The Whittier
Miscellany MARCH 2019 • WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
THE jury is out: mock trial team awaiting court The judge makes a decision on who’s argument had more logic and validity, and either sustains or overrules the objection. After all of the witnesses have testified, closing arguments are given. This year, Teague will deliver the closSince November, Wilmington Friends School’s Mock ing argument for the defense and Nakamura will deliver Trial team has been hard at work, preparing for the compeit for the plaintiff. tition on February 22nd-23rd. The A-Team is comprised Anticipating the competition, Sheppard says, “I am of twelve members, split between a plaintiff and defense really excited for our team to build off of the success we team. Each team has three attorneys and three witnesshad last year. We have a lot of promise this year and I’m es. The plaintiff ’s attorneys are Danny Nakamura ’19, optimistic about how we’ll perform. We’ve done a great Grant Sheppard ’19, and Claire Manning ’22. The plainjob of sticking to firm deadlines tiff witnesses are Kat Nix ’19, this year and I think it’s going to Nick Urick ’20, and Anniina pay off.” Lappalainen ’21. The defense Lappalainen mentioned, “I’m attorneys are Ellie Bradley ’19, excited about the competition; I Annabel Teague ’20, and Elisbelieve in our team and I think sa Belleroche ’21. The defense we will do well!” Lappalainen teswitnesses are Elise Johnson tifies on the plaintiff side as Erin ’21, Kaylyn Freeman ’22, and Sussex, retiree and shareholder of Austin Sarker-Young ’22. DAM and their stocks who feels The 2019 case is a corporate that Pat Kent (Sarker-Young) and case, and revolves around an the board of directors at DAM international company, Midhave not fulfilled their fiduciary East Stevedores Services, or duties. MESS, attempting to acquire Though there is much work a Delaware Port, through a to be done before the start of company operating that port, the competition, both teams feel Delaware Auto and Marine proud of their accomplishments Corporation, or DAM. The in preparation thus far. Mock triplaintiff is trying to prove al meets Wednesday nights from that DAM’s director, Pat Kent, 6-7:30 PM, Saturday mornings hasn’t fulfilled his fiduciary from 9-11 AM, as well as weekly duty to his shareholders, as lunch meetings, so it’s not a small MESS is offering a higher offer commitment. Following a team than DAM’s current shares are that won the state-wide compeselling at, and he has refused tition in 2016 and 2017, and a their offer. The defense is tryslightly disappointing defeat last ing to prove that MESS poses Captain Danny Nakamura ’19, Nic Urick ’20, and Annabel Teague ’20 working on their upcoming year, the pressure is on. Make a threat to national security, case. sure to wish good luck to your and is tied to terrorism. Both mock trial-ing peers! sides must prove their side beResults Update from club faculty advisor Betsy Renyond the burden of a reasonable doubt. tiff then presents their three witnesses, who are subject to What is often confused by non-mock trial participants direct and cross-examination. Following the plaintiff, the zo: “I just returned from two long and wonderful days of is that our defense and plaintiff teams do not go against defense presents their three witnesses in the same man- Mock trial with our amazing students. We won 3 out of each other in the actual competition. They go one at a ner. During these examinations, lawyers on the opposing 4 rounds, and ended up getting 5th place! We’re thrilled time against other schools’ teams from various schools in teams may object to a question posed by the lawyer or with this result, as we faced one truly incredible team tothe state. During the competition, one of our teams will answers given by the witness. These objections are usually day from St. Elizabeth’s. Best attorney gavels were given to Claire Manning, go during the morning and the other will go during the to hearsay, speculation, relevance, character evidence, or afternoon, and this order may be repeated or flipped the the scope. When an objection is made, the lawyer being Ellie Bradley, and Elissa Belleroche and best witness gavfollowing day. There are four rounds total, and each gets objected to is given an opportunity to respond to the ob- els were given to Elise Johnson, Nick Urick, and Austin more difficult or more easy depending on how your team jection, and say why the objection is faulty or inaccurate. Sarker-Young!” did the previous round. For example, if you lose the first round in the morning, your afternoon may be less difficult to win because you are going against another team that lost. Rounds are judged by a local judge, and the rounds are scored by lawyers and judges from Delaware who take time out of their jobs to watch and evaluate the teams’ work. The way that a mock trial is set up is actually pretty simple. First are opening statements, delivered by Bradley for the defense and Sheppard for the plaintiff. The plain-
Photo contributed by Connor Miller
Ellie Bradley ’19 News Editor
COMMUNITY
VAST success for model united nations team Nick Redd ’20 Community writer This spring semester, a group of Wilmington Friends students attended WIMUN WFUNA, a Model United Nations conference in New York City held at the official United Nations Headquarters. This conference is an educational simulation in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations while improving leadership, communication, and public speaking skills. Thousands of conferences like WIMUN are held yearly, around the world, to discuss international topics and controversies. These conferences consist of over 1,000 delegates, and students attend from over 100 countries. During those conferences, students are challenged to address and talk about real world issues such as peacekeeping, human rights, economic and social development, the environment, and immigration. This year, 24 students from our school attended the conference in New York City alongside many other students and UN members. Official UN diplomats that handle real world issues were in attendance to speak to the students, giving them insight on the world issues they handle. Once a student expresses an interest in the Model UN club, they must attend all club meetings and write a position paper that addresses a certain country and its issues. Harry Anderson ’20, wrote his Position
The
Paper about information and communication technology. His topic relates to unified communications between citizens. He had this to say about the conference: “It was a really good learning opportunity to see how international governments work. It was exciting to create solutions to the world’s problems.” Anderson is only one of many students that attend Model UN meetings every day 6. The club is one of the most popular clubs in the school as 60+ students attended the interest meeting in the Fall. The club itself is not yet a Friends tradition, as this year marks the second since its founding. The club was co-founded and is led by Connor Miller ’19 and Grant Sheppard ’19. In the club’s first outing last year, they attended the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference at the University of Pennsylvania. 16 students from our school participated at ILMUNC. This year’s conference is a bit more special as the location for parts of the conference was at the official United Nations Headquarters in New York City. What made this conference even more special is that Miller gave an opening plenary speech to 1,200+ students at the official UN podium. His speech addressed the prevention of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing. He started his speech declaring, “Terrorism, war and conflict are not solely historical occurrences. They are happening right now – at this very moment. There are many choices before us that dictate necessary steps towards attaining world peace.” Miller also went on to win the
Whittier
Miscellany EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Connor Miller ’19 NEWS EDITOR: Ellie Bradley ’19 SPORTS EDITOR: Carlin Beskrone ’19 ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: James Butterfield ’20 SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR: Elise Johnson ’21 PHOTO EDITOR: Lilia Machado ’20 COLUMNISTS: Lucy Knudsen ’19 & Nick Urick ’20 WEB EDITOR: Honor Dearlove ’19 FACULTY ADVISOR: Daniel Scott
STAFF
James Tallman ’19
Connor Rosas ’20
Matt Bell ’20
Dylan Roskovensky ’20
Oliver Gooderham ’20
Sam Boulos ’21
Olivia Ivans ’20 Craig Lyttleton ’20 Dylan Roskovensky ’20
Kyle Nisbet ’21 Nate Rashkind ’21 Henry Wieman ’21
Nick Redd ’20 Stay alert for the new Whittier podcast, available on iTunes and Spotify!
The Whittier Miscellany is published six times during the school year by the upper school journalism staff of Wilmington Friends School, 101 School Road, Wilmington, DE 19803. To access the Whittier Miscellany online, go to www.wfswhittier.net. Check Whittier Miscellany online for Weekly Updates! The Whittier Miscellany welcomes responses in the form of letters to the articles, editorials, and features of this paper. Contact: wfswhittiermiscellany@gmail.com ‘Like’ Whittier on Facebook at ‘WFS Whittier’!
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Diplomacy Award in his committee, representing the Syrian Arab Republic. Sheppard ’19 also had a great conference experience as he won the Position Paper Award in his committee, representing Vietnam. He wrote about eradication of poverty for the conference and stated this about his experience, “Model UN was even better than anticipated. I, along with my peers, explored the wonders of diplomacy, developed world wide friendships, and--in true Quaker fashion--we furthered our understanding of effective consensus. Best of all, my fellow co-clerk and co-founder, Connor Miller, was able to speak to 1,2000 students at the famed New York UN Headquarters. At the end of the trip, Connor received an award for his diplomacy, and I was honored to receive an award for my position paper. We are so proud of our fellow delegates, and incredibly thankful to our faculty sponsor, Mrs. Kenney, and all of our chaperones.” Kenney, the faculty sponsor and one of the chaperones commented, “It seemed like a good overall experience for me and the students participating. Also, it was very interesting to see and hear our students perspectives contrast with international opinions. It was nice to be in the official UN headquarters, and the students learned that importance to detail is imperative to making laws. Even the small things count.” Overall, the enthusiasm felt by all of the delegates demonstrates the viability of the Model UN club for years to come. Congrats to all delegates for undertaking an intense cultural and intellectual experience!
Positive effects from RAK NicK Urick ’20 Community Writer
This year, the Wilmington Friends School community has been the host of a variety of engaging clubs. One of the most prominent and active clubs, though, has been Random Acts of Kindness - a club devoted to promoting positivity and genuine camaraderie throughout the community. The current clerks of the club are Una Winn ’19, Olivia Finizio ’19, Ali Miller ’19, Bianca Ramsey ’19, Mycah Nicholson ’19, and Anna Baldwin ’19. Meeting every day 5, the club boasts forty-four members, all committed to a united cause of kindness. The club has hosted numerous creative activities throughout its time on campus. On top of that, they’ve grown to expand outside of the Wilmington Friends community. This year, Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) hosted a game drive for the Boys and Girls Club in Wilmington. The clerks of the club then delivered these games to the Boys and Girls headquarters, thus extending their kindness to Wilmington youth outside of their school community. Another enticing activity has been the distribution of ‘monthly RAKs’. Essentially, the club awards a variety of students a ‘random act of kindness’ on their locker, which they can use to redeem a prize in the library commons. Eventually, every student in the upper school at Wilmington Friends will receive a ‘random act of kindness’, which has brought about the term ‘being RAKed’ on campus. While the monthly RAK activity is surely an effective way for club mem-
bers to spread positivity, it also serves as a universal way for the community to remain tightly connected. Evan Arai ’20 exemplified that point when he stated: “So far, RAK has served as a sort of medium for me to connect to my peers in the community. Through the monthly RAKs and activities, I’ve met tons of other new students who I may have not encountered otherwise. RAK has helped me broaden my horizons and familiarize myself with new faces, which is such a great opportunity in a community like Friends.” Another community engaging activity is RAK’s annual Valentine’s Day carnation sale. This sale allows for students to choose from a variety of flowers to send to their friends or loved ones within the school community. The sale has been well respected and has received constant praise from the student body. Ruth Hazzard ’19 commented, “I know the clerks very well. Their work on sales is very impressive. They put so much time and effort into goal of making the school a happier place. The carnation sale has always been an enjoyable thing for students at the school, which has spread cheer.” Along with Hazzard’s appreciation, another member of RAK, Eden Groum ’20, has enjoyed her time working with RAK thus far. Groum commented that, “RAK has just been a genuinely fun organization to be a part of. I feel as though I am truly spreading positivity throughout the community through the work that I’ve embarked on with RAK. The carnation sale especially has been one of the most consistently notable events that the club hosts, so it’s always a good time to be involved with it.” The Random Acts of Kindness club has spread positivity and kindness throughout Wilmington Friends School, as well as strengthened its community in a way no other club or organization has ever before. Students at Friends evidently appreciate the club, and often reap the benefits of the genuine kindness and friendship that it encourages. As the year continues, the Random Acts of Kindness club plants to continue their joyous ways of spreading happiness and warm hearted messages throughout the community. Thank you for making the school a happier place, RAK!
March issue 2019 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
Wfs students take on Qylc
who goes to Quaker school and wants to meet students from other Quaker schools to share and learn their personal experiences and techniques for Quaker This year, five WFS students: Bella Stuccio ’19, school. This consists of learning about how, for examMiranda Peak ’19, Livy Zug ’22, Estelle Hegenbarth ple, other schools conduct business meetings and up’21, and Casey Tyler ’19 will be attending the Quaker hold Quaker values week in and week out. Youth Leadership Conference. The conference takes During the last business meeting, Wilmington place at Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C. Friends students and faculty discussed the possibility from January 31- February 2. This conference will be of hosting our own Quaker Youth Leadership Conchaperones by Ellen Johnson and Jeff Ransom, who, ference in the future, as it did ten years ago. While along with the students, are excited to share their expe- there was much support for this proposal, and many rience at WFS and hear from students who go to other students raised their hands when asked if they would Quaker Schools. Mrs. Johnson, a biology teacher for be interested in helping to host the conference, there Juniors and Senior, has led multiple QYLC trips be- were also significant concerns. Among these concerns fore and really values the means this gives the students are the issue of space in our relatively small school and who attend to the lack of hyshare their experigienic showers in ences with Quakthe locker rooms. er Schooling. She Mrs. Johnson, says that this conwho is spearheadference is importing the effort to ant for everyone host QYLC at who attends and WFS, said that teaches at Quaker she thinks it is imschools because: portant that every “We’re all involved Quaker school do in the school” their part to host and, at QYLC, the conference at “Like-minded some point, she share what works understands that for them, bring “we need to make in new ideas, and sure that students solve problems.” are on board and By sharing their that we have the ideas at the confacilities to host”. ference, students She also menWFS students at the Sidwell Friends School are able to bring tioned that there new ideas and outlooks to their school to try and im- is the option of co-hosting with Westtown School, a prove it. much larger Quaker boarding school that is located The students going are also very excited about the nearby in Pennsylvania. Westtown has much more upcoming conference. When asked about why he space to do something like this but is close enough chose to attend QYLC, Casey Tyler said: “Since I’ve that the Wilmington Friends community would still been going to WFS for so long, I want to see how other have the opportunity to be heavily involved in the schools handle Quaker issues and maybe get ideas for hosting process. Another thing Mrs. Johnson stressed how to help our school.” Casey is a Junior class rep- is that the idea of hosting is by no means rushed, it resentative, and we hope he will come back with new could very well be years down the line that QYLC is ideas to implement in our business meeting and our hosted at WFS. community as a whole. It is clear that QYLC is an important opportuniWhile QYLC’s name might make it seem like it’s ty for like-minded students from Quaker schools to only for Quaker kids, that is not at all the case. When put their heads together and work out new ideas to asked about the purpose of this conference, Mrs. improve Quaker life at their respective schools. To Johnson made sure to highlight that the conference is the WFS representatives who go, the school wishes most definitely not exclusive to students who belong you luck and hopes you return with ideas to improve to meeting or identify as Quaker, it is for any student Quaker practices here. Photo contributed by Ellen Johnson
Liam Hudgings ’20 News Writer
news Learning from mlk Henry Weiman ’21 News Writer On Thursday, January 24th, nine days after the historic civil rights leader’s birthday, the Wilmington Friends Upper School celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with student-led workshops that focused on peace and inclusion. Martin Luther King, Jr., known for his political activism during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, was honored here at Friends once again, a few days after the holiday bearing his name. By creating and participating in workshops that focus on peace, inclusion, understanding, and political action, we hold this American hero in the light. Workshops, set to take place in the afternoon, were preceded by a speech delivered by Stephanie Hoops, the mother of an alumna with a large role in the organization The Alice Project. This organization seeks to show the true levels of poverty in the United States, beyond the outdated federal methods and income brackets that determine food stamps and financial aid today. Presenting before the whole Upper School student body, Stephanie Hoops showed us how inaccurate current government measurements are, and the truly horrific numbers of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck. Despite this grim reality, Hoops left us with a message of hope, as awareness of the true pervasiveness of poverty is increasing, and much more is being done to address it and combat it. As we prepared to honor King’s many teachings, it was important to remember that there is still much to accomplish and work towards. After lunch, students jumped right into their workshop activities. Workshops were held all around the school, and activities ranged from watching informational videos to running role play scenarios to writing letters to Congress. As the sixteen workshops came to an end, the upper school gathered together in a Quaker Meeting for Worship to reflect on the day, to consider the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and how to pass his ideas for equality, understanding, and peace harmony forward. As we review year’s MLK celebration, the Upper School will file away this year’s day of honest reflection, of looking both backward and forwards, as a success. Estelle Hegenbarth ‘21 said that the day was “a good balance of education and meaningful learning and conversation. I learned a lot from Ms. Hoops’ presentation.” Casey Tyler ‘20, who led a workshop as a part of WFS for Our Lives, also provided positive feedback. “I feel like we were able to really get our message across,” he revealed.
What the government shutdown Means Kyle Nisbet ’21 News Writer From December 22, 2018 to January 25, 2019, the Government was shut down in effect for 35 days. The consequences have affected over 800,000 federal workers directly, but the number of citizens the shutdown affects is much higher. Along with millions of Americans, many WFS students were unhappy and disappointed in the government due to the shutdown. When asked about the shutdown, Olivia Delgado ’21, commented, “It’s just really sad that the people who had government jobs and the people who aren’t getting paid already didn’t exactly have the highest income…” Anniina Lappalainen ’21 simply said, “It is very sad.” Kat Harron ’21 mentioned, “I think the government shutdown is bizarre because the same people who vot-
ed for Trump and supported Trump are the ones who are starving and jobless. Kinda ironic, I don’t think it’s good either way.” It has also come out that the government shutdown will be coming to a temporary end, for three weeks, because Trump and Congress have come to a compromise. The deal seems to be that no extra funding for the wall will be added, but negotiations will resume once the government has been reopened. When asked about what the new development means for the country, Harron commented, “The first thing that the government should do is pay the workers! Hundreds of thousands of workers have been working without pay.” This has caused a minor recession in the United States and it affected the cash flow and economic agility. There will be a bipartisan committee established to help negotiate the budget with the hopes of not causing another government shutdown.
March ISSUE 2019 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
There are a lot of reasons for why people think Trump agreed to stop the government shutdown, despite Congress not actually completing his demands of granting 5.7 billion dollars to create a wall between The Mexican-American Border Wall. One popular reason is that many Americans blamed Trump for the shutdown, and the percentage of American’s who believed this increased as the shutdown continued. On top of this, his approval ratings were diminishing as well. With the 2020 election not too far away, Trump will be making decisions he believes will positively affect his approval ratings. If the shutdown continued, it would start impacting national and international travel as the airports would begin to shut themselves down. Without many of America’s airports, business would simmer down in commerce-oriented cities. Whatever happens, another shutdown needs to be avoided.
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community
Wilmington Friends IB Students take on CAS
tion he served and for himself. However, without the CAS requirement, it is possible that the swim-a-thon would never have happened. McKenzie admitted: Every year, Friends IB seniors must take on a proj“Honestly, I wouldn’t have considered putting all the ect that involves either creativity, activity, or service. work in to finding this event if I hadn’t needed to fulThis project is designed to add something new to the fill a CAS requirement, but I really enjoyed the event community, such as a service or an event. Many stuand am looking forward to continuing it in the future, dents use this project as an opportunity to explore even though I no longer have a requirement to fulfill. areas of interest or to give back to a community that I think that organizing something like the swim-aserves them. thon has shown me that I have the ability to create an Head of upper school, Rebecca Zug, provided the original, new event and the experience gained from history behind the project: “A few years ago, the IB organizing it will continue to help me in the future.” program added an element to the Creativity, Activity For McKenzie, it appears that CAS provided the push and Service requirement: each student should design to create something valuable that will (hopefully) conand implement an event or activity (not just tinue for years to come. participate, in other words).” Zug continued Danny Nakamura ’19 also took the opporto explain the reasoning for CAS: “IB believes tunity to serve an organization. Nakamura that designing and implementing something explained: “For my CAS project, I led the connew helps students practice the skills of orstruction and installation of 70 birdhouses for ganization, innovation, leadership and follow Mt. Cuba. There were 58 houses for bluebirds through. As with all CAS activities, IB stuand 12 for wood ducks.” Nakamura went on to dents also are to reflect on what they learned explain his takeaway from CAS: “If I learned from the experience!” In other words, CAS anything from that project, it was how improjects are an opportunity to implement portant preparation and planning are. It would some of the values that IB encourages: ambihave been way more painful if I hadn’t built jigs tion, leadership, and vision. Zug went on to (templates) for the houses before we started.” describe some past projects from WFS stuIt seems that Nakamura learned a valuable lesdents: “CAS projects range from creating a son that he can take with him for projects in swimming class for young inner-city children, the future. Always the contrarian, Nakamuto starting a multi-generational book group, ra also took the stance: “I understand why we from building and installing birdhouses at a have CAS projects, but I’m not sure they’re that local park, to collecting soccer equipment to valuable. It’s a good way to expand someone’s donate to needy children in the Dominican horizons, but if they’re the kind of person to Creativity, action, and service: the words that make up the do IB they’re probably the kind of person who Republic. CAS projects can be done in groups, acronym, CAS not just as an individual.” WFS students don’t does projects like that anyway.” Perhaps more bat an eye at this requirement because they are non-IB people should be pushed to do a project already skilled as leaders. They are pretty busy, such as this! though, so it is important that I talk to them early in importance of these events. I discovered it gives hope Based on interviews with Zug and IB students, it their journey as a diploma candidate so that they can to both children, who are facing their own mortality, seems that CAS is an opportunity to take on a projplan ahead. ect that IB students would not normally do. Whether and their parents, who would gladly trade places with Michael McKenzie ’19 completed his project ear- them.” In addition to being able to make a difference, it’s community-building, creativity-inspiring, or serly. He remarked: “Last summer, I founded a swim- McKenzie was able to gain a valuable perspective on vice-oriented, CAS provides the push to make a differa-thon at the Elks Swim Club to benefit the Andrew the world. Clearly, McKenzie’s CAS project was a ence. Even though some students consider it tedious, McDonough B+ Foundation, an organization which valuable experience both for the charitable organizaCAS is a valuable component to our curriculum. supports families as they care for a child with cancer. In addition to many hours of preparation, organization, and coordination, I sold B+ gear, received donations, and spread the foundation’s message to “Live Like Andrew,” for B+ is “not a grade. It’s an attitude.” Therefore, CAS provides an opportunity to make a difference and serve a good cause. McKenzie continued: “Seventy-six people participated in the event, swimming more than fifty-six miles and raising over $3,465 for the foundation throughout the day. In the process, the Elks Pool, Lodge, and Swim Team communities connected around a common cause. That day, speaking with two parents who lost their children to cancer, I gained a better perspective on the
http://jonescasexperience.blogspot.com
Lucy Knudsen ’19 Columnist
Let them be free! Juniors want rights too
Olivia Ivins ’20 Community Writer
Receiving one’s free period privileges can be a major milestone in a WFS student’s academic career. Free periods allow students to catch up on work, relax between classes, meet with teachers or other students, or do anything else they want (within school policy)! Although this landmark may seem minor in some eyes, many would agree how monumental it can be for the upperclassmen. A comparable occasion is a student moving from the lower school to the upper school campus. Both of these events present milestones of independence. However, a typical side effect of receiving freedom is wanting more of it. Protocol for free periods has come into question recently by some WFS students that feel some rules could be loosened or even changed. While upperclassmen are extremely appreciative for receiving their free period privileges, some believe there are rules that justify a reconsideration. After speaking with students about problems emerging from free periods, the majority commented on the regulations regarding food. Following occasions of students disrespectfully leaving their garbage in lounge areas instead of properly disposing of it, a rule was established to forbid eating in the most populated areas for students in their frees. These areas con-
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sist of the lounge in front of the library and the area outside the theater. Peyton McNeill ’19, states “When I am working, I usually like to eat, especially if I did not have time for breakfast, but since this rule was put into place, I cannot.” Understandably, the ban on eating seems a bit harsh considering students need brain fuel! This issue was raised most frequently, but coincidentally may show the most promise for reconsideration. Upper school Dean for Students, Ildikó Miller, commented on this directly, “Food crumbs are around lockers and other hallways, so if these areas were to be opened up for eating they can be controlled and easily monitor-able.” Hopefully with this solution, students will be able to refuel and work at the same time in the places they enjoy. The biggest concern regarding eating is the trash left behind. Luckily this problem can be easily solved by placing proper receptacles in the most populated areas. Trash and recycling bins should be in any areas with seating, even benches! The second most common trouble occurs when signing in and out during a free period. Senior privileges allow seniors to leave campus throughout the day by signing in and out at the front office. Jacob Jaworski ’20 argues, “Receiving my frees is a privilege already. Why are the seniors granted extended privileges beyond the juniors?” The Quaker SPICES were introduced as part of the discussion, specifically
equality. This reminded some students of a simulation where a group of people began at the same start line of a race and then each person, according to certain prompts, would take steps forward or backward. Following a similar system, students receiving their privileges could begin at the start line (all of the privileges offered) and would take steps backward when they are not meeting the necessary standards. As a senior who is in good academic standing, one is able to not only sign out, but leave if their classes are over for the day. A junior is only granted this permission with a note from a parent or guardian. An obstacle arises when working parents and guardians are too busy to write an email every time their student needs to leave campus for any particular reason. A solution for this is to create one document that parents and students sign together that states their permission for their child to have this liberty, similar to the technology agreement. Parents would then have the power to admit or decline their child from having this privilege. Preventing this from happening, presumably, is WFS’s legal responsibility for the well being of every student from the time they arrive to school until they officially leave for the day. This concern is completely valid, but does not explain the rationale behind this privilege granted to seniors. So, will juniors receive more free privileges? Probably not, but only time will tell.
March issue 2019 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
Science and Technology
Robotics Club: The Future in Our Community
called “minerals.” 52 silver and 86 gold minerals are divided evenly in the craters. There is a lander in the middle from which the two robots start. Each robot Robots are often portrayed in movies, TV shows gets half of the field with one crater and one depot. and books as the future. Robots can be found in dark, If the robot lands outside of the landing zone and on thrilling content such as Black Mirror and also in the landing field, there is a 30 point bonus, however, lighthearted children films such as Big Hero 6. Reif they don’t land in the field there are no points degardless of their connotation, robots are almost alducted. Robots can claim their depot by placing their ways depicted as futuristic beings. Robots may seem team marker in it. Robots that successfully park in the very far away, however, within our very own commucrater will earn a parking bonus of 10 points. nity there is a Robotics Club, whose team name is the The game is set up in three stages. First, there is “Bad News Bots,” which creates and designs robots. a two minute autonomous period where the pre-proWhen asked about what the Rogrammed robot operates without a drivbotics Club generally did when they er. Every mineral secured in the depot met, Zareef Khan ’19 said, “Typically, during this time earns two points, howdifferent people work on different parts ever if it is not claimed, the opponent of the robot that we use to compete. I can steal and descore your minerals. If personally help with building different a mineral is put in the cargo hold, it gets parts of the robot, and during the com5 points rather than 2. The “Bad News petitions, I drive the robot with someBots” were able to get their minerals in one else.” Khan also mentioned that the cargo hold to take advantage of the in the final days leading up to compeadditional 3 points. The last 30 seconds tition, the team spent their time “perof the driving period have many opporfecting any attachments that we already tunities for bonuses. Robots that park have, as well as practicing driving the partially in a crater get 15 points, robots robot in order to score as many points that park completely in a crater get 25 as we can.” The Robotics Club meets points, and robots that can reattach to every Sunday from 12:00 pm to 3:00 the lander and get off of the ground of pm. Working hard on their robot, they the field obtain 50 points. do whatever is needed to make their roIn order to qualify for States, the “Bad bot the best it could be. News Bots” had to compete at schools While making a robot may seem such as Archmere and Padua. In these intimidating, Matt Cauchy, WFS High scrimmages there were actual judges School physics teacher, broke this proand the games followed the same format cess down into a couple simple steps. as the real day so that the teams could When asked about the design process get some real time game experience. AfThe Robotics Club’s logo. It is usually colored in the team’s color, hot pink. of a robot, Cauchy said, “First you have ter making it to the finals at States, the to decide a strategy, like in sports. You “Bad News Bots” ended up coming in have to decide whether you’re going to be offensive or 1 foot high walls. This year there are craters and de- second place to the “Dragonators.” However, despite defensive. Then you have to set goals and tasks and pots in two opposing corners. The navigation targets this, they still performed very well and earned themdesign your robot around these goals. You have to de- are placed in the center of every field wall. There are selves the Control award, which recognizes the team fine the problems and come up with a solution. The two silver spheres and one golden cube in each corner, with exceptional programing and problem solving.
final step is test practice and improvement.” This strategy is very helpful to take the abstract idea of creating a robot and make it more grounded. The robot designed by the club painted with a flashy hot pink, however, it was a lot more to offer than just appearances. Cauchy noted that, “It was a very smart robot in the sense that it was autonomous. It was very good at doing tasks even with no driver.” This trait proved to be very important in this year’s game. This year’s game played at the competition was called Rover Ruckus. The game is always played on a 12 foot square playing field with a foam tile floor and
WFS Robotics Club
Sam Boulos ’21 Science and Technology Writer
STEM Students prepare for science Olympiad Connor Rosas ’20 Science and Technology Writer
Science Olympiad is a fun-filled day of events packed with all sorts of different science categories. Anyone participating could delve into topics ranging from anatomy and physiology to forensics to even thermodynamics! There are also more hands-on topics a student could take part in. For instance, in bottle rockets, participants have to make a rocket stay aloft for the longest amount of time. Another topic that is more hands-on is the boomilever event that asks participants to build the strongest structural efficiency among competitors. Science Olympiad has a wide variety of topics to choose from so that students with different interests in science are able to participate. The competition has over 25 topics to choose from so the choice really is up to you. WFS has previously done exemplary in competition. With hard work and preparation, students have even made new Science Olympiad records quite a few times. One student, James Tallman ’19 stated, “I am very excited about this season, I’ve been practicing over break for my events and I’m ready to have fun because it is always filled with some great people. It is going to be an amazing competition this year.” Tallman has participated in Science Olympiad before and he wanted to elaborate on the dynamics of Science Olympiad, “Last year, I participated in the topics Dynamic Planet which was about glaciers, Fermi Ques-
tions which involve estimation skills to determine an approximation quickly that would be impossible to guess directly what the answer is, designer genes which goes through the process of genetics, and disease detectives.” Just from these topics listed, it is clear that Science Olympiad has a lot to offer for those who are willing to put some time and effort into the competition. Science Olympiad can be quite competitive, however some students prefer to just go for the experience of learning and trying something new. Participating students compete against around 50 other schools throughout the state. Matt Cauchy, Upper School Physics teacher, is the faculty sponsor of Science Olympiad and thinks that competition is a good thing for students to get involved in, “You can test your knowledge from everything from farming to electricity. The variety of different topics will test both knowledge and skills.” Cauchy is thrilled that some topics involving hands-on skills that can be applied to real-world situations and noted that “Build events such as boomilever, hovercrafts, mousetraps, and the Rube Goldberg machine are essentially just engineering projects.” Science Olympiad not only offers a chance to compete but also a chance to work as a team with problems that are applicable to real-world scenarios. Teamwork is an important aspect for most categories in Science Olympiad. Team members have to work together not only during the competitions but
March Issue 2019 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
before the competition day as well. Depending on what topic they chose from, they will have to study over knowledge-based tests and helping each other respectively that way. Teamwork is also crucial when constructing your own device or contraption and testing if it will be competition ready. Both require time and effort before the day of competition which will give those involved a bigger sense of accomplishment for their achievements on the day of. Teamwork will bring members together to form or learn something that would be arduous without coordination from students and faculty. Science Olympiad is a great learning experience for anyone who enjoys any applied science, engineering challenges, or math. Science Olympiad is a unique club because it involves a lot of hard work to actually succeed in the competition. Though difficult and a very competitive environment, students will have fun with the cooperation that is needed in the process. This Science Olympiad organization was founded in 1984 making this year its’ 35th anniversary. The day of competition is currently March 3rd for our school, however, across America, there are around 8,000 groups competing and around 450 annual competitions across college campuses. Any students that are interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) are highly advised to join Science Olympiad. It would be a true missed opportunity to not take on the challenge that this competition gives and to learn more about STEM in the process.
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Entertainment
visual arts presence at wilmington friends Visual arts have been the backbone of Wilmington Friends School for at minimum the last 30 years. For a long time, it has been a reason why people came to friends. Previously offering specific classes like sculpting or painting, now the focus is on the international baccalaureate (IB) and the art major for upperclassmen. Other classes that are offered are 2D and 3D design in alternating years, as well as the intro to visual arts for freshmen. The art program at friends is met with mixed emotions, some laud it for creative freedom, while others find it to have subsided from its peak in previous years. The opportunities that are offered in art at Friends are plentiful. In the art major, Miranda Peak ‘19 described their process: “we get to choose what we get to do every month.” Her thoughts on this process are that it “gives this freedom to do art allows us to explore and further our skills in specific areas.” The art program at friends inspires students to take on new projects and even develop new passions in their time in the space. Mary Winn, the substitute art teacher, contributed to this idea. In her time at friends, she says that her favorite thing is working with students. “It is a dynamic group of students committed to doing good work, they are not afraid to experiment and try new things” Additionally, the art room “has a good feeling” that allows for this work to get done. Some examples of the work that is being done can be seen on display in the school. These installation
in the mediums she chose to work in. In a completely different tone, Blue Koenig ‘20 is in between projects. “I just finished a big one where I made a stuffed ani-
mal sculpture in the college guidance office and I’m starting on my next one where I’m making an ancient Greek-style clay jar on the pottery wheel.” This freedom enhances the school in a very unique way. The art program at friends is met with both praise and constructive feedback. “In all the schools I’d considered attending before coming here, this one had the best arts program of them all and probably one of the coolest and most inspiring art rooms,” said Blue Koenig ‘20 who is in high praise of the art program at Friends. Zoe Wishengrad ‘20 has similar thoughts: “I really like VAM, and I think that for a school that is not really centered around art we do get a lot of opportunities.” However, there is often a feeling of aggression towards the presence of IB art and the lack of diversity in the classes. Additionally, there are other frustrations with the art program at Friends. Manon Magnan ‘21 finds some frustration in the art program, saying “the arts are all about creativity and one person’s individual look on a situation or assignment but at least in the beginners’ classes there’s no room for being unique. We have to follow everything we’re told and aren’t allowed to go above and beyond and express ourselves.” These thoughts are what betters art at Friends, and it has since Friends has been hosting its art experiences. The differences of opinion and diversity in thought on Friends’ art program is also the diversity which inspires such unique art projects. It is the creativity which fills the walls with beautiful colors. While the contributions made by visual arts are not seen in the same light as much as the performing arts at Friends, they have a significant impact on the school environment.
the community, both within the students and people involved in productions, and, hopefully, brings something enjoyable to the larger community. Kids in productions may not usually cross paths, so it gives them that opportunity, too.” She along with many participating students have benefited substantially from these productions: “There are some practical benefits of me doing these shows. It enables me to get to know the students better, and also learn their talents, particularly the eighth graders before the enter high school, as a good amount of them will either be in my ensembles or courses. It also gives me an idea of who wants to contribute to the productions that we might not know about otherwise, like the visual artistic aspect and all that. It’s a good way for us to get to know each other. Additionally, it gives me the opportunity to work with Sara Gaines in producing something that we both care deeply about. And it’s nice when you get to do things with your friends, because, you know, she’s my friend. What I like is the collaborative process, because we bounce ideas off each other, and while one is the stage director and one is the music director, we are able to share some of those responsibilities, which is mutually beneficial. Often kids discover a new passion. I can think of a couple of instances where students weren’t terribly comfortable being on stage, but are good with organization and other skills that can help productions tremendously, and one of those kids went to be a fantastic stage manager. She grew out of the eighth grade play and from there she turned out to be very reliable. It’s always rewarding when we see students develop their abilities in ways they might not have expected, stage managing being a good example. Sometimes other students discover that they
really do like being on stage, and it ignites that spark in them. Yet, for others, it can be, you know, I’ve done this once and I’d rather put my talents elsewhere, which is perfectly okay. It’s a very amazing benchmark experience, both for those eighth graders and those in high school. Specifically at Friends, I love that students who excel on the athletic field have an opportunity to shine just as bright on the stage. Not many other schools make both of those opportunities available to their students—many schools make students choose. I love how at Friends we give students the opportunity to explore many new interests.” Casey Tyler ’20 has also expressed his gratitude for his benefits from theatre: “I’ve been in many of these performances—so far I’ve been part of three musicals and two plays: Into the Woods and The, during my freshman year; The Crucible and Damn Yankees, sophomore year; and recently this school year, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Participating in these productions have helped me in a variety of ways. Not only does it enable me to do something with my close friends, but it also allows me to get to know more people that I wouldn’t normally talk to, or even come in contact with for that matter. It’s also helped me with my public speaking abilities and has enhanced my confidence, especially when speaking to large groups. Also from this, I’ve gained insight into performances and the background behind them, which I find really interesting, as well as enhancing my memory by remembering lines. I’ve had a lot of fun being a part of the team in these productions.” All in all, theatrical productions at Friends are beneficial to all and provide a very good light to express the human condition. Anyone even the slightest bit interested should give it a try!
pieces add a vibrant element to the school to fill the otherwise barren walls. At the moment, the CAN painting that can be seen in the library was done by the year one art majors, and the gallery is filled with designs done by the 2D art class. In the art major, the projects that get to be chosen are expansive. Miranda Peak ‘19 is working on “watercolor techniques, with my new water-based brush pens. I am hoping to study landscapes and still lifes” which has lent to her being able to appreciate the art
http://www.k12academics.com
james tallman ’19 entertainment writer
Sculpture by Oliver Gooderham
theater in the wilmington friends community james butterfield ’20 entertainment editor
“Theatre is a window on the human condition—it enables us to look at different parts of life through a different lens,” says Margaret Anne Butterfield, performing arts teacher and director of musical productions. Theatrical performances have been a vibrant aspect of the Wilmington Friends community for quite some time, especially for those participating. Every year in the high school, there are typically two faculty-led and directed theatrical performances and a student-led and performance, usually sometime during the middle of the school year. Additionally, all eighth graders are required to participate in an eighth grade musical production, this years being Shrek The Musical. These annual productions allow students to explore interests outside of the typical classroom setting, which is quite substantial in the lives of students who have an interest in theatre, or even those that just want to try something new. Margaret Anne Butterfield has been directing musical productions at Friends since her first appearance in The Music Man, and also directs the annual eighth grade production. Her contributions to the performing arts department as a whole, but specifically her involvement with musicals are substantial to the community and do not go unnoticed. On this topic, she had a lot to say: “Theatre is a window on the human condition—it enables us to look at different parts of life through a different lens. Another purpose is to give students an opportunity to express themselves in a way that they normally wouldn’t. It also lets students discover their talents that they may have otherwise kept sheltered, or unaware about. Also, it strengthens
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march issue 2019 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
Sports
Super bowl LIII, what lies beneath the surface? The Super Bowl consistently has the most viewers out of any broadcast in the United States, the peak of which was one hundred fourteen million viewers in Super Bowl XLIX in 2015 between the Seahawks and the Patriots. Most people watch the Super Bowl for the football game itself, but that is not the only part that fans love about the event. The halftime show, which was performed this year by Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi, is another major attraction for people who may not be football fans. One other non-football related attraction of the Super Bowl is the advertisements. Because of the massive amount of viewers, the Super Bowl is a great platform for reaching broad audiences. Corporations use the Super Bowl to broadcast their services to massive TV audiences in what always becomes the most impressive commercial event of the year. In Super Bowl LII, the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33. Advertisements for that game cost 5 million dollars for a 30 second interval. During last year’s NBA finals, ads cost an average of seven hundred sixty thousand dollars, and during the World Series, ads cost around five hundred thousand. These advertisement spots are highly sought after. Back in 2002, Super Bowl ads cost half of what they do now at around 2.3 million dollars per 30 second interval. Over the last fifteen years, Super Bowl ads have developed both financially and functionally. Now the fun part of the Super Bowl commercials are, of course, the content. Everybody loves a good commercial. Whether it be heartwarming, humorous,
or captivating, if the ad’s creator can do a good job, it is sure to gain some attention. That is just what Budweiser did in 2014 and 2015 with its heartwarming story of “puppy love”. The first commercial told a story of a puppy and its friendship with a horse. Budweiser followed this ad with another commercial the following year when the puppy gets lost, and after a long journey the puppy returns to the farm at night, but a wolf sees the puppy, but just as the wolf was about to attack the horses stepped in a saved the puppy in the heroic way that viewers love. This callback created a narra-
114 million viewers, but it is still a huge platform for some of the biggest brands to promote their product. One memorable commercial this year was a Pepsi commercial, which featured Steve Carell, Lil Jon, and Cardi B. A second noteworthy ad is a Coca Cola one, which coined the quip “A Coke is a Coke”. Some other notable commercials came from Bud Light, with their Game of Thrones mashup, Doritos, who featured Chance the Rapper and the Backstreet Boys, and Toyota with their commercial featuring Antoinette “Toni” Harris, who was the first woman to officially be offered a football scholarship by Bethany College. The NFL’s 100 years commercial was highly anticipated and memorable as it featured NFL stars of the past and present. Jenks Whittenburg, Computer teacher, in the Upper School also reminisce about commercials that he found memorable this year. “There was one with a lot of NFL players eating dinner, it was cool seeing all the old and new players together.” It is clear that this leaves a memory on any fan of the sport. He also talked about Super Bowl ads as a whole. “It (Super Bowl Commercials) adds to the whole excitement of the super bowl and you wonder who might have the best commercial that year.” And on the ad’s cost, “It’s all supply and demand, so the The logo for Super Bowl LIII, the most recent Super Bowl market will always dictate that between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots. price.” Clearly the Super Bowl is tive which viewers could follow throughout the years. a major platform, and what top brands are able to do Creative attempts to stand out like this are common with their 30 seconds to prove why their product the among super bowl ads. best are always exiting. Many people love the Super The Super Bowl is the most widely watched broad- Bowl for the football and maybe the halftime show, cast in America. It was estimated that almost 99 mil- but learning about the ads and how much they can lion people watched the Super Bowl this year. This mean to society is very interesting. The advertisers number has dipped since 2015, which again reached and the organizers just have to use their time wisely. wikipedia.com
Dylan Roskovensky ’20 Sports Writer
Winter Sports overview: a recap of how all of the teams have succeeded this year Craig lyttleton Sports writer As the winter sports season draws to a close, Quakers sports teams are closing the door on what was a strong season all around. With their preseason goals in mind, the teams are finishing with all around impressive performances. Here is a summary of Quakers sports teams and their accomplishments during the winter season. At the end of the regular season, the Boys Basketball Team sits slightly above 500 with a record of 11-9. They finished a strong regular season with an impressive win against Salesianum High School, which is always an impressive feat, and A.I. Dupont High School, which ended with Timmer Farley ’19 sinking an impressive floater from three point range to take the lead. This season has not been easy for the Quakers, as they have had their handful of challenges and adversity. The Quakers end the season with optimistic hopes for the future. Earlier in the season,
“Everyone understand that we’re in a spot where these next games will determine whether we make the playoffs, so we’re very focused and determined. We know if we play up to our potential we can win these last games and after we do that, which is all we can control. We’ll see where we end up.” The Girls Basketball Team also ends their regular season with an impressive record of 12-8. Their final game was their senior night, which they won at home against Smyrna in an exciting 54-51 victory, in which there were impressive shooting performances from both Ajala Elmore ’20 and Madison McCoy. Before that game, the team said farewell to senior captain Katrina Nix, who has been a member of the girls basketball team for four years, and Senior Manager Alonia Needs. The Girls Basketball Team looks forward to next season with much promising young talent, including Margo Gramiak ’22 and Kayla Farley ’21, who put up an astonishing 30 points, including 5 threes, in their 55-51 win over Tower Hill. Despite being outnumbered in a few tournaments,
March ISSUE 2019 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY
Senior Michael Mckenzie commented on the attitude of the team entering their last few games, and this sentiment is reflected in how they played: “We went into the season with less numbers than we have had in the past, but we still managed to develop as a team and accomplish some quality wins. We improved a lot and I am proud of what we were able to do this season.” The team had an impressive showing in the DIAA Independent School State Qualifying Tournament, with Donald Morton ’22 finishing second, Maxwell Leffler ’22 finishing third, Luke Munch ’21 finishing fourth, Nate Crock ’19 finishing fifth, and Peter Cauchy ’19 finishing 6th. The swim team had a strong All-Conference showing this year, with Ashley Chompre ’20 and Kira Agne ’23 being named first team, Leila Mulveny ’21 being named second team, and Leah Agne ’21 and Marcel Stewart ’22 being named honorable mention. With the sun setting on the winter season, Friends’ student athletes look toward a new horizon that awaits them in the fall.
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Sports/puzzles Spring sports preview: what each team has in store for the season The winter advanced quickly and sneakily, so much so in fact that the spring sports season is upon us. March first begins the season for the six sports and for the eight teams who will compete. As spring sports begin, each team enters with a series of goals, expectations, and standards for themselves. Girls soccer coach Scott Clothier, whose team made it the quarterfinals of the tournament had this to say. “I’m really excited to see how, we gel, we graduated seven seniors last year, so now is a great time for the younger players to step up and show what they can do.” After losing to Sanford in the quarterfinals, the team looks to make it back to the playoffs for the third year in a row. Baseball coach John Huxtable also felt optimistic about his team’s chances this year. After finishing with a 15-4 record and were undefeated in the conference, the team enters the 2019 season looking to accomplish even more. When asked if there was any pressure after such an impressive season, Huxtable stated, “No, I think the pressure is in letting go of last year, I have no interest in referring to last year, other than the things we learned from it.” Out of the thirty-one players on the Varsity and JV teams, only four were seniors. In fact, thirteen of the thirty-one were sophomores, including the DISC player of the year Wyatt Nelson. Heading into their inaugural season, the golf team is poised to make a statement in their first time out on the course. When I asked head coach Sue Kampert what she was looking forward to, she commented, “I really want to get this program off to a good start and
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push the fundamentals and etiquette of golf, I am also really looking forward to coaching boys and girls, because I’ve only ever coached girls.” The golf team has the opportunity to practice at the Bidderman Golf Course, which is ranked as one of the premier courses in the state of Delaware.
The team needs to fill the spots of the eight seniors who graduated in 2018, including 1st Team All State offensive threats Eric Pincus and River Harper. They are also looking to win the DISC conference for the fourth year in a row, which Coach Rashkind acknowledged as no small feat. Another team that looks to accomplish many things this spring season is the Girl’s Lacrosse team. When I asked head coach Jess Franklin what she was most excited about with regards to the upcoming season, she elaborated with, “I am extremely excited to work with this group that is so full of enthusiasm! All the coaches are looking forward to watching them put maximum effort and energetic attitudes into games and practices. Plus they are a big group of inspiring and determined athletes.” Two other team’s that look to improve on the success from last year were the Boys and Girls Tennis teams. The girl’s team looks to improve upon from a season and live up to high expectations, with a team full of underclassmen, while the boy’s team looks to do the same. The Spring Track team will also look to follow up a great 2018 season with even better in 2019. Last years team saw many compete at the State Championships, and even a few wins, including Connor Nisbet, a senior who is “ecstatic about the upcoming season, and he has high hopes for the team.” As the season nears, there is a feeling of excitement from the coaches to the athletes, in what is shaping up to be a fantastic 2019 spring sports season. We wish all of the Quakers sports teams good luck, and we here at the Whittier are sure that they will do great! @reh_630 on instagram.com
Nathan rashkind ’20 sports writer
The Quaker Lacrosse team before their semi-final game against Dover High School
When asked what he is most excited about for the upcoming season, Boys Lacrosse coach Jake Rashkind said simply, “I’m looking forward to the energy that the team can have, we aren’t going to a big team, so it’s a matter of coming together relying on each other, and of course having some fun.” The Quaker Lacrosse team looks to follow up their second straight trip to the state semifinals with another great season.
March ISSUE 2019 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANY