoxies.

A few of us recognized this void and decided to make a change in the name of balance. We thought that the best way to fill this void was by creating the Young Conservatives club for Friends students who are more right-leaning on the political spectrum. Our goal is to generate thoughtful discussions that provoke new insights and productive ideas. We want students of all political views, not solely liberals, to have a space in which they can freely share their opinions openly and honestly without fear of being ostracized.

With that being said, it is our hope that a diverse group of students, varying across the political spectrum, will attend the club. These varying viewpoints will be the engines that drive the debates and discussions. With a presidential election unlike anything that the United States has seen before on the horizon, we feel that there is no better time than now to discuss issues such as this one.

The conservative viewpoint is definitely not one of outrageous statements, mockery, racism, and sexism.

We can not in good conscience support a candidate who embodies ideals such as these. Our job is not to defend a particular political candidate, but rather be the voice for the other side, one that is undervalued in

our school today.

Comparisons are often drawn between Quaker and liberal points of view in our community. However, I want to challenge you to consider that many conservative ideals also coincide with those of the Quakers, which is all the more reason for us to be a part of the community. Many conservatives hold close values such as family, treating your neighbors with respect, religious freedom, helping the less fortunate, and preserving the constitution. These values are almost always overlooked in classrooms and debates today because it happens on a small scale as opposed to federally. In other words, there is an idea that conservatives don’t care about social issues because they don’t push for them on a federal scale. A great example of why this is wrong is that self-identifying conservative families on average donate more money to charity than liberal ones do. Keeping our Federal Government small and letting local governments have more power has a very “Quaker” feeling; it is putting more power into our communities, and less in the hands of powerful figures.

The goal of the Young Conservatives is not to cause problems in the Wilmington Friends community. We refuse to fall to the level of sensationalism and ridiculous rhetoric. Rather, our mission is to simply provide our community with another viewpoint, and by doing so helping us all learn, grow, and challenge ourselves to think differently. We hope that over time, all Friends students, regardless of their political philosophy or party affiliation, will agree with the value of that purpose.

of the night and in the mid-to-late afternoon, when students are driving home. I have almost fallen asleep at the wheel on multiple occasions after a long week of school and a sleepless night. I have also experienced the fear of not wanting to drive somewhere because I was too tired.

I should not have to sacrifice going for a run or spending time with my friends for sleep. I should be able to go to school and practice, have a nice dinner, and do my work all in enough time to get to bed at a reasonable hour. I know that it is not realistic to outlaw all homework, but the amount that is given is too much. We are told to enjoy high school and have fun, yet we find ourselves wishing away the years in order to finally get some time to relax. When it comes to the point that the amount of work assigned is affecting our learning ability, athletic ability, and physical safety, enough is enough.

As each candidate put forth is more intolerable than the next, the Democrats and Republicans are not going to be able to turn their parties around magically. The change we need as Americans can start with a legitimate third party to vote for. While people can vote for an alternative candidate right now, everybody knows it is nothing more than a protest vote with the way our current system is set up. The voters and politicians too often forget that the Democrats and Republicans haven’t been around forever, and they’re replaceable. It’s time we stop voting for one candidate because we are preventing the other from taking office. With a third party to get behind, voters with ideals other than the ones brought forth by the Democrats and Republicans could feel good about their ballot cast in November. In turn, the two existing parties would have to work hard to make sure their supporters are happy with their candidates and policies, because winning the election will be that much harder.

To those saying that having multiple parties is “unamerican” because we’ve always had a two party system, we can look to one of our founding fathers for a response. George Washington stated in his farewell address, “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.” Washington could not be more correct. Politicians and citizens of the USA generally think of the opposing party as an enemy, and place their allegiance with one party no matter what. Placing a real third party in the election would stop the talk of one party versus the other, and make Americans just want what is best for their country again.

Let’s stop voting for one candidate instead of the other because it’s “damage control”. It’s time for politics to become serious again. Let’s vote for what we believe in, for people who put our American values into action, and for people who want to create a better America tomorrow than it is today.

Guest Essays: Less Homework; More Political Parties Simone VEale ’17 Guest Columnist We are lectured on the necessity of balancing our immensely busy lives from the moment we have the ability to bear the weight of responsibility. It is important to balance our family, friends, athletics, school, leisure time, and let us not forget one of the most important, sleep; however, as the years have progressed in high school, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain a balanced life. Our focus has shifted from the importance of spending time with family and friends to our obligation to school work. Because of the amount of school work we are assigned every night, we have to put school first and decide if we want to sleep or sacrifice sleep for other activities needed to ‘balance’ our lives. The amount of work we are given is unnecessary, unfair, and detrimental to our mental health.

Studies show that adolescents, ages 13-18, should be getting, on average, between nine and nine and a half hours of sleep per night. However, on average, due to school work, adolescents only get seven to seven and a half hours per night (Nationwide Children’s Hospital) Personally, I only get around six hours of sleep a night. After a long day at school and a two hour-long sports practice, it is extremely tiring to go straight into doing school work all night. Many students, myself included, find it difficult to get to bed before eleven every night. This school-wide sleep deprivation can be damaging to our mental and physical health. Sleep deprivation can not only lead to increased irritability and increased engagement in dangerous activities, but it can also lead to slowed cognitive ability and sluggish athletic performance (Nationwide Children’s Hospital). Another serious concern with sleep deprivation in high school students is drowsy driving. Statistics show that new drivers are more likely to get into accidents when compared to experienced drivers, and driving tired puts new drivers at an elevated risk.

Drowsy driving occurs most commonly in the middle

Matt tornek ’17 Guest Columnist The upcoming presidential race for the White House in November has been one plagued with controversy, pandering, and schoolyard insults. Many Americans are hesitant to voice their true support for either candidate, as both picks have an increasingly long list of faults. In fact, people haven’t turned out for one candidate or another in droves in a long time, as only an estimated 57.5% of eligible Americans voted in this past election. To me, it seems like more and more Americans are settling every year for candidates they don’t like, but at least “they’re not a republican” or vice versa.

The problem is the lack of diversity with the candidates. With both parties becoming increasingly extreme in their own respective direction, it is becoming harder to get things done, and harder for many independent leaning voters such as myself to argue for either side. This problem will not be fixed quickly either.

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NEWS

Devistating floods in Louisiana: One family’s story How can one describe the devastation and terror that took place in the summer of 2016? In August, homes, businesses, and families alike were torn apart by the Louisiana Floods. Beforehand, people all throughout Louisiana were on high alert. Destruction and terror reigned high this summer in Louisiana. The Red Cross states that the Louisiana Floods were one of the worst U.S. natural disasters since Hurricane Katrina. The floods started out as lots of rain, and then slowly progressed until people were forced to evacuate their homes to save themselves and their families.

The floods caused hundreds of people to evacuate their homes and leave behind all of their belongings.

“It’s devastating that Louisiana has places that are under sea level and are always flooding and we haven’t figured out how to do anything about it,” said River Harper ’18. The lucky few that got out before the worst parts of the flood still lost a significant amount of their belongings.

People all across the country, including Delawareans, reached out to help those affected. “Poor people, the Louisiana floods were devastating” commented Amy Bailey, Upper School Math Teacher. People have been sending goods and clothes through many different organizations, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA provides money to the flood victims to help repair homes and replace belongings. They also facilitate rescue organizations through the government. The rescuers were very much needed during the time of the floods.

The Red Cross also stepped in to help. “I think that the heroic response of the Red Cross accurately rep-

resents their history of selfless, empathetic and mer- parents up and asked if they should leave. After they ciful endeavours,” explained Maggie Coons ’19. They got the call to evacuate from a friend of theirs, they organized rescue centers for those in need. People ran up and down the street waking everybody else on trained by the Red Cross were sent to Louisiana to aid their street up in an effort to save them. After they got any way that they could. They set up rescue centers, out of their neighborhood, they and a friend of theirs, where people who had lost their homes could stay, and who also had a child, drove to a family member’s house went around looking for people who may have been that had not been wrecked by the floods. Once they trapped by water. arrived at the house They set up homethere were seventeen less shelters in office people living there at buildings, churches, the same time. Thankand even fire stafully, this family was tions. Hundreds of not alone. Once word people were forced had gotten out about to stay in these sheltheir situation, they had ters while waiting for an influx of calls from their homes to be repeople asking how they pared. could help. Some of the While these orgafamilies friends decidnizations significanted to start a “Gofundly helped, the real me” page for them in an Floods in Louisiana wreak havoc heroes of this story effort to rent an apartare citizens of Louisiana. During the aftermath of the ment that could fit seven people. They are still recovfloods, the people of Louisiana flocked to the aid of ering months later, but they have been able to return those in need. People opened their homes and their to a normal routine because of the many donations hearts to those in need and aided them in cleaning from friends and strangers alike. out their houses and raising money for to help pay for Like this family, there are many people in need of needed essentials. One particularly moving story in- help and many in which you can contribute. You can volves a family of seven whose home was almost com- donate clothing and shoes, money, or even your time, pletely destroyed in the floods. The family is made up every little thing helps. The Louisiana floods devasof four children, of which three were under the age of tated so many and left them hurt and wanting. If you nine, along with two adults and a cousin. They were would like to help the members of the Wilson Family forced to evacuate their home at 2 a.m. without any during this horrible time you can go to Gofundme. possessions. The only reason they were able to get out com and search Wilson Family Flood Recovery Fund was because of one of the eight year olds woke their to donate.

CONTINUations Fahey, Continued from Page 3 “The Brazilian economy is in such terrible shape that I don’t know if any president could survive it,” said Brian Fahey, head of West Chester Friends School. “I would be interested in seeing whether or not a new direction will help them repair the economy or make their economic problems worse in the short term.” The economy has definitely plunged in the last few years. In 2011, Brazil’s Gross Domestic Product was worth 2.615 trillion U.S. dollars. Now, in 2016, it is worth 1.775 trillion, meaning it has dropped by almost 1 trillion dollars in the last five years. The GDP is the value of all the goods and services made inside a country’s borders.

While the current president Michel Temer promises to turn this around, many suspect his claims of helping the country lack foundation. He promises to mend a pension system quickly running out of enough money to support itself. He also promises to turn the nationalist oil legislation to the private sector and cut back on public spending.

However, Temer has been vague on how he plans to actually achieve these goals.

“I’m glad that Rousseff is gone, but Temer doesn’t seem to be much better,” said Courtney Thomson ’20.

Temer has also come under fire for his cabinet, which currently does not include any women or Afro-Brazilians. This lack of diversity causes the citizens of Brazil to feel uncomfortable, and makes them feel

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like a diversity of opinions is not represented. “I always imagined that, in the federal government, he would advance this issue,” said Eva Blay, a retired Sociology teacher from the University of São Paulo. “Instead, we have to start the fight again,” she added.

“It’s a delay.” Many feel like this is a step backwards for the progressive movement of the country. While it is unquestionable that Dilma Rousseff will no longer lead the country or have a place of power, the real question is what will come next for Brazil.

O’Donnell, Continued from Page 1: haunting attacks manifests itself into fear, which remains a part of those old enough to fully experience or understand the trauma. As a result, the recent events ignited that same fear within hearts of Americans as they were reminded of the devastation caused fifteen years before.

Ergueta stated, “9/11 spooked the American people. About a generation after we had stopped being afraid for our lives because of the now-defunct Cold War, suddenly we were successfully attacked in the middle of our greatest city. Ever since, fear has never subsided far below the surface of our consciousness, where it has been very successfully exploited by power-hungry politicians.” By linking this attack to past acts of terror, the public’s opinions regarding this incident are thus shaped to reflect a former perspective, which is not always rooted in the truth.

commons.wikimedia.org

Hareena Houston ’18 News WRiter

News for DUMMIES Leah JOhnson ’18 News Editor

Busy school life? Not enough time to read long articles? Here are some short, easy-to-read reports on news all around the world! Take a quick look while drinking a coffee, taking a study break, or anytime else! Enjoy these quick read to keep you updated on current events.

COLOMBIA fisherman Tran Viet Hoa’s income The peace deal between Presi- fell over 70% as a result. Protestdent Santos and a rebel group, ers lined up to express their rage Revolutionary Armed Forces of for Formosa and the government’s Colombia (FARC), was defeated. inaction after the crisis. Formosa As stated in the New York Times, has accepted responsibility for the 50.2% of Colombians rejected the damage to the environment, and has peace deal, and 49.8% supported agreed to pay $500 million to make it. Many citizens viewed the deal as amends. too light on FARC, after all of the killing and abducting they did in Russia, U.S. the war. Several citizens who lost Since the end of the cold war in the family were angered that the FARC early 1990s, leaders of both the U.S. soldiers would be allowed back and Russia have been working to into society. On the flip side, some prevent a future nuclear catastrocitizens and the leaders of both phe. One such effort, according to groups wanted an end to a long the New York Times, was the pluconflict. The path forward is un- tonium disposal treaty signed in certain, but President Juan Manuel 2000 by both Russia and the United Santos released a statement saying States, which required both counthat dialogue would be continued. tries to destroy military stockpiles of plutonium, the key ingrediant in Vietnam nuclear bombs. However, President A chemical spill caused by For- Putin recently decreed that he will mosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation withdraw from the original treaty killed a significant amount of fish, due to what he perceived as acts of devistating fishing communities. aggression against Russia commitAccording to the New York times, ted by the US.

HOMECOMING ISSUE 2016 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANEY