The
Whittier Miscellany ESTABLISHED 1884 • WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
Cuba: A 60 Year Lesson for the United States Pablo Charriez ‘24 COLUMNIST On April 17th, 1961, the United States launched one of the worst military offensives of all time, rivaling that of the Spanish Armada in 1588. The operation in question is the infamous “Bay of Pigs” debacle, a US backed invasion of Cuba thwarted in just under two days. Since then, US policy in Cuba has just gotten worse. We’ve tried almost everything but convincing the Cuban people that “God” was against the Communist Party (the CIA did suggest it though). But why Cuba, you may ask? Because we’re American. While John F. Kennedy was by far the President that flopped the hardest when it came to Cuba, we’ve had our sights on the island nation since the late 1800’s. In fact, following the Spanish-American War in 1898, we had a military occupation on the island for four years. In the years after our occupation, the US still tried to control Cuba through the Platt Amendment, giving us the “right to intervene” in Cuban affairs, and handing over deeds of land to the US military. From 1906-1909, the US had a second occupation on the Island to oversee the election of Jose Miguel Gomez, a US friendly presidential candidate. In his term, tourism became a booming industry, while corruption did the same. This cycle of “friendly” presidents continued until Fidel Castro, with a notable exception being Alfred Zayas y Alfonso. US policy towards Cuba post-Revolution is now very much a struggle for control, in which the US finds itself on the losing battle of. Speaking in the metaphor of a crying child; the
US is this child and it just had its favorite toy taken away. Cuba. Following Castro’s rise to Presidente, Dwight Eisenhower employs a near full-trade embargo against the island, completely cutting off their economy to most US Allies. That embargo exists to this day, although support for it has dwindled. Our attempts to regain power haven’t always been through diplomatic means though. Operation Mongoose was the US’s desperate bid to kill Fidel Castro, or at least oust the Castro “Regime” from power. The CIA had 638 ideas drafted to kill Castro, yet failed on every attempt (there aren’t many actual estimates of attempts, but it’s at
least above five). This idea of US involvement in South American and Caribbean countries isn’t new, and the way the US has tried to control the region has been very much the same throughout several countries. First they cause public unrest, next they send money to anti-government gorillas, those forces oust the government in power, and finally the US formally involves themselves to set up an election in which a US-friendly puppet is almost always put in power. In Cuba, the unrest was from our embargo. The gorillas were the forces deployed during the Bay of Pigs. Unfortunately
for the US, that’s as far as attempts in Cuba went. Looking at a successful use of our “diplomacy policies”, one has to look no farther than Chile in the 70’s. In November of 1970, a socialst politician named Salvador Allende was elected into office. Within his first few months of policy making, he rapidly nationalized assets and industries in Chile, the CIA either, and in a declassified document, the CIA says “It is firm and continuing policy that Allende be overthrown by a Coup”. On September 11th, 1973, the Chilean Military lay siege to the Presidential Palace and took control over Chile following Allende’s reported suicide during the attack. After the coup, right-winger General Augosto Pinochet was installed as president and his regime lasted until 1990. During this time, an estimated 10,000 political dissidents were reported either missing or killed. The overthrow of the democratically elected Pinochet is eerily similar to that of Cuba, with the CIA having their hand in undermining a socialist government. The methods in which they did that were also almost identical. They say history is bound to repeat itself, and in lots of ways the US will probably do the same. Our embargo against Cuba has still held, despite international outcry. Our hard-line stance against Socialist nations is certainly still in effect. Our military funding has only gotten stronger since Operation Condor. The main foreign dilemma we face is not one of allies, but one of reconciliation. How will history paint us when we are gone, much like the empires of olden times. And my guess is that history will not be as forgiving as our allies are now.
Editorial from your Whittier Staff! The Whittier Staff
The Whittier Miscellany is back and better than ever. This is our first and formal issue of the 2021-2022 school year. We have an astounding twenty-seven members on our team, each offering an interest in writing and our community. Our editorial staff consists of talented and inspired writers. We strive to inform our readers and the Wilmington Friends community. The Co-Editors-in-Chiefs of the Whittier, Eden Cottone and Livy Zug, are beyond excited to lead this team and are constantly striving to innovate and leave their mark on this newspaper. This year is exciting for many reasons. As we approach a normal we once knew well, many opportunities are presenting themselves. For example, the Whittier staff is beyond excited for Homecoming games but especially the dance. On top of that, we have all made an effort to attend many sporting events to express our appreciation for this community and our classmates. Despite the amount of work we have, our staff are all grateful for our in-person experiences in class and on the Whittier. We are really looking forward to the rest of this year and hope that the Whittier Miscellany has an impact on our school and the students. Go Quakers!
