The
Whittier Miscellany DECEMBER 2018 • WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
MIDTERM ELECTIONS: DRAMATIC, DRASTIC, AND DIVERSE Late on November 6th, as polling stations closed across the United States of America, a change to our government was cemented that will last for years and will impact our democracy decades. As Republicans strengthen of control over the Senate and the Democrats flip the house, politics for the next decade has rapidly changed in the 15 hours polls were open across America. Democrats, hoping to regain political majorities and authority in Congress, went into the midterms with both advantages and disadvantages. In addition to the reliable advantage of going into midterms having lost the Presidential Election, Democrats were able to create and benefit financially from a base of small-donor fundraising, raising 50% more than Republicans in House races, and 35% more for Senate candidates. However, Democrats also draw into their ranks large numbers of millennials and Latinos, groups who are known to have low turnout rates, a trend that was unlikely to change going into this election. In addition, recent district maps have been controlled and drawn up to disadvantage Democrats in many regions across the country. Yet it seems Democrats had a large enough tailwind for some victories in Congress, notably in the House of Representatives. Due to a 2-year term, the entire House was up for election this year. Going into the election, Republicans held 47 more seats than Democrats in the House of 435. However, due to the aforementioned advantages, along with incredibly effective campaigning, a large increase in voter turnout across the country, and general dissatisfaction with the current national government, control over the House has changed hands and now Democrats have gained enough seats for 234/201 majority.
However, the heavy setbacks experienced by the GOP in the house was somewhat cushioned by results in the Senate. Of the Republican majority of 51 in the Senate, only nine were up for election against Democrats’ 26, allowing Republicans a larger possible gain than loss. In addition, there were Democratic incumbents up for election in Ohio, North Dakota, Indiana, and Florida, states that Trump carried in 2016 and Republicans took once more this November. While there were some Republican losses in the Senate, and some Democratic threats came far closer to succeeding
year’s midterms? Even though much of November’s results seemed like a foregone conclusion, the historical significance of the 116th Congress held no less weight. The most important of this midterm’s accomplishments, Donald Morton ‘94 noted, was the make-up of the Congresspersons-elect; starting next January, Congress will be “more than diverse than ever” he says. Indeed, among the newly elected Congressional Representatives are the first two Muslim women elected to the House, the first two Native American women elected to the house, and the first openly bisexual senator, in addition to the largest amount of women ever elected Congress. Estelle Hegenbarth ‘21 looked forward to the change in demographics, saying “I’m glad there is a Congress able to represent more ethnic groups.” Kevin Wolynetz ‘19, who aligns himself with the Democratic Party was a little more afraid of what might happen before January 21st. “I’m happy that the Democrats won the house, but I’m worried how the Republican Senate might retaliate after losing the House,” he admitted. And it is true that Republicans, currently a Federal Government Trifecta, have limited time to pass legislation without obstruction from Democratic opponents. With the House under the Democrats’ control, the White House has lost significant support in the Legislative Branch, and Republican’s power and impunity in federal office will once more be checked by an opposing party. The shifts in Congress also entail changes in how the Government operates starting this January. The Midterm Elections will have a profound impact on our country. As Democrats take the House, and Republicans strengthen their grasp on the Senate, America finds itself with a roster of Congresspersons representing a larger range of its citizens, and with a Legislative Branch of the Federal Government more opposed to and willing to challenge the White House.
Huffington Post
HENRY WIEMAN ’21 NEWS WRITER
116th Congress Representatives standing on Capital Hill
than expected, the GOP will go into January with a stronger lead against Democrats in the Senate. Despite the extreme shift in the House of Representatives, and the many victories Democrats claimed in gubernatorial races across America, the results from the 2018 midterms were largely expected and in some cases all but guaranteed. While there were a few surprises in Oklahoma’s 5th District, the Indiana Senate Race, and South Carolina’s 1st District, Democratic victories in the House and Republican expansion in the Senate were predicted and foreseen going into the 2018 elections. So what was so exciting about this
COMMUNITY
Is there Inequality in high school sports? Olivia Ivins ’20 & Nick Redd ’20 Community & Sports writer
The pressure of team competition and our athletes’ drive to succeed contributes to the tight-knit community we have at WFS. Community is valued highly according to our Quaker spices, and is visible on the field and sidelines where alumni, parents, and other athletes gather to support their friends and family. Our athletes dedicate themselves to their sports, therefore bettering their team is a priority. Recently, athletes have questioned the implication of equality, another Quaker spice, among teams. Female athletes believe that the athletic department favors the male sports over their own. For example, the volleyball team feels they lack proper supplies while, in comparison, other sports have received equipment in abundance compared to them. Jeff Ransom, head of the athletic department, cleared things up regarding distribution of the funds. Ransom stated, “My priority is enhancing each and every team with the means to function successfully and to the best of their ability.” He does this by breaking teams down to each player and their needs, and the needs of the team in whole. Using this system allows him to provide each team with sufficient funds and opportunity. Coaches and the athletic department meet to discuss needs for their season, and curate a list
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of priorities to remedy with the fund allocated. This priority list is then used to fairly distribute the money where it needs to go. However, if money is donated and earmarked for a certain team, this money will be used to remove priorities off the list and move the rest up. Each team, with respect to the amount of players, has funds that are split into three separate necessity categories. These necessity categories are equipment, operating needs, and uniforms. Equipment is recognized as capital needs, meaning equipment that is necessary but expensive. Operating needs are things like balls, cones, pinnies, and so forth. The third category of uniforms in handled equally by placing all sports teams of that season, including middle school, on a rotating schedule for new uniforms. Ransom says, “I do this so every athlete has the opportunity to wear a different and new uniform at some point during the high school career.” Some female athletes, however, feel that male sports receive more opportunities and attention. Carson Davis-Tinnel ’19 said, “Some sports receive coach buses and transportation for fans more often than others.” The athletic department makes decisions about team buses based on the length of the trip and room for equipment. Football, having the most games outside of our conference and the needing much storage space generally places them as a priority. When talking to female athletes about their concerns, most agreed that something needs to change. This was reinforced by upper school Health and Human Dynamics teacher, Sue Kam-
part in more detail, “We’ve (women) made a lot of progress, but I think we still have a long way to go.” The understanding of equality in sports is very different when looking behind the scenes. Upper school History teacher and coach of Field Hockey and Soccer, Scott Clothier, presents a different understanding of what may be perceived as inequality, “If you look at the progression of sports over the past sixty years, men were the first to receive these athletic opportunities, so there is possibly an historical oversight in regards to sports equality.” He was not the first to present this idea as Kampart mentioned this as well. The perception of unequal opportunities among sports may actually be due to where women in sports are today. Only in the past fifty years have women been recognized for athletics, which is recent compared to history of sports overall. With this, a new age arises for the representation of women in sports. Junior, Jayden Elliott ’20, had this to say about fixing this problem, “If we want to see change in our community, it starts with the students. Everyone has to support each other, it’s not girls sports vs. guys sports, it’s students putting their foot forward for change, and once the administrators and people with power to make change see the student body putting their foot forward towards change and equality, they will do the same.” Overall, this problem or perception of inequality within our sports must be addressed. Students who challenge the status quo and demand equality will be the catalyst to a wave of change within our community.
Lucy Knudsen ’19 Columnist
type, most classic books are in the public domain. It is legal to create a free audio recording of books published before 1923. Many of these books can be found under podcasts on your phone or on librivox.org. War and Peace has never been more accessible! For the many people who responded to my survey question with “I don’t like to read”, I understand where you’re coming from. Sometimes it is more relaxing to simply watch a movie or a tv show than to start a book. However, there are many benefits to reading that are worth considering. Besides the obvious advantages, (such as an increase in vocabulary, helps in school, makes you a better writer) reading can benefit you in unexpected ways. In her interview for NPR, award-winning American author Seanan McGuire said: “Part of how we learn empathy, part of how we learn to be human, is by reading and listening and viewing stories, and seeing people that don’t look like us.” In other words, devoting time to consuming stories about different types of people gives us the tools to interact with different types of people in our dayto-day lives. Furthermore, there are several negative impacts of not reading. Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, noted: “As people read less, they read less well. And when they read less well, this has very serious consequences, not just to their academic performance, but to their economic performance and ultimately to their ability to connect with a civic life and political life.” Therefore, not reading can cause an alarming withdrawal from many aspects of life. For me, the main benefit of reading is doing something for its own sake. Far too often we spend our time completing activities and doing work for the sole purpose of looking good on college applications or doing well in school. Although these endeavors are important, it is exhausting to constantly work for credit. For those who do not like to read, consider the positive impacts of reading and the negative impacts of not reading. Maybe this will convince you to head to a bookstore for fun!
Whittier
Miscellany EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Connor Miller ’19 NEWS EDITOR: Ellie Bradley ’19 SPORTS EDITOR: Carlin Beskrone ’19 ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: James Butterfield ’20 SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR: Elise Johnson ’21 PHOTO EDITOR: Lilia Machado ’20 COLUMNISTS: Lucy Knudsen ’19 & Nic Urick ’20 WEB EDITOR: Honor Dearlove ’19 FACULTY ADVISOR: Daniel Scott
STAFF
James Tallman ’19
Connor Rosas ’20
Matt Bell ’20
Dylan Roskovensky ’20
Oliver Gooderham ’20
Sam Boulos ’21
Olivia Ivans ’20 Craig Lyttleton ’20 Dylan Roskovensky ’20
Kyle Nisbet ’21 Nate Rashkind ’21 Henry Wieman ’21
Nick Redd ’20 Stay alert for the new Whittier podcast, available on iTunes and Spotify!
The Whittier Miscellany is published six times during the school year by the upper school journalism staff of Wilmington Friends School, 101 School Road, Wilmington, DE 19803. To access the Whittier Miscellany online, go to www.wfswhittier.net. Check Whittier Miscellany online for Weekly Updates! The Whittier Miscellany welcomes responses in the form of letters to the articles, editorials, and features of this paper. Contact: wfswhittiermiscellany@gmail.com ‘Like’ Whittier on Facebook at ‘WFS Whittier’!
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In defense of free reading With our hectic schedules, students of today are often consumed by school, sports, and extracurriculars. I can say for myself that my room is full of interesting books that I’d love to read, but haven’t gotten around to. As the weeks and months pass, I always replay the same excuse: “I just don’t have time to read anymore.” And I’m not alone. In fact, on average, Americans spend two hours a day watching television and seven minutes reading. In a recent poll of the school, over 48% of students haven’t finished a book on their own time in over six months, and for many it has been years. For 54% of the students who do not read outside of class assignments, the reason is they do not have time. The truth is, we all probably have more time than we think. It just depends on how we chose to spend it. If you’re like me, and you want to read for fun, but you feel that you do not have time, there is probably a simple solution. Most of us (including myself) are guilty of scrolling through Instagram, watching videos, or shopping online. In other words, we’re all guilty of wasting time that we could spend elsewhere. Multitasking is a pretty underappreciated solution to the non-reading problem. Audiobooks are a great option for busy students. If you’re like me, and your sitdown-and-read time is in short supply, then try listening to an audiobook as you do the dishes, shower, or walk the dog. For the thrifty and old-fashioned
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news
Another successful people of color conference On the 30th of November, a nationwide diversity conference called the PoCC (People of Color Conference) was held in Nashville, Tennessee by the National Association of Independent Schools. The goal of this conference, according to its web page, is to “provide a safe space for leadership and professional development and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools”. Three Wilmington Friends School students will be attending the conference this year -Fawn Palmer ’19, Kat Nix ’19, and Erin Fleming ’19. Betsy Cepparulo, the 9th grade Global Peace & Justice teacher, will also be going to the conference. Nix, a senior who has attended this conference in the past and will be attending again this year, had the following to say about the accuracy of the conference’s mission statement: “I think the conference exceeds that goal as people stood up to share their testimonies and progress the kinds of changes they had made personally throughout the course of the conference, I could see that this conference would impact people for years to come, myself included.” This conference can be a very deep and emotional experience. When asked about how students have felt about the conference before, Cepparulo said: “I’ve only taken them to one conference and they seemed very emotional at the end of the day- in a good way. I
then they will be stuck in a place of unintentional ignorance.” The diversity conference does seem somewhat inaccessible to the general population at WFS. Many of the students are simply unaware of its existence, either due to a lack of communication or the students’ inattention to announcements and messages. When asked about whether she would like to attend a hypothetical diversity conference, junior Luann Ji ’20 said that, though she doesn’t have much time, “It would be nice to go to something where I could learn from other people’s experiences and also relate to them.” Nix and Cepparulo expressed that this conference is a genuinely amazing and important experience for many of the students who attend it. As Cepparulo said, “Learning about how others experience the world, and particularly the United States, is a lifelong process. Because we live in a Democracy, it’s important to recognize, respect, and honor the many perspectives in America. We can’t just make policy that serves one part of the population, and we can’t teach to one part of the population either. We have to empathize with multiple points of view if we are Four hands joined together to represent diversity ever to achieve equity.” It is a shame that many students were unaware of this conference’s existence, As much as Nix loved this conference, she did and hopefully, in the future, such opportunities will say that she wished there were more diversity reprebe more available to the community. To those who are sented: “POC are more likely to seek out for these going, the whole school wishes you luck in working conferences and yes it can affect us in revolutionary through racial differences and connecting with other ways, but at the same time if white students don’t people of color from across the country. take the initiative to immerse themselves in diversity think it was a different kind of learning experienceone they don’t get often.” When Nix was questioned about whether previous conferences she attended had gotten emotional, she said: “The entire event was emotional for most parties in attendance. While I, myself, never cried I saw both new and old friends shed tears because of the acceptance they felt and the revelations they had.”
Huffington Post
Liam Hudgings ’20 News writer
WFS Students commit to college sports
Kyle Nisbet ’21 News Writer
At signing day this year, Friends school had various athletes commit to different schools including James Madison University, Princeton, Stevenson, Ursinus, and Lafayette. Senior Joseph, or Joey Mullen ’19, when asked about his commitment to Ursinus said, “I am very excited for the opportunity to play at the next level.” He will be playing pitcher on the baseball team for Ursinus, and we wish him the best of luck. Dani Nathan ’19 committed to James Madison University (JMU) and will be playing volleyball on their team. On her commitment, Nathan mentioned, “It is a stressful thing to commit as an athlete, because once you do, not only are you watched on the field, but you are monitored closer as a student. This can be an adjustment to have so many eyes on you most of the time, however, I like to think of it as preparation for the next four years of my life. I love volleyball
and it makes me happy just to practice and be in the gym with my teammates. I’m very excited to be part of a new team and new program and meet a team that will push me to succeed not only on the court, but off as well.” After a successful high school season, setting the state record for number of kills, and being named Delaware Volleyball Player of the Year, we can’t wait to see what Dani’s future has in store for her! Peyton McNeil ’19 has committed to playing Lacrosse at Lafayette. After a successful 2018 Spring season at 1st Team All-State, we hope his success continues this spring season and into the collegiate level. Connor Nisbet ’19 has committed to running Cross Country and Track at Princeton University. After a successful season, he set the state 5k record at fifteen minutes and one second. Nisbet has many other achievements, such as winning Gatorade Player of the Year three separate times, has won eight different state titles, has won Delaware Runner of the Year three times, placed second in the All-American Indoor 5k, placed second in the All-American Outdoor two-
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mile, is the Delaware cross country state record holder, placed second at Penn Relays, among many more titles. When Nisbet was asked about these feats and his commitment to Princeton, he stated, “I’m very proud of all of my accomplishments and am very excited to run for, and go to, a great school. I’ve always wanted to compete, both in the classroom and on the course at the highest level, so Princeton seemed like the place to be.” Matthew Taormina ’19 has committed to playing catcher on the baseball team at Stevenson College. When asked about the commitment Taormina commented, “I am truly blessed for having the opportunity to play baseball at the next level while furthering my education. Looking back, hard work and dedication allowed me to play college baseball.” We look forward to seeing your accomplishments! Even though he may only be a Junior, Nick Redd ’20 has verbally has committed to the University of Maryland to play lacrosse. Congrats to all of our athletes! Well done all!
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COMMUNITY
An incoming revision to the holy Day policy? As the holiday season approaches, the students of Wilmington Friends School will celebrate a variety of occasions that honor their individual religions. Although the upcoming season is often a time of comfort and joy, it also can be a time of social controversy. As a Quaker School, Wilmington Friends and its population conjointly hold equality as a strong value. Yet, there has been recent debate on whether or not the WFS Holy Day policy truly honors all religious holidays on an equal level. The Friends community encompasses a variety of religious traditions and therefore it is quite important to truly recognize equality within the school population. Currently, the Wilmington Friends School Holy Day Policy document officially lists a variety of holidays, yet only applies work exceptions to a select amount of the days that are celebrated. These holidays include Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Christmas, Good Friday, Passover and Easter. Many other holidays are listed but lack work exceptions for students who celebrate them. Some of these are Ramadan, Sukkot, Diwali, and Chinese New Year. These holidays are all celebrated in time periods when schooling is in session, yet are not recognized or observed on the same level as other major religious holidays. During a conversation about this issue, Ajala Elmore ’20, a Muslim student at Friends commented, “I think that our school should honor Quaker values and celebrate all holidays equally. On Muslim holidays, we still have homework and therefore do not acknowledge them on the same levels as we do others. I think that we should either be all inclusive of holidays or not observe them at all.” Elmore’s comment raises an essential point of inclusivity. As mentioned, Quaker schools value equality, therefore this should realistically apply to the ways in which we observe holidays, regardless of their time period or religious application. The idea of full inclusivity versus full exclusivity has been a popular one thus far. Ruth Hazzard ’19 corroborated ok, saying, “I really think that it is important that we evaluate the ways that we honor religious holidays at Friends. It isn’t fair that those practicing Islam
or Hinduism should have to do homework in the midst of celebration, while Catholic, Christian, and Jewish students generally do not share the same obligation. I have noticed that the policy does state that students can miss school or refrain from completing homework on their personal holidays, but this is difficult to actually implement as it sets students behind.” Hazzard clearly voiced a strong opinion on this topic and raised some very important points. The Holy Day Policy document at Friends does state that students celebrating particular holidays may refrain from completing work, but students are often
http://www.k12academics.com
Nic Urick ’20 Columnist
Image of a Chinese New Year Poster. 2018 is the year of the dog.
hesitant to do so in fear of becoming behind in their classes. WFS offers a very rigorous course load, which makes it difficult to miss work unless the whole class is exempt. Thus, the Holy Day policy does seem to make certain holidays a bit easier to celebrate than others, for students at Friends. Many other students at Friends commented that they felt that the easiest way to resolve this was to implement an ‘all or none’ policy. Carter Gramiak ’21 commented that “It’s important that we hold some sort of standard in this type of situation. While I enjoy the holidays that we do honor now, it is important to integrate the holidays of perhaps less represented groups into our
policies. That is the only way to essentially ‘level the playing field’ and if that is not possible, we might have to exclude all observation of holidays which occur on weekdays, in order to remain consistent with our values of equality.” Thus, the inequality issue within the Holy Day policy remains under debate, yet surrounded by diligent interest from the student body. Other students at Friends feel that the current listed policies are as fair as possible. It is important to note that it is difficult to integrate all holidays into the Holy Day policy, as the school does hold a college preparatory curriculum, and thus must avoid missing valuable days of work. The current policy once again states that some families do celebrate holidays that are not listed as observed, and that teachers should refrain from assigning work on those days if there is another applicable due date. Nonetheless, this possibility remains difficult to exercise as many teachers already have their coursework scheduled, making any changes difficult to successfully implement. During a conversation on this topic, Carson Davis-Tinnell ’19 commented, “It is fair to give students off of school or schoolwork for the current major holidays that are observed. We work to honor the Christian/Catholic holidays, as well as Jewish holidays such as Hanukkah and Yom Kippur. Although we technically are off of school at the time of Christian and Catholic holidays, this does not present inequality since our breaks at the time are not intended to be specifically for those holidays. I think it would be great to integrate more holidays into our policies, but I understand the difficulty that comes with that process.” Clearly, Davis-Tinnell maintained a solid view on both sides of the issue. The Holy Day Policy is one that remains disputed at the moment. It will be interesting to see the ways in which the administration replies to such challenges. It seems to be the hope of many students that these policies will soon be revised to be a bit more inclusive, yet the difficulty associated with this process is recognized. Wilmington Friends school works hard to honor as many holidays as are logistically possible, as well as provides students with the opportunity to celebrate their specific holidays independently. Will there be changes to the policy? Only time will tell!
Friends’ take on International day of peace
Oliver Gooderham ’20 Community Writer
Earlier this fall on September 21, Sophomore Kennedy Barnes ’21 participated in the International Day of Peace, an event for which she planned, choreographed, and eventually taught two separate dances to the sixth and seventh grade students. With religion as the theme for this year’s International Day of Peace, Barnes wanted to incorporate some sort of religious influence into the dances, eventually choreographing about a minute of one dance to a gospel version of “This Little Light of Mine,” celebrating the Christian faith. She choreographed another dance to join an additional song pertaining to the Hindu religion. Prior to this event, the Performing Arts Teacher for the middle school, Sara Gaines, had sought out Barnes to teach dance to the middle schoolers, as she had gained herself a strong reputation by choreographing the eighth grade musicals the past two years. When asked about Barnes, Gaines stated that, “She worked well with kids in the past, especially in the middle
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school.” Gaines has been a part of the committee in charge of organizing the International Day of Peace, the creation of which stemmed from student input to implement more diversity-based activities into student life. Before the school year began over the course of two days, this committee came together themselves and focus on a central theme, organizing and planning the event according to what had been decided, ultimately aiming to further educate students about equality and diversity within our community. For the past two years during late September, middle school students celebrated the International Day of Peace. For the first year, the focus of the celebration revolved around racial equality, having students watch a documentary regarding random acts of kindness that was followed by teacher led workshops to discuss both the film and other topics involving racial equality. These classroom exercises were followed by step dancing led by the Christina Cultural Center. Freshman Max Leffler ’22, who was a middle school student at the time, recalls the film stating, “It was really moving,” adding that, “Most people seemed to have
enjoyed it!” In addition, the students were given the opportunity to meet and hear from cartoonist Robb Armstrong, author of the comic strip “Jump Start,” which revolves around a black police officer and his family living in Philadelphia, Armstrong’s hometown. For the second and most recent year, similar activities were planned for the middle school students, but this time with Kennedy teaching the students to dance. When asked about her experience, Kennedy beamed, saying, “I love introducing people who have never danced before into a little piece of what I do everyday. I would definitely do it again. It was exciting to see them pick up choreography and execute it with their own styles.” The International Day of Peace event also held some significance to Gaines. When asked how she enjoyed helping organize the event for the kids, she answered, “Absolutely-diversity is an issue near and dear to my heart and so have been active with that in the past. I believe this is very important for both the school and for part of our core beliefs as a school.” Thank you for helping out, Kennedy, and Happy International Day of Peace!
Holiday issue 2018 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
Science and Technology
Climate Change: From Inside the Classroom to out The Climate Change symposium intro was performed by Juniors or Seniors in a Group 4 science class. The students split up going over different problems with climate change which include ocean acidification, the spread of infectious diseases, loss of biodiversity, and even vector-borne illnesses. It may be too soon to predict how the group projects will end up performing specifically on these topics since students have only gone to an intro to these this October, but it is almost assured that the depth of research will make each person in the Group 4 sciences erudite in their chosen topic. Group 4 classes include Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and the Computer Science major. Each year, these students work on a specific project that involves the use of science in some way. The topic this year was climate change. Caitlin Norton (Upper School Biology teacher) helps with the projects explained that “October introduced the project where the students had a chunk of the day to learn about climate change, the physics, chemistry, and science.” Norton also spoke of her Bio group specifically, commenting that “They did simulations into the causes of climate change. Then, the bio students did research and some experiments
into the effect of climate change of biological effects of climate.” As needed, there are representatives in each group. They put together a presentation with an interactive component and share that in a symposium right before winter break with the hope that others will take a personal interest in climate change.
in ways I thought I never thought people could. My group (Chemistry group) and I all learned so much about how to better the world how our ourselves through this project.” On a similar note, the Eco-Team has their own plans for helping out with the environment by planting a meadow on school grounds. People have been wondering what benefits a meadow could provide to our school. A member of the Eco-Team Austin Sarker-Young ’22 states, “The objective of the Wilmington Friends School Eco-Team is to obtain the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco School certification. The Wilmington Friends School’s eco meadow, located near the tennis courts, represents an effort to get the bronze award.” When asked why people should care about another meadow, Sarker-Young replies, “Wilmington Friends is a very environmentally centered school which has already done solar panels and vegetable gardens in the past and deserves this award.” Funding for the meadow is the main problem of kick-starting this idea but Austin explains even if a meadow isn’t possible, “there should still be an ‘eco-tour,’ which would be a trail connected by signs showcasing the environmental features of the school which would be helpful for teachers and students in biology or environmental sciences classes.” commons.wikimedia.org
Connor Rosas ’20 Science and Tech Writer
Climate change will affect many aspects of nature
One anonymous junior reported that he enjoyed his intro in his Chemistry thus far and that “the experience helped give me new views into climate change
Sleep: a necessity for high school Students Sam Boulos ’21 Science and Tech Writer The sleep habits of high schoolers have been a hot topic since 2016 when the American Academy of Pediatrics made their recommendations on adolescent sleep requirements. According to the AAP, “teens should sleep nine to ten hours per night. Regularly sleeping fewer than the number of recommended hours is associated with attention, behavior, and learning problems.” In an ideal world, high schoolers would have enough time to complete all homework, participate in extracurriculars, and get enough sleep, however this is not the case. When asked about his sleeping habits, Carter Gramiak ’21 commented that, “The amount of sleep I get varies but I’d say on average, I get about six hours of sleep a night.” Gramiak further explained that he “normally goes to bed around 11:00 or 12:00 but if homework’s really bad I sometimes have to stay up until 1:00. I get home from sports at 6:00 and then I have at least two hours of homework to do.” Carter is not unique in his fulfillment of the recommended amount of sleep time for high school students. According to a survey sent out to the Upper School students, 65% of respondents said that they put everything away and started trying going to sleep after 11:30. Not only can a lack of adequate sleep affect your ability to focus in school, but it can also affect your athletic ability. When asked about how sleep and
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sports are related, athletic trainer, Devon Adams said, “I have seen athletes struggle with more soreness because their body cannot recover due to lack of sleep. Lack of sleep can also increase an athlete’s reaction time, which can be very dangerous in all sports.” On the other hand, Adams also spoke on how athletics can affect one’s sleeping habits. She noted that, “Studies show that athletes take longer to fall asleep. Athletes will take 18.2 to 16.5 minutes versus 5.0 to 2.5 min for non athletes to fall asleep. Sometimes, this will result in the athlete ‘giving up’ and staying up later. It is very important that student-athletes don’t do this.” Another thing students often do to make up for their lack of sleep is resort to caffeinated drinks. When asked about his caffeine habits, junior Casey Tyler ’20 said “I drink about two coffees a day. I normally will drink one in the morning that I make at home, and I will sometimes follow it up with drinking a second from the Java nook. I drink coffee every day because it helps me stay awake and alert during class so that I can pay attention more. If I don’t drink coffee I will be too tired to work. If I drink too much, on the other hand, I will not feel good and have an upset stomach.” Many corporations like Starbucks produce fun and exciting flavors of caffeinated drinks such as mochas, refreshers and frappuccinos in order to profit off of the caffeine consumption of young people. The most frightening and dangerous threat of inadequate sleep is the effects of tiredness on driving. A large amount of upper school students at Wilmington Friends School drive themselves to school every day,
putting them at the highest risk for this issue. When asked if she had ever seen a student-athlete’s sports season be affected by a lack of adequate sleep, Adams responded, “At the worst, I have had a Division 1 athlete fall asleep while driving home from practice and crash their vehicle. They missed the rest of the season due to a concussion and fracture.” While this can be seen as disappointing and upsetting, this student was extremely lucky. A study in 2016 conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Destructive Decisions showed that 1 out of 10 students fall asleep at the wheel. Not all of them are lucky enough to merely miss a season and many lose their lives. While this issue may seem nearly impossible to overcome, there are still many steps that you can take to improve your sleep habits. Adams advises students to “make a schedule: try to go to bed around the same time each night. Easier said than done with our crazy schedules but it helps your body regulate! Create a bedtime ritual: darken your room, turn down the lights, and clear your mind. Eliminate screens from your room including your phone, and choose reading a book or other activity that helps you relax instead. Some athletes like to do some gentle stretching before bed, use a foam roller, or drink warm decaf tea to cue your body that it is time to relax and unwind.” If you are forced to make a decision between your safety and health or your school work and extracurricular activities, your personal safety should always come first.
HOLIDAY ISSUE 2018 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
Entertainment
disney reasserts themselves as the number one fun. This is why often times it comes down to what is popular, known, and of general consensus. There is nothing wrong with this. It also plays straight into the As of July, Disney’s $71 billion dollar purchase of hands of Disney and other major studios. 21st Century Fox was made official. While it will take The theatres themselves also are affected by the until December for this to be officially vetted and overhead control. The deals they are forced to endure passed, this brings attention to the value of today’s is one element of this, but also many theatres attempt movie industry. to show new and exciting material, spreading that To visualize the issue, several students were polled with the world. on the last three movies they saw in theatres. Many Theatre N, Wilmington answered the recent Bohelocal art and indie film themian Rhapsody. There were atre responded to the quesalso many superhero installtion of how Disney affects ments: Avengers: Infinity their theatre. Their manWar, Black Panther, Deadager, Bob, informed that pool 2 and Venom. Incred“it doesn’t really affect our ibles 2, Crazy Rich Asians, theatre because we don’t and The Last Jedi were all show Disney films.” The also mentioned more than one genre Disney does not once. Only two of these control is the indie film. movies were produced by a Indie is short for indepenstudio that will not be condent, meaning they are not trolled by Disney in just associated with the major months: Venom and Crazy studios. These films typicalRich Asians. These two films ly debut at film festivals and were respectively produced are bought by distributors by Sony, the tech giant, and like Netflix and A24. So, Warner Bros. Studios, which obviously Disney cannot is owned by AT&T. control it, or at least not yet. “The first films were inThis genre is where some tended to be an art form. of the most raw, human, Now, profits are the main and beautiful film is creatfocus with large studios exed. Often times these films ercising increasing control.” are nominated for AcadDisney will have 38% of the emy Awards and win film market share in 2018. festivals with rave reviews. Under the Sherman AntiWhen they come to local trust Act, monopoly powmarkets, they are hardly er, the ability to control the available. They simply lack price of a good in a relevant the draw to consistentmarket, became illegal. ly be shown. This is why Mickey Mouse, one of Disney’s oldest creations Given Disney’s market Theatre N only is open on share and popularity, Disweekends and only shows a ney is able to give various given film for no more than demands. For the last year, their most popular titles Weldin Dunn ’20 adds “I decide to see a movie two weeks. have required no less than four weeks of showing the when I think it has a chance of being good or someone For many of the same reasons as to why people go film, with their largest screen devoted to said film for asks me to go. Generally I know about the movie well out and see big name movies, they could apply these the first two weeks at all times. Disney has control over in advance.” reasons to smaller, but equally good, movies where not just the prices of the tickets, but the terms for the Despite sitting in a dark room and being forced into profits do not immediately go back to the already movie theatres in general. On top of that, the majority silence, movies are a social outing and a time to have wealthy Mouse. of ticket sales return back to the theatre. Then again, this does not directly affect the average Friends student. There is nothing inherently wrong with the material provided by Disney or other large conglomerates. The interesting extension of this is discovering its effects on the Friends community. One reason for picking movies is “if it’s the next in a series, or a remake of a movie I loved, or based on a book,” said Manon Magnan de Bellevue ’21.
mirror.co.uk
James Tallman ’19 Entertainment Writer
ASP’s Lynese Spinelli does artistic charity Nate Rashkind ’21 Sports Writer
If by chance you have visited Cult Fiction Comics in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania over the past two years, there is a good chance you’ve seen ASP assistant-director Lynese Spinelli hard at work. A few years back, Cult Fiction Comics moved to Boothwyn, the town they call home today. Spinelli, who knows the owners well, came up with an extraordinary idea to help spice up their new location. Spinelli, who just recently finished her degree in Fine Arts at West Chester University, offered to paint the bare ceiling panels and blanket them with various characters from comic books to Marvel’s superhero films to shows like Family Guy. First, she had to prime the canvas with Gesso, lay each and every three by three ceiling piece down, then decide what or who she was going to paint that day. “It was a process,” Spinelli admitted, “but what once took three weeks, I can now get done in a day.” Throughout
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the process, she rotated between painting some of her favorites, like Princess Leia and the original Batman, and characters requested by customers or the owners. As soon as she began to reveal her work to the owners the number of requests continued to proliferate. One of the owners requested the character the Punisher, from the show with its namesake, and just days later, it appeared right above the entrance. Her work was the combination of the employee’s requests, and on occasion, she would paint the comics and characters that she either grew up with, or meant something to her. Spinelli spent hours working tirelessly to translate the ideas she had on her head onto the innumerable amount of panels that would soon become one of the trademarks of the store. Soon, the once bare ceiling were covered in vibrant colors and characters from every show or comic imaginable. When each new customer walks into the store, their eyes immediately turn to Spinelli’s own version of the Sistine Chapel. Each elaborate panel of the ceiling is emblematic to what the store itself is, a place that en-
capsulates each and every category of comics available. Any new customer will most likely be able to identify their favorite character or show, just by taking a quick glance. The most rewarding part for Spinelli was the smile on the faces of the customers and employees who were amazed by the obvious talent she had. Spinelli added, “It’s about giving. I love art because it makes me happy, and I want to make people happy.” In addition, the endless amounts of compliments from customers have brought forward new ideas for Spinelli to continue doing what she loves most. Just months after she began her project, a woman approached her and told her she should paint the ceiling of a local dentist’s office to take the patients thoughts away from the uneasiness of a trip to the dentist. Often she received requests to do characters from the customers favorite comics, and time and time again, she delivered. Now, after more than two years of hard work, Spinelli’s masterpiece is almost complete. If you have a chance to stop by the store, make sure to look up because the view is something you won’t want to miss.
Holiday issue 2018 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
Sports
friends golf team excites prospective athletes Our readers may remember a survey that was sent out last year about the potential for adding a new sport to Friend’s list of athletics. The results of that survey are in, and in the spring, Golf will be added as a Friends School sport. The new golf team will begin their inaugural season on March 1st. The new Golf team is available to whoever would like to play. Jeffrey Ransom, Wilmington Friends School’s Athletic Director, commented on the opportunity Friends’ new golf team poses: “It is an opportunity for kids who play golf or don’t play golf. A goal of mine is if we have a kid learn golf through PE at a young age, and then play golf in the upper school and then does it for the rest of their life… We sent out the survey to the students with the different offerings of sports and most picked golf. Another factor was a sport that least impacted the other sports that we already had at Friends.” This highlights all of the other factors that needed to be taken into account when adding a sport to a school’s list, like expected reaction and involvement. Many view the new golf team as much more than just a hobby. It carries an excited but serious atmosphere. Ransom also commented on how the competitions will be structured because Golf games take a slightly less traditional form: “Games will be either be against a single school in the DISC conference or maybe a tri-school event. We will also be playing at the Bidermann golf course as the home team this season.” For many athletes, Golf is a welcome addition to
the school’s list of sports. Ross Clark ’19, a prominent member of the new team, commented on why he chose golf and what he expects from this season: “My dad is a big golfer and he took me golfing when I was little. I’ve been around it my whole life and I thought it would be fun to play it at Friends. I was excited, because I enjoy golf, and I think it’s another way to get
long time.” There is a feeling that golf has been underappreciated in the past, and that the addition of the golf team could give it some exposure in the school community. Adding the team may have already increased exposure. Another new student joining the new golf team is Alonia Needs ’19. Her path to the sport was a little different than Clark’s: “I chose golf because I have played it a little bit, and I thought it would be a fun and challenging time for me. I am trying to get as much out of the Friends School experience as I can, but I am not an expert. The first season, a good starting point is to get as much practice and matches in as possible, it will be a good first testing season for the future.” Since it is the first season, many feel that exposure and acquaintance with the finer details of golf is essential to advance the team. Usually the first seasons as a new program are very important for learning and development. Needs also talked about personal goals for the upcoming season: “My goals are to get better as a golfer. There are some pretty good girls in our conference, and I would like to push myself and be on their level.” Through a lot of hard work by Friends’ staff and athletic department, there is now an official golf team at Friends. The program is in Students are excited for the introduction of a new golf program motion. The students joining the into Wilmington Friends School’s athletic department. team all appear to be excited for the our school out there. I also think we have the potential experience. Whether it be an experienced golfer or an to be a good golf team… I’m hoping than we win a few inexperienced one, it will be exciting to see what they matches this season, and some people that don’t have do this season. as much exposure to golf as I had get interested in it We look forward to seeing what Quaker Golf does now. Since golf is a sport where you can keep playing this year! for a while after just school, they could continue for a all-free-download.com
Dylan Roskovensky ’20 Sports Writer
Friends school’s change in sports seasons Craig Lyttleton ’20 Sports Writer
The 2018 winter sports season began on November 9, bringing with it an excited atmosphere for the competitions ahead. Each team looks to build and improve on where they finished last year, and accomplish new goals they have set for themselves for the season. With fall sports winding down, students are switching gears towards new weather and new sports. Here is what you can expect from Friends athletics this winter. Boys Basketball looks to improve from where they left off last season. After a difficult loss to Dover High School in the first round of the playoffs last year, the Quakers are working to make another tournament appearance and progress further into the postseason. This year’s team has the potential to be successful and maintain their impressive standard of play. Starting Point Guard Timmer Farley ’19 commented on their goals for the season: “Our goal is to make the state tournament. With only having four returning players who got significant playing time last year, we’ll need some of the younger guys to step up off of the bench. I’m looking forward to playing with some of my friends who I’ve played with for years. This is the last time I’ll be able to play with them and for Friends, so I’m excited to leave it all out there.” Notable Boys
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Basketball games this season are the Quaker Classic Tournament on December 28th and 29th and the rivalry games against Tower Hill are January 25th and February 8th. Girls Basketball also hopes to make a tournament appearance and grow as a team to reach their full potential. This season will be different without the leadership of Natalie Depaulo, former captain and offensive threat, who joined the thousand point club last season. The team hopes to improve from their 8-12 record last year and enjoy the season while working towards their goals. They will compete in the Diamond State Classic, which is the same weekend as the Quaker Classic. Both the Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball teams have their work cut out for them this season. The swim team, similar to the Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball teams, looks forward to focusing on team chemistry, and improvement. Ashley Chompre ’19 remarked, “Our goal is for to get better and have fun while doing it. I think we’re shaping up to have a good team this year with our returning swimmers, and eighth and ninth graders who have the potential to get even better.” The swim team wants to build off of last season, where they finished with a record of 4-5. Friends’ swim team looks forward to making a big splash this season. The wrestling team is ready to go. Their squadron is comprised mainly of veteran wrestlers and a few
scrappy lower classman. Senior wrestlers are excited to compete and see the development of their younger teammates. It will be interesting to see how the team’s many returning wrestlers compete in rival meets, and how their younger guys develop throughout the season. They finished last season with a 10-2 record and look to build off of that by making an appearance in the state tournament. Coach Donald Morton had this to say about the upcoming wrestling season, “I’m excited for the season.” The indoor track team is also focused on developing their youth, and working hard towards consistent improvement. Experienced runners look forward to seeing their younger teammates gain a passion for running and establish a work ethic. It will be interesting to see how the younger runners grow and learn. The indoor track team expects to enjoy their building process of becoming a good, all around indoor track team. Every team has their goals ahead of them. As seniors run their last races, swim their last laps, compete in their last meets and shoot their last shots, a new wave of young Friends athletes are improving to pick up where they will leave off. Winter can be ice cold, but expect Friends athletics to set fire to a court, mat, track, or swimming pool near you this holiday season. Good luck Quakers! The school is behind you!
Holiday ISSUE 2018 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
puzzles
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Holiday issue 2018 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY