Whittier Welcome 2016

The

Whittier Miscellany ESTABLISHED 1884 • WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • WILMINGTON, DELAWARE

A Look at the year ahead a freely obtained firearm.

Similarly, when Jodi Lessner reported back after the 2015 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism ConferEach summer we come back to school a little differ- ence, she shared that the national delegates had attendent, externally a bit older and tanner with new hair or ed a private taping of Meet the Press, during which host new clothes, internally with three more months of life Chuck Todd and presidential candidate Mike Huckaunder our belts. It always strikes me that, after those bee discussed the issue of gun violence in the wake of three months, we go back to a place where people re- the mass shooting in Charlestown, South Carolina. It member us exactly how we were before the summer seems more than a sad coincidence that a year later, my started. We struggle not to revert to the freeze-dried Free Spirit class sat in the exact same room and listened versions of ourselves but to incorporate our new life to Chuck Todd discuss gun violence in the wake of the experience into our school identities and to evolve mass shooting in Orlando, which had happened just a from there. This school year, many of us are feeling week before our conference. While I don’t have an anthe challenge more acutely, as the summer of 2016 swer, I am also dumfounded that change has not come included tragedies like the mass shooting in Orlando, about sooner. At seventeen years old, I don’t want to be the bombing in Nice, the slaughter of police officers used to school shootings. I don’t want to be unaffectin Dallas, ongoing violence across the globe, and a ed when a suicide bomber detonates in a café or when US presidential election that has elicited more vio- a runner is raped and killed in a park or when racial lence, hatred, and divisiveness than many of us have tensions claim yet another victim. It begins to feel imwitnessed in our lives. We simply couldn’t remain un- possible, however, to imagine a solution in the midst of changed, nor, I would argue, can we afford to be. so much violence. In addressing the Free Spirit Class of Winston Churchill once said, “Never let a good 2016, author Charles C. Haynes cautioned the margincrisis go to waste”, and the horrors of the summer of alization of single shooters or dramatic acts of violence.

2016 provide enormous opportunity to confront the Instead, he encouraged us to view tiny acts of prejudifficult societal issues that have been exposed. Rather dice, any off-handed and self-justified hate speech, and than surrender commonplace to the opindemonstrations ion-fueled and of superiority adversarial disand “otherness” course, Whitas threats to our tier 2016-17 shared peace, challenges our stating, “It’s not community to one crazy person. do better - to It’s a culture. It’s a use this forum climate.” to educate, to As uncomfortinform, to dig able as it may be, deeper. To step we cannot lament away from the global violence notion of sides without taking and to spotresponsibility for light our colthe presence of lective quest its vestiges in our for peace. own homes and An informed school.

While peace - one many people that bravereading this are ly substitutes fortunate enough Students from all over the country gathered in Washington D.C. this summer for perspective for to live in comthe Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference. opinion, one munities that enthat supports our shared pursuit of bold, reasoned courage free speech and integration of ideas and peosolutions. ple, we still see glimpses of every day in the cafeteria Internally, the writers and editors of Whittier will and on Twitter and even in the classroom. Every time challenge ourselves to delve deeper into complicated we hear, “of course you’d say that, you’re *this race, issues through research, community polling, and ex- that religion, this social class, that gender* we are witpert interviews. In addition, we encourage students nessing the climate to which Mr. Haynes referred - the and faculty of Wilmington Friends to become involved climate that defines enemies, the climate that makes with our exploration, as we endeavor to draw upon the people feel “other.” Importantly, our divisiveness belies richness of our diverse life experiences to broaden our deep fear and a disregard for the opportunities affordpresentation of today’s news. ed by our shared humanity. It is the us and them menThe urgency cannot be overstated. As tempted as tality that has put our world into chaos. we might be to hide behind the beautiful walls of our Returning to Friends for the 2016-17 school year, school, we learned this summer that no one is immune my co-editor and I decided that Whittier itself could from the violence borne of our nation’s unresolved cri- be a vehicle for the type of change we seek. Of course ses. I will admit to feeling terrified last July when I took we will still feature all the exciting sports, entertainmy seat at the United Nations Foundation’s annual Gir- ment, and community updates we have all grown to lUp summit, recognizing that its purpose of securing love, but we hope you will also join us in celebrating basic freedoms for girls, like the right to a birth certif- and creating the type of discourse necessary to move icate or education, might inspire the rage of someone beyond the violence to which we choose not to become emboldened by misogynistic diatribes and armed with accustomed. http://www.k12academics.com

Sadie Proud ’17 CO-Editor-in-chief

WFS SUMMER CAMPS ARE FUN FOR ALL LINDSAY WEBER ’17 FEATURES EDITOR As Wilmington Friends School commences another exciting year, many of us may be reflecting on an exciting and leisurely summer. Many students and faculty spent time away; whether they travelled, enrolled in a camp or program, or made many trips down to the beach. But much of our community chose to spend their summers right here on campus, as they worked or enrolled as a camper in one of the four summer day camp programs at WFS. The 4 programs Friends has to offer are: the ‘mighty munchkins’ (pre-K), ‘eager eagles’ (grades K-1), ‘big kids’ (grades 2-5), and middle school (grades 5-9). However, the camps are not limited to those age groups as those in grades 1012 and even alums can apply to be CITs or camp counsellors. Each of the camps has its own unique themes and activities that cater to its respective age group, ensuring a specialised and fun-filled experience for all campers.

Margaret Sullivan ’17, worked as a camp counselor this past summer at the Middle School camp, which takes place on the main Upper/Middle School campus. She said of the experience: “It’s a lot of fun with a mix of high school students and alumni working as counsellors.” Sullivan explained that the average day generally began with games outside, and dodgeball was a popular indoor activity. “We turned the cafeteria into our own ‘homebase,’ where we set up ping pong tables and other activities,” she added. Overall, Sullivan emphasized that a lot of the daily activities are left up to the campers: they have the chance to vote everyday on what they’d like to do, and the counselors comply.

The middle school campers have a great sense of freedom that comes from choosing their own pastimes. Additionally, many meaningful relationships spark between campers and counsellors alike, forming the foundation of the camp experience.

Alyssa Nathan ’17 spent her summer as a camp counsellor at the Lower School camp, which takes place on the Lower School campus grounds. “The camp typically runs from either 8-4 or 9-5,” Nathan explained, “and starts out with games outside on all days except for Wednesday, where we bowl in the morning. At 9am, the campers split up into groups.” Several activities are offered for campers, such as PE, art, and even cooking. “There’s really something for everyone,” Nathan added. After lunch, most campers hit the pool, but on occasions, campers make an afternoon trip to the ice rink for skating. On Fridays there is usually some sort of special activity: according to Nathan, “one time there was a slip n slide!” Just like at middle school camp, many of the fondest camp memories came from bond formed between campers and counsellors.

Overall, counsellors at WFS summer programs work hard to ensure that each camper has a special experience. Why not spend your summers at WFS? There are four different camps to choose from, and campers and counsellors alike agree that Friends camp is a great way to fill their summer days.

Civil War Becomes Crisis MIA: ENTERTAINING END TO SUMMER Leah Johnson ’18 katrina skibiki ’17 news editors

Mike coons ’18 abby kleman ’18 entertainment EDITORs With summer winding down, many people look for something enjoyable to do during Labor Day weekend to People enjoy going to the beach, laying out at the pool, or grilling out during this holiday weekend. But what better way is there to end the summer than with a music festival? “Made in America” is a two-day festival where accomplished singers and DJs perform. Established in 2012 by esteemed rapper, Jay-Z, “Made in America” was first held in Philadelphia but then moved to Los Angeles until returning to Philly again. Every year, along with various music artists, “Made in America” hosts two headliners, one per each night. Pop singer Rihanna performed on Saturday night, while alternative rock band Coldplay gave their last ever performance on Sunday night. Many students from Wilmington Friends School attended “Made in America” this summer.

Over the summer, various friends might become disconnected after not seeing each other everyday. It is important for friends to still keep in touch at this time of year, and “Made in America” definitely brings people together through the passion of music. Emma Davis ’18 attended “Made in America” with her close friends: “I loved Made in America because it was really fun to spend the last weekend of summer with all of my friends while listening to great music.” Ending the summer with friends while sharing a love for music creates great bonding experiences and endless memories. Ryan Fischer ’18 music enthusiast, remembers, “The experience was so much fun! There was a lot of music, great friends, and great food!” It is definitely clear that Davis and Fischer, along with other Friends students, were happy to spend time with friends at the festival.

The lineup at this year’s festival was full of big names, drawing huge crowds. Some of the performers included Rihanna, Coldplay, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne, Martin Garrix, and Travis Scott. On top of all of these famous sets, the festival was filled with moments that were everything from wild, to sad, and everything in between. An example of this was the somber yet celebratory mood during Coldplay’s last time playing together. Mixed into almost every set was some act that made the entire crowd stop and stare. Whether it was Travis Scott jumping off stage to climb a tree, or Jay Electronica calling over a thousand fans to rush the stage, the performers knew how to give the festival goers a once in a lifetime experience. What really shone through the festival and its moments of chaos and joy were its moments of unity. Every walk of life was represented at Made in America, yet there were no major fights or signs of conflict.

With so much tension and violence in our country these days, Made in America was a light of hope for unity, even through something as simple as music.

With all of the upcoming assignments and activities that school brings to the table, simply enjoying music is an excellent way to end the summer. With all of the work that they have to do, students can become stressed throughout the school year and even sometimes in the summer. After completing all of their summer work, it is enjoyable for students to take a deep breath and have the final weekend to themselves. Nick Gauthier ’17 added, “Made in America was a great way to let loose and clear my mind of stress for the upcoming school year with good music and friends. It was the perfect end to summer as the music let me escape, reminisce, and forget everything on my mind while prolonging the last hours of the summer.” “Made in America” is definitely an enjoyable event and a great way to live the last days of summer to the fullest.

Although “Made in America” was a cherishable way to end the summer with friends, music, and limited stress, everyone is getting back into the school mode. Even though students are back in classes, they will carry these music festival memories with them into the exciting new school year!

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With the chaos of the November election coming up, it can be easy to forget about the rest of the world.

However, right now is a crucial time for the residents of Aleppo, Syria. For the past few months the Syrians have been living in a war-torn city, and their situation has quickly become a humanitarian crisis. What has become a five-year conflict is now coming to a climax in Aleppo as rebels and pro-government forces fight for control of the city. Fighting in the city has maximized civilian deaths, which, according to the Washington Post, is at least 400,000 people.

The conflict started as a pro-democracy protest in 2011. However, the conflict turned violent when government forces shot demonstrators in the streets. The violence did not end the conflict, but escalated it, and the demonstrators began to fight back. The resulting civil war has divided Syria into areas controlled by the government regime, the rebels, and ISIS. In Aleppo, the city itself is divided in half, and in boths sides there has been an enormous death toll and infrastructure damage.

The pro-government forces that hold the western side of the city are using bombing tactics to capture the eastern rebel-held districts. The bombings in the city have been incessant, and they have affected the civilians most of all. Chamby Zepeda, Spanish teacher, commented, “The crisis in Syria is such an unfortunate situation. So many have died since this civil war began back in 2011. I don’t know much about the details, but I do know that the relations between the US and Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, are at best lukewarm.

He doesn’t seem to be doing much to help out his own people. Consequently, many Syrians must find refuge in other countries, and by doing so, they’ve had to face hardship and severe discrimination.” All life has been halted in the city as people are afraid to go outside or continue with their lives. Children are unable to go to school, parents risk their lives just to go to work, and the citizens are cut off from provisions.

There is no foreseeable end to the conflict. Pro-government forces are backed by Russia, and are well supplied. Rebels refuse to give up, and have a tight hold on the eastern districts. In their pursuit of destruction, neither side has considered the lives of the civilians caught in the crossfire.

Most recently a power plant was the victim of bombings by the pro-government forces. This power plant pumped water to millions of people on both sides of the city. As of now, according to Al Jazeera, there are 275,000 people that have been cut off from food, water, medicine, and electricity for over a month. It’s very difficult to fix infrastructure and provide people with food during the conflict, and in addition to the bombings, the warring groups have refused humanitarian aid for civilians in need.

In the bombings, hospitals and schools have become targets. This has further limited civilians in getting help, and has caused thousands of deaths. The UN calls for the war to be moved away from the city, but the bombings have not ceased.

Movements towards peace have been slow and mostly unsuccessful. There were talks in early 2014, but unfortunately for the citizens of Aleppo, the talks broke down because of the government’s refusal to discuss demands. There have been some successful local ceasefires, but no nation wide end to the violence. The world hasn’t taken much action towards the crisis in Aleppo, and many people are ignorant of the Syrians’ struggle. Betsy Cepparulo, Global Peace and Justice Teacher, noted, “Syria’s crisis, as with those in other nearby nations recently, is a struggle that should not be foreign to Americans; it’s a struggle for democracy. The dictatorships and monarchies that have been in place for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years, are no longer desirable to citizens. All over the world, we see people standing up for their rights, for a say in their lives, for a voice in determining their own fates. We take these rights for granted at times, but we should feel lucky to have them. We should feel empathy for those seeking democracy, and we should act accordingly.

Before judging, ask what you would do if you wanted freedom. Would you move? Would you fight? Would you start a nonviolent campaign in the face of violent attacks?” Unfortunately, there is too much silence and inactivity in regards to the humanitarian crisis.

It’s 2016, as people all over the world are saying, why are some many people still lacking such basic necessities as food, water, and shelter? Millions of refugees are pouring out of Syria to escape the violence, but not all can leave. Lena Urick ’17 added, “There are so many displaced people and nowhere for them to go. We see this again and again in history, and it is one of the inevitable effects of war.” However, some of the people of Aleppo are attached to their home and city, and still choose to reside there despite the violence.

FALL SPORTS primer Alice irwin ’18 matt tornek ’17 sports EDITORs

It is the beginning of the school year, which means the start of a new athletic season at Wilmington Friends. The fall season consists of six teams: football, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, and boys and girls cross-country. This year, each of them appear to be eager and prepared for the season ahead, all with unique goals and members.

The football team has enjoyed a plethora of success the past couple seasons, making it to two consecutive state semi-finals. Their expectations are no lower this season. Led by senior captains Justin Beneck ’17, Matt Denney ’17, Henry Gise ’17, and Andrew Jaworski ’17 the Quakers have their sights set on making it back to the playoffs. Beneck ’17 detailed, “We have high hopes for the season, but we are going to have to play one game at a time. We hope to get back to the semi-finals, and we could have won that game last year if we did a few things differently. We definitely need 8-1o wins to get back to the playoffs so that’s the top thing on our mind.” It is certain that the whole Wilmington Friends community will be cheering on the football team as they look forward to an exciting 2016 season.

The field hockey team is equally motivated for the season ahead. This year’s squad is led by Scott Clothier, Jessica Franklin, and new addition to the coaching staff, Betsy Cepparulo, along with senior captains Blair Atkins ’17, Simone Veale ’17, and Lydia Yeatman ’17.

Veale expressed, “I am very excited for this season because I know that we have a lot of potential and I believe this could be the best team I have been a part of. I am so happy to be able to help lead such a great group, and I think I can speak for my co-captains, and the entire team, when I say that if we push ourselves, we can go far.” Last year, field hockey’s record was 10-5 and they lost in the first round of the state tournament, but

they are enthusiastic and looking forward to a hopefully improved upcoming season.

The volleyball team anticipates another strong season. Following last year’s impressive 12-2 record and successful run in the state tournament, captains Alyssa Nathan ’17, Alex Musi ’17, and Katrina Skibicki ’17 and all hope for another thrilling season. Nathan remarked, “I am looking forward to experiencing the excitement of high-intensity volleyball and getting to share that feeling with all of our fans and our competitive, hard-working team. We become really close on and off the court, which makes the whole season that much better.” The entire community looks forward to sharing the same excitement as the team in this year’s season.

The soccer team is looking to capitalize off of a winning season last year. Although many seniors graduated last year, the team has a nice mix of older experience and new talent that could help them get to the playoffs.

The team is led by captains Chris Lee ’17, Danny Manley ’18, and Max Pickles ’18, who are all dedicated to the season ahead. Senior captain Chris Lee commented, “I am excited and looking forward to the upcoming season because we have a young team with a bright future. We have the potential as well as the talent to be very successful.” With their goals set high, the soccer team is excited about the incoming talent and the upcoming season.

The boys and girls cross-country teams are determined to have a successful season. Their captains are Sarah Gooderham ’17, Margaret Sullivan ’17, Ryan Fischer ’18, and Andrew Slomski ’17 and, who are all eager for the next few months ahead. Sullivan noted, “After a tough but fun preseason, which included tiedye and a beach trip, we are hoping to have a great season with returning, strong upperclassmen as well as young talent.”

Whittier wishes all the teams amazing luck in the season ahead!

WELCOME ISSUE 2016 THE WHITTIER MISCELLANEY