The Merionite
Ardmore, PA, 19003
March 18, 2020
The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 issuu.com/merionite Volume 91, Issue 4
A hilarious heist Spencer Rosenbaum ’22 Sports Editor
Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion
The contestants practiced for nearly 2 months before performing in front of an almost full auditorium. In this year’s Amazing Ace, themed to Ocean’s Eleven (2001), contestants teamed up in a remarkable mission to help Ace the Bulldog take Scott Kilpatrick’s bolt cutters. After discovering that Kilpatrick is using his infamous bolt cutters to move students’ bicycles to inappropriate places, the emcees, Ethan Schatz ’20, Amalia Schneider ’20, and Sean Hughes, along with Ace the Bulldog, went on a search for candidates for the heist team. The candidates included: seniors Aidan Barr Bono, Asher Goodwin, Justin McQueen, Joe Plavin, Maddie Pyankov, Sydney Schur, Ursula Walc-
zak, and Roi Zarom in addition to juniors Mats Egberts and Max Forster. Throughout the night, the contestants each participated in a catwalk, a hip-hop dance, a question and answer session, a partner dance, and a talent. In addition to winning the title of “The Amazing Ace,” each contestant competed for a charity of their choice, supporting many causes. The production was highly successful this year, raising a total of over $16,000–approximately $8,000 of which allocated was to the charities and the other half to the senior class. The fundraising efforts are a the reason why candidates get involved in the show. After attending and enjoying the event last year, Egberts, who competed for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, decided that he was going to audition his junior year because he loved “the idea of it being a combination between a talent show and a fundraising event.” The money that the production raises makes it unique in comparison with other competitions who do not have the option to raise money. Although many other similar shows can be intense, the Amazing Ace competition creates a rare, comfortable environment in which the real importance is fundraising, allowing entertainment for both the contestants and audience. Furthermore, as Egberts put, “doing the show allows contestants to meet admirable people and work together to create a phenomenal performance.” This experience where contestants of a talent show collaborate is relatively exclusive to “The Amazing Ace.” To have this collaborative show however, a substantial amount of preparation is required.
Hands-on composting
Photo by Madison Li ’21
On February 20, members of LM’s Environmental Club traveled to Penn Wynne Elementary School on a mission: to teach young students about environmental responsibility and the importance of composting. In planning the trip, the club “aspired to instill a love of nature at a young age and help ... kids better understand their planet,” stated by Environmental Club President Haley Morgenstern ’20. The children sat fascinated
Ishana Baboo ’21
as Morgenstern and fellow officers Lily Guo ’21, Lauryn Holgado ’20, Madison Li ’21 and Linda Liu ’20, along with several other club members, shared a presentation that covered how to compost and why it is so advantageous. Composting not only keeps food scraps and leftovers out of landfills, where they can contribute to the release of greenhouse gases, but also provides a nutrient-rich environment when composted dirt is used in planting and farming. Despite the positive effects of composting, a 2014 survey reported that around three-quarters of Americans do not compost their food waste, though many said that they would consider the idea if it was more accessible in their community. After the presentation, the elementary school students got their hands dirty, literally, by making compost bottles to illustrate the processes of decomposition, which are crucial to composting. These disposable water bottles were filled with soil and food waste, with multiple holes cut for aeration. Although these bottles might not show results right away, over time they can demonstrate the gradual breakdown of material that can yield composted soil. Once the bottles were complete, the kids had the opportunity to ask their visitors questions about composting and Environmental Club as a whole.
Please see HANDS-ON COMPOSTING on page 3
Increasing diversity in comptuer science Learn about LM’s efforts to include minorities in computer science. page 2
From a small flu-like disease in Wuhan, China, to one of the fastest growing diseases of the past century, the virus officially known as “SARSCoV-2” has surpassed infamous epidemics such as SARS, MERS, and Ebola in the number of cases over the past three months. It is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, all of which have originated from bats. The epidemic originated in China where a cluster of cases of “pneumonia” were reported in people associated with a Chinese seafood market. A week later, Chinese health officials confirmed that the disease was not pneumonia, but instead a novel coronavirus. According to the WHO, as of March 11, a total of 124,947 cases have been reported globally, and 4,591 deaths. Scientists have said that the disease spreads from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth Graphic by Emerald Wu ’23
An idol of our own
Light ‘em up
which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or exhales. Other people then catch the virus by touching infected objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. One may also contract the virus if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19. Officials recommend staying one meter or more away from someone those infected. As of March 11, there is no treatment for COVID-19. Contrary to popular belief, antibiotics will not work, as it is a virus and not a bacteria. The best way to protect yourself from getting infected is to follow basic hygiene and sanitation practices and avoid close contact with those who are sick. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a list of disinfectant products approved for use against the virus, including multiple products from household brands such as Clorox and Lysol.
Please see THE PANIC SETS IN! on page 4
A&E
OPINIONS
NEWS
Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion
The audience and the contestants raised over $16,000 for various charities.
The panic sets in!
Noa Cutler ’22 Arts & Entertainment Editor
Environmental club officers stress the importance of composting from a young age.
Walczak, who was crowned the champion at this year’s competition “definitely underestimated the work necessary for the show, especially from Players, the directors, Mrs. Christman, and the contestants and sidekicks.” Nonetheless, Nora Christman thinks it is highly irrefutable that this work was worth it. She explained, “this year’s cast was very dedicated and put so much genuine energy and commitment into the show. From the dances to the talents, they were consistently ahead of the curve and [she] felt very confident that they would be ready when February 26 rolled around.” Without this steadfast dedication, the invigorating performance that was “The Amazing Ace” would not have been possible. Moreover, this year’s contestants did not fall short in fundraising, the main purpose of the production. Please see A HILARIOUS HEIST on page 2
Elliot Ginzburg ’21 urges administrators to invest in lights on the field to benefit students. page 6
Get an insight on the future of one of LM’s notable alumni. page 11
Graphic by Amanda Tonsey ’21
Photo courtesy of Daisy Knight-Surie ’21
FEATURES Wendell Holland won’t give up Learn about a prominent Harriton alumn’s experience on the reality TV show Survivor. page 10
SPORTS Possibility to perform
Picture courtesy of Teresa Lu-Romeo ’21
Consider the pros and cons of creating new sports teams at LM. page 14
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News
March 18, 2020
The Merionite
Increasing diversity in computer science Teresa Lu Romeo ’21 Computer science has seen a massive rise in popularity over the last few decades. However, this growth has not necessarily translated proportionally to students across every demographic. Despite the abundance of available opportunities, there still remains a serious lack of representation of minorities in the computer science field. LM computer science teacher Thomas Swope believes that addressing the discrepancy in representation should be a top priority of the school. “I feel so strongly that computer science is an important field of study, but right now, girls and minorities are really drastically underrepresented at Lower Merion, and even more so nationally. Our goal is to take small steps to help change this.” The computer science department kicked off 2020 with two main events to help work towards this goal. In January, a group of talented African American students was selected to participate in a trip to the Flux Center, an establishment that specializes in providing innovative STEM experiences to local groups. In February, a group of LM girls planned and participated in a Girls Hackathon, officially referred to as Girls.hack("LM"). The trip to the Flux Center was an idea first formulated by a group of students concerned with minority involvement in computer science. Prince Geutler ’20 was one of the first to voice his concerns. “I mentioned that we didn’t really have many black people in computer science,” he explained. “So Mr. Swope came up with an idea on how to change this, how to motivate minorities. It was basically spontaneous. We isolated a problem and then found a solution.” The solution manifested itself as a day packed with innovative, inspiring activities. After receiving free T-shirts and a warm welcome, each student on the trip was given a microbit, a pocket-sized hardware system studded with LED lights. Over the course of the next hour, students figured out how to manipulate drag-and-drop code to enable the microbit to display their name and act as a Magic 8-Ball. Additionally, students were given the chance to hear from guest speakers who spoke about the myriad of computer science opportunities available at LM, as well as how to be successful as a minority working in a STEM field. “Don’t let it scare you,” one speaker advised, “somebody’s gotta kick the door down.”
Photo courtesy of Teresa Lu Romeo ’21
LM’s own Taj Byrd presented to all of the competitors as they prepared for a day of drone action.
A hilarious heist Continued from A HILARIOUS HEIST on page 1 She noted that she has “volunteered with Paws and Affection since [her] freshman year, [and has] experienced the amazing work they do for kids.” Their inspiring mission only made her want to raise more money for the organization funded entirely by donations. The finalists, Asher Goodwin and Sydney Schur, along with the victor, Walczak, all displayed talents that stunned the audience. Goodwin played an impressive piano medley that included music in various genres. His performance hit its climax and surprised the crowd when he played Robbery by Juice Wrld while Samson Hurwitz ’20 rapped and fellow contestant, Barr Bono, played the drums. Schur retained the crowd’s rapt attention with her portrayal of “magic with a twist,” a lively dancing routine involving the heads of mannequins. Finally, Walczak did not dissapoint with her talent, Flow Lighting. She had learned how to move lights from her sidekick, Colleen Wang ’20, who studied the art of Flow Lighting at her summer camp. From there, Walczak and Wang decided to perform this talent at “The Amazing Ace,” featuring a service dog from Paws and Affection. This unique idea intrigued the judges in addition to the crowd, leading Walczak to her victory. Not only did the contestants raise money for the senior class and their respective charities, but they also raised awareness for them. This awareness is critical as it will lead to more donations in the long-run. The contestants’ exceptional performances this year will help retain the popularity of the event for future years, ultimately supporting more charitable causes and senior classes. After another enticing year of “The Amazing Ace,” students and staff at LM only have one question: How will next year’s production match up?
Photo courtesy of Teresa Lu Romeo ’21
Students reflected on the successes of their event filled with cheesesteaks and collaboration. After hearing from the speakers, students were provided with cheesesteaks and sandwiches for lunch and briefed on their second task of the day: programming drones. Each pair of students was given a programmable mini-drone with which they attempted to complete a series of tasks such as flying over and under tables, circling around the beams on the ceiling, and as a final challenge, landing the drone perfectly on a set target. These obstacles were the perfect opportunity for the participants to gain insight into the problem-solving and collaborative nature of computer science. As students reflected on their experiences, it became clear that the day was a resounding success. According to Sophia Abdulmalik ’23, “in an environment where we usually feel [alone], it was empowering to see others that looked like us.” The experiences students gained at the Flux Center helped demonstrate how effective computer science is in creating empowering opportunities, as well as how enjoyable it can be. Akinyele Adebamgbe ’21 summed the day up perfectly: “cheesesteaks and drones are a good combination.” The second event, Girls.hack(“LM”), was hosted at the Susquehanna International Group (SIG) headquarters and organized almost entirely by LM girls. These students worked tirelessly on planning the event during the weeks leading up to it and were in charge of everything from choosing a theme for the Hackathon to writing the instructions for the competition. “Our goal in planning this event was to encourage more girls to take computer science classes and show them how fun it can be,” said Maggie Hollis ’21. The focus of the Hackathon was creating a supportive, motivational atmosphere that inspired teamwork and creativity. The Hackathon was attended by more than 100 girls from twelve local high schools, competing in groups of four or five students. Each group was paired with experienced mentors from LM and SIG to maximize the educational nature of the event. Throughout the Hackathon, competitors used their creativity and programming knowledge to design and create a game in the programming language Java. Teams were graded on criteria such as readability of code, appropriate use of data structures, functionality, and creativity. They were given a total of three hours to create and submit a game with the help of starter code provided on a flash drive. At the end of the competition, prizes were handed out to the top three teams, and each girl was asked to describe her experience in one word. “Inspiring,” “challenging,” and “collaborative” seemed to be unanimous agreements. “These kinds of competitions are usually all guys,” elaborated one participant from Cumberland Regional High School. “It was nice to have a room full of girls for a change.” The day concluded with an address from the SIG coordinator of the event, who praised the Hackathon’s role in empowering the next generation of female programmers. “We hope that at some point there isn’t as much of a need for these kinds of events and that there’ll be more women in the computer science program,” she summarized. “But as long as there is that shortfall, activities like this are critical for sparking interest.”
Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion
Joe Plavin ’20 performed a yodeling act to amuse the excited audience.
News
March 18, 2020
3
The Merionite
Empowering women in March Zoe Hassett ’23 National Women's History Month honors the contribution of women both in history and in the modern world. Every year, March is designated as Women's History Month by the Presidential Proclamation. This, however, does not have the origin story that many people expect. The national recognition actually began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California in 1978. Soon, the week of March 8 was adopted by the whole country as Women's History Week and was formally declared so in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter. Finally, in 1987, Congress officially made March Women's History Month. The National Women's History Alliance sets a theme for the annual celebration, with this year’s being the “Valiant Women of the Vote." This theme will recognize the historical women that fought for women's suffrage rights and for those who continue to advocate for voting rights. The topic for this year is especially meaningful because 2020 marks the centennial of the nineteenth amendment which was ratified on August 18, 1920. The women's suffrage movement began prior to the Civil War and lasted about a hundred years until the nineteenth amendment finally allowed all citizens, no matter what gender, to secure a ballot. Women such as Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton helped fight for the nineteenth amendment, and therefore will especially be honored for this upcoming Women's History Month. As Women's History Month proceeds, events in the LM community have been put in place in order to honor influential women. Additionally, expect for there to be a special emphasis on women's history as you progress through your classes. Principle Sean Hughes has notified faculty and says teachers will be integrating classroom specific activities to bring awareness to Women's History Month. Some LM teachers were asked if they will recognize the month, and if so, what they plan to do. Orchestra teacher Jessica Villante explains that she "looks forward to when women's history is interwoven into day to day history class." Biology and Environmental Science teacher Taryn Stevens suggests that we celebrate Women's History Month by recognizing a different important woman in history every day. A couple of students were also asked about Women's History Month. Aiden Friedman ’23 believes it is important to celebrate the month in order to support women. Sadie Liebo ’23 vocalized her beliefs on the matter, she thinks it’s "extremely important, I believe that women's history month is crucial to appreciating the key roles women have played in history and in modern society today." Women's History Month is a time for everyone to not only commend women from our country's past, but also to recognize women in our everyday lives.
Hands-on composting Continued from HANDS-ON COMPOSTING on page 1 The visit was a great success for the club. “We were able to show [the kids] that it is not only fun and interesting [to compost], but also really beneficial for our environment,” said Li. She continued that the students were “engaged…[and] eager...to participate in the activities we had prepared. They were interested in our presentation and asked many questions at the end, which showed that we had provided them with a valuable experience.” Despite the success of this educational visit, the officers and club members were in agreement that there is more work to be done in the school district regarding sustainability and eco-friendly practices. “I think the school district has taken steps to support eco-friendly initiatives like the water bottle fillers. However, I think the district does need to address other problems in our school, especially the styrofoam trays in the cafeteria,” expressed Holgado. The club encourages LM community members to be good stewards of the environment by educating others about and participating in initiatives like recycling and composting. This can be as simple as having more people “dedicate their time to... cleaning up the community and their neighborhood in general,” Liu explained. The officers and members of the Environmental Club plan to continue spreading their message of reducing, reusing, and recycling across the district. In the near future, the club will be participating in the district’s annual Elementary Family STEM night on April 16, where they “will be running a room where kids and parents can partake in a hands-on composting lesson, similar to the activity at Penn Wynne,” according to Morgenstern. Additionally, a group of 6th graders who participated in a previous lesson at Penn Valley reached out and invited the club to be a part of their Earth Day celebration—proof that the Environmental Club continues to make a difference and has found its way into the hearts of kids all across the district.
Photo by Madison Li ’21
Lauryn Holgado ’20 guides the students as they wait their turn to build their mini composters.
Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
Tired of the sleep debate Ezra Thau ’22
Why has it become increasing- ruary, notes that while they “see that ly difficult to agree upon a start the district is listening to teacher, t i m e c h a n g e a c r o s s t h e s c h o o l staff and parent concerns,” they d i s t r i c t ? A s n e w d e v e l o p m e n t s remain passionate about not starting a r i s e , w e c a n s e e t h a t t h i s i s a schools before 8 a.m. Additionally, change that is not taken lightly. they insist the board implement When the school board released these changes at the beginning of the its official proposal detailing new 2020-21 school year, as they see this start times with an implementation as an “urgent public health matter.” goal of Fall 2020, many supported However, Actman has raised the decision. Others however, felt p o t e n t i a l r e d f l a g s . W h e n a s k e d differently. While the proposal sat- a b o u t s t a r t i n g a l l s c h o o l s a t o r isfies many requirements needed for after 8 a.m., she pointed out that a feasible schedule, several issues “it is difficult for us to pull off two have since been highlighted, mainly tier busing, so I'm not sure that's pertaining to sleep habits and child- a reality and definitely not for this care needs of elementary students. fall.” Adding about implementation, J e f f e r y B r o d y , a f o u n d e r o f t h e Actman feels “it's reasonable to give local group, “All Kids Need Sleep,” the Administration and the comsaid his issue “is that it completely munity a year to plan, especially for ignores the AAP/CDC recommend- sports and other activities at the high ed sleep consumption amount for school level that may be impacted.” elementary-aged students… for an A proposal from Mr. Copeland elementary student to at the January 27 Board get up, get on the bus Meeting offered a and be at school for new solution: mida 7:45 am start… is dle school first, something that is followed by high just not realistic.” sc h o o l , th e n e l e Wh i l e t h e b o a rd mentary school. had planned for This would prevent feedback, what they new childcare conreceived was more cerns from arising, than anticipated. while still allowVarious commuing high school nity members felt students to get compelled to put their desperately up lawn signs needed sleep. In bearing the slothe joint stategan: “All LMSD ment, the groups Students Need expressed their Sleep.” Laurie Graphic by Cate Roser ’21/Staff support for this Actman, a memsuggestion, as ber of the board, noted that “all of i t i s “ i n t h e i n t e r e s t o f l o g i s the feedback is something [the board] tical efficiency,” as they hope it wanted, even if it meant the current allows for quicker implementation. proposal… got a lot of pushback.” As Actman also indicated the board Actman has a child in each tier of the is soon likely to release a new proschool district, she “understands why posal, presumably following Mr. many people did not like this initial Copeland’s order. Since this strucproposal,” but felt that it “unfortu- t u r e s e e m e d t o b e m o r e w i d e l y nately… divided our community in a accepted, hopefully the board will way that I thought was not helpful.” be able to contrive a new proposal “All Kids Need Sleep” and another that caters to the community’s needs. local group, “Healthy School Start While there are more developTimes Lower Merion,” are unified m e n t s t o c o m e i n t h i s d e l i b e r a under a common goal. After joining tion, one can only hope that the forces, the groups were prompted board can effectively establish a to release a joint statement to the new schedule accommodating to community, considering the obstacles the ever-growing needs of the com(busing, childcare, other activities) munity, while ultimately providing that could make it difficult to design h i g h s c h o o l s t u d e n t s w i t h m o r e a schedule that meets their criteria. sleep and substantially eliminating The statement, released mid-Feb- sleep deprivation for adolescents.
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March 18, 2020
News The Merionite
The panic sets in! Continued from THE PANIC SETS IN! on page 1 As of March 11, there are more than a thousand cases reported in the U.S. In Pennsylvania, 16 confirmed cases have been reported. LMSD schools remain open at this time as there is no perceived threat to children, but March 10 was a small break for the students as officials sanitized the school. March 13 was also turned into a half-day for students so the teachers could discuss plans for online classes. As the outbreak expands and testing capacity increases, experts believe this number is bound to go up exponentially. Many region, state, and nation-wide competitions have been either pushed back, like BuildOn’s Trek, or cancelled, like Science Olympiad. Emily Shang ’21, a Science Olympiad competitor and Trekkie, states that “I think we all saw it coming. It definitely hurts all of us, but the health of potentially thousands of people certainly outweighs any benefits of such events.” Many students, especially juniors, are worried that the epidemic will affect their college applications. Though we are not certain of any real consequences, we can only assume that these cancellations have affected students all across
the globe, putting everyone on an equal playing field. The unanswered questions surrounding this illness have caused concerns among the community leading to drastic measures being taken. According to the United Nations, twenty-two countries on three continents have closed schools to prevent the spread of the virus. In the U.S., school leaders nationwide are preparing for their worst-case scenario emergency plans and this plague has been deemed an epidemic. Most cases of COVID-19 are mild, especially in young people, however older people with underlying conditions like heart disease and lung disease are at greater risk of severe illness and death. Some districts are already shutting down schools or, like LM, considering online learning if the health threat persists. The response from schools and health officials has varied depending on whether a locality has confirmed cases. The district has, however, informed teachers about Flexible Instructional Days—a plan to teach students on days where the customary method of teaching is impossible. Teachers can communicate to their students classwork for each day and
have them submit it by the next day. LMSD has been closely monitoring the situation, frequently updating parents regarding the evolving circumstances, with notices being posted on the school website by Superintendent Copeland and emails being sent to parents by various asministrators. “I want everyone to know that the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff remain LMSD’s and this high school’s top priority. It’s hard to predict too far ahead and we are just asking our school community to be patient and understanding as each day things develop,” declared by principal Hughes. As of March 11, the only certainty that has remained clear of these past few hectic months are the PSAs about keeping safe and clean. Even if LM continues school, it has been made abundantly clear by scientists around the world that the best way to remain safe from the virus is to keep wash your hands and avoid large gatherings. Many organizations around the world are rushing to deal with this issue and our future remains unclear. Will this be the nightmarish virus that could wipe us out or will it be a nearly harmless flu that will die out soon?
Opinions
March 18, 2020
5
The Merionite
The Merionite Official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 issuu.com/merionite Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation Silver Crown 2013 Editors-in-Chief Samantha Anderer ’20 Izzy Bruckman ’20 Managing Editor Sophie Yang ’20 News Editors Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Haley Morgenstern ’20, Dhaval Sharma ’21 Opinions Editors Melissa Bell ’20 Emily Shang ’21 Jonathan Sommer ’21 Features Editors Emma Becker ’20 Maya Christianson ’21 Ziphron Russel ’20 Arts & Entertainment Editors Noa Cutler ’22 Sophie Meyer ’20 Sydney Zellinger ’21 Sports Editors Phillip Gao ’22 Kyle Patlove ’20 Spencer Rosenbaum ’22 Copy Editors Victoria Bermudez ’22 Jonathan Xu ’22 Senior Design Editor Christopher de Santis ’20 Graphics Editor Cate Roser ’21 Source Confirmation Editor Ike Mittman ’22 Web Editor Eugenia Feng ’20 Business Manager Eric Bing ’20 Assistant Business Editors Caryl Shepard ’22 Claire Sun ’21 Staff and Business Advisor Charles Henneberry The editors believe all facts presented in the newspaper to be accurate. All articles have gone through an intensive, independent fact-checking process to minimize factual errors. The paper acknowledges that mistakes are possible and welcomes questions as to accuracy. Inquiries regarding accuracy should be directed to the editors of the paper. Editors can be contacted via e-mail at merionite@gmail.com or in Room 200A. To represent all viewpoints in the school community, The Merionite welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters can be sent via e-mail or dropped off outside the Merionite office. The Merionite reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length or clarity.
Insufficient schooling alternative As the coronavirus spreads with extreme celerity, online school could potentially become necessary, calling into question the validity of receiving an education online. Due to the lack of social interactions critical for personal growth in high school, and the high amount of self-motivation required, online schooling is sure to be less effective than a traditional education at LM. High school students learn just as much from formal and informal dialogue with their peers as they do from teachers’ lessons. Included in a day’s work at LM is a myriad of information from the curriculum and also a myriad of soft skills and charisma shaping. It’s no secret that regardless of academic intellect, one cannot reach their true potential is void of the social skills necessary to succeed in contemporary society. With the longevity of high school, everyone’s bound to lose focus or motivation at one point. How students complete the proper work and put in the needed efforts is with the encouragement of teachers and the example of peers. The effects of these actions are significantly diminished by a lack of face-to-face interface and thus, the success of online schooling is contingent upon the
level of self-motivation within each student which varies. School should be doable for everyone regardless of their academic habits. With online schooling, those who have little initiative and selfmotivation will find pursuing their education next to impossible. While we understand that the health of LM students must come first, and that the administration is faced with pressures to preserve the wellbeing of students, our education away from campus could be significantly improved by extra thought and care in online assignments. Due to the lack of peers to increase engagement, routine assignments should be enhanced to compensate for a possible lack of initiative and motivation. If assignments and projects were to supersede the standard or interest and usefulness during typical school days on campus, then many concerns of isolation and motivation might be alleviated. Unsigned editorials reflect the general opinion of the staff and not the opinion of any single editor.
A necessary evil Homework has long been considered an unnecessary evil put onto students — at least according to students who complain about long hours of busy work, with many viewing it as pointless. If a student is at school all day, why should they have to do any more work? Is school not enough? This is not only a poor argument, it is blatantly incorrect. As much as students Ike Mittman ’22 Source Confirmation hate homework, it serves a serious purpose. It may be hard to look Editor past the stress that a full schedule creates, but being assigned homework is actually highly advantageous to students. It promotes proper time management, teaches additional material, and allows students to review previous content. Time management may be perhaps one of the most important techniques required for success in the world. Forbes notes that energy management — the ability to balance life and work — is imperative for life. When school provides a set structure, it does not allow the student to pursue individual responsibility and scheduling. By giving work to be done after school, it limits the boundaries and forces student layout. This in turn builds skills for life. The world does not set rigid directions. Instead it demands outcomes without instruction. Being able to orchestrate one’s actions can be extraordinarily beneficial. During homework, scheduling is left entirely to the student, who may choose to procrastinate or accomplish their work. Whether the entire project is finished in a day or a week is determined by the student. Through trial and error, a student can properly learn how to manage their own schedule and learn techniques for future assignments. With class periods of less than an hour long, there is insufficient time for teachers to properly teach all the material. This makes the time after school great for providing additional learning. It is always in the student’s best interest to try to learn as much as possible. Education serves a multitude of reasons. One
of which is to increase the human capital of the next generation. Teaching content that may become important to the child’s future career speeds up their education, and so they have more time to gain valuable work experience. The student that does many Advanced Placement classes could be able to skip a year of college, thus saving on tuition and entering the workforce early. Providing as much education as possible may also allow students to test out of requirements or prove their worth in an interview. Homework as an educator fulfills a part of this role, giving supplemental content even after school has concluded for the day. In addition to teaching, homework does a more menial job of reviewing content. Content review may be a waste of time in a class, where a teacher should be addressing issues and teaching, but reviewing content after class saves time for the teacher to solve individual issues and explore new topics. If students do not review content on their own, it detracts from the teacher's ability to teach new units. Again, this is especially true for classes of only an hour of length with dozens of students. The teacher should spend the individualized time during the class when students are actually present to teach, but when students are not around, the teacher can give generic work. This allows them to make the class spend time more efficiently. The teacher’s time is a scarce resource that must be used where it is most valuable, and moving the time for unspecialized work to after school lets the teacher pursue other more valuable lessons. With only a short time to teach, homework accomplishes the goals of additional material, provides extra practice, and aids in time management. The former of the skills are critical to improving education. The latter is crucial for life. Education improves one’s knowledge of the world and increases his scope of potential careers. Proper management of time lets one work while maintaining a proper balance of life. The workplace is demanding, and being able to handle it can let one enjoy life more. Homework may seem unreasonably heavy, but the real world is just as unforgiving. Deadlines exist, and learning how to balance life with these deadlines can make one a much more successful — and much happier — person.
Advanced Placement for freshmen “I’m taking four APs next year. How will I have a social life?” “Is two APs enough?” “I want to take two science APs, but I don’t want to have too much work.” With course selection upon us, walking through the halls of LM, some variation of these three questions and complaints about AP classes can be heard in every corner of the building. Ella Johnson ’22 But what if it didn’t have to be this way? The expectation at LM is that all APs are taken junior and senior year, with the exception of students in specific subject areas like Computer Science or who are advanced in certain areas such as math or language. While it’s clear that students should sharpen their fundamental skills in subjects such as math before moving on to more difficult and intense classes, certain subject areas have APs with no prerequisites that could be taken before junior year, such as AP history classes, which could be taken prior to the standard junior year timing and could decrease the workload placed on upperclassmen during a time when they are already burdened with the stress of that comes with applying to college and constructing plans post-highschool. Several schools around LM, such as Conestoga, its offer a limited amount of APs, albeit a limited amount to freshmen, including AP Biology and AP World History. So why can’t LM take the step? Although Conestoga only offers two APs for freshmen, this opens up a world of opportunity for sophomores, who can take a wide array of the advanced classes. A survey of the current sophomores at LM
shows that one out of ten would take advantage of APs offered to underclassmen, and it’s easy to see why. Many of these students are taking two or more APs their junior year, and would appreciate the work being spread out across their earlier years instead of accumulating it. In LMSD’s All Forward Strategic Plan, one of the statements of intent is to have a transformative curriculum. The document itself suggests that “instead of rigid standards, we should be talking about limitless possibilities.” By denying most underclassmen the ability to take APs they have the ability and the knowledge to succeed in, LMSD is going against its own policy and keeping its students in a box, which begins to trap upperclassmen who struggle with the course load but want to be able to take all the classes that interest them. The classes would be instrumental to their success at higher levels of education. The All Forward Plan continues in a following page to list another statement of intent: student driven schools. However, if many students would benefit from LM allowing freshmen to take APs, and the school is not thinking about making this an option, it is clear that this objective is not being met. Despite the forward-thinking agenda of LMSD’s new Strategic Plan, the class choices offered to younger students are not fitted to their interests and abilities in the way that is expected with this level of education. Students at LM are clearly ready to entertain the notion of allowing freshmen to take some AP classes, and definitely wanting the ability to take some of these advanced classes as sophomores. Doing so would allow for stress relief in the later years of high school as well as a more enriched learning experience for underclassmen. Although LMSD’s policy is “All Forward,” they clearly have not leaned into this idea yet, despite it being the wish and need of what is wanted and needed by LM students.
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March 18, 2020
Opinions The Merionite
Light ’em up after the school day.” This shift towards lights on the field will offer innumerable benefits to both the district and the LM student body. If the district is able to gain approval from the Township to station lights on Arnold Field, the students at LM will be greatly advantaged. LM sports teams have been neglected as they are required to play Saturday morning games Elli0t Ginzburg ’21 in lieu of night games, which hisNews Editor torically draw larger crowds. This traditional sports culture has been After years of Saturday morning replaced mainly due to complaints football games, the Lower Merion from the surrounding community. Board of School Directors and the One student whose family opposed community have started to delib- installing lights on Arnold Field erate the merits of installing lights The student said, “Games will be on Arnold Field. One of the keys to played late into the night and the finally illuminating Arnold Field lights will shine to peoples’ homes.” involves a consensus from the fam- The frustrations from only a few of ilies surrounding the field. Several the homes surrounding the field years ago, these families displayed have delayed the installation of staunch opposition to the installa- lights for the entire student body. tion of the field lights, as they beThe lack of a Friday night footlieved the bright lights would in- ball culture at LM has been detriterfere with mental to the their sleep overall spirit schedules. As of our school. of now, the In addition, district has the student “filed an apmorale would plication with be positivethe Townly altered ship to install because a lights at Arwelcoming nold Field,” student culsays LMSD ture would Communicabe created. tions Director What LM Amy Bucklacks comman. This latpared to the est step shows traditional the district’s high school is willingness the standard to finally incordial culstall lights for ture in which the LM “Dawg students disp o u n d . ” play school With the spirit by Graphic by Amanda Tonsey ’21 likelihood of latattending er start times for LM students on school events like football games the horizon, it is pertinent that the and dances. The cancelling of the recent conversations on installing sophomore semi-formal is a prime lights become reality. The pro- example. Perhaps the absence of posed later start time schedule for a welcoming social atmosphere is high school students indicates that due to the outside-of-school opschool would end at 3:25 PM, mean- portunities students have as a reing the standard 5:40 PM late bus sult of the general affluence of this would be pushed back three quar- area. While this may explain part ters of an hour later. This drastic of the issue, there is also a clear change would require either early desire among the student body for dismissal practices for athletes or lights on Arnold Field. Gal Yovel the extension of practices into the ’21 explains that “our school’s spirnight. The latter case seems more it would improve greatly. I have probable as the district will like- no doubt in my mind.” Growing ly prohibit athletes from missing support among the student body school on a daily basis. Since prac- is a clear indication that the intices will stretch past dusk, lights stallation of lights is long overdue. will inevitably need to be installed Although the district’s applifor field sports like football, soc- cation for field lights is solely decer, field hockey, and lacrosse. For pendent on the later start time these reasons, Buckman says that proposal, the LM student body the application for installing the deserves to have lights installed lights on Arnold field was part of immediately. Harriton currently “the logistical preparations that retains temporary lights illumiwill be required if the Lower Mer- nating their field and it would only ion Board of School Directors votes be right for LM to receive them as in favor of a later high school start well. Even temporary lights would time.” Buckman further reasons undoubtedly benefit the student that if school were to end later, it body and would likely satisfy the would “necessitate field lighting in community. It is time to please order for sports teams to have ade- the neglected Aces Nation by staquate time for practices and games tioning lights on Arnold Field.
Larger classes, lesser quality Certain subjects are more affected than others with larger class sizes. English classes are a prime example of this. Teachers in this category are forced to tirelessly grade and edit essays and projects over the course of the school year. However, with more essays to grade, it is difficult for the teachers to grade the papers to the standard that they are hopEllie Ward ’21 ing for. In other words, with more papers to grade, the time teachers have per paper decreases as they What is the difference between a struggle to hand them back in a great high school and an average or timely manner. This can lead to a below average one? Factors such as decline in the improvement of a sturigor level, degree of college prepa- dent’s writing and also an extremely ration, and teaching styles can all stressful environment for teachers. influence this rating. However, an- Teachers are forced to choose beother primary factor that may be tween thoroughly analyzing a paoverlooked is class size. Although per or handing essays back on time. Perhaps the biggest argument this may seem insignificant at first glance, class size influences critical behind larger class sizes is that it attributes of a student’s education. will reduce the amount of teachers Throughout the last few years, the district needs to pay. This is beclass sizes at Lower Merion have cause they will have less teachers been on the rise. Many classes now educating more students, instead of having more around have teachers eduthirty students. cate less stuWith a high dents. Hownumber of puever, a study individual pils, conducted by student-teachresearchers er interactions at Northwestand relationUniverern ships are much concludsity harder to deed that “a velop. Teachpercent ten ers are forced in increase to choose beper-pupil buildtween spending ing a shallow each year for relationship twelve all with the entire pubof years conclass or schoollic structing closing leads to er connections more 0.31 to individual Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20 c o m p l e t Due students. ed years of to this lack of about sevstudents, for education diffimore connections, it is also and a 3.2 wages, higher a percent if en recognize to teacher a for cult student is struggling in their class; percentage-point reduction in the it is more difficult for a teacher annual incidence of adult poverty; to look after thirty students com- with effects more pronounced for pared with fifteen. Additionally, children from low-income families.” without a personal connection, stu- The district must decide whethdents may not feel as compelled er the extra ten percent increase to be candid with their teacher if in funding is worth the increased they are struggling with the class. quality of education for students. Although it will be slightly more Along with the fact that teachers will not be able to readily recognize costly for the district, smaller class students who are struggling aca- sizes are beneficial to both students demically in their class, studies have and teachers in a plethora of ways. shown that larger class sizes have On the one hand, it allows teacha negative impact on students’ aca- ers to be able to foster connections demics. An experiment called Proj- with their students ,which in turn ect STARs, or the Tennessee Study, will allow them to better perceive found that when students were as- whether or not the student resigned to three different class siz- quires additional help. Additionally, es (13-17 students, 22-25 students studies have consistently shown and over 25 students), the smaller that smaller class sizes are class had an overall reading score associated with beneficial aspects eight percent higher than that of in the future, such as wages. With the larger class sizes, and scored this in mind, LM should decrease nine percent higher in mathemat- their class sizes to effectively bolics subjects. Based off of Project ster the students’ education. If the STARs results, experts concluded primary purpose of education systhat “reducing class sizes from 22 tems is to teach students to the to 15 students has a 5.5 percent re- best of their abilities, then the disturn in annual benefits”, which in- trict should make their greatest atclude increased lifetime earnings. tempt to decrease the class sizes.
Opinions
March 18, 2020
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The Merionite
Canceling our cancel culture
Jacqueline Munis ’21 When it comes to defining our generation, there are very slim pickings. We pride ourselves on our activism, for using our voices online and offline to advocate for the things we believe. But this is not new. Young suffragettes, members of the Civil Rights Movement, or Vietnam war protestors all bravely championed their causes. We boast about our generation’s inclusivity. No matter who you are, what you believe, who you love, where you come from, you are accepted—except when that is not true. We are growing up in an extremely polarizing political and social climate. When one party takes one stance, the other must automatically take the opposite. Inclusivity and polarization are in no way compatible. This incongruous dance between acceptance and tolerance, and labeling and judgment, seems to be the distinctive characteristic of our generation. And nothing exemplifies this more than the prevalence of cancel culture. Many look at canceling a public figure as a way to hold people who have great influence accountable for their actions. Celebrities and other public figures wield
an exorbitant amount of power, and power tends to corrupt. So, in theory, cancel culture acts as a check, or quality control on public figures. For example, the several hundreds of people exposed during the #MeToo movement brought to light years of abuses of power in industries all over the country. The public took down their corruption, misconduct, and crimes, and those people were rightfully canceled. Over 200 CEOs, politicians, and leaders were removed from their industries for sexual misconduct: cancel culture’s biggest success. But, not all canceling is that effective or fair. Hundreds of public figures have gotten canceled in the past five years including Kanye West, Louis C.K., Taylor Swift, Kevin Hart, and James Charles. These people have all been ostracized from society at one point in time, but never for long. Kanye West’s last album still went number one; Louis C.K. went on a soldout comedy tour; Kevin Hart had two comedy specials; there still exist millions of die-hard Swifties out there (dozens at LM); James Charles has over sixteen million Youtube subscribers. Their success after being canceled begs the question: what’s the point of cancel culture? Why do we waste our time and energy raging about people who will never be held accountable? Furthermore, why do we cancel celebrities for fairly small offenses? No, Kanye West saying “slavery was a choice” should not be condoned. But when you consider West’s history with mental illness, berating him seems counterproductive. Cancel culture puts complex individuals under one-dimensional microscopes. This does not just affect people in the public eye; it affects everyone. Celebrities and other public figures can feel detached from our everyday lives, but cancel culture’s reach runs deep. It’s a quotidian experience to hear
someone say or see someone online cancel another person: more often than not, it’s not even a celebrity, but a classmate. While canceling a classmate is just another way to hold each other accountable for our actions or what we say, holding a sixteen-year-old and Taylor Swift to the same standard of accountability is simply illogical. The problematic comment that kid in your physics class made holds no weight against the homophobic comment Kevin Hart tweeted when he was thirty-years old. Both may deserve a form of condemnation, but cancellation of a classmate is too harsh. The thing small-scale cancel culture forgets is that we are maturing and just trying to figure it out. Moreover, if we continue in this manner, we all will end up canceled. A good portion of our generation has been on social media for at least five years. There’s a very good chance that from the time you were eleven to twelve to now, you liked or laughed at or commented something somewhat problematic, or will in the future. If we follow this path of mercilessness, a path that denies redemption, we will end up losing the great minds of our generation because of something foolish they did on Instagram. Cancel culture forces us to take one piece of evidence and use it to define a person. If we continue to look at people as either good or evil, right or wrong based on limited evidence, we will lose the intricacies that make us human. We are emerging into adulthood under the false pretense that cancel culture works, but if we really want to hold each other accountable, we should start with ourselves. Every generation has a defining characteristic. As our generation develops, we face the difficult decision of choosing what we want to represent. Let’s choose forgiveness.
Dance: more than a sport
Emma Becker ’20 Features Editor I have been dancing since I was just four years old. I am almost eighteen now, and in all those years, there has been one question that comes up time and time again: Is dance a sport or a form of art? In middle school, the boys would tease, “Dance doesn’t count as a sport!” This infuriated me as I would spend twelve hours a week working and training. How does this not count as a sport? However, as I have grown older, I have come to realize that dance is not a sport in the traditional sense, but a physical art form: something that is just as, if not more, impressive. As of late January this year, dance was named the most physically demanding job by the Occupation Information Network (O*NET), a national organization created with the support of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment. The organization analyzed the level of strength, stamina, flexibility and coordination required for an array of jobs to determine the 27 most physically demanding occupations in America. The outcome was surprising to pretty much everyone — except dancers. Expectedly, careers in hard labor such as iron and steel working, firefighting, dry wall and ceiling tile installing, and construction working took up 15 of the 27 professions on the list. However, the data concluded that it is actually dancers who have the most physically demanding job of all. Athletes and sport competitors took third place on this list, which, of course, brings up the decade old debate of whether dance is a sport or a form of art. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “sport” as “A contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other.” Dance simply does not align with this definition. Dance is often not “a contest or a game,” and the goal of dance is almost never to win. Sports competitors strive to win their games, plain and simple. However, dancers care less about the trophies they win, and more about how their performance influences the audience. They are storytellers. They hope to create an impression and make the audience
feel. There are many ways dancers and choreographers go about doing this, and none of them are easy. For one, dancers use their own emotion on their faces to portray the sentiment of the dance. For example, if a dance is sad and slow, the dancer will reflect that on stage. Hence the iconic “Maddie Face,” the expressive face dancer Maddie Ziegler became known for making in her lyrical dances. This is why a lot of dancers end up becoming actors; they are essentially silent acting each time they perform. From a young age, they are taught how to take their real emotions from their off-stage lives, and learn to use them on stage to connect with their choreography. For many dancers, dancing is a way for them to escape a troubled homelife or bad expe-
Graphic by Cate Roser ’21/Staff
rience, as they are able to express bottled emotions they do what they love most. Another way dancers tell stories is by making pictures with their bodies. Alexei Ratmansky, a worldfamous choreographer at the American Ballet Theater, says to any student, “there is a lot of story here; you are telling us about your fear. The pose isn’t just pretty, it carries meaning.” The shapes and poses created in pieces always have a meaning and purpose, and sometimes you need to sit back and look at the bigger picture. Sporting events are bright and loud, filled with cheers and yells from the crowd rooting for the teams. On the other hand, dance recitals and performances are dark and quiet, with only the music playing. The audience is not rooting for a singular dancer, but instead watching all the dancers come together to tell a beautiful story. Dancers in ballets such as Swan Lake and The Nut-
cracker are able to tell a full story with just music and strenuous body movements. Sure, you are still sitting in the audience to watch a performance just like at a sporting event, but these performers are acting out an entire tale through their craft that has a beginning, middle and end. Marina Harss of The New York Times encapsulates this phenomenon best: “We think of ballet as a nonverbal art, but for the last few months, the words ‘tell’ and ‘say’ have echoed the studios of the American Ballet Theater. The dancers are not using their voices; it is their bodies that are doing the talking.” Basketball games can’t portray love stories and tales of heartbreak like these performances. Another way dance does not fit the definition of a sport is that it has no “specific set of rules.” Yes, there are dance competitions; however, the winners of these competitions are not based on regulations. At a standard competition, there is a panel of three to five judges with impressive dance backgrounds and resumes. During each performance, judges record information about the performances and give points based on factors like technique, artistry, musicality, stage presence, costumes, and difficulty. The problem with this method is that it is subjective. Winners are chosen based on opinions, so the same dance could win at one competition and lose at another one if judged by a different panel both times. Because dance is all about the emotion and enjoyment of the audience, if a judge does not connect with or feel moved by your dance, they have the opportunity to give you less points. There is no way to create a set of rules for emotional connection. If you asked a dancer and a soccer player what they aspire towards, their answers would most likely be extremely different. A soccer player’s goal may be to win the World Cup for their team. On the other hand, dancers aspire towards performing with respected companies, or on big stages alongside celebrities. Dance at its highest level is about performance, not awards. Even at dance competitions, you will most likely see no competitors over the age of nineteen. Dance is much more than a sport. It is a physical activity and skill that can tap into an audience’s emotions to make them respond in a specific way. Declaring that dance is an art form rather than a sport should not remove any of its credit. Not being labelled a sport should not label dance as easy. The O*NET took a big leap for the dance world (pun intended), by highlighting dancers’ work ethic, and making it known to millions of people who otherwise would not have. Dance is challenging, no one can deny that. Dancers train intensely and work hard for several hours every week just like any other athlete, regardless of whether dance fits the definition of a sport.
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There are roughly 720 days of high s computers. Here is how they ch
Magic of music Angela Ge ’23
Many students spend time on their computers doing various activities that range from playing Tetris to watching YouTube. However, one of the first things I do when I open my laptop is play music. When outside of class, I feel like there’s never a time when I’m not listening to music; whether I’m doing homework, on the bus, around the house, and even now, I feel like there’s always some kind of music playing in the background. I believe that different styles and genres of music can have a large impact on how you think and behave, which ultimately affects your mood. When I’m working, I’ll put on a pair of earbuds and start playing one of those eight-hour long instrumental study playlists that is just loud enough to block out the rest of the world. This lets me be completely invested in my work, ignoring all external distractions. When I’m doing work that needs less concentration, I’ll put on a Spotify music playlist, including songs by artists such as Billie Eilish, Sam Smith, and Khalid. No matter what’s going on in the real world, I always find a way to lose myself in music. With its lyrics, melodies and harmonies, music truly is a magical language.
How much time do you generally spend in a given class period on non-class related sites?
These results came from an anoynomous survey where 317 students responded.
LM’s favorite computer games
The case for multitasking Cecelia Kurland ’22 In the 24 hours in a day, seven are spent in school, two for sports, and eight are spent for sleep, if one can even achieve that many hours. In my opinion, there is not nearly enough time in a day to complete the amount of school work that we are given at LM. Given the difficulty of cramming in assignments into an already tightly packed schedule, when is the most practical time to do work? For some students, the most practical time is the night before a big assignment is due. But for most, it is during other classes. Time is valuable, and teachers often assign students “busy work,” work that has no benefit towards material comprehension and only takes up time. So what sounds more important: busy work or the essay due next set? During classes when I have time on my computer, I usually study or work on homework for other classes. In doing other classwork, I feel less stressed when I come home from school. At the end of the day, I am not overloaded with studying, and (sometimes useless) worksheets.
A juggling act Madeleine Fiks ’23 Multitasking is something we all do often whether we’re aware of it or not. According to Joanne Cantor at Psychology Today, “Multitasking is the art of distracting yourself from two things you’d rather not be doing by doing them simultaneously.” I multitask by listening to music, playing computer games, or watching videos while I’m working. When I was trying to figure out the reason I multitask, I realized that I never look forward to doing school work, but multitasking makes it less tedious. Most of my classmates don’t look forward to completing school assignments, so I knew others could relate to how I was feeling. After attaining this basic information, I decided to make a few more discoveries. I know that when I juggle multiple things at a time, the quality of work I produce is lower, so why do I keep doing it? Even if the work I produce is not up to par, my brain craves doing an activity that I enjoy, such as watching videos, to balance out doing something I really dislike: schoolwork. It is important that we notice habits like these, so that we can begin to form better ones. However, I think we all can attest to the fact that at times school work becomes overwhelming and it is normal to need a break.
These questions are dependent on the teacher in the classroom and prior work of whether or not you finished it. Computers are used for more than classwork because students have lives outside of school. Just because school is happening at the same time you are living life doesn't stop someone from trying to live their life in an enjoyable way.” Unblock Netflix please.”
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school for LM students to use their hoose to spend most of them.
What are you doing most frequently if you are not doing the classwork when you should be?
One teacher’s perspective
A Tetris tale Isabel Bruckman ’20 Editor-in-Chief The eighth deadly sin. Eyes glaze over and the right hand functions almost autonomously–it falls numb, attempting to reject further strain, but will overpowers physical barriers. My strategy is to basically filibuster until the angelic orange piece floats down and boosts me over the 100 lines benchmark. Tetris was foreign territory prior to my LM days; sure I’d known the name from the earliest of corporate-culture memes, but I had never attempted to engage with the game. I viewed it as prehistoric and assumed it had been succeeded, though in time I learned quite the contrary. The aesthetic is not unsophisticated, but timeless, and the game’s cyclical and unconquerable nature walks a fine line between sweetly addictive and plainly frustrating. With no two rounds alike, the unpredictable design never grows stale– it’s the ultimate waste of time. Though I’m blessed to have discovered the fidget, I’d like to issue a formal apology to all my current and former teachers, as it’s likely I’ve played during class. I, like most LM Tetris-players, know it’s wrong, but our antsy and idle hands crave the mindless occupation, and our undeveloped adolescent minds thrive in high-pressure risk-presenting situations– that being the game itself and the looming danger of getting caught. When you factor in the innate Gen-Z tendency to multitask and desire for constant stimulation, it’s no wonder Tetris continues to captivate LM youth.
How often do you use your laptop during class when you should be doing something else?
Mark Levy Social Studies Teacher Getting distracted by the computer has almost become the norm. For the record, you are all really bad at doing it–we can easily tell when you are on the arrow keys for Tetris. Some students are successful at self-regulating–they only use a notepad and pencil, while others struggle more. The distractions are definitely harming the quality of students’ note-taking, as they undoubtedly miss much more. I also think it makes studying for tests harder as taking good notes means that you will have already retained a lot of the information before even looking at the study guide. I find that students seem to rely on the study guide more and more as they have so many gaps in their notes.
Watching Glee on Amazon Prime Video really soothes my soul after a long day of stress.”
What’s funny is that I’m using my computer during class time when I’m not supposed to be on my computer in order to take a quiz about being on your computer during class when you aren’t supposed to be using it. ha ha. how ironic.”
Minesweeping Katherine Fang ’23 Whenever I feel the need to take a quick break, I often find myself playing Minesweeper on my laptop. Minesweeper is a single-player puzzle game in which the player is presented with a field covered with squares. Given the number of mines surrounding certain squares, the player must logically mark which squares have mines and avoid setting them off. Personally, I find a quick game to be the most efficient way to relax at school. I can access the game with a brief Google search of “Minesweeper” and choose the level of difficulty depending on my mood. The only instance in which this game would frustrate me is if I attempted to right-click a square with a mine, but accidentally left-click on it instead and set off that mine, which would cause me to lose the whole game. Even then, I would still be able to take a good break from my work. Initially, it took me multiple rounds of trial and error to figure out the mechanics of the game, but now I finally understand how to play. After beating a level, I can return to my work feeling motivated, and as silly as it may seem, accomplished. Sometimes I’ll even challenge my friends to a Minesweeper race, or randomly click boxes to see how far my luck will take me. Minesweeper allows me to have small moments of fun and doesn’t distract me from my work for long; if anything, it incites a flow of work and motivation. My record time is currently 125 seconds on “medium,” but I intend to improve, one work break at a time.
Graphics by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
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Features
March 18, 2020
The Merionite
WENDELL HOLLAND WON’T GIVE UP Mia Hail ’23 and Michelle Kelly ’23
Over the past 20 years, 590 contestants have competed on 40 seasons of Survivor, each season bringing new twists, rules, games, and iconic winners. In the reality show, hosted by Jeff Probst, contestants live on an isolated island for 39 days while being challenged to outwit, outplay, and outlast one another in order to be crowned the “Sole Survivor’’ and take home the one million-dollar prize. As the show begins, contestants are split up into two or three tribes and, through many tough physical and mental challenges, earn rewards and immunity from being voted out of the competition. The tribe that does not win immunity each episode is sent to the tribal council, where the members must vote one player out of the game. About halfway through the competition, the tribes are merged, leaving every person competing for individual immunity to keep them safe from being voted out. When the game reaches the final three contestants, all three must argue that they played the best game. This case is not made to a random set of judges, however, but to a jury comprised of their former tribemates whom they voted out. Every season brings new twists, turns and challenges. Two years ago, Wendell Holland, a Harriton High School alum, competed and won season 36 of Survivor, “Ghost Island.” Hearing Probst yell his name out as the winner turned his “decade-long dream” into a reality. He played a great social game, forming many essential alliances while also being able to win challenges. He reached the exclusive final three like no other contestants had ever before, earning his spot through an intense
fire-making, tie-breaking challenge. The contestants, as well as the show’s creators, came across the first ever tie of a final vote, which Holland ultimately won. Other Survivor contestants within the Lower Merion community include Russell Swan, the husband of a teacher at Penn Wynne Elementary. He has previously competed in two seasons of Survivor, including a shocking season in which he sustained a medical emergency. Reminiscing about his past experiences, Swan states, “There would be a few things I would change [if I could go back on Survivor]. In my first season, I focused too much on caring for the tribe and not caring for myself. It’s not a selfish thing to make sure you are ok before you give aid to others. Definitely a lesson learned.” The initial team atmosphere forces youto work with others, but ultimately,the show is about fighting for yourself, and Swan was not as focused on staying healthy. In his first season on Survivor, Swan had to be medically evacuated for severe dehydration, an incredibly rare occurrence on the show. Now, Holland is being tested again on the newest season, “Winners at War.” In this season, 20 Survivor victors are put against each other for the ultimate 40th season. This is the first all-winner season of Survivor, which adds a whole new level of intensity to the game as everyone is an extremely talented and experienced player. The season began airing on February 12, with a new episode every Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS. You can tune in each week to root for our very own Survivor hometown hero!
ALLIANCES & CASTAWAYS: LMSD’s SOLE SURVIVOR Emma Becker ’20 Features Editor From Harriton to Penn Law, Wendell Holland was born and raised on the same LMSD classics we all were. You might even have the same favorite restaurant as him! I have actually met Wendell at a Survivor viewing party before, but in order to get to know him a little better, I probed with a few more questions:
WENDELL’S FAVORITES The Merionite (TM): What was your favorite restaurant growing up? Wendell Holland (WH): Ruby’s TM: What is your favorite restaurant now? WH: Besito
TM: Are you currently working on any fun projects? WH: I just delivered some awesome barn doors with @BeveUnlimited to the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. That was an incredible project because the doors were each 5 feet wide by 10 feet tall. [Wendell is the founder of furniture company Beve Unlimited.]
SURIVOR-RELATED
TM: What is your current favorite hobby?
TM: Where is your favorite place to watch Survivor?
WH: Playing basketball and traveling
WH: I enjoy watching Survivor at Three12 Sports Lounge on Market Street. We have watch parties there every week, and we charge a $5 donation for entry that goes to a charity in South Africa.
TM: What is your favorite place to get a classic Philly cheesesteak? WH: On my cheat day it’s Dallesandros. I’m a pescatarian Sunday-Friday, and my cheat day is Saturday. So on Saturdays I go a little crazy. But my go-to spots for vegetarian cheesesteaks are Sabrina’s in Wynnewood and Govinda’s on South Street. TM: What is your favorite place to shop? W): KOP Mall, Suburban Square, and the Philadelphia Premium Outlets.
TM: Who do you usually watch Survivor with? WH: I usually watch Survivor with some Philadelphia Survivor alums–Brice Johnston, Gervase Peterson, Russell Swain, Ramona Gray, and fans. There are some big Survivor fans in the greater Philadelphia community, and sometimes we pop into their watch parties and watch with them. TM: If you could be in an alliance with any past Survivor player, who would it be?
TM: What is your favorite song right now? WH: Dedication by Nipsey Hussle and Kendrick Lamar. That will never get old to me.
WH: I think my alliance with Dom wasn’t too shabby. But I’d say I’d like to play with my very good friend Brice Izyah from Cagayan.
AT HOME
TM: Is it weird watching yourself on TV and seeing things that you might have missed in real time?
TM: What was your go-to place to hang out after school? WH: I played sports year round: football, basketball, and track. After practice I was spent! But sometimes I’d go to Hope’s Cookies (where I actually worked through high school).
WH: Now I’m used to seeing myself on TV, but at first it was a little strange. But to see people plot and scheme behind your back is definitely weird. Watching it on TV, you see more, you see it from the producers’ perspectives. And then you can see everyone’s motivations and why they did what they did.
TM: Who is your biggest inspiration/role model?
TM: How hard is it to apply and be selected to be on Survivor?
TM: What is your guilty pleasure?
TM: What is the best lesson you have learned after being on the show for two seasons?
WH: I love candy. I’m trying to break that habit because I want to live a healthier lifestyle, but man... I love Mike and Ike’s, Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, all that.
WH: The 5 P’s: Proper preparation prevents poor performance.
WH: My father, Wendell Holland Sr., has always been my role model and inspiration. WH: For some people it’s easy. The casting producers see exactly what they want in Growing up in Lower Merion, I must also say I idolized Kobe Bryant, and got to meet them. But for me it took some time. It took me about 7 years and many videos and open calls [to be selected for the show]. him a few times. I also wear Kobe’s sneakers on Survivor: Winners at War.
Arts & Entertainment
March 18, 2020
11
The Merionite
Leo Steinriede ’21 with a win from Lincoln Center Dhaval Sharma ’21 News Editor Today, many believe that composing is a forgotten art, lost with the likes of Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. However, the activity of music composition is still alive and well. Even at LM, Leo Steinriede ’21 won the Lincoln Center’s 8th Annual Essentially Ellington Dr. J. Douglas White Student Composition and Arranging Contest—a nationwide program that aims to elevate musicianship, broaden perspectives and inspire performance. Steinriede’s winning piece, “The Rhetorical Situation”, will be recorded by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and he will receive a cash prize. Steinriede came up with the piece as he was “improvising on the guitar while watching a TED Talk,” trying to match his playing with the speaker’s phrasing and pace. As the Essentially Ellington competition was in the spirit of renowned musician Duke Ellington, Steinriede travelled to the Ellington Archive at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. to look at prima-
ry source materials about the African American composer. Steinriede likes to “go straight to the source” to understand why the music is the way it is. While he was composing the piece, Steinriede’s AP English Language and Composition class was also studying The Rhetorical Situation—a circumstance that describes how an author communicates with an audience in regards to context and circumstances. He decided to name his piece after that idea because he “wrote the piece during a time when [he] thought a lot about whether people do things because of a deep desire or passion, or to appeal to a certain person or audience.” After winning the award on February 12, Steinriede “took [his] friends out to dinner at the Llanerch Diner.” When asked about his reaction to winning the honor, he stated “winning this award meant so much to me because my arranging and composition teacher, Joe Block, won the same competition when he was my age, and really pushed me to bring my work to the next level.” The award will also include a composition lesson with Grammy award-winning musician Ted Nash and a trip to New York to participate in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. Steinriede’s dream job is to write for Jazz at the Lincoln Center, and the fact that he gets to do that at the age of seventeen is, in his words, “unreal!” Steinriede plans to keep on writing and is already inviting other bands to play his original music and arrangements.
Alumni Spotlight: Louis Knight Arts & Entertainment Staff The Merionite got the chance to interview rising LM alum, Louis Knight! Lougraduated in 2018, and talked to us about his path to American Idol and beyond.
The Merionite (TM): What inspired your love of singing and creating music? Louis Knight (LK): It was the way a song can impact you. For me, growing up listening/singing along to songs helped me get through a lot of tough times. I’ve been so fortunate to be able to write music as my form of expression; it’s very therapeutic for me to sit down at a piano or a guitar and just let out my emotions and flow of thoughts.
Photo Courtesy of Daisy Knight-Surie ’21
TM: What inspired you to audition for American Idol? LK: Honestly, it wasn’t in my plan. I had written and recorded my EP “Small Victories” and began putting my band together to start gigging in and around Philly (hopefully to grow from there). Then I received a message asking if I might be interested to audition. I knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity I could not pass up.
TM: You auditioned for the show with an original song titled “Change.” Could you elaborate on what inspired you to write this piece and ultimately perform it for the judges? LK: I wrote “Change” about going through the loss to suicide of one of my brother and I’s best friends, Russell. I also wrote it as a message of hope to others that could be suffering. I had tried many times to tell that story through my music and explain the way I was feeling but nothing ever felt right. After his passing, I fell in love and that helped lift me out of the dark place I was in. My ex-girlfriend then went off to college. With our relationship fizzling out, a lot of unresolved feelings of Russell’s passing ultimately bubbled up to the surface. The song came about in roughly 45 minutes one morning when I sat down at the piano. TM: What was it like performing in front of such music legends like Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan? LK: Performing in front of them was an incredibly surreal moment. Being able to share such a deep, personal song with them was a dream come true, and then seeing it resonate with them was just incredible. It was such an affirmation that hopefully I’m on the right path. TM: How would you describe your music style in a few words? LK: I would describe it as a mix of singer-songwriter, soul, and pop. TM: Did you take music classes at LM? How did they impact your current path? LK: I actually didn’t take many music classes at LM. Back then I wasn’t very fond of choir music and music theory, which I’ve picked up a huge appreciation for in the last two years. Two classes I did take were piano with Mr. Elliott and Music Production with Mr. Datkso, which I really enjoyed. The piano class was helpful because it taught me more about chord structures, which has really helped me in the long run. It also got me playing more often at home. And Datkso’s class gave me a great base knowledge of how to use music production software, which has helped me a lot with recording music. TM: Do you have any exciting plans you are allowed to share with us regarding the future of your music career? LK: Yes! I received a golden ticket and am going off to Hollywood Week for American Idol!!! I will be putting out more music soon, and really hope to be touring after Idol! TM: What’s your favorite song at the moment? LK: I honestly can’t think of a favorite song right now but I’ve been listening non-stop to Sam Fender and Harry Styles’ latest albums!
Photo Courtesy of Daisy Knight-Surie ’21
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March 18, 2020
Features The Merionite
no snow days: a sign of trouble Shaine Davison ’23 and Angela Ge ’23 Winter 2020 has been one of the most memorable winters–but not for the typical reason. One of the best feelings for many students is checking Mr. Rybnik’s Blackboard weather forecast page and seeing a high probability of a snow day. But perhaps even better than that is hearing the official confirmation of being able to sleep in the following day. No matter how many pajamas are worn inside out, ice cubes flushed down the toilet, and spoons placed under pillows, we have yet to see any significant snow this season. The weather this winter season is just one of many indicators that climate change is rapidly impacting our environment. Researchers define climate change as the gradual rise in temperature of the Earth due to an increase in pollutants affecting the ozone layer. The winter temperatures in 2020 are significantly higher than those recorded in 2019. According to Accuweather, the highest temperature recorded in winter 2019 was 59º on February 15th, while the lowest was 1º on January 31st. These are temperatures as you’d expect. However, this winter’s temperatures are significantly warmer. The highest temperature stood at an astonishing 68º on January 11th. The low was 18º on January 22nd, one of only nine days with temperatures below 20º. Climate change likely explains this shift in temperatures from 2019 to 2020. This drastic change in weather is caused by pollutants like carbon dioxide that collect in the atmosphere and trap the heat of the sun that would otherwise bounce off, causing the planet to heat up. As we go on with our daily lives in this modern world, more and more of these harmful gases are being released through various methods of transportation, factories, etc. Some impacts of global warming are very clear to us, like the rising temperatures of the Earth at unprecedented rates, which is directly linked to issues like melting glaciers. However there are other negative effects brought about by rising temperatures: as they increase, evaporation does as well, leading to heavier rainfall and droughts. This also leads to oceans getting warmer, allowing tropical storms to pick up more energy and produce more extreme weather, quickening and intensifying the water cycle. During one class, Justin Mansor, a computer science teacher at LM, mentioned that he did not remember a single January without a snow day throughout his teaching career—yet here we are, this far into the school year with no snow days yet. This is evidence of our sickened Earth, temperatures are too high and the issue is persisting. As disappointing as the lost opportunity for a school cancellation has been, the lack
of snow affects much more than our school days. While snow seems to be a seasonal pleasure, it plays a significant role in our environment. According to Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, snow provides insulation by trapping air that holds in heat, which in turn helps regulate the Earth’s temperature. When deep enough, snow prevents soil from freezing and damaging roots. The National Snow and Ice Data Center and Sunny Scope both state that “the world depends on a large quantity of snow to hold the freshwater supply.” The lack of snowfall this year is extremely damaging to our planet, however, climate change affects much more than just snowfall. The harsh reality is that climate change is damaging the Earth’s ecosystems, potentially beyond repair. This season, it may just seem like high temperatures and the absence of snow, but there are more significant and intense problems facing the world. The Union of Concerned Scientists insists that ice and glaciers are melting more rapidly, causing sea levels to rise. High sea levels endanger and disturb coastal communities, and also cause drought more often. In all, around 100 million people may need to relocate due to projected unstable living environments. So how do we stop ourselves from this coming disaster? Luckily, there are so many ways that everyone can help with this situation. Well-known habits such as driving less, recycling more, turning off lights, and conserving water would all help. If one would like to take it a step further, one could plant a tree or even use solar energy. Every bit of help matters because a too many people have an “others-will-do-it” mindset and only once all of us change that that they will have a large enough impact. As this crisis continues, adolescents are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of climate change. Freshman Mia Hail comments: “Climate change is dramatically changing our world. I try to recycle and avoid using plastic.” Mia also uses Ecosia, a search engine that donates the vast majority of its profits towards reforestation. She also claims that “we could all die out soon” due to the Graphic by Katherine Fang ’23 shift in climate. This global issue has caught the attention of adolescents who aspire to make a difference. However, the grim truth is that it could be too late to eliminate these great dangers that threaten our planet. The severity of pollution and temperature increase on Earth have been skyrocketing more than ever as sea levels are rise, wildlife perishes, and the Earth dies. We are the cause. We need to change our ways before this dying planet becomes extinct.
Features
March 18, 2020
13
The Merionite
Almost there
Save the daylight Kallista Hachadoorian '23
Julia Russel '23 As the school year is starting to come to an end, it is hard to keep the right mindset intact because we all just want to be done. While there is only another semester to go at LM, it is important to put in the same effort and motivation as we did in September. When it's cold, I know it makes me want to do less school work, exercise, and other chores because all I want to do is crawl up in bed under my warm covers, but as the weather starts to get nice, being more active in various activities tends to be easier. In fact, it is also easier to put video games aside since it is nice outdoors. Perhaps if one doesn’t like to do their homework inside due to distractions, an easy solution is for them to go outside, take a break and relax. Though breaks are important, it is crucial to stay organized with simple tools like assignment books that will make it easier to stay motivated. The end of the first semester is hard, but it is ideal to finish strong for a complete school year. Motivation is the key to a student’s success in school and a positive attitude towards learning is just as important. As the second semester goes by, it makes us more excited for summer. This means we need to push through to reach the exciting season upon us. While some students get distracted by this, many will use this as their end goal. For most students, knowing that summer is right around the corner means their workload will decrease quite a lot. The summer is an open opportunity to attend more events and activities that one enjoys. The prospect of an approaching summer can motivate students to work harder to reach achievement in the final months preceding June, but can also lead some to get distracted. Another motive for students could be working together with their peers. Students can work diligently with their peers while enjoying the nice weather outside, which adds to the warm vibe. There are many locations provided around our area to fulfill this. Students would love this opportunity and use it effectively.
March Poem Olivia Lee '23 Mother Nature’s way of shedding her skin, Around the corner are beautiful sun rays reflecting off the flowers, Rain crashing down from the clouds to take care of our plants, Certain trees rising from the ground, reaching the clear blue sky. How about a bike ride? The sun appears to be staying for a while
Daylight savings was first put into effect during World War I, the point being to minimize the use of artificial light to save energy. Pushing the clocks an hour back meant that the sun set an hour later according to our watches, which saved an hour’s usage of lanterns or flashlights. However, in this day and age, with an almost constant use of electricity regardless of whether the lights are on or not, the amount of energy actually saved is next to nothing. So the question becomes, why do we keep it? I found that a significant number of LM students share the same outlook on daylight savings; they’re looking forward to it! Kyra Catt ’22 is one of these students. She walks home from Players every day, which gets out at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:00 p.m. on Fridays. “I’m excited to walk home from Players with lighting out,” Catt says. So it seems that daylight savings still does have a positive effect as far as after school activities go. Lauren Kelz ’23 would agree with this perspective. Kelz is a member of the Crew team, which meets every day except Monday and Sunday. “We have to go to the boathouse, which is in Conshohocken. The girls go first, so we get back to LM around 5:30 to 6:00, but the guys start around then, so my brother sometimes gets home at 8:00,” she says. Due to this, it’s nice to have sunlight later in the evening, as Kelz explains with, “I like the extra daylight a lot because when we are on the water, it means that it is still bright.” Two other students, Anne Hamilton ’21 and Sophie Fiks ’20, say that daylight savings affect their overall mood. In their minds, it represents the coming of spring, and shortly thereafter, summer. Hamilton describes it by saying, “I love being able to get home when the sun is up because then I feel like my day isn’t completely wasted,” and continues to say, “I just like spring. It’s just a happier time.” Similarly, Fiks voices that she always looks forward to daylight savings because “it means summer is coming soon.” Both girls tell me that this change in atmosphere affects their moods as well, further increasing the benefits of daylight savings. Hamilton says, “I think I generally just get happier because of the warmth and the ability to go outside more,” while Fiks elaborates with, “At first I’ll be groggy because I’m tired, but once I get used to it my mood probably gets better.” The only con of daylight savings that was brought up consistently among everyone I interviewed seems to be the loss of sleep. The night of daylight savings, clocks turn from 1:59 to 3:00 in the morning, forfeiting an hour of the night. Losing an hour of sleep can seem trivial, but to some, it can completely confuse their entire day. Kelz takes this side, saying, “I have a hard time getting up in the morning after it feels like I have to get up an hour earlier.” Catt also has a hard time with this aspect of daylight savings. “I normally go to sleep pretty late, so losing an hour of sleep is going to be pretty bad the next day,” she says. However, some students do not feel as affected by it. Fiks says, “I don’t like losing an hour, but once I get used to the change, I like it.” Others care even less, like Hamilton, who says, “I’ll have to deal with it so we can have spring.” All in all, despite the pointlessness of daylight savings in today’s time, many people still appreciate the ritual. The pros far outweigh the cons in the eyes of these LM students, and daylight savings will continue to be an exciting tradition for years to come.
Spring Crossword Nolan Shanely '23 Across: 6. One of the first flowers to bloom during springtime, called this because they bloom while winter snow is still on the ground 8. The annual practice of cleaning your home 10.Ireland's official language other than English 11. The ___ Isle 13. The country St. Patrick's Day began in 15. The treasure found at the end of a rainbow
ANSWER KEY: 1. March seventeenth, 2. Justin Bieber, 3. Lady Gaga, 4. Bloom, 5. Four leaf clover, 6. Snowdrops, 7. Spring, 8. Spring cleaning, 9. Leprechaun, 10. Irish, 11. Emerald, 12. Dublin, 13. Ireland, 14. Luck, 15.Gold
Down: 1. St. Patrick's Day falls on ____________ each year 2. Selena Gomez's long-term ex, ____ was born on the first day of March 3. This popstar, known for her bold fashion choices, was born on March 28th, 1986 4. The fullest, brightest stage of a flower 5. A common symbol of good luck 7. The season following winter and preceding summer 9. The mythical creature relating to St. Patrick's Day 12. The capital of Ireland 14. Good fortune
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March 18, 2020
Sports The Merionite
Let there be light Elijah Bloch ’22 LM was established in 1894 and is now well known throughout the U.S. not only for its prestigious education, but for its elite sports programs. Given that our boys’ and girls’ teams have aquired an abundance of league, district, and state titles in various sports, one would think that the school has well developed its athletic facilities. However, contrary to this belief, in LM’s 126 years, there has never been stationary lights at Arnold Field. In the past few years, the district opened discussions regarding an hour shift in the school start time. If this change were to occur, it would bring another question to light: if sports practices are pushed back an hour, would it get dark before practice ends? The simple answer would be yes, outdoor practices would require lights for safety, as well as to enable the sports teams to see while playing. The school board has discussed adding four eighty-foot light towers which would stand adjacent to the bleachers, and would be pointed on a downward angle toward the ground. Although it may seem simple to get lights for our facility, the matter must be considered with the surrounding neighborhood before any changes can be made. Many of the neighbors surrounding our beloved home-field are opposed to the idea of acquiring lights as they have concerns about their living conditions. The neighbors
believe that the lights would be seen intensely throughout the neighborhood, night games would cause more traffic issues, and they would cause noise on Friday nights. These issues were all addressed on February 11 at a community meeting between members of the Lower Merion School Board and the Wynnewood Civic Association. During this meeting, many of the claims made by these residents in an attempt to nullify the school’s desire for lights were disproven by Ben Driscoll and other members of the school board. Addressing the complaint about the intensity of the lights through the neighborhood, Driscoll noted that Villanova University is near this area as well, and the lights at the school are not noticeable to the surrounding neigborhood. Driscoll also mentioned that the school’s intent was not to burden our neighbors, but to strengthen our community. With this idea comes support from many student athletes and peers. While it is true that there could be traffic concerns during Friday night games and other night games during the week, said traffic will be a concern whether it is over the weekend or during the week. It could be noisy for a short time during a few months of the year, but these minimal issues are a small price to pay to give our students a better high school experience, and to strengthen our high school community.
Leveling the playing field Alex Frankel ’22 Here at LM, it is safe to say that our student body and community vests great pride According to LMSD’s Final Budget Presentation, the budget for the 2019-20 school in our athletics programs. Year in and year out, hundreds of students take part in our year is sitting at just over $280 million. A fair portion of that budget is spent on extrasports programs and represent our school as best as they can on the playing field. curricular activities, which includes the athletics program. For the school district of However, if you cross City Line Avenue into Philadelphia, the disparities in sports Philadelphia, the annual budget is just over $3 billion. While this obviously looks like programs are drastic. It is unfortunate to see a much larger sum of money, it is important to the lack of opportunity that students in the note that the Philadelphia School District includes Philadelphia school district have in terms 214 public schools, meaning that the money it of athletics, and how privileged LMSD is receives is spread thin across the student body. to have such a prestigious sports program. In contrast, $280 million is spread over just 10. We as students of LM have access to a wide The distribution of wealth works heavily in our array of training facilities from our weight room to school district’s favor as compared to the greater the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium to our natatorium. All Philadelphia area. Schools in places like North of these are, for the most part, free to use by our Philadelphia simply do not have the funds to sports teams, individual students, and community sponsor their sports programs the same way LM members. Considering how illustrious these faciliis able to. Since a substantial amount of money ties are, the teams and individuals who utilize them is needed to pay for some of the athletics facilihave efficient practices and recieve amazing trainties here at LM, it is understandable as to why ing. In addition to our indoor facilities, LM is adjaPhiladelphia schools would be unable to fund cent to Arnold Field, an outdoor space consisting such facilities, putting their teams and athletes of four natural grass fields, one synthetic turf field, at a disadvantage to teams in suburban areas. a track, and five tennis courts. With practice faciliNow, that is not to stereotype all sports teams ties like these, there is no question as to why our from Philadelphia schools, as there are many basketball and soccer teams are annual state playestablishments with very respectable teams and off contenders, and our school is consistently in programs. However, it is important to note that Graphic by Emma Liu ’22 the conversation of having one of the best athletics these schools have been given much less to work While LM is prosperous enough to have nonessential programs in the state. Tthe student body of LM is with in terms of training facilities and playing fields. equipment, some schools are not as fortunate. fortunate to have such an excellent sports program. It is perfectly fine, as a part of the LM As well off as we may be, it is important to reccommunity, to be proud of our sports proognize the differences between the program here at LM and programs in school dis- gram and teams. However, in order to understand the opportunities that LM tricts just ten minutes away. While many schools in Delaware County have fairly students have, it is important to observe the sports programs of less fortunate similar programs to ours, some areas of Philadelphia are much less affluent than us. schools. The programs that are offered at our school should be cherished, and An easy explanation for this difference is the amount of funding that Philadelphia those that are underfunded, should have the chance to be improved. In the future, schools receive compared to funding that Lower Merion School District receives. school officials should explore different ways to reduce this gap in oppurtunity.
Possibility to perform Ben Wolf ’22 There is no shortage of sports at LM. Student-athletes of all genders have the “As some sports that aren’t currently offered at school continue to grow, choice to perform for the school by representing one or more of our 24 teams. Apart like rock-climbing, which will be featured in the Summer Olympics in Tofrom adequate time and effort commitments, and a physical clearance, there are kyo, it makes sense for students to have the opportunity to represent Lower hardly any obstacles preventing a student Merion in these sports,” Lowry continued. in the LM community from participating There are, however, some predictin physical competitions against other able obstacles that may be difficult schools. Along with the wide assortfor the school to overcome, such as ment of sports offered at school, many funding and finding coaches. Uniforms students partake in athletic endeavors and equipment are more expensive that are not affiliated with LM. There than many students realize, and the is no question that all students deserve school can only allocate so much of its the opportunity to show their pride and budget towards financing athletics. excel on behalf of LM, however, some Makenna Sill ’22 recognizes that LM number of student-athletes who play sometimes has difficulty “finding coachsports such as fencing, badminton, rock es even for the most popular sports, climbing, and more would argue that so hiring a fencing or badminton coach, they are not fairly provided with this opfor example, might be complicated.” portunity. Should LM create new sports Even if there were people lined up teams to give additional students the opfor coaching positions of new teams, portunity to perform for their school? some of the less commonly played Any student who play sports for LM sports might require qualifica(or at any school, for that matter) may tions that are hard to come across agree that the experience of playing within the district or the area. the sport they love, spending bus rides Adding new sports teams to the mix and going to battle on the field, court, at LM is an intriguing proposal with Graphic by Noa Cutler ’22/Staff or pool with the same group of people is a handful of both potential upsides and unmatched. There is something about the What are the possible outcomes of adding new sports teams at LM? difficulties. If enough stufeeling of unity and togetherness that can dents were interested in repreonly be expressed through participation in school sports. Despite the range of ath- senting the school athletically through a sport not offered at the moletic teams the school funds, there are many sports through which students are un- ment, would the school have the interest, desire, or means to acquire both able to represent LM, as there is no school-affiliated team. As long as LM could find material resources and necessities in the form of coaches or instructors? It’s hard the resources, Jake Lowry ‘22 sees “only benefits to adding more sports and teams.” to say, but the LM community may discover the answer in the next few years.
Sports
March 18, 2020
15
The Merionite
Wrangle ‘em up
Ella Braunfeld ’21
Phillip Gao ’22 Sports Editor
Photo by Scott Rowan
Judea William ’22 (right) sizes up his opponent in an energizing match. The Boys’ Wrestling team performed tremendously this past winter season, with numerous improvements from athletes and impressive accomplishments all around. Senior captains James Lledo and Christian Hodges led the Aces to a record of 4-4, clinching the fourth place title in the Central League. The Aces began the season strong with a 39-36 win against Ridley High School, a long time rival of LM. This was the first victory against the Raiders since 2003, which was a magnificent feat for this resilient team. To finish off their regular season, the Aces competed at the Central League Championships. At the competition, nine athletes placed among the top six in their weight group. The athletes include: James Lledo (1st), Christian Hodges (1st), David Igwe ’22 (3rd), Jack Lledo ’22 (3rd), Jakob Segal ’20 (4th), Reed Braunfeld ’23 (4th), Judea Williams ’22 (5th), Noah Prichard ’20 (5th), and Alan Ghosh ’22 (6th). In addition to some excellent perfor-
mances this year, there were many athletes who stood out from the rest. Hodges notes that “Jack Lledo, Jakob Segal, Judea Williams, and David Igwe really stepped it up this year.” Both Jack Lledo and Judea Williams qualified for regionals for the first time as sophomores. David Igwe ’22 took third at Central Leagues and Segal took fourth, and neither of them had placed in years past. Freshmen Braunfeld and Yannick Segal, who have proved their worth this year, are looking to make big jumps next season with new goals and aspirations. The captains also showed their mastery of the sport, as both competed at the PIAA Wrestling State Championships, becoming the first tandem in half a century to qualify simultaniously. Hodges was able to place sixth for his weight group, which was an astonishing achievement. Though this season was one of the team’s best, the Aces are still looking to improve upon their performance and are eager for the upcoming season.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Thomas ’23
Freshman Matthew Thomas
What sport(s) do you play? Track and Swimming What is your greatest athletic achievement? Going to Districts for swimming What secret conspiracy would you like to start? The idea that trees are always watching What are you most looking forward to in the spring season? Breaking 2:10 in the 800
Ball to the wall
Photo courtesy of Logan Hall ’22
Sophomore Logan Hall
What sport(s) do you play? Soccer and Lacrosse What is your greatest athletic achievement? This past soccer season, we had 8 shutouts in a row In 40 years, what will people be nostalgic for? Airpods Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Joe Biden
The 2019-2020 Harriton-LM (HLM) Girls’ squash season was nothing short of exciting. This year’s team was fresh-faced, with only three returning varsity members and three freshmen. Thankfully, captains Rachel Forman ’21, a three year varsity member, and Stella Eisenberg ’20, a four year varsity player, led the team to a triumphant season. Because of their leadership during the season, they inspired the team to go determined into every match. Throughout the season, the Aces-Rams team faced off and battled against top ranked teams in the country such as Agnes Irwin, The Hill School, and Episcopal Academy, winning against Shipley, Conestoga, Episcopal, and Penn Charter. To conclude the season, the HLM team traveled to Connecticut to compete in the largest high school squash tournament in the country, where they beat nationally ranked teams Mercersburg and St. Anns. The team
concluded the season with a 2-2 record and placed eleventh out of sixteen teams in Division 4. Ellie Ward ’21 described the trip to Connecticut as, “a really fun team bonding experience that I will remember for the rest of my life but also a great tournament where my squash skills were tested like never before and it made me improve as a player.” Some players that stood out during the season include Ward, who worked hard at practice daily, had one of the best records on the team, and was awarded with most improved player at the end of the season squash banquet. Other noteworthy players include Eliza Rudy ’22 and Victoria Bermudez ’22, both of whom were first year varsity members playing some of the toughest matches and succeeding throughout the season. The 2019-2020 squash season was eventful, and both the girls and boys of the team look forward to next winter.
Photo by Joe Hojnacki
Paige Morrissey ’21 casually hits a lovely backhand stroke.
Photo courtesy of Ally Cooper ’21
Junior Ally Cooper
What sport(s) do you play? Crew What is your greatest athletic achievement? Coxing in Head of the Charles What are you most looking forward to in the spring season? Warm weather, wearing my crocs and competing in regattas What is one of your pre-game rituals? Special handshake with my stroke seat and high fives down the boat
Photo courtesy of Kyle Patlove ’20
Senior Kyle Patlove
What sport(s) do you play? Baseball What secret conspiracy would you like to start? Something like Toy Story being real What is one of your pre-game rituals? Gotta make sure my sunglasses are on my hat... can’t leave without them Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Either Joe Biden or Vermin Supreme
16
March 18, 2020
Sports The Merionite
Ball in the family Michelle Kelly ’23 The LM Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams performed tremendously well this past winter season. Though each team faced their own challenges, the Aces played excellently and dominated the competition. This 115th season proved to be a challenge for the LM Aces Boys Basketball. A young freshman squad propelled the seniors to step up as leaders, carrying the team to an extremely powerful season, reinforcing the lasting legacy of the Aces. Finally, the death of a beloved LM alumnus, Kobe Bryant, left a lasting impact on the entire community. However, with their tenacious determination, the team was able to persevere and make this season one of their most successful yet. Featuring young players, especially with the loss of eleven seniors including all of the starters and five different fouryear varsity players, the team stars many fresh faces. The upcoming squad looks to grow around returning players, including senior James Simples, senior Eli Rothman, junior Phil Cook, and soph-
omore Jaylen Shippen. Almost all other players are new to the varsity team. New talent includes junior guards Connor McCabe and Joey Scott, forward Zack Wong ’22, sophmore forward Henry
Bard, sophomore guard Peter Gribbin, and freshman guards Sam Brown, Andrew Coyne, Justin Poles, and Sam Wright. The Aces arecoming off a historic season that included an undefeated, third-straight Central League championship campaign, a ninth straight trip to the state playoffs and the program’s 25th District 1 Final
Four appearance. Additionally, the team, and especially long time coach Gregg Downer, were deeply affected when the loss of Kobe Bryant and young daughter Gianna were made public. These events devastated the entire community being that Kobe was arguably the most illustrious LM alum. The skill and spirit the boys showed this season was absolutely incredible, and the promise with this team is undeniable winning a game against Northampton on Saturday, March 7 to advance to the next round of the postseason. With the first round of the state tournament behind them, the Aces are on their way to their sweet sixteen match against Wilson,
which has gone 27-1 so far this season. The Girls’ Basketball team faced a tough season this year, with one of the most difficult schedules in the Central League. They started strong with two major wins at home games winning against and finishing the season with three defeats. Similar to the boys team, the girls’ starters were quite young. Their roster featured two senior guards and junior captains. While no freshmen made varsity, there were eight ninth grade girls on the JV team. Despite such a young crew and a difficult season, the Aces showed promise and are looking to make a comeback in the near future.
Photo by Scott Rowan
Jaylen Shippen ’22 analyzes the court to make the best play.
Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
Swimming in success Annika Naveen ’22 This season, the LM swim and dive team dove right in, showing great promise from the very first meet. With fierce enthusiasm and hard work, they set out to achieve victory and conquer the competition. The beginning of the season was brutal, with eleven dual meets packed into a short eight-week span. However, these swimmers crushed the competition, placing first or second in almost every single event. Ending with a winning record (7-4 for girls, 9-2 for boys), the team headed to
the Central League Championships in early February. The girls’ 200 Medley Relay claimed
second place, and the boys’ relay came in fourth, both of which qualified for District 1 Championships. Other podium finishes included Elishka Bai-
Photo by Bob Baumann
Liam Keating ’21 glides across the pool while swimming breastroke.
ley ’21 in the 200 IM (5th) and 100 Fly (7th), Annika Naveen ’22 in the 50 Freestyle (4th) and 100 Backstroke (5th), Dahlia Levine ’20 in the 500 Freestyle (7th) and 100 Breaststroke (8th), Ella Harris ’20 in the 100 Backstroke (8th), Allie Stewart ’21 in the 100 Breaststroke (3rd), Liam Keating ’21 in the 200 IM (7th) and 100 Breaststroke (7th), and Josh Sultanik ’22 in the 50
Freestyle (2nd) and 100 Freestyle (2nd), all of whom were then able to compete again at Districts, amongst others. Congratulations to Max Forster ’21, Phillip Gao ’22, Matthew Thomas ’23, Keating and Sultanik, all of whom made an impressive showing at Districts, ending with top-20 times. On the girls’ side, Stewart, Bailey, Naveen, Levine, Morgan Gale ’21, Sophie Oberdiek ’20, and Harris competed, ending with Stewart placing 4th in the 100 Breaststroke. Freshmen boys Matthew Thomas and Jordy Mandelbaum stepped up this year, throwing down fast times and boosting scores for the team. Some swimmers who made tremendous progress this year include Omar Niazy ’23, Aaron Levin ’22, and
Amber Wong ’23. In addition, seniors David Lu, Eric Bing, Oberdiek, Harris, Levine, and Mandelbaum left their mark on LM, bringing the heat and showing their team pride at every meet. In the world of diving, LM’s small team left an enormous impression.Grady Gardner ’23 placed 4th at Centrals, with Amari Brown-Swint ’21 in 3rd, then placing 8th at Districts and breaking her own school record. Grady, a diver with a background in gymnas-
tics, proved his position on the team by becoming one of the strongest male divers that LM has seen in years. “Whenever I’m learning new stuff it’s all about getting over your fears and trying to be the best you allow yourself to be. We all improved from the beginning of the season,” he noted. The girls’ team ended the season with a bang at the PIAA State Championship, with peak performances from Amari Brown-Swint, Annika Naveen, Allie Stewart, Elishka Bailey, and Ella Harris. Great season LM Swim & Dive! We can’t wait to see what next year will bring. Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff