the index The student voice since 1888
The Haverford School · Haverford, PA 19041 · October 2020 · Volume 88, No. 2 · thsindex.org
Mac Zeller ’21 and Seneker Zelov ’21 studying in-person alongside Franklin Dai ’21 and Taejon Williams ’21, pictured on the screen
TILAK PATEL ’21
Teachers manage varied learning experiences
Jingyuan Chen ’23
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s the new school year started with a ‘new normal’ in place, many students were left unsure about what the reopening of campus might look like. Because the school is offering both inperson and virtual curriculums as a part of this year’s agenda, there was a split between students’ decisions on how to attend school. It has been nearly a month since school started, so many are wondering: how in-person and virtual students feel about their respective reimagined school lives. Fourth Former Colin Kelly said, “When I got the email that we were going back inperson, I was pretty excited. I was confident
that Haverford and Dr. Nagl would do a good job to keep everyone safe.” After a month, his expectation hasn’t failed him. “We’re wiping down our desks, everybody’s wearing masks, and the teachers are pretty strict,” Kelly said. “If your nose just comes out of the mask a little bit, they [the teachers] will point it out that you have to keep your mask on. They have done well so far.” Kelly noted that the safety regulations have been strictly followed, but Fourth Former Nathan Mirin disagrees. “Following the protocols has been pret-
ty much as expected for the first couple of weeks, but as time wore on, the threat of the pandemic would feel less and less. I am aware that especially in the hallways, there’s very little social distancing. We may be switching to studying virtual: something that I still think will happen in the future,” Mirin said. Aside from health and safety protocols, the workload during the first month has also been one of Mirin’s concerns. “The schedule has been hard on most people. I am in two honors classes right now. So I feel that frequently I’ve gotten a lot of homework, but it has leveled out a little bit. I feel like I’ve been getting a fair amount,
maybe a little bit too much, but I’m fine with it,” Mirin said. Kelly seems to agree, “I’ve been hit pretty hard with homework because I have class every single day. It’s weird. We’re basically a month ahead of what we would normally be.” School life was surely not easy, but there’s always a way to harvest enjoyment from these hard days. cont p. 13
Diversity Alliance pushes for Honor Council voting rights, diversity measures Agustin Aliaga ’21
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he Diversity Alliance opened the new school year presenting ten demands regarding the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Notably, the alliance advocated that the Diversity Liaisons to the Honor Council, two elected Diversity Alliance members who sit in on all DEI cases that appear before the council, should have full privileges in hearings. In the past, they have not been granted voting rights when deciding Honor Council decisions. The Diversity Alliance believes the liaison deserves voting right in DEI-related cases for a number of reasons, each of which may have valid counter-arguments that the Honor Council has been considering.
Baseball showcase, p. 24
AGUSTIN ALIAGA ’21
The most important factor of the debate, the Diversity Alliance suggests, are the few students of color on the Honor Council. “The underrepresentation of students of various backgrounds on the council itself presents an issue that the DA [Diversity Alliance] has been putting forward into the limelight for some time now,” Sixth Form Diversity Alliance Vice-Chair Kethan Srinivasan said. “Our student body is a diverse body of people, beliefs, and spirit, and the council should [be] representative of that. However, the council members we vote for tend to not always reflect that.” COURTESY OF COMMUNICATIONS
Honor Council member Jahmiel Jackson ‘20 signs at the induction assembly
cont p. 6
Orchestra, p. 23
AGUSTIN ALIAGA ’21
Teachers tackle new schedule, p. 12
JEFFERY YANG ’22
Vice President Joe Biden p. 19
WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
the index · editorial
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the index 2020–2021 Staff Agustin Aliaga ’21 Editor-in-Chief Matthew Schwartz ’21 Editor-in-Chief Tyler Zimmer ’21 Editor-in-Chief Mitav Nayak ’222 Managing Editor Ryan Rodack ’22 Managing Editor Jeffery Yang ’22 Managing Editor Quinn Luong ’22 News Editor
editorial
The Index endorses Joe Biden
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hile as editors of The Index we do not wish to add to the political divisiveness that exists within our school and our country at this time, we feel it is our duty to promote the candidate who best represents the values of our school, which are inculcated and each and every one of its students: this candidate is unequivocally former Vice President Joe Biden who wishes to mend the wounds of racism and to restore political civility to our nation’s great democracy. While we understand that much, if not the majority, of our school community iden-
tifies itself with the values of the Republican party, we feel that this is not a time to vote among party lines. 2020 is a year that has not followed precedent of any kind, and so we urge you to find the courage to do what is right for our community. Recently, our community has suffered immensely in two ways; the first and most present right now is around the issue of race. We, as a school, have consistently alienated students of color, and their voices have now been heard with the growing presence of the Black Lives Matter movement; however, as the Diversity Alliance has often said, change
Joey Kauffman ’22 Features Editor Jingyuan Chen ’22 Academics Editor Connor Pinsk ’23 Neighborhood Editor Austin Zhuang ’22 Campus Opinions / Design Editor Michael Tallarida ’21 Off-Campus Opinions Editor Kethan Srinivasan ’21 Arts Editor Ms. Emily Harnett Faculty Advisor Mr. Thomas Stambaugh Faculty Advisor
The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at index@haverford.org. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed using the applications of Google Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud. Its surveys are conducted via Google Forms and are advertised on email to current Haverford students. Graphic designs are created by Index staff via Canva. Southern Dutchess News prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1152 community members, consisting of 952 students and 200 faculty and staff members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index Volume 88, No. 2 - October 9, 2020
October 2020
2020-21 Editorial Board (clockwise from upper left, Editors-in-Chief Agustin Aliaga ‘21, Matthew Schwartz ‘21, Tyler Zimmer ‘21 and Managing Editors Jeffrey Yang ‘22, Ryan Rodack ‘22, and Mitav Nayak ‘22)
must come from the top down. For this reason, we need a president who can empathize with the marginalized communities of our country in a way that is genuine and will incite permanent change. We, as young people of this country, need a model for what is right to sit in the office of the president, not a person who, intentionally or not, has created large amounts of divisiveness surrounding this issue. Vice President Biden will provide the solidarity needed to move forward on unifying our country. Similarly, Vice President Biden will unify us in restoring political correctness and a long standing American tradition of respectful political debate. We have noticed and participated in far too many heated political battles in the halls of our school to support a candidate who will only add to them. We hope that having an experienced politician and man of character such as Joe Biden in the office of the president will bring our community closer and allow us to learn how to better express and discuss our opinions. This election is not one for party politics or voting on political ideology. This election has become about the character of our country and ultimately our school, and while we hope this piece will cause you all to think about what kind of candidate you truly want as our next president, we fully understand if you disagree for this is the essence of a democracy. However, if we reelect the current president, we fear that this will no longer be the normal: where the two sides of our party system grow further apart and slowly lose respect for the other. So for the sake of our school and of the country it resides in, The Index would like to formally endorse the Democratic nominee for the presidency, former Vice President Joseph Biden.
Letter from the student body president Cyril Leahy ’21
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t 9:00 pm on September 29th, I was anticipating a riveting debate between thought leaders of the free world; by 10:30, I was convinced America was on the brink of collapse. The night was appallingly hilarious. Both President Trump and former Vice President Biden spoke out of both sides of their mouths, with faulty evidence flying left and right. The lack of decorum by the sitting President perpetuated pettiness between the candidates, with the night’s best quote encapsulating America’s feeling on the two 70-year old politicians: “Will you shut up, man?” The night’s comedy eventually gave way to fear. President Trump’s language in regards to the Proud Boys instantly caused a media firestorm. In the same breath, Vice President Biden’s constant laughter came across as childish. His retorts subverted his winning strategy to let the President look unprofessional. In the weaning minutes of the debate, I sat back and sighed. No matter your feelings on either of these candidates (I would have to say I’m with Joe, though), this debate revealed the true corruption of the American democracy. Politics has become a nest of corruption, elder statesmen, and incompetence. Our government moves with less efficiency each day, now matter the leader, our pool of candidates frankly getting worse every cycle. And my love for our country brought me great inspiration. Because this display may have actually been what America, and Haverford, needed all along. For many years, frustration about the federal government has grown. Voters grow tired of constant promise with little accountability. And young
COURTESY OF CYRIL LEAHY ’21
people are beginning to realize that it is time to change the guard. Chatter of the debate dominated the hallways the day after it occurred, with students expressing a resounding sense of embarrassment. Apply this view to your own life. Are you making laughable choices? Are you setting yourself up for success? Haverford is an institution that creates incredible leaders in
this great country. To be a Haverford man is to be an American; a man of bravery, courage, integrity, and brotherhood. So let our Virtues guide you. Wear masks, challenge problems, face your fears. Because we saw what happens when America drops the ball. Lets make sure Haverford doesn’t do the same.
the index · news
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October 2020
news Virtue Village gets passing marks Matthew Schwartz ‘21
While some schools have outdoor tents and others are online, Haverford has “Virtue Village.” Originally intended only to be used as classes for the middle school during the construction of their new building, Virtue Village has been instrumental in allowing the upper school to return to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. It currently sits atop the tennis courts where it is home to fourteen active classrooms, including a majority of the history department along with classes for mathematics, English, and a single foreign language course.
The class placements were created with the idea that all students... could safely be in a classroom while following CDC guidelines. “Late last spring, early in the summer, we realized that in order for us to reduce the population density in [Wilson Hall], we would need additional space and were really fortunate to have the trailers available,” Acting Head of Upper School Mr. Mark Fifer said. Along with keeping the trailers, Registrar Ms. Karen Skidmore and the upper school administration had to decide which teachers would be moved out and which could stay in the main building. A key factor in that decision was the number of students in each class. The class placements were created with the idea that all students, should they choose
Mr. Keith Belson’s C period English I class, September 24, 2020 to attend school in person as opposed to vir- tunity it offers. tually, could safely be in a classroom while “As a teacher, your classroom is like your following CDC guidelines. Some teachers sacred land, so I was definitely bummed to will even move back into Wilson Hall at the not be in my main classroom,” Mr. Long end of quarter one due to a smaller number said, “but I understand what’s going on, and of students in their new class. The history I care more about being able to teach in perdepartment often offers the larger class sec- son than I do about where I teach.” tions, which explains its increased presence Virtue Village provides few differences in Virtue Village. from Wilson Hall and subsequently, stuOne of those teachers, Mr. Brian Long, dents have expressed minimal complaints who teaches Ancient World History and Fi- regarding the condition of the facilities. nance, was disappointed moving to the trail“It’s a lot nicer than I thought the inside ers but is appreciative of the unique oppor- would be. The classrooms are bigger, plus
MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH
there are still bathrooms and Smartboards,” Sixth Former Carter McIntyre said. “The walk [from Wilson Hall] is only a little annoying, but I understand why we have to do it.”
“I think they entered the year knowing they had to be flexible, and we’re all just glad to be back in person.” MR. MARK FIFER
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ‘21
Hallway in Virtue Village’s “Respect” building
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ‘21
Although students regularly travel back and forth between Wilson Hall and Virtue Village, teachers may often feel slightly isolated from the rest of their co-workers. For example, looking around at the unplanned fire drill on the opening day of school, you would be hard pressed to spot any students or faculty from Virtue Village, as they continued on with their curriculum, unaware of the crowd forming on the football field. And just like the students, who only interact with students in their own classes, teachers in Virtue Village do not get to see their colleagues who do not work in the same building as them. “I saw Dr. Fenton in person today for the first time since March, which is pretty crazy to think about,” Mr. Long said. What makes it all worth it to Mr. Long and others by the tennis courts is the ability to control their own air-conditioning. In an attempt to make his classes a bit more exciting, Mr. Long spins an online wheel numbered 50 to 70 before each period and sets the temperature to whatever it lands on. Individual use of the thermostat throughout the trailers has worked to varying success. “It’s either way too cold or way too hot,” McIntyre said. Hopeful of no longer needing the mobile classrooms next fall, Mr. Fifer summed up the school’s feelings during these times. “You know, teachers and students have been really good-natured about it,” Mr. Fifer said. “I think they entered the year knowing they had to be flexible, and we’re all just glad to be back in person.”
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the index · news
October 2020
US students engaged in 2020 election Connor Pinsk ’23
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onald Trump and Joe Biden are the only two major figures this election cycle, so people across the country and especially new voters need to make up their minds as to who will get their vote. According to a BBC article published on October 1, Former Vice President Joe Biden is leading the national polls sitting at 51% while Donald Trump trails with 43%. When it comes to swing states, Joe Biden also leads every state other than Georgia and Texas. Regardless of Biden’s current lead, every vote still counts in swing states such as Pennsylvania, no matter whom you vote for. Fourth Former Ivan Harlamov supported Trump in 2016 and will continue to do so this year, despite the fact that he is not yet of voting age. “I saw that he was ‘America First’ and that he had America-first policies when it came to wrongdoings against our country,” Harlamov said. “I wouldn’t say that I strongly support Trump, but he is more competent and I would rather have him in office.” It is not a supreme love for Trump that keeps Harlamov on his side but rather Harlamov’s low opinion of Biden. Harlamov said, “As the great Joe Rogan has said, ‘Voting for Joe Biden is like walking into the woods with a dying flashlight.’” A common talking point on the right is the idea of “Sleepy Joe,” playing to the idea that Biden is not mentally capable of speak-
ing clearly, let alone becoming the President of the United States of America. Still, on social media, Harlamov believes Trump is at a disadvantage. Harlamov went on to comment on where he receives news on politics and social issues. “I do see a lot of information on social media, from both Democrats and Republicans. I do think that the bias on social media leans more left. I think that Trump’s biggest challenge is getting young people’s votes because a lot of young people get their information
from social media which is very Democratic.” Fourth Former Roch Parayre directly contrasts with Harlamov when it comes to politics. Despite the fact that Parayre was relatively young during President Obama’s term, he has a lot of respect for it. “Biden was part of Obama’s administration, and I believe that Obama’s term was very good and that they did great things for America. Joe Biden has been in American politics for 47 years. For eight of those years, he was Obama’s vice president,” Parayre said. “People say that Biden is illiterate and stuff like that, but compared to Trump, he is a genius.” Parayre has a different view of the idea of the “Sleepy Joe” nickname. In his opinion, the comments are not warranted. “I strongly support Biden, partly because he is not Trump, but also because Biden is also going to do what is good for this country and over the past four years Trump has just driven this country into a hole, and we need somebody to rebound from that,” Parayre said. A major talking point for many Democrats and liberals is the statement “Settle for Biden.” The disdain for Trump turns many on the left to the only other option, an option that many of them are not ecstatic about. Even though Sixth former Brendan Reilly
is focused more on the future, he believes that, for now, Trump is the better option. “I just think that Trump will do better for the country and the future of the country,” Reilly said. “I don’t strongly support Trump, but I do think that he is the better of the two. Neither candidate is very good, but there will be better ones in years to come.” Of course, family influence affects young voters. Because many adolescents are raised in households that are made up of either Republicans or Democrats, many kids stray to their parents’ side. “It is hard to vote for Trump because some people might get mad about it, but my family is Republican, and we like most of his policies,” Reilly said. Fourth Former Ben Bodle is right in the middle of the pack. “I do not like Trump or Biden, but I feel like I would have an obligation to vote overall. Because of this, I would probably vote for someone who I didn’t think would win. If you made me vote for one of the two, I would choose Trump, because I am Republican and I prefer Republican policies.” The difference in opinion is clear, but it is important to remember to stay brothers despite differences of opinion. As Thomas Jefferson said, “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as a cause for withdrawing from a friend.”
Admissions process shifts to virtual setting Ryan Rodack ’22
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uring a normal school year, the admissions process for prospective families begins with an online application, followed by a scheduled visit to campus and opportunities to interact with faculty, students, and coaches. These in-person experiences, which play a significant role in a student’s decision as to whether or not he will attend Haverford, will all shift to a virtual setting for the foreseeable future. Throughout its offseason, the admissions team worked to ensure that virtual admissions would resemble the in-person process as closely as possible. After submitting an online application, prospective students and parents will now have the opportunity to schedule a virtual meeting with one of the admissions team members. “We created an interactive campus map to showcase the different parts of campus including the different buildings and places that we thought were important,” Director of Admissions Mr. Donta Evans said. “We are going to share our screen during virtual interviews and take the families through campus by this interactive map.” In addition to the “tour” part of the virtual interview, personalization is key. In normal times, personalization would occur through the tour guide program, which has been a staple of the Haverford community for several years. This program has allowed upper school students to give prospective parents a tour of the facilities and answer parents’ questions. The “shadow” program has also allowed prospective students to experience a day in the life of a student by attending classes, assemblies, advisory, etc., for a day. “Without the in-person shadowing opportunity at Haverford, it would have been difficult to determine which school was best suited for me. My visit to Haverford gave me a glimpse of the great community and the elite academic and athletic opportunities that the school had to offer. In-person shadowing immersed me in the fantastic community, which determined that Haverford was
Signs outside the second-floor Admissions Suite the right choice for me,” Fifth Form President John Zhang said. “[The opportunity to shadow a student] showed me the atmosphere of a Haverford classroom,” Fifth Former Aidan Boyle said. “I was interested to see what the teachers were like and how the students interact with each other.” As effective as the tour guide and shadowing programs are, they will be utilized virtually on a smaller scale for the foreseeable future. “Where some of you guys may come in is when we offer the parents in the interview an opportunity to connect with someone else in the community,” Mr. Evans said. “Towards the end of the interview, I will say something like, ‘Is there anyone that you would like to be connected to? Would you like to schedule a time to talk to one of our tour guides?
Would you like to schedule a time to speak to our soccer coach? Would you like to connect with the chair of the math department?’ So, we are going to offer these personal connections with students, faculty, and coaches.”
[The opportunity to shadow a student] showed me the atmosphere of a Haverford classroom. AIDAN BOYLE ‘22 “I’ll go down my list of tour guides, and I’ll pick someone who has similar interests to that young man, and they’ll make a connection that will probably happen at some point
BERNIE ROGERS ’21
in the evening when you are not in school,” Mr. Evans said. “So, that is the extent of what we are going to use the tour guides for this year.” Although the admissions team was a bit nervous regarding how smooth the process would run virtually, the results in terms of the number of applications in the last few months have relieved many of their worries. “We had a large number of interest in applications this summer compared to previous years. A large part of that was because we were committed to opening five days a week whereas a lot of the public schools were either going to do some sort of hybrid model or not open,” Mr. Evans said. “To give you a sense of the interest we received this summer, in July we received 33 applications, while in July of 2019, we received seven applications.”
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the index ·news
October 2020
A look into Sodexo’s adjusted lunches Mitav Nayak ‘22
A
long line of restless Blackjack Chicken-craving students twists and turns its way all the way back to the hoagie bar. The students in line had the prevous block free, so they probably spent the last fifteen minutes just outside the entrance of the dining hall doors with growling stomachs, formed a large cluster, and patiently counted down the seconds until the doors opened at 11:50, when they stampeded through the doors, eager to get their hands on a warm, crisp, spicy mayosmothered chicken sandwich. Students who arrived at 11:51 were out of luck; the line was already twenty minutes long. Last year, this was a completely normal sight. If a visitor were to stroll by the dining hall on such a day, they would be bewildered, but to the Fords, this was just another Wednesday. This year, Wednesdays like these have become impossible: the Blackjack Chicken sandwich has been swapped with a wrap, the Dining Hall with the classroom, and thirty-student 11:49 cluster with six-feet distancing outside advisory. While replicating last year’s lunch food or atmosphere is impossible, the Sodexo staff has been hard at work to provide the best dining experience possible for the community. The staff has planned new strategies and adapted to reach their goals.
In the morning before the staff begins delivery, they prepare hundreds of boxes filled with the meal for the day. Director of Dining Ms. Kimberly Sprangers said, “We had to come up with a whole new way of doing food service and make sure that we could do it safely and in accordance with all the new regulations. But the biggest challenge was just figuring out how we were going to feed everybody.” “Feeding everybody” became an even greater challenge when Sodexo—perhaps surprisingly—surpassed their goal of selling 400 meal plans, about 75% of the number they would sell during a normal school year. The dining hall staff was already producing more food than originally planned when stu-
Ms. Faracchio (left) and Ms. Sprangers in an April video about Blackjack Chicken
SCREENSHOT BY MITAV NAYAK ’22
dents began to request double portions. “[Selling double portions] was a hope I had, and I communicated it a little too early,” Ms. Sprangers said. “I thought it would be possible. I didn’t think we would sell near the number of meal plans that we sold. I really didn’t think we would, so once we hit that number and we had so many [meal plan purchases], we couldn’t keep up with all the production that we needed to do. So we came to a decision that we wouldn’t be able to do double portions.” The production aspect has caused the staff to adapt, but a new aspect of this year—delivery—has been an even greater challenge. Catering Manager Ms. Maria Faracchio has taken on the role of Delivery Manager this year to face these new difficulties head-on. “I would definitely say [the biggest challenge] was figuring out the timing and where everyone needs to be,” Ms. Faracchio said. “In the beginning, it was a little more hectic, but now we kind of have it down—between how late we can run it and get it out and try and keep it as hot or cold as possible. We’ll see how fast we can get it done, and each day we’ll time it.” In the morning before the staff begins delivery, they prepare hundreds of boxes filled with the meal for the day. “We basically run an action station,” Ms. Sprangers said. “So cooks serve like an action station, but we’re taking the food and putting it into either a hot box or putting it onto a rack to deliver.” Ms. Faracchio added, “We start [delivering to the] middle school around 10:45, and they eat at 11:15. Then, we do lower school at 11:00, 11:30, and 12:00 because their lunches are spread out . . . [we begin] upper school around 11:20, because [they] eat at noon. It seems so [spread out] to be working, [but] we’re literally getting done delivering like right before the lunch period starts, which is perfect. That’s what we’re trying to do.” Ms. Sprangers is proud of her team. “These guys have really stepped up to the challenge. In the beginning, when we really started talking about this, I wasn’t sure how we were going to do it,” Ms. Sprangers said. “But my team came in and stepped up, and I’ve just been really impressed with how well they’ve taken on this challenge and really run with it.” In spite of these efforts, the Sodexo staff understands that it is going to be difficult to please all of the students this year. “You only have one option,” Ms. Sprangers said. “How many are going to like that? I can’t imagine that a hundred percent is going to be happy with that. But our main goal is to make sure [students are] nourished and to make sure everyone’s getting a well-balanced meal.” To these ends, Ms. Sprangers said, “We’ve made some changes to the menu to try to decrease some of the sugar. We had some
homemade desserts on there that were great, but they were providing a lot of sugar.” A further complication has been maintaining the classic flavors students have come to love in the dining hall.
In spite of these efforts, the Sodexo staff understands that it is going to be difficult to please all of the students this year. “We did try a blackjack chicken wrap. I don’t think that was really well received because we can’t do the condiments, and that’s what makes that sandwich. You can’t get those condiments prepackaged because it’s a recipe that we make in the back. So it has been a challenge keeping things on there that everybody likes,” Ms. Sprangers said. The staff, however, is open to suggestions. Ms. Sprangers said, “If anybody has any ideas, we can certainly try to see if we can take it, produce it, put it in a box, and deliver it.”
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the index · news
October 2020
SEN ZELOV ‘21
Sixth Former Kethan Srinivasan ‘21 looks over his schedule in My Backpack
Faculty and students review new schedule Austin Zhuang ’22
A
month has passed, and students and faculty have begun to settle into a new schedule that was constantly modified and rearranged behind the scenes to create a safe school environment. As a part of the reopening plan, administrators spent countless hours trying to create a safe but effective schedule. Starting in late last spring, the administration solicited feedback from students regarding “Virtual Haverford” and national independent school scheduling experts. Registrar Ms. Karen Skidmore attended a scheduling seminar in early June. “It was specific to redesigning schedules in light of the pandemic,” Ms. Skidmore said. “One of the many things that they talked about was all the different schedules people could implement.” Before choosing a reopening schedule model, the school had to answer a set of questions about the number of students and the amount of space available. “The first piece after the workshop was determining, can we physically fit everyone who wants to be on campus, who is able to be on campus?” Ms. Skidmore said. “So we couldn’t do anything until we were able to find out how many desks we can fit into our classrooms, and what non-traditional classroom spaces we could use.” Once these measurements were com-
pleted, the administration set four priorities: maintaining the health and wellness of the community members, establishing conditions to preserve in-person learning, ensuring that the schedule was flexible for both virtual and in-person learning, and keeping the essence of the school’s curriculum. “We didn’t want to have to get rid of existing programming because of a scheduling framework that we went with,” Acting Head of Upper School Mr. Fifer said. “For example, we didn’t want to get rid of our elective programming and take away the option to choose a number of classes.” The most pressing factor was health and wellness, and the four-quarter, three-block schedule became the solution. It enabled the school to put in practice many health-risk mitigations, like minimizing the number of peers a student comes in contact with every day and decreasing class sizes. “We realized that we couldn’t keep one group of students in one room the whole day and rotate teachers in, “ Mr. Fifer said. “Students have a variety of levels of math and languages, so cohorting them would not be possible. This landed us on the three-block schedule.” Once the school year kicked off, the final judgment came from teachers and students. “Because you only have three classes, teachers can go more in-depth with the lon-
ger periods every day,” Fifth Former Bowen Deng said. Others agree that the longer periods allowed for more learning during the school day. With ninety minutes of class time, however, teachers struggle to maintain student interest. “From the perspective of trying to keep you guys engaged and learning, it is extremely difficult,” Biology teacher Mrs. Kara Cleffi. “It’s very hard for you guys to sit there
shouldn’t even question if giving equitable voting jurisdiction to the Diversity Liaison is unrealistic—it is the bare minimum. We need to do so much more than this,” Luong said. A third component of the debate circulating among both groups is the possibility of promoting more diverse candidates in the coming elections. While the Diversity Alliance is willing to work with the Honor Council for campaigning in the future as a long-term solution, they believe the pressing matter requires short-term solutions now. Luong said, “For so long, marginalized groups have been rejected from positions of power when they are just as qualified to serve.” Regarding long-term solutions, together with the implementation of the Diversity Liaison as a voting member, the Diversity Alliance hopes to see a “zero-tolerance policy” enacted by the Honor Council. This policy would likely come in the form of an addendum to the Honor Code explicitly stating that any type of discriminatory behavior is not and will not be tolerated by the school and its community.
Srinivasan explained that ideally, this policy would aid in “imbuing those principles into the hearing proceedings and into the Honor Code.” Discussion remains tense as the Diversity Alliance is unwavering in its stance while the Honor Council looks to proceed in a way that is both fair and in line with precedent, yet also considerate of the underrepresentation the Diversity Alliance has raised. On October 2, the Honor Council released to The Index the following statement: “The Haverford Honor Council recognizes that the issues of hatred, lack of inclusion, and systematic racism have been causing pain in our own community. We want you to know that we hear you, and stand with you. We hear the demands of the Diversity Alliance; in that respect, we are excited to work with the Diversity Alliance to help change, all while representing the study body and upholding the integrity of the Honor Code and process. We know these are complex issues and want to give each point the attention it deserves. In the coming weeks, we plan on meeting with the Diversity Alliance inperson to move the dialogue forward. The
“The mask wearing has gone, I think, reasonably well.” MR. MARK FIFER
for an hour and a half and pay attention, not only when I’m talking, but when you are working on assignments.” The science department is disproportionately affected, as labs and hands-on activities, integral parts to a normal curriculum, are impossible to orchestrate safely. But teachers from other departments also feel that the time duration, among other aspects of the schedule, is difficult to manage.
“It is very difficult to keep your focus during an hour and a half,” Spanish teacher Mr. Javier Lluch said. “With regards to other parts of the schedule, the four-quarter system is going to be tough [for my class].” Still, the schedule has its positives. Mr. Lluch finds that having class every day is extremely beneficial, especially when learning a language. With regards to the other changes, like the addition of fifteen minutes passing time and longer lunch and advisory periods, the reception has been positive. “I do like the extra passing time,” Fifth Former Elijah Lee said, “especially since I have classes in Virtue Village and on the third floor of the upper school. Also, it’s nice not to worry about being late to class. Lee also found the extra time with his advisory a welcome break in the middle of the day. Deng had similar opinions about the longer lunch perivod. “They [longer lunches] allow me to get some work done in the middle of the day,” Deng said. “I can also talk with my advisor and fellow advisees.” The most controversial aspect of the new schedule is the thirty-minute flex block at the end of each day. Some, like Mrs. Cleffi, were thrilled. “I’ve actually been able to meet with students for extra help, and everybody is available then,” Mrs. Cleffi said. “I have always wwished there was a built-in help session in the schedule, so having that half hour is just great.” Mr. Lluch, on the other hand, believes the block is hit or miss, as many students either utilize it to its fullest potential or are unable to do so. “I have to take the train home,” Fourth Former Owen Yu said, “so I haven’t been able to talk to any one of my teachers at 2:45.” He does believe, however, that the flex period offers a great time slot that he would utilize if given the opportunity. Lee uses this period every day, but for purposes other than meeting teachers. “For me, that time [flex] is taken up by orchestra and Notables,” Lee said. “I think it is good to have a block set aside in the schedule.” All schedules have their pros and cons, and with the recent circumstances, it has taken Haverford much more time and effort to create the one, but so far there have been more positives than negatives. “Having lived through this schedule, I feel confident that it is the right schedule for this moment and for meeting the criteria,” Mr. Fifer said. “There are a lot of positives, both from a health standpoint and a learning standpoint, from this schedule.”
Honor council cont. Fifth Form Diversity Alliance Co-Chair Quinn Luong said, “Ever since the Honor Council was created, marginalized groups were not represented and that’s still evident today. Giving voting rights to the Diversity Liaison is simply asking for equitable jurisdiction power within a system that racially discriminates [against] them.” This argument raises perhaps the central question to this debate: “Is the Honor Council in fact a representative body?” While the Honor Council has declined to directly answer inquiries from The Index, consensus is unclear. It could be said that the Honor Council is not representative of the student body but rather was elected to represent the character of the school, therefore eliminating the idea that it must be representative of a given constituency. The second point of contention surrounding the situation is the legality of granting voting rights to an outside party. For one, granting rights as strong as these could be problematic as the Diversity Liaison is not an elected member of either organization, but rather an appointed representative. The Diversity Alliance disagrees. “We
Honor Council members, Mr. Hart, and Mr. Sataloff are open to conversation with any members of the community who want their voices heard. Stay strong, Haverford.” Luong said, “Ever since the Honor Council was created, marginalized groups were not represented and that’s still evident today. Giving voting rights to the Diversity Liaison is simply asking for equitable jurisdiction power within a system that racially discriminates [against] them.” This argument raises perhaps the central question to this debate: “Is the Honor Council in fact a representative body?” While the Honor Council has declined to directly answer inquiries from The Index, consensus is unclear. It could be said that the Honor Council is not representative of the student body but rather was elected to represent the character of the school, therefore eliminating the idea that it must be representative of a given constituency. cont p. 7
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the index · news
October 2020
Administration reviews reopening’s early days Jeffrey Yang ‘22
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fter all the grueling summer research, planning, and adjustments, faculty and staff apprehensively greeted boys back onto campus on September 9. Since then, the plans have found much success, but unexpected mishaps and areas for improvement have arisen as well. The fire alarms that rang through Wilson Hall on one of the first few days of class were unplanned, as was the subsequent conglomeration of students on the track Sabol Field. In response, Head of School Dr. John Nagl admits the event as a fault in the system but is pleased with the community’s ability to maintain safety measures amid the chaos. “That was suboptimal; it was a fault in the system,” Dr. Nagl said. “Those things happen sometimes, but we did get everybody out of the building and in good time. We did the right thing in case it had been a real, real significant event, and we did have everybody wearing masks.” Undeterred by this event, the safety measures have been largely successful. Members of the administration, including Dr. Nagl and Acting Head of Upper School Mr. Mark Fifer, are pleased with students’ compliance with wearing face masks. “The mask-wearing has gone, I think, reasonably well,” Mr. Fifer said. “You know, I think that this is going to be the piece that takes the most regular reminders for folks in order to maintain and sustain consistent adherence.”
“The mask wearing has gone, I think, reasonably well.” MR. MARK FIFER
Additionally, the majority of students logging into the Magnus Health app each morning has been critical in ensuring the health of the community. While both Mr. Fifer and Dr. Nagl initially shared concern, they were assured by students’ understanding of the app’s significance. “I think that the Magnus health stuff has also gotten good, too. I think if people are sick, they’re not coming in,” Student Body President Cyril Leahy said. “So I think it just keeps people on their toes, and I think [the app is] smart.” A less physical change that has helped mitigate virus exposure is the new schedule. The cohorts of students in the lower and middle schools, Dr. Nagl reports, keep the boys’ interaction within the same easily
JEFFREY YANG ‘22
Screenshot of Cyril Leahy ‘21 in an interview. trackable group. Mr. Fifer emphasized the significance of the new daily three ninety-minute period schedule in minimizing upper school physical interactions and, so far, the few cases. “This learning framework and structure has allowed us to dramatically decrease the number of effective contacts between students, which when we consider from a health and safety lens, is beneficial. Decreasing the number of effective contacts allows us to maximize the possibility to maintain in-person learning,” Mr. Fifer said. The upper school schedule also greatly restricts students from meeting peers outside of their classes. As student body president, Leahy has observed looser connections among the community and is saddened by the lack of opportunity to implement the changes he had planned last spring, when he was hopeful for a more typical year. Nevertheless, he is grateful to see as much of the community in person. “The nature of classes and the nature of how we have to go about this year is very physically disconnected. So I can feel the disconnection throughout the school,” Leahy said. “But it’s great to see people in the hallway and still say ‘Hi.’ You still get some of that old vibe.” The lack of interaction extends to assemblies, and clubs, and extracurricular activities. Mr. Fifer noted the difficulty of finding a time in the schedule for different groups to meet, both safely in person or virtually. “Running all of the programming that is really important to the Haverford School experience, which is the programming that
happens outside of the class and finding time to do that has been challenging,” Mr. Fifer said. “And so that’s been a challenge that we’re going to have to continue to work on. Where do we find time for student organizations to meet, student leadership groups, clubs, and organizations? Where can we find time for that to occur?” Aside from students feeling distanced, the faculty have also lost most of their interaction with their colleagues. Moments in the day where teachers previously shared ideas for their classes, discussed student situations, or just spent time together, are critical, but now almost nonexistent. “The faculty hugely looks forward to gathering together around the coffee pot in the lunchroom in the mornings and having lunch together,” Dr. Nagl said. “The new schedule that we put in place to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus is getting in the way of that very, very positive interaction and what turns out to be one of the most important parts of the school.” Furthermore, he worries that the lack of faculty interaction will affect their ability to support students who may need attention. “I’m worried that the faculty aren’t going to be as happy because they thrive on that human-to-human interaction,” Dr. Nagl said. “But, also they’re not going to be as good at identifying challenges boys are having because they aren’t mixing together as effectively. And so we’re working hard to find ways to solve that challenge.” “Parents so far have been broadly speaking delighted and are very grateful for the work the faculty and staff did over the sum-
mer, [and] for the work the faculty are doing now. The county is pleased with the steps we’ve taken and wants us to continue doing what we’re doing,” Dr. Nagl said. All those interviewed stressed the importance of maintaining the safety precautions set in place. Ultimately, students’ sustained practicing of the rules and mindfulness in their daily interactions determine the
Luong said, “For so long, marginalized groups have been rejected from positions of power when they are just as qualified to serve.” Regarding long-term solutions, together with the implementation of the Diversity Liaison as a voting member, the Diversity Alliance hopes to see a “zero-tolerance policy” enacted by the Honor Council. This policy would likely come in the form of an addendum to the Honor Code explicitly stating that any type of discriminatory behavior is not and will not be tolerated by the school and its community. Srinivasan explained that ideally, this policy would aid in “imbuing those principles into the hearing proceedings and into the Honor Code.” Discussion remains tense as the Diversity Alliance is unwavering in its stance while the Honor Council looks to proceed in a way
that is both fair and in line with precedent, yet also considerate of the underrepresentation the Diversity Alliance has raised.
the Diversity Alliance to help change, all while representing the study body and upholding the integrity of the Honor Code and process. We know these are complex issues and want to give each point the attention it deserves. In the coming weeks, we plan on meeting with the Diversity Alliance inperson to move the dialogue forward. The Honor Council members, Mr. Hart, and Mr. Sataloff are open to conversation with any members of the community who want their voices heard. Stay strong, Haverford.” Both groups plan to begin joint meetings in the coming weeks in order to better understand each other and to more efficiently arrive at a solution. The Diversity Alliance statement on the matter reads, “We are willing to work in tandem with the Honor Council to promote a more diverse Council.”
“It’s all fine until it’s not all fine until there’s a case and then we have to go through this process of contact tracing.” MR. MARK FIFER schools’ ability to remain open in-person. Mr. Fifer said, “It’s all fine until it’s not all fine until there’s a case and then we have to go through this process of contact tracing. If we’re able to maintain adherence to those health and safety practices consistently, then the web of people who will be impacted by a potential case will be much smaller and much more contained than if there are folks who are not, in which case it becomes more difficult, perhaps, to maintain in-person learning for a period of time.”
Honor council cont. The second point of contention surrounding the situation is the legality of granting voting rights to an outside party. For one, granting rights as strong as these could be problematic as the Diversity Liaison is not an elected member of either organization, but rather an appointed representative. The Diversity Alliance disagrees. “We shouldn’t even question if giving equitable voting jurisdiction to the Diversity Liaison is unrealistic—it is the bare minimum. We need to do so much more than this,” Luong said. A third component of the debate circulating among both groups is the possibility of promoting more diverse candidates in the coming elections. While the Diversity Alliance is willing to work with the Honor Council for campaigning in the future as a long-term solution, they believe the pressing matter requires short-term solutions now.
“We need to do so much more than this.” QUINN LUONG ‘22 On October 2, the Honor Council released to The Index the following statement: “The Haverford Honor Council recognizes that the issues of hatred, lack of inclusion, and systematic racism have been causing pain in our own community. We want you to know that we hear you, and stand with you. We hear the demands of the Diversity Alliance; in that respect, we are excited to work with
the index · features
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October 2020
features
Fords Alumni adjust to college coronavirus restrictions
Neetish Sharma ’19
SCREENSHOT BY BOWEN DENG ’22
Bowen Deng ’22
W
hether by furthering academic and athletic careers, or simply by offering the experience of living away from home, college is an exciting prospect for almost everyone. Many college students, especially recent high school graduates, eagerly await the start of school in September. But things are different this year. Colleges across the United States have implemented restrictions and made extensive adjustments to their fall semesters for the safety of students and faculty. “We’re doing a hybrid model,” says Harvard first-year Kwaku Adubofor ’20. “Certain students like me are still allowed on campus and can live in dorms, but all of my classes are online.” Yale junior Sam Turner ’18 is in a similar situation. “All my classes are online, but there are a few other classes that are taught on campus,” Turner says. “Although I live off-campus, I’m considered ‘residential’ in the Yale community, which sets forth community guidelines we must adhere to, such as twice-weekly testing.”
Neetish Sharma ’19, who attends Stanford University, has not been as fortunate: “We’ve been told that [Stanford] will try to push for freshmen and sophomores to return to
“There’s still a good level of social interaction that allows for an enjoyable college environment.” KWAKU ADUBOFOUR ’20 campus by the winter quarter, but as of now we’re completely online with very limited housing on campus.” Despite these guidelines and restrictions, students are still finding ways to safely gather in-person during free time. “[Harvard] is definitely a lot more strict on social gatherings; there’s absolutely no
partying allowed. At the same time there isn’t really anywhere to go off campus,” Adubofor says. “But there’s still a good level of social interactio that allows for an enjoyable college environment. For example, students have formed small study groups that gather on the steps of certain buildings,” he adds. Cameron Colucci ’20, who attends McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, has a very different social experience. “Since cases in Canada have been so much lower, I’ve been able to hang out with friends on campus and in the city as long as the police don’t shut down an establishment,” Colucci says. Police in Montreal have the ability to instantly close an establishment if they deem it unsafe. “We also have more freedom on campus and access to resources such as the library,” Colucci says. “Some classes are also taught in-person, but mine are completely online.” While online learning may present challenges, Fords alumni are navigating their way around them. “Teachers are assigning more work because they think we have more free time, but they’re more accessible since everything is online now,” Adubofor states. “For example, my calculus class has office hours every day for two hours. If I need help, I can join the meeting and someone will always be there.” Others, such as Turner, see many benefits to online learning: “The transition last spring was difficult, but I really think there’s a lot of advantages to a virtual curriculum. The ‘breakout rooms’ feature in Zoom can sometimes facilitate greater discussion than in-person class, it’s easier to ask questions in an online lecture than in-person, and asynchronous teaching allows students to learn at their own pace.” “It is a lot easier to focus alone at home without all the distractions of college life,” Sharma says. “However, I believe online learning will never replace in-person learn-
ing. Online college has led to decreasing mental health for certain people, lack of academic integrity, and classes that have been forced to cancel because of the remote environment.” Sharma uses the extra time and energy of online college to further his interests. “Since Stanford classes have changed to a pass/fail system, they have been a lot easier. I’ve been looking forward to remote internships and figuring out my future.”
“Online college has led to decreasing mental health for certain people, lack of academic integrity, and classes that have been forced to cancel because of the remote environment.” SAM TURNER ’18 Adubofor and Turner are both optimistic, particularly in regards to athletics. “Football practice has started, and I can’t wait to start playing again, especially the Harvard-Yale game,” Adubofor says. “I’m definitely looking forward to playing squash again,” Turner says. “As of now we’re working in the weight room and going on team runs, but hopefully we’ll get back into the swing of things soon.” Colucci is particularly eager to experience a full college experience in Quebec. “I am happy since Canada is handling coronavirus much better than the United States,” Colucci says, “but ultimately I look forward to witnessing everything without COVID, such as Montreal nightlife and having class on campus.”
Students content with extended advisory periods Jasir Plumer-Butler ‘23
O
ne of the things that Haverford students value the most is the time we spend together as a community. The many bonds that students form attest to the brotherhood that runs through our student body—a brotherhood that is most clearly seen during advisory time.
Advisory is the regularly scheduled interval where students meet in a space with a teacher and other advisees to discuss in-school and out-of-school matters. Last year, this block would last only thirty to forty minutes and would meet only once or twice a week, but this year, advisory is seventy-five minutes every day. This change in advisory is one part of the administration’s pandemic response. The school has taken as much precaution as possible to ensure the safety of all students and faculty on campus. All must wear masks and stay six feet apart from one another. As a part of the COVID-19 safety precautions, the administration implemented radical schedule changes. Now that students have an hour-and-a-half-long classes, one might think that there would be insufficient time for advisory—a non-essential part of our curriculum. Yet advisory now adds up to six hours and fifteen minutes per week, an 837.5% increase from last year. This may feel unusual for some students, but others have embraced the increased advisory time. “Advisory is a good time to get together and do things where we can be ourselves and not have to really worry about problems caused by the pandemic,” Sixth Former Tae-
Dr. Del Rosario’s advisory, Friday, October 2, 2020 jon Williams said. “Advisory is also a good time to relax and get some work done.” All advisories are different in their own way, but each of them reaches the same goal: to ensure students are in the right state of mind going forward in the academic year. There are many things that an advisory may do with their time together to reach this goal. For some, it may be having meaningful discussions, while for others it may be spending much of the time relaxing and not talking. In fact, the students of Ms. Surdel’s advisory have been lucky enough to watch movies during their time together. Fourth Former Connor Rall was more than happy to tell of his time in advisory.
MATTHEW WANG ’21
“I love it,” Rall said. “So much more time to relax and talk to friends.” Students may have to follow tedious rules for safety during advisory, but the feeling of community earned from spending time together makes up for this. After months of virtual socializing, it is refreshing to actually be there, eating lunch with a group of peers. Throughout all of this, each student is growing from the social interaction in advisory. New traditions are forming, new friendships are being made, and most importantly, new ideas are being shared. No matter what happens this year, students will always have advisory.
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Page 9
October 2020
Students ponder The Social Dilemma Joey Kauffman ’23
A
t this very moment, as I sit at my desk and write this article, my phone is adjacent to my computer, sitting on the counter. I know that whenever I want, I can pick it up, and in a couple of seconds, click on an app and see what my friends are doing. After that, I can go see what celebrities are doing, then check if anyone followed me, then watch a video of a person cutting a banana-shaped cake. I feel the temptation to go down this path; I know that as soon as I do, I will be rewarded with a hit of dopamine. But, I know myself—I know if I start, I will want to keep scrolling, scrolling, and scrolling. I wonder if this cycle is bad. I wonder if, maybe, life would be better without it. When I watched The Social Dilemma, a documentary on Netflix about the problems with social media, I became convinced that maybe this cycle is kind of bad, yet I wasn’t sure what to do about it. The documentary consists primarily of interviews with tech insiders, social psychologists, and academics. Together, they make a compelling case that technology companies manipulate their users, but it was one simple statistic that a social psychologist cited that convinced me that there is a problem. The psychologist’s name is Johnathan Haidt, and he works for the NYU Stern School of Business. He explained that the number of teenage girls who were admitted to a hospital because they cut or otherwise harmed themselves “was pretty stable until around 2010-2011, and then it [began] going way up.” Since 2009, this number is up 62% for older teen girls and 189% for preteen girls. But this isn’t even the worst of the statistics. The number of older teen girls committing suicide is up 70% in the last decade and up 151% for preteen girls. “Gen Z, those kids are the first generation in history that got on social media in middle school,” Haidt said. “A whole generation is more anxious, more fragile, more depressed.” This is my generation he’s talking about. Me, my friends—we are the people who are supposed to be uniquely more anxious, fragile, and depressed than any past generation, and I’m sure a pandemic isn’t helping us with any of those. Yet the worst part is that we know what causes this widespread depression and anxiety. It doesn’t come out of thin air; it comes out of social media. After watching the documentary, I knew that social media had affected me in ways that probably weren’t good, but I wanted to find out if I was alone or if the people around me—Haverford students—have had similar experiences with social media. Over the course of a week, I interviewed five Haverford students, all Fourth Formers,
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Social Dilemma poster
about their social media use. Because of the small sample size, this article can’t speak for Haverford as a whole, or even the upper school students as a whole, but it does represent the true feelings of the students I spoke to—feelings that I hope will resonate with people throughout our community. The first thing I noticed was the sheer amount of time spent on social media, especially TikTok. “Basically, when I’m bored, I go on TikTok and just waste all my time,” said Student A (names have been changed to protect students’ identities). “I wish it was gone. I hate it so much. It’s so addicting,” he said in a kind-of-a-joke tone of voice. When I asked him if he was considering deleting TikTok, he said he wouldn’t because he’ll “probably just redownload it later on.” It is for this reason that deleting social media seems like a near-impossible feat to many people, yet there was one student, Student B, who deleted both TikTok and Snapchat because of the high amount of time he spent on those platforms. When Student B did this, he faced social repercussions. He kept in touch with his friends from his old school primarily through Snapchat, and the moment he deleted his account, he lost some connections with these friends. “I can see why kids wouldn’t want to delete Snapchat ’cause that’s kind of how you keep your connections nowadays,” Student B said.
"I'm getting that sweet, sweet dopamine rush from scrolling on that feed, and they're just getting my personal data." STUDENT D ’23 Student B was not alone in feeling like he was spending too much time on social media, but he was alone in thinking that deleting the apps would solve that problem. As it turns out, most people who use social media feel like they have a hard time controlling their time on it. In The Social Dilemma, Tristan Harris, a computer scientist who left Google to start a nonprofit, tried to explain why we are so vulnerable to social media algorithms. “Realistically speaking, you’re living inside of hardware, a brain, that is millions of years old,” Harris said. “And then there’s this screen, and on the opposite side of the screen, there are these thousands of engineers and supercomputers that have goals that are different than your goals. And so, who’s going to win in that game?” Student C, a Fourth Former, said that he gets his work done on time and his social media usage is not a big problem, yet he still maintained that, at least on TikTok, “you watch it, and you just go, you keep going, and you can lose track.” When you “lose track,” it doesn’t just happen—technology companies intentionally design platforms so that psychologically, it’s nearly impossible not to “lose track.” The former president of Facebook, Sean Parker (you may know him from 2010’s The Social Network, played by Justin Timberlake), acknowledges that Facebook is “exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.” He says, “I think that the inventors—me, Mark [Zuckerberg], Kevin Systrom at Instagram— understood this consciously, and we did it anyway.” “Exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology” is, contrary to what some people
RYAN RODACK '22
Mitav Nayak '22 takes a look at The Social Dilemma think, not a win-win situation. I talked to one Fourth Former, Student D, who said, “I’m getting that sweet, sweet dopamine rush from scrolling on that feed, and they’re just getting my personal data. It’s not bad.” He said this with a fair bit of irony, but, often, this argument is not a joke. How often do you hear people say they don’t really care how much data tech companies have about them? The problem with this argument is that it doesn’t represent the relationship that social media companies have with their users. These companies aren’t stalkers who pay for your “data” simply because they are interested in you. “A lot of people have the misconception that it’s our data being sold. It’s not in Facebook’s business interest to give up the data,” said Sandy Parakilas, the former Operations Manager at Facebook. “They build models that predict our actions, and whoever has the best model wins.” What results is that Facebook and other tech companies can predict what will keep us scrolling, watching, and liking. The Center for Humane Technology, the nonprofit that Tristan Harris co-founded, made an alarming analogy to describe how social media companies keep you engaged: “Just like a tree is worth more as lumber and a whale is worth more dead than alive— in the attention extraction economy a human is worth more when we are depressed, outraged, polarized, and addicted.” Thus, it would make sense that social media algorithms recommend polarizing, unfactual content, thereby leading unsuspecting people to become entrenched in fake news. Student D said that in middle school, he fell down a rabbit hole of polarizing content on social media. Content that, as he described it, “radicalizes people.” “I would watch commentary YouTubers, and a lot of them at the time we’re really on the right side of the spectrum,” Student D said. “I would slowly dip farther to the right, more radical, worse, and worse until it got to the point where I realized where I was going, and I turned around.” He would see content that was “blatantly anti-Semitic or racist” getting upwards of 50,000 likes, and he would see comments agreeing with the post. “Before, I really didn’t think there were that many people who believed in this stuff, but then you see how many people like it,” Student D said. “It’s really weird to think that
that many people believe that [antisemitic and racist content].” Eventually, Student D realized the malice behind the content he was watching and managed to escape the rabbit hole, yet many people never get to this point—they descend further into the false content that social media platforms recommend to them, falsely believing they are finding the truth. So what did Student D do to get out of the rabbit hole and find the truth? “I kind of just stepped back from social media in general and looked at the real world and observed that [the radical content] doesn’t make sense. Like, it’s stupid,” Student D said. It was necessary to step back from social media for Student D to free himself from misinformation. For Student B, it was necessary to delete some social media accounts to limit the time he spent on his phone. I wonder whether the rest of us should follow in their footsteps, freeing ourselves from the constant advertising, misinformation, and addiction to social media. I want to say yes. I want to declare, as I reach the end of this article, that everyone “get off of social media right now!” I want to remind you that our generation is more depressed than any other, that we are addicted, that we are polarized. While all of this is true, it is also true that people will continue to use social media whether I like it or not, and they will do this because there are some truly positive sides to these platforms. And, in all honesty, I don’t plan on deleting my Instagram or Snapchat accounts in the near future either—the fear of being “left out” once I delete them is too great for me to seriously consider it.
