The Horace Mann Record

HORACE MANN SCHOOL | WEEKLY SINCE 1913 November 4, 2011 http://record.horacemann.org Volume 109, Issue 8 Maddie Penn Staff Writer

Assembly Goes Awry, Community Shaken

Kaitlan Puglia (11) slides through the snow before the cancellation of the Girls Varsity Soccer Homecoming game Saturday.

Courtesy of Emma Schwartz

Snowstorm Freezes Homecoming Activities

Evan Reinsbeg & Michael Reiss Staff Writer
An unprecedented October snowstorm canceled homecoming games, ended the Saturday festivities early in the afternoon, and delayed Senior Absurdity Day. Strong winds and heavy snow cancelled the Girls Field Hockey, Varsity Football game and the Girls Varsity Tennis match, before their scheduled starts.. I was disappointed that the football game was cancelled because I was looking forward to playing in the snow, football player Andrew Schwartz said. However, the team understood the decision since the situation was unsafe, and it would have been a huge safety risk to play. Given the amount of snow collecting on the roof of the tent, we made the decision to end homecoming early at 1 PM, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly said. Even though we were prepared for snow, and we did not expect it to start so early or accumulate so quickly. The tent collapsed under the weight of snow about 30 minutes after it had been cleared, Kelly said. Only the sports that took place indoors were finished, as a total of three inches of snow fell Saturday. Both the boys and girls varsity soccer games were ended at halftime, resulting in a victory and Ivy League title for the boys, and a 0-0 draw for the girls. The only two full games that were played were the varsity girls volleyball and boys water polo, both resulting in Horace Mann victories. Despite not finishing a full game, players on the Boys Soccer team were still pleased with the result, players said It was surreal to play and win the Ivy League title in the snow, and luckily the game ended at halftime because the snow made it exhausting to run, Midfielder Andrew Silberstein (11) said, Unlike other schools in the New York area as the Wall Street Journal reported, there was little damage to the campus . Luckily, we did not experience any downed lines on campus, but there were portions of the campus that lost power, there was extensive tree damage, and there were many fallen trees and limbs around the school, Kelly said. After the storm, Director of Facilities Management and Security, John Yeager and his staff helped clean up and prepare the school for Monday. Our tree maintenance program always works to marginalize the amount f storm related damage we see on campus. While we had quite a bit of tree related damage, the damage represented only a fraction of what occurred in the neighborhood, Kelly said. Homecoming attendance was noticeably smaller, students said. It still showed great school spirit that a good amount people came out to support the teams despite the conditions, Drew McCann (11) said. Saturday marked the most significant snowstorm in New York in October for the first time since 1952, according to www.phillyweather. net. Senior Absurdity Day, originally scheduled October 31, will take place this Monday.

A poetry assembly this Tuesday became a confusing mix of laughter and derogatory phrases, leaving many audience members saying they were shocked and hurt. A second assembly was held H period that day to address what happened and to do so quickly, Upper Division Head Dr. David Schiller said. Two poets, Denise Duhamel and Maureen Seaton opened the assembly with a recitation from Litany of our Fathers, a poem about abusive fathers which included violent images and profanity. The two then led an exercise involving the student audience collaboratively producing a spoken work. Each student was given three index cards, and was asked on the first to write five words beginning with I remember on the next, seven words including a color, and on the last, five words referencing a pop culture icon. The cards were then collected and brought to the stage. Any student was invited to read aloud a card from each category. Some cards contained racial slurs, sexist comments, and other offensive language, reprehensible things that are not reflective of our Schools values, Schiller wrote in a letter to parents. Much to the confusion and shock of virtually everyone in the room, these comments were then read aloud. One thing kept going through

my head: is this really happening? Antonio Irizarry (12) said. Students on stage, faced with the writing of other students, both picked randomly from and sifted through the piles of cards. I was standing at the microphone with the cards only to realize that one of my cards repeated the N word three times in a row in between other profane language, Cora Bae (10) said. I decided to replace all the words with words from my previous card, saying orange pudding orange instead. Some students said after the assembly that the initial poem opened a Pandoras box to the impression that those derogatory ideas were OK, as Katie Birenboim (12) put it. The overwhelming majority of students who participated in the exercise did so appropriately, according to Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly, who said he based his comment on reading of all the cards after the assembly. A Record poll of 175 students found that 46% of the respondents reported not taking the writing exercise seriously. Almost 75% of them said they had expected the cards to be read aloud. Following the assembly, the poets went to English Teacher Harry Baulds E and F period classes. We had planned creative writing stuff for E, some readings, but we spent the whole time debriefing, Bauld said. Bauld, who had organized the assembly with the English Department, wrote an op-

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HMTC Records Schools Oral History

Vivien Ikwuazom Staff Writer
The material for the spring 2013 musical will celebrate the schools 125th anniversary and come from the experiences of the schools alumni. Students, faculty and teachers from the class of 1940 up to the present day participated in oral history interviews during Homecoming Saturday. We are hoping to have specific anecdotes that people tell us that we find fascinating, funny or moving, Theatre and Dance department head Woody Howard, said. Howard along with Manager of Horace Mann Department of Theatre, Dance & Film Studies Jonathan Nye, said they wanted to get as many interviews with as many different kinds of people as they could during the course of the school year. .Alumni discussed what they remembered from their experiences at school such as things they cherished and any peers, staff or teachers they remembered. Most people dove into discussing their role at Horace Mann and what made them unique among all other high school students, Hannah Ades (10) said as well as their experiences as members and supporters of the Horace Mann theater. They said how it was always a place where they could think creatively and imaginatively beyond the limitations of a classroom, HMTC co-president Antonio Irizarry said. It was incredible to be able to hear

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Poets Denise Duhamel and Maureen Seaton read one of their works at the end of the assembly.

Carly Amon/Staff Photographer

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Friday, November 4, 2011

Opinions & Editorials

Volume 109

The Horace Mann Record

Editorial Board
Editor in Chief Sarah Pyun Production Manager Baci Weiler News Jenna Spitzer Elizabeth Weingold Lions Den Matthew Cott Thomas Kim Managing Editor Christine Kim Arts & Entertainment Hillary Winnick Middle Division Olivia El-Sadr Davis

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Letters Policy: The Record welcomes letters from its readers as part of its commitment to an open forum. Letters can be submitted by mail (Letters to the Editor, The Record, Horace Mann School, 231 West 246 Street, Bronx, NY 10471), e-mail (record@horacemann. org), or can be left in the Record mailbox in the Deans office. All decisions regarding libel, anonymity, length, and clarity are subject to editorial discretion. All submissions must contain the writers name to verify authenticity and should be limited to 250 words. All letters will be printed on a first-come, first serve basis, space permitting. To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters should be submitted by 4:00 on Wednesday afternoon. The Record is published weekly by the students of the Horace Mann School during the academic year. As a student publication, its contents are the views and work of the students and do not necessarily represent those of the faculty or administration of the Horace Mann School. The Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and contents of The Record, and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or view expressed therein. The opinions represented in the Op-Ed section are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of the editorial board. The editorial represents the opinion of the majority of the Editorial Board. All editorial decisions regarding grammar, content, and layout are made by the Editorial Board. All queries and complaints should be directed to the editor in chief. Please address these comments by e-mail, to record@horacemann.org. For information about subscribing to The Record, please visit record.horacemann.org/subscribe.

Say the n-word out loud. I dare you. If youre in a crowded room, whisper it under your breath. Did you feel that? Something just washed over you. You feel cold and slimy. You know why? Because theres Kathryn Bartel a long history of hate crimes and disgusting examples of human behavior attached to the n-word. People have been marginalized, abused, tortured and everything in between with the justification that they are n----s. When you say the word, you feel dirty, as if you yourself have committed a crime; as if you are contributing to and making light of that history. The word is irredeemable. Never again will the n-word be accepted in everyday speech. Its connotation is beyond resurrection or reformatting because the aura around the word is already too powerful, too heavy. Attempts to use the word in a different way would be viewed as vile, immature, and insulting. Tell me, Horace Mann, why is faggot any different? Does it not have a similar track record for justifying hate crimes? The original definition of the word is a bundle of sticks used to start fires. Everyone knows gay people should be burned alive for their sins, so you know, one thing led to another and we wound up with todays word for a homosexual. Alright, youre saying. But thats ancient history. The word isnt like that any more. But isnt it? Think of Matthew Shepard: bloody and beaten, left to die on the side of the road. What do you think his attackers called him? Lawrence King, shot point blank at his junior high school. What word did his armed peer use to justify the murder? The recent trends in adolescent suicides; kids popping pills and tying nooses.

After the Assembly:

What word made them feel so alone and so worthless? The word faggot is not clean; its been marred by decades of abuse. The history clinging to the word, much like that of the n-word, cannot be shaken off. The depressions and deaths caused by the hate inherent in faggot are permanent, embedded in every letter. No matter how you intend the word to be used, it is forever disfigured by all the intentions others have filled it with. Faggot, what you call your friend when he drops the football, is the same faggot used to torment effeminate boys. The same faggot that apparently warrants a fifteen year old boy shooting his classmate twice in the head. Im constantly told that when someone says fag, he or she is not referring to homosexuals. Its just another word for an asshole, you know? But who could possibly get away with re-purposing the n-word to mean asshole? Unfortunately, this attitude is embedded in our culture. Even this Op-Ed reflects the double standard when it comes to racial and homophobic slurs. Here Ive used the word faggot a dozen times, but I could never bring myself to print the n-word in our school newspaper. We were brought up to never use the n-word, (though apparently not well enough.) Many schools begin to teach racial equality and the civil rights movement pre-kindergarten. The gay rights movement is less acknowledged in schools. As a result, the ups and downs of the movement are still relatively unknown and forgotten. Homophobia is tolerated as much as homosexuality. Racism and racial slurs should not be tolerated; analogously, neither should homophobic slurs. As we re-evaluate our schools role as a safe space for all kinds of people, I ask you to re-evaluate your use of the word faggot. Is it appropriate? Is it harmless? Whom are you hurting? What brutal crimes do you unknowingly condone with its use?

The horace Mann record

No Turning Back
We struggled to write this editorial as our contributors struggled to word OpEds, and as many of us struggled to phrase comments in class discussions about Tuesdays assembly. When actions seem to contradict what we believed about the nature of our community, merely wrapping our heads around new perceptions proves a challenge. It shouldnt have taken deplorable words to make us think carefully about our own. We firmly believe that the hateful words expressed by some students in the assembly do not reflect the views of the larger community. We may be imperfect, but we are generally tolerant; the specific targeting of groups of people was an aberration in our eyes, especially spoken before large groups. Some students have justified the uproar that took place on Tuesday by claiming that kids were trying to be funny, but we need to ask ourselves: who was the joke on? Something that can seem humorous to one student can be completely offensive to another. For many, these jokes dismantled the safe and secure environment that our school aspires to embody. We have been empowered, in recognizing the effects of a crowd on our actions, to prevent future situations. The next time anyone who was in Gross Theater feels a situation getting out of hand, s/he will have a reserve of memories upon which to draw. The tears we shed and the guilty faces of those who felt that they failed to avert the event will be a weapon in our arsenal against hatred. Next time, we hope, we will have the strength to speak out. Wed like to see this assembly lead to concrete changes. A revision of the assembly structure, for example, seems in order. Depending on the content of an assembly, we should be given the opportunity to discuss the topics raised immediately afterwards. While we commend the quick planning of an H period assembly, a D period discussion group that had been already scheduled could have begun the healing process sooner. Especially in the case of recent diversity and GSA assemblies, follow-up discussion could have helped us to internalize the messages expressed. Additionally, perhaps the entire Upper Division need not be the target audience of each assembly. If we split into smaller groups by grade, assemblies can be better tailored to the maturity levels of those sitting in the theater. Finally, we cannot and should not put aside discussions raised by this assembly. Will we return from Winter Break to a school that has forgotten its current outrage? Will painful memories fail to persist into the third trimester? Healing must not mean sweeping this week under the rug. We cant go back, so we must go forward.

Editors Note: The volume of letters to the editor and OpEds we received made it impossible to publish everything submitted. We have made every effort to provide a representative sample of the views expressed. The Record aims in every issue to provide a forum for expression of ideas, and anyone whose writing was not printed will have the option, if they so choose, to be published in the next issue. And, as always, anyone else may feel free to write.

Maybe youre like me and have spent some time thinking about how you could have prevented what happened Tuesday. If youre a student, then Ill let you off the hook: you couldnt have Charles Worrall done it. Maybe you think by yelling something, or otherwise making a scene, you could have kept some of the awful things that happened from happening. To be clear, you did have some options: you could have walked out (like a few students I saw). Or cast disgusted looks at some of the worst actors. Or, if you were one of those bad actors, you could have, should have, stopped. Maybe you made the best effort you could. But stop the assembly itself? It just wasnt in your power. I could have done it, though, and Ive devoted some thought to how easy it would have been, and to how ashamed I am that I didnt. Ive been teaching for quite a while now, and theres a version of me, the Angry, Righteous Mr. Worrall that I occasionally trot out when necessary. In hindsight, it would have been so simple. After any of the half dozen of the most despicable, vile student readings, all I had to do was march down the aisle near the front of the stage, point my finger and say clearly, slowly, and in my most authoritative, angry, righteous voice, You STOP. You will use those awful words on this stage, or anywhere, only with a purpose grounded in love for your community, with heartfelt empathy, only in a humble quest for understanding and shared thoughtfulness. You MAY NOT speak those words here, not in that way. We will NOT allow it. You wound good people in this room, all the good people in this room. You wound yourselves. And for WHAT? For your AMUSEMENT. We will not stand for it. Shame on you. End of assembly, right? Like hundreds of us over the last few days, Ive been thinking about the assembly almost non-stop since Tuesday morning. As a teacher, I find myself gravitating towards this question of how an adult could have stopped what happened, and how we as a school can prevent it from happening again. But I also find myself wondering if prevention, and its emphasis on behavior, glosses over some critical discoveries we made about ourselves during C period. What would I have stopped if Id lived my fantasy and brought the assembly to a shivering halt? And what has been stopped by having an H period assembly that day, by having great forums around campus, by having deeply thoughtful conversations in classes? If the answer is simply bad behavior, then Im worried were in the same situation we were in before Tuesday. There was a taboo on publicly expressing hatred, on viciously dehumanizing people around us, but all of us seem clear on one fact: the taboos existence did not mean those things werent right below the surface, in the schools back alleys, inside some of, maybe all of, our souls. If we

only succeed in putting the taboo back in place, then we go back to where we were. And a return to normalcy is not what we want. What I wish would change in our community isnt just in the assembly spaces, in our public interactions, in our behavior. I want it to happen in our selves, in our souls, in how we think and in what we believe. Yes, our behavior should change, but because of what we think and feel, not because Mr. Worrall or anyone else makes it ridiculously uncomfortable to act badly. Ive regretted for several days now that I didnt exercise the power I had on Tuesday. But what I think now is that my power to affect how you act is less crucial than your power to confront what is inside yourself, and to push your peers to confront what is in them. Im now thinking students have more power, not less, than I do. I can suppress, while you can address, what slithered up to the light of day on Tuesday. When your friends hurt other people under the guise of humor, you can disapprove. When you witness in every place, not just in school, the hatred and inhumanity we saw come out Tuesday morning, you can call it by its name. When you are personally hurt by the callousness of others, you can say so, and you can tell those people to stop. When you feel hatred and inhumanity inside of yourself (its in me, in you, in all of us), you can think about it, work to understand it and learn to stop it. And if you cannot change some people, then you can make it clear they are wrong. They are few, and they are not welcome. One of the greatest poems I know is Rilkes The Archaic Torso of Apollo. The last lines, especially, are among the most surprising and powerful ever written. They can tell us about the difference between changing our behavior and changing ourselves. For here, there is no place/ that does not see you. You must change your life.

Op-Art by Staff Artist Chloe Tsang (11)

Thoughtful Reflections on Thoughtless Words

I have a complicated response to the many failures of Tuesdays assembly. Dr. Schiller was brave about accepting responsibility, but as I wrote in a note to the faculty, the culpa is strongly mea, I must admit. In a teaching life that began here at Horace Mann exactly thirty years ago, Harry Bauld Ive made a lot of mistakes. Thats how I learned to do this work I have loved so long. Tuesdays assembly was the result of a series of my mistakes that fed each other and from which I expect to be learning difficult lessons for a long time. Apologies first: especially to individual students hurt by what happenedthats the hardest part for me to live with; to the HM community, wrung through something painful, ongoing, and unnecessary; to the poets, two brilliant writers I did not guide specifically and sufficiently enough for us to experience the range, inspiration and insight that truly characterize their work. I even want to apologize to students who gave voice to the puerile, vicious, hateful, angry and willfully ignorant impulses, for seeming to give permission. Background and intent: I certainly wanted a different kind of assemblyparticipatory, not passive. Education is the result of something one does (or doesnt do, in my case Tuesday), not something we receive or dispense. The goals of the assembly were to experience that 1) communities do fun things together 2) poetryand creativity itselfneed not be out-sourced to specialists, but belongs all of us, like dancing, singing, or the urge to draw a bison on the ceiling of the cave 3) art can be coaxed from a structure of happy accidents 4) skilled poets can be not distant icons but partners in creativity. My basic teaching principle: structure is destiny. The way lessons are set up is what they teach. In this, I was hoist on my own petard. The structure of assemblysingle presenter at a lectern, facing a crowd aged 13-19 the theater itself cannot even seat, and who are expected only to listenis good for plays, dance, and music but has defeated exceptional poets like Robert Haas (median student review: Boring) and even sometimes poetry itself, an art for me so various, intimate, exciting and alive. I knew Denise Duhamel was one of the liveliest, funniest poets writing todayand then serendipitously I discovered a poet she had collaborated with on three books, Maureen Seaton, had a Horace Mann connection. Why not the synergy of two poets? As the time approached, the GSA and diversity assemblies seemed to connect in a happy accident with many themes in their work. Over the course of a month or so Dr. Casdin and I bounced ideas off the poets. To imagine the structure of assembly reworked was in itself stimulating and ambitious. At one point I suggested they improvise a collaborative poem for us on the spot, based on audience suggestions. Maybe include a couple of students? They were up for I have discovered a new me after the assembly. I do not yet know whether this change is for Treshauxn the better, but Dennis-Brown I will tell you how I got there. Before I came to HM, I went to a normal, indiscreet public school. Like at the rest of the schools in the district of Mount Vernon, all students were black. Coming here in 6th grade was an entirely new experience for me, as one might imagine, coming into an atmosphere where I was truly a minority. There are 9 African-American kids currently in the junior class, under 5% of the grade total. Basically, as a new student, I faced not only the prospect of being new in general, no friends or relationships already established, but also of being new AND different from the already established majority. Thankfully, my assimilation was entirely based on how I acted and who I was, not others misconceived perceptions at face value. The dictionary definition of Diversity, the inclusion of different types of people, especially of different races or cultures, is definitely engrained into our community; statistical analysis alone proves this. However, I was always under the impression that diversity at this school meant so much morenamely the unconscious acceptance of said diversity. I believed this until Tuesday. What happened during our biweekly assembly period changed my perspectives on how welcoming this school truly is. Seeing people actively participate in the poetry exercise for the it; then that thinking evolved into a collaboration with everyone. Bingo. The structure was simple: they would read one of their collaborations, in a more surprising if contrived entrance than usual, I would introduce them, and theyd conduct the group poem. What they designed, incidentally, was simply a modern spin on classical Japanese renga, a 600-old collaborative form that links 100 haiku usually by two poets. Ironically, original renga, as part of its own productive limitation, confines itself to utakotoba, standard poetic diction. I know, I knowif only they or someone had provided a teaching context. I did not know until we were in medias res what the opening poem would be. I observe but do not offer as an excuse that we have never asked visiting poets to vet texts in advance; most poets typically have a few in mind, then react to the moment. Although I didnt know this would be their choice of poem, I was familiar with it and the transgressive nature of some of their work, and should have provided much more guidance for the specific opening selection. Failure number one. terribly wrong. Thats the thing about risk: its very risky. Safe risk is an oxymoron, as many people with pension funds learned in the 2008 economy. Unnecessary risk, though, comes from insufficient preparation and regulation, and thats what we had. Some students and faculty have focused on the possible benefits that have arisen since, and while I, too, have been profoundly impressed and moved especially by the wise and humane responses of so many students, the possible gains retrieved in the wake of the loss are still marginal. This metaphor puts me in the role both of risky lender and lax SEC, and its remakably apt. As for any free speech issue, the words that came up in some of the card-collaborations were actually not speech. You cant falsely shout Fire, in a crowded theater, because that word is not speech protected under the Constitution; it has no opinion or meaning; its behavior. Thats what the slurs and rage and inside jokes were in our theater. In the English department we are generally more comfortable with risky material; moral conflict, ethnicity, hatred, sexuality are part of the content of our courses, and we structure teaching moments to make difficult explorations safe as possible. Still, I always want to be provocative enough so students can experience something real. Its possible my sense of all-school balance was off because of extraordinary experiences students have provided in my classes these past few years. The assembly obviously didnt meet my own criteria because I didnt caretake the structure enough. Being wrong is not just a byproduct of learning; its the necessary condition. Whenever Im afraid to be wrong, to write badly, I find I write or do nothing worthwhile. Its what I do after Im wrong that determines how well or much I will grow. Good teaching isnt afraid of ideas or feelings, even the most heinous; it provides experiences in which learners can change. Teaching is a fundamentally moral act whose goal is transformation, but its not transformation teachers, friends, or family can force. Whenever I flatter myself I know what I am doing as a teacher, moments like Tuesday arrive to show its no cute clich for a teacher to say he learns every day. (Some days I learn more than others.) Teachings an art, sometimes an elusive one; the corollary of the snarky old saw, those who cannot do, teach, is that a lot of people who can do have no idea how to teach. An artist, a teacher, grows and grows, experiments, follows his nose in new directions. (Sometimes his nose gets broken.) But also, as when Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice admits his own blame for a young daughters waywardness, Im not afraid of being overpowered by the impression. It will pass away soon enough. Thats Mr. Bennets best moment, when at last hes not just retreating to his library behind his self-protective ironies. The paradox for me is that although I will live with the memory of my role Tuesday a long time, this, too, may pass away soon enough but not, I hope, because I plan to retreat to my library behind any; its because we have important work to do, and its time for class. are expendable. The fact that peoples words, to me, reflect the assumption that only select groups should be offended by Tuesdays events is troubling as well. In all honesty, every single person present at that assembly should feel as if their confidence in their peers was violated. There are many viewpoints such as the ones expressed on Tuesday that I do not at all agree with, but if you hate all black people, gay people, women or men, we cannot stop you from holding those thoughts inside yourself. When you enter into a community like HM, though, you enter into an agreement with each and every student, faculty, staff, etc. You agree to adhere to the values and beliefs of this school, which include creating a safe and secure environment for everyone. As a result, there are certain things that must not be shared with or without the intent of hurting others. I do have optimistic moments, but I know that there is no way to eradicate racism, homophobia, or sexism from our school; at least not while its so apparent in our greater society. There will always be those who hold ideals that contradict what the majority of us consider to be morally suitable. I wish there were a guidebook to tell us how we should proceed from this point, but unfortunately it hasnt been written yet. All we can do is take this as an opportunity to re-examine our values and the way that we attempt to instill those values into our community. Its not enough to have one or two assemblies a year that try and tackle such dense issues in an hour and fifteen minutes. We need constant discourse, not only in organized forums but also in the classrooms, in clubs, and amongst our friends. Furthermore we need to have a culture in which its normal to hear people speaking up not only when they feel attacked but also when others are being victimized. I for one will no longer be silenced by my fear. Horace Mann is still an amazing educational institution; I will never deny that. However we cannot ignore this now visible facet of our identity. Were still intelligent, mature, athletic, inquisitive human beings but we are also discriminatory. Its time that we use our talents to fix these problems. Its sad that it took this event to make me find my voice, but now that Ive embraced it, Im keeping up my end of the conversation. Are you?

The horace Mann record

Opinions & Editorials

Friday, November 4, 2011

Tuesdays assembly was the result of a series of my mistakes that fed each other and from which I expect to be learning difficult lessons for a long time.

Others followed in a seemingly helpless tumble. I did not know in advance the specific process of the group collaboration; I never asked. Failure two. They asked me to provide three index cards for everyone; I assumed only that there would be three different acts of writing. I know a number of people have said they could have or should have intervened in the moment, and I wish to acknowledge the numerous small but meaningful acts of good judgment and courage that did occurstudents who, before stepping to the mic, chose not to read vicious, hateful, or stupid cards. But I was in a unique position to have acted beforehand, in the planning. I also had privileged access to the stage, at the moment of introduction, and to the poets throughout. Ive had the teaching version of what the French call lesprit de lescalierthinking too late of what I should have said or done: written a different intro, stopped and interviewed the poets on stage about the opening poem, added the stricture that students write the cards without any language inappropriate to assembly, vetted the cards themselves and handed them to readers, controlled who would be allowed on stage. Others undoubtedly can think of more. Ive been examining why I didnt do any of these things, and I dont have easy answers. The assembly was always a creative attempt, one that went

implicit purpose of saying homophobic or racist slurs triggered in me a sense of distrust in the HM community. Community, the word I once naturally used to describe our student body as a whole, I now use lightly. I have never witnessed or heard of an event in our illustrious history that resulted in the alienation and hurt of people on such a colossal scale. I cant even count the number of students I saw break down and cry. And thus, I come to the new me. Being Black, my family has always come down on me to realize the harsh realities of this world and the fierce racism that still exists in the world today. This idea of racism, I always pushed (inwardly) off with the that was then, this is now excuse. It never helped that I go to a privileged school that always appeared to a safe environment, one sheltered and completely different from the outside world. It is this naivety that causes me the most disappointment. Now I realize, that racism, in no matter what form it exists, whether in casual racists jokes, malicious racism, or passive racism, still exists everywhere. The fact that I acknowledge that it exists in the HM community disappoints me and anyone who reads this. As I stated in the H period assembly on Tuesday, I am coming to terms with the possibility that I am considered different simply because of the way that I look. Looking for people to blame for the events that transpired Tuesday is irrelevant. Each and every person present was responsible. It is how we repair the broken connections, and make amends to we who were truly hurt by the events that transpired Tuesday that defines us as Horace Mann.

Call me a cynic, but I was not at all surprised by the events that transpired on Tuesday. Words and ideas were thrown around that Ive heard expressed in hallways, classrooms, and the cafeteria. Esther Ademola I personally have been subject to remarks much worse than those shared on stage. The one aspect of this that shocked me was that people had the audacity to get up on stage in front of the entire school with absolutely no regard for our emotions and utter such filth. In a perfect world, there would be no racism, sexism, homophobia, or classism. However, if you watch the news for three minutes it will quickly become evident that our world is far from perfect. It seems as if people were under the impression that Horace Mann was exempt from hatred or enmity. Even with its emergence in such a disgusting way, people still refuse to acknowledge the presence of these ill feelings in our community. Ive heard a lot of people frantically trying to pass blame onto others when the blame rests squarely on our shoulders. I believe that we as a community have allowed these feelings to fester, and it was only a matter of time before we reaped the consequences. I had always assumed that I was able to brush off the racist comments directed at me with such ease because of my resiliency. I tricked myself into believing that because the comments were made in a jocular fashion they were not meant to hurt me. I now see that what I desperately tried to convince myself was resiliency was actually fear; fear of being looked down upon because I couldnt handle a simple joke. Every joke made about my presumed love of chicken (crispy, barbecue, and popcorn) or assumption made about my socio-economic class or my home life that I have not responded to has added to the problem that we all witnessed spin out of control this week. I now see that through my silence I have contributed to the formation of this community in which I see certain individuals behave as if its perfectly acceptable to make their peers feel like scum: as if they are such an insignificant part of the community that their emotions

Friday, November 4, 2011

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Assembly Goes Awry, Community Shaken

News

The horace Mann record

ed in todays Record apologizing for the results of what he said were good intentions. What they did was follow my lead and set up what they expected would provide a collaborative, fun energetic creative exercise and intro to a collaborative writing and to poetry in a way, he said in an email to the paper this evening. The poets told the E period class that they should have realized many students in the audience did not understand the meaning of their poem, Sarah Santana (12), a student in the class said. The two could not hear what students were reading because they were standing behind the microphone, they told students. They said the notecards they read had not seemed inappropriate. By press time Duhamel and Seaton had not responded to The Records requests for comment. At thr school-wide meeting H Period Schiller took responsibility for the events in the earlier assembly saying, I am profoundly distressed and embarrassed over the matter. The second gathering was to think about the mornings assembly and turn a bad thing into a good thing, he said. Student comments ranged from expressions of shock to apologies from students who had read cards in the morning. Others said they had new perspectives of themselves and their classmates. For the past five years I felt like people looked at me like they looked at themselves. After this assembly I question that. Do they look at me differently? one student asked. The meeting presented an opportunity for students and faculty to evaluate ourselves as a community and address the underlying issue of what went wrong in the first assembly, giving a safe space for students to talk its personal effects, Irizarry said. We were not the best versions of ourselves and that assembly does not define us, Foreign Language teacher Pilar Valencia said. Schillers letter to parents said, This situation requires us to take steps to prevent a recurrence of what happened in the morning assembly. We will review the process governing the content of all assemblies to ensure that this content is appropriate and conforms to our School values. We will continue to hold meetings in which students, faculty, and staff can speak their minds, ask their questions, and give voice to their concerns. We will ensure that this event is put into context and becomes a teachable moment for students, faculty, staff, and the entire School community.

Above, during Tuesdays C period assembly, poet Maureen Seaton explains the construction of the haiku-style poems submitted anonymously by students on notecards; volunteers wait to read aloud cards randomly selected from the three piles. Many were shocked by the cards contents. Left, at Thursdays I period meeting hosted by the Union, Womens Issues Club, and Mens Issues Club, the Recital Hall was nearly at capacity, with about 100 students and faculty. The gatherings discussion focused on reactions to Tuesdays assemblies.

HMTC at Homecoming
from people who have been here since the dress code was first abolished in 1968, to people who have been here for the most recent changes. I got to see a really exciting Horace Mann Over the Years that I dont get to see very often, Ades said. Howard was inspired by the experiences of a town in, Georgia whose traditions seemed to be vanishing; the town fathers decided to collect our stories of the town and see what we learned about ourselves to help us decide where they went next, he said. One of the things the town did with the stories make a musical representation of the town that was not purely historical, but in many ways it was almost a sociological presentation, he added. For the spring 2013 musical, Howard said he plans to have Horace Mann himself or his character presented at some point as well as Mr. Tillinghast, or Mr. Baruth. The department will encourage students from pre-k to twelfth grade to participate in it so the audience can get a real feel of the school and show the community what we have become.

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Did you take the assemblys writing exercise seriously?

63% 37% 66% 10 34% 11 68% 32%

9 12

Colin Mark Staff Writer

Students, Faculty Reflect On Poetry Assembly

46%

54%

Did you think the cards would be read aloud?

73%

yes
27%

no

Describe (your reaction to) the assembly in one word. Polls conducted by Carly Amon, Sarah Heintz, Vivien Ikwuazom, Diana Li, Molly Wharton, Evan Reinsberg, Tom Eng, Alex Fine

175 students polled

Approximately 100 students and faculty reconvened in the Recital Hall yesterday to discuss the events of Tuesday and next steps for the community. Alexis-Brianna Felix (12) and Elliot Weinstein (12), who moderated the forum, moved the conversation through general reactions to the two assemblies on Tuesday and raised questions including whether a school that supports diversity of opinion can still be a safe space. For me this meeting was a really eye opening thing, Katie Bierenboim (12) said. There were some people who said that this was a long time coming and they definitely recognized this attitude in Horace Mann students.. Megan Goldberg (12) said, I feel guilty, and not necessarily because I wrote or said any of the offensive comments during the assembly and not because I didnt stop it, but because I was one of the people here who saw this coming... I thought maybe there was something that we could have done beforehand. Much of the discussion focused on the future for the community. Tolerating differences is not enough, Student Body Vice-President Antonio Irizzary (12) said. We need to be accepting. People need to understand that everybody here comes from a different place, and to make light on that and to make jokes...is not okay. Yvonne Cha (12) pointed out that efforts to promote acceptance and diversity are often limited to students already interested in those issues.. The people who are interested

and the people who are passionate and enthusiastic about these things will come to these meetings and theyll be the ones speaking out. But what about the people who wrote those things and who arent sitting here? Is there something more we can other than having the same idea float around the same people? Head of School Tom Kelly drew a distinction between differences of opinion and inappropriate speech. Everyone who is invited to teach here, everyone who is invited to be a student here, had demonstrated the ability to hear opinions, opinions that may make your skin crawl, but to do it respectfully. We are a community that defines ourselves in a unique way because of our ability to celebrate the right to free speech. But when we get to a point that someone is not going to adhere to the very same reason they were invited to join this community the ability to have a mature and respectful conversation about anything he or she can no longer be here. The forum was hosted by student groups including the Union, Womens Issues Club and Mens Issues Club. The meeting was planned the period after the first assembly on Tuesday, Felix said In addition to this meeting, informal discussions of Tuesdays events have taken place in classrooms throughout the Upper Division. Immediately after I got out of the assembly, people were talking about it, Victoria McKaba (11) said. The moderators announced the Community Council would continue the discussion at its meeting Tuesday.

The horace Mann record

Chloe Tsang Staff Writer

Orchestra Performs Flying Film Themes

Arts & Entertainment

Friday, November 4, 2011

Members of the orchestra found themselves performing their first concert of the year with a lastminute replacement conductor and professional musicians just ten minutes after meeting them. Just before the start of their performance, the musicians met Nathan Hetherington, the Artistic Director of the youth leadership orchestra Praxis, who conducted the group in place of Music Department Chair Darin Lewis, Orchestra Vice President Jacob Moscona-Skolnik (12) said. On the day of the performance, the Music Department called Hetherington and asked him to fill in for Lewis, who was ill. He arrived a few hours before I Period and spent his time looking over the music, he said. The kids were really great, Hetherington, who has worked with some members of the orchestra outside of school, said. They were well-prepared, and all I really had to do was go in there and listen to them play. Despite having never worked with Hetherington before, it was exciting because thats how music works in the real world, Moscona-Skolnik said. A lot of times you dont really

A last-minute replacement conductor leads Orchestra in their performance of three John Williams pieces at last Thursdays Movie Concert in Conductor Darin Lewis absence. have all this time to work with your conductor. In the process leading up to the concert, the orchestra faced more challenges than usual for their first performance of the year, President Jacob Bass (12) said. The music was difficult, not everyone got to go to Dorrchestra, and Mr. Lewiss asthma got really bad over the weekend, so orchestra members came into the week of the performance at dramatically different levels of preparedness, he said. In addition to working with Hetherington, the orchestra played with professional musicians, most of whom the Music Department hires

Carly Amon/Staff Photographer

for every concert, violinist Deepti Raghavan (11) said. For this concert, the professionals came to play in the brass and wind sections, sections that do not comprise of many students. The orchestra played three selections from film scores by American composer John Williams, beginning the concert with Flight to Neverland from Hook, followed by Overture to The Cowboys and ending with Flying Theme from ET. While Bass found playing with all of the professionals and, for the first time, with two different conductors the day of the concert to be exciting, what he found most amazing was that nobody panicked, people showed up to our concert, and we played well, he said. More than one hundred students attended the orchestras performance. Cora Bae (10) said that the music they played was fun and the audience really responded well to it. Its always really fun to be able to engage with the audience, play pieces that everyone can relate to, and have that kind of enthusiasm around the music that were playing, Moscona Skolnik said. It was great that everyone was so supportive, and we hope to see more of that in the future. The orchestras next performance will take place in two weeks. They will be performing a Mozart symphony.

Weinsteins Taste of Food & Religion

Elliott Weinstein Staff Writer
Ive never thought about food and religion being so closely connected in daily life. While Im aware of religious holidays like Passover and Ramadan that are intrinsically connected with food, in general, food and religion rarely seem to be discussed in the same breath. My whole mentality on the relationship between food and religion completely changed after Olivia Chigas (12) independent study presentation on Wednesday. After a recent series of lecture and PowerPoint presentations in our Independent Study seminar class, it was refreshing to get out of the classroom for a class that was completely interactive. Instead of meeting in our usual classroom, 150T, we all met in 222P because of the rooms unique set of cooking appliances. We all knew that Chigas project focuses on the connection between Middle Eastern food, culture, and historybut none of us had any idea what wed be actually cooking or how this would teach us anything about the Middle East. As we diced tomatoes to start off the lesson, Chigas and Independent Study teacher Gerri Woods came around and filled our bowls of water with bulgur, a specific grain closely connected to Middle Eastern cooking and culture. As our bulgur soaked, absorbing the water to become soft and edible, we cut up parsley and mint to add into our special dish. Between the cutting and the soaking, Chigas introduced the research she had been working on this trimester; she spoke about how both Islam and Judaism have specific religious rituals associated with food, such as Halal and keeping Kosher, and asked whether we believed that religion influenced food or vice versa. I was stunned by this question. Members of our class spoke about personal experiences that they recall about how food influences culture in their households. Amanda Appelson (12) spoke about how when she eats with the Chinese side of her family, there is specific etiquette she must follow to show respect for her elders and for the Chinese culture as a whole. Chigas seminar class ended with everyone deep in thought as they sat eating the tabbouleh, a traditional Levantine Arab salad, they had prepared. The conversation that Chigas had started and nourished was as delicious as the tabbouleh itself. Not only did I gain an understanding of the connection between Middle Eastern culture and food, but I also began to think about how food and religion play a part in my familys culture and Ill remember it the next time I sit down to a religious meal.

Faculty Plays with Clay

Molly Wharton Staff Writer
This week, Lower School ceramics teacher Sheila Ferri captured faculty members with her new Teacher and Staff Ceramics Workshop, ten weekly sessions that aim to spark creativity among teachers in the HM community. The workshop will be focusing on creating planters for the school garden that have to, in some way, include an animal. During the first class, the teachers and staff started to plan out and draw their ideas. Ferri even assigned them homework, and several of the adults came to see Ferri the next day to show her their ideas, just like students, she said. The teacher and staff s completed works will be exhibited in the Lower School Arts Festival in March. The class consists of a diverse group of adults coming from all aspects of HM with a wide range of previous experience with ceramics; though some of the teachers have taken this workshop with Ferri in past years or other ceramics classes, many had never touched clay before. The class is an opportunity to meet people from all different campuses, Ferri said. We come together to relax and be creative. Ferri says that the adults taking her class are creative thinkers who want an opportunity to express themselves. In todays day and age, we often take for granted that we have art every year in school, she said, but some of the teachers didnt have the opportunity to work this way when they were in school. Upper Division science teacher Rachel Mohammed hopes that the class inspires me and allows me to express my creative side. She also hopes to gain enough skills so that I may be able to make a few more ceramic pieces even after the class is over. Other teachers, such as Middle Division science teacher Donnett Bryan, see the class as a nice break from work. As a Fine Arts major at Muhlenberg College 2nd grade teacher Nathan Spevack had a concentration in ceramics, but has not had many chances to work with clay since graduating, let alone create something artistic. His goal with the class is to create something that is meaningful and unique to me.

Olivia Chigas (12) progression of tabbouleh, a traditional Levantine Arab salad, that she taught members of her Independent Study class how to make as part of her presentation this Wednesday.

Courtesy of Olivia Chigas

Poetry or Profanity? A Personal Response

Poetry: A literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm. Some poems express feelings of love and happiness whereas other poems express feelings of anger, sadness, or discontent. Some just compare thee to a summers day... Regardless of the certain expression that the poem communicates to its reader, there is always a deeper more profound meaning than just the words on the surface of the page. The poem that was read in the assembly on Tuesday was indeed poetry. The two poets worked together to create the poem, which had a specific rhythm and form to it. Despite the inappropriate language and vulgar imagery, it is considered poetry because it does have meaning and expression within the words. There are no defined rules

Alexa Meltzer Staff Writer

and regulations on what can or cannot be said within a poem; however, complete obscenity, which is what we heard Tuesday from our fellow students, was not poetry. It was an angry tirade used to provoke shock value. The notecards that were read were a series of random phrases that different students wrote, English teacher and Class of 2013 Dean Dr. Jessica Levenstein said. If you took three poems from Nortons Anthology and cut them up and put them together, that to me is not poetry, and that is what happened when the students read the notecards. It is true that not all poems are like Shakespeares love sonnets. Many poems have been published using ugly, crude imagery and abrasive language, but these poems were created with a purpose; a purpose not intending to offend any specific group, but rather using this art form to express strong emotion toward someone or something.

Sarah Heintz/Staff Artist

Friday, November 4, 2011

Features

The horace Mann record

Oh Wait, I Have a Math Test

Trick-or-Treat...

Teo Armus-Laski & James Megibow Staff Writers

For Jack Golub (9),Halloween is all about the candy, and densely packed apartment buildings in the city allow one to collect more treats per minute than anywhere else, he said. Halloween, a holiday we cherished and anticipated for weeks when we were younger, has now become just another school night to some students, including Stephen Sim(10) who probably wouldnt have gone trick-or-treating anyway because of all the work I had, he said. In addition to cross-country practice after school, Sim had Spanish and Health tests the next day. Haunted late into the night by her Chemistry homework, a US History paper, and a math test the next day, Anushka Gupta (10) decided to become a frighteningly overworked high school sophomore for Halloween this year, she said. Not only did I have a lot of homework on Monday night, but the snowstorm last weekend left me without power, so I wasnt able to go to my friends Halloween party, said Rachel Simerka-Smith (11), who used to make it a tradition to go trick-or-treating with a large group of friends up in the Palisades every October 31st. Still some students, and faculty, found time to go to indulge in ghosts and jack-o-lanterns by trick-ortreating or attending parties. Physics teacher Dr. Jane Wesely came to classes dressed as Physicist Barbie, and students of hers such as Colin Mark (11) thought it was unique that she dressed up and put so much effort into her costume, Mark said. Despite being the oldest kid in her Upper East Side apartment building, Lizzy Price (7) still enjoys trick-ortreating across every single floor because they have a great haunted house, and of course, I get forty pounds of candy in one night, she said. Allison Chang (9) spent two hours accompanying her brother Alex (6) on a quest through Mamaroneck

for candy, but only after I wore a Santa hat to school, she said. For me, Halloween got old after middle school, so instead of trick-or-treating with friends, I decided to be nice and help my brother enjoy one of his last times really celebrating the holiday, Chang said. It wasnt as bad as I thought, but it still made me realize how much Ive grown up. I like trick-or-treating in the suburbs because its a community event, James Parzick(9) said. You see many of your friends while on the search for candy, and the houses are more decorated with jack-o-lanterns and other spooky ornaments, he said. Members of the Union collaborated with the Service

Halloween is such a great holiday because, for one night a year, you get to leave your normal self and dress up as something special whether thats funny, scary or just creative. Its a tradition and I think it needs to be celebrated, no matter how old you are.
Learning-Team last week to give kids at Kingsbridge Heights Community Center a safe alternative to roaming the neighborhood for candy, Union leader Imani Moise (12) said. Using their leftover funds from last year, the club organized activities like cupcake decorating, musical chairs, and scary stories to entertain the kids while they waited to enter KHCCs annual haunted house, Moise said. All of the volunteers had a blast participating in the event, said Service Learning Team member Georgie Bonondona (10). Its really gratifying when you know youre contributing something to the overall community, instead of just going around and collecting candy for yourself. Most students costume choices tend toward something original and creative, as opposed to being

the typical vampire, witch or wizard, said Gupta, who recalled that in Seventh Grade she dyed my hair all different colors and worse fake piercings. It was the perfect costume for a middle school student. Simerka-Smith remembers the near-replica Luna Lovegood getup she wore two years ago, sporting a grey knit sweater and a navy pleated skirt, as well as a Ravenclaw tie from Amazon.com and a wand, which was just a stick I found in my friends backyard. Michael Sklar (9), who opted to buy matching nerd costumes, detailed with thick-rimmed glasses and suspenders, with some of his friends, decided to purchase his costume because it was convenient and easy to get, he said. I just didnt have the time to create something elaborate and homemade. Store-bought costumes are either too bulky, over-the-top or tawdry, and I think you can be more creative and have more fun making one yourself. Its part of what makes Halloween so enjoyable, Lamia Ateshian (10) said. For their last-minute unicorn costume, Giulia Alvarez (10), Ateshian and Meredith Deforest (10) combined shiny tights from American Apparel with horns they fashioned out of beads and pipe cleaners. Rubin Soodak (10) and his friends avoided going door-to-door entirely and enjoyed the bags full of Snickers and Tootsie Rolls they bought at a pharmacy while watching Mean Girls. Others, like Danielle Dunn (12), went downtown to watch the Village Halloween Parade, while some students attended commercial out-of-school parties. Most of the people who go to those parties think just wearing cat ears and lingerie is a costume, but all theyre doing is being inappropriate, Dunn said. Honestly, Id much rather wear a PG-13 costume and hang out with my friends. Halloween is such a great holiday because, for one night a year, you get to leave your normal self and dress up as something special - whether thats funny, scary or just creative, Gupta said. Its a tradition and I think it needs to be celebrated, no matter how old you are.

Seth A rar/Sta ff

Artist

The horace Mann record

Lions Den

Friday, November 4, 2011

Andrew Arnaboldi Staff Writer

Snow Cancels Homecoming Athletic Events

difficult for players to see. The Boys Soccer team was desperate for a win to clinch the Ivy League Title, and it was able to overcome the conditions and grab the victory. The snow made the game pretty crazy, but it by far my most memorable Homecoming game, Owen Elliott (12) said. I could barely see the ball but we will do anything to win. The team took a 2-1 lead over Annunziata said Homecoming was still full of pride. We cant control the weather, but it is within our power to do the best we can with what we have, Kelly said. The frigid weather attracted most fans to watch indoor sports games like volleyball and water polo, which both had record attendance, Kelly said. The raving crowds helped the Lions get psyched up and dominate

Inside the NBA Lockout

Malcolm Thompson Contributing Writer

With record levels of snow Saturday, fans packed into Prettyman Gymnasium cheering for their fellow Lions. Homecoming was limited to indoor events, as the wild weather forced the cancellation of all outdoor contests. Im disappointed that the weather interfered with Homecoming, but I still think it was a historic day and a memory that will stand forever, Athletic Director Robert Annunziata said. The Boys and Girls soccer games were both cancelled by halftime, and the rest of the outdoor sporting events were called off before they even started. The conditions of the fields quickly became slippery for players, which convinced Annunziata and Head of School Tom Kelly to cancel the outdoor games. The minute safety becomes an issue, we stop what we are doing, Kelly said. We always put the safety of our student athletes first. For the two teams who had to play through the snow, the games were chaotic, as players were slipping and the thick snow even made it

Im disappointed that the weather interfered with Homecoming, but I still think it was a historic day and a memory that will stand forever.
Dalton going into halftime, when the game was called off. The Lions stormed the field as players celebrated the teams first title since 2008. The snow was fun for a little bit and an interesting experience, but it got to the point where safety and the quality of play were being compromised, Annunziata said. Despite the cancellation of several sporting events, Kelly and their opponents, as both teams were victorious. It was really crazy to get to play with so many people cheering us on, Volleyball player Billie Kanfer (12) said. It was definitely the most people I have ever seen at a volleyball game. In a very contentious debate between officials, coaches, and the opposing school, Riverdale, the football game was cancelled. Even though football is a very physical

sport that can be played in most weather conditions, the game was partly cancelled because line visibility became a major problem, Kelly said. Once everything was taken under consideration, canceling the football game was the right thing to do. Kelly and Annunziata said that canceling the football game had special circumstances, but the weather was too simply too hectic to continue as the opposing team did not want to travel over and play in the slippery conditions. There was a little more heightened awareness for the football game, but there was no pressure for us to play the game, Annunziata said. The Girls Tennis and Field Hockey matches were postponed, but the teams were able to play their matches on a later date. Its too bad that we didnt get to play on Homecoming, especially for the seniors, Tennis player Danielle Boris (12) said. In hindsight, I think we made the right decisions, but its really unfortunate that a lot of players didnt get to experience Homecoming, Annunziata said.

Water Polo Ends Season with Trinity Win

Robert Hefter Contributing Writer
The Water Polo team faced Trinity on Homecoming for their final game of the season. The Lions narrowly escaped with a 19-16 victory at Trinitys home pool earlier in the season. The Lions knew that the re-match would take place on Homecoming, so they approached practice with intensity and focus all week. During the week, we blasted music during our practices to simulate what it would be like during the game, co-captain Justin Bleuel (11) said. The Lions showed tenacity on both the offensive and defensive ends of the pool. Coming into the game, the Lions were missing starting goalie Daniel Henick (11). Because Henick was out, we pulled Bennett Heller (11) up from JV and put him in to play goalie. He really stepped up and helped us capitalize on a lot of plays, Bleuel said. The team played lock down defense and held Trinity to limited shots. The combination of great goalkeeping, tough defense, and solid offense led to a great Homecoming victory. The game ended in a final score of 17-7. Bleuel said that the communication during the game was outstanding on offense and defense. Head Coach Michael Duffy said the team greatly progressed over the course of the season and definitely had our best game at the end. The victory over Trinity capped off a successful season. The Lions started the season with some uncertainty, Alex Fine (11) passes to an open teammate in the 17-7 win.
Courtesy of Jeff Barg

as the team lost several seniors from last season to graduation. At first, we did not have a good idea of what our team was going to be like this year, Bleuel said. The team contained no freshmen, a few sophomores led by Quentin Montgomery (10), a very deep junior group led by Bleuel, and a few seniors. It was the seniors that took a leadership role in making the season a successful one. Seniors and cocaptains Thomas Kim (12) and Harley Pasternak (12) as well as seniors Ethan Cain (12) and Josh Levine (12) provided important leadership to the team. Not only did they have a great presence in the pool, but they were also the team motivators said Alex fine (11). Duffy said the seniors showed their experience in the pool to lead the team. Their dedication to the team, especially the younger players, was tremendous. The Lions finished this season with a record of 4-7. The team was also able to improve on their skills in the pool. Over the course of the season, the team built up their swimming skills, ball control, and stamina. Duffy said the team worked hard over the season, and I hope that they will continue their hard work over the offseason. Many players will be participating on other athletic teams such as swimming. While on these teams, the water polo players will focus on their swimming skills and strength building. Duffy is prepared for another successful season next year after the teams 4-7 record.

Following the Summer of LeBron, last years NBA season was one of the best Ive witnessed in all my years of watching basketball. But during the offseason the NBA lockout slowly crept to the front of sports headlines across the nation. At first I was not worried, in fact quiet the opposite; I was amused to watch some of the NBAs biggest superstars play in pickup venues and display their amazing talents. No one will ever forget Kevin Durants amazing performance this summer at Rucker Park right here in New York City. I was sure that the millionaire players and the billionaire owners would be able to come up with a way to settle their disagreement. Day after day I would go home and turn on SportsCenter, waiting to see Breaking News: NBA players and owners reach agreement, but now it is November and David Stern has cancelled multiple weeks of the NBA season, the possibility of playing a full NBA season is gone, and the chances of a season get lower. So whats the deal? Well, it is very simple. At the center of the NBA lockout is the same thing that is at the center of most businesses issues: money. Anyone who has paid any attention to the lockout has heard the term BRI, which stands for Basketball Related Income. BRI covers every source of revenue the NBA takes in from parking to ticket sales to broadcasting rights. Essentially the owners of NBA teams think that the players are getting too much in BRI, and claim that they are losing money. According to NBA accountants NBA teams lost a combined 370 million dollars last year. The NBA Players Association, which represents all NBA players, disputes those figures and is happy with the current BRI split. In the last Collective Bargaining Agreement players received approximately 57 percent of total BRI. In current negotiations owners are seeking an even 50-50 split, while players are willing to settle at 52.5%. I hesitate to choose sides in these situations because ultimately as a fan I just want to see games get played but if I had to choose I would side with the players. The NBA is on such an upswing, it is a shame to slow it down now: last year records were set in attendance and television ratings, and merchandise sales were up 20 percent. This combined with the fact that players have already agreed to take a serious cut in their share of total BRI makes me favor them. Regardless of whose side you are on if you are a fan of the NBA as I am you should be feeling frustrated with all parties for not being able to settle this matter in time to get a full season played. Especially after the spectacle that was the 2010-2011 season, it is clear that there is no replacement for the entertainment that is the NBA: whether it is the reality show that is the LeBron and the Miami Heat or the one man show that is Blake Griffin, the NBA never fails to captivate its audience. The fact that a full season isnt going to get played is terrible enough, but the idea of no season being played at all is absolute tragedy. Just when the Knicks started getting good. Sigh.

November 4, 2011

LionsDen
The Horace Mann Record

Volume 109, Issue 8

Lions Advance to Semifinals With OT Win

Andrew Schwartz Staff Writer
This week couldnt have been better scripted for the Boys Soccer Team. After clinching their first Ivy League title since 2008, on an unforgettable snowy homecoming, and then defeating a tough UNIS squad in the NYSAISAA quarterfinals 4-2 in an overtime nail biter, it seemed as if nothing could go wrong for the Lions. Roaring out to a commanding 2-0 lead with goals by Stephen Lipton (12) and Andrew Silberstein (11) before halftime, it seemed as if the Lions had punched their ticket to the NYSAISAA semi-finals. After last years early exit we were all disappointed and wanted to make sure it doesnt happen again, Head Coach Neil Berniker said. After halftime UNIS came out of the huddle reenergized with a newfound sense of confidence that caught the Lions by surprise. They quickly scored a goal at the beginning of the second half, and used the momentum from that goal to pull even eight minutes later, tying the match at two goals a-piece. We came out very flat in second half, and thought that the game was over. Luckily, we regained our composure and were able to hold off UNISs offense for the rest of regulation, said Michael Reiss (11). Once overtime came, we buckled down and secured the game, both The Lions play a tough Collegiate Dutchman team on Clark Field this Friday afternoon for a spot in the NYSAISAA finals. Earlier this season they had defeated Collegiate 3-1 at home, but tied 1-1 in their most recent match-up. Collegiate is an extremely formidable club that have to take extremely seriously. However, if we stay focused, and play the way I know we can were going to be in the finals, Reiss said. One of the keys to the game is containing Dutchman star forward Weller Hlinomaz (11). He is a very good player, and neutralizing him is essential for us to win, Philip Perl (11) said. The Lions also hope to get a huge turnout to the game so they will be able to take full-advantage of their home field. Last time Collegiate came to our house we were able to win 3-1, and I ardently believe that home field advantage gave us the edge, and was our 12th man, Roth said. If we can get a large turnout again, I like our chances. With the momentum from their homecoming win to take the lead and a thrilling win tomorrow, the team will bear down and try to hold an early lead against their tougher competition. We need to use the momentum we gained from todays game tomorrow against Collegiate and try to stay focused for the full 80 minutes without any mental lapses, Perl said.

Andrew Silberstein (11) beats a UNIS player to the ball in the 4-2 overtime victory. destroying their momentum, and lifting our spirits. However, the Lions bounced back and maintained their composure when it counted. With less than 10 minutes left in overtime striker Bernie Rawlins (11) was set up on a header by a perfect chip pass from captain Toby Lee (12) and was able to connect, giving the Lions a 3-2 lead. It felt surreal, to pick up the team in such an important game, and help get the job done, Rawlins said. His goal revitalized the Lions, and Owen Elliot sealed the victory with a solo goal. The teams cohesiveness was seen as a factor in the win. We kept our composure even after squandering our lead, Reiss said.

Victoria McKaba/Staff Photographer

We played our game and didnt freak out. Players also echoed their teammates sentiments. We kept our cool because we have been in these situations before during the season. This experience definitely gave us confidence to beat a feisty UNIS team, Jeremy Roth (10) said. Onto the Semis.

Eagles Claw Lions in Second Round Game

Sarah Heintz Staff Writer
Girls Volleyball ended its season in a one set to two loss to Fieldston yesterday in the semifinal game of the NYSAISAA tournament. It was the teams third loss to the Eagles this season. We were leading in all three sets at one point. We started off strong, and then we made couple mistakes. Fieldston was good enough to capitalize on those mistakes, Head Coach Jason Torres said. Torres said that he gave credit to the Eagles for taking advantage of the lions greatest weakness, receiving strong serves. We changed up our defense in anticipation of Fieldstons powerful hitters, Rachel Lander (11) said. Instead of having a single block, we had double and even triple blocking in some plays, to prevent the Eagles from utilizing open space on our side of the net, she said. For the most part we were able to execute our plays well but we had a tough time receiving strong serves; Fieldston knew it, and capitalized on their opportunities, Torres said. The Lions had been on a four game winning streak in their games against Holy Child, Riverdale, Dalton, and then Brooklyn Friends in the first game of the tournament on Wednesday The stands were packed with student athletes, parents, friends, and other fans; in the quarterfinal in the Prettyman gym. Playing a sport with tons of people watching is always awesome, as it really raises the energy level in the gym, Roya Moussapour (11) said. Our game against the Panthers was a really good demonstration of how we play when were all 100 percent there mentally, Olivia Chigas (12) said. We minimized our mistakes and yesterday we were totally on with our hitting, Moussapour said. Chigas said that the girls played with all of our skill, and acted like a cohesive unit. Unfortunately for the lions, that style of play wasnt carried over into the semifinals the following day. The girls hammered Dalton, 3-0, at Homecoming this past Saturday. We were really pumped up for the game, not only because it was homecoming and we wanted to play well for the seniors, our coach, and each other, but we had a huge crowd, which always gets our adrenaline going, Olivia Rodriguez (11) said. The match included an exciting comeback in the 3rd set to seal out the win. Rachel Lander (11), a crucial player by the net, said, Some of the highlights included Ashley Reids (12) and Amanda Applesons (12) hitting. They made some outstanding plays throughout the game for us. Chigas and Rodriguez agree the season was a difficult one, because it was really about learning new positions to fill in for last years seniors, understanding how to play together as a new team, and raising personal and team performances to the next level. Reflecting back on the 2011 season, Coach Torres said, I think its been a fantastic season. According to the New York Posts rankings, we are still one of the top teams in the city.

Lauren Cantor (11) spikes the ball in the Brooklyn Friends match. The Lions prevailed in their first playoff game but fell to Fieldston yesterday.

Laurence Ge/Photography Editor