The
Whittier Miscellany ESTABLISHED 1884 • WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
So What Is That Plant Thing Anyway?
By: Tauson Biggs Feautures Writer
The “plant thing” you might have seen on display in the school gallery is called the farmstand. The farmstand is a self-watering, self-fertilizing, hydroponic growing system produced by the company, Lettuce Grow. Since most people do not know what hydroponic means, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hydroponic growing as the growing of plants in nutrient solutions with or without an inert medium such as soil. So, how does the farmstand work? The farmstand comes disassembled, so the first step is to construct it. Mr. Charriez, MS science teacher, and Levi Sawdon ‘28 built the farmstand at school. “It’s pretty straightforward to build it. I want to say it only took us about 15 minutes to assemble it,” said Mr. Charriez. Step two is to fill the base of the farmstand with water and insert the seedlings into the pods. The farmstand we have at school has four tiers with six pods on each tier making a total of 24 pods for growing plants. Step three is just to hook the farmstand up to an outlet and let it do its magic. It’s as easy as that! Once the farmstand gets set up it does most of the work for you. A pump at the base of the farmstand, where the water is stored, pushes water to the top of the tower which then filters back down to the reservoir at the base, watering the pods along the way. Glow lights on the exterior act as artificial sunlight which keeps the seedlings growing at a healthy rate. “The seedlings are pretty small when you get them, but over the course of a few weeks they’ll grow into edible human-sized plants that you can snip and eat and make salads with,” said Charriez. So, how did the school come to acquire an 800 dollar indoor gardening system? Friends was awarded a Garden Grant from Whole Foods for $3000 so that they could purchase a greenhouse. As part of that grant, Whole Foods partnered with Lettuce Grow to give out lettuce grow systems to schools that wanted them. When Charriez heard about this opportunity, he quickly registered for a farmstand. Whole Foods donated the farmstand, and the school bought the glow rings for an additional $300. So far this year, MS science classes have used the farmstand to grow a large assortment of fruits and vegetables including strawberries, cherry tomatoes, kale, spinach, sugar snap peas, and several different types of lettuce. They have also grown some herbs such as chives, thyme, mint, and cilantro as well as some flowers. After talking to Mr. Charriez and a handful of middle school students, it seems like the farmstand has been a big hit. Charriez also commented, “We’ve been using the plants we’ve grown in our farmstand in some of our cooking lessons in science class. Last week, for example, we made kale smoothies using kale we harvested right from the Lettuce Grow tower!” Finally, when asked whether the school should invest in more sustainable options in the future, Mr. Charriez said, “Absolutely, I think having a few of these in the building would make a
statement for a couple of reasons. Number one, the tower is made of recycled plastic found in the ocean. Number two, I think nutrition and teaching healthy eating should be part of what we do at this school so having these around the school might encourage people to think twice about their food choices at school and maybe give salad greens another look.” Levi Sawdon ‘28 replied, “It would be great if WFS had more farm stands so that we could sustainably grow and eat food in our cafeteria even in the winter. We could also donate extra food that we grow to those in need in our community.” The farmstand has been a huge suc-
cess so far and with more sustainable systems such as this, there is potential for the school to reduce its carbon footprint and support our community. ay in the school gallery is called the farmstand. The farmstand is a self-watering, self-fertilizing, hydroponic growing system produced by the company, Lettuce Grow. Since most people do not know what hydroponic means, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hydroponic growing as the growing of plants in nutrient solutions with or without an inert medium such as soil. So, how does the farmstand work? The farmstand comes disassembled, so the first step is to construct it. Mr. Charriez, MS science teacher, and Levi Sawdon ‘28 built the farmstand at school. “It’s pretty straightforward to build it. I want to say it only took us about 15 minutes to assemble it,” said Mr. Charriez. Step two is to fill the base of the farmstand with water and insert the seedlings into the pods. The farmstand we have at school has
four tiers with six pods on each tier making a total of 24 pods for growing plants. Step three is just to hook the farmstand up to an outlet and let it do its magic. It’s as easy as that! Once the farmstand gets set up it does most of the work for you. A pump at the base of the farmstand, where the water is stored, pushes water to the top of the tower which then filters back down to the reservoir at the base, watering the pods along the way. Glow lights on the exterior act as artificial sunlight which keeps the seedlings growing at a healthy rate. “The seedlings are pretty small when you get them, but over the course of a few weeks they’ll grow into edible human-sized plants that you can snip and eat and make salads with,” said Charriez. So, how did the school come to acquire an 800 dollar indoor gardening system? Friends was awarded a Garden Grant from Whole Foods for $3000 so that they could purchase a greenhouse. As part of that grant, Whole Foods partnered with Lettuce Grow to give out lettuce grow systems to schools that wanted them. When Charriez heard about this opportunity, he quickly registered for a farmstand. Whole Foods donated the farmstand, and the school bought the glow rings for an additional $300. So far this year, MS science classes have used the farmstand to grow a large assortment of fruits and vegetables including strawberries, cherry tomatoes, kale, spinach, sugar snap peas, and several different types of lettuce. They have also grown some herbs such as chives, thyme, mint, and cilantro as well as some flowers. After talking to Mr. Charriez and a handful of middle school students, it seems like the farmstand has been a big hit. Charriez also commented, “We’ve been using the plants we’ve grown in our farmstand in some of our cooking lessons in science class. Last week, for example, we made kale smoothies using kale we harvested right from the Lettuce Grow tower!” Finally, when asked whether the school should invest in more sustainable options in the future, Mr. Charriez said, “Absolutely, I think having a few of these in the building would make a statement for a couple of reasons. Number one, the tower is made of recycled plastic found in the ocean. Number two, I think nutrition and teaching healthy eating should be part of what we do at this school so having these around the school might encourage people to think twice about their food choices at school and maybe give salad greens another look.” Levi Sawdon ‘28 replied, “It would be great if WFS had more farm stands so that we could sustainably grow and eat food in our cafeteria even in the winter. We could also donate extra food that we grow to those in need in our community.” The farmstand has been a huge success so far and with more sustainable systems such as this, there is potential for the school to reduce its carbon footprint and support our community.
Page Two
Entertainment
Peter and The Star Catcher By Emma Larsen Entertainment Writer
On November 12, a ninth through twelfth-grade collection performed Peter and The Starcatcher. As a member of the Wilmington Friends com-
munity, watching the play prompted multiple thoughts of what might go on inside the actors’ or actresses’ minds throughout the process of Peter and The Starcatcher. “It is really scary before the curtains open. It’s pitch black, only the safety lights on, and lots of thoughts wandering in my mind,” reveals Peter and The Starcatchers’ Alf, played by Ellie Driscoll 25’. The opening curtains are the most surreal, and petrifying part of the play. Not just for Peter and The Starcatcher, but any play with an experienced actor or actress. It is not unusual to be anxious about an event, because of all the other thoughts that could be roaming: “How are people going to react? Will they like it? Can I adjust to my character?” “It’s a nice break to be in theater from homework and college applications. It was also nice to absorb yourself into a different person, and adapt their story/ life,” suggests Peter and The Starcatchers’ Mrs. Bumbrake, played by Zarina Stone 22’. One of the biggest adjustments the Wilmington Friends Peter and The Starcatcher cast had to make was delivering jokes to the audience. Tech week was a big support pillar leading up to the play that allowed the cast to practice lines, lights, sounds, microphones, dances, and songs. Even though, a lot of people found tech week to be stressful, considering the time spent on extracurricular activities, and school work. “The last week was the most stressful because I had a sport, which made it difficult to swim back to back with play practice,” indecates Peter and The Starcatchers’ Molly, played by Finola Mimnagh ‘22. New, uprising theater stars found this play as an opportunity to bond and learn. Lorne McDonell 25’ got the chance to go on stage, as tech crew, and become an ocean. McDonell took this play to his advantage to gain confidence, and courage. Surreal moments in the play are different for everyone. Being in lockdown due to COVID19 lately has made it a blessing to be back on stage for most. “Standing behind the curtain waiting for it to open was the most surreal moment. It hasn’t happened in a while due to COVID, and I really enjoyed that,” states Stone. “This is the first lead I’ve gotten. Normally I am a part of the ensemble… The play itself had a lot of more magical aspects. Like when, I was sitting on a seesaw waiting to fly, and the amule itself,” says Mimnagh. The most important takeaway varies between memorizing lines, being a part of the cast, or the play going as planned. Nothing has to be perfect in a play, half of it is all made up anyway. Overall most actors and actresses would answer the same question, with the same answer. “Be comfortable and trust yourself. Don’t worry because you will get there at
some point. Even not memorizing lines before tech week you will still be fine,” explains Driscoll.
Opening the curtain during a school show, and knowing this performance is in front of the entire school is an ongoing trial with new paths every second. “I think of it like you are on the roller coaster and before the play you go up, then there is a super adrenaline rush right before you perform. The curtains open, kind of a blur, and you fall right down the roller coaster. It’s hard to control emotions, but at the end it’s a big sigh of relief ” recaps Mimnagh. The Whittier Miscellany 2021
Holiday Issue
Power Moves: “All Too Well” Short Film By Lucy Cericola Enterainment Writer
On November 12, 2021, American pop and country artist Taylor Swift released a re-recorded version of her 2012 album ‘Red’, garnering more than 90 million streams and breaking the record for the most streamed album by a female artist in a day. Her hit short film, All Too Well, starring actors Sadie Sink and Dylan O’brien, rose to the #1 spot on youtube only a day after it’s release. It’s bittersweet message of remembrance of the past, while embracing the present and moving on towards the future stuck with many fans. “It was my favorite,” Swift says. “It was about something very personal to me. It was very hard to perform it live. Now for me, honestly, this song is 100 percent about us and for you.” At only fifteen years old, Swift signed a six-album contract with the record label ‘Big Machine Records’. However, she unknowingly signed away her control over the official recordings of all of her albums. Despite this, Swift continued to produce music, creating the hit albums Speak Now, Fearless, Red, and 1989. “I’ve been listening to Taylor my whole life...The very first album I listened to was 1989. It was the first concert I went to, and I feel like it just holds a special place in my heart.” says Hannah MacBride ‘25. Although these albums made a huge impact on her career, Swift has spoken about her ongoing copyright struggle between the record label which owns the majority of her music. ‘Lover’, released in 2019, was known for being the first album which she owned all legal rights to. From there, Swift continued to release music, including the well known albums Folklore and Evermore. “Every week, we get a dozen requests to use ‘Shake It Off ’ in some advertisement or ‘Blank Space’ in some movie trailer, and we say no to every single one of them,” Swift said in a 2019 interview with Billboard. “And the reason I’m rerecording my music next year is because I do want my music to live on. I do want it to be in movies, I do want it to be in commercials. But I only want that if I own it.” “I think it’s good [that she re-recorded Red].” says Ali Sanfrancesco ‘25. “If she re-records all of her albums then she’ll own every single one, and she’ll have control over all of her music.” Swift’s re-recording has inspired numerous artists to take control of their own music rights. Thousands of artists are now negotiating ownership of their albums, in an attempt to increase their revenue in addition to having a sense of control over their legal rights. For millions around the world who grew up listening to Taylor Swift, her re-recording of her albums mark a new chapter in her life, signifying the independence she now holds. When asked how Taylor Swift’s music impacted her life, MacBride says, “I’m not really sure, exactly. I feel like it helps me do things. If I don’t want to do something I can just listen to Taylor and that will help me do it.” Suffice to say, Swift’s actions have undoubtedly shaped the music industry. Her avocation for her music rights has continued to inspire young artists to do the same, and to be in control over their own art.
Page Three
News
Holiday Issue
TRAGEDY STRIKES AT ASTROWORLD FESTIVAL: By Anna Maansson News Writer
On November 5, during the Astroworld music festival, 10 people died and hundreds of others were injured in a deadly crowd crush during the event. Among the deceased were two high school students and a nine year-old. Around midday on the fifth, there were thousands of people who stormed the gates at Astroworld. People were so close together that they were having trouble breathing and people were not able to escape the surging crowd. Noah Diaz, a 22-year old who attended the festival, described the crowd surges to the Washington Post as, “It was almost like you were in a wave pool … [but] drowning in human bodies.” “At one point there was an ambulance that was trying to make its way through the crowd. The artist has command of that crowd,” Samuel Peña, the Houston Fire Department chief, told NBC. “The artist, if he notices something that’s going on, he can certainly pause that performance.” Madeline Eskins, an ICU nurse, initially passed out due to the crowd surge. To get her to help, she was crowdsurfed to security. She came to with no recollection of events. When she saw the other injured people, she started checking people’s pulses and helping them move to stretchers, since there was a lack of medical staff. Many emergency vehicles went through the crowd of the festival during Scott’s performance to help injured people. Some people were seen to have climbed onto emergency vehicles while they were trying to get through the crowd. The field hospital at NRG Park, located near where the festival was held, treated over 300 people for injuries throughout the day. Scott continued performing 30 minutes after Astroworld was declared a mass casualty event. This is not Scott’s first incident. He has been arrested before for reckless conduct charges in 2015 and in 2017 he was arrested for telling fans to bypass the security at an event in Arkansas and to rush the stage. It is not uncommon for injuries to occur at his shows. At Astroworld in 2019, there were also injuries due to wild fan behavior that has come to be expected at his shows. Astroworld is not alone in having people die at a festival. At the original Woodstock festival in 1969 and Woodstock 1999, multiple people lost their lives, and in 1999 there were also reports of sexual assault. On November 6, Scott posted an apology tweet saying, “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival.” “I saw Travis Scott’s instagram story and where he posted an apology,” said Lauren Toner ‘25. “It could have been sincere from his part but it is now a huge joke. It is all over the Internet and people are making fun of it because it looks so scripted. Almost like he was being forced to write an apology.” Over 125 people who were caught in the deadly crowd surge are suing Scott and other event organisers for $750 million. There have also been lawsuits filed against other parties associated with Astroworld. When asked about attending concerts in the future, Toner replied, “It makes me a little uncomfortable [to know] if it’s going to happen to a kid who’s younger than me. That’s concerning.” The Whittier Miscellany 2021
THE CONTENTIOUS ROLE OF HISTORY IN AMERICAS’ CLASSROOMS By Ava Steinberger News Writer
During the recent election in Virginia, many voters expressed concern about Critical Race Theory and whether it was being taught in local schools. CRT is the idea that racism is embedded in America’s political and economic institutions and structures. It is studied mostly in universities, but some of the ideas have supposedly filtered down to the K-12 level, which created the uproar in Virginia. The backlash over CRT ties in with the controversy over the 1619 project, which argues that the real date of America’s founding was not 1776 but rather 1619, when the first slaves arrived here. CRT and 1619 have sparked a broader debate about how history should be taught in America’s classrooms. Is the point to make kids feel a sense of patriotism, or is it to tell them the truth about the country’s past: the good, the bad, and the ugly? Donald Morton, who teaches 10th grade American history, believes that the answer is neither. A history teachers’ role is not necessarily to promote patriotism; there are things about America’s past that we should be proud of, and there are also things that should trouble us. “You cannot really measure patriotism,” Morton says. “It is so subjective, and what we think about it is irrelevant. The point of teaching history is to get across to students that life, in the context of history, is not random or sporadic. Rather, it is a cohesive narrative. My purpose is to show students that they are part of this larger American narrative and also have them see where they place themselves within that narrative.” Scott Clothier, who also teaches 10th grade history, emphasizes the idea of history as a narrative, as well. But he says that his history is not written in ink: the narrative is always incomplete, and our understanding of the past is constantly evolving. He says the goal of anyone who teaches U.S. history should be to “broaden the incomplete narrative”—to give students a deeper understanding of America’s history while also helping them understand that our knowledge of the past is constantly changing. But there is also another argument to be made: that our willingness to face up to the less attractive parts of the past can make us feel an even stronger sense of patriotism. Many countries try to bury or disown elements of the past. A willingness to face up to the truth, no matter how painful, can itself be a source of pride. Writing in Time Magazine a few months ago, David French said, “so teach it all. Good and bad. Ugly and beautiful….History lessons should not be designed to create patriots. They should be designed to educate citizens—secure in the knowledge that well-educated citizens are most apt to learn to love their country well.”
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Features
Holiday Issue
Quaker Cares: Steps Towards Mental Heath Awareness By: Katie Bryant Feautures Writer Mental health is finally gaining the attention it deserves at Wilmington Friends. Last year Grace Terrell ‘24 and Kira Agne ‘23 both inquired about the lack of resources in the school for dealing with mental health, and at the end of last year, they created the Quaker Cares club. Aaron Hockstein ‘24 described it as a club that “Is all about making sure students aren’t overstressed, and it tries to bring awareness to the importance of mental health.” Danielle Litterelle is the faculty sponsor. Litterelle is the new Upper and Middle school counselor. She said her role is “to help the members learn techniques and strategies when dealing with mental health topics.” November 3rd was National Stress Awareness Day. To help students, the club decorated the pillar outside the Java Nook with post-it notes. They wrote short, motivational messages to boost the morale of students and make an otherwise ugly support beam interesting. Members of the student body were included as well. During break the members of the club went around to the different places where students eat and encouraged them to write their own sticky notes to put on the pillar. Some examples of messages students shared were “ You’ve got this”, “You’re strong” “Go Girlboss”, and “You’re more than a grade.” November 13 was World Kindness Day. On the 10th, the club led a meeting for worship and shared queries that had themes of kindness, thankfulness, and togetherness. The school also celebrated World Kindness Day the Friday before by dressing in comfortable clothes. Danielle Literelle sent out an email that gave examples of ways to show kindness throughout the day. Some of those were to say hello to someone in the hallway, write a thank you note, or say something kind to a classmate. Both World Kindness Day and National Stress Awareness Day are just sneak peeks of what Quaker Cares can do. Plans for the future include creating a mental health bulletin board that has access to resources and good mental health strategies, sponsoring fundraisers, and continuing student-centered wellness discussions. Kira Agne ‘23 said, “The club is planning to create activities practicing mindfulness.” The biggest idea the club is working on is planning what the school is going to do for Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Literelle plans for at least one day in the month to be dedicated to bringing awareness and giving students resources and information about stress. The club welcomes anyone who is interested. Quaker Cares currently has 32 members and is still growing. They meet on Day 3s in Mrs. Bailey’s room, and the members of the club want to remind everyone that it’s ok to not be ok and that there is always someone willing to help.
What Makes Meeting for Worship so Special? By: Temi Lufadeju Feautures Writer As students hit the road for Thanksgiving, they expressed their gratitude for their blessings over the past few years. This year, it is important to take in all the good and bad and reflect regardless. Luckily at Wilmington Friends, students can reflect on everything and anything with meetings for worship. Although, what makes a meeting for worship so “special” for it to happen in the middle of the day? During MFW, there is no such thing as a wrong belief. Everyone is accepted for their thoughts. Ryann Smith ‘25, a student at Friends since first grade, has her view set on meeting for worship. “If you are stressed, I think it’s a good thing to look forward to. Because meeting for worship is in the middle of the day, my classes are longer but it’s worth it.” Lulu Cochran ‘25 is in her first year at Friends as a freshman. As a student coming into the Quaker community, how could one feel about or describe such a tradition? “I felt that it was a good thing to calm down in the middle of the day. But, I thought that we couldn’t talk.” Rebecca Zug is the upper school division head. Zug has been at Friends for 12 years, and meeting for worship is a special place for her. Zug said, “I try to center myself to listen to messages within.” Rebecca Zug has been a Quaker her whole life, and she shared how as you grow older, you start to understand the true meaning of MFW. Zug said, “I like to look out the window panes to watch the clouds because that helps me slow down.” In meeting for worship, everyone finds peace differently. Some people close their eyes and some people find opening their eyes more traditional. As everyone knows, queries are presented at the beginning of MFW. But, where do these queries come from? In addition, who decides the queries for each meeting? Most queries come from the “Faith and Practice” text, but at WFS, students or a club or the faculty can also write the queries of the meeting. Zug explained how “The Quaker life committee approves of them when we approve the schedule and structure of each meeting.’’
Clerks, Kira Agne ‘23 and Grace Terrell ‘24, and Aubrey Nisbet ‘23 and Lily Rashkind ‘23 with the Quaker Cares beam in the Java Nook.
The answer to “What makes Meeting For Worship so ‘special’?” is more simple than people think. Some would say it is because it helps people find themselves and who they are as a person. Quiet time to reflect can be helpful because as author Mandy Hale said, “Some steps need to be taken alone. It’s the only way to really figure out where you need to be.”
The Whittier Miscellany 2021
Page Five
Sports
Holiday Issue
Looking to the futre: Vaccine Mandates in Sports? By: Mitchell Brenner Sports Writer Many Americans spend their Monday nights and Sunday afternoons watching Football. Others spend their nights watching Baseball or Basketball. Whether you are one of these people or not, you probably have noticed that while playing, these athletes do not wear masks. However, depending on the sport and league, protocols may require players on the sidelines to wear masks. But did you know that this is only scratching the surface of how Covid is affecting sports? Even if you are not a fan of the NFL, you have probably heard the name Aaron Rodgers. Last year’s winner of the “Most Valuable Player” award, along with his teammate Allen Lazard, is currently being fined $14,650 for violating the Covid-19 regulations. Rodgers and Lazard were seen at a Halloween party unmasked with other players on the Packers. The NFL prohibits unvaccinated players from gathering outside of team facilities in groups larger than three. The Green Bay Packers organization is also being fined $300,000 for these violations of these regulations, which includes them being aware of the party. In the NFL, unvaccinated players are required to wear masks at all times on the sidelines and are not allowed to gather outside of team practice facilities in groups of more than three. Rodgers has also violated the Coronavirus protocols by not wearing a mask on the sidelines and while being interviewed by reporters. Although the NFL can fine the team and players, the NBA is much more strict with its regulations. Currently, unvaccinated players on the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Golden State Warriors are set to lose 1.1% of their season pay for each home game they miss. The reason for this is that their state or city requires having received at least one shot of the vaccine to partake in large indoor gatherings including sporting events. One of the players that are currently facing these fines is Brooklyn Nets star point guard Kyrie Irving. He has not been allowed to practice or even play with the team due to New York City’s law requiring players to have at least one shot of the vaccine to enter the facilities. Irving is currently on contract for $34.9 million dollars, therefore every game he misses due to his vaccination status will lose him just over $381,000. If he remains unvaccinated the entire season, he will miss 41 home games which will have him being penalized $15.6 million, which is nearly half of his entire contract. These sports protocols are affecting many professional athletes, but don’t think that it’s limited to that. If you play any sports considered “high risk” then a vaccine mandate may come to you too. These sports include football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, ice hockey, and lacrosse. New York City has placed a vaccine mandate on public high school students and coaches of these sports. It is one of the few places in America with a high school vaccine mandate, along with Hawaii and the Culver City School District in California. Although still rare, mandates like this may spread across the country, and you may be forced to receive the vaccine if you have not done so yet.Covid-19 has been very tough for all of us, and we have all seen it affect us in different ways. Many of us have missed months of school and lost sports seasons to Covid. We have sports back, but that doesn’t mean that we are in the clear. With Covid-19 still around, athletes, professional or not, may need to make tough decisions.
The WFS Cat By the Track By: Collier Zug Sports/Features Writer You may know him as “the cat” who is always outside, but no matter whether you know him, you’ve probably petted Mac the cat. At the sprightly age of 18, Mac is still wandering about outside and in, saying hello to the hundreds of kids who walk down towards the turf and track every day. Many people have petted him and can attest to how friendly he is to students too. “The cat seriously gives me licks every time it sees me. It purrs every time it sees me. It’s the cutest little cat” says John Ursomarso ‘24. As it turns out, Mac really wants to be a part of the traffic going to and from the school because he is super friendly and loyal. Mac spends his days inside and outside, roaming around where he wants to. He likes fresh air and even goes for walks. He even has a place on his patio where he likes to lie down, but only in warm weather. He’s an indoor and outdoor cat that isnt afraid of the outdoors. “He loves the outdoors and likes to roam about our yard and the neighborhood. When the weather is colder, Mac will spend much more time inside. We also have a porch with a cat door, blanket, food, and water where he likes to sleep.” Ben Schiltz, Mac’s owner. Mac has been here for years and really enjoys the company of the athletes and students who come by “So the next time you see Mac, give him a pat and know that you’re making his day by being there.” find themselves and who they are as a person. Quiet time to reflect can be helpful because as author Mandy Hale said, “Some steps need to be taken alone. It’s the only way to really figure out where you need to be.”
The Whittier Miscellany 2021
Community
Page Six
Holiday Issue
The Driving Delay weeks late for the students. Wilmington Friends did not yet have a teacher for these students, so the class curriculum was already near During sophomore year of high school, many students look ly a month behind schedule. Then, the students who took drives in the forward to taking a drivers edufall were asked to come to school cation class and learning to get at 7:15 every morning and take a on the roads. Driving by yourself 40-minute class for around 6 or 7 unleashes many freedoms that weeks. This is where the first big teenagers have been waiting for issue came into play. Administraduring their younger years. With tors would realize that 40 minutes the COVID-19 pandemic continuevery day was not nearly enough ing for almost a year and a half time to fit the class requirement. now, Driver's Ed has changed dramatically at Wilmington Friends Another issue with the in the past couple of years. For the class this year is that many of the students have not driven enough class of 2024, this year has been a hours to finish by their 16th birthmassive struggle. day. Many students are extremely Hypothetically, students behind on their work and driving would take Driver's Ed during the hours. There are even students in day, and then drive during their the class who have been 16 years study halls or free times, starting old for almost 3 months now and from the oldest kids. Everyone would be ready to get their license have not started driving yet. Ellen Sicuranza '24 explained, ™It has by their 16th birthday. This year, been a rocky start to the year. I the 10th grade is behind on evam sure all the administrators are ery step. First, the class started 3 Molly Lavelle `24 Community Writer
trying their best to get everyone driving as much as they canº but the process is extremely slow.∫ Students want to drive as soon as they turn 16, but it doesn't seem possible with the way this year's class is going.
There are even students in the class who have been 16 years old for almost 3 months now and have not started driving yet. It is common knowledge that at the end of your driver's ed course you must pass the written test to be able to get your license. Students feel like they were not prepared for the exam very well at
all. George Rossi '24 said, ™Wehad an abundance of notes, but no one really felt ready to take the test.∫ Students felt like the test came out of the blue, and many felt that they hadn't properly learned anything, with Rossi stating, ™Everyone was super stressed and was cramming in their studying.∫ Along with that, students were given 20 surprise extra questions that the instructor added to the already existing 100 question test. Drivers-Ed is difficult, everyone understands that. This state-mandated class has many more rules and regulations than your average math or history class. The WFS administrators are trying their best to make everything run smoothly, but the first semester has had a few hiccups. The 10th-grade class looks forward to what the second semester will look like, and they hope things will be different.
The Struggle of Midterm Prep By: Bella Adjei-Owusu ‘22 Community Writer The holidays are soon approaching, which calls for one of the most hectic times of the year: Midterms. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many students at Friends have never experienced exam week before. They may not know how to prepare for a midterm, or even what to expect from these tests. Don’t worry though; even if you haven’t taken scrupulous notes throughout the school year, there is still time to prepare for and ace these exams. It is strongly recommended to not procrastinate. The busy life of a Wilmington Friends student can promote this kind of behavior as it is so easy to say “I’ll do it later.” This kind of mentality is the reality for Madeline Osbourn ‘22. She said,“I feel as if I surrounded myself with people who can actually get away with procrastinating, yet I knew at the time that I wasn’t one of those people. Over time I picked up these habits but noticed a lot of things going downhill from there. Procrastinating is definitely a real problem and I think a lot of kids at Wilmington Friends School could use some help. I think a lot of them could agree that when Covid hit, it made the issue even worse: having more time at home you were more likely to slack off. ” This comment by Madeline is a very relatable issue, as it’s understandable how easy it is to fall into a cycle. The trouble of balancing busy school schedules with life outside of these brick walls is evident. There are ways around procrastination when it comes to studying for midterms, which do not include cramming for hours the day before exams. One recommended method that works for any test is to study early, while limiting the number of hours studying. One of the hardest parts of exam week is forcing your brain to remember class mate-
rial you haven’t discussed in months, but it isn’t necessary if you manage time properly when reviewing test material. Studying as early as possible is ideal when reviewing for a big test like Midterms, without making your study sessions too lengthy. Long and tedious study sessions promote burnout and can increase stress levels approaching testing week, with no great benefit from the extra time. This is why its important to limit your study sessions to only an hour or two at most per day. This may not seem like a lot, but when the work material is reviewed over a long period of time in short intervals, the information is retained for a far longer period of time. Even if you have your study methods under control, finding places and motivation to study can mess up all your plans. Daniel Selekman ‘24 personally found trouble with this, noting that “While studying for midterms I often get about 30 minutes of studying done before I get distracted by the little things and somehow end up rearranging my room. I have a lot of trouble staying focused because the freedom of being at home kind of takes over.” This is a common theme amongst people who want to do well in tests, yet can easily be distracted by their environments. Another acclaimed method when it comes to studying is to mimic a testing environment. Unfortunately, a testing environment does not equate to the comfort of your bed or a noisy living room. Try to find a quiet place to study, and keep away distractions like your phone or even your computer. Dedicating time towards simply looking for quiet environments that reminds you of the nature of a testing room will be helpful when studying. This method will help you trust the effectiveness of your study session, knowing that there are no apparent distractions when trying to absorb useful information. Midterms can be extremely tough to face, especially when it’s your first time dealing with a test like this. However, if you follow these tips and study well, there’s no reason why you can’t ace these tests! Don’t forget, immediately after, you can forget everything you’ve crammed into your head; the holidays are near!
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Science and Technology
Holiday Issue
Solar Panels at WFS By Jemima Smith ‘24 Science/Tech Writer WFS proudly features a solar power system with more than 800 solar panels between the Upper and Lower Schools, providing 16% of our electricity. The Upper School solar system powers the Global Learning Center (GLC), where the Chinese, French, and Spanish classes are located, as well as the library. The solar panels annually save around $3,000 in energy costs and 22 tons of CO2. Overall, it is a net zero system. The energy from the solar panels offsets the carbon emissions from the GLC, and the system provides about 35,000 kilowatt hours per year. Since the system has been installed it has avoided 132 tons of CO2 emissions and 220 megawatt hours altogether. If you’ve been near the GLC anytime in the past 6 years, you’ll have seen a TV display in the hallway displaying statistics like these in real time. It shows the energy produced for the day as well as the energy being currently produced. This display makes students aware of energy being saved every day and encourages mindfulness of pressing issues like climate change, which relates to science classes within the school’s curriculum. Students are able to see a real-life example of the renewable energy sources they read about. Our classrooms in the GLC are also fitted with solar tube skylights to cut down the need for electrical lighting and heated geothermally, drawing energy from the heat in the earth to minimize fossil fuel usage. Bradey Bulk, resident French teacher at WFS, said: “We have fantastic solar tubes which allow illumination by natural light, magnified by little lenses at the bottom. They are adjustable and, when the light is right, offer the fun bonus of rainbows on the walls! Thanks to them and the large windows, I rarely have to use the electric lights. I think the effect is a certain warm atmosphere in these spacious rooms.” WFS is one of 7,332 K-12 schools throughout the US using solar power. As global warming becomes more prevalent, more and more schools are utilising solar power to save money and to help the
enviroment. In most cases, solar power offsets utility bills, as it does here at WFS. Installing solar panels in schools has its challenges. The average school in the US is 42 years old- ours is 273. Even with newer schools, incorporating renewable energy systems into older buildings is tricky. However, WFS’s systems work consistently and well with the rest of the school. Our solar system ties into our Quaker SPICES- which are our core values that are built into the DNA of the school: stewardship, peace, integrity, community, equality, and simplicity. We are being good caretakers of the earth by taking energy from the sun rather than from non-renewable energy sources. Our school often focuses on how to be good stewards of the earth. We complete labs and watch videos on renewable energy. We feature an eco-team and partake in climate rallies. But incorporating an element of that into our own environment and really practicing what we preach adds much more reality to it.
Updates on COVID-19 Policies By Addison DiGuglielmo ‘25 Science/Tech Writer
One way to avoid this is by sitting outside, but with colder weather coming this is no longer an option that many students are willing to pursue. “I used to eat lunch outside, but it has gotten too cold,” said Anya Agarwal, class of ‘25,” My friends and I had to find somewhere else to sit.” Overall, there have been very few cases of COVID the whole school year and we have been able to stay in school all year. For this to continue, every student needs to make sure they are keeping their masks on and staying home when they may have symptoms. Everyone’s mask falls down sometimes, it happens. But the most important part is pulling it back up to keep everyone safe.
The school year is about one-fourth of the way through. However, the COVID regulations that started at the beginning of this year are still in place. Masks are required to be worn at all times indoors unless drinking or eating. At lunch, students are not supposed to be talking while their masks are down. Overall, these rules have worked and kept most students from catching the virus. However, is teaching and learning as effective with these mandates in place? Xuedan Yang, the Upper School Chinese teacher shares her thoughts about how masks have affected her teaching saying, “In Chinese, we use different tones, and with masks on it is hard to understand or critique a student’s pronunciation especially in words that are harder to pronounce.” The mask mandate at school should definitely stay to protect students from getting sick, but it can not be effective in keeping us safe if people will not follow it and leave their masks down when they are not eating. “I find myself asking students to put back on their masks constantly, and I think many other teachers have the same struggle,” said Mrs. Yang. In addition to mask struggles many students feel like they missed out on certain units they are expected to know and understand in their classes but missed out on the full understanding of the lesson over zoom because a good portion of last year was online.. “Sometimes in a class teachers will ask about a unit we were supposed to have last year but didn’t have time to do, it can be frustrating and confusing,” said Anya Agarwal, class of 2025. Teachers also missed out on lots of preparation time and had to cut out units altogether in the past few years leaving many students with an incomplete understanding of their past subjects. A good way to overcome this confusion is to be vocal with teachers about what we have learned and what was missed out on. As previously mentioned, at lunch, students are required to wear a mask at all times unless eating or drinking. This can make the most exciting part of the school day less fun, especially not being able toWhittier socialize Miscellany with friends2021 and have conversations. The
Opinion
Page eight
Holiday Issue
The Crisis at the Border By Jace Boland
N
Protesters gather in Seattle to respond to the flagrant mishandling of the migrant crisis at the souther border. Credit: Pixabay
ingún ser humano es ilegal. No human being is illegal. The phrase has been adopted by activists across the country. With an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US, it’s hard to separate yourself from them. They are your neighbors, your friends, your classmates, maybe your parents or grandparents. Maybe even you. Regardless of your citizenship status, the label of ‘illegal’ should never be placed on a person. When a person trespasses on private property, do we call them illegal? Not that a misdemeanor is comparable to making a perilous journey into an unwelcoming foreign land. The fact that possible death by starvation or heat exhaustion in the miles of unforgiving desert at the border is preferable to whatever they’re leaving behind them should be enough reason to open our doors. Not to mention risking las hieleras, the frigid hold-
ing cells in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers where your clothes, food, and family can be stripped from you at any time. Horror stories of severe neglect in ICE detention centers have been on the news for years. Children jailed separately from their parents and left to die from curable diseases, officials refusing to vaccinate migrants during flu season, reports from detained women that “they were told to drink from toilet bowls due to a lack of running water,” according to American Oversight. What I find unbelievable is that this is public knowledge, and people continue to stay silent, or even worse, they believe it’s justified somehow. “Thugs,” Donald Trump said of undocumented immigrants, the victims
of these facilities. “Rapists.” “These aren’t people, these are animals.” 74 million Americans backed this rhetoric in the 2020 elections. White America has gotten so comfortable, so drunk on power and a sense of self-righteousness that it’s willing to blatantly admit it sees people of color as less than human. My mother immigrated to the United States from Khartoum, Sudan in the late 1990s. She was twenty-something, educated, incredibly bright, and pursuing graduate studies. She didn’t become a citizen until well after I was born, but she has been fluent in English since she was young. Some people might say she came here “the right way.” But in reality? She got lucky. She got lucky that she knew the language, she had an education, and there was no 100,000
A chance for your children to live shouldn’t be conditional.
square mile hell she had to run through to get here. My family has no more right to be here than any family at the border. You shouldn’t have to have to prove yourself just to find asylum. A chance for your children to live shouldn’t be conditional. White America gained control of this land through bloodshed, and claim ownership because of it. What does it say that the self-proclaimed ‘greatest nation in the world,’ the only world superpower, defends their right to rule solely because of the violent acts they committed to attain it? The genocide of over 100 million people on their own land is ‘American history,’ but the concept of innocent people escaping violence is unthinkable? This raises the question: how can you decide who gets to live on land that isn’t yours in the first place? You can’t be ‘illegal’ under a government of murderers and colonizers. You can’t be ‘illegal’ on stolen land.
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In the Space Between Us By Trevor McCarson '22 Noah stares at his notebook, his pen floating an inch above the white paper, which was blank with the exception of the words, “Dear Elle” written in messy cursive in the top left corner, separated in the middle by an indistinguishable word that has been scribbled out in blue pen. He looks around for inspiration until his sad eyes land on the equally sad men and women, with whom he had spent the last forty days. “A lot can happen in forty days,” he thought to himself. He writes the words down on his paper and stares at the note for a few more seconds before scribbling out the entire sentence while grumbling “Stupid…” Noah’s eyes, once again, drift over to his crewmates who’ve been drowning themselves in alcohol and their own tears for the past hour. His stares catch the attention of a woman in the group. She wears the same jumpsuit-type uniform as the rest. Her brown eyes, accompanied by a red puffiness, plead with Noah to come over to them. Indifferently, Noah waves her away and goes back to what he was doing. The woman clutching onto a green bottle, slowly starts towards the pudgy man. She stops a few feet away and glares at him. “You might feel a little better if you spend these last moments with some friends,” The woman painfully smiles slightly and outstretches the bottle towards Noah. The man looks up from his notebook and stares out the window in front of him. “I’m fine, Aaliyah.” He turns his head towards the woman, his face twisted with an irritated expression, “And we are not friends. We never have been. We are co-workers. None of this changes that.” The woman pulls the bottle to her chest. “I just thought that-” “Well you thought wrong. I’d like to be alone now.” Noah turns back towards his notebook. The woman doesn’t look away from him. “We’ve all lost people-” “STOP!” Noah threateningly turns his body towards her. The men and women in the group only a few meters away gaze at the pair. Noah sees this, turns away, and once again, stares at the paper. The woman, rubbing the bottle in her hands, stares at Noah like she wants to say something. Her lips tremble as though she is going to cry. She simply nods her head, turns away, and floats back to the group. Noah hears someone murmur “asshole” under their breath. Noah starts to click his pen over and over. He holds his breath while his clicks gradually accelerate. His face grows red, and he clenches his jaw. In a burst of rage, Noah hurls his pen at the glass in front of him and yells at the top of his lungs. He looks down at the notebook in his left hand and begins ripping out the pages and throwing them randomly. When there are no pages left, Noah crumples the pulp notebook covers, and throws them too, accompanied by another scream. Breathing heavily, he sees a crumpled piece of paper with the word “Elle” floating in front of him. Noah’s eyes well up with tears and he begins to wail violently. An orange flash fulminates outside the window. The group gasps and everyone begins to sob. Noah,
Literary Section
Holiday Issue
quility was finally upon him. Caught up in his own reality, what felt like five minutes was actually thirty, and the teacher rounded up the children to head back inside. Typically, the little boy feels a sense of relief in these moments. But this time, a frown creeped onto his face, not knowing if his only friend would fly away. “Ivan!” the teacher exclaimed. “We need to go inside now.” The little boy got up in a hurry, placing the ladybug safely in the grass. As the boy went inside, the other children started snickering behind his back, due to the dew stain on the rear of his trousers. For the first time in his life, the little boy wanted to be outside. With his head down, the little boy carried on with his slow pace, trying to ignore the remarks by the other students. This wasn’t new for him. He never wanted to be around others, because they never wanted to be around him. The next day, the pattern continued. It came time for recess once again, and the little boy remained last to leave the classroom. When he got outside, he took off his wool sweater and placed it on the ground to sit on. He plucked the grass once again, when out of the corner of his By Emma Larsen ‘25 eye he noticed the ladybug. It started to crawl towards him, as if it remembered their encounSnow flying in the air. ter from the day before. The little boy, with the Sinking into her pale flushed skin. smile returning to his face, let the ladybug crawl White specks in her hair. on his shoe through all the nooks and crevices The deep winter season yet to begin. created by the laces. As the insect made its way A field that used to be filled with yellow bristle onto his hand, the boy noticed a new black spot grass, starting to form. “Happy birthday ladybug,” he Is now filled with snow, whiter than clouds. whispered. All the fresh snow that indents her skin, As the days went by, the grass grew thinAnd frosts her freshly silked lips, ner, and the bug’s spots grew bigger. The boy beCloses her off to the world around. gan to look forward to going outside, now being How could something so cold and brutal the only time in which he had a friend. One day, Ever touch a warm heart, the boy was sitting on top of his sweater following Then force it cold. his normal recess routine. However this time, he was the first student to get outside. As the other Watching her catch crystals on her tongue, children followed, they noticed him playing with Laughing in a blank field, the ladybug. A group of boys started to ridicule As I hide behind a tree, him, although he no longer cared. Wishing to feel the bliss that she owns. “Look at me when I talk to you,” one of Her eyes glistened, the kids said. The little boy glanced up, right as And her hair flowed. a fist swung through his head. Disoriented, the Through the trees to me it would go. little boy grabbed his nose, blood rushing down Except I, his face. He then curled up into a ball, protecting So desolate, and shallow, himself in case of a second attack. The group of Could never feel so blissful. boys snickered as they walked away, smirks on Although nobody would ever know, each of their faces. The little boy eventually got A father, like I, could reach so low. himself to sit upright, when he noticed the ladybug nowhere to be seen. With his health becoming his second priority, he searched the grass for his one and only friend. Despite the punch causing his vision to become a blur, out of the corner of his eye he noticed what looked like a squashed, By Johnny Finizio ‘22 red M&M. But in reality, it was his only friend no The little boy was last to leave the classroom. longer moving. The other kids, already starting to play outside, paid no mind to him. He began to saunter outside, keeping a slow pace. Finally reaching the outdoors, he sat down on the wet grass and started to pick it blade after blade, filled with the desire to return inside. However, on one blade of grass appeared a ladybug. The boy paused, and examined the insect before letting it crawl on his hand. He noticed a few black spots, each small in size. “Must be a baby,” he thought to himself. The boy, with a rare smile on his face, no longer had the desire to return inside. A state of tran-
trembling, looks out the thick glass, and sees the Earth covered in the orange glow. He grabs the paper and unwrinkles it as much as he can. He looks around and quickly grabs his pen. He begins to write. Dear Elle, I love you so much. I have and always will love you. The asteroid will hit in a few moments and all I can think of is the fact that I am watching you die. I’m scared. I miss you. I wish I could spend this time with you, talking with you and our beautiful Isaac. Those bastards turned off the communications 3 days ago and I haven’t spoken to you since. I miss you so much. I wish I could just feel your love one more time. In the space between us, I feel nothing. I love you so much. Goodbye Noelle. I’ll see you soon.
Reflections of Her Father
Ladybug Birthday
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Time By Greta Pinter '24 Time for freedom, time for celebration. We gather around with no worries, just our bodies and souls joining in glorious joyous harmony. That feeling of content we all know travels through our hearts. Seeping into every place of your heart, even the places you don’t dare to go into. This time isn’t for stress nor for peace, this is a time to be yourself. To not worry about: your midterm grades what people think about you if you are going to get into your dream college or even what you’re going to get for the holidays. Don’t bother yourself with these things, relax relax relax. They are not worth your precious time. Be in the moment and be free in the moment.
Gingerbread Woman By Duncan Roskovensky '24 The story of the Gingerbread man, a tale of dishonesty, misplaced trust, a living cookie. Today I implore you to read an alternate version of the beloved story. This version of the story begins in a clearing in the winter woods. In the clearing there stood a house of candy. The walls were made of peppermint slabs, and the windows were made of smooth rock candy. A pointed roof made of lollipops and candy corn. The walkway up to the jellybean door was made of chocolate and lined with licorice. The flower beds were filled with gummy flowers and the grass was made of lime green taffy. The entire house was covered in a powder of sugar and snow. Inside, looking out a large arched window, was a witch. The enchantress was no old woman, rather she was quite young. Roughly in her late 20’s or early 30’s. Unlike the original wife, she had no husband, just a single pringle ready to mingle. She had tried going on a few dates in the past, but the magic spark that she wanted, had never ignited. The witch left the window, walked over to the gingerbread fireplace, and wrapped herself in a blanket of Twizzlers. She stared into the fireplace, staring for what felt like the next few years. It wasn’t until she ate her entire blanket, and lost some mental whoppers, that she got up from the ice cream couch and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed bowls and spoons, letting her mind race with possibilities. She grabbed cinnamon, milk, eggs, and other ingredients needed
Literary Section to make some gingerbread. The last thing she grabbed was her wand, ready to make herself a lover. She started with forming the body, designing the brain, and pumping strawberry filling into the heart. She then pre-heated the oven, waited, and put the gingerbread in. All that was left to do was wait, and so she waited. She waited for the oven to rise and harden the model. When the timer rang the witch ran into the kitchen, almost slipping in her M&M’s slippers. She took out the model and placed it on the kitchen island. The model was ready to decorate. So the witch grabbed her materials. She used the frosting to make a green skirt with vanilla meringues lining at the bottom. She grabbed a couple of Twizzlers and used them as a belt. She took red and green gummy bears and melted them together and cut the mixture into a string which she magically knitted into a long sleeve sweater. She took peppermint, Dots, and hard caramel and used them to make heels, cuff buttons, and earrings. She then grabbed a ring pop and cast a spell of life upon it. She then put the ring upon the model bringing it to life. The Gingerbread Woman hopped off the counter and looked around in bewilderment. The Witch, seeing the confusion in her supposed lover's eyes, grabbed the Gingerbread Woman by the hand and led her towards the living room. Together they sat by the fireplace on the couch and just talked to each other. They talked to understand each other, they talked about the world, mainly with the witch answering the Gingerbread woman’s questions about the universe. During the Gingerbread woman getting named Ginger. As the years went on the two grew as friends, and eventually into lovers. Though like the story’s counterpart, the ending of Ginger's story doesn’t end well. While the relationship grew strong, the hate of the couple grew in the village outside of the forest. The people started to see the witch more, as the couple would visit weekly for dates, which disturbed the community. They were thought of as freaks of nature. One night the town marched towards the candy house. They tried to burn it, but it didn't work. They threw rocks at the windows and yelled at the couple inside. Knowing a way to fix the situation, Ginger put her hands in the witch’s and then took off her ring. She then went limp and crumbled. Leaving the witch loveless, broken, and vowing revenge on the future generations of the townsfolk.
Questions By Zoe Gainer '22 Alone on this hilltop I stand. I look up and see a thousand stars scattered through the pitch black. I look among them, and wonder when my time will be, to join them in the sky. Aren’t they terrifying?
Holiday Issue
The grass wilts where it is stepped on. Every living thing, grows and dies, each at a different speed. Death is an inevitable truth. He shows his presence in every crevice. Isn’t he familiar? I turn and see a vast horizon. The world spinning on an endless cycle, like life herself. Isn’t she just beautiful?
i hope you miss me By Patrece McAbee '22 you asked me if i still cared and with no hesitation the first thing i said was of course i do as i said it i could tell you didn’t believe me and honestly i wouldn’t believe me either see lately i’ve gotten good at pretending not to care but the truth is i think about you a lot more than i care to admit actually but no matter how badly i miss you i’ll never say it so i don’t talk to you and i don’t look at you i hide your posts on instagram and i don’t watch your stories but every once and awhile i catch myself going to your page just to make sure you’re doing alright you asked me if i still cared and with no hesitation the first thing i said was of course i do and i care that much to miss you this badly but not disturb your peace because you look so much happier without me
The sun beams down on the world. Sometimes she burns, sometimes she’s merely a light, to show us the way. Isn’t she wonderful?
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Holiday Issue
Thank you for reading the Whittier Miscellany.
We will return in the New Year with an issue in
The Whittier Miscellany Staff Co-Editor-in-Chief: Eden Cottone’22 Co-Editor-in-Chief: Livy Zug ’22
February. We wish you the best of luck on your
News Editor: Lily Rashkind ‘23 Science/Tech Editor: Kai Heister ‘24 Ent. Editor: Grace Morrison ‘22
midterms. From all of us at the Whittier, stay safe,
Comm. Editor: Sammer Vidwans ‘23 Features Editor: Tess Wolf ‘24
and have a wonderful winter break. Go Quakers!
Sports Editor: Collier Zug Writers: Brina Abere ‘25 Bella Adjei-Owusu ‘22 Zac Antao ‘24 Tauson Biggs ‘24 Jace Boland ‘23 Lucy Cericola ‘25 Pablo Charriez ‘24 Addison Di Guglielmo ‘25 Jamie Feldman ‘24 Brooke Harrison ‘23 Jack Hebert ‘23 Emma Larsen ‘25 Molly Lavelle ‘24 Kendall Law ‘24 Temi Lufadeju ‘25 Anna Maansson ‘25 Jemima Smith ‘24 Ava Steinberger ‘23
The Whittier Miscellany 2021
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Holidays Past
Holiday Issue
The Great Christmas Shrub Incident Ellie McGinnis ’14 Columnist For years I’ve spent December after December determinedly struggling to bring some of the ubiquitous holiday spirit to my house. I’ve tried to bake sugar cookies and play Christmas music and fill my house with pine-needle-y tree branches, but despite my best efforts, it always feels forced and awkward. In fact, my attempts at holiday cheer consistently remind me of the tragic months that followed my decision to get bangs in seventh grade. They worked on other people, but I looked like a paler Dora the Explorer with braces. That is the level of awkwardness that fills my house as soon as illuminated reindeer start appearing on front lawns. I’m not sure why I can’t pull off the whole “holiday spirit” concept. Maybe spending my first three Christmases in the Southern Hemisphere, where Christmas is a summer holiday celebrated on the beach, inhibited my early developmental stages of holiday spirit. Maybe there’s a genetic component that I inherited from my mother, whose general Grinchiness extends past Christmas to most holidays and birthdays. Mostly, I think my difficulty to enjoy the holiday season stems from a mass of horrendous Christmas memories that have accumulated over the years. Out of the saga of depressing Christmas stories, one tends to stand out as especially symbolic of my family’s holiday struggle: The Christmas Shrub Incident. The first year my family moved into our new house, our holiday spirit hit an all-time low. My twelve-year-old sister had finally figured out the truth
Whittier’s Holiday Wish List 2013 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
A private concert with Michael Bublé A Magenta Christmas (white is too mainstream) Gingerbread castle Oversized sweaters Heated massage chair Advent calendars Everything out of SkyMall Magazine For Mr. Ergueta to organize our investment portfolios Full ride tuition Dunkaroos Peppermint-flavored coffee creamer Grilled macaroni and cheese sandwiches A new book from Tina Fey Pajama Jeans Ugly Groundhog Day sweaters To learn how to play Mahjong Scandal all day everyday Release of the Firefly lineup Unlimited supply of peppermint bark A 1000-piece puzzle of the color burgundy A return of the Ms. Snead dougie parties Baby chipmunks For Winter Track to have a 1:1 hand warmer program Imagine Dragons tickets College acceptance letters (please, please, please!) A car A licence to drive that car Pecan pie A new Kevin Hart special World joy Real Housewives of South Smyrna Posters to cover our dorm rooms next year (knock-on-wood) A new wardrobe of just cashmere The end of the pumpkin spice saga Holiday lawn decorations Fuzzy socks Cheese Lots of snow days in January Christmas puns (let’s wrap this up) Lots of Christmas (and holiday) cheer, by singing loud for all to hear
about Santa Claus (only late by around six years), my dad was spending the holiday with his girlfriend’s family, and there was no logical place for a Christmas tree in our new living room. After forcing ourselves to pick out a tree, asking our new neighbors to help carry it inside, and struggling to set it up; we played the Messiah, the only Christmas music my mother likes, while unpacking boxes of ornaments that no longer matched our furniture. Our tree had no place for a star, so we hung it haphazardly on the side. By Christmas Eve, our mismatched tree leaned precariously to the left. Unwilling to deal with the pine-needle-y mess surrounding the tree stand, we ignored the slight tilt. When we returned from our traditionally uncomfortable Christmas Eve family dinner, our dog was frantically whining, his teeth chattering as he sprinted in circles with his tail between his legs. We walked into the living room to see our awkward tree on the ground, surrounded by shattered ornaments and puddles of water still dripping from the tree stand. My mother and sister immediately started crying as we started to pick up the glass. After an hour of cleaning, we pushed the fallen tree up against the couch, declaring it a “Christmas shrub.” The Christmas Shrub Incident marked the turning point in my philosophy on holiday spirit. I finally understood that regardless of how many batches of cookies we burned or how many times we played Michael Bublé’s holiday album, my family would never successfully recreate the picture-perfect Christmas morning scene I always wanted. However, it wasn’t our holiday handicap that made Christmas so depressing; it was my unrealistic expectation. Having a horizontal tree only felt like a failure because we expected a perfectly ornamented vertical one. It finally
made sense why my dog was the only one who enjoyed Christmas morning; he was the only one who hadn’t internalized the standard set by holiday movies, books, and commercials that made me expect a Christmas Day straight out of Love Actually or A Charlie Brown Christmas. This year, my family decided to fully abandon our struggle for holiday spirit, choosing instead to flee the continent for two weeks and to donate a llama through Heifer International in the place of Christmas presents. Although the point of spending Christmas in Argentina is to avoid our annual holiday depression, not spending Christmas at home has made me realize all of the little traditions that we do enjoy, like seeing my dog’s face as the number of new toys in his stocking start to overwhelm him, or hearing my grandmother say it’s “time to pack up the sleigh,” when my grandparents move on to the next house of grandchildren. Corny as it is, I’ve realized that although we aren’t good at sipping hot chocolate around fireplaces, wrapping presents, or decorating banisters, we’re excellent at celebrating our own breed of holiday cheer– one that involves donated livestock, rock-hard, gluten-free cookies, and sideways trees. I’ll probably always be a bit bitter that my family can’t pull off a functional Christmas, but I’ve learned to cherish our own quirky version of holiday spirit. Hopefully we can be just as dysfunctional in Argentina. Ellie McGinnis has been a part of The Whittier Miscellany staff for four years and currently serves as the publication’s Copy Editor. This is her first year as an independent columnist. In preschool, McGinnis bought all of her teachers cactuses for Christmas.
Christmas on Another Continent Emilio Ergueta ‘16 Freelance Columnist
For most Americans there are some things that are synonymous with Christmas. Everyone knows that gift shopping starts on Black Friday, big red Santas begin to appear on the lawns as soon as Halloween ends, and by early November every store plays the same holiday music. It is easy to think that these traditions are present everywhere else in the world, but this is far from the case. Europeans, some of the earliest to celebrate the holiday, have a very different view of Christmas, with many European countries having their own traditions. Thanks to my family background and my years abroad, I have a very different idea of what celebrating Christmas is like. I cannot bring up Christmas without mentioning the Germans. With its regular snowfall and cozy little villages, the country lends itself to Christmas. Continuing traditions that have been carried on for generations are at the heart of the German holiday season. Every year, towns will set up their own “Weihnachtsmarkt” or “Christmas market.” I have seen small towns that only set up a few huts and stands, but last year, when visiting Düsseldorf, I was amazed to see the whole riverfront turned into one giant, medieval Christmas village. The sweet smell of roasted chestnuts and little donut balls called “Schmaltz Kuchen” greet visitors of these villages. Vendors and artisans sell a variety of handmade ornaments, nutcrackers, and toys, while old-fashioned smithies make metal sculptures, feudal weapons, and nifty tools. The Weihnachtsmarkt is the perfect place to gather and enjoy a frosty winter afternoon with a glass of “Glühwein” or mulled wine. Another tradition that has long been upheld is that of the “Adventskranz” or “advent wreath.” These wreaths are richly decorated and placed in the center of the table, and one candle is lit for every advent Sunday that passes until all four are illuminated. Like many others, my family will come together during this season and spend an afternoon baking “Plätzchen” or little sugar cookies cut out in all different shapes. We make the dough from scratch, following instructions that have been passed down for generations and have a great time cutting the cookies out with little metal cutters. By the end of a hard day’s work we have boxes full of snowmen, shooting stars, church
bells, and all sorts of fun, shaped cookies to enjoy by the fire throughout the advent season. Over to the west, the French have a very different perspective of how Christmas should be celebrated. They have chosen to retain many of the religious ideas of the holiday, with churches filled to capacity on advent Sundays, and church bells chiming every hour. My second host family, who hardly went to church all year, would make sure to dress up in their finest, and get up early to be there during the Christmas season. Much like American Thanksgiving, French people have a big Christmas dinner. In France, Christmas Eve is a time where the whole family gathers and eats the “Dinde de Noël” or Christmas Turkey often served with boiled potatoes and ratatouille. In the South, where I stayed, the Christmas dinner always begins with a first course of Foie Gras and some Champagne. Most families also set up a nativity scene or “crèche” in their homes. Setting up the crèche is not a light affair. I remember the process that my host dad took to set up theirs. I recall my host dad coming out of the garage with an electric drill and several wooden boards under his arm. He proceeded to take me through the process of building the family crèche, which occupied an entire corner of the living room. With a wooden structure, a foam base, and a decorative outer layer (including a water feature), this crèche was as complex as the set of a play. Nativity scenes are also filled with little figurines (often hand carved from wood). These figurines can range from traditional angels and shepherds to more modern interpretations. My host family’s “Italian” crèche prominently featured a “Pizzaiolo” or a pizza maker with a little Santa Claus looking down from the mountains. Every day they are moved slightly closer to the Christ figure, only arriving several weeks later (as described in the bible). They bring the Christmas story into the home. It really fascinates me that we can have such different concepts of the holiday we call Christmas, but at its core, we all celebrate the same thing. Whether we are baking cookies together in the kitchen, or singing carols in church, we are all still coming together with our family and friends at the same time of the year. And although we may be saying “Fröhliche Weihnachten” or “Joyeux Noël” to each other, it all still translates to “Merry Christmas.”
The Whittier Miscellany 2021