Question how meaningful it is. Question how it makes you feel. Question everything. I can’t tell you to delete your social media accounts (without being a hypocrite), but I will tell you to do something else: question social media. Question how meaningful it is. Question how it makes you feel. Question everything.
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the index · features
October 2020
Christopher Schwarting ’24
F
or over a year, students and faculty have been anticipating the completion of the new middle school facility. Replacing the outdated Crosman Hall, the new middle school was developed to accommodate teaching in the twenty-first century, and it has now seen its first class of students fill its halls. Standing as a modern, sleek figure, the new middle school facility has three stories: one for each grade level. On each floor, a row of classrooms line one side of an expansive hallway, with lockers and gathering spaces on the opposite side. Walking through the building and comparing it to Crosman Hall, one thing is immediately clear: there is a lot more space. “One of the highlights [of this year is] the new building,” said Head of Middle School Dr. Jay Greytok. “The building is clean, it’s bright, it’s new, [and] the classrooms are big and beautiful.” It would be wrong, however, to think these larger classrooms sacrifice space in the hallways, as was the case in Crosman Hall and the temporary classrooms of Virtue Village. “The space is very inviting, there’s lots of glass, a lot of natural light, [and] it’s easy to move around,” Dr. Greytok said. In addition to the improved classroom and hallway spaces, the new building has received new creative areas to facilitate learning opportunities. One such location is called the Maker Space. “[The Maker Space] will be a place of creativity and design. We envision the boys building, creating, and designing in that room,” Middle School Dean of Students Ms. Tracy Nelson said. “Hopefully boys will use it during their free time, and we also hope to see teachers take advantage of it with their classes for projects. Our robotics program will also be housed in that space.” On the second floor, there is a space called the Learning Commons, which overlooks the building’s lobby. Like the Maker Space, it is a new collaborative area. “Boys will use [the Learning Commons] as a place to study, work in groups, and get
A tour of the new middle school The Worth Atrium of the new middle school help from the learning specialists,” Ms. Nelson said. While these new spaces are complete, they are currently serving different purposes due to the pandemic. “Unfortunately, we are using the Maker Space as a regular classroom this year,” said Ms. Nelson. “The Learning Commons is an empty space this year.” Along with these adaptations, different precautions to minimize the spread of COVID have caused some minor disruptions in the Middle School. “With any new building, there are some things that [do not] quite live up to some of our expectations, and we’re working and adjusting,” said Dr. Greytok. “We moved in rather rapidly, so there may have been some things that if we had a little bit more time, we could have noticed and had the time to fix without teachers in the building.” These setbacks include getting additional furniture dropped off and having construction workers come by to do a punch list, which is a document prepared near the end
My Truth
Quinn Luong ’22
E
ver since I came to Haverford in sixth grade, I knew I was different. Whether it was stares in the hallway or whispers in my peripheral view, I knew I didn’t fit in. I was quietly sitting at lunch and eating my food one day when I saw some kid staring at me. I could tell by his facial movements that he looked like he was sickened. “Are you eating a dog? I heard your people eat dogs. That’s disgusting, I could never eat that,” he said, revolted. I was eleven years old. In middle school, I was stuck in a section with peers who despised me. I didn’t do
QUINN LUONG ’22
any`thing to make them mad; I wasn’t like them and they hated that. Every single day of the year I was bullied and harassed. They knew I could hear them and kept making fun of me. “Why do you act so gay? Why do you talk so gay? Why do you look so gay?” When I begged them to stop, they never did. They would jeer and ridicule me every day in class, yet they went unnoticed by any of the faculty. Beginning that year, I stopped talking in class; I thought it would save me from the torture. I tried to hide, create a bubble around myself where their voices wouldn’t reach me, but every time they ridi-
CHRISTOPHER SCHWARTING ’24
of a construction. Another one of the disruptions caused by the pandemic is a shift in how classes are run in the Middle School. “The students are staying in one classroom, and the teachers are rotating,” Dr. Greytok said. “It’s a four-period day, but in order for us to get through our seven-block rotation, we’ve added a fifth period on Wednesday and dropped sports in the afternoon.” “Most of my teachers are teaching in two rooms at once,” Second Former Ian Rosenzweig said. “So, for example in my history class, [the teacher] will start in our classroom and we’ll take notes. Halfway through, the teacher will go to the other room. The teacher has set up modules on Canvas to work through.” Not only have classes changed, but lunch clubs, one of the primary ways for middle schoolers to engage in an extracurricular activity, has changed. “Because lunch is staggered and we can’t go in rooms, there can’t be lunch clubs,” Rosenzweig said.
He added, however, that some have moved to virtual platforms. Second Former Brady Cross also revealed changes in the organization of sports for middle schoolers. “It’s not like sports as usual when we had the same one every day for a season,” said Cross. “It’s essentially different units, but with coaches for different sports.” Each student gets to try out all of the sports offered this fall. While these changes could have ended up alienating students, Middle School teachers have worked to ease the transition. “I think the teachers have been very good about making the coursework and transition manageable,” Cross said. So, how have students and teachers reacted to a new Middle School facility during a pandemic? Despite the opportunities that were lost from increased safety protocols, they remain optimistic, focusing on the positives. “It’s a very nice space for what we’ve been able to use, and comparing it to Crosman
culed me, it somehow managed to puncture the bubble. I was their punching bag, and I knew it. I still have not gotten an apology to this day. Yet, slowly, time moved on and things cooled down. I found my group of friends, tried to enjoy high school, and tried to forget about the past. By Fifth Form, I thought I was out of harm’s way. But as I walked through Haverford’s halls this September, thrilled to start my year, see my friends, and meet my teachers, I could sense something was off. I walked into my Chinese class and sat down in the back of the room feeling uneasy. Everyone was staring at me. Minding my own business, I tried to focus on my work when I saw one of my classmates out of the corner of my eye. He was laughing for some reason, and I turned my head to get a better view of what was going on. As his cold, heartless eyes met mine, I froze. He snickered, then looked the other way, like he had something to hide. It turned out that I was the joke. He was laughing at the diversity work I had done, ridiculing my role in the Diversity Alliance. “This is so stupid. Do these people actually think Haverford is racist? He is such an idiot. These posts are so dumb. ‘Let’s redefine masculinity,’” he read from one of my posts. “What a joke.” I was mortified. As I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, I was overcome by an onslaught of emotions. I wanted to hide from the stares fixated on me, rebuild the bubble I had worked so hard on in middle school. But I was exposed and defenseless, debilitated, and broken. For so long, I had wanted to become white. I had wanted to escape the
looks in the hallways, the laughing behind my back, the ridiculing. I drew a deep, shuddering breath and tried to quell my quivering fears. I had bottled my experiences for so long now, and I knew I had enough. I was tired of having to conform to society’s expectations. Society pressured me to assimilate, to become “white,” and, when I capitulated, I realized I created a monster. I hated that I couldn’t control who I was. I hated that I was different from other people. But most of all, I hated that I spent sixteen years of my life caring what other people thought of me. I hated that I conformed to caricatures that I thought would allow me to hide. I knew I wasn’t this persona. I wiped my tears, and I watched as a smile formed on my face. Like the moon, my smile glistened in the obscure night, shining bright, no matter what stood in my way. I am now the Co-Chair of the Diversity Alliance. I have finally discovered the people I love the most. They inspire me every day to keep fighting for students like me because I’m not the only one with this story. Students like me have been silenced and ridiculed. I will never stop fighting until we have justice. We all deserve to feel loved and accepted. I owe it to myself to become self-reliant because that’s all I can ask for: to be myself. To love me for who I am. To not care what other people think of me. No matter how many times you laugh behind my back, no matter how many times you stare at me in the hallway, it doesn’t bother me; I am finally free. Our voices may be silenced, but we are free.
the index · academics
Page 11
October 2020
academics
International students working virtually, twelve hours ahead Tyler Zimmer ’21
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he upper school building has a new gleam to it, a welcoming presence like an old friend. I might not have noticed how its modern glass and old-fashioned stone intersect if not for all the time I spent away from Wilson Hall’s grandeur. This is why so many of us returned to campus—it feels like home. Even students studying from their actual homes feel welcome. Paul Li often reads aloud in Mr. Keefe’s English IV*, and Jaamir Shaw answers physics problems for Ms. O’Brien, both virtually. Everybody seems to feel close to home, no matter which one they chose. But this is not so. For some, home is across the world; and as our clocks hit noon, three students’ clocks strike midnight. Haverford is rich in devoted students, ready to take on a challenge no matter where they choose to study. Three Haverford Fifth
“When school ends at 2:45 p.m. for you, it ends at 2:45 a.m. for me.” DANIEL HOU ’22 Formers, Daniel Hou, Julius Huang, and Shibo Zhou, have decided to take on virtual Haverford from China. “When school ends at 2:45 p.m. for you, it ends at 2:45 a.m. for me,” Hou explained. After school, local students play sports, do homework, and eat dinner. For Daniel, after school activities include brushing his teeth, tucking himself in, and going to sleep.
This means all homework and activities are pushed to the following day. “I had to push my bedtime to 3 a.m.,” Hou said. To compensate, his teachers push deadlines back twelve hours. “They were nice enough to never set the due time at 11:59 p.m. This way, I can do my homework while the guys in America are asleep.” Fifth Former Julius Huang, studying virtually from Shanghai, China, is in the same boat, but sleep doesn’t seem to be his concern. “It pushes my schedule back three hours,” Huang said. “I’ll still be fatigued after a long week, and a nap is quite necessary to keep my energy.” Huang’s concern lies in human connection, or lack thereof. “My advisor does not ask me to join lunch meetings,” Huang said. While Huang has no need to eat lunch at midnight, he still misses out on the lighthearted conversation that provides a break from demanding courses. “Also, sometimes my lack of sleep affects my ability to participate in my activities, and I’ll have to take a day off.” In a busy Fifth Form year full of extracurricular activities, both Hou and Huang worry about aspects of their separation. “Because I’m studying online, I’ll have to temporarily put down robotics practice, which is the single most important group activity I have at school,” Hou said. “This is very hard, but it’s the only option I have right now.” Hou’s loss of robotics and Huang’s fewer human connections certainly pose problems, but both students agree that continuing
Virtual students Baoer Li ‘21 and Huaidian Hou ‘22 in math class Haverford from China is better than the alternative. “The United States, Haverford in particular, provides a highly valuable education. The critical thinking skills it cultivates and its encouragement for independence and self-study have no match in China.” Alongside the top-tier education neither student wants to forgo, Hou thinks staying in China has its perks. “I am able to stay with my family for a long time. I haven’t been with them for this long in years.” Coronavirus fears in China have decreased. “I get to go outside every day without needing a mask,” Hou said. “Everything has almost gone back to normal in China.”
TYLER ZIMMER ‘21
7,000 miles and a twelve-hour time change certainly create a barrier between these three students and normalcy. Still, they’ve taken the challenge in stride, not only succeeding in the gradebook but also taking an active role in class. Dr. Gottlieb, who teaches both Hou and Shibo Zhou, thinks that each student is not only making attendance but thriving in his class. “They’re turning in their work,” Dr. Gottlieb said, “they’re asking good questions, and they’ve done an impressive job.”
Third Formers transition to Wilson amid strange year Adiyan Nayak ’24
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he class of 2024 faces the challenge of adjusting to the upper school in an unprecedented way. Through mask-wearing, social distancing, and virtual meetings, this year’s Third Formers have had to find a way to grow accustomed to the upper school life. The school had to take several precautions in order to reopen. Beyond the physical changes, many clubs and activities have been either canceled or transferred to virtual platforms. For some, the restrictions due to the coronavirus have partially hindered the Upper School experience. “We can’t do everything that the upper school allows,” Third Former Gavin Stamps said.
The majority of Third Formers are relatively comfortable with the new schedule. Third Former Ethan Lee also commented on the limited opportunities students are offered. “We haven’t experienced the actual upper school yet,” Lee said. “It’s been more like a smaller version of it.” Although students are disappointed in the reduced opportunities, the simplicity of the new schedule and the lightened workload have made the transition smoother. “I only have two to three classes of home-
Third formers in Mr. Kolade’s B period English I class, October 2, 2019 work,” Lee said. “That’s made it a lot easier heard that a lot of people have all their hard for me.” classes in the second quarter.” Third Former Render Ford also thinks the Ford also said that he doesn’t believe the new schedule has been manageable, but he COVID-19 restrictions have been too dewonders about how it will play out in the manding. following months. “I think they’ve kept it safe, but not super “I think it’s been easier so far, but I’ve restricting. It’s been pretty open, while still
BERNIE RODGERS ’21
keeping us safe.” The majority of Third Formers are relatively comfortable with the new schedule and the restrictions they’ve had to deal with. “I think they’re prepared. I think they’ve been preparing [to go virtual] since last year,” Ford added. “But I think overall, the first
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the index · academics
October 2020
Teachers tackle new settings, new schedule Jeffrey Yang ‘22
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hen students grew anxious about the return to school this year, adjusting to new quarter semesters, ninety-minute classes, and health safety measures, teachers busily revised their curricula to fit those same enormous changes. Welcoming boys into school halls was not the beginning of their journey; planning began early in the summer. Those who have been in the teaching profession for a few decades think the prescribed classroom layout, with individual desks evenly spaced out in rows and columns, reminds them of the late-twentieth century. “I haven’t taught in rows since 1987. It’s the 1950s industrial [style] when it was ‘Everyone line up and be a good soldier,’” physics teacher Ms. Carol O’Brien said. The lack of ability to form desks into tables or circles is extremely difficult in classes such as English, where class discussions play a central role in the experience. English Department Chair Mr. Thomas Stambaugh, who previously arranged his class in a tight circle, said, “[The new classroom layout] just changes the spirit of the
“I’m trying to pair in-person students up with virtual students to make sure that everybody’s getting connected.” MR. MATT ATOR room.” Additionally, group work has been challenging for teachers across all departments. In math classes where students previously collaborated to solve problems or explore a concept, teachers are trying to keep some sense of interaction by instructing students to work with their direct neighbors, while maintaining a six-foot distance in between. They also rely on online platforms where students are able to first explore themselves and then reflect together as a class.
“In Geometry, using Geogebra allows students to explore kind of on their own,” math teacher Mr. Matt Ator said. “I give them a framework and then they can play with the diagram and move it around in a way that paper and pencil can’t. We had a really good class where everybody kind of typed in their thoughts, and I just put it all up on the board and said, ‘All right, do any of these things stand out to you?’” Similarly, science teachers address the hole left by collaborative labs and equipmenthandling experiments by providing online interactive sites and pre-recorded videos. All the instruments in the science classrooms are tempting, but health safety measures limit the physical interaction students can have with the equipment. “I have the benefit of being in the room with all the equipment,” Ms. O’Brien joked, “and I can’t use it.” While many feel they have a relatively firm grasp on in-person educational changes under COVID-19 precautions, teachers still grapple with virtual students’ experiences. The first challenge facing teachers is the technology setup—cameras, speakers, and virtual meetings. “It’s like acting as a television producer while teaching a classroom of students,” Mr. Stambaugh told a recent upper school English department meeting. Additionally, many faculty feel as though they are struggling to provide virtual students with an engaging atmosphere and online activities that match the in-person experience. “I only have one virtual student, but the challenge of providing something that is as stimulating at home as it is in the classroom is really, really hard,” Ms. O’Brien said. Mr. Ator added, “I’m trying to pair inperson students up with virtual students to make sure that everybody’s getting connected.” Even for those who have found that they must condense much of their course, trimming down material has helped teachers pinpoint the most important lessons. “You kind of feel like, ‘Everything I teach is important,’ but you really have to take a look to say, ‘What is most important? What do I really need students to come out with?’”
The new schedule features three rotating long blocks during an intensive eight-
Ms. Carol O’Brien teaching Mr. Ator said. “I think it’s a really good teaching exercise too.”
“It’s like acting as a television producer while teaching a classroom of students.” MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH In addition to deciding the most important lessons, faculty are also concerned about
JEFFREY YANG ’22
pre-planning daily ninety-minute classes. “Trying to gauge what ninety minutes looks like on any particular day [is a challenge],” Ms. O’Brien said. “I’ve aired on the side of being over-prepared because I am scared to death of being underprepared.” Regardless of this year’s challenges, teachers are excited to be back on campus and meet many students in person. Some view the upcoming year optimistically, a perfect trial period for ideas they have previously thought about but had not been able to implement. Mr. Ator said, “I think everybody is going to come out of it [the year] as a better teacher just because of the opportunity and necessity of experimenting with our styles.”
Standardized testing plans gain clarity Ethan Chan ’23
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hen students grew anxious about the return to school this year from education, occupations, and almost every aspect of our lives, the coronavirus has seemed to disrupt everything. Despite the gradual diminishing of cases and glimpses of normalcy returning, people are still under strict safety protocols. With many regions of the country under tight safety measures, standardized testing for millions of students is still an unknown variable. Still in a quandary of college admissions, standardized testing for students across the country has been extremely difficult. In an attempt to alter the testing procedures and dates for test-takers, the College Board has been forced to cancel numerous test dates at the last minute, leaving many to wonder, what will happen now? One answer to that, the College Board has decided to cancel their “digital athome SAT” due to the rare, but now available in-person testing. Limited in number, registration for these testing seats have been another problem for students looking to take the SAT and subject tests. With the abrupt cancellation of many testing sites, the ratio of students to testing spots and dates is even greater. According to the College Boards’ “Sat Test Center Capacity Update” site, 50%-75% of the testing seats in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington,
PA-NJ-DE-MD area have already been taken for the November SAT testing. The December testing seats are projected to be the same as the registration deadline creeps closer. Other areas such as the Seattle region have been either completely booked or 75% full for the November 7th testing date. With the 50%-75% in our region, this leaves the remaining 25% of students in a dilemma. Just one of the millions of students across the nation not currently in the sought after in person testing pool, Sixth Former Agustin Aliaga shares common experiences and thoughts with many other test takers. “I had gotten to take the SAT and one of the three subject tests I was planning to take before the pandemic began. However, I did not get the opportunity to take the other two,” Aliaga said. “While I am planning on taking tests as soon as possible, I doubt that testing facilities near us will open if they have not already.” The last-minute cancellations and shortage of testing sites nearby for students, this has been a main reason for some of the speculation of what the near future of standardized testing holds. In these uncertain times for seniors such as him during their crucial college application process, Aliaga remains positive. With the national scramble to grab a testing seat, many forget to keep in mind that most colleges and universities have gone test-optional.
“Given that colleges have gone test-optional and adopted a policy that ensures students that means exactly as it reads, it is not the worst thing that could have happened,” Aliaga said. “Many of the top universities and colleges still remain test-optional such as Cornell, Harvard, Yale, Penn, and numerous others have followed suit. Only a handful of colleges such as Cornell and Stanford are still unyielding of their ACT and SAT requirements despite circumstances.
“Many universities have made the right decision by going test-optional... standardized testing is mostly unnecessary.” QUINN LUONG ’22 With the current events occurring that affect standardized testing, this is just another reason for some students to ponder upon the basis of tests such as the SAT, as a whole. Fifth Former Quinn Luong is an advocate for performance in the classroom and extracurricular activities to determine a college candidate’s true capability. “The SAT does not measure your intel-
ligence at all. COVID has allowed many colleges, like the UC schools, to have SAT scores be optional, and I hope this will allow schools to reevaluate the necessity of SAT’s.” For students such as Quinn, this situation has turned out to be quite well for him. In similar fashion, Agustin has also commented on this topic. “I also think that the many universities have made the right decision by going testoptional. Regardless, I think this has brought forth a realization that standardized testing is mostly unnecessary and that in the future colleges should be test-optional.” For students like Quinn and Agustin, they have been able to utilize the pros in this complicated scenario and colleges and universities can now take more focus on the other aspects of their college application. Whatever the opinion or situation for each student, the current state of affairs still remains hectic as testing sites and seats are almost always fully booked. An effect of the virus, students and applicants will have to make the best of these challenging times and the college application process will surely be something unique this school year.
the index · academics
Page 13
October 2020
Administration charts school’s antiracist future Quinn Luong ’22
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n response to the outbreak of systemic injustice, on June 18, Head of School Dr. John Nagl formulated a broad action plan to create a more just and equitable school. Individuals from all aspects of the school community have taken an evident stance in allyship.
“I am heartened by the commitment I see. However, I am still concerned by the amount of work that there is still left to do.” DR. JOHN NAGL In particular, faculty have taken a united stance on the pressing matter. Over the course of the summer, over half of the faculty read Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist. Dr. Nagl expressed gratitude for the faculty’s commitment to social justice. “From the very top of the school, to the board chair and the trustees, to all the way down to individual faculty members and students,” Dr. Nagl said, “I am heartened by the commitment I see. However, I am still concerned by the amount of work that there is still left to do.” As Dr. Nagl remains quietly optimistic about the work that has been done, he, along with many members of the community, are still worried about the lack of enthusiasm for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. “It saddens me to know that there is an evident diminishing lack of energy for the Black Lives Matter movement across America,” History Department Chair Ms. Hannah Turlish said. Data from a September Index poll showed that around 70% of the student body is willing to reflect on how they could strengthen our community. Some students within our community are also still concerned. “It is evident within social media that the Black Lives Matter movement was treated as
a mere trend to some. You could see the people who posted black squares a few months ago are nowhere advocating for justice today,” Sixth Former Kethan Srinivasan said. Over the course of the past weeks, the administration was mainly focused on simply reopening the school. This raises a pertinent question: does the administration have the time to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion work? “We have to make time for it,” Dr. Nagl said. “We are continuing to work through the challenges of COVID, but we are also devoting significant resources to combat all forms of discrimination. We are committed to doing both at once while recognizing our limits of human endurance.” While Dr. Nagl is relying on the community to continue this work, he is also conscious of the burdens it places on the faculty. “There is so much strain upon the faculty who have to teach remotely and in-person and simultaneously keep working on antiracist work,” Dr. Nagl said. Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mr. Brendon Jobs has been advocating for teachers to participate in antiracism efforts and coming to faculty Supporting Educational Excellence in Diversity (SEED) workshops. “Faculty in institutions are so important. I didn’t have my first male Black teacher until I was a sophmore in college,” Mr. Jobs said. “Often too many faculty and community members are nervous about how they will be received by students, but we need to show up for them.” The administration has been working to diversify the community at every level; in fact, thirty percent of the board of trustees are people of color, and the faculty is the most diverse it has ever been. “We still need to increase the diversity in all aspects of our community,” Dr. Nagl said. “Although we made progress, we are committed to hiring faculty that are more representative of the student body.” Aside from the few electives about DEI topics offered, the administration does not necessarily intend more electives. However, Dr. Nagl stressed that the administration is working on critically examining the curriculum. “I don’t think you’ll see new courses be
added. We want to make sure the current curriculum we teach is diverse and vetted,” Dr. Nagl said. Still, students expressed dismay over the lack of topics they wanted to learn within their classrooms but were never taught. “We have to understand the perspectives of people of color within our education,” Third Former Chase Nelson said. Dr. Nagl is confident in the curriculum and courses offered, such as Modern Black Lives and Human Relationships. “When I asked the upper school to create the Human Relationships course, my vision was that it would be a requirement for graduation. Human relationships are such an integral part of life and not understanding them causes problems within society,” Dr. Nagl said. While it is evident that the school has a long way to go before it’s truly antiracist, this action plan and our community serve as the
BERNIE ROGERS ’21
impetus of the greater change for social justice and equity.
“There is still much more room to grow at Haverford.” DR. JOHN NAGL
Dr. Nagl said, “There is still much more room to grow at Haverford. We need to create a school and a society that properly values all of the underrepresented voices that make up this very rich country.”
SCREENSHOT BY QUINN LUONG ’22
Quinn Luong ‘22 (right) intervieiws Dr. Nagl via Google Meet
Virtual vs in-class cont. Kelly said, “The lunch block is an hour and fifteen minutes long, which is my favorite part of the schedule.” Mirin agreed about the benefits of the lunch break. But he also suggested, “If Haverford took the half-hour out of the lunch period and put it into ten minutes breaks. That would be helpful.” While opinions vary within the walls of our school, virtual students have experienced something quite different during their first weeks. “It’s nice to be in my own house. I think
it’s actually working out pretty well. It would definitely be easier if everyone was on virtual,” Fourth Former Matthew Collier said. While virtual learning seems cozy, students online also have their own difficulties. “One thing that would help is to get the teachers better microphones. At some points, it gets really staticky, or some other noise interrupts when they’re speaking. Also, maybe move the camera closer to the whiteboard when they’re gonna take notes,” Collier suggested. Collier planned to return to school in-per-
son possibly by the second quarter. But on Tuesday, September 29, the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the Upper School. “I don’t really feel like it affects my decision to return too much. If more than one person gets infected, then I will start to maybe change my mind a bit,” Collier said. Both virtual and in-person students have their own worries about what is to come. But all agreed that while the school is currently doing a great job, there are certain areas where things can be further improved. Or maybe, these so-called flaws are just
compromises that had to be made. “I know that. We’re doing the best we can,” Kelly said. “The only things that I don’t like about this schedule are the long classes. But I’d say that was the right choice. You kind of have to have those long classes. It was only a matter of how you spend it sitting in a chair for 90 minutes and have the most fun out of it.”
the index · neighborhood
Page 14
October 2020
neighborhood Bank to replace Bruegger’s Bagels Tate Conklin ’24
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f you want to search for the retail banking capital of Haverford, Pennsylvania, look no further than the intersection of Lancaster Avenue and Haverford Station Road. If you are like me, you may have been a regular at Haverford Plaza’s Bruegger’s Bagels. Going forward, you’ll have to trade in bagels and cream cheese for bags of cash. The demolished 390 block on Lancaster Avenue will become home to a brand new 3,028 sq. ft. Chase Retail Bank branch. It will join the existing Wells Fargo and TD banks at two other corners of the intersec-
tion. That’s right, three banks and the cBOP baby boutique will soon flank the intersection, just yards from soccer and baseball’s Memorial Field.
“The project complies with the Lower Merion Township zoning code, and will have more green space and a smaller footprint than the prior retail building.” COMMISSIONER MR. SCOTT ZELOV
MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH
The construction site at Haverford Plaza, across Lancaster Avenue from Haverford Square
Lower Merion Township’s Ward 10 Commissioner Scott Zelov said, “While there are banks on two of the other three corners, the project complies with the Lower Merion Township zoning code, and will have more green space and a smaller footprint than the prior retail building.” The parking lot will also be redesigned. “The awkward and unsafe parking entered from the long curb cut on Haverford Station Road will be eliminated,” Zelov said. “The
TATE CONKLIN ’24
Haverford Plaza construction sidewalks will be wider, making it easier and safer for Haverford College and Haverford School students, and others who walk to Haverford Square and to the Haverford Train Station.” In addition to the design changes, Zelov pushed for earth-friendly additions. A rain garden will be implemented to aid a stormwater management system. Students may start to notice more butterflies and birds in the neighborhood thanks to the Planning Commission’s suggested plantings of native and non-invasive trees and wildflowers. Despite its transformation to yet another
bank, this plot of land holds significant history. Back when Haverford was The Haverford College Grammar School in the late 1800s, the surrounding area was residential. This historic triangular property was once the site of Wiltonhurst, the Victorian home of prominent Haverford lawyer Anthony A. Hirst. The home stood for decades and was passed on to generations. As time has passed, this property has been rezoned and developed into part of Haverford’s shopping district.
A glimpse of Philadelphia’s underground car community Ian Rush ’22
Some of the cars at a September 11, 2020 meet-up
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or as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by cars. Almost every weekend, my father and I would attend local car shows in South Florida. Because of these shows, I fell in love with classic cars at a very young age. As I grew older, my affinity for cars diminished and the hobby of going to car shows slowly faded. It wasn’t until I came to Haverford that I revitalized my lost love. I met many other kids who shared the same passion, and I rekindled my relationship with these machines. A couple of weeks ago, I attended my first car meet in Ridley, Pennsylvania. I had no idea what to expect. I arrived to see two decked out Honda Accords, a Foxbody Mus-
IAN RUSH ’22
tang, and an old Toyota bus. I thought to myself, “This is it?” I knew it was going to be a small meet, but I did not expect it to be this bad. As time passed, the parking lot filled with cars I had never seen ever in my life. Two Nissan 300zx’s, a slammed Acura TSX, a Chevy Trailblazer SS, and even a Fast and Furious-esqe 04 Honda Odyssey. The atmosphere was for me. The Philadelphia car scene has been alive for over a hundred years. The first Philadelphia Auto Show was in 1902 at the old Philadelphia Convention Center in University City. The underground scene in Philadelphia is a diverse community with members of every class, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Despite their cultural disparities, the Philly
car community is a family, bound by the all love that they share. This was noticeable from the very second I started meandering through the rows of cars. They did not matter who I was, how old I was, what I looked like… All that mattered was that we were all there for the same reason. I fell in love with how accepting and open everyone was. At the meet in Ridley, I was able to meet local car photographer Jack Olszewski. He described the community as “very welcoming and accepting.” I knew there was more to this story than what he was sharing. Olszewski was a man of few words, but he put me in touch with Jay Lyons, owner of AutoMotoSpecialists, based in Collingdale, Pa. Lyons, deeply involved in the community, has worked there for eighteen years. Lyons is not only a big part of many events in the area but also across the Northeast. He was able to give me insight as to how the community has evolved. “The biggest changes I’ve seen is the change in desirable cars. It used to be old muscle cars that were super desirable and valuable. The value of ’60s muscle cars has decreased, and ’80s and ’90s cars have skyrocketed,” Lyons said, via Instagram DM. When asked to elaborate on the growth of
the community, Lyons had a strong opinion. “As far as car culture goes, that has taken a terrible turn. The younger generation cares less about unique builds and high quality and more about ‘clout’ and social media recognition.” Even though his contempt for the younger generations is obvious here, he still had nothing negative to say about the community as a whole. “Every time I go to meets I make new friends,” Lyons said. “People generally show tons of love. It’s awesome.”
The cars are the glue that brings people together. IAN RUSH ’22 At the end of the day it’s not about the cars. The cars are the glue that brings people together, creating a unique culture. As a reserved young man, attending a meet was a bit scary for me. But when I arrived, I knew I belonged.
A low-riding minivan at a September 11, 2020 meet-up
IAN RUSH ’22
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the index · neighborhood
Autograph Brasserie Restaurant Review
October 2020
Chase Shatzman ’24
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his pandemic has thrown a wrench into our indoor culinary experiences these past months, but recently many local restaurants have put in an admirable effort to accommodate the ever-growing crowds. Autograph Brasserie, located in the town of Wayne, PA, has gone all out to ensure that their patrons experience a fine dining atmosphere, but they have also gone out of their way to make sure their customers forget that they are situated under a gigantic tent overlooking a parking lot.
Autograph Brasserie, located in the town of Wayne, PA, has gone all out to ensure that their patrons experience a fine dining atmosphere. This past Saturday evening I joined the brave souls who ventured outside their homes and entered the realm of pandemic cuisine. First, it should be noted that we dined inside the restaurant and not under the massive outdoor tent structure. Secondly, it was comforting to observe that tables were at least six feet apart and that all restaurant employees were masked at all times during our evening. Autograph Brasserie has clearly reached its goal of adhering to the rules of dining during the pandemic while continuing to present contemporary American cui-
Autograph Brasserie’s tuna tartare appetizer the artistic and aesthetically pleasing presensine. Do not be fooled by the opulent fleet tation. of automobiles parked around the big white tent. This restaurant offers a menu for those This restaurant ofwho desire a meal that ranges from hamfers a menu for those burgers to tuna tartare. who desire a meal Presentations are often rudimentary and the menu items were found to be exactly as that ranges from they were described. A member of my parhamburgers to tuna ty ordered the shrimp cocktail which was tartare. served awkwardly on a rectangular plate. Unfortunately, it was found to be overly salted If you visit Autograph Brasserie you must but contained shrimp that were substantially sized. In addition, the Mahi Mahi was a little try the two most outstanding features of our overcooked but this was overshadowed by meal. First, the tuna tartare appetizer was not
CHASE SHATZMAN ‘24
only admirable to look at, but it was one of the best plates to reach our table. In fact, we ordered four of said appetizers, all of which appeared fresh, had a flavor to match, and were certainly a unanimous thumbs up. The part of the meal that would inspire anyone to return was the hamburger entree. This burger had it all, bacon, flavor, cheese, and a generous portion of truffle fries on the side. One word of advice, we ordered our food cooked medium and a medium-well, but both of these had undercooked centers. Otherwise, you should not miss this delicious entree if you decide to visit this restaurant.
Lower Merion Township forces Bryn Mawr resident to remove large Black Lives Matter sign Tripp Ronon ’24
K
athy Smith, resident of Bryn Mawr, placed a large and long “Black Lives Matter” sign across her property’s front fence on Fishers Road. The sign was the talk of the neighborhood over several months. It was a beacon and catalyst for three impromptu neighborhood meetings to discuss race and equal justice. Alas, a neighbor complained that the size of
the sign violated Lower Merion Township’s personal expression signage rules. According to Township rules, twelve square feet is the maximum size for personal expression signs. As the Smith’s sign was well over twelve square feet, the township had no choice but to force the family to take it down. This is their response:
Smith family’s lawn full of new signs
The Smiths’ lawn on Fishers Rad is now populated with signs promoting social justice. Smith family’s message to their neighbors
COURTESY OF TRIPP RONON
COURTESY OF TRIPP RONON
The Smiths put up another sign, this time meeting the code for personal expression rules. The front fence now also includes a pride flag, an American flag, and a message to the neighborhood. The Smiths’ lawn on Fishers Road is now populated with signs promoting social justice.
the index · campus opinions
Page 16
October 2020
campus opinions Meal-plan lunches should be larger, healthier Tyler Zimmer ’21
B
efore I voice my constructive criticism, I’d like to show my appreciation to the cafeteria staff. During the summer months, they were tasked with entirely reforming the way they make us lunch, and they have done an extraordinary job with their new processes. Their Ford-esque factory line system is nearly perfect, but the food within the brown boxes is not. Sodexo must rethink their go-to foods, as the high sugar load and small serving size do the students a disservice. Despite the scientific notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I often find myself missing it. Two snoozes and suddenly my planned three-egg breakfast has become a protein bar. With back-toback ninety-minute classes to start the day, a well-rounded lunch has become a necessity for me. Our lunches are not healthy enough. Looking through the two-week rotation, I noticed that every main item is carb-heavy:
breaded chicken, pasta, and sandwiches galore. But honestly, this isn’t the problem. As long as I’m working out or playing a sport, carbs give me energy and work in my favor. The sides are where the problem lies. On top of a carb-heavy main course, I peer into my brown box to find not one, not two, but three additional items that are detrimental to me as a student who sits in a desk seat for six hours straight. The Tuesday lunch menu has more than 50g of sugar. To put this in perspective, the American Heart Association calls for no more than 36g of added sugar…for the entire day. Here are my three solutions. First, replace Gatorade with water, or at least make it half and half. Without water fountains, giving me only one drink choice that contains 30g of sugar is a bad start to the school’s only meal. Second, provide more variety. If we’re only going to have one healthy snack, give a bit of
American Born Chinese’s satire fails to get the message across
W
Quinn Luong ’22
hile Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese attempts to use satire and overt racism to dismantle stereotypes about Asians, it is entirely ineffective and problematic. The book not only utilizes common stereotypes about Chinese people, but it also introduces toxic and offensive stereotypes to English classes that we, as a group of Third Formers, had never even encountered. The story simplifies Chin-Kee’s entire personality into a Chinese racist caricature, which is difficult to read and wildly uncomfortable for Pan Asian-American students. Although the purpose of the novel was to utilize stereotypes and racist tropes to dismantle them and educate us on assimilation, pairing these elements with outrageous illustrations normalizes racism towards Asians. The novel feels like a Young Adult graphic novel, but the innuendos and jokes clearly do not match the audience age, detrimentally affecting students.
so this solution would give them enough time to compensate. Sodexo has made a great effort to revamp its system, but there are changes they need to make. Get rid of sugary drinks, give a choice of snacks, and offer a second serving option. Without any dramatic fiscal changes, Sodexo can easily give students the spark they need to thrive in this strange but better-thannothing new year.
choice. Understanding that there should be no shared calculators, chargers, and pencils, my proposed solution is to separate the meal from the snacks. Each advisory should have a larger container with fruits and vegetables alongside the other snacks, giving students a choice for their sides. All I’m asking is that those students who need to eat healthily for their sports practices are given the opportunity to do so. Third, offer a second serving. I know it’s a big ask for cost reasons to replace sandwiches with grilled chicken or a salad, so I’ll refrain from touching the main item. Still, especially for our athletes, there should be an option for a second meal. Last year, nearly half of the students went back for seconds. I suggest adding an option to the Magnus Health App. When I take my temperature each morning, why not add a bubble that asks if I want a second serving given the day’s menu? I’ve witnessed the Sodexo staff in their assembly line after school has started, offense when peers laugh and make ridiculing remarks about outrageous illustrations and derogatory comments, something only exacerbated by the fact that there are only a few Asian faculty to defend them. Several members of the English department think there are much better alternatives about the Asian-American experience than American Born Chinese. We must also question why the English department, out of all the novels we read throughout high school, selected this novel
as a part of the very few pieces of literature about the Asian-American experience within our curriculum. Therefore, this book should not be taught to English I students, and the English Department Chair should remove American Born Chinese immediately. Finding alternative graphic novels educating on Asian-American racial injustices and identity would be more worthwhile and effective.
While Yang incorporates an underlying message of assimilation and embracing one’s own identity toward the end of the novel, it does not negate the negative connotations of the whole novel. The underlying symbols of identity and assimilation are not explicitly shown enough, making the novel dangerous as a graphic novel presented to students. As Third Formers read this novel, they may not pick up on the satirical aspects of Chin-Kee’s character in particular, and instead, only leave the novel with reaffirmed stereotypes and new racist jokes that they may never have learned. If the author had been more clear at the conclusion of the story about his intended message in regards to Chinese culture, the novel may have been passable. Because it is not made abundantly clear, students and many faculty find its satire and racial commentary hard to both identify and learn from. Asian-American students at Haverford have experienced discomfort and have taken
TYLER ZIMMER ’21
The Pan-Asian Alliance recommends the three books in the foreground for the English Department’s consideration
the index · campus opinions
Page 17
October 2020
If indoor sports return, robotics should too Arsh Aggarwal ‘24
H
averford’s Vex Robotics Program stands as one of the top programs internationally. The team has won the Pennsylvania State Competition for the last ten years and has managed to rank third in the world. The team’s success is largely thanks to the great coaches and the tremendous amount of hours students spend perfecting their robots. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the school has prioritized in-person learning, forcing all extracurricular activities to a virtual setting. Also, priority has been placed on sports, with the school starting shorter, modified seasons. If Haverford is allowing the sports teams to practice, why is the Robotics program restricted to a virtual environment? There is no denying that the school’s reopening plan has all the necessary precautions to help prevent the spread of the dangerous virus. The school’s reopening was not only for academics but for the athletic program as well. Despite the delay of the InterAc seasons, the school has still opted to run practices of the various sports offered in the fall, winter, and spring. The continuation of sports like water polo and basketball, however, raises the question of why robotics is not allowed to hold practices at school. The aforementioned sports are played indoors where air circulation is minimal, and athletes are all subject to breaking social distancing guidelines. Robotics practices indoors as well, but faces much less risk of students breaking CDC guidelines. Firstly, all students will wear masks at all times, unlike indoor sports. Second, robotics allows students to stay socially distanced, minimizing the risk of transmitting the coronavirus.
“I think that if both take the right precautions, [some sports and robotics] should both be able to meet,” Fourth Former Roch Paraye said. “However, contact sports are not socially distanced, so the school’s reaction to being able to practice contact sports but not a socially distanced activity is hypocritical.” To prepare for the upcoming robotics season, Sixth Former Owen Gormley hosted practices at his house over the summer. Attendees were able to follow social-distancing and mask-wearing practices. The success of these unsupervised practices shows that the team can stay safe while working, and guidelines can be further enforced by the coaches and mentors. The size of the formal robotics room may raise concern, as it is smaller than would be necessary to comply with social distancing. However, there are other areas that could be used, such as the space outside of Ball Auditorium. As of now, the team is planning on hosting practices at various team members’ houses with limited people at each location. A big part of robotics, however, is communication within the team and having upperclassmen guide newer students in the right direction. A common practice area allows this to happen, but divided practices make it incredibly difficult. With the robotics program being one of the most successful teams the school has, it is imperative that the same priority put on sports is put on robotics. Conducting it in a virtual and divided setting places the team in a position of least success. If indoor sports practice at school, robotics should too.
COURTESY OF MAXIM KREIDER ‘21
Outdoor practice held for the robotics team over the summer at a student’s house
Is the new schedule effective? Bowen Deng ‘22
B
esides the masks, sanitization, and other strict guidelines, another significant change in our school life is the new quarter-block schedule. Despite hearing mostly grievances from my peers, I believe the current schedule has benefits along with downsides. A significant benefit of the new schedule is that it allows me to better focus on the current classes I’m taking. I find that fewer classes allow me to understand the material much better. Processing information from three subjects a day is significantly easier than processing information from six classes, especially when it is always the same three classes every day. New concepts learned on Monday are reinforced with homework, then immediately connected and applied to other concepts on Tuesday; the cycle then continues. While I feared that my teachers would bombard me with information and give me no room to breathe, I often forget that they are human too; they recognize that it is neither interesting nor effective for students if they spend the entirety of class talking in front of a whiteboard. With longer class peri-
ods, my experience is that teachers are more willing to supplement lectures of raw information with activities such as discussions and collaborative classwork, which makes learning more engaging, enjoyable, and effective.
I find that fewer classes allow me to understand the material taugh much better. Fewer classes also mean fewer quizzes, tests, and essays. Less travel between classes also means that students and teachers are safer, something I believe we often overlook. Another smaller benefit of the quarter-block system is how it plays into what subjects you enjoy. If your favorite subject is in any quarter, you always have something to look forward to every school day. However, this can also be a detriment; if you don’t enjoy a class, having it for one and a half hours every school day will be es-
pecially tiresome. Furthermore, there is no balance of class difficulty. For quarters one and three, your schedule may only have one honors course. Then for quarters two and four, all three classes may be honors courses. Additionally, I worry about the gap between classes. In math and science courses, where topics almost endlessly build upon or relate to each other, a two-month hiatus between them seems questionable; the same can be said for any other subject. Students won’t forget everything they’ve learned throughout the first quarter in the second quarter, but they definitely will be impacted by this gap. Most noticeable, however, is the increased workload every night. Fewer classes does not mean less homework. On the contrary, it seems like teachers, knowing we only have three classes, assign more homework each night than they usually would. Reading a history textbook for one hour, followed by a science textbook for another hour can be extremely draining. The current schedule has potential. It has clear learning benefits, but also clear downsides. If shortcomings such as the imbalance
of classes and sometimes overwhelming homework can be solved, I believe that it can be adopted not just for the 2020-2021 school year but for future years as well.
the index · off-campus opinions
Page 18
September 2020
off-campus opinions Opinion: Donald Trump should be President Michael Tallarida ‘21
A
s the election looms and Americans prepare to cast their votes, one question sits in every voter’s mind: Donald Trump or Joe Biden? For many, their decision has been made already, and this last month of campaigning will not affect their vote on November 3, 2020. But for the few left undecided, I urge you to consider President Trump. In the first Presidential Debate, if you can even call it that, Vice President Biden called out President Trump numerous times regarding his healthcare plan. It seems ironic for Biden to call out President Trump, after he and former President Barack Obama implemented a terrible healthcare option for Americans, the Affordable Care Act. The basis of the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare,” was for healthcare to be more affordable for the American people, but it has done the opposite. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), health insurance premiums doubled from 2013 to 2017, and went up another twenty-six percent in 2018. Obamacare did nothing to control the underlying costs of healthcare, making it impossible for many Americans to afford health insurance. Early in his term, President Trump removed the “individual mandate” from Obamacare. The federal mandate taxed any American who did not buy healthcare. When President Trump repealed the mandate, he relieved millions of low-income Americans from paying the tax. On top of this, President Trump has lowered generic drug prices to make healthcare even more affordable. In his first eighteen months in office, the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimated that his price cuts saved patients twenty-six
billion dollars. President Trump is currently in the midst of removing Obamacare all together, while Joe Biden wants to restore it if elected President. To move our country forward, and to make sure more Americans receive the healthcare they desire, Obamacare has to be removed, if not severely altered. In his 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Acts (TCJA)
The only question that remains is whether or not the Republican party made the right decision in doubling down on its strategy fromm 2016.
The president’s tax deduction put the United States back on top of the business world. bill, President Trump lowered taxes for many Americans in different income brackets. President Trump lowered the tax rate in all but seven brackets, where the rate stayed the same. For businesses, President Trump lowered the corporate tax rate to twenty-one percent, removing the corporate alternative minimum tax in the process. The president’s tax deduction put the United States back on the global stage as serious competitors in the business world. American businesses would gain higher profits, making their shareholders and executives happy in the process. But, the true beneficiaries of the TCJA deal were the American workers. With lower tax rates, more businesses were incentivized to stay in America, thus creating more jobs and higher wages for workers. According to The Atlantic, Progressive economist Gabriel Zucman, who advised Senator Elizabeth Warren with her tax plans, agrees with the President’s logic regarding the corporate tax cut. Under President Trump’s TCJA bill, the economy was doing better than ever preCOVID. The stock market, another stalworth under Trump’s administration, rose to new heights in his first four years in office. Even after taking a hit during the first few months of the pandemic, it has surged back near preCOVID numbers. More impressive than the economic growth under President Trump was his low unemployment rate. Before the pandemic struck in America, the unemployment rate was the lowest it’s ever been, down to an austonding 3.5 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. One of Vice President Biden’s main campaign strategies has been attacking Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the mainstream media has been over critical of his handling of the virus. As United States
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
President Trump during a golf outing with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday, May 26, 2019
The stock market, another stalworth of Trump’s administration, rose to new heights in his first four years in office. COVID-19 tests increase daily, the test positivity rate continues to trend downward. COVID-19 deaths also have been consistently down in the past few months. President Trump put together a capable coronavirus task force, led by Vice President Pence, and aided by the nation’s leading expert on
infectious disease, Dr. Anthony Fauci. On April 3, 2020, Trump’s administration recommended Americans wear face coverings, following CDC guidelines. Six months later, that recommendation still stands, and so does President Trump’s support of it. With the current state of American politics, it seems voters never take into consideration the policies of each candidate. President Trump’s accomplishments eclipse any proposal Joe Biden has, or anything that was achieved under the Obama-Biden administration. I urge you to look past personal opinions on President Trump, and his sometimes irresponsible behavior, and consider the state of our country. For America to prosper in the next four years, Donald Trump needs to be sitting in the Oval Office.
Election day is November 3rd, 2020 Be sure to vote!
the index · off-campus opinions
Page 19
September 2020
Opinion: Joe Biden should be the next President
M
y argument for a Biden presidency will be laid out in two distinct portions: why Biden should be president and why Trump should not. First, I will detail why the current president does not deserve a second term. The most obvious place to begin criticism on the Trump presidency is the abhorrent response to the coronavirus. This comes in two forms: his lack of a national plan and his rhetoric. First, his administration has failed, and is failing to adequately supply those on the front lines with proper PPE and testing. This lack of a centralized federal strategy almost certainly cost lives at the beginning of the outbreak. His poor planning is underscored by a continuous campaign of falsities, which are prevalent in seemingly every public appearance he makes. He repeatedly questioned the science on masks and even made fun of his opponent for wearing one. In fact, the first time the president encouraged everyone to wear a mask was July 20th. This sudden volte-face came at an odd time: by July, the U.S. had upwards of 160,000 deaths. These deaths came after the president admitted to downplaying the virus during an interview with Bob Woodward, saying that he knew how deadly the virus was and that he liked to play it down. He likewise suggested injecting bleach into the lungs of patients to cure them. Oh, and he said that the death toll is “very low… if you take the blue states out.” And who could forget the time that he blamed Obama for not having a vaccine ready for the virus that didn’t exist until six months ago. One of the largest problems with this president is not only that he says kindergarten-level things, but also that his
Sam Kohl ‘22
supporters listen. If you tuned into a Trump rally recently, you would not see proper social distancing and mask-wearing, but rather, eager, maskless gatherers grouped together like cattle, defying local and state restrictions, only to hear the words of our president encouraging them to continue.
The most obvious place to begin criticism on the Trump presidency is the abhorrent response to the coronavirus. The second major point I’d like to touch on with Trump is his immediate threat to democracy. Trump has angled himself in a way that prevents him from losing. Not in a literal sense, but his unfounded attacks on the validity of the election results mean that he can declare any loss as fake. Here is him quoted in a rally in Nevada: “It’s a rigged election, it’s the only way we’re going to lose.” Add on to this the fact that he has refused, on many occasions, to commit to a peaceful transfer of power (an American tradition that dates back to the election of 1800), and you get a worrying situation come November 3, 2020. A typical pro-Trump argument is the strength of the pre-COVID economy. For argument’s sake, let’s accept this premise, even though it ignores the fact that Trump’s own response to the virus has led to enormous job losses and an economic recession. If you look at the economic picture preCOVID, it is not all the president makes
GAGE SKIDMORE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden walking with supporters in Clear Lake, Iowa.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
United States gross domestic product over the past century it out to be. Real GDP growth in the U.S. has remained relatively stable since the 2008 recession, median household income was on a steady rise since about 2013, and since Obama’s second term, the U.S. has added about 200,000 new jobs each quarter (this has not boomed nor busted under Trump). The unemployment rate as well has been on a steady decrease since about 2010. In terms of the stock market, yes, it increased during this period. However, the stock market has been increasingly diverging with the de-facto economy for some time. 20 million people lost their jobs in April of this year, yet the S&P 500 had its best month in 33 years. All of this data points to one conclusion: Trump presided over a period of economic growth following the 2008 recession but did nothing to spur it. Now, I’d like to pivot to why you should support a Biden presidency. A visit to Joe Biden’s campaign website provides a look into what his presidency would look like: common-sense reforms on important issues approached from the angle of facts and data. Rather than playing to his base with buzzwords, Biden is looking to solve real problems. While Trump continuously tries to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a healthcare program that covers tens of millions of Americans, Biden is looking to expand it, attempting to ensure that poorer Americans never have to worry about going bankrupt due to an unexpected medical cost. This one issue is just a microcosm of the entire situation: Biden has a comprehensive plan, Trump has none. In fact, I could probably dedicate 1000 more words just to analyzing all of Biden’s policies (of which there are many). In fact, experts have studied Biden’s policies and what they found should surprise nobody: a recent study by Moody’s found that Biden’s economic plan would create seven million more jobs than Trump’s. Many of Biden’s critics fear that he will be influenced by far-left individuals and turn the country into what they might call a “socialist” America. To this, I say two things. First, research what socialism actually is before making baseless claims. Second, pay less attention to Trump’s campaign ads and more to what Biden is actually doing. Biden has
been consistently center-left on almost every policy issue since he’s been in the senate, favoring bi-partisan efforts to pass legislation. To think that he will suddenly cut loose from this strategy to satisfy the far-left is nonsense. If the far-left were actually a substantial part of the Democratic party, the nominee would not be Biden, it would be Bernie. If I still haven’t convinced you, let me attempt to appeal to your emotional side rather than your logical one. Donald Trump spews hateful, divisive rhetoric every time he speaks. He said John McCain “was a hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” He refused to visit the Marine Corps cemetery at battleground Belleau Wood, saying, “Why should I go to that cemetery, it’s filled with losers?” In a differ-
Biden has a comprehensive plan, Trump has none. In fact, I could probably dedicate 1000 more words just to analyzing all of Biden’s policies (of which there are many). ent conversation but on the same trip, he referred to the 1,800 dead U.S. Marines as “suckers” for getting killed. He admits to sexually assaulting women; since the 1970s, he has had upwards of 25 accusations of either rape, sexual assualt, or sexual harassment. He fuels the flames of racial tensions within our country, telling white nationalist groups to “stand by.” Joe Biden is seeking to heal our divided nation. He is the only candidate willing to say, “if I lose, I will accept the results.” That fact alone should be enough to guide your hand in the voting booth come November.
the index · arts
Page 20
September 2020
Everyone is a hypocrite: fill the seat
Colin Stewart ‘22
J
ustice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was, to say the least, a trailblazer in the fight for American women’s civil rights. As an attorney, Ginsburg successfully litigated six Supreme Court cases, each focused on gender discrimination in professional environments that she had faced and overcome as a law student at Harvard and Columbia Law Schools and professor at Rutgers and Columbia Law Schools. Appointed and confirmed in 1993, Ginsburg served the next twenty-seven years of her life on the court until she died from pancreatic cancer on September 18, 2020. With an empty Supreme Court seat, there is a constitutional obligation for President Trump to nominate and the United States Senate to vote regardless of the politically expedient precedent set by Senate Republicans in 2016. To understand the current circumstances, one must look back to 2016. Then-President Barack Obama nominated Federal Circuit Judge Merrick Garland to fill the seat vacated by late Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative “textualist.” Over the following weeks, Sen-
ate Republicans made clear that they were not going to hold a vote to confirm Merrick Garland regardless of the fact they held the majority. This would have allowed them to deny Merrick Garland the seat. Senate Majority Leader Mcconnell (R-KY) cited precedent from 1968 where Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC) blocked a vote on a Supreme Court nominee. McConnell would go on to block the vote and echo the same sentiment as Thurmond: “It seems clear President Obama made this nomination [...] in order to politicize it for purposes of the election. The American people are perfectly capable of having their say on this issue, so let’s give them a voice.” McConnell’s contention has no constitutional basis. Ginsburg even threw her hat into the ring on this issue stating to incoming law students at Georgetown University on Sept. 7, 2016, “The president is elected for four years not three years. So the power he has in year three continues into year four.” Senate Democrats opposed this proposition. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) summed up the Democrats’ argument with this statement, “Filling a Supreme Court vacancy is one of the most solemn tasks undertaken by this government [...] it is our job, in the United States Senate, to hold hearings.” Oh, how the tables have turned. Now the obvious problem arises—everyone is a hypocrite. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) even said the words, “Use my words against me” in 2016 and Democratic
LEVAN RAMISHVILI VIA FLICKR
Antonin Scalia (left) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., April 17, 2014
Presidential Nominee Joe Biden stated on multiple occasions that he believes that the Senate should hold a vote should there be a vacancy in an election year. In an interview in 2017, Biden said, “The constitution says the president shall nominate. [...] The Senate will act on its constitutional responsibility of giving its advice and consent. [...] They are required to give the nominee a hearing and a vote.” On the night of Ginsburg’s passing he tweeted, “Let me be clear: The voters should pick a President, and that President should select a successor to Justice Ginsburg.” I contend that the Senate is constitutionally bound to hold a vote. This responsibility is directly outlined in the Constitution, ArtII.SII.CII where it states, “He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate [...] he shall nominate [...] Judges of the Supreme Court.” The Constitution clearly bestows the responsibility of nominating and confirming a justice to the president and the Senate. This confirmation process has been carried out twenty-seven times during an election year. Another argument that President Trump and the Senate should not vote or confirm a new justice because Ginsburg’s granddaughter reported that Ginsburg said, “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.” This quote is questionable as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, much better than I, knew that there is no constitutional basis to hold a seat vacant because the past justice
wished it so. Many who aren’t invested in politics may find themselves asking why this is such a big deal. I would remind them that there is a high likelihood that the Supreme Court decides who wins the 2020 election. Many states changed from the tried and true process of voting in-person to mass mailout voting creating many problems. One of these includes whether ballots received after the election date should be valid. Seeing as the question of constitutionality has to be answered before the question of reliability, it will go to the highest court in the land. This would be similar to the 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush where the Supreme Court had to rule on a recount dispute in Florida. In any normal election year with nine justices, this wouldn’t be a problem. If there are only eight justices there is a possibility for a tie in votes. This would create a power vacuum seeing as there would be no recognized President of the United States after January 20, 2021. Quite simply, no matter what side you’re on, you should be able to recognize that this Supreme Court argument has displayed the “politic” in politician. Even though Senate Republicans blocked a vote in 2016, it would be remiss of both President Trump and the Senate not to go through with the confirmation process knowing that a failure to do so could lead to nation-shattering repercussions.
Trump foreign policy threatens Tik Tok company ByteDance was fined for illegally collecting the information of kids under the age of 13 back in February of 2019. In addition, the U.S. had accused TikTok of sending American user information it had previously claimed were stored in the U.S. to its Chinese servers.
Will rubin ‘22
I
f the Chinese government wants to spy on my TikTok account, I don’t really care. The only conclusion they are going to get out of it is that teenage American boys will laugh at anything remotely stupid. Half of my liked videos are just some random people doing silly things. Apparently, the Trump administration does not feel the same way. Donald Trump has been trying to ban TikTok since June. Before their first aggressions, though, the administration had been aware of the threats TikTok posed to Americans. Parent
It all comes down to the trade war between China and the United States. The security and counterintelligence threats that Tik Tok pose don’t seem to be the only things on Trump’s mind though. There seems to be more of an economic standpoint many people fail to see. As the fastest growing social media app right now, Tik Tok has the potential to dominate the
market. Trump wants to make sure that these social media giants are run from within the United States. TikTok has even revealed that it plans to add 10,000 more jobs if it makes its way into America. Recently, Trump’s threats seem to be working. A few weeks ago, Oracle and Walmart took a majority stake in the company, promising to overlook the source code and algorithm of the app before sending it to users. Many are still worried that information could be processed back in China. One could say that this goes against my original argument. TikTok will now pay American taxes, it will add new jobs, America will dominate the company, and many more of these great things. Yet Trump won’t settle for good. He wants great. He wants all of TikTok in the U.S. He won’t rest until the 36% of Tik Tok that is Chinese owned falls into the hands of Americans. The accusations that TikTok is a counterintelligence threat have never been fully proven. It all comes down to the trade
war between China and the United States. Trump’s background as a businessman is really shining in this moment as he tries to leverage the American obsession of curated fifteen-second videos. Striving to maintain American dominance over the social media market, Trump seems to be bringing out every weapon he has. Teenagers and adults rely on TikTok for their daily stream of entertainment, and it would be a shame if Trump used it as a pawn in his chess game against China.
MARCO VERCH VIA CREATIVE COMMONS
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the index · off-campus opinions
October 2020
This election is Trump’s to lose
Daniel Curran ‘21
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s we learned in 2016, we must never count out Donald Trump. By every single metric, 2016 was a surefire win for Hillary Clinton. Going into election day, Clinton had a seven-point lead in the national polling average, and a six-point lead in key states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. As we all know, the polls got it wrong. This year finds us in a similar position. Biden holds roughly a seven-point lead in the national polling average, and a threepoint lead in the battleground states; despite this, I believe that this is Trump’s election to lose. Because he is the incumbent, enthusiasm within his base is high, and a shift in momentum in polling is possible. The president has the election within his control. Trump running as an incumbent gives him a huge advantage over Biden, giving him the ability to run off his accomplishments from his previous term, and whether you like him or not, he has an impressive resume. Prior to COVID-19, unemployment was at an all-time low, four million jobs had been added, median household income was at all-time high, and 3.9 million people had been taken off food assistance. Then when you look abroad, he was able to renegotiate NAFTA, defeat the ISIS caliphate, and help facilitate peace deals between Israel and the UAE, Israel and Bahrain, and Serbia and Kosovo. These accomplishments, combined with the fact that Trump has raised serious questions as to Biden’s mental fitness, have made this race much tighter than people anticipated. There is no doubt that the enthusiasm
STAFF SARGEANT MARIANIQUE SANTOS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Biden and Obama administration turn over power to President Donald Trump at the 58th presidential inaguration on January 21, 2017. around Trump is significantly higher than the Biden campaign. Polls show that roughly 81% of Trump’s voters are voting for Trump rather than against Biden, while only 35% of Biden’s base is voting for him rather than against Trump. Trump’s base is also extremely confident in his reelection chances. Polling shows that 90% of Republicans believe Trump will win. Regardless of political views, 56% of Americans believe Trump will win reelection. Trump and his entourage have also been on the road campaigning in key swing states, holding large rallies and boat parades despite concerns over COVID, while Biden has not. This has led to Republicans adding significantly more newly registered voters in these states. There is enthusiasm within the Republican party.
Earlier in the summer, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Trump would lose. Biden was up as much as thirteen points in national polls, and he led in virtually every battleground state. Since then, there has been a clear swing of momentum in Trump’s favor. As of now, Biden still holds a significant yet diminished lead in national polling, and Trump has taken the lead in key swing states in the sunbelt according to a recent Washington Post/USA Today poll. Recent polling also suggests that Trump has significantly closed the gap in what were considered safe states for the Democrats, including Minnesota, Nevada, and New Hampshire. This has caused Biden to have to spend time and resources on these states that could otherwise be used on Florida or Pennsylvania.
If these polls are accurate, then once again, the election will come down to Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Biden would then have to win all three of them in order to win the election. If Biden is relying on all these states to win, then Trump has to like his chances. If there’s any message that I wanted to get across here, it’s to get out and vote if you are able to. No matter if you vote for Trump or for Biden, our democracy depends on the people getting out to vote. The polls got it wrong in 2016, and they could very well get it wrong again. So if you are a Democrat, don’t take anything for granted. You saw what happened last time. And if you’re a Republican, this race is a toss up, Trump’s reelection depends on you.
Gen Z has a larger civil obligation to vote than ever America’s youth: we are not a traditionally active group of voters. For many decades, the country’s elder population, the largest living generation of voters, has dominated American politics. Older people are overrepresented at the federal level, making up a majority of recent presidents and much of Congress since the 1990s. Kethan Srinivasan ‘21
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his year, I stand alongside fifteen million other teenagers who have turned eighteen since 2016. These teenagers have one thing in common: they are living through the same dilemmas as the rest of this country and have finally come to a national reckoning. They are closed in, navigating abnormal schedules, scrolling through their “For You” page on TikTok as the days pass. Many have taken hits from job losses and pay cuts as they wait and dream of their incoming stimulus package. This piece is not an attack on any particular group of people because all should be well-aware of the gravity of the current circumstances. In the span from January to this day, we have witnessed a virus kill more than 200,000 people, a worldwide wave of protests against racial injustice, wildfires spanning the Pacific coast, unemployment levels hovering at the rates of 2008, and a revered woman of the gavel’s passing. And all of this culminates in one of the most contentious election years to date. There is one thing you can safely say about
2020 is the year of the youth. And America awaits our voice. The year of the young now looms over this generation as they take their last stand. A recent report by the Brookings Institute has revealed that more than half of Americans are of the millennial generation or younger. The institute revealed the data findings which concluded that the combined millennials, Generation Z, and those younger make up more than half of the overall population at 50.7%. Combine this with a recent Harvard Youth Poll, which asked young voters between 18-29 years old whether they would be “definitely voting” in 2020. Nearly 63% of those individuals answered with that response compared to 47% 4 years ago. This demographic shift has its effects in various other areas, including racial and ethnic profiles, current economic backdrops, difference in social issues, and a greater coalescence as a result of increased racial awareness and activ-
ism in the face of racial injustice cases. This generation has built itself a platform in online and offline spheres. We have marched through streets, occupied millions of “For You” pages, and have managed to influence figures of different kinds to pick up the microphone on issues that plagues our minds, our safety, and our pockets. But the question lingers: can this influence be guaranteed where it matters the most? Are Gen Z and millennial individuals capable of doing everything in their power to shape America’s political apparatus? As it stands, our younger generations in this country comprise 40% of the national electorate this year. However, our turnout rate has been our greatest downfall for many years. Over the past decade, our age group consistently turned out below the national average, whilst many view this age group’s potential as limited due to varied political beliefs in a system dominated by two-party choices. Still, young people represent a racially diverse population spread over many states. They’ve shown a growing disapproval of specific leaders across party lines, increased support for social issues and movements, including Medicare For All and Black Lives Matter. Our potential legacy will only prove effective if we are willing to voice our sentiments on the ballot. My point is not to dissuade individuals from one specific side of the spectrum. It is to emphasize that, with the knowledge, understanding, and activism we now carry, we have a crucial civic obligation to vote.
I am not one to lecture on which party holds the moral high ground because that is no easier of a conversation. It only takes one look outward to recognize the millions of young men and women armed with their phones, voting cards, and black pens, and I encourage you to register to vote by October 19th. 2020 is the year of the youth. And America awaits our voice.
QUINN LUONG ‘22
Students march toward City Hall during the Youth for Black Lives March, August 2, 2020
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the index · off-campus opinions
October 2020
Students weigh in on Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing, legacy, and the open seat Philip Keidel ‘24
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he death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sent shock waves through our nation. A champion for women’s rights, Ginsburg served on the high court from 1993 until her passing. She had been nominated to the Supreme Court by then-President Bill Clinton to replace Justice Byron White. She was a strong women’s rights advocate, nicknamed “Notorious RBG” for her direct and forceful opinions about cases that were argued in the Supreme Court. When she died on September 18, the immediate question of her seat being filled by President Trump was at the top of Americans’ minds. At the time the court was considered to be a 5-4 conservative majority with Ginsburg being one of the four liberal, minority justices. Chief Justice John Roberts is viewed by many as the swing vote in many of the cases that the Court rules on. The Constitution states that one of the many duties of the President of the United States is to nominate justices to the Supreme Court. In 2016, President Obama, eight months before the election, nominated Merrick Garland. The majority-Republican Senate struck down his nomination, citing Obama being a “lame duck” president, meaning that he was at the end of his second term, with no way to be re-elected. President Trump meanwhile, is ending his first term. “I think Obama being a lame-duck president changes the outlook on the topic,
Trump’s finishing his first term, and it’s his job to nominate justices to the Supreme Court,” Third Former Luke Fesnak said. Sixth Former Nachikethan Srinivasan disagrees;“I find the moves currently being taken by the Republican administration are hypocritical, but it’s nothing new to many of us who have been more or less politically aware of the last ten or so years.” Trump nominated the Honorable Amy Coney Barrett, a graduate of Rhodes College, Notre Dame Law School, and served fifteen years as a law professor at Notre Dame Law School. In 2017 President Trump nominated her to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. During her confirmation hearing she participated in a notable confrontation with Senator Diane Feinstein of California, “The dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s a concern,” Feinstein said at that September 2017 confirmation hearing. Feinstein was referring to Barrett’s strong religious beliefs; she is a devout Catholic, and Feinstein believed that would play a part in the rulings she would make on the cases argued before her. Srinivasan agrees: he pointed to Barrett’s staunch conservative beliefs and her ties to religious groups that have clear views on how a relationship between a man and a woman should be. “I don’t think this was a matter of Senator
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Offical portrait of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg Feinstein ‘attacking Barrett,’ but questioning whether her views will reflect the ideals of a bench that is committed to making no law respecting an establishment of religion,” Srinivasen said. Luke Fesnak said, “I think people can unfairly criticize strong religious beliefs. She’s intelligent, moral and quite competent. If you ask me, there’s no reason she shouldn’t be confirmed.”
Barrett will most likely be approved for a confirmation hearing, but the real question is whether she is confirmed before the election, a Trump win will almost guarantee her confirmation, but a Trump loss may force Senate Republicans to try to force her through, something that would definitely be one of the most controversial political moves in U.S. history.
Joe Biden’s oratory limits his campaign Joshua Ricefield ‘22
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ver the past few months, Biden’s campaign speeches and interviews have brought gaffes shared across the internet worldwide. Although these blunders are funny to some, they invoke a different reaction in me, one of confusion and maybe even a little bit of fear. I often find myself asking the question “How can this man be running for President?” Whether it be racially insensitive comments to outright incorrect facts and statements, Joe Biden has persistently tarnished his reputation as a public speaker, arguably the most important trait a politician needs. Biden always seems to contradict his earlier statements with new ones, presenting everyone the question of what he really supports. This was especially prevalent during the first presidential debate where Biden disavowed the Green New Deal after previously declaring that it was the basis for his new climate plan. An important topic that Joe Biden cannot seem to maintain a consistent answer on is the defunding of police, a widely debated topic in today’s political climate. During an interview with Ady Barkan in July, when asked if he agreed with plans to redirect police funding, Biden responded, “Yes, absolutely.” This came just a month before a July interview with CBS where Biden rejected the idea of defunding the police and proposed even more funds for equipment and hiring, stating, “While I do not believe federal dollars should go to police departments violating people’s rights or turning to violence as the first resort, I do not support defunding police.” A third topic sparking controversy surrounding Biden are his racist comments, es-
pecially pertaining to the African American community. One of his most notable quotes surfaced during an interview with Charlamagne of The Breakfast Club where Biden ended the interview stating, “Well, I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” During an interview with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Biden made another extremely insensitive comment.“Unlike the African-American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly diverse attitudes about different things,” Biden said. In both of these statements, Biden undermines the African-American community of which he holds the support of the majority. Biden’s ability to reverse his stance on serious topics from interview to interview and poor skills as a conveyor of information should scare every American voter concerned about the democracy of this country. If Donald Trump can make Biden change his stance on his policy to combat climate change in the middle of a debate, a Congress full of radical left leaders will be able to alter the very fabric of the Constitution that is the heart and soul of our country. This is, however, completely disregarding the fact that Biden has, on multiple occasions, misstated facts which resulted in exaggerated numbers that, in theory, could be believed by his supporters. In fact, recent polling has backed up my claims showing that Trump has thirtysix percent of the black vote compared to his mere eight percent during the 2016 election. With calls for racial justice, Biden’s comments are only lowering his numbers as his
GAGE SKIDMORE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaking on February 15, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada support wanes from minority and radical left during speeches, his chances of winning the voters of whose policies he has contradicted. election leave with them. If you are a student of age to vote, then I The role of the President is extremely important in that the fate of our country rests believe it is your duty, as a responsible voter, in their hands. What scares me about Biden to educate yourself about the presidential is that many of his insensitive and false state- candidates. Although Trump’s actions as ments were but accidents on his part. There president are heavily demeaned by the press, is no room for accidents in the Oval Office. I urge you to reconsider a quick choice to In fact, one of his little slip-ups could send vote. Joe Biden is not fighting for racial justhe entire country into a panic with the way tice in this country: he only adds to it by crethe media unfairly reports on him. Biden has ating racial stereotypes especially for African proven on multiple occasions from his ora- Americans in his speeches. No, voting for Trump does not necessitory skills that he is not fit for such a role, and by doing so has alienated many of his tate you to question your racial identity but supporters. As the election nears and Biden who knows what a vote for Biden warrants, continues to lose the support of minor- I certainly do not. Biden’s position changes ity voters, no doubt due to his performance every day.
the index · arts
Page 23
arts
October 2020
Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Tenet brings movies back to theaters with a bang Drew Loughnane ’21
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enet, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, marks a milestone in the chaotic year of 2020. After the COVID-19 pandemic put a majority of the country’s entertainment on hold, Tenet marked the first major film release to hit the big screen since mid-March. To re-open, theaters must now follow a plethora of safety precautions. Masks are mandatory, physical distancing is required, and theaters have substantially increased the amount of sanitization. Despite the unorthodox experience, viewers flocked to see Tenet; it brought in $207 million worldwide. The film depicts a protagonist, never mentioned by name, as he travels through a world filled with espionage. With no aid but a single word—“tenet”—he attempts to prevent the world from a potential collapse. A friendly warning: this is no ordinary savethe-world thriller. In typical Nolan fashion, Tenet alters audiences’ views on reality, as the mission evolves to occur beyond real time. The film’s complexity begs the comparison to one of Nolan’s most famous works, Inception. Both require the audience to “buyin,” as details throughout the film are vital to each respective pay-off. Following Incep-
tion’s 2010 release, many viewers fell in love with the film. What initially took a second or even third viewing eventually morphed into one of the most well-known sci-fi movies in history. Yet, with every positive opinion on Nolan’s Inception, there was also a negative one. Complaints that the film is “too mindblowing” will forever muddy Inception’s claim at the very top—cinema’s Rushmore of movies, if you will. In a similar sense, Nolan’s Tenet shares a duality of opinion across its viewers. Sixth Former Tyler Zimmer said, “I loved the movie because it was so challenging to comprehend. My friend and I enjoyed the arguments about what was happening and picking up on small details.” On the other hand, Sixth Form film-enthusiast Michael Tallarida felt Nolan might have gone overboard: “At some times, the plot was confusing to understand. Tenet is an innovative and groundbreaking movie for modern cinema, but Nolan’s constant need for mystery throughout took away from its potential.” Don’t get me wrong. Nolan’s most recent film is a masterpiece. The cinematic elements are more Christopher Nolan than ever, most notably featuring the destruction of a full-
Orchestra practicing outdoors Ethan Chan ’23
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t notable occasions during the school year, friends, family, and faculty witness the different harmonies and melodies created by the school’s musicians in Centennial Hall. With the change in momentum and “tempo” from the closing of the school in March, the music groups have faced an obstacle— in-person rehearsals. One of the groups that has been able to formulate a plan to coincide with the new school regulations is the orchestra. “Right now we’re starting a program that features outdoor rehearsal (weather permitting) three days a week,” Orchestra Director Mr. Goodrich said. “We’re organizing around sports, schedules, etc., and we’re rehearsing in the courtyard right outside the music building.” A different approach to the pre-recorded videos sent in by orchestra members last school year, Mr. Goodrich and students
musicians see many potential benefits from these outdoor rehearsals. “So far, we’ve been able to get really wonderful participation and enthusiasm from the orchestra. I think that there’s a tradition in classical music of having performances outside especially during the summer with Pop Orchestras, and fortunately, we have a fairly good acoustic here in the courtyard, where there are enough buildings close by to reflect our sound. I think that we are all more satisfied with the sound we’re getting considering the circumstances,” says Mr. Goodrich. Fourth Former Luka Sekulic, who plays first violin, has similar feelings. “Everyone is enjoying it. We like practicing together, and this method of rehearsing is definitely a good method for us to keep our skills sharp,” Sekulic said. To comply with the safety precautions, the orchestra has devised innovative solutions to make sure everyone is safe. “I have a unique window into virology
Jazz Band planning virtual, one-on-one rehearsals Austin Zhuang ’22
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ike its string and singing counterparts, Jazz Band resumed practicing starting October 5. Virtually, students will meet for fifteenminute, one-on-one sessions with Director Mr. Philip Giangiordano. “In August, I talked with Mr. Hengst about how we would work this,” Mr. Giangiordano said. “And I settled on working with each person in the band on Zoom or something else.” For about three hours every week, Mr. Giangiordano will have back-to-back meetings and comment on each individual’s performance. “Once everybody has their parts down in-
dividually, we can have the trumpet section do a Zoom session together,” Mr. Giangiordano said. “And we can work it [the song] out with more than one person at a time.” The effectiveness of these rehearsals is promising. More individual attention leads to a stronger performance overall, both for the ensemble and the player. “In some ways, one-on-one sessions might be better,” Mr. Giangiordano said. “In the past, we’ve done [section practices], but now, if it’s me and you, I can listen to you play the whole thing and just comment.” Those in the ensemble agree that time alone with Mr. Giangiordano is beneficial. Fifth Former Patrick Corcoran discussed
Tenet at the Narberth Theater, October 2, 2020
MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH
size Boeing 747 during filming. The acting is world-class, with John David Washington continuing his success following his Golden Globe-nominated performance in BlacKkKlansman (2018). That said, Tenet is not for the casual viewer.
I urge anyone intellectually curious to go out and see Tenet with an open mind and maybe some money for a second ticket.
and how to mitigate risks for students,” says Mr. Goodrich, who worked in medicinal chemistry and has degrees in physical chemistry and music. “One method is wearing IE gloves with the fingers cut out and extra clothing. These gloves have multiple uses as they prevent the spread of germs from touching equipment and instruments and keeping everyone’s hands warm during the colder weather.” Given that weather won’t allow for inperson rehearsals at a certain point, the orchestra holds Zoom meetings every week to review the repertoire and to stay on track. The social aspect of a group environment is extremely important for the orchestra. “The other most important thing,” said
Mr. Goodrich, “is that these experiences of community and group presence are so hard to come by during this time, and it really reminds us of the importance of music, and the importance of spending time in a group, working on a common task, which has been incredibly difficult considering this situation. I see this as a really important social exercise and a really fulfilling emotional exercise for a lot of the participants.” “We enjoy the challenge of the new pieces and playing together has made our experience much more enjoyable,” Sekulic said. “This will definitely help keep the Orchestra together in the long run.”
AGUSTIN ALIAGA ‘21
Orchestra members rehearse outside Centennial Hall’s stage some of the positives. “I think it’ll be pretty helpful,” Corcoran said. “[Mr. Giangiordano] can walk us through parts, tell us how something should feel, or how fast it should be, or how loud or soft.” Others, however, are wary that a lack of practicing together as a group will hinder progress. “That [one-on-one sessions] is going to affect a lot,” Sixth Former Will Schaefer said. “I play based on the band, and a lot of my stuff is working with the others in the rhythm section.” Jazz Band members are eager to get back to practicing and improving as musicians. “Personally, I’d just like to get better at playing saxophone,” Sixth Former Decker Patterson said. “In general, I like to improve my skills as a musician, and it’s the biggest thing that can come out of [virtual practice].” After preparing for a few months, students will come in to record their parts, and
the tracks will be edited into one cohesive recording for the school to listen to. While incomparable to a live performance, many feel the video will bring more popularity to the Jazz Band. “There are a lot of benefits to the virtual performance,” Corcoran said. “The school could use it to market better, and, while it will be weird and new, it is much easier to watch, and more people will be able to listen.” The pandemic has made the lives of musicians difficult since March, but the ensemble has adapted and found ways to continue playing and working together. “I feel like the biggest part missing is being together,” Patterson said, “but I think we have a lot to look forward to the end product. With a lot of hard work, we can make it the best performance possible.”
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sports
the index · sports
October 2020
Fords shine at Inter-Ac baseball showcase Jake LaRocca ‘22
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n September 23, 2020, Maplezone Sports Institute (MSI) hosted the first ever Inter-Academic baseball showcase. With the absence of the spring season, this scout day provided all 62 players with an opportunity to get on collegiate coaches’ radars. Prep Baseball Report (PBR) hosted the event. PBR is essential for aspiring collegiate baseball players, as most coaches use the stats
from this website. Several baseball players made an appearance, including Will Ferris, Colby McNeely, Cole Donnely, Jac Campbell, James Falk, Jonny Flieder, Mark Quatrani, Mike Tallarida, and Grayson Walker, highlighting their pitching, fielding, hitting, and running abilities. Sixth Former Jonny Flieder stood out. Flieder tied for first place in the 60-yard dash, recording a speedy 6.59. Alongside his blazing 60 time, Flieder peaked with an
AUGIE ALIAGA '21
85 m.p.h. Infield Velocity, first among all infielders. Flieder was excited about his performance. “Especially after missing last year’s season, it felt great to get back out on the field with Inter-Ac guys and show what I can do,” Fledier said. “I worked really hard over the long break and was really excited to see it pay off. The event was really cool because it gave the guys on our team an opportunity to not only represent ourselves but also Haverford baseball in a good light.” Sixth Former Mike Tallarida shone as well. He recorded a 97 m.p.h. Exit Velocity, with an average distance of 318 feet per swing. Hoping to play at the collegiate level, Tallarida continues working hard. “Personally, I would love to play college baseball if it’s the right fit for me. I’m looking to play at a high academic school, so it narrows my options down. Especially with COVID protocols and the NCAA dead period, it was tough to interact with Division-I coaches throughout the summer,” Tallarida said. The players show up and compete, and PBR takes care of the rest. During events,
“The event was well run and did an excellent job at helping players in their college recruiting process.” MIKE TALLARIDA ’21 PBR loads up their social media for scouts to see. These platforms include numerous tweets on Twitter, Instagram posts and stories, and in this case, a livestream. At the culmination of the event, PBR uploaded statistics for each player onto their website: “The staff at PBR does an excellent job of promoting their players specifically through social media,” Tallarida added. “With the top tier technology they have, PBR provides accurate numbers for different baseball measurables. The event was well-run and did an excellent job at helping players in their college recruiting process.”
Fourth Former Michael Dean practicing baseball after school
Eagles' early season struggles
Kethan Kalra ‘24
Philip Keidel ‘24
NFL’s tries to safely open season
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he coronavirus put the world on hold, closed thousands of local businesses, and canceled the beloved March Madness college basketball tournament for the first time in history. For months, we all locked ourselves in our homes, not daring to risk exposure from the outside world. Professional sports leagues took various precautions, shutting down games in the middle of the season, putting a hold on the NBA playoffs and the beginning of the MLB season. But it seems that one major sports league has been handling the situation well: the NFL. While many think the NFL is a coronavirus hotspot, they are mistaken. According to Sportingnews.com, a total of 58,000 tests have been issued to around 8,000 players and personnel. Of this mass testing, just ten tests came back positive, a rate of less than 0.0002%. Behind the scenes of the multi-billion dollar industry, engineers have been working on player safety for years, but this year, a new type of safety has taken center stage. Rather than focusing on helmets and pads, the NFL has shifted its focus towards the coronavirus. One particular German company, Kinexon, designed a “Safe Zone Tag.” Players and staff must wear the light device on their body at all times in order to track players’ interac-
tions. In the event that players or staff are within six feet of each other for more than five seconds, audible warnings will alert the respective personnel to relocate themselves. In these uncertain times, the NFL has to ensure the safety of not only their players but also of the tens of thousands of people who attend games each week; 69,596 seats at Lincoln Financial field are empty. Due to Philadelphia’s mandate prohibiting no gatherings larger than fifty people outside, it is likely that these seats will remain empty for a large portion of the season. The home-field advantage is one of the biggest factors of a winning team, especially for the New Orleans Saints. Their stadium, The Superdome, records about 130 decibels, equivalent to a military aircraft taking off. This sound causes confusion for the opposing team and can often influence the game script. This year, the only sound televisions emit are auto-generated by the NFL, imitating the fans within the stadium. The National Football League has done an excellent job of making sure that fans, players, and personnel are not undergoing any unnecessary risks to the coronavirus. Despite the precautions put in place, many teams plan to open up their stadiums for fans, which may spread the coronavirus even further. As stadiums begin to reopen to the masses, will the NFL or the coronavirus pre-
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ‘21
Eagles on the field before a 23-26 loss to the Titans in Nashville
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hen the clock hit zero in overtime, still tied at 23-23, the Philadelphia Eagles, Superbowl champions just three years ago tied a football game at home with the worst team in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals went a measly 2-14 in 2019 and picked up unanimous #1 pick Joe Burrow, a QB from LSU. But when the Bengals rolled into town, many Eagles fans believed this would surely be a decisive victory over a sub-par team to give them some confidence heading into the tough schedule of the 49ers, Steelers, and Ravens. But that was not the case. The offense stalled and couldn’t find a way to score, Wentz went 29/47 on pass attempts and threw two interceptions.
But above all, Howie Roseman is the man to blame for the Eagles struggles, not Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson, or the injuries.
RYAN RODACK '22
Lincoln Financial Field before 2018 playoff victory over Vikings
Miles Sanders continued to be a bright spot for the offense though; with 95 yards on 18 rushing attempts. Linebacker Nathan Gerry was attacked all day long by the Bengals, which will be a problem going into Week 4 against the offensive mastermind that is Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers head coach.
But above all, Howie Roseman is the man to blame for the Eagles struggles, not Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson, or the injuries. Howie Roseman’s inability to surround Carson Wentz throughout his career is something that's undeniable.
It has had severe consequences on the Eagles franchaise as a whole. Going into Week 4, the Eagles have an undrafted QB turned WR in Greg Ward, who was undrafted last year, and rookie WR John Hightower as WR1 and WR2 going into a Sunday Night Football in San Francisco. DeSean Jackson, while loved by the fans of this franchise, is 33 years old and not getting any younger. Jalen Reagor is out for 4-6 weeks but has shown some great signs as a really great deep threat, but Wentz has really struggled, missing all of those throws. Howie Roseman showed a lack of trust in his franchise QB when he picked a QB in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft. There were so many weak spots in the LB core, the WR position, and the OL, yet Roseman made a pick out of left field that had no backing behind it. The only case to make is to make sure you have a backup for the injury-prone Wentz, but this was a horrible pick. It has had severe consequences on the Eagles franchise as a whole.