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HORACE MANN SCHOOL | WEEKLY SINCE 1913

September 16, 2011 Volume 109, Issue 2

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The Governing Council as it formerly existed for the past 41 years will be transitioning into a new phase as a student organization, most likely to be called the Community Council, which will function as a discussion based forum, according to administrators.

The most visible changes are the inclusion of student club leaders as members, the addition of five faculty advisors, the removal of parliamentary procedure, the cessation of voting procedures, and the elimination of two alternate representatives, Dean of Student Life Susan Delanty said. “This is not a governing body of any kind,” she said, “it is a community body.”

In a poll completed by The Record, all four grades preferred a forum to the previous council; upperclassmen demonstrated a reluctance to partake in any form of the body while lower classmen, on average, were more willing to participate.

“It shouldn’t be called the Governing Council; it doesn’t govern anything,” Head of Upper Division Dr. Schiller said. Though it is not entirely clear at the present moment, the new name for what was formerly known as the “Governing Council” will most likely be “Community Council.”

“Reform is overdue” Schiller said. “That’s the news and I think it is really good news.” Last year’s session of Governing Council has been criticized for its lack of efficiency; “We were living in unproductive anger all of last year,” Delanty said.

“The system we’ve had in the past was while not unmitigated failure, nonetheless a failure” Representative Nathan Raab (11) said. “As the situation now stands, the administration with good reason, cannot look at a ‘legislative GC’ with a straight face.” There was a problem with “how the institution conducted itself ” Schiller said.

Schiller said earlier problems did not involve “just one or two kids in one or two years.” He added, “I’m not

trying to assess blame. I don’t think it was the kids’ fault. I think it was our fault; it was the adults’ fault; it was my fault.” The shortcomings of previous years’ sessions were a result of “a long history of letting this alone” and allowing the organization “to evolve into what it evolved into” he said.

The “Community Council” will not be a voting body, nor will it have bills, Delanty said. It will be discussion based. “We’re not doing Robert’s Rules of Order, we’ll have rules of order.” Delanty said. There will be five faculty advisors to the new body, who will serve as in an “educational and supervisory capacity” Schiller said.

Faculty role in the GC “was murky to begin with,” SBVP Antonio Irizarry said. “I think their opinions should be valued. If that means in an advisory way, then that’s the way to go. It’ll keep students and teachers separate, which would be better than what it was last year, because that

Asher Baumrin Staff Writer

UD Opens Tutoring Center

Free tutoring in most subjects is now available during the school day in a new Upper Division Tutoring Office led by Lionel Garrison and Dr. Cornelie Ladd.

Garrison will focus on math and science assistance, and Ladd will concentrate on the foreign languages Latin, French, and the humanities, focusing on history papers, writing, and grammar, she said.

The program is not meant to replace the extra help that teachers give, but rather to provide help for students who have few frees and aren’t able to meet with their teachers when they find it necessary, Garrison said.

“It’s for all students, not just struggling ones,” Ladd said. “It’s for any students who feel they are not fulfilling their potential,” Garrison said. The two teachers emphasized that students shouldn’t be embarrassed or reluctant to come ask for help, and shouldn’t wait until they have run into academic difficulties.

For Garrison, who has been teaching math at Horace Mann for 23 years, and given up the classroom to run the program, “it’s a big change,” he said. “I’m looking forward to

having a broader field of activity.” Ladd will still be teaching courses in Ancient Greek and German. Some other teachers have volunteered to assist in the tutoring office, including Gregory Donadio for economics and Susan Delanty, Lisa Rosenblum, and Eric Eilen for the sciences.

Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly and Upper School Dean Dr. David Schiller have devoted serious resources to the program, Garrison said, with two full time teachers, a large classroom, and textbooks of all courses. “It’s been done the right way,” he said.

In its first year, the tutoring program may experience some changes depending on the needs of the student body. “Our real job is to serve the need as we perceive it,” Garrison said.

Every period throughout the day will be divided into two twenty-minute slots to maximize the number of opportunities for students to receive assistance. Garrison and Ladd mentioned staying until the late bus, or even weekends, if necessary, and also holding tutorials on certain subjects that would be open to all students. “It’s going to be dynamic and responsive to needs of student body and faculty,” Ladd said.

Molly WhartonStaff Writer

GC to Become Community CouncilOxelson Starts with Seniors

Kicking off the 2011-12 admissions season, the new Director of College Counseling, Cahn Oxelson, began to walk parents of seniors through the process Thursday night. “Parents always worry and we want to reassure them that we, the college counselors, will do all we can to assist their sons and daughters in the admission process,” Oxelson said.

“My main goal is to convey is that everything is going to be okay,” Oxelson said. “The students here are extremely prepared by the faculty for the college application process, and everything turns out well when all is said and done.”

Beyond the regularly scheduled college meetings of any senior’s year, Oxelson told The Record he plans to expand his presence on campus and bring programs that he used from his old school .

“I’ll be visiting classes, performances, games, and activities at the Upper, Middle, and Lower Divisions,” Oxelson said. “And if the Nursery kids will have me, I’d love to see what they’re up to as well,” he said.

Juniors will find out how it feels to wade through thousands of applications, in an event planned for this spring, Oxelson said. The

simulation “allows students to become the admissions officers and decide whether to accept, reject, or waitlist certain applicants by simply looking at the portfolios,” he said. “As for the sophomores, we may include them in the college process as well. Although it is too early for them to stress over colleges,” he said the office may discuss the complexities of standardized testing with them.

As he becomes more familiar with the office, Oxelson says he will be evaluating how the time and resources of students and college counselors are spent. One of the immediate modifications will be in the use of electronic communication. “Students and college counselors have already been submitting materials electronically, but teachers will begin to do the same with their letters of recommendation.”

While his job is still relatively new, Oxelson said that he has known Horace Mann students for years. “I used to work in admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, and I’ve been reading great Horace Mann applications for some time. Horace Mann is truly an amazing place, which is partly why I’m so excited to be here.”

Tom Eng Staff Writer

Additional reporting by Sarah Heintz.

50.8%

41.6%

7.5%

how involved would you be in the new community council, from 0 to 10?

0-not involved 5-moderately involved 10-very involved

average hypotheticalinvolvement

by grade

0 1

2 3

4 5

6 7

8 9

10

9 10 11 12grade

would you rather have...

our regular GC

a new student forum

nothing at all

120 students polled

3.36

012345678910

3.53.675.86

Infographics by Baci Weiler/Production Manager

continued on Page 3

Lionel Garrison sits in the new Tutoring Office, which opened this week to provide academic support to students. Rachel Essner/Photography Editor

2

Editor in ChiefSarah Pyun

Managing EditorChristine Kim

Production ManagerBaci Weiler

NewsJenna Spitzer

Elizabeth Weingold

Lions DenMatthew CottThomas Kim

FeaturesAmbika Acharya

Opinions & EditorialsCourtney Hodrick

Arts & EntertainmentHillary Winnick

Middle Division Olivia El-Sadr Davis

MultimediaAramael Peña-

Alcántara

Photography EditorsRachel Essner, Laurence Ge, Justin Gilston

Faculty AdvisorDr. Glenn Wallach

Senior EditorEden Sung

Senior PhotographerKimberley Sarnoff

The horace Mann recordFriday, September 16, 2011

Editorial Board

The Horace Mann RecordVolume 109

For a complete listing of our staff, please visit:record.horacemann.org/masthead

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, Hor-ace 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 regard-ing libel, anonymity, length, and clarity are subject to editorial discretion. All submis-sions must contain the writer’s 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.

2 Opinions & Editorials

Imagine a world with no homework. It would be a world in which one could come home to hours of indulgent television watching, leisure reading, and hanging out with friends. Maybe one could even get a reasonable amount of sleep.

Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that students are shackled to their desks for a time frame ranging from an hour to three hours or more of homework every night. Admittedly, though, homework is a great way for teachers to assess each student’s progress in the course and his or her understanding of the material, and it also provides the student with something from which to study for tests, quizzes and even finals.

It seems unfair, though, that even within the first two weeks of school, students are bogged down with work. Many students are already dozing off, snoozing, sleeping in D Period because they were up so late doing work. In some of my classes this year, I have a reading assignment and questions to answer each night, though they are not collected. I find this system to be a happy medium, with all the benefits

of homework and few drawbacks. However, when teachers assign you to read a passage and then to answer questions that will be graded, there is more pressure to complete the assignment on time and efficiently.

I have three propositions to improve the role of homework in the HM life. I believe that teachers should ease their students into the school year; that homework should be optional, and that homework, rather than being assigned for the next day, should be assigned over the course of a week with students being able to pace themselves and to get ahead over the weekend rather than getting bogged down on the one day of a late game or recital.

Since day one, I have had homework assigned in every single one of my classes. This might not seem horrible in the middle of the year, but seeing as many of us (except for those of us who did summer school) are still in “vacation mode,” it is a harsh adjustment. While many classes have a lot of work to cover for the introductory unit of the year, it does not seem fair to pile all of the material on people who were beach bums only a month or so earlier.

I realize that in some classes, one must read to participate in class discussions. However, this leads us to the question of free will. Should students be allowed to opt of doing homework, knowing that it means a lower participation grade one day? Students can always take notes in class, catching up on what they missed from a reading assignment.

However, we do not have all night to do homework, because most kids crave sleep. A student who is well rested will participate better in class and might even do better than one who stayed up late to finish an assignment but did not get a lot out of it because of fatigue. Nevertheless, I do not believe that students should be encouraged to skip homework because if they do not do it, they might not be ready for the next assessment. In my math class, there is homework every day, but major homework assignments are due about a week later, which means that I can use the weekend and frees throughout the week to complete the mini-project. This excellent system brings me to my final point.

If teachers were not allowed to assign homework due the very next day, or given “homework days” similar to testing days, students would be able to balance out their work schedules. A student could decide which night to do math and which night to do history while acquiring a good amount of sleep and potentially a social life. I am not saying that homework is evil and that we must eradicate it; but, for the student’s sake, homework deadlines should be more flexible and there must be more time to complete it. By allowing students to have more time to complete an assignment or having it be optional, students could also become more active in other aspects in the Horace Mann community. With more time on their hands, students could join sports teams, clubs, publications, and of course, The Record.

Change this Board Believes InFrom this week on, the Governing Council will no longer exist in

the form we have known. In its place will be the Community Council, comprised of the same student representatives, but with a new outlook and revised methods. This seismic shift in the purpose and scope of student leadership provides our student body the opportunity to consider deeply the role we wish to play in shaping our school’s future, and to define a Community Council that works with us and for us.

The removal of the word “Governing” must signal a transformation from a body that attempted to pass legislation into a group that can be the voice of every student. Now is the time to put aside each representative’s personal agenda, and to usher in a new era of respect for and cooperation with the administration. At the same time, though, the students who had settled for sitting on the sidelines and criticizing the GC must now have the creativity to envision a Community Council that can be what they want it to be, and the bravery to speak their minds to make it so.

We believe that the Community Council should work as a forum where students and teachers alike can share in a dialogue within the school. It should be a place where small changes can be suggested, without getting bogged down in multiple rounds of presentation and debate, and where we can work together to find solutions. The stereotype of the legalistic and argumentative GC representative can be shed, as students from all activities and all corners of Tillinghast find common ground.

Our school has been portrayed in many ways, by parties both inside and outside; epithets like “cutthroat,” “pressure cooker,” and “hyper-competitive” have been too accurate for too long. The new Community Council can be a step towards a Horace Mann that is more unified and, ironically, towards a student voice that is more productively served than by the GC’s formalities. A few deep breaths, and a more relaxed approach to change, are the perfect starting points.

A meeting will be held this Monday, September 19th, I period in the Recital Hall to discuss the Community Council. We urge you as members of the community to attend the meeting and make your voice heard as we begin to shape the school’s future.

Sam Henick

CorrectionsIn Issue 1, Elisabeth Stam’s name was misspelled in our printing of Dr. Schiller’s welcoming words.

To the Editor:It was September of 1961 -- Horace Mann’s 75th

Anniversary year -- when I first trudged up The Hill from The Subway. The name of that fall’s hurricane was Esther, not Irene. The Class of ‘67 learned on our first, fiercely-stormy day that school was almost never cancelled.

I was 11 years old, entering seventh grade (First Form) with 65 other “Firstie” boys. HM started in the 7th grade then; the Lower Division campus was still the Barnard School for Boys. The only women on HM’s campus were the secretaries, cafeteria workers, the school nurse, and the “Social Director.” It was Mrs. Miller’s last year in that unique job, teaching proper etiquette to the youngest students and arranging dances for the oldest. The Mannikin noted her retirement after 12 years helping to, “turn out a countless number of true gentlemen…often in the face of stiff opposition from recalcitrant first and second formers.”

We looked like little, briefcase-toting businessmen commuting to work on the subway in our suits and ties. Somehow we were not gullible enough to buy useless “elevator passes” from 8th graders. We were impressed by

the imposing stone walls of Tillinghast Hall and marveled at the brand-new theater and cafeteria building that had just been completed at the amazing cost of $1 million. That former Gross Hall building was razed to make room for the present theater and library. Ironically, even back in the 60’s, the current gym looked really old.

HM is vastly different today: more school bus and fewer subway riders; more snow days; a larger, more diverse student body from nursery through 12th grade; a significantly-enhanced physical plant. One still hears that HM is incredibly competitive and stressful; but I sense that it is actually a kinder, gentler school than it was in the 60’s --- just ask anyone who had to endure weeks of naked swimming each winter gym season. Naked really was the “dress code” for swimming at HM back then.

What is not different is the excellence of the faculty, staff and students. That incredible mix of smart, creative adults and kids continues to prepare present and future generations of HM alums to lead meaningful and rewarding lives.

~Bob Owens, HM ’67, P’18, P’21.

Letter to the Editor

Henick Gives Homework a Failing GradeOp-Photo by Photography Editor Rachel Essner

“Order in an Empty Room”

continued from Page 1

The horace Mann record Friday, September 16, 2011 3News

Faculty members from the English, Foreign Language, History, Mathematics, and Science department are in the midst of reassessing the types of courses made available to students, the relevancy of topics addressed in these courses, the skills that are highlighted and practiced daily, and the ways in which information is conveyed and discussions are cultivated in the classroom, according to the chairs of the core departments.

This year, the department Chairs and their colleagues are working to share the insight gained from their visits from different schools acorss the country from the first stage of the Upper Division curricular reevaulation.

For Chair of the Mathematics Department Chris Jones, who surveyed classes at Saint Ann’s School last year, the visits provided the opportunity to assess whether courses of higher-levels, unique subject matter, and other specialized features would be beneficial to and enjoyable for HM’s students, he said. Saint Ann’s has “a very robust set of elective courses, which really allowed me to believe in pursuing courses outside of the standard math curriculum,” Jones said. With the success of the brand new Senior Math Electives course, “it’s possible that these types of courses can become a part of our department’s future,” he said.

“As a rule, we think it’s important to be self-reflective,” Jones said. “While certain topics must always be presented in the syllabus, the Department should be able to adjust with technology, to present the material in relevant ways, to consider new ideas, and to take a fresh look at the curriculum,” and, by adding innovative classes like Senior Math Electives, some of these goals have been realized this year, he said.

After reviewing the curriculum, the Science Department is considering adding to its core offerings to enhance students’ experiences and “to encourage students to be courageous and have more freedom to experiment and take risks,” Hatch said. An organic chemistry elective would allow students to “experience a variety of intellectually gripping topics,” which are not often discussed in the standard chemistry class, he said.

The History Department also has added four new courses to its curriculum this year including History Through the Lens, History of India, East Asian History, and History Seminar. “We have been trying to respond to student interest in different areas of the world,” which we have not covered in great depth before, Chair of the History Department Elisa Milkes said. “For example, students have been interested in conducting independent research, and the History Seminar course responds to that need.”

During its curriculum assessments, the Foreign Langauge Department is exploring the types of overseas immersion programs, which could be developed for students studying myriad languages, Chair of the Foreign Language Department Susan Carnochan said. These programs may include exchange trips, homestays, and tours of ancient ruins in Spain.

Fluctuating student interest and feasability of language courses that meet every other day has brought potential changes to some course offerings. The department is “phasing out some languages,” including Russian and German, Carnochan said. “If we look at the economic reality and equity of things, we need to be able to sustain sufficient numbers of students in the classroom.” There are continuing discussions regarding Latin and Italian being offered as half-credit courses, she added.

Although these three-year evaluations taking place on a division-wide scale do not occur every

school year, the English Department has been evaluating its courses’ strengths and weaknesses frequently, Casdin said. The “dynamic” nature of the Department’s elective system allows for frequent changes in the available classes, he said.

This year, for example, English teacher Brian Collins is offering in the first trimester a brand new course focusing on the Booker Prize, a British literary award for fiction. “Dr. Collins’ course is as in-the-moment as it gets,” Casdin said. “Students will be reading and discussing the nominated works at the same time the Prize’s judging committee chooses the winning selection” in October.

The department “came to a consensus that we should not be looking to change the curriculum on an individual grade level,” and faculty plan to evaluate “the scope of a student’s four-year English program in the high school,” Casdin said.

English faculty will hear “a variety of experts in global literature,” who will “talk to us as a department about their approach and theories to teaching,” Casdin said. “These conversations will ultimately form the basis for a more thorough reevaluation of the English courses at HM.”

This Wednesday, the first of these guests, “ d i s t i n g u i s h e d ” Humanities professor at Columbia U n i v e r s i t y Jean Howard spoke to the department about her

experiences and what makes for positive, thought-provoking conversation in the classroom, Casdin said.

“We’ve started to ask ourselves important questions,” and outside specialists are helping us “to strengthen our discussions,” Casdin said. “How are we engaging with literature in the broadest sense? What are we asking students to read? Does our curriculum put the students in contact with a wide variety of voices?”

All chairs emphasized their objectives to expose students to a broad range of topics, to maintain a lively classroom atmosphere full of thought-provoking discussion, and to ensure students are confident in their learning experiences.

“Every healthy organization is always engaged in a process of reflection,” and the changes the departments make will strive to “underscore and reaffirm the distinct identity of Horace Mann,” Casdin said. “In essence, we are making sure that our curricula are supporting this identity—the academic intensity and

integrity and the dedication to intellectual adventures,” which,

regardless of the specific new courses added to

the curriculum, “will never change.”

Curriculum Review Promotes ExplorationMelissa RodmanStaff Writer

Students from more than twenty schools in the New York City area will hear from individuals who have transformed society through social entrepreneurship, “the use of business ventures for charitable enterprises,” at a conference at school next Saturday, conference organizer James Ruben (12) said.

The school’s first annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference, which all HM students are invited to, will introduce the success of philanthropic effects in communities through the experiences of the speakers, which include Doug Band, founder of the Clinton Global Initiative, Ruben said.

Over the past several months, Ruben has made contact with the headmasters from 22 public and private schools across the city in preparation for the event, each who agreed to send approximately 15 students from their respective schools to the conference. “This will

be the first of its kind in the New York metropolitan area,” Ruben said. “We put such an emphasis on academics and community service here at HM, I thought it best to try combining the two ideas into a feasible project, where everyone could learn something new.”

Dr. Tischler and Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly supported Ruben in his efforts. “My role was that of an advisor,” Dr. Kelly said, “but I’m fully in support of what James is doing. We’re privileged to teach well-oiled minds, and James is an example of how students can inspire themselves to follow their ideas.”

Kelly has high hopes for the conference, as it has the opportunity to inspire students to learn more about social entrepreneurship, “and maybe seek it as a career path themselves,” he said. For Ruben, the foal of the project isn’t just to teach and motivate students, but “also be an enjoyable experience to whomever attends. Yeah, sleeping in on a Saturday morning is nice, but I know I’ll be glad to have spent my day there,” he said.

HM to Host Social Entrepeneurship Conference

Comparing the limitations of traditional mediums like TV or newspapers with the ideological freedom and diversity offered by the Internet, Alex Posner (11) emerged victorious at the tenth annual William K. and Marion Langfan Constitutional Oratorical Competition.

Along with fellow finalists and juniors Susannah Cohen, Daniel Elkind, Jacob Gladysz-Morawski, and Lizzy Rosenblatt, Posner spoke about freedom of the press throughout American history, from early libel defendant John Peter Zenger to the recent WikiLeaks controversy, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development Dr. Barbara Tischler, who coordinates the competition, said.

Posner decided to approach the topic through a “contemporary lens” because he believes “the creation of the Internet has been the biggest fundamental change to freedom of the press in our history.” Compared to the radio or television, “it’s a completely different ballgame,” he said.

Posner was selected as the winner on Sunday by a judging panel comprised of last year’s finalists, seniors Katie Birenboim, Emily Feldstein, Harry Manin, Andre Manuel and Eden Sung, along with History teacher Pasquale DeVito.

The finalists this year took a particularly wide variety of approaches to answer this year’s main prompt, “how free is a free press?” attendees noted.

“The opinions ranged from a critique of corporate control of the news” to a call “for more regulation” in the media, Tischler said.

Established ten years ago by siblings Mark ’78, P’14 and Dayna ’79, P’11 Langfan, the competition combines the

Constitution with oratory, two topics treasured by their mother and father, in honor of whom the event is held.

Each spring, participating sophomores must give a speech on a predetermined topic for members of the History Department, who select five of the orators to move on to the final round, typically held in late April.

This year, however, the competition was postponed to the tenth anniversary of September 11th, which in turn

added a special meaning to the event, attendees said.

“Langfan is one of the most patriotic things we do at Horace Mann, in that we honor what a great country we are and we cultivate interest in exploring the intricacies of our Constitution,” Birenboim said. “Especially after 9/11, when freedom of the press became such an important and current issue, it was very appropriate” to hold the contest on this anniversary.

Amy Hood/Staff Artist

Alex FineStaff Writer

Langfan Focuses on Definition of Personal LibertyTeo Armus-LaskiStaff Writer

became a grey area.”Last year’s elected representatives now in grades 10 through 12 will

remain members of the organization, Delanty said. “When ninth grade has elections, one of the co-presidents will be on GC and three others will be elected” she said. In addition to these members, there will be club leaders involved. “I would like for there to be a member of ten of the larger clubs” Delanty said. “Those people are representing a large number of people.” There will no longer be two alternate representatives from each grade.

Schiller compiled a document of his thoughts student governance based on student and faculty discussions he had throughout last year, he said.

An “informational meeting” for the Community Council is planned this Monday I period in the Recital Hall.

Community Councilcontinued from Page 1

Langfan Finalists were acknowledged for their discussion on free speech.Courtesy of Ruth Seligman

The horace Mann recordFriday, September 16, 20114 Arts & Entertainment

Using technology to connect people throughout the world is at the heart of former arts teacher Nicky Enright’s new art project that opened last Friday.

Enright created an international calling card, the “Glocal Card,” that allows users to talk to anyone in the world for free through Skype for five minutes in exchange for filling out a five-question survey online, Enright said.

Enright’s project is part of the Bronx River Art Center’s exhibition, Shifting Communities, Enright said. The exhibition “highlights dynamic initiatives in culture and the arts currently at work in the margins of the art world and American society,” according to the BRAC website.

To construct his phone card, Enright created a Skype account, made subscriptions to various countries, and left his account public for anyone to use, he said. The users then are asked to fill out a survey that gives Enright information on which areas are being called most

frequently. The data is then to be set up as a pie chart to accompany the piece, he said.

Enright said he came up with the Glocal Card this summer after having visitors stay with him in New York. “They had issues communicating back home and had to buy phone cards that would run out,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about phone cards all summer, and when I was invited to do this show, I immediately knew I wanted to tackle this idea of the international phone card.”

Glocal Card is a symbol of “international interconnectedness of people in the Bronx,” Enright said. He added that he hopes his art will make people “more aware of just how international we are and all the connections around us.”

The piece also demonstrates a more contradictory message. “When you use this, you can call any telephone like it’s no big deal, but there are time differences and costs involved. Generally it’s not as easy as it sounds,” Enright said. “I want people to think about how we know about globalization. It’s easy to

communicate internationally but it’s also complicated, problematic, and potentially expensive.”

Enright painted the Glocal Card logo on a wall at the BRAC, and while Glocal Card can be accessed from anywhere, he set up a table in front with a computer, a headset, and Skype access for those who don’t have their own resources to participate in the project elsewhere, he said.

Enright, who has been teaching at Riverdale Country School for the past year, will be extending his exploration of globalization in his next piece called the Globo Dollar, an international “currency,” that will be exhibited at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. later this year.

“A Bronx immigrant might think he or she is dealing with this problem of their own because they’re trying to communicate with a family back home, but it’s a difficult story anyone has had,” Enright said. “Most people in their recent or not-so-recent past have had international struggles so it’s about being aware of that and communicating it.”

“Exploratory in nature, and trying to get back into creative shape,” the Fisher Hall exhibit “Beginnings,” opens today, Drawing and Painting teacher Kim Do said. This student exhibition of raw, uncompleted projects still in the first stages of work is a new approach to viewing works of art.

“The title, ‘Beginnings,’ refers to the first one or two works of the year,” Do said. It is something to get the students excited; “something to get their feet wet. It is a tactic to bring in new students and help them fit into the studio.”

In just the first week of school, students are not expected to have completed and polished any one piece, said Ceramics, Sculpture and Drawing and Painting teacher Prawat Laucheroen, whose four ceramics classes, one sculpture class, and one Drawing & Painting class are all going to have works featured in the exhibit. “People are supposed to look at these works and think, ‘Oh, so that’s how things start.’”

Not only have the students not had the chance to fully finish their pieces, but they also have not had the option of picking and choosing between many works to find their “best” one, Laucharoen said. It is the absence of this choice that makes the art so raw, he added.

“Some of the art might be seen as ‘unfinished’,” Do said, “but they may also be quite balanced and intriguing as initial forays into a student’s perception.”

“Students might be shy and worry about their works being incomplete,” Laucharoen said, but it is important to stress the idea that creating a piece of art is an ongoing process. This exhibit will take the viewer inside the studio, and get rid of all “expectations” of what art is “supposed” to be, he said.

“One wouldn’t definitively judge a team by its pre-season, and so should it be with these works,” Do said. He said that the featured works are to be viewed as a “warm-up” to begin the year. “We are excited about the possibilities of the new year, and hope that some of that spirit comes through in this show.”

A visual arts website that Ceramics teacher Keith Renner created five years ago has become a multi-purpose source for showing exhibitions of students artwork, defining ceramic terms, and displaying pictures of students at work, he said recently.

The website sends out electronic postcards inviting people to see each virtual exhibition that chosen students create themselves, using their own artwork.

Google’s monitoring of the site allows Renner to view the number of hits the website gets and who exactly is going on. “The website does not just get hits internally from HM but lots of different places around the world,” Renner said. For example, if someone is

doing a ceramics paper in Canada and goes online to find out what the ceramics term “wedging” means, the website might come up as one of the results. (Wedging is the process of pounding and kneading clay to remove air bubbles, increase density, and equalize moisture).

Frequent viewers of the website might notice that the picture on the home page changes each time a viewer logs on. Renner takes photographs both of the works of art and of the students working in the studio displayed on the website.

On the sidebar of the website, there is a link that features the work of students, who Renner said go above and beyond expectations. Some students have had a virtual exhibition of their own.

The website can be viewed at www.hmvisualarts.org/ud/hmceramics.

From singing in Gross Theatre, acting in the Black Box, and dancing in the dance studio, members of the Performing Arts Department say they are ready to bring yet another fantastic season to the HM community.

The department will be kicking off the season with “Life is a Dream,” a play by seventeenth-century Spanish playwright Pedro Calderon de la Barca. Theatre Department Chair Woody Howard said that this classic is very different from last year’s production of “The Grapes of Wrath” because of the great time gap between the two; in fact, “The Grapes of Wrath” was written nearly four hundred years later than “Life is a Dream.” The play is expected to bring something “unique to the stage,” because of Calderon’s reputation for writing complex and philosophical plays, Howard said.

Students will provide an array of productions in the winter—as choreographers and performers in the dance concert in January and as writers, actors, and directors in one-act plays the following month.

Spring will welcome “Guys and Dolls,” the musical that brings Damon Runyon’s short stories

about Broadway gamblers, gangsters, and showgirls to life. Because of the large cast the musical requires, Howard said that he encourages the entire Upper Division to audition. “Although it may be tough and a little nerve-racking, especially as a newcomer, the shows are always a blast and extremely worthwhile,” he said. “Even as a member of the audience, the performances are so much fun to watch because of the effort and time you know that the students put into them.”

Because there is no running theme in the productions this year, department members said they wanted to surprise and please audiences and performers with each show.

Art Teacher Encourages Global ConnectionsNicky Enright paints logo of his ‘Glocal Card,’ an international calling card, part of his project at Bronx River Art Center.

Chloe TsangStaff Writer

New ‘Beginnings’ for ExhibitWendy ZhangStaff Writer

Courtesy of Nicky Enright

Click into Art: HM’s Visual Arts Website Catherine LeeStaff Writer

John Arvanitis (12) commences work on his first ceramics project of the year. Rachel Essner/Photography Editor

Grant AckermanContributing Writer

Theater Department Backstage Warmup

TheVisual Arts website offers an international forum for students and faculty work.Courtesy of www.hmvisualarts.org/ud/hmceramics.

Theater Dept. excited for this season’s shows.Justin Gilston/Photography Editor

The horace Mann record Friday, September 16, 2011 5Features

Spotlight: Clubs and Publications Amnesty International provides a forum for open

discussion about human rights, and is a chapter of the national organization. The club’s goal is to raise awareness of human rights abuse through different projects, such as distributing a newsletter or hosting meetings to discuss and learn about human rights, co-head Rebecca Segall(12) said. It also aims to take action on human rights abuse, holding letter-writing campaigns when members wish to protest a certain issue, Segall said.

Co-head Emily Feldstein’s(12) main goal this year is to “increase membership and let students know that anyone who cares about human rights should come,” she said.

This year is Amnesty International’s 50th anniversary as an organization and to celebrate this milestone, members

are organizing a Human Rights day, where students will participate in letter signing campaigns and other activities, Feldstein said.

The club will release a global ethics book series and invite authors to come and speak for the students.

Feldstein hopes that students are aware that human rights are a basic part of people’s lives and that “we are so lucky to have ours protected,” Feldstein said. “There are people who live without food, water, safety, and freedom—all basic human rights—and we try to help HM be aware of those injustices and find ways to take action,” Segall said.

“We are so knowledgeable and we can use this knowledge to make a difference,” Feldstein said. “Knowledge is power,” she said.

Editors of Edible hope to share new and exciting recipes, to organize bake-sales and cook-offs, and to expose great places to grab a bite in the city, co-Editor-in-Chief Rachel Buissereth(11) said.

“Food touches us all. Food is like sleeping and breathing, but food is both necessary for survival and an esthetic pleasure,” faculty advisor Dr. Adam Casdin said.

Edible, a second year publication, focuses on all aspects of food to give the community a better understanding of exotic foods, where to eat and how to prepare dishes themselves,” co-Editor-in-Chief Noah Margulis (11) said.

Hoping to expand out of the magazine setting, “This year we are planning on growing and, along with the three food-filled issues, maybe organize a school fund-raiser

cooking event and a delicious bake sale,” Buissereth said. The publication also hopes to explore food from various

cultures from around the world, Buissereth said. “Eating is as social an activity as doing other things and we want our staff to get to visit restaurants with friends and write about their experiences.”

Edible is a publication founded by people who love food and is dedicated to sharing and opening the school up to the amazing world of food, Buissereth said. “I hope Edible adds a sort of HomeEc feeling that Horace Mann lacks.”

“This magazine is open to all people and all writers, even if they don’t want to be on the staff we want input from the community,” Casdin said.

The Podium is the new debate and discussion publication where students can discuss their ideas and get feedback on their opinions from the community, co-Editor-in-Chief Colin Mark (11) said.

No matter what their stances are on a topic, all students can write about issues they feel strongly about and get their work published. “The Podium is in a sense a default place for students to express their opinions and state the problem in an official essay,” Mark said.

“We cover more risky topics. Most HM publications will not discuss controversial issues, such as the debate on pornography,” co-Editor-in-Chief Nick McCombe(11) said.

Working over the summer, editors released its first issue earlier this week and launched two websites, an archive

of articles and “an interactive debate forum online that is monitored by The Podium staff; anyone at HM can post in it or suggest a topic to be debated in a casual setting,” Mark said.

“Many things are happening in our society and The Podium will bring awareness to them without getting carried away in emotion,” faculty advisor Richard Somma said.

Editors said they faced the issue of having to prove that it wasn’t similar to other publications. “The Podium is a discussion magazine that wishes to discuss controversial issues, while The Review is a political magazine; there’s a distinct difference that we had to prove when signing up to be a publication,” Mark said.

Founded in 1969 during the civil rights movement as a group for minorities, The Union is “provides a safe space for student to discuss controversial issues that deal with social justice and diversity,” President Imani Moise(12) said. This year the club hopes to extend to the greater community and find out what issues are most important to students, Moise said.

“The Union has always been a support group for minorities where students can speak their minds about social issues and we want to let the community know we’re open to everyone,” member Sarah Santana (12) said.

Last year, the club hosted an off-campus conference “where they explored topics like gender roles in the media and stereotypes through student run workshops,”

Moise said. The club also sent members to the Diversity Awareness Initiative for Students conference where they got to discuss issues of diversity with students from other schools in the city. The club hopes to continue these initiatives and this year along with holding more I period discussions, Moise said.

“The club is very community oriented so any member can propose a topic for discussion and run a meeting,” Moise said.

Santana said she likes being a member of the club because of “the familial aspect. We are friends inside and outside of the club and make sure everyone feels included,” she said. The Union aims to help students who feel really passionately about social justice and diversity, Moise said.

Eager to start a new year and reach new heights of science knowledge, student leaders of Fusion, have already started preparing for the year ahead, President of Fusion Ambika Acharya(12) said. Fusion encompasses three divisions, Science Olympiad, TEAMS, and Physics Olympiad, each focusing on different aspects of science.

Faculty advisor Dr. Jane Weseley hoped that creating these clubs would not only help integrate the various sciences, but also “introduce students to new topics in science beyond the school’s curriculum,” she said. “I really enjoy that I am able to explore science from new angles and we encourage anyone who has any interest in science to come explore and further their knowledge,” Acharya said.

The Science Olympiad team competes in a citywide science competition in February and participates in events testing knowledge in various scientific disciplines. To prepare, members study the areas that their events will cover and build contraptions such as bridges and robots to bring to the competition.

This year the team hopes to be more organized in their preparation, gather more dedicated members, and make it to the statewide competition Acharya said.

TEAMS, an engineering competition in March, tests students’ knowledge in solving problems in society using science, Acharya said. At the competition, students solve problem sets and write essays on ways to improve society using engineering, TEAMS captain Gurbani Suri(12) said.

Check out the Clubs’ Fair next Thursday, September 22nd, Rain or Shine!

Blurbs by Ashley Gerber, Vivien Ikwuazom, Shinil Kim, and Maddie Penn.Drawings by Miranda Jacoby.

The horace Mann recordFriday, September 16, 20116 Middle Division

Middle Division administrators have developed a leadership program that will replace the MD Governing Council. The program consists of a council of four committees that will work together on community concerns and issues.

One of the committees is the Service Learning group, which focuses on organizing different grade-wide service learning projects. The students participating in Service Learning will be role models for the younger students and will encourage students to lend a hand to the community, said Head of the Middle Division Robin Ingram.

The Peer Mentor committee is focusing on mentoring new students and prospective students, as well as helping students to adapt to life at HM. Mentors will learn ways to help mentees become personally successful both in the social and academic realms at HM.

The Student Concerns Committee is comprised of a group of students who want to change the relationship between students and faculty members by working with both parties to address emerging concerns. Administrators on the committee include Ingram, Valerie Yager, and Brenda Cohn.

The MD component of Maroon Monsoon, The Student Activities Committee is a student group centered around transforming school spirit and promoting HM Lion Pride.

The MD hopes to become better organized through the formation of these committees. In order to serve as a member

of one of the four committees, students write an application for “HM Lead” as well as get a teacher recommendation. “Last year, I was a representative for the Governing Council, and I would like to continue to help the school in this year’s form of leadership, whatever it may be,” said Daniel Rosenblatt (8).

The goal of the four new committees is to create a more

effective forum with established goals, Ingram said. With the different councils, different students will be in charge of separate units of the MD Community and responsibilities will be divided among a larger portion of the student body than they were with the GC. Rosenblatt hopes that the system will be successful because “representatives will be able to focus solely on one topic.”

Although the topics that will be debated are similar to those that were covered by the GC, students like Anabel Henick (8) hope that the separation of the councils will create more opportunities for students to arrange events and make a bigger impact on the community. “I think that this program will allow students to talk directly to teachers and have teachers listen to them and explain why some things could work and others wouldn’t,” Henick said. An exchange of opinions between student and staff is beneficial when debating a course of action in creating a well-put leadership community, she said.

Former GC member, Spencer Slagowitz (8) realized along with other students and teachers that because the GC had a lot of responsibilities it was not able to focus on all of the issues at once. “When we were organizing a party, we wouldn’t get the student concerns part of our responsibilities,” Slagowitz said. With a separate system and different groups responsible for different aspects of the student body, the MD hopes that such

details will be more consistently attended to.The new Leadership Program “is so much more age

appropriate and deliberate,” Ingram said. With the new model in place, Ingram hopes to achieve “more successful events, more follow-through on changes in how the division works, and more feelings of success on the part of the students.”

Diana LiStaff Writer

Leadership Program to Replace GC

Natasha Stolovitzky Brunner/Staff Artist

MD Engages in Literary Discussions

Students have a new forum to discuss their summer reading. In a series of book clubs, “Students and faculty alike get to read books on subjects as varied as the history of the Barbie doll to a retelling of Grimm’s fairy tales,” Librarian Rachael Myers said. Over the summer, students chose from a list of over twenty books, as well as an assigned book to spark discussion amongst each grade.

On Friday, students will be placed into separate clubs based on the book choices they had listed last year. Teachers will guide discussions in the clubs to investigate the themes and implications of each book, Myers said.

The eighth graders assigned reading was Ramayana: A Tale of Gods and Demons, a piece that plays a large part in the history curriculum. The Ramayana is a story about a man who goes on a journey to rescue his wife from a demon, and on the way explores human values and personal duty, which relates to the 8th grade study of Hinduism.

Myers created the program as a new way to get the entire community involved in summer reading and to make it a more integral part of the MD, she said. The club will meet Friday during G period.

Anika Tripathi & Amy HoodStaff Writers

The Middle Division has a full year planned in the arts, both visual and performing. Sign-up tables for this year’s Middle Division show were already set up outside the cafeteria during lunch periods this week, and the first Middle Division visual arts show debuts next week.

This year, the Middle Division will be performing “Once Upon A Mattress,” a “farcical version of the princess and the pea,” Director Woody Howard said. “It’s a show that generally fits pretty well, because it’s a satire, it’s funny, and everyone knows the story and how it’s supposed to go.” Although this is the third MD production of this theatrical piece since it was written in 1959, it is the first time Howard is directing the piece. It will be a main stage musical in Gross Theater, in December, with piano accompaniment and an “imaginative but not full scale” high school level set, Howard said.

“Once Upon a Mattress” is a play written by Mary Rogers, daughter of Richard Rogers of Rogers and Hammerstein. Joining Mr. Howard on the play’s production staff will be choreographer Allison Kolinski, Head of the Dance program. The auditions process will begin next week and consist of group auditions.

On the visual arts end of the MD spectrum, the MD is looking to produce a series of innovative shows to give the visual arts students the opportunity to showcase their work. The first of these shows, “Beginnings” will open on

Monday September 19 and run through Monday October 3, MD Visual Arts teacher Natasha Rubirosa said. This show focuses on artworks created within the first three weeks of the school year, and stands as a complement the annual end of the year show which showcases work done by MD students throughout the year, Rubirosa said.

The focus of this year’s MD visual arts program is going to be cultivating the school’s core value of “mutual respect,” which is this year’s theme throughout the entire MD curriculum. Students are going to work across mediums to create a quilt that communicates the theme of mutual respect, Rubirosa said.

In addition to the formal showcases throughout the year, a monthly Middle Division Arts Digital Magazine is in the works of being established. “It’s more or less a digital portfolio on the work of the Middle Division,” Rubirosa said.

According to Rubirosa, “One of the things we’re looking for more this year is collaboration between Middle Division visual arts

students and Upper Division visual arts students.” The “Beginnings” show is the first of these collaborations that aim to join the divisions, who have not yet collaborated to a significant degree in the visual arts, Rubirosa said.

In addition to these projects, Rubirosa said she is hoping to create community projects that are inclusive to students who are not necessarily enrolled in the art program.

Colin MarkStaff Writer

Sneak Peek: MD Arts

Chloe Tsang/Staff Artist

Chloe Tsang/Staff Artist

Photos by Rachel Essner/Photography Editor

The horace Mann record Friday, September 16, 2011 7Lions’ Den

Volleyball Falls in HeartbreakerIn a thrilling 5-set match against

Trinity on Wednesday, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team started off their regular season with an excruciating loss.

After an extremely strong season last year, the team is looking to defend their Ivy League championship and return to the NYSAIS finals this year. “Even though we had a phenomenal season last year, we want to improve on that and do even better this year,” said Coach Jason Torres. The team lost four starters to college and are going to have to have other upperclassmen step up to fill their roles. “Even though we lost some experience and leadership, the players have become acclimated and are really playing with a lot of team work, which always make a coach happy,” said Torres.

In addition to the personnel changes, the team will play a tougher schedule and under new league rules, will play best 3 of 5 sets, instead of 2 of 3 sets like previous years. Billie Kanfer (12) said, “giving our best in each set is more difficult with the increased amount of game time, but with more practice, we should be good to go.”

The team had a successful preseason scrimmaging Blind Brook at the end of August and working hard during practice everyday. “Our team is a really strong serving team and plays great defense when necessary. We also have great size. It might take a little time to gel but so far the team has looked very impressive,” said Coach Torres.

The Girls Varsity team had their second scrimmage on Monday against Hunter School in Manhattan. In an enduring battle, Hunter

outlasted Horace Mann and won in five games. “I was very proud of the team; they played hard and very well as a team. It was a hard fought match but I am proud we forced the match into five games. Hunter always has a great volleyball team and we really worked hard the whole game,” said Torres.

On Wednesday, Horace Mann took on the very talented Trinity Volleyball team, and after a long 5 set match, Horace Mann was defeated. “Trinity is always an extremely skilled team and today they really showed they can compete for the Ivy League,” said Torres. This was a very back and forth game that really illustrated both teams hard work. Horace Mann started off strong winning the first game in a dominant fashion, but Trinity quickly responded with a win in the second game. Horace Mann then came back and pulled out the 3rd game. After the nail biting 4th game, Trinity took the lead and didn’t look back. “Although we lost, we showed character and heart in this match, coming back from different deficits and not giving up until the game ended,” said Torres.

Today, the team hosts The Calhoun School in the Prettyman Gym. “Calhoun usually gives us a good match, but I think we are well prepared and should definitely be able to win,” said Torres. After a tough loss to Trinity, the girls will look to rebound.

Billie Kanfer (12) said, “No matter what happened during the game, we don’t look at this as a loss. It’s a time to improve our skills and when we face them again we’ll be up for the challenge.”

I didn’t look forward to starting school in the fall; I did, however, look forward to football starting. With Week 1 last Sunday, the Jets and Giants began their road to the Super Bowl.

Even with the numerous injures and loss of key playermany injuries, their there was not a single Giants fan, coach, or player who expected them to lose the season opener to the Washington Redskins. The last time the Giants lost to the Washington Redskins was December 16th, 2007.

To but put that in perspective, back then Katy Perry hadn’t even released her first single and Brett Favre was still the Packers’ starting quarterback. Emotions were high on Sunday at the opening kickoff being that it was September 11th and the teams were playing in the nation’s capital.

Big Blue’s banged up defense allowed Redskins QB Rex Grossman to look like Peyton Manning, as he completed five straight passes to tie the game up at halftime, 14-14. Unfotunately, in the second half the Giants offense in one word, dreadful, as the offense failed to move the ball effectively for the rest of the game.

It was obvious that the Giants defense had packed it in mentally, lacking the intensity that Giants fans had become accustomed to seeing, letting Grossman carve them up, finishing with an embarrassing 28-14 loss.

A few hundred miles away, the New York Jets played an emotional game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys electric offense were able to get the better of the Jets tough, hard hitting defense, scoring on their first drive of the game via a TD catch by the talented Dez Bryant. GQ cover boy and Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is looking to take it to the next level and lead the Jets to a Super Bowl this year, but he and the Jets offense struggled early against the Cowboys’ defense.

The Cowboys were able to start off the third quarter strong with Romo connecting to big play receiver Miles Austin for a 36 yard TD. After a stop by the Jets defense the Jets got the ball back but Mark Sanchez handed the ball right back the Cowboys, who quickly converted to take a 24-10 lead.

Sanchez then had to make a play, and did, to Plaxico Burress in the back of the endzone to cut their deficit in half. But the biggest play of the game came when Joe McKnight blocked a punt and ran it all the way back for a touchdown tying up the game at 24.

With a minute left in the game, Romo was intercepted by Darelle Revis, which led to a game winning 50 yard field goal by Jets kicker Nick Folk to give the Jets a 27-24 victory. Quite a way to start off the year.

With decisive wins against Columbia Prep and Trinity, the Boys Varsity Soccer Team rose ahead of the competition in its first two games of the season.

Last Friday, the team took on the Columbia Prep Lions, a team that had “eliminated us last year at States,” Head Coach Neil Berniker said. “But it’s a new year—a new season—and we are trying to establish ourselves as the team to be reckoned with,” he said. The rivalry was escalated between the fans of both teams, and Lion pride was running high after the victory.

This first game of the season allowed the members of the team, who had built up “a year of revenge on our minds,” to channel their resentment onto the field, midfielder Andrew Silberstein (11) said. Additionally, available graduates from last year’s senior class came to watch the game and cheer on their former teammates, which added to the team’s intensity, desire, and drive to win against this powerful team that “kicked us out of the playoffs last year,” Lyle Dershowitz (11) said.

The first taste of success came late

in what was a close first half, and the two goals scored by Toby Lee (12) gave the team the momentum it needed going into halftime, Dershowitz said. Although Columbia Prep kept the game close even in the final seconds, “we managed to pull through at the end,” with Bernie Rawlins (11) and Dershowitz each scoring.

With a 4-1 victory over their archrivals, the team gained the confidence boost they needed to affirm that they are on the right path to a productive, successful season, Berniker said. “It was highlighted the good performance put out by everyone; the entire team contributed to our victory,” he said.

Keeping their dreams of the State Championships in sight, the team headed into an important game against Trinity on Wednesday. Shaky defense in the first quarter let Trinity offenders score the game’s first goal; however, the team managed to calm down and work out their passing fairly quickly, Dershowitz said.

Rawlins’ goal tied the score seconds before halftime, during which the team regrouped and reenergized, preparing for what would be a no-mercy second half, Dershowitz said. “We dominated the second part of the game, and we could have

completely blown that game open,” with better communication and more appropriate calls from the referees, he said.

Not only the offense but also the strong play of goalie Aaron Schein (9) allowed the team to take home the 3-1 win over Trinity, midfielder Michael Stier (9) said.

As the only two freshmen on the team, Schein and Stier have fit in well with the existing team dynamics and have picked up the practice drills and plays quickly, Berniker said. “They’re very talented and definitely belong on a varsity-level team for the years to come,” he said. “But we also have a good nucleus of returning players that know how to compete at a high level in the Ivy League.”

Throughout preseason and day-to-day practice, the team “continues to work extremely hard,” Berniker said. “I’m very happy with where we are, and if we keep being competitive in

the Ivy League, we will have a shot at States,” he said.

Today, the team will take on the Collegiate’s seasoned team, which has “always played at a very high level, especially since they have many experienced, returning players on their team,” Berniker said. “This game is most likely going to dictate the rest of our season,” Silberstein said.

To prepare for this huge game, the team met on Thursday to talk strategy and review passing techniques, which they have been practicing after school, Dershowitz said. “It’s really make it or break it; if we want Ivies, we need to get the win over Collegiate.”

“We want to show everyone that, with our talent, we definitely belong on the field with last year’s State champions,” Coach Berniker said.

Michael ReissStaff Writer

Melissa RodmanStaff Writer

Boys Prevail in Leonine Matchup

Malcolm ThompsonContributing Writer

Kimberley Sarnoff/Senior PhotographerRachel Lander (11) serves the ball against Trinity.

NFL: WEEK 1

Lions’DenSeptember 16, 2011 Volume 109, Issue 2

The Horace Mann Record

The Girls’ Varsity Tennis team is off to a great start for the season, dominating Scarsdale and Trinity by scores of 5-1 and 4-1 respectively.

The girls traveled to Scarsdale to start off their season with an away game. With captains Madison Gordon (12) and Lizzy Weingold (12) leading the way, the lionesses were able to leave with nearly all wins.

After their 5-1 win, Trinity came for a visit at the HM tennis courts on Wednesday, only to leave, again, as disappointed as Scarsdale was. The team’s biggest strength has been its singles players, who are dominating so far this season.

“I think our team this year is very

strong. Our co-captains Maddy Gordon and Lizzy Weingold are very good at promoting team spirit and keeping our team strong and organized,” Vivianna Lin (11) said. “Our wins against Trinity and Scarsdale definitely show that our team is already very strong,”

The team also had a match scheduled on Thursday against Horace Greeley, but unfortunately, the game was cancelled due to inclement weather.

With the new assistant coach Patrick Westoo, the girls have seriously advanced their game. However, there are still areas that the team can still improve, especially in their doubles games. “We have very strong singles players but our doubles teams are lacking practice. Right now, we are trying to create the best

partners for doubles,” said Kim. The team is looking to build its

doubles’ partnership and unity, and form a unique and indestructible pair of dominant players on the court.

Having started practicing a week before the start of school, these two wins really prove how much hard work the Lions have been doing. With an upcoming game against key league opponent Poly Prep on Monday, this is just the momentum the team needs going in.

In the upcoming weeks, the team is facing teams from a variety of different schools, including Rye Country Day School on Wednesday, and Fieldston on Friday. “Our team started out strong, but we still have room for improvement,” Kim said.

Girls’ Soccer Takes Home OpenerThe Girls Soccer Team started off

their season with a bang, as Ali Davis (9) placed the ball into the corner of the net within the first minute of Wednesday’s season opener against Trinity.

The Lions went on to win the game 2-0 with an insurance goal added by Caitlin Rubin (10) in the second half to finish off Trinity. “It was a great way to start off and it really set the tone for the season; it was crucial to us to get the win.” Sarah Heintz (11) said.

The team used quick passing combinations effectively to overwhelm the Trinity defense. “We were able to possess the ball well and we had a lot of great combinations,” Captain Gillian Miller-Lewis (12) said. “We played to our strengths which gave us a big advantage.”

Although the New York Post ranked the Lions the 7th best out of 8 teams in the Ivy League, the ranking “didn’t stop us from coming out strong and winning our first game,” Paige Burris (11) said. The low ranking might actually help to motivate the Lions

this season. “A lot of teams might underestimate us, which we can use to our advantage and catch them off guard,” Heintz said.

Despite the team’s 2-0 victory, the Lions still need to address some issues on the field. “For some parts of the game we looked great, and for

some other parts we lacked luster,” Miller-Lewis said. “We need to be able to keep up our intensity for all 80 minutes of the game.” Another issue the Lions faced was a lack of chemistry between the players. Coach Tim Sullivan has been experimenting with different players at different

positions throughout the preseason, so the lineup still hasn’t been set in stone. “Once we have a better idea of what our lineup will be, we will get a better understanding of how to play together effectively,” Heintz said.

The team is still in the process of rebuilding since they lost two

extremely important players from last year, Lori Dershowitz, who dominated on defense, and Sam Schiff, who controlled the midfield. “Lori was really important to the team because she was one of the hardest workers and the rest of the team fed off her intensity during practices and games,” Miller-Lewis said. Burris and other defenders will have to step up on defense to try to match Dershowitz’s intensity and determination this season. The new-look defense came out strong in their first game, posting a clean sheet. “A lot of people think we won’t be able to hold our own without Lori, but we got a shutout in our first game,” Burris said. “We still have to keep improving because we are going to have to face much tougher teams in the future that will have better offenses.”

The team hopes to continue its success for the rest of the year and ultimately qualify for the postseason tournament, “but we also need to focus on each game with an intense desire to win and put everything on the field,” Miller-Lewis said. The team will face Poly Prep next on Monday, who the Lions beat twice last year.

Andrew ArnaboldiStaff Writer

Water PoloSeeks Redemption

Despite a tough three weeks of practicing, the Varsity Water Polo team fell short in their first two games this past Saturday. Their first league game was a nail-biter against Brunswick, which ended with a score of 10-11; they also had a game against the Greenwich YMCA club team, the final score was 3-16.

“It was our first game of the season,” Justin Bleuel (11) said, “and we were playing in much larger, ‘deep-deep’ pool.” The Lions trained all of preseason in a “shallow-deep” pool, which had a compromising effect on the team’s play. “It requires a much higher level of endurance and strength to compete at your maximum potential in such an environment,” he said. Bleuel is one of the co-captains this season, along with Harley Pasternak (12) and Thomas Kim (12). Justin had 6 goals between the two games.

The team did several treading and quad-building drills. They also pushed themselves through tough stamina practices. The results gave the coaches and players a greater perspective on what to expect to see this season from the other teams, and what aspects of the game if they aspire to great success.

Head Coach Michael Duffy said, “We had a rough first two games. The Greenwich team had some exceptional competitors, including national and top club team players.” But overall, both coaches, Duffy and Oleg, were impressed with the team’s

effort in the games, and according to both coaches, the team worked very hard the past week’s practices.

According to Duffy, Jeff Barg (11) showed his dedication when he won seven of the eight swim-offs this week. It was reported that Quentin Montgomery (10) also had a solid two games in the whole-set position. He scored 3 goals, one of which was backhanded, “helicopter” shot.

Since both games were on a Saturday, much of the team was preoccupied and couldn’t make it to the games. “We missed a lot of great players this weekend, and everyone had to step up; it required us to move out of our comfort zones and required everyone to perform at his best.” Alex Fine (11) covered in goal for Dan Henick (11), who was unable to attend, and did a great job, especially considering it was his first time in the net.

“We have a big game this Friday, September 16, against Pingry,” said Duffy. “We are coming out for the win, and our players will do all they can to come out on top,” he said. The game begins at 4:00 pm in the Prettyman Pool, here at Horace Mann. “The Pingry game is going to be a big one for us, so we have to come out strong,” Bleuel said. This Friday is the team’s home opener, and the more support they have from the stands, the stronger they’ll be.

The team’s biggest rival is Trinity; the showdown between these two teams is scheduled as a home game for October 17. Hungry for a win, the Lions are looking to dominate Friday afternoon.

Sarah HeintzStaff Writer

Anthony Gagliardi & Tom EngStaff Writers

Kimberley Sarnoff/Senior PhotographerMaddy Gordon (12) returns a Trinity opponent’s serve.

Kimberley Sarnoff/Senior PhotogarpherRachel Trebach (9) crosses the ball to an open teammate in the Trinity win.

Tennis Serves Up Victories