WFS Speaks on the Dress Code Quinn Green (‘24): “The newfound freedom with the dress code allows people to be more creative with their outfit choices.”
Kira Agne (‘23): “I think a more lax dress code is much better, as it allows me to be more comfortable during the school day. But, I do think that people take it to very far extremes, since there are so few limitations on the dress code.” Mrs. Johnson (Biology Teacher): “I have never been a fan of a dress code that makes us have to look at people’s bodies, so I am glad we’re not doing that anymore. I also think that students are still getting their jobs done, despite not having to be dressed up.” Allie Saber (‘22): “It is definitely nice to be able to wear sweatpants and leggings on days when I have a test or something due.”
A Letter From The Business Team Meeting for Business 10/6/21 During our last Meeting for Business (in the West Gym) we discussed the pros and cons of the new schedule for the 2021-2022 school year along with brief comments on the price of food in the cafeteria. The main issue regarding the new schedule is the late start Wednesdays, 8:45 am-3 pm. This causes the classes the entire day to be compressed, class length, lunch length, and eliminating break itself. This has been a major issue preventing students from eating from the time they leave for school until 1:05. Many ideas from the students and faculty were brought up during this Meeting for Business. One idea was to take 5-10 minutes out of the long blocks (periods one and four) and use that time for break. Since the long blocks were already shortened to 60 minutes, one student figured, the science department would not intend to use those periods for labs. The science department, needing time for labs, is one of the main reasons why we still have a long block. Another idea brought up was to take time from meeting for worship and use it as a time to get a quick snack. This would bring meeting for worship from 40 minutes to 30 minutes. Knowing this would take time out of one of the very special things we do at this school many wanted to keep meeting for worship at 40 minutes, however, some did not mind a shortened meeting for worship. The temporary solution to this firstworld problem was to ask the teachers who have a class right after meeting for worship to give students a few minutes to eat a quick snack to tide them over until lunch. All the ideas brought up in Meeting for Business will be reintroduced in Agenda on Monday the 18th. The Agenda Committee will discuss and a solution will be made. We want to thank everyone for having a productive and energetic Meeting for Business and thank all who contributed their insightful thoughts and ideas to resolve the issue of a shortened schedule on Wednesday leading to hungry students. We thought the West Gym worked well as a substitution for the Meeting room during the time of COVID. -Business Team
The Whittier Staff Co-Editor-in-Chief: Eden Cottone’22 Co-Editor-in-Chief: Livy Zug ’22 News Editor: Lily Rashkind ‘23 Science/Tech Editor: Kai Heister ‘24 Ent. Editor: Grace Morrison ‘22 Comm. Editor: Sammer Vidwans ‘23 Features Editor: Tess Wolf ‘24 Staff: Brina Abere ‘25 Bella Adjei-Owusu ‘22 Zac Antao ‘24 Tauson Biggs ‘24 Jace Boland ‘23 Katie Bryan ‘24 Lucy Cericola ‘25 Pablo Charriez ‘24 Addison DiGuglielmo ‘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 Collier Zug ‘24
Max Rosenthal (‘23): “I just like being able to wear what I want to wear.”
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HOMECOMING 2021 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
Met Gala Memories: Moments at the Met Gala By Grace Morrison ‘22
The Met Gala; the ultimate red carpet where fashion finatics flock. Vogue called it “fashion’s biggest night out,” and they’re right. With over 182 celebrities in attendance, with cochairs Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka, it was easy to be star struck. Especially since the 2021 Met Gala is the first to be live streamed, so viewers all over the world can get a taste of fame for a night. Designers did not particularly stay on theme, which was In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, but were not afraid to make a statement. Keeping with the theme, there was a lot of red, white and blue, so let’s talk about some looks! Matilde Murteira ‘22 says, “The theme itself was good, but the outfits were not matching the theme. They were just weird.” Aleija Johnson ‘22 followed up with, “It was a really strong theme, but I feel like if they put more guidelines to it [The Met Gala] could have been a little better. It was just American fashion, and that was it. That’s so broad!” They both agree their favorite ensemble is Black Lively’s red and gold gown from 2018 Met Gala themed Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. Their favorites this year include Grimes and Kendall Jenner. When questioned, Johnson says, “My favorite: Kendall Jenner.” Murteira confirms, “Yeah. Kendall Jenner.” Johnson explains, “I like how she paid homage to Audrey Hepburn, because that’s American fashion, even though she wasn’t American, which is interesting.” Then quickly says, “Did you see Grimes?! She was the one who had the knife. So good! I felt like that was the perfect look. I saw a TikTok talking about that. It was talking about how she brought a sword to an event
where you didn’t need a weapon. That’s American. Bringing a weapon somewhere you don’t need it. See, that’s what I’m saying. Her fashion is speaking for itself.” When asked about their least favorite they agree again. “Least favorite: Lil Nas X.” says Murteira. Recalling Lil Nas X’s three tiered gold outfit, Johnson adds, “He did a lot of things. I give him credit for that, but none of them were good.” Of course, it’s not all about fashion. The event is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although, fashion fans and activists are concerned about the truth behind the money. Murteira expressed her concern stating, “We just don’t know if that is true. We don’t know if the money is going to the museum or somewhere else.” Johnson is more hopeful, with an art trip to New York City soon. She comments,“We’re going to The Met. So that’s going
to be cool to see and maybe talk to someone there about the money they fundraised.” Left with dissatisfaction and unanswered questions, fans look ahead to the next Met Gala on May 5, 2022.
USA Dominates Ryder Cup By Zac Antao `24
Golf and sports fans around the world waited an extra year to watch the showdown between the top golfers in Europe and America. Just like many other sporting events, the 43rd Ryder Cup was another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the tournament one year later. The longer wait proved fruitful for the Americans. Team USA walked into Whistling Straits with their highest average world golf ranking per player ever at a remarkable nine. USA defeated Europe by a whopping ten points, ending with a score of 19-9, the largest margin of victory ever in a Ryder Cup since the new scoring system. Dustin Johnson made his 5th
appearance at a Ryder Cup and at 37 years old, he became the statesmen of the team for his first time. Johnson led the American squad by example; playing and winning all 5 matches. Alice Miller, Solheim Cup Captain 1994 and Junior Solheim Cup Captain 2017, said “As a captain it is great to have a player who is able to show
up everyday and deliver for the team. I called Rose Zhang my ‘birdie machine’ in the 2017 Junior Soleim cup, because she was a player who just came off winning an AJGA at -20 and could consistently keep that impressive scoring.” Europe did not walk away with the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2016, but their top player, Jon Rahm (who went pro in 2016), is number one in current world golf rankings. Rahm was able to boast the best match results with three and a half points for the Europe squad. In the first three sessions, Rahm won all of his matches, but unfortunately none of his European teammates were able to replicate his low rounds leaving Europe down 3-9 with only two sessions left. Alice Miller said, “It is difficult when you have to dig yourself out of a hole. Not impossible, but difficult.” Team Europe started a minor charge by halving the 3rd session with the Americans, but USA was too strong individually for Europe to make an unlikely comeback in the Sunday singles. USA’s Ryder Cup rookies came to play and win. The six rookies this year took up half of the team but helped add 15½ of the total points. Gold medal winner Xander Schauffle and 15 million dollar man, Patrick Cantlay (both Ryder Cup rookies), were tied as the 2nd highest point scorers or this year’s Ryder Cup. Another big story for team USA was Scottie Scheffeler. The fun loving 25 year old Texan did not lose a match all week and beat the odds
Mental Health By Jemima Smith ‘24 Mental health has been a slippery slope for many students at WFS, during last year’s virtual-in-person medley and as school starts up in full swing this year. It’s important that our administrators and peers are aware of the current situation and are brainstorming ways to alleviate harmful conditions within our student body. The COVID-19 pandemic was hard on everyone, especially in terms of staying healthy. A lack of human connection led to loneliness and declining mental health. The American Psychological Association reported that 81% of teens experienced elevated stress during the pandemic. School workload is always a challenge. This year, though, has been pretty tricky. The CDC recommends 8-10 hours of sleep per night for the average teenager. Many students are finding it difficult to get enough hours of sleep in, due to extra-curriculars, sports, and homework. Not hitting all these requirements leads to stress and burnout, starting the cycle all over again. One student said: “I feel like having the same amount of homework from various subjects makes it hard to switch from one state of mind to another. Burnout can be really difficult to deal with, because conceptually, yeah we can get the work done, but mentally it’s not always the same. It always feels like if you do something to relax, you’re making a trade. It’s hard to feel like you don’t have enough to give it your best effort in every subject at once.” The school faculty is striving to remain attentive to students’ needs. “WFS is sensitive to mental health balance,” said Mrs. Zug, the head of WFS upper school. “We’ve had a health class in 9th and 10th grades focusing on wellness for many many years. Our advisors are trained to be supported in health and wellness. Faculty meet regularly in grade teams of advisors to discuss students of concern and how to provide support. The counselor is an additional layer of support that we have added to increase wellness.” Good mental health is an essential element of a thriving student body. It is important now more than ever that we reach out, help each other, and communicate effectively in order to improve mental wellness. Enough sleep, well-balanced meals, and exercise can help symptoms of anxiety. Depression can be improved with time outside, less caffeine and structured social outlets. The newly appointed school counselor, Ms. Litterelle, said: “Building a strong support system and having a plan when things become difficult are helpful tools. Practicing mindfulness, breathing techniques, meditation, listening to music, and going for a walk are all good ways to help support your own mental health. Also, finding gratitude in your every day can also help improve your overall mental health.” Esther Adebi ‘24 said: “Please talk to each other! You’re not going through it alone.. Try your hardest to find people in your classes that you can talk to about what’s going on, whether it be with school or in general… just don’t let yourself carry the weight alone, yeah?”
by taking down world number one John Rahm in the Sunday singles, dominating to a four and three victory. Alice Miller said, “As a spectator, I loved seeing these guys having a good time but also performing when they were needed.” USA is once again on top of the golf world; holding both the Presidents and Ryder Cups. A hefty target is on their backs, but that is the price you pay to be a winner.
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The Critical Race Theory in Schools TAUSON BIGGS ‘24 NEWS WRITER Since spring of 2021 there has been a heated debate between conservatives and liberals on whether Critical Race Theory should be taught in schools. On one side of the argument, many conservatives think that Critical Race Theory only succeeds in creating division between white people and people of color. On the other hand, liberals believe that Critical Race Theory is a necessary tool to be used to educate students on racism and how it has shaped our society and policy. So what is Critical Race Theory anyways? Critical Race Theory is essentially the study of how race has affected U.S. law and society in the past and present. The idea of Critical Race Theory has been around for over 40 years, but has recently become a hot topic due to a surge in proposals for legislation banning Critical Race Theory in schools. “More than 20 states — including New Hampshire, Michigan, Texas, Florida, South Carolina and Arkansas — have introduced regulations that restrict teaching about race and racism,” said Jeremy Engle of The New York Times. The effect of these regulations on students’ learning is unknown as of yet, owing to the fact that these rules were only implemented this school year. At the moment we can only speculate as to what the effects may be. “Banning Critical Race theory would be like having this huge textbook of everything that brought America into existence... and then ripping out every other page,” said Esther Adebi ‘24. The main argument for removing Critical Race theory from K-12 curriculum is that Critical Race Theory indoctrinates young people of the repercussions of slavery leading up to the present day, which in turn would cause students to believe that they are somehow at fault because of the color of their skin. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said, “when followed to its logical conclusion, Critical Race Theory is destructive and rejects the fundamental ideas on which our constitutional republic is based.” Another factor in conservative pushback against Critical Race Theory is that right wing politicians and parents alike fear what kind of mindset their children will enter if they are taught of racially based inequality in America. “They do not want public schools propagandizing their children into becoming left-wing radicals,” said Damon Linker of The Week. This is a legitimate concern, but democrats would argue that there should be transparency when dealing with education. “I think it’s important to learn about CRT because a lot of the time, you’re influenced by your parents. Kids shouldn’t get a biased view,” said Mateo Niller ‘24. So besides Critical Race Theory being perhaps more objective, why else is it important to teach kids about race and racism? Niller ‘24 also commented,”race and racism are still really relevant in today’s world. It is more important to learn about CRT than, say, ancient Rome. Although, that is still important.” At the end of the day, Critical Race theory is about giving kids insight into the history of racism in America so that past mistakes are not repeated. Nobody says this better than Adebi ‘24: “Teaching kids about racism builds sensitivity and awareness. It also minimizes American exceptionalism; we shouldn’t be taught an idealized, sugarcoated version of how America came to be. We needn’t be unnecessarily macabre while we teach it, but we shouldn’t lie about how deep an issue the creation of race was either. Teaching CRT would help our generation understand our country and why it is how it is, much better than we currently do.”
News Section
Texas Approves Strictest Abortion Laws in Recent History Anna Maansson ‘25 News Writer
Texas established a new abortion ban that went into effect on September 1, 2021. Texas’s new law is the most restricting in the country, where abortion is outlawed after a fetal heartbeat is detected around six weeks into their pregnancy. Many women do not know that they are pregnant at six weeks. It does not allow them to make a decision. There are medical exceptions, but no exceptions are made for rape or incest. The new law is preventing about 90 percent of women from getting an abortion in Texas. They are being forced to continue with an unwanted pregnancy. The law is enforced by citizens. The woman cannot be sued but other parties involved can be. It is different from other laws because it is going after the doctors instead of the people getting abortions. “I’m afraid for my personal future and the future of my career as a result of this” said Dr Ghazaleh Moayedi, an OB/GYN, who performs abortions in her practice in Texas, while speaking to the BBC. This ban is also targeting the less fortunate who cannot get access to get an abortion out of state. Drivers are hard to come by because they can face legal action for transporting someone to an appointment. Abortion became legal on a federal level in the United States on January 22, 1973. The Supreme Court ruled that excessive state regulations against abortions were unconstitutional in Roe versus Wade. It gives women the right to access safe and legal abortion. Unlike other countries, who have lessened the laws surrounding abortion, the United States has continued to make stricter laws since Roe versus Wade. Texas’s laws are more restrictive than most countries in Europe. “I think very few Americans realize just how radical and out-of-step America’s abortion laws are in comparison to the rest of the world,” said Angelina Nguyen to the Washington Post. The new abortion ban in Texas has also been facing backlash. On Wednesday, October 6, Federal Judge, Robert L. Pitman, paused the ban in Texas. It was later overturned by a Federal Court. “Restrictive abortion laws don’t lead to fewer abortions, they only lead to more unsafe abortions,” said Katherine Mayall, a director at the Center for Reproductive Rights, to the Washington Post. Abortion rates tend to decrease when access to contraceptive services and sexual education are more widely available. The abortion ban is becoming a major focus in the United States and it is putting Texas in the spotlight. A poll done by Planned Parenthood shows that 79 percent of people in the United States do not want to overturn Roe versus Wade, but the most outspoken people and the people in positions of power are the perspectives that are on the news the most and they warp people’s perceptions. “I don’t like the way it has made Texas as a state look,” said Mrs. Kenney, a teacher at Wilmington Friends School, who used to reside in Texas. don’t like this sense of the whole place and all the people in it, as sort of supporting this ... ban on this medical procedure. I don’t like that because I don’t think it is accurate.”
The Whittier Miscellany 2021 Homecoming
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Why won’t my thing load?
Temilola Lufadeju ‘25 Community writer It’s one of those “must needs” that we need to keep us sane. Our phones, our laptops, our tablets, are all able to work because of one thing. The wifi. Jillian Farley , a student at Friends for 12 years says “It could be better, We need improvement“. Piper Kendle has thoughts on the wifi connection here at Friends as well. “The wifi can definitely use some fixing. There are some areas where it’s better and some where it’s worse” she said. Matilde Murteira, an exchange student in her 12th year says “Most of the time it’s good but sometimes it’s slow and you can’t do anything”. So, what’s the deal? Who decides whether the connection should work or not? More so, who makes the connection happen? Gregg Miller, the director of technology and Todd Tyler, the computer support technician The root of this wifi problem was caused by no other, a computer. “It’s basically a computer that hands out addresses to everybody’s computer. We had an issue with it where it kept on failing. It would stop handing out addresses. So some people would be on and some people wouldn’t be on” said Miller. To Miller, it was a huge challenge. He said “We didn’t know what it was at first. It gave us really bizarre behavior. Some people were connected to the wifi. Some people were con-
nected when they were plugged in. And then sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn’t work”. The source of this came from two different computers that would put out this function. Miller said “One of them would fail and we would plug one in and everything would be ok for a little while”. WFS’s internet provider was called to help fix the sometimes but not much, absent connection. “We got rid of what was not working here and moved
that function to our internet service provider which is DCANet ‘’. Miller said. According to Miller, the testing was on September 22nd and since then there hasn’t been failure at all. Miller carried on with “We got rid of what was not working here and moved that func-
tion to our internet service provider which is DCANet”. Miller said “Since then I have had 0 complaints up here”. Back in school after the pandemic, a special education teacher Jaime Lozano saw that the wifi can’t always be reliable. “The system goes down, or someone is working on a tower, or there’s too many people on the WiFi hotspot and it cuts out,” Lozano said. “Due to covid 19 allowing schools to close down,” School districts struggled to acquire laptops and internet for online learning. Millions of students still lack reliably fast internet or a working computer – the basic tools to participate in live lessons from home “ said by USA Today. During last year’s COVID school year, tech administration had challenges with the change.“Not only do we have to have all the kids in the class to be able to use wifi and our computers but now we need a separate computer that’s gonna be zooming all the time”. Miller said “that put a huge burden on the wifi”. Covid affected the connection but not to an extent that teachers weren’t able to teach. “The connection got fixed in September and teachers were able to zoom in and things were ok,” Miller said. The thing that keeps us sane can continue on. We can learn as if there was no pause.
The Wednesday Schedule is new and… not improved. Katie Bryan ‘24 Community Writer The new and “improved” Wednesday has been very controversial lately. Last year, Wednesdays were virtual; all of the kids had online classes so that the school could be properly sanitized. This year, though, upper schoolers start school 45 minutes late every single Wednesday. The purpose of having this change in schedule was to break up the school week. School only starts at 8:45 for upper schoolers and each class is shortened by 10 minutes. There are two kinds of blocks of time that classes usually have: 70-minute classes, and 50-minute classes. Now the 70-minute classes are an hour and the 50-minute classes are just 40 minutes. Lunch is shortened from its usual length of 40 to 30 minutes including the two 5 minute passing times to get to and from class. The last thing that makes Wednesdays special is the 40-minute meeting for worship (MFW) block after the first two classes. However, many people find Wednesday’s schedule debilitating rather than beneficial. One of the most common qualms students find with the schedule is the lack of time to eat during the day. Josephine Wellons ‘23 said, “Not having lunch until 1 pm and not having much of a time to eat a snack leaves students really hungry.” Usually, students have time during break to eat a snack, but with MFW they don’t eat until 1:05. Students find The Whitter Miscellany
this extremely draining, as during their classes they are so hungry that they cannot focus as well. Carson Dunn ‘22 has an idea for how to implement a snack time in the schedule, “If we could get 10 minutes of passing time before going to MFW to get a snack and have a small break, that would solve our problem.”
Students have largely agreed with this plan. The reason why 70-minute classes were originally implemented to the normal schedule was so that classes that have labs or longer projects can do them in one class but Jace Boland ‘23 thinks, “Long blocks are important for the science departments, but since they’re already shorter on Wednesdays, if we shaved off 10 minutes from the long blocks for
a break before MFW and also add on to lunch the day would be better.” This seems like a good way to solve the problem but the school cannot just change the schedule around. This is due to the number of teachers who teach in the middle and lower school as well. Their schedules cannot change. But there aren’t only negative opinions on the schedule. Robby Tattersall ‘23 commented that “The late start is a nice way to break up the week and keep students going for the second half of the week. After virtual Wednesdays last year, this slight break is a breath of fresh air.” High schoolers who do not have siblings can show up later than usual, and sleep longer. But since the middle and lower school still start at the same time, many upper schoolers just have to hang around before their first class starts. Ellen Johnson, the 11th-grade biology teacher, encourages students to come to upcoming agenda meetings or talk to their class representatives about their opinions. The agenda team will discuss how the Wednesday schedule could change to work better for students. Johnson said, “This is not one person’s choice. In the Quaker community, we hear many voices before coming to a conclusion.” If enough people stand up, we will see progress on the ever-evolving Wednesday schedule!
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The Best Marvel Movie They Didn’t Tell You About Lucy Cericola ‘25 Entertainment Writer In recent months, Marvel has faced immense backlash from fans who are angry about the lack of publicity for Shang Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, which released on September 3rd. “I’m not even a big Marvel fan, but I heard about Black Widow and Wandavision,” says Wilmington Friends student Ali Sanfrancesco ‘25. “I heard nothing about Shang-Chi.”Fans were quick to point out the unequal distribution of marketing between Shang-Chi and other Marvel productions released in 2021. Many took to their social media platforms to express their frustration with the lack of hype,
Simu Liu talks at San Diego Comic Con International.
which some linked to a Eurocentric bias.“The fact that Shang-Chi is like the least hyped Marvel movie I’ve ever seen feels racially motivated…,” writes one user on Tiktok. “We, Asians, get our first ever Asianled Marvel film and @Marvel isn’t doing anything to promote it,” says another on Twitter. “Tweeting a poster isn’t enough. Please promote Shang-Chi like you promoted Black Widow.” Additional criticism was expressed when Disney CEO Bob Chapek called the theater release strategy of Shang-Chi an “interesting experiment”. To this statement, Simu Liu, the actor who plays Shang-Chi responded with, “We are not an experiment. We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year.” Simu Liu’s reference of an “embattled year” holds social relevance, considering the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes amidst the pandemic. According to MSNBC, an analysis released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino reported that hate crimes targeting Asian people rose by nearly 150% in 2020. Shang-Chi and the Legend of 10 Rings is the first and only Marvel movie with an Asian lead, and one of only three Marvel movies with a main character who is a person of color. This is not the first time that Marvel has been under fire for its marginalization of characters of color. An article published by Forbes magazine highlights the skewed demographic distribution of Marvel Cinematic Universe characters, showing that 61% of Marvel characters are
white, while only 6% are of East or South Asian descent. Several movies with main characters of color still marginalize these characters by making them sidekicks or side characters to the white main lead, as seen in Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man. Numerous Marvel actors have critiqued the industry’s predominantly white crew and overall inequality of representation in the past. “It really bothered me that I’ve done seven Mar-
vel movies where every producer, every director, every stunt person, every costume designer, every PA, every single person has been white.” said Anthony Mackie in a 2020 interview with Variety. Despite the supposed lack of publication, Shang-Chi did extremely well in the box-office, grossing a total of $94 million dollars in its opening weekend in addition to breaking the box-office record for a Labor Day release. “As a Marvel fan, I’m very happy that it [Shang-Chi] did so well in theaters,” says WFS Freshman Anya Agarwal ‘25. “I think it just goes to show that despite the overall lack of promotion, we were all able to come together to support this film.”
When Climate Change Knocks on Your Door Brrooke Harrison ‘23 Science and Tech Writer On September 28, 2021, some members of the Upper School participated in a walk to President Biden’s house, in support of a $1.2 trillion bill that would fund public works in order to cut climate emissions. According to the Washington Post, the Democrats in the Senate proposed an even bigger bill: a $3.5 trillion bill in support of more programs for cleaning up power plants and cars. One of the main organizers of the walk was history teacher Javier Ergueta. When asked about the main goal or purpose of the walk, he responded, “The main goal was to communicate (to Pres. Biden and Congress, but also to each other) that people in Delaware care about the climate and want strong action taken to protect the life we know. "All it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing". Clearly, people in Delaware care about climate, especially students who are watching our planet constantly rise in temperature each year. Senior Austin Sarker-Young ‘22 is one of those students who care. In a speech he gave during the march, Sarker-Young said, “I am part of a concerned global community. According to a survey of teens and young adults in ten nations (spanning every continent) reported in the UK newspaper The Guardian, some 60%, feel “very or extremely worried” about the climate crisis. I am one of those 60%.” That percentage is over half of people in that age group. Some ways that teens bring awareness to climate change happening are attending protests, spreading awareness online, and some might even participate in a climate strike, which could include not attending school. The most famous example for
The Whittier Miscellany 2021
the latter one is Greta Thunberg, a Swedish activist. Some might argue that the goal of the march might not have been achieved. While not everyone could attend, it seems like much was achieved. Mr. Ergueta said, “I think that those who participated felt strengthened and cheered in our determination to continue to do what we can in this crisis. It's like building muscle; every time you use a muscle (or do the right thing) that muscle (or good habit) gets strengthened. Don't use it, and you lose it!” Clearly, people were left satisfied and feeling good about what was achieved. In his speech, Sarker-Young ‘22 continued to add on why he is so worried. “I am of Bangladeshi descent. Bangladesh is a country shaped like a bowl: India’s hills to the west, Burma’s hills to the east, the Himalayas to the north, and the ocean to the south. In the middle of the bowl, hundreds of millions fill a landmass the size of New York State. Already now, every year, one fifth of the land floods, sometimes more. Already now, the starving and homeless line the streets of the capital. As the seas rise more due to climate change, what will happen to Bangladeshis?” This isn’t just a problem with one country, it’s a problem against the whole world. The only solution is for us as a community to help. When asked what we can do in and out of school, Mr. Ergueta said, “First, get informed! Sign up to receive climate news daily from the NYT or the Guardian (UK). Because the climate is already affecting every part of our lives, there are important developments daily. Second, link up with others, as we are social animals and need solidarity. That's what FFF tries to provide. The Eco Team does great work at the school level. Third, start with
whatever you care about, see what climate actions could be related, and do one! I'd be happy to advise people.” Clearly, this is doable. Sarker-Young ‘22 said, “Man-made catastrophes require man-made solutions. Thus it was in the 14th century when the Black Death spread through Eurasian trade routes: In its wake we built a new, freer world. Thus it was in the 20th century when the atom bomb was invented: We saved ourselves from Armageddon through diplomacy, and went on to raise record numbers out of poverty globally. In the same way, I hope, we will unite to overcome this crisis, and save this place, this time, and this world.” With everything being said from people passionate about our Earth, keep in mind of when a protest might be occurring, or keep a lookout for petitions about a good cause. If everyone contributes and does their part, then we could achieve a local goal much quicker.
Homecoming
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Community
WHEN SHOULD YOU START THINKING ABOUT COLLEGE? Ava Steinberger ‘23 Features Writer For high school students who plan on going to college, the application process can be very stressful. The first challenge is figuring out the right time to get serious about the process. When do students really need to start thinking about where they might like to go and what they need to do to get there? Mrs. Gnade, one of WFS’s college guidance counselors, says that for high school students, it is never too early to start considering college options. She says that the ideal situation is to find a school that will make you happy and also allows you to pursue the things that you are most passionate about. Those interests often develop in high school. If you are a ninth grader and find that you love computer programming, it is definitely not too soon to start thinking about colleges that are particularly strong in that area. “In a global sense, students should start thinking about what would interest them
both academically and personally freshman year,” says Mrs. Gnade. “When it comes to thinking about specific colleges, they should start investigating schools in the fall of their junior year. Point being, it is a lot easier to figure out what you want regarding college if you know what you’re into.” Another consideration is sports. For students who intend to play college sports, the process can start as early as the summer before junior year or possibly even sooner than that. But, it can also be later. Donnie Morton, a WFS senior who has committed to Williams College for wrestling, says that he did not decide that he wanted to be a college athlete until the second semester of his junior year. At that point, he began reaching out to college coaches. He suggests not getting fixated on college before junior year. “I think you should just focus on doing well in school and doing extracurriculars and not really think about college until junior year,” says Morton. “You’ll just drive yourself crazy if you start thinking about college in 9th grade.
I didn’t start thinking about college until winter of junior year, and I really just did general searches to see if I wanted to go to a small or big school, or a rural or city school. That’s also when I started studying for the ACT and SAT.”
“It is a lot easier to figure out what you want regarding college if you know what you’re into.” Leah Agne, who graduated from WFS last year and is now a freshman at Tulane University, agrees that junior year is the time to get serious about college. “I think that it is a good idea to start thinking about colleges the first semester of your junior year of high school,” she says. “Then, it is a good time to start touring colleges and preparing to take standardized tests. The summer going into your senior year is when you
should start narrowing your college list and writing your essays.” For freshmen and sophomores, it is hard not to think about college, particularly as you watch juniors and seniors go through the admissions process. But, as Morton points out, younger high schoolers should not obsess about college and should just focus on getting the most out of their WFS education. Students’ personalities and interests are constantly changing throughout their four years of high school, so it is important to not be set on one school or make any definitive choices before really exploring one’s options. id.
Where does the Student Budget Go?
Addison DiGuglielmo ‘25 Community Writer
Money does not grow on trees. It is not an endless resource. So, when the student body is given a certain amount of money each year, it makes sense to use it all. Upper schoolers at Wilmington Friends should be using all of the student budget to create changes in the community, but we’re not. Why? The upper school student body received 570 dollars at the beginning of this school year. The students can use this money to make improvements to the school through business meetings that happen about once a month. But how often does this money go completely unused by US students? According to Bill Baczkowski, the associate head for finance and operations at Wilmington Friends school, “It is not often that no money gets used. Most years, at least some of the money gets used.” Even if some money gets used there are usually 100-200 dollars left over. So, where does this money go? “Any unused money goes straight back into the overall surplus that then gets put into reserves,” said Bill Baczkowski. Upper schoolers are very lucky to be receiving this money every year, but are we wasting it? Everyone who attends this school should want it to become the best it can be; that’s only possible through improvements we suggest and then make. By making proposals and coming to agreements we can achieve many upgrades for our school.
business team can work with middle school to get the inner courtyard available on a regular basis for quiet study,” said Mrs. Zug, head of the Upper School. Anya Agarwal, a freshman said,” I would love some more charging spaces in the library and a more efficient pickup system.” All of these tasks can be accomplished in business meetings. These topics could form lively discussions and eventually become an upgrade to our overall school and enjoyment. Any money necessary could be used for these desires. Most things can continually be improved; that includes our school. We should be using all the money we are provided to make our school a better place for learning. Either we make decisions on how we want to spend our budget, or any extra money will just go back into the overall school fund instead of into a better Wilmington Friends experience for us. The choice is yours, students; do you want a better WFS? Then work with agenda and the business team to use our school budget for something students want.
The best way for us to achieve change and use our budget is through agenda meetings and our business team. The biggest objective of the business team is to provide feedback on school life concerns, such as the schedule, student surveys, or the cafeteria. The business team also works to make sure all of the school’s spaces are utilized. “I would love to see that the The Whittier Miscellany 2021 Homecoming
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