Every year, a group of department heads and administrators called the Oversight Committee deliberates and decides how to structure the curriculum. The adjustments made consist of small tweaks with occasional additions. For instance, last year some new electives were added, such as Modern Middle East, the Rhetoric of Force, and Software Programming, while Economics was changed from a history course to a more in-depth mathematics class. This year there are a good number of changes being made across several disciplines.

The first is Spanish. Originally, if a student wanted to continue to Spanish V, he had to be a part of the honors track. Now, two regular

Spanish V semester long courses are offered: Cine del Mundo Hispano and Conversacion y Controversia. Cine del Mundo Hispano looks at modern day issues in Latin America primarily through the medium of film. Conversacion y Controversia similarly explores

global topics, but through “the literature, art, history, politics, and culture of the Spanish speaking world,” in addition to film.

Continued on Page 2

Sixth Former Fitz Tepper has brought Haverford to the App Store! What did he make? How did he make it? Why did he make it? Read about his process of creation and final product.

Page 5

Haverford’s produc-tion of Hairspray is just around the corner. Come watch Tracy Turnblad and the rest of the cast present you with an inspiring tale set in the 1960’s.

Page 7

Not many have been students in her class, but Ms. Sara Adkins is a faculty member that everyone should become familiar with during their tenure at Haverford. A Latin scholar herself, having studied at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, this year Ms. Adkins teaches Latin III, Latin III*, and Latin V*. She has always been renowned as one of the best teachers at Haverford. Sixth Former Kelly Mao lauds her performance, saying, “She was strict, but always effective in her teaching methods. I...learned a whole lot of Latin in my two years [with] her.” Ms. Adkins has taught at Haverford

since 1999 and continues to manage a Latin program that involves scholars such as herself, Ms. Emily Hulme, and Dr. Andrew

Fenton: “Exposure to Latin and Hellenistic culture is invaluable, which is why Dr. Fenton and I plan to introduce more senior electives such as mythology, archaeology, Rhetoric of Force (which Dr. Fenton already teaches), and Greek theater,” says Ms. Adkins. Even though Latin students learn unbelievable amounts during their Upper School language careers, Ms. Adkins’ focus has shifted from primarily Latin to the Modern

and Classical Languages program in general, a movement she began after becoming the Chair of the Language Department in 2008.

Continued on Page 6

Upper Schoolers are all aware of what Director of College Counseling Mr. Neal Cousins has repeatedly called the “College Process.” Some students work tirelessly to sustain or raise their grades, some spread themselves thinly among a multitude of extracurriculars, and some spend thousands of dollars on SAT or academic tutors. All of these actions are taken to distinguish oneself from the rest of the pack in the college admissions office, to make ourselves look better, busier, and smarter than every other applicant. But, for few, this academic route is only part of the infamous “Process”: student athletes must also separate themselves on fields, courts, diamonds, rinks, and pools. Student athletes at Haverford are a rare breed. At one of the top independent preparatory schools in the country in the arts, athletics, and academics, Haverford student athletes are well rounded. They are able to read The Aeneid as well as the bounce of a ground ball or a blocking pattern. Within the current Haverford student body are sixteen college-recruited student athletes. And they are not just lacrosse players (although ten of

them are): there are also three soccer players, one swimmer, one baseball player, and one football player already committed or signed to collegiate-level athletic programs. Sixth Formers Sam Rohr (University of Pennsylvania – lacrosse), Grant Jamgochian (Lehigh University – football), and Andrew Landolfi (Lafayette College – baseball), along with Fifth Former Gavin McBride (Princeton University – lacrosse), are the main subjects of this article. These four student athletes visited a combined 14 schools before making their respective decisions. Landolfi first visited Georgetown, Delaware, and Bucknell before visiting Lafayette, but he remarked, “As soon as I began my tour around Lafayette, I knew this was where I wanted to spend the next four years. Lafayette instantly became my first choice, and I’m glad it worked out in my favor.” Although prospective college athletes can visit as many schools as they want on their own, the NCAA only allows student athletes to take five “official visits.” But what is an official visit? Could strict NCAA sanctions not spin a private visit into an official business? Not really, according to all the interviewed

athletes. “The difference between the two is that you must be personally invited by the coach to go on an ‘official visit,’” Jamgochian explained, “which is a good sign that they will make an offer to you. Any person can go on a regular visit whenever they desire.” An official visit, according to McBride and Rohr, also entails a sleep over and is paid for by the school. In addition to visiting various schools, Jamgochian and Landolfi participated in a slew of college-sponsored training camps, showcases, and exhibitions to show off their skills. And for McBride and Rohr, Haverford Lacrosse’s top national ranking was not enough to persuade coaches: they too

partook in showcase tournaments. How else did these student athletes select their schools? None were promised special rooms, a starting spot, or free tattoos, but the answer to this question was different for each athlete. For Rohr, nothing at all was promised. For McBride, “financial aid was promised, but only on a need basis.” For Jamgochian, he specified, “[Lehigh] eventually helped my family out with financial aid, but that was not a factor that they used to accept me. Every recruit has an equal chance for playing time, and they wouldn’t even want you if they didn’t think you could start.”

Continued on Page 10

The IndexVolume LXXIII, No. 6 February 2012 Haverford, Pennsylvania

Eutxia Swzein Dokei

For Some Students, the College Process Begins and Ends Before Sixth Form Year

James Shecter ‘13

Will Tackett ‘14 Manav Khandelwal ‘15

James Shecter digs deep into the college admissions pro-cess for stellar athletes - athletes who find themselves committing to colleges as early as Fourth or Fifth Form year.

Ms. Adkins Has Been Quietly Revolutionizing the Language DepartmentSometimes the greatest achievements go unnoticed; that may be the case with Head of Language Department Ms. Sara Adkins.

With Changes in Curricu-lum, What Classes Do You Plan to Pick Up Next Year?Change is coming to the Haverford curriculum - and that means a handful of new classes for students to choose from.

Also inside the

Issue...3.bp.blogspot.com hitechreview.com

Classroom Laptop UsageWhat is the Big Room?PTPI Donut SalesMidterm Exam UpdateThe Gentlemen’s ClubRobotics State ChampsDavis’s Book ReviewWhat is the Dark Room?

Compendio’s MoviesArtist of the IssueEating with SamSports CoverageIs Recycling Good?Art or Language?Election CoverageOutdex

22344567

Article Page899

1014141516

PageArticle

haverfordpafootball.stackvarsity.com

Fourth Formers at the site of a new art course.Index Staff Index Staff

As one of the most iconic places in our school, the Big Room offers a place to study, hold group meetings, and relax during school hours. The room has leather couches, a large round table where kids can easily do their homework, and other smaller tables where they can converse. It is a key feature of Haverford and helps students maneuver through their school days by offering a place to finish work...but is this widely held belief in its benefits necessarily true? Do enough kids actually use the room productively? Is it important to have a room where anyone can go before, during, or after the school day? So, there is an argument whether the Big Room is a student lounge or just another classroom, and, subsequently, whether or a not a separate student lounge should be built. But what exactly makes a student lounge a lounge? A lounge needs to have comfortable couches, be in a good location, and the most importantly, it needs to be easily distinguishable from just another classroom. Lounges might have other features; however, these few aspects

are supported unanimously within the student body. Oddly enough, the Big Room does in fact exhibit these traits. The Big Room is a place where kids can

go and relax. It is available to any student at any time during the school day, but it is not considered a student lounge. Kids walk into the room at 7:00 a.m. and stay there until

classes begin. Others go there during

or after they eat lunch, and still others enter the room during their free period. It is available to the whole student body and is a place where the balance of work and relaxation is often

achieved. Not all kids take advantage of the Big Room, but this occurrence would be the same if there was an additional student lounge, right? Making the argument that the Big Room is not a student lounge

is also possible. First, the Big Room is too big and does not represent what a student lounge should be: a room that is solely for students, free from surrounding classrooms. The Big Room is also

focused heavily on work whereas a lounge is a place for relaxing. Additionally, the Big Room has severe sentimental value. As a part of the original Wilson Hall, it has served kids throughout the decades. The room, in a way, represents how Haverford wants students to have a place where juggling work and relaxing can be intertwined, which deters having a separate place for a student lounge. The Big Room is used for Third Form meetings and for a world diplomacy game. It also holds several luncheons and other faculty and alumni meetings, which makes the room an epicenter for every part of Haverford. The Big Room is an important space with unique features, some of which may be the reasons why the school does not have a designated student lounge. Should the Big Room suffice then? Or is the student body

still in need of a place for relaxation, entirely separate from the daily bustles of Haverford? The Student Council will likely have to face this issue during this semester and subsequent school years. ■

With the mid-year assessments over and Haverford powered back up for the second semester, learning abounds throughout the school. Stepping into a classroom, one cannot help but notice the now ubiquitous use of laptops. But are Haverford students really using laptops for a productive purpose? At the beginning of the year, the technology department recognized that students were bringing devices to school that required a strong wireless connection. According

to Mrs. Megan Connolly, Director of the Technology Department, “[Haverford] doubled [its] bandwidth because students [were] bringing more devices than they [had] ever

before.” This phenomenon is evident in nearly every classroom, so much so that Mac vs. PC arguments have become second nature to the school. However, are these devices used as tools or gaming platforms to

get through a tough double

period? Sixth Former Deepak Bhagat states, “[I use them] primarily for work, notes, and other homework purposes. I will occasionally use Facebook for work at times when it requires

posting things to help others in my class like Quizlet or [other] helpful links.” When asked about whether or not students abuse the laptop privilege in class, Bhagat simply responded, “more often than not it is used strictly for work.” This belief is not shared by all students. Third Former Manav Khandelwal opines that students “Absolutely use laptops for gaming and Facebook. They blatantly do it in [one of my classes].” There is merit to both sides of the argument but, due to the concealable nature of the laptop’s screen, it would seem more likely that a large portion of students are not always using the laptops for work in class. Faculty consensus generally agrees with this supposition. English teacher Mr. Daniel

Keefe believes that “Some kids are...using them to take notes but more often than not they

are actually somewhere else other than the class.” It is indeed hard to decipher who uses their laptop for academic purposes and who simply switches tabs when the teacher walks by. Stripping away the

laptops would solve the problem, but it also punishes those who respect the privilege of having laptops in class. Ultimately, it will come down to whether or not the student recognizes the ill-effects of not paying attention in class. Subsequent drops in grades may very well be punishment enough. So maybe the next time you find yourself gaming, think twice about it and try to simply “power down.” ■

Page 2 The Index - News & Features February 2012

News & Features

Jonathan Paras ‘14

Logan Atkins ‘15

Corrections from the January Issue of The Index:

The Index would like to recognize that Fifth Former James Tarte is a Varsity Basketball player and that Crosman Hall recently went through a significant interior renovation.

Fourth Formers working on their laptops during class.

How Should the Big Room Be Classified?

Student Laptop Use in Classrooms on the Rise

The so-called “Big Room” on the third floor of Wilson Hall has never had a defined purpose. Exactly how has the community been making use of that room?

The presence of a Wi-Fi network for student use seems to have brought about a trend in making use of laptops in class. But have students been abusing the privilege?

Sanjay Narayanan

This poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students was taken via Facebook using Survey-Monkey during the week of February 13, 2012.

James Shecter

This poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students was taken via Facebook using SurveyMonkey during the week of February 13, 2012.

James Shecter

New Courses Creeping Into CurriculumContinued from Front Page

Continuing with the global theme is a potential science elective, Literature, the Environment, and Society, which was proposed by Science teacher Mr. Jamison Maley. Students in this class would read a variety of works of literature in order to gain a better understanding of what influenced and continues to influence humanity’s different attitudes towards the environment. The inspiration for this class stemmed from the concept that “[understanding] our and other cultures’ attitudes about the natural world is as important as mastering the basic science involved.” The next major addition is in the Art Department with the proposal of a 3-D Design class. Previously, students from 3-D Foundation would automatically proceed to ceramics. However, ceramics is just one branch of 3-D Art. The new course would focus on industrial, or product, design. One example to illustrate this idea would be the work of Apple, which fuses functional technology with elegant design. Another potential task for students would be to design a chair that can support their weight from, say, a single sheet of cardboard while learning how to balance aesthetics and functionality in the process. The idea behind this class is that creativity is an essential skill in the competitive global workplace. The addition of the new class is facilitated by the arrival of art teacher Mr. Greg Ressler this year. There is some shifting around in the

Mathematics Department as well, most notably the removal of Accelerated Math, which enabled rising Third Formers to do three years of math – Geometry, Algebra II, and PreCalculus – in two years. The concern from Mr. Green and others was that students who took this course were at a disadvantage come Calculus* Fifth Form year. To compensate for the loss of Accelerated Math is a new class, Geometry*, and the opening of Algebra II* to Fourth Formers. The second major change in the Math curriculum is the consolidation of regular Calculus and Statistics into one year-long course. Accompanying this change is the addition of a full year Statistics* course to go along with Calculus*. One reason for the addition of a rigorous statistics class is that “Statistics, data mining, and ‘Big Data’ are quickly becoming dominant areas of applied mathematics,” said Math Department Chair Mr. Joseph Sweeney. The Math department also changed the computer language of focus in the software programming class from Objective-C to Python. There are several points to mention about the potential new courses and adjustments. First and foremost, all these proposals are early drafts in the revision process. Second, there are no teacher assignments yet - the goal is for the curriculum to be more course-driven. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that, while the Oversight Committee is essential in changing the curriculum, it is student interest that ultimately decides whether a new course will be offered. ■

Index Staff

The Big Room as it lies in the early hours of the morning.

As the second semester of the 2011-2012 school year sets in, so too does “Senioritis.” For the past three and a half years, Sixth Formers have been working to satisfy their desires to succeed. After a grueling run, many hope for a period of relaxation. All of the work and attention from the college process puts a lot of work on every Sixth Former’s plate. Sixth Former Kevin Griffiths said,“Senioritis is the result of teachers overworking their students for three and a half years, and [the students] burn out. The final straw is all of the work during the fall semester of senior year with college application deadlines nearly coinciding with the end of the first quarter, where we were absolutely destroyed by a ridiculous amount of work.” Unfortunately, nothing can be done about application deadlines and the first semester sharing the same time period. The first half of this school year was grueling one, and most simply do not have the same amount of energy to do work right now as they did a few months ago. Sixth Formers may also lack motivation for final exams this coming May. Luckily, the administration has a solid policy in place. If a student maintains a B+ or better each quarter (and subsequently a B+ average or better for the year), he is exempt from exams. Students

who do enough work to earn respectable grades throughout the year are rewarded for their continued efforts by a lessened work-load at the end of the year. Students who are not up to par in the second semester have to sit through a few exams when they could be at home relaxing in the days before their senior

project. For those students who have taken to Senioritis, the repercussions are already noticeable. Sixth Former Len Giacobetti states, “After getting into my college choices early action, Senioritis hit me, but a lot harder than I expected. I wasn’t coming to school as very often and sometimes

I would my find myself disengaged in class. Now that I have been disciplined by the school, I now realize I have to finish my last three months [strongly] and leave the school feeling better about my final months.” While Senioritis is unavoidable for some students, some manage to find motivation to keep going. Sixth Former Will Hatcher notes, “I want to keep working hard so I can make Cum Laude.” Nonetheless, the Class of 2012 has worked very hard throughout its time in the Upper School, and some may begin to tone down their academic efforts. The administration rewards those who put in enough work to earn B+’s or higher, and ensures that those who slack off will have to take exams. ■

The People to People Organization is a club as well as a service group; it focuses on discussing global issues and actively helping the community. Since its inception, it has assisted many different causes, the most recent of which raised money for the New Beginnings Academy in Chester, a school that requires teachers to work for months without pay due to lack of money. When the school heard that People to People wanted to help out, it was

overjoyed. The People to People group decided that a donut sale would be the most effective way to raise the desired money; however, the Upper School administration told members the previous year that donut sales were not allowed. Whenever People to People held donut sales, it would charge one dollar per donut and occasionally receive extra donations, totaling to around thirty dollars a week. Although it sounds like a small amount, thirty dollars a week can go a long way. Without donuts, PTP searched for other refreshments to sell. Participants tried selling sodas, but they would come out of each sale with minor profits. Consequently, the group was stuck wondering what its next step would be towards its goal of helping the New Beginnings Academy. Head of Upper School Mr. Matthew Green believes that he has good reason for his decision to stop these donut sales. He says that he cares just as much about the causes as People to People does, however he states, “I don’t want our school to become a charity bazaar. I have been to some schools where I would walk from one end of the campus to the other and end up giving out fifty dollars.” He also notes that he cannot control what is being sold. Therefore, foods sold unsupervised increase the risk of affecting students with allergies. Mr. Green continued to discuss his fears that eventually there would be an overflow of charities all trying to raise money

for reasonable causes, which would disrupt school life and turn the school into a charity bar. If he is unable to accept all causes, he does not see how he could possibly choose which ones to allow. Finally, Mr. Green suggested that People to People partner with the Service Board in order to get dress-down days for their causes. Ms. Loos from the service board said, “We would be willing to partner up with People to People for dress down days, but we would have to get more dress down days for the service board as a whole.” This point epitomizes Mr. Green’s suggestions that

there are different channels open for People to People’s donation efforts, but the course of action that they chose is not a possibility. Upper School administrators have expressed that it is a possibility for the People to People group to hold a dress down day or some other form of donation if they like. People to People came up with many creative ways to adjust for Mr. Green’s worries. In response to allergy issues with students, Henri Mattila said that members proposed to “make a sign and tell each buyer that they should not be buying [their] donuts if they are allergic to peanuts.” They also referred to other instances in which clubs and advisories have brought in donuts without second thoughts. They asked an advisor about allergies and food concerns, to which the advisor responded, “I have no idea who here has peanut allergies.” Another student explained that when his advisory brings in food, there is rarely a supervisor present. Even after this information was presented to Mr. Green, he stuck to his original points. However food allergies are a major concern whenever clubs or advisories convene. This is because of the fact that one hundred and thirty two boys in the Upper School have allergies, which is 32% of the student body. This whole experience left People to People and New Beginnings Academy upset and disappointed, while Mr. Green was left with a desire to help, but with no easy solution to the dilemma. ■

Page 3 The Index - News & Features February 2012

The Index2011-2012 Staff

Tadas Antanavicius, Editor-in-Chief Grayson Sessa, Editor-in-Chief Erich Prince, Head of Photography Peter Thompson, News and Features Editor James Shecter, Sports Editor Amar Patel, Arts & Entertainment Editor Fisher Pressman, Opinions Editor Jonathan Smith, Outdex Editor Keenan Mosimann, Visual Editor Jonathan Paras & Graham Gaddes, Website Managers Mr. Thomas Stambaugh, Faculty Advisor

The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change.

All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at hsindex@gmail.com.

The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OSX, using Adobe InDesign CS5. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. School Publications Company of Neptune, N.J., prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1091 community members, consisting of 975 students and 116 faculty members.

Contact The Index:450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041hsindex@gmail.comhttp://www.haverfordindex.com/610.642.3020 x. 1222

Volume LXXIII, No. 6 - February 24, 2011

Will Schwartz ‘12Henry Scales ‘13

News & Features Are People to Peo-ple Doughnut Sales a Thing of the Past?

Sixth Formers Starting to Feel the Effects of “Senioritis” Already

Some students may remember a few mornings where they were greeted by a People to People representative selling doughnuts. Now, that operation has been halted.

Sixth Formers are getting into colleges and begin to face the second semester of Sixth Form year. Already, some have begun slacking off in their work.

This poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students (non-Sixth Formers were asked to omit this question) was taken via Facebook using SurveyMonkey during the week of February 13, 2012.

James Shecter

The People to People International club poses for a picture.Erich Prince

Sixth Former Jimmy Orsini continues to diligently work on his engineering project.

Index Staff

The Gentlemen’s Club has become the epitome of Haverford’s school spirit over last couple of years, especially during the winter sports season. Known for its amusing costume themes and its passionate student section, The Gentlemen’s Club has drawn many fans from the Upper School to come and support basketball games, both home and away. Fifth Former Joe Solomon comments, “This year’s attendance is much better than last year’s, and the crowd is much more excited

to be at the games. I think there is more Sixth Form leadership this year than last.” One of those Sixth Form leaders, Warner Bailey, says that he believes that The Gentleman’s Club “is not only the best fan

section in the Inter-Ac, but also the most respectful and sportsmanlike.” For instance, in the Episcopal Academy basketball game in their gym, we did not react to their negative chants towards our players

and our student body. Instead, we continued to support our own team and not react to their immature behavior.” After an away basketball game at The Shipley School back in December, the school’s administration warned members of the club about their behavior during the game, and asked them to be more respectful of the opposing players and crowd. The club has rebounded stronger than ever, packing the student section with excited, loud, and respectful Haverford fans. Themes so far this year include: Tao’s Zoo, Christmas Sweater Night, Blackout, Jorts, Vintage Haverford Gear, and others. Although the Gentlemen’s Club is usually most crowded during home basketball games, it has made appearances to support Haverford’s Hockey, Squash, and Wrestling teams as well. Come check out this great feature of the Haverford community at an athletic event soon if you have not already done so. ■

A phenomenon that started last year, “The Gentlemen’s Club” is a student-run group that provides fan sup-port to Haverford’s athletes.

Jake Pechet: In your personal observations, how did the “midterm” assessment week go?

Mr. Matthew Green: I think the results were mixed. By that I mean I’m glad that we stayed in school and that life went on uninterrupted, [but] I think there were some unanticipated logistical speed bumps. And I regret that for some students this was a stressful experience. I think, considering we were doing something for the first time that was a fairly radical change... I thought it went fairly well.

JP: What were some of these “speed bumps”?

MG: Here are the ones that are cited most often. One, the Fifth Form, particularly Fifth Formers in accelerated classes whose goal is to prepare them for an SAT II, for example, had a lot of tests. They did not have the alternative assessment experience that I envisioned when we changed the format. The other situation was that while the [Sixth Form] electives that had early assessments continued, I think some of those classes were productive [and] others were not. The third speed bump was that some students felt that they had less time to prepare for assessments that were early in the week. The kids in the same class wished they had the same amount of time to study for the same test. So if I was in a Bio class and my test was the first day of the cycle, not the fourth day of the cycle, you”d say “I didn’t have as much time as that guy did.” And then similarly, kids that were in one [Ancient World History] class, some of them thought, “Golly I wish we all had the same kind of assessment. I’m getting the much harder one,” or “I’m getting

the much easier one.” And the last one was that faculty thought it was tough to get all the grading done, especially faculty that did really interesting projects, because it’s not as simple as just grading an exam and so they had a lot of work to turn around quickly.

JP: How did it seem to go for the students? What did you take away from your day in the Big Room?

MG: What I gathered is that Upper Formers preferred the old format for some of the reasons I just described. And Lower Formers didn’t feel that it had a particularly profound impact on their day. Upper Formers in accelerated classes were the most adamant that the old format was better. There were a number of students who thought that the learning they were doing was cool and preferred this

method. But I would say, by and large, the more vocal, and probably majority, [of students] said, “We prefer the old format.” But it’s

pretty split.

Pretty even, I think. For the most part, I would say the people that liked it didn’t say, “This was great!” They just said, “This was OK.” The people that didn’t like it said, “This is terrible.”

JP: What was the faculty’s reaction?

MG: I was pleasantly surprised by how supportive the faculty were, not only throughout the process, but in response. They thought it was a very worthwhile experiment that required them to think differently about assessment and about work. And many believed that they were providing something more meaningful. That said, a fair number of

them wanted to share with me how difficult it was to turn the grades around. They felt overwhelmed and overworked. And then some classes, particularly Upper Form math and history classes, felt that an exam experience was still important, especially for seniors.

JP: Why specifically math and history?

MG: Because history, to some extent, is a content driven course, and with mathematics, [chiefly] college math, that’s what you do; you sit down and take tests. And while I may be able to design something that’s far more relevant, useful, and stimulating, they’re still going to have to sit down and take tests.

JP: So then, was this new system intended to change things for the better or change things to better prepare the students for college?

MG: Well, what we have learned is that probably about 50% of kids’ tests or grades are exams in college. We said, “How many exams do you have?” It usually about 2 out of 4 or 3 out of 5. So every class in college isn’t necessarily having sit-down exams. There are a lot of papers and projects in college as well, but no, we were doing what we thought was educationally right and we try not to let colleges dictate what we do here. So, for example, if you entered into an entry-level psychology course or economics class in college, your grade would consist entirely of 2 or 3 tests of 100 multiple choice questions. We don’t prepare you for that, nor do we want to. In other words, no student would want to come to Haverford [if that was the case]. No student would truly believe that that’s how you should be graded. So we’re always doing what we think is right for our kids, developing what is right for them, [adhering to the] mission statement, “Preparing Boys for Life.” But we have to keep an eye on it. By my count, seniors have had 45 exam experiences if they’ve been here since 6th

grade. We don’t feel like we’ve compromised they’re preparation for those types of things. I thought it was a fascinating experiment and given how different it was, I was surprised by the range of response among parents, faculty, and students. It was difficult to find one single opinion about it. I will say, of the three groups, the most adamantly opposed and the ones that feel they were the most directly affected were the students.

JP: Taking all this into consideration, what are some potential changes?

MG: Well, we debriefed at the department chair level, but we didn’t come to any set conclusions yet. As I see it, there are three options. We re-implement the January exam period, we improve and iron out the kinks,

really, at least three of those need to be ironed out, and continue, or we move to a December exam period.

JP: What do you, personally, think is best?

MG: I believe in this and its potential to become part of the culture so

that all of the unfamiliarity of it just becomes routine. I do think you have to work out three or four kinks, or you can’t do it. [Two important ones are] the time crunch for the Fifth Form honors kids and the different times [at which kids take the same test]. It’s almost as if you just literally said, “Look there’s no exams, period.” Then a lot of this would maybe become incidental, but I just wasn’t ready to do that. I just think [the old system] wasn’t a productive use of student-teacher contact time, but I’m only one person, and I happen to be sitting in a reasonably high-powered office, and the reality is, if students, faculty, and parents say, “This isn’t working,” then I need to listen. I haven’t heard that with as much unanimity as I expected, so we need to continue having conversations, and I will certainly include the student body in those conversations and make sure that what we intend to do next year will be announced before the summer break so it doesn’t take kids by surprise. ■

Page 4 The Index - News & Features February 2012

Jake Pechet ‘15

Drew Field ‘13

Participants in the Gentlemen’s’ Club at a basketball game on their “Ugly Holiday Sweater” night.

News & Features Mr. Green Sheds a Little Light on the Admin-istration’s Future Plans for Midterm Exams

Is “The Gentlemen’s Club” a Pioneer in School Spirit, or a Simply Inappropriate Organization?

The Index tracked down Mr. Green after his Big Room feedback session to get an update on his thoughts and those of the faculty and student body as a whole.

This poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students was taken via Facebook using SurveyMonkey during the week of February 13, 2012.

James Shecter

Dawn Blake

Index Staff

Mr. Green hard at work in his office as usual.

This year The Haverford Robotics Team 169, also known by their team name, “The Cavalry,” went out topple their next challenge, VEX Gateway. VEX Gateway consists of two teams on a single alliance each trying to score as many six-inch diameter balls and five-inch high by six-inch diameter barrels on each of the nine goals on the field. In addition to the nine goals formed by posts, there are four corner goals where everything touching the ground is one point. This year the field is split into two sections, an isolation zone and an interaction zone. Since the game is played two vs two, this means that one robot is in the isolation zone and one in the interaction zone per alliance. The isolation zones are again divided in the middle by an unmovable gate. Inside each isolation zone there is a corner goal, an 11.5 inch goal, a 20 inch goal, and a 30 inch high goal. In the interaction zone there

are two 11.5 inch high goals and two corner goals, as well as one 30 inch high goal. This means there is a total of four 11.5 inch goals, two 20 inch goals, and 3 30 inch high goals as well as four corner goals. However, the teams may lift gates at anytime during the match, thus allowing the robot in the isolation zone to move to the interaction zone. There are also specially colored barrels, one white one black. The white special barrel, the doubler barrel, doubles everything in a goal, while the negation barrel negates everything in the goal. There is another change this year: in previous years the robots that scored the most in autonomous mode, the first twenty seconds of the match where the robots control themselves, would be given a twenty point bonus. This year there is no automonous bonus; however, the first scoring object introduced into a goal is worth twice its value. Thus meaning a regular ball or barrel is worth one point, but when scored first in a goal it is worth two. This is a significant change and changes most everyone’s scoring strategies. Fifth Former Josh White commented on the new game, saying “It is interesting how the game changes from year to year, and this year we have to

pick up balls and barrels on different sized goals; even though some people do not like the new 3-zone field, I think it is an interesting way to make the game more challenging. These are some of the most significant changes in the new game this year.” This year, the Cavalry has expanded, forming six Upper School and three Middle School teams. The Cavalry has also continued to work with mentors Chuck Glick and Andrew Adaman, who both won mentor of the year at the World Championships the previous year. They have competed at many competitions, including The Haverford Stampede, The Middle School Regionals, The VEX Technomage League Finals, The Pennsylvania State Championships, and The Haverford Hootenanny. However, this year it is much harder to qualify for the World Championships. There were two events where winners qualified, the Pennsylvania State Championships, as well as the Technomage

league finals. At every other event only the excellence award qualifies, which is the most prestigious award given out to the best overall team at the event. This year VEX established ten beta-leagues spread across the globe. These leagues have

around three league events in which teams play matches and boost their rankings before a league final, in which the higher seeded teams

select another team with whom they would like compete. At the league finals, almost all the Haverford Teams were within the top twenty. Team 169F, the highest seeded Haverford team was selected by the third-ranked team. Team 169D was selected by the sixth-ranked team. Team 169E was seeded twelfth before selecting its eventual teammate, Team 169A. The 169A/169E alliance soon proved unstoppable, demolishing the competition, including a Middle School vs. Upper School semi-finals in which the Haverford Form I and II teams, 169Z and 169Y respectively, went up against the 169A and 169E alliance. 169 A and E won, and went on to the finals, where they would become the champions of the first ever VEX Technomage League Finals. This year the Cavalry also competed in the Pennsylvania State Championship. The

State Championship consisted of 80 teams from around the northeast, each competing to become the state champion. After a grueling

round of matches, Team 169A remained undefeated and was the highest Haverford team ranked at the competition. Team 169F closely followed them, followed again by team 169D. After a lot of picking and elimination

rounds, the alliance, which Team 169A captained, won the event, claiming the title of State Champions. So far the Cavalry has three teams qualified for the World Championship competition in Anaheim, California. Fourth Former William Ye has been thrilled with the success of his robot, after what he called

a “slow start”: “Right now the 169A team of [Fourth Former] Jonathan Paras, [Third Former] Tim Maguire, and [Sixth Former] Tadas Antanavicius, and myself have two tournament champion titles under our belts, including [a State Championship].The teams

[will soon compete] at the international championships at Anaheim, California.” Two of these three have come from winning events. So far The Cavalry has won The Stampede, The League Championships, The Pennsylvania State Championships, and The Haverford Hootenanny. The Cavalry has also received some prestigious awards, such as the Excellence Award awarded to the Form II team at the Pennsylvania Middle School Regionals. Also, at the Haverford Hootenanny, robot 169B won the Judges award. So far everyone has been very happy with the success of the team, none more so than Glick, who said, “I am extremely pleased with what the gentlemen have produced this year. They

have shown a great deal of knowledge and skill both on and off of the field; something that many other teams strive for and cannot attain.” ■

Evan Kuritzkes ‘13

Haverford Robotics Team Brings Home State Championship to Top Off Exceptional SeasonHaverford’s VEX Robotics team - “The Cavalry” - has dominated many of the tournaments it has entered. The season culminated with one of the team’s robots taking first place at the PA State Championship.

Page 5 The Index - News & Features February 2012

News & Features

Chris CompendioEventual State Champion robot 169A makes a move in a regional tournament.

Tina Salvitti

Haverford Middle School robot 169Z zooms around the field during “The Haverford Stampede.”

Second semester is the time when Sixth Formers begin to reminisce nostalgically about their Haverford years and to ponder

what legacy they will have left the Haverford community. Sixth Former Fitz Tepper has unequivocally left a legacy that will change the Haverford community in the foreseeable future. For the first time, a Haverford School app is now

available on the Apple App Store.

Tepper learned the fundamentals of software programming in Mr. Sweeney’s software development course first semester. However, he found that he had “to supplement the learning in class with up to a few hours a night after school,” because iPhone apps are made “in the language Objective-C, which is arguably the most complicated programming language there is.” In addition, Apple has not published any instructions or tips on how to make an app and assumes that each app developer has had at least five years of software developing experience. So, Tepper was forced to teach himself how to write apps in Objective-C, and he found that “making iPhone apps was extremely hard.” Despite these early hurdles, Tepper was determined to make an app available to the student body in the face of even more obstacles: his first draft was rejected by Apple. They replied that his app “lacked functionality,” so he went back to the drawing board and added some features, one being

the “faculty directory which allows you to email your teachers directly from the app.” In addition, his app has several other helpful features. For example, it provides the lunch menu for each month’s Upper and Middle School lunches. Fitz also noted, “I constantly saw students huddled around the big screens waiting for the daily schedule to come up. Now, the schedule is literally in every student’s pocket.” His app also provides students with the daily schedule. In response to students’ question, “What day is it tomorrow?” Tepper has added which cycle day it is, so students can “plan their days in advance.” Fitz’s main goal in creating the app was to fill “a gap in communication information between Haverford and its students.” Although the app has been released on the App Store, it is not a finished project. “I will try to add occasional feature updates,” acknowledges Fitz. He believes that his app is a work in progress that will change as the school and the needs of the students change. One update which he is working on in particular is the ability for a specific student to plug in their personal schedule to make the app customizable. That way, instead of the app saying A block, it will say Software Developing, or whatever the student’s class may be. This app has had a profound impact on the

Haverford student body. After its release, many a student could be seen using the app to see what time class started or what was for lunch that day. Fifth Former Niticon Davis says the app “is remarkably...

easy to use.” Tepper

has certainly left a mark on the Haverford community in the form of his Haverford app, which is available at either haverfordapp.com or the Apple App Store. He confidently notes that this will not be the last of his computer projects and encourages each Haverford student to try to make a difference in the Haverford community in his own way. ■

Page 6 The Index - News & Entertainment February 2012

Amar Patel ‘13

Continued from the Front Page

The language program has blossomed under Ms. Adkins’ leadership, becoming one of the best in the area even after reducing the number of languages it offered. Since 2008, Haverford has eliminated French and German from the department, but Ms. Adkins believes it was for the best: “There weren’t enough kids, honestly, to offer productive [curricula] and make it efficient for German and French students. However, we [in the language department] believe that the three languages we have right now cover the major time periods. Latin is the language of the past, Spanish the language of today, and Chinese is the language of the future.” Her point, while many agree is valid, cannot go unchallenged. In addition to arguing that French and German may be more important than Latin or even Chinese, some students also believe that taking an international language should take a backseat to adding another science class, or even taking two art-based courses. Fourth Former William Ye says, “Doubling a language seems like a lot of work and a little extraneous, and personally I enjoy music.” However, Ms. Adkins’ vision for the department has never been to diminish the importance of the arts, sciences, or even the English language but only to expose people to a whole different world, one that can only be experienced through learning a foreign language. She says, “Learning a foreign language is like no other experience. It has never been my intention to prevent people from pursuing more science or arts classes, but only to show students the benefits of a foreign language,” which, by Fifth Form, can be taken side-by-side, even doubled, with other arts and sciences. At the beginning of the fall semester, the members of the language department participated in a retreat of sorts, and several of the language teachers, including Lao Shi and Ms. Adkins, believe that it allowed them to focus the message of the program. Ms.

Adkins in particular says, “The value of learning a foreign language reaches beyond just being able to communicate with a person that is speaking another language. Because our curriculum is so rich in history and culture, it allows our Haverford boys to feel empathy, gain a broader understanding of the world, and appreciate differences more than they would otherwise.” A big reason for that shift in the teaching mindset has been caused by Ms. Adkins, who does not believe in preparing boys for only the SAT2s and AP exams that focus mainly on grammar. Her opinions on the nature of teaching languages have allowed the aforementioned rise in cultural knowledge gained by foreign language students. Ms. Sonya Hsieh, the Chinese teacher more commonly known as “Lao Shi,” remarked, “Ms. Adkins has really transformed our department and changed our image from what it was four or five years ago: a failing program that had little interest and even [fewer] success stories. Her strong, passionate voice has allowed the language department to become one of the best in the school, and more students are taking languages, and most importantly succeeding.” Today seems to be the dawn of a new day in Haverford’s language department. Ms. Adkins, in addition to expanding the size of classes and refining the curriculum, would like to implement more authentic experiences, such as trips and conversations with other language students. Since the number of people taking two languages has risen dramatically since she took over, there is now even more of an incentive to expand the program. However, not all of Ms. Adkins’ excellence is put towards the department. Many of her Latin students explain how her classes have taught them so much and how efficiently she teaches and explains culture. Fourth Former Terry Rossi says, “I love having Ms. Adkins as a teacher if only because of how much more knowledgeable I’ve become.” She has transformed a department, changed students, and been a successful faculty member on the whole. ■

News & Entertainment New Haverford App Arrives in App Store

Ms. Adkins Revolution-izing Language Dept.

Sixth Former Fitz Tepper has used the knowledge he ac-quired in Haverford’s new Software Programming course to create an iPhone application to be used as a tool by students and teachers alike.

This poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students was taken via Facebook using SurveyMonkey during the week of February 13, 2012.

James Shecter

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, written by Stephen Chbosky in 1999, is a novel about a shy, introverted teenager, who takes the pen-name “Charlie” to write anonymously about his life. It is written in a series of letters addressed to an unknown friend, which detail the narrator’s life. The book follows the incredibly intelligent Charlie as he goes from being a socially awkward, reclusive outcast, to someone who is able to find his own niche when he befriends two seniors named Samantha and Patrick, who in turn introduce him to their own special group of friends. Through meeting these friends, Charlie attends his first high school dances, parties, finds his first love, and also does many other things quintessential to the high school experience. The intended audience of the book is the young adult demographic. Chbosky creates a genuine depiction of the high school teenager’s

life. The epistolary form in which he chose to write this book takes on the feel of a diary, and I was at first slightly put off by this style, but as I continued to read, I found myself almost instantaneously connecting with

Charlie because of his honesty and empathy for others. Ultimately, this is a story about living life to its fullest and making the most of relationships with others. Chbosky creates a profoundly

moving tale of adolescence and coming of age, more relevant than ever to us as high school students. Its readers will find themselves empathizing with Charlie and rooting for him throughout the novel. They will feel swept up by his happiness when he recounts his good moments, and saddened by the hurt that feels Charlie when overwhelmed by depression and isolation. The conclusions that he draws about life and the human experience are insightful and very real. I would unquestionably recommend this book to every high school student. ■

Review: The Perks of Being a WallflowerAs part of his monthly column, Niticon Davis has chosen The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky as the subject of this issue’s featured book review.

Niticon Davis ‘13

Index StaffFitz Tepper is the author of the

Haverford App.

Index StaffAlready, the App has been downloaded by hundreds of users, the vast majority undoubt-

edly Haverford students.

Index StaffNiticon Davis continues his monthly book review column.

Haverford’s dark room has always been shrouded in mystery. Many Haverford students do not know what it is or what purpose it serves; some have never even heard of it. Other students say they have been inside but do not know exactly what it is that they see. So why the unawareness? For one, it is tucked away among the art classrooms (in the lower corner of the Upper School) where only artists can really see it. Even for an artist not involved in photography, it is hard to notice the rounded black door or to realize that it

leads to another room. Mr. Frock claims that it might be better that students do not all know about the room. By not advertising it so much, “We don’t have

students lined up, wanting to go through the [dark room’s] revolving door,” he says with a laugh. There has been a dark room in the art department for several years now. The current one was built during the

construction of the new Upper

School but only in the past couple of years has it started to get regular use. It is used for developing film from non-digital cameras, such as the 35mm and 50mm

types used by the photography class. The room is divided into a wet area and a dry area. The dry section contains an enlarger, a print easel, and safelights, as well as ventilation, a gray cabinet, and contrast filters. The enlarger is the device responsible for printing a negative onto paper. The desired photographs are cut from film and placed on the print easel under the enlarger to create a print and prepare for the development process. Safelights enable the photographer to see what he is doing without having light damage the sensitive paper. Safelights can be adjusted to various colors that will not react with each color’s corresponding sensitivity. The wet section is for development of photographs, or prints. It contains trays of

chemicals that prints soak in, a sink, and a drying rack. The chemicals used by Haverford’s photographers are Kodak D-76 developer (used for black and white photographs), Ilford concentrated liquid paper developer, and Ilford rapid fixer. After the prints soak, the chemicals are washed off in the sink and the image is then hung up to dry. Some light has

been on the mysterious inner workings dark room. At the same time, this article should not be seen as an invitation to stampede through its revolving door. ■

Welcome to the 60’s! Set during a time in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, Hairspray tells the tale of Tracy Turnblad – a plump, dancing teenager yearning for her moment in the spotlight. There is just one problem; who is going to give television airtime to an “imperfect” girl? On the nights of March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, Haverford will be putting on its production of the musical Hairspray. Hairspray began as a film written and directed by John Waters back in 1988, but was soon made much more popular by an award-winning Broadway musical adaptation in 2002. Today, it is perhaps best known for its more recent film version (2007) starring actors such as John Travolta, Zac Efron, and Queen Latifah. Why Hairspray for Haverford? Director of the show Mr. Matthew Cloran explained, “I wanted to do Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat but got a lot of negative feedback…we voted [between Joseph, Bye Bye Birdie, and Hairspray] and Hairspray was easily the top choice.” Mr. Cloran was not disappointed: “I love the music, the great story about Tracy and Edna Turnblad, and the civil rights [angle].” Now, Tracy (played by Agnes Irwin Junior Phoebe Smukler) will take to the stage at Centennial Hall to embark on her up-and-down journey towards unconditional integration – whether the offended party be of a different race or a greater weight. Along the way, she fights for Link Larkin’s (Sixth Former Zach Rego) heart, and attempts to overcome the self-interested antics of Amber Von Tussle (Baldwin Senior Michaela Shuchman) and her mother Velma Von Tussle (Baldwin Junior Charlotte Morris). Meanwhile, Tracy’s mother Edna (Sixth Former Rémi Yang) and father Wilbur (Sixth Former Dean Feinman) try to find their place in 60’s society, and Penny Pingleton (Lower Merion Sophomore Sarah Schieffelin) gradually forms her own relationship with Seaweed J. Stubbs (Sixth Former Dave Harris), much to the initial chagrin of her mother Prudy Pingleton (Agnes Irwin Senior Alicen Davis). All at a time when the entire African-American community, led by Seaweed’s mother Motormouth Maybelle (Agnes Irwin Freshman Nile Harris), is struggling to make its case for integration heard.

This cast has no shortage of talent and the storyline is evidently diverse enough to showcase it all. Additionally, Mr. Cloran expects the choreography in the show to be exceptional, as Fourth Former Toney Goins has undertaken the task of co-choreographing the show. Rémi Yang agrees, “Prepare to be amazed by Toney Goins’ exciting choreography [as well as Fourth Former] Jake Cohen’s flashy set design.” But there are also particular characters and scenes to keep a look out for. “Rémi Yang playing Edna Turnblad is going to be a very cool part of the show. It’s not a guy in drag, he’s actually playing this woman,” offers Mr. Cloran. Of his perplexing role, Yang notes, “The challenge in playing Edna lies in balancing between femininity and masculinity, without exaggerating Edna’s feminine side. Also, it has been tough taking on the presence and mannerisms of a much larger person.” Sixth Former Pat Meehan, who plays the role of Corny Collins the TV host of “The Corny Collins Show,” added, “[Make sure you] watch Dave Harris playing Seaweed during [the musical number] ‘Run and Tell That.’ It’s a really energetic song and the dancing’s really advanced, yet he’s singing the whole time…I think the song is going to be a showstopper.” And Dave Harris believes, “the combination of sixty plus people lindying in unison will surely be a sight to see.” While the show itself will be undoubtedly captivating, what is perhaps just as fascinating is the work that goes on behind the scenes. Throughout the countless hours of rehearsing and all the memorization and work that goes into perfecting every scene, Mr. Cloran finds some of the greatest challenges to be “keeping 64 teenagers quiet [during rehearsals]” and “dealing with the cast’s many conflicts [with rehearsal times].” He goes on to say, “Still, when the lights go up on opening night, and the audience is having a great time, you usually forget the heartache you experienced on the way. That said, I am planning on doing a smaller musical next year to give myself a breather.” And Mr. Cloran’s favorite part of the whole process? “Watching an actor grow in a part or watching people who have never been on stage have their first experience in a big show like this. For example, I really enjoy watching [Sixth Formers] Geoff Bocobo, Tadas Antanavicius, and the other guys who are doing the show for the first time….Watching

Rémi, Phoebe, Pat, Zach and the other actors grow in their parts is also very satisfying.” Everyone takes part in the show for different reasons. Some do it as part of their long-standing dedication to the drama department; others do it just to try something new. Harris explains his involvement, “I’ve been doing every Haverford show since Peter Pan in 6th grade and…I keep coming back for many reasons: the people are awesome, the shows are terrific, and the entire process is just a stressful good time. “ Ensemble member and Fifth Former Max Schmidt echoes Harris’s reasoning, noting that putting the show together “is a great time with great people.” In fact, it seems that one of the greatest takeaways from the experience of being in a Haverford musical is the unforgettable cast that you get to spend time with. Meehan

opines, “The best part about being in Hairspray is the atmosphere among the cast and the professionalism,” and Harris agrees, “The cast and the people you get to be around are one of the most fun aspects of the show.” Harris also believes, “If you [a Haverford student] have not done a play or musical up to this point then you have made a mistake. You are missing out on one of the greatest, yet under-appreciated, aspects of Haverford. After doing a show you will come out a more confident, more understanding, and overall better person. Working hard for two months and performing in front of a huge crowd will do that to you.” Come out and support the hard work of the Hairspray cast, and don’t forget to turn off your cellphones – it really means a great deal to Mr. Cloran and the cast! ■

Tadas Antanavicius ‘12

The entrance to the mysterious Upper School dark room.

Haverford Production of Hairspray in the Works

Page 7 The Index - Arts & Entertainment February 2012

Arts & Entertainment

Hairspray, a story revolving around the civil rights move-ment in the 1960’s, will be performed at Centennial Hall on March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Mysterious Dark Room Remains Lightly Used

Will TackettThis poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students was taken via Facebook using

SurveyMonkey during the week of February 13, 2012.

James Shecter

Will Tackett ‘14

Editor’s Note: This article was written prior to February 26, 2012.

The 2011-2012 awards season ends February 26th when the 84th Academy Awards are presented. Hosted by eight-time host Billy Crystal, this year’s Oscar ceremony will celebrate the best in film in 2011, from the big blockbusters and the lesser-known obscure

movies, to the unsung heroes of film-making through the technical awards. After last year’s disastrous experiment of having actors James Franco and Anne Hathaway host the ceremony, the Academy is looking to play it safer with perennial host Billy Crystal, who took the job after original host Eddie Murphy dropped out. This year’s nominees come with surprises and snubs, with an unexpected surprise from two nominations for the raunchy comedy

Bridesmaids and a pleasant surprise in veteran actor Gary Oldman’s first nomination. On the other hand, snubs included Ryan Gosling, who starred in three critically acclaimed films in 2011 (The Ides of March, Drive, and Crazy, Stupid, Love); The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for Best Picture; and the final Harry Potter film for any major categories. Another disappointment is the Best Original Song category, which only has two contenders, neither of which is notable or will be

performed in the ceremony. Looking at other significant awards shows this year, including the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, and the SAGs, The Artist is expected to win big, as well as actors Jean Dujardin, Viola Davis, Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer. There have been few surprises in previous Oscar ceremonies, but still look forward to an interesting and hopefully more entertaining awards show. That being said, here are the nine nominees for Best Picture.

Chris Compendio ‘12

Arts & EntertainmentPage 8 The Index - Arts & Entertainment February 2012

Compendio Reviews the Academy Award Nominations for Best Picture

The ArtistThis romantic drama set in Hollywood in the late 20’s/early 30’s is about silent film actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) who’s career and life falls apart after the rise of sound films and the stock market crash. As a tribute to the genre, the film itself is a silent film, presented in black and white and with almost no dialogue. The story is still comprehensible and entertaining due to the leads’ powerful performances, making this one of the more unique films of 2011. Having already won big in other awards shows, The Artist is seen as the frontrunner for Best Picture this year.Other nominations: Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Actor (Jean Dujardin), Best Supporting Actress (Bérénice Bejo), Best Original Screenplay (Hazanavicius), Best Original Score (Ludovic Bource), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film EditingRotten Tomatoes score: 97%Chances?: Very High

The DescendantsFrom the writer and director of the 2004 film Sideways is The Descendants, a comedy-drama about a father (George Clooney) trying to repair his relationships with his two daughters after his wife is put in a coma after an accident. He discovers that his wife was cheating on him and takes his daughters with him on a trip to find her lover. During this time, he looks back and reevaluates his life. Like Sideways, The Descendants looks on the unpredictability and complexities of everyday life using humor and its cast’s powerful performances. Having won a Golden Globe for Best Picture (Drama), this film still has a chance at taking the top prize.Other nominations: Best Director (Alexander Payne), Best Actor (George Clooney), Best Adapted Screenplay (Payne), Best Film EditingRotten Tomatoes score: 89%Chances?: High

Extremely Loud and Incredibly CloseBased on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, this film follows a nine-year old boy (Thomas Horn) two years after his father (Tom Hanks) was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. As he tries to make sense of his father’s death, he searches for a lock that matches the key for a scavenger hunt his father left behind. Having received mixed to negative reviews from critics, being called overly sentimental, this nomination was seen as a surprise and is very unlikely to win over the other films nominated.Other nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Max von Sydow)Rotten Tomatoes score: 45%Chances?: Very Low

The HelpAlso based on a novel. The Help is about two African-American maids (Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer) and a young white woman (Emma Stone) in the 1960’s as the three form an unlikely friendship. Taking place during the Civil Rights movement, the film follows the three as they start a secret writing project meant to detail the hardships that African-American maids go through in everyday life. While well-reviewed, the film is mostly thought to only be carried by its performances and will most likely only make a splash in the acting categories of the awards.

Other nominations: Best Actress (Viola Davis), Best Supporting Actresses (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer)Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%Chances?: ModerateHugoDirected by legendary film director Martin Scorsese and based on the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, this family film is about a boy named Hugo who lives alone in a train station in 1930’s Paris, who is trying to repair a broken automaton that his deceased father left behind. On his adventure, Hugo encounters many colorful characters, including a toy store owner and his goddaughter. Like The Artist, Hugo acts as a tribute to the art of film-making but shows admiration for it rather than purely emulating it. Magical, emotional, and with a good use of 3D, this film was well received and could end up stealing the Best Picture win.Other nominations: Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Adapted Screenplay (John Logan), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Visual EffectsRotten Tomatoes score: 93%Chances?: High

Midnight in ParisWritten and directed by Woody Allen, this romantic comedy centers on a group of Americans visiting Paris. Gil Pender, a screenwriter (Owen Wilson), is engaged to be married, but his relationship with his fiancée goes through a transformation during this trip as they find that they have incompatible views on life. Charming, clever, and taking advantage of what Paris has to offer, this film is a classic Woody Allen film. However, while it is bound to win awards for its writing, this film is unlikely to stand on top of the front runners for the Best Picture category.Other nominations: Best Director (Woody Allen), Best Original Screenplay (Allen), Best Art DirectionRotten Tomatoes score: 93%Chances?: Moderate

War HorseAnother film from a legendary director, Steven Spielberg, this film based on a novel and stage play of the same name. It takes place during the First World War and follows a young man who tames and builds a special friendship with his horse Joey. He and Joey are separated when Joey is sold to the cavalry, and the film mostly follows the horse as he touches the lives of various other people he encounters. Emotional and undeniably “Speilbergian,” War Horse received good reviews but was still thought by many critics and moviegoers to be too long and overly sentimental. This makes a Best Picture win unlikely.Other nominations: Best Original Score (John Williams), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Art Direction, Best CinematographyRotten Tomatoes score: 77%Chances?: Low

MoneyballBased on a true story, this sports film tells the story of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, and his assistant Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) as they come up with a more analytical and unconventional method of finding players to assemble a team. With great performances from Pitt and Hill, and a script touched up by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network), Moneyball is a sharp, fast-paced, funny, and well-acted film. It is a baseball film with little baseball and turns an unlikely subject into an entertaining film. But like Midnight in Paris, it is more likely to receive awards for its writing rather than in the major categories.Other nominations: Best Actor (Brad Pitt), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Best Adapted Screenplay (Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin), Best Sound Mixing, Best Film EditingRotten Tomatoes score: 94%Chances?: Moderate

The Tree of LifeProbably the most complex and difficult Best Picture nominee to watch, this drama by Terrence Malick looks at the beginning and the meaning of life through the childhood memories from the 1950’s of a middle-aged man (Sean Penn) living in the present day. These flashbacks follow his relationship with his family, including his father (Brad Pitt). While many agree that the film is innovative and visually stunning, critics were divided over this film, being called “mad and magnificent” but also “self-absorbed” and “pretentious.” These polarized reactions make this nomination for Best Picture a surprise and is the reason that this film is unlikely to win.Other nominations: Best Director (Terrence Malick), Best CinematographyRotten Tomatoes score: 84%Chances?: Low

Many Haverford students can count themselves proficient in some sort of creative pursuit: writing, painting, or sculpting. But Sixth Former Charles Mueller’s artistic talent is particularly impressive because of its sheer depth. A self-professed art lover since Lower School, Mueller has watched his command over the crafts – mainly poetry and painting – evolve over many years. One of his first memories loving art was in Lower School teacher Ms. Jenny Waring’s class where the class made “class monsters and…abstract project ideas.” Mueller considers his first flavors of a personal style to date back to Middle School. In fact, in those three years he began to use painting “as a means of expressing [himself].” Not only was he beginning to make the craft his own, but he was also receiving praise from his teachers and peers, earning him the Excellence in Art Award

in his Form II year. This award motivated him to continue in the visual arts during his Third Form year. Overall, Mueller credits his current artistic prowess to Mr. Chris Fox who taught him the “hard work, patience, and dedication” that make certain artists great. During this painting progression, Mueller

had found a second creative passion in poetry. Beginning around the time of his parents’ divorce, he “used poetry to deal with my emotions in a positive light. [As] opposed to bottling up my emotions, I let them out using pen on paper.” As he privately practiced writing during Middle School, his poetry

primarily reflected his “emotional state” at the time. But once in Upper School he began to branch out. He found a home in the Poetry Club, run by then-English teacher Mr. Laird Kopp, during his Third Form year. Mueller credits the club with instilling in him the

confidence to share personal poems as well as providing a comfortable and safe environment. Hearing constructive criticism regarding each poem, his poetry developed significantly thanks to these years. Mueller is happy to serve as co-leader of the Poetry Club this year. With this responsibility, he hopes to positively influence the perception of art, and in particular poetry, at Haverford. Many artists struggle with inspiration, so Mueller is fortunate to frequently have blossoming ideas. For his paintings, these sparks usually come from beautiful natural landscapes. Mueller considers this so because he savors “the time that [he spends] in picturesque scenes like the vast Montana mountains or the placid bay of Cape Cod.” Nonetheless, he does not limit himself, and he also paints flowers or still-lifes. His poetry now comes from a more diverse set of sources. For example, he recently wrote “For Sylvia,” which commemorates the late

Sylvia Plath, who wrote the poem “Mirror.” His favorite genre of music, Country, inspired him to write “The Heart of Country.” He also reminisced of his childhood with a comedic poem about pillow forts called “My Cushion Fortress.” Despite this variation in sources, Mueller

notes, “Often times, I can quickly think of my first three stanzas of a sad poem in my head, but only a [thought] or an idea will come to me for a happy one…I have always found that it is easier for me to write sorrowful poems than... happy poems.” Students and faculty should

check out Mueller’s personal favorites of

his collection. Of his poems, he is most proud of “For Sylvia,” “The Heart of Country,” and “A Big Sky to Remember.” His favorite paintings are two recent ones: his portrayal of a magnolia and one that he completed at the Montana artist retreat. Younger artists in needs of advice should seek out Mueller as someone who has spent years dedicated to improving his craft. ■

I have always wondered what our parents do when we are at school. Sometimes it feels like they just meet each other for coffee or lunch. One of the hot spots for Main Line parents around Haverford is Du Jour, which is located within walking distance from The Haverford School at 379 Lancaster Avenue. I decided to check out the world of over-priced salads for this edition of “Eating with Sam.” I went to Du Jour on a Saturday afternoon, and it was packed. After finding a table, I ordered a Caesar salad and a burger. From previous Du Jour experiences, I knew that the portions were small and that a single dish would not fill me up, but I would recommend that most eaters stick to one item. After waiting for nearly fifteen minutes, my food finally came. The Caesar salad was pretty good, but it is tough for me to imagine paying nine dollars for a salad with no chicken in it. Yes, a little bit of lettuce with some dressing and two croutons costs nine dollars. To me, this is borderline absurd, but the fact that the salad tastes good makes me feel slightly better. The lettuce is chopped very thinly, unlike any other

salad I have eaten. Although this bothered me at first, I found the diced lettuce to be quite enjoyable, as it keeps the lettuce from getting doused in dressing and soggy. The salad is

topped with a creamy dressing. Creamy Caesar salad dressings are often too heavy, but the dressing in Du Jour is surprisingly light. Du Jour also puts two long, crispy croutons on the salad, which I found to be delicious. Although

I ate one before I touched the rest of the salad, I saved the second one for the end and soaked up the extra dressing with it, making it even better than the first. It is a small-sized salad, especially, but, overall, the salad was tasty but overpriced.

I then moved on to

my burger. Similarly, despite the its wonderful taste, I found it to be overpriced. I was satisfied by my burger with cheddar cheese. The bun

was a nice fresh piece of bread. Personally, I prefer my bun-to-burger ratio to be on the low side; however, Du Jour’s burger is a little on the high side. I still enjoyed the bread, even though I there was a little too much of it. The burger itself was tasty piece of prime beef. I ordered mine medium, and it came out perfectly. In addition, the cheese was not just your average cheese. It was more flavorful and sharper than most. The juicy burger combined with the great cheese makes for an excellent experience. My only issue with the burger is the $13.50 price tag, which is just a little steep. Still, the burger is excellent and worth trying. Du Jour has many options other than the those I tried on my most recent visit. In the past, I have had their pizza and paninis. Both of these are also good choices when you try Du Jour. The pizza has medium thick crust with a crisp bottom, which complements the delicious sauce and cheese nicely. The paninis are all tasty as well. The panini bread is good, but the size of the paninis are too small for my taste. If you order a panini, it is probably a good idea to get a salad to complement it. Overall, Du Jour is a great place to grab a bite to eat. I can see why the Main Line parents visit it so frequently. The price range is a little out of a high school student’s budget, but the quality of the food is very high. So, take a walk across Lancaster Avenue and give Du Jour a try. ■

Grayson Sessa ‘13

Sam Bloch ‘13

Arts & EntertainmentPage 9 The Index - Arts & Entertainment February 2012

Charles Mueller is the Latest Artist of the Issue

“Eating With Sam” at Haverford Square’s Du JourFor this edition of Eating with Sam, Sam Bloch took a trip down the road to Du Jour on Lancaster Ave. What did he find?

Charles Mueller“Big Timber Montana” by Charles Mueller - the finished product.

Charles Mueller“Big Timber Montana” by Charles Mueller - an early phase in painting.

Index Staff

The Du Jour on Lancaster Avenue.

This poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students (Fifth and Sixth Formers were asked to omit this question) was taken via Facebook using SurveyMonkey during the week of February 13, 2012.

Honor Council Update

Greetings from the Honor Council. Recently with the help of the Character Mentorship Program, the Honor Council visited the Middle School for the second time to educate them on the hearing process. The Honor Council plans on meeting with the Second Form once more to answer any questions before joining our community. Overall the visits have earned positive feedback as these young men learn about character. The Honor Council is also working on designing a sheet for the jurors that help with the hearings. These sheets, available the night before a hearing, will answer any basic

questions about one’s role as a juror. The Honor Council is also preparing for our annual Honor Day. With a couple different ideas for speakers, we plan on making it an exciting day to learn about different honor codes around the area. As a reminder, the elections for the Honor Council are around the corner. In the coming months people who would like to join the Honor Council will need to write a letter on why they would like to join and then go through an interview process. Classmates will then vote on their form’s Honor Council representatives. Thanks for keeping our community filled with respect, honesty, and courage. ■

The Honor Council wants to get word out about a change in the juror system for trials, and notes that elections for new Honor Council members are coming soon.

James Shecter

Chris DiBello ‘12

Sixth Former Ron Tassoni during a wrestling match versus Episcopal Academy.

Wrestling is not only an individual sport, where the athlete is on the mat by himself, but also a team sport where a group comes together to achieve victory. The Haverford School wrestling team has truly come together this year, and it is clear that its hard work has paid off. Ranging from Third Formers to Sixth Formers, this year’s team both puts in the effort on and off the mat and has striven to

reach high goals and expectations.. The much anticipated season opener came against Malvern Prep. In recent years this match has seemed liked an easy win. Ever since Coach Kennett took over the team, the Fords have not lost to Malvern, but this year was a little closer than usual. Because there were a couple forfeits, every single match was much more important. The Fords took control of the match after back-to-back-to-back wins from Sixth Former Rémi Yang, Fifth Former Vince Bellwoar, and Sixth Former Dean Feinman led the Fords to a 42-36 victory. The next Inter-Ac match came against Penn Charter, and Third Formers L.J. Barlow and Jack Gola stepped up, both winning their own matches, helping Haverford take a 57-21 victory and making them 2-0 in the Inter-Ac. The team then moved on to face Episcopal

Academy. This match truly showed the heart of the team after winning eight matches and experiencing a game-changing win from Sixth Former Chris DiBello. With this 36-30 win the Fords not only kept their undefeated Inter-Ac season alive, but also moved up the rankings to fourth place. The Fords then faced Chestnut Hill Academy, and they could not be stopped. Wins from Third Formers Chauncey Simmons, Nick

Gallo, and Ben Quan helped lead the fords to a 57-9 win, positioning the Fords with a chance at the Inter-Ac title. More importantly, the team is constantly pushing each other to become better wrestlers and a better overall team. Although the Fords did not go onto win the Inter-Ac, they did finish the season at second place with a 4-1 Inter-Ac record and an overall record of 15-5. The Fords had great leadership from Sixth Formers DiBello, Zach Rego, Feinman, Ron Tassoni, Yang, Dylan Anderson, and Zach Trauger. The season is not over for the Fords. Finishing sixth place in the state tournament and qualifying seven wrestlers for nationals, the Fords are still pushing forward. This season has had its up sand downs, but all will agree that it was a success. ■

Haverford’s Winter Track team has had a very successful 2011-2012 season. While some student athletes’ seasons are over, others are still refining their skills for either the State Championships or the Meet of Champions. Fifth Former Lucas Elek and Sixth Former Geoff Bocobo have successfully qualified for the state meet in the 400-meter and 800-meter respectively, and the 4x200 team of Fifth Formers Andrew Weiner, Matt Galetta, Chris Morgan and Bocobo qualified for the Meet of Champions. Morgan says, “Our relay team ran a pretty good time and finished .6 seconds off the state qualifying time.” He notes that Bocobo “was hampered by a minor injury” but will be back for the State Championship. According to Bocobo, injuries also prohibited Elek from racing in the 800 meter and mile. Other notable accomplishments include Sixth Former Brendan Purcell earning medals in the high hurdles, and the 4x800 team of Fifth Former Colin Meehan, Sixth Former Jack Meehan, and Fifth Formers Faasel Khan and Sawyer Warden receiving a medal at the Delco Meet. Additionally, Sixth Former Paxton Moore has been running well in the 400m throughout the season, Sixth Former Will Gural has made several finals in various meets for the 55m dash, and Third Formers Alex Keszeli and James Greytok have done well in the long sprint events as well. Last year’s campaign did not fare nearly as well. During the 2010-2011 school year, no runners from the Haverford School winter track team qualified for the State Championships or the Meet of Champions. Coach Dr. William Ehrhart explained that this

was not the case this season because “We have a great sense of camaraderie on the squad with a spirited group of Sixth Formers leading the way.” The Sixth Formers, according to Coach Bryan Skelly, “did a great job of organizing the younger guys and keeping all working

hard…and of keeping [underclassmen] included and running fast.” Despite the fact that the Sixth Formers have led the group to new heights, other contributing factors have helped the squad as well. Fourth Former Faasel Khan explained, “Everyone has been willing to run.” He commented that if there had not been so much effort shown during practice, “The coaches could have lost interest, and we would not have been able to do so well.” Hard work at practice was certainly the norm for the team, who often had workouts or long runs to

help them get in better shape. Third Former Dan Lyons commented that “The team

worked hard the whole season and has showed good improvement…the hard work paid off in the meets.” But will this year’s success translate into an even better season next year? Coach Ehrhart believes so. “We’ll be losing some very good Sixth Formers, but we’ve got more depth this year than I can ever remember.” Coach Skelly also believed the future was bright for the winter track program. “Moving forward, we have to retain talented young athletes. Track is very much a numbers game, [but] we always have strong top-end runners.” Although the State Championships and Meet of Champions have yet to occur, Coach Skelly said that this season was exceptional because “Any time we get a chance to go to Penn State for the State Meet, the year is a success.” Best of luck to the winter track team at State Championships and Meet of Champions. ■

Matt Larson ‘14 Connor Atkins ‘15

Continued from the Front Page

Landolfi’s reasons for choosing Lafayette were particularly intriguing. He will be vying for the starting shortstop job since “the shortstop this year for Lafayette is a senior and will be graduating.” He went on to say, that Lafayette’s Head Baseball Coach Kinney “told me the spot would be up for grabs and that I would be given an opportunity to prove myself.” Collegiate sports can be intense and compelling. NCAA affairs are continually covered by news teams and websites for primarily positive reports, but every few years, a scandal arises. What occurred this past year at Pennsylvania State University will forever be embedded in the minds of those at the college, the alumni, and its countrywide fan base. Some prospective Penn State athletes, not just in football, rescinded their commitments when the news of the scandal broke out. Would Haverford athletes respond in the same manner if a similar event occurred at the school they have selected? Landolfi and Rohr immediately responded that they would revoke their commitments because, in Landolfi’s words, a scandal like that “brings into question the character and morality of the coaches at that school.” McBride is not sure what he would do, but he “would have definitely have to rethink [his] decision with [his] family.” Jamgochian said that it “wouldn’t bother” him, and that he would “instead take the opportunity to take a starting position even earlier while

everyone else’s head is down.” One might think that athletic talent provides a shortcut through the college process or a way not to worry about academics. Having learned of the top-notch GPA and SAT/ACT score requirements these four athletes had to fulfill before their commitments were verified, one’s opinion is easily changed. Having asked Jamgochian, McBride, Landolfi, and Rohr whether school had become more relaxed for them since committing, I expected a slurry of stories about care-free nights and stress-free days. My expectations were off. McBride replied, “In no way has school become easier or more relaxing after my commitment. Princeton requires a tremendous amount of work to maintain the grades and attain the scores that are needed to get through admissions, and the commitment I have is basically just a handshake.” Though he did add, “It is nice to only focus on one place knowing that most likely that will be my future school.” “Lafayette has a great academic reputation so to even be considered for the school, I had to achieve a high GPA and standardized test scores,” Landolfi replied. “I had a 3.8 during the process. I struggle with standardized tests, but managed to [do well] on the ACT.” Jamgochian simplified the athletes’ unified feelings, “[College athletic programs] still value grades more than anything.” The athletes told me that each of their respective coaches played instrumental roles in initiating contact with colleges and securing the commitments, but what role do the actual

college counselors play? “College counselors talk to college coaches and admissions officers to advocate for the students, just like we do for all students,” Mr. Cousins informed. “If a coach is telling a student it looks like he will be admitted, the college counselors then call our admissions representative to make sure that the coach has the approval from admissions.” Mr. Cousins additionally believes that athletic superstars receive “no more [boost in the College Process] than legacies and other students who are considered ‘special interest applicants.’” This is because,

according to Mr. Cousins, “Every college has unique ‘institutional needs,’ and these needs change from year to year.” From the first call, email, or letter a student athlete receives, a team effort to secures eventual full commitment: the coaches, college counselors, and most importantly the students must work themselves to the bone to achieve their desired result. For some of these student athletes, college athletics is simply the next logical step towards professional sports. Maybe Haverford’s future student body will be playing as star lineman Grant Jamgochian ‘12

in Madden 2018 or as golden-glove

shortstop Andrew Landolfi ‘12 in MLB 2K20. We will have to wait and see. ■

Third Former James Greytok runs in a relay at a meet at Glen Mills.

SportsPage 10 The Index - Sports February 2012

Winter Track Eyes An-other Successful Season

Wrestling Reaches 2nd Place in Inter-Ac

Athletes Commit to College before Sixth Form Year

Fifth Former Brett Campbell has committed to Georgetown.Jim Roese

Jim Roese

Jim Roese

The 2011-2012 basketball season for the Fords has been one of surpassing expectations. The Fords were projected to be fourth in the Inter-Ac, and they were not even considered for a state ranking. Every practice since the beginning of the season was centered on the ideas of expecting to win, figuring out how to win, and getting nothing less than what was expected. Recently, the team has been in serious competition for the Inter-Ac championship race with Germantown Academy, Malvern Prep, and Penn Charter. Until last Friday, Haverford was leading the race and, if not for a one-point loss to Germantown Academy, most likely would have ended up on top. How could a team that was expected to place fourth be in a spot to win? The Haverford Basketball team has been going out every day and proving that they are better than what everyone else thought and maybe even the best in league.

If one listens to the huddle talks or what the team says before breaking, one will understand the large goals of the team. After Coach Henry Fairfax beckons, “1,2,3,” the team often shouts back statements like “championship,” “finish,”

or “win.” These cheers have been chanted since the first game against New Beginnings and have continued even during the great three-point win over Malvern. The Fords have always remained focused on their lofty long-term goals without letting little things get in the way. The basketball team has played several high-ranking opponents this year and have even challenged and beaten many. Malvern’s basketball team was undefeated, top five in the state, and first in the league

when the Fords took them into double over time and beat them by three. Along with the great fan support, the team managed to pull off the upset with contributions from many. The two players who contributed the most were Sixth Formers Ray Hollman and Zach Thomas. Thomas was able to knock down several key three point shots while Ray locked down last year’s Inter-Ac MVP Brendan Kilpatrick to two points in the second half. These two were not the only ones

who performed that game: the team as whole came together to win the game to prove that they are what everyone thinks they are not, a championship-caliber basketball team. Haverford went into her next game against Penn Charter expecting even more, considering that they had put themselves in a spot to be the best in the league. Coach Fairfax stressed that the game, and every Inter-Ac game from there on, would be a championship game. Despite Penn Charter coming out strong, Haverford battled and almost ran the Charter team off its own court. If not for a second technical on Sixth Former Tao Xu, Haverford probably would have won by 20 but still finished with a good win, 62-52. Unfortunately this second technical (for excessive celebration) banned Tao from playing in the next game against Germantown, who would beat the Fords in a 60-59 nail-biter. Despite this, Haverford still has a chance to get the Inter-Ac title, but it is no longer a lock. The Haverford squad has had many

highlights and unexpected performances that have helped the team inch closer to its goals. Haverford has five wins in the Inter-Ac beating Malvern, Penn Charter twice, Chestnut Hill, and Episcopal. The win against Episcopal was probably most enjoyable because the game was a rout and had great support from the Gentlemen’s Club dressed in “jorts.” Other highlights have included Fifth Former Sema’j Reed’s 23 point, 14 rebound performance against GA, Third Former Eric Anderson’s dunk against Boys Latin (which now can be found on YouTube), Fifth Former James Tarte’s double digit rebound performance against St. Stephen’s, and many other great showings from Third Formers Sammy Foreman and Shawn Alston. Despite these individual performances, each player on the team and the coaches will tell you that as long as the team gets the win, it does not matter who had a good game and who shot well, just that the job was done. ■

Trevor Atkins ‘13

Tae Xu goes for a jump ball in action against Malvern Prep.

In a basketball game against Malvern Prep, Thomas goes up for a shot.

SportsPage 11 The Index - Sports February 2012

The Fords have always taken pride in their basketball program, constantly competing for the Inter-Ac Championship and succeeding both on and off the court. However, before the season began, there was not the drive or the hype that is normally felt for a high school basketball team, which is most likely due to a disappointing end to last year’s season. This year’s team brought the Fords’ fan base and area parents to life because of the rookies, the first-year players who impacted the team in ways no one could imagine. Third Form point guard Sammy Foreman was one of five players who had not suited up for Varsity previous to the season and who ended with quite the memorable year. The 5’11” Philadelphia native came to the Fords a Second Former and immediately brought himself much attention from the basketball program after doing extremely well for the Middle School Varsity team. His ability to handle the ball and to finish placed him onto the starting lineup of the Fords under the new head coach Mr. Henry Fairfax. From day one, Foreman impacted every game, scoring with ease as he helped the Fords have a quick start into the season. Foreman additionally helped Haverford in early non-conference play when he hit an incredible game winner, giving the Fords a win against The Hill School 42-40 and had a team high of 21 points to win the Don McBride Classic against Frankford High School. Haverford opened up the 2011-2012 season 8-1 because Foreman and his teammates, Fifth Formers Tao Xu and Sema’j Reed, Sixth Formers Zach Thomas and Rashaan Hollman, and Third Formers Eric Anderson and Shaun Alston, were able to dominate in almost every game. As the season progressed, the young guard slowly matured through some tough games and was able to lower his turnovers and to share the ball more productively, allowing him to

finish with the most assists on the team, racking up 83 total and averaging 3.8 a game. Another impressive stat would include his team-leading total steals of 41, which created many fast break points. Foreman is also on target for 1000 points in his high school career, finishing the season with 246, averaging about

11.2 per game. For Foreman, winning is what matters. In every game he plays, he puts 100% of his effort to help team defeat the opposing squad. So what makes Sammy such a force in the Inter-Ac? Could it be his ability to score when it seems physically impossible to put the ball in hoop? Or is it his leadership on and off the court or his ability to play through injuries? Most would say what separates him from the rest of the pack is his athleticism and his ability to make something out of nothing on a consistent basis. Foreman

constantly displays pure strength going

through three defenders and finishing with a reverse lay-up or saving a basketball that is well out of bounds and then dishing it to another teammate for an easy bucket. Although Sammy is incredibly gifted and helps the team tremendously, he is not the only one who gave Haverford the upper hand in fourteen games. Sammy has a knack for the hoop like no other. He has an incredibly bright future playing the point with the Fords. Although the Gentlemen’s Club will not be shouting the “He’s a freshman” chant next year, they will definitely be exited to see their poised guard on the court wearing number four. ■

Haverford Basketball Goes Beyond Expectations

Basketball Analysis: Third Former Sam Foreman

Jim Roese

Jim Roese

Name: Sammy ForemanGrade: Third FormHeight: 5’11”Position: PGPPG: 11.2 (Total: 246)APG: 3.8 (Total: 83)FG%: 51%Steals Per Game: 1.9 (Total: 41)

Logan Atkins ‘15

Foreman blows by a Malvern defender.Jim Roese

Following a somewhat disappointing 2010-2011 season, this year’s Haverford Swimming and Diving team, coached by Mr. Sean Hansen, Mr. Brendan Jones, Mr. Kevin Van Such, and Mr. Justin Gaudreau, had high hopes for this year’s 2011-2012 season. Although they are led by what is arguably the strongest Sixth Form class in history, the Swimming and Diving team is also fortunate to have lots of depth in its underclassmen. The All-Star cast of Sixth Formers includes Andrew Helber, Connor O’Prey, Kevin Zipf, Jimmy Orsini,

Davis Schwenke, Max Whitehead, Matt Luminais and Jimmy Ryan. They along with Fifth Former Jimmy Jameson and Fourth Former Dan McGrath, are the real reason this Swimming and Diving season is so special. Shattering a ground-breaking 13 school records in the regular season alone, this year’s Swimming and Diving program has left a

permanent mark in Haverford athletic history. The season began with two victories over Inter-Ac opponents Penn Charter and Episcopal Academy. Following the two relatively easy victories, the Fords team was left to face its two most formidable opponents: Germantown Academy and Malvern Prep. Although it was a tough loss to the perennial

powerhouse Germantown Academy, the Fords were not disheartened because the entire team put up a good fight, making it one of the closest meets with GA in years. They also knew they had their biggest fight ahead of them in the coming weeks. Episcopal Academy may be Haverford’s ancestral rivalry; however, it is always the

showdowns with Malvern Prep that, in recent years, are the most important and competitive for many of Haverford’s sports teams. The legendary match-up between Haverford and Malvern was even further intensified not only because of the incident in the fall between the Water Polo teams, but also because Haverford had its most powerful and deep lineup ever.

Continued on Page 13

With The Haverford School Ice Hockey team recently concluding their regular season, it is safe to say that the team has performed excellently although they have encountered a few negatives. Despite issues such as staying out of the penalty box, dropping close, winnable games after leading, and having to deal with injuries, the Fords have fought through and made this season a success. However, the competitive success cannot take away from the collective effort the team put in on the practice rink. They started off on a bad note, losing a close game to Ridley and then tying Germantown Academy. In both of these games, the Fords played very well and controlled the game, outnumbering the opposing team in shots and other important categories, but neither time did they come out with a W. After losing badly to the Hun School, they then dropped one more nail-biter to rival Malvern, 3-2. Then, something started clicking for the Fords, despite their win-less record and their 0-2-1 league record. They would soon make an amazing comeback to get back into the picture. Three years ago, Haverford brought on fresh leadership with a new coach Mr. Tom Clark. When Reid Blynn, a Sixth Form Captain who has played Haverford Hockey since second grade was asked how the last few years of hockey have been, he answered, “When I was in eighth grade, the team got a new coach. This was a good overall move because he has shaped our program. When I was a freshman we won our league championship, so hopefully we can do that again this year.” Reid continued, “It has been great watching the team progress, and we have a lot of depth. The only thing I wish we could have now is more players, so we could field a JV team.” Just before Christmas, the team beat The Hill School on their home rink. This big 4-2 win regained the momentum they needed. Then, after Christmas, Haverford added another win at home against Pennington, 6-5. The Fords were back on track with a 2-2-1 record and were in the middle of the season, about to play one of the most important games they would have all year against rival EA. On January 11, the Fords played their rivals on a memorial night for EA’s former hockey coach. Both teams had a great turnout of fans, and both not only

wanted a win because it was a crucial game in the league, but also because they have always been such competitive rivals. In the second period, the Fords were susceptible to their worst weakness all year: penalties. With

EA winning 2-1 going into the third period, the Fords scored two goals and EA scored one. With 20 seconds left, a penalty shot was awarded to Haverford. Fifth Form Henry

Brooks took the puck and scored a backhand goal after faking out the EA goalie. When Third Form goalie Otis Baker was asked his favorite memory from this season to date he said, “It was definitely after the first EA game: skating as fast as I could over to the boards

where are fans were and smashing into them in celebration of the victory.” Blynn agreed, saying this game was “icing on the cake.” The team now had a lot to play for and came out in their next few games looking better then ever. They fought hard for a 5-2 league win against Germantown Academy, a team they previously tied 3-3. This showed the progress Haverford had made thus far. Next, they beat the SCH hockey team 6-3. The Fords were riding a five-game winning streak. With the end of the season approaching, the Fords traveled to

Lawrenceville where Sixth Form Captain Chris Vattima scored two goals in another league win.

This win took Haverford Hockey to their last game of their regular season, a rematch against EA at the Skatium, where this time they would be the home team. Before this game, Blynn said, “I’d like to see us come out focused and stay out of the penalty box and set the tone. They are really going to want to win it in front of their fans.” The team came out galvanized and determined. After allowing two goals both from scrums in front of the net, the Fords returned with a few goals and stellar defense. Third Former Brendan Jacobs had a hat trick, Brooks had two goals, and Vattima and Assistant Captain Sixth Former Toby Blumberg had one each. The Fords are in a league with eight other teams; of these eight teams, the top four make the playoffs. Because of the success Haverford found in their last games of the season, they are the third seed, and EA will be the fourth seed. This is a fortunate outcome considering the team will now play the second seed, while EA will play the first seed. Finally, as Vattima put it, “This season has meant everything to me. It’s my last chance to play with these kids and to put on a Haverford sweater. All of us as Sixth Formers wanted to win a championship this year, especially after the last 2 seasons we had. My fellow captains Reid Blynn, Henry Blynn, and Toby Blumberg have all really stepped up when they were needed and have been great leaders and teammates. I’m excited for playoffs and to compete for the championship.” ■

George Hall ‘15

JJ House ‘13

SportsPage 12 The Index - Sports February 2012

Fifth Former Jimmy Jameson racing in the 100 Fly.

Hockey Rebounds to Claim Third Seed in Playoffs

Swimming and Diving on Record-Setting Season

Jim Roese

Sixth Former Chris Vattima looks to pass the puck in a match against EA.Jim Roese

The Fords huddle up during their game against EA.Jim Roese

The Haverford School Varsity A and Varsity B squash teams travelled to New Haven, Connecticut, over the weekend of February 4th to participate in the 2012 U.S. High School Squash Championships at Yale University. The High School Team Championship is the largest squash tournament in the world. This year the tournament featured 1,240 players participating in six boys’ and four girls’ divisions, representing over 140 schools. Haverford’s A Team, led by Sixth Former Co-Captains B.G. Lemmon and Sam Henderson, was seeded sixth in Division I, while Haverford’s B Team, led by Sixth Former Scott Warren and Fifth Former Drew Field, was seeded 11th in Division II. Afternoon matches in New Haven required an early Friday morning departure for the squash team. Varsity A defeated the Collegiate School 4-3 in a riveting match that advanced the Fords into the quarterfinals, with key victories by Fourth Former Sean Kenny at #2 and Fifth Former Jason Shein at #6. Meanwhile, Varsity B was tied with the Groton School at three matches each as Fourth Former Henry Ortmeyer walked onto the court for the final match. Ortmeyer won in an entertaining four games to clinch the win and advance the Varsity B into a quarterfinal match later that Friday night against Packer Collegiate, the 19th-ranked team in the nation. Fifth Former Peter Thompson led off with a win at #7, but while all other matches were close, Haverford lost 6-1 and moved into the Classic Plate Semifinals. On Saturday morning, Varsity A faced the Belmont Hill School, which featured the third-ranked high school player, junior Edward Columbia, playing B.G. Lemmon at #1. Haverford’s own Sam Henderson at #7 and Jason Shein at #6 both won their matches, but the team lost by a score of 5-2 and moved into the Classic Plate Semifinals. At that time, Haverford’s Varsity B was playing the Brunswick Academy’s C Team. Drew Field and Scott Warren won their matches in five games, and Fifth Former Josh Collins won his in four. However, the team lost 4-3 and moved into the Classic Plate Playoff against the Brooks School. Varsity A’s second match on Saturday was against the Westminster School led by Ahmed Khalek, the number-one ranked junior high school in the country and recently crowned

U.S. Junior Open champion. Third Former Ian Rothweiler and Jason Shein each won intense five-game matches to lead Haverford to a 5-2 win, which sent the team into the Classic Plate Finals the next day. Sunday morning Varsity B’s final match was against the Brooks School led by Seif Abou El Einen, the number-one ranked player under 17 in the country and recently crowned U.S. Junior Open Under-17 Champion. With the match tied at three apiece with wins for Haverford by Scott Warren, Fourth Former Ryan Hughes, and Third Former Jack Henderson, it came down to Henry Ortmeyer to finish the match. Fighting through pain and opposing team clamor, Henry managed to prevail in five games, and the Fords attained 23rd place in the nation. Varsity A’s final match was against Taft and Zeyad Elshorfy, the second best player in junior high school. Varsity A was playing for

seventh place in the country in this crucial match. After being tied 3-3 thanks to wins from Third Former Jay Losty, Jason Shein, and Sam Henderson, it came down to Fourth Former

Thomas Walker to win and end the trip on a great note for the whole team. Thomas, with the help of his teammates cheers, sealed his own victory and Haverford’s 4-3. This tournament was an improvement for both Haverford teams as they each finished one place higher than last year. Sam

Henderson and Jason Shein went 4-0 for Varsity A, Scott Warren and Jay Losty went 3-1 during the tournament, and Thomas Walker and Henry Ortmeyer’s clutch performances helped secure important team victories. Everyone at Haverford should be proud of what the squash team accomplished. ■

Jack Henderson ‘15

Continued from Page 12

The most crucial element of the match-up against Malvern was that not only the stars of the team put up winning times, but that the boys in the outside lanes, (the ones that are not projected to win, but expected to shoot for 3rd and 4th place), to step up and secure those crucial places. Coining a familiar basketball term, these “Sixth Men” did what they needed to do, giving Haverford vital points across the board. After what was a gut-wrenching meet full of excellent races between the two schools, Haverford ultimately ended up victorious, beating Malvern by a 103-83 score. The victory solidified a second place finish for the Fords in the Inter-Ac, a feat that had not been accomplished for more than half a century. Finishing the dual meet season with a record of 4-2, the Fords swam at the Inter-

Ac Championships, where they won the 200 Medley Relay (Helber, O’Prey, Jameson, Luminais) for the first time in school history.

The most important part of the Haverford Swimming and Diving season has yet to come, however. The ultimate goal for the Swimming

and Diving program, and the main target since day one, is placing in the top six schools at the Easterns Swimming Championships in late

February. After falling short of sixth place by a mere two points at last year’s Easterns Championships, it is needless to say that the Swimming and Diving squad is on a mission to finally be Haverford’s first to place in the top six at Easterns this year. To accomplish this goal, the entire depth of the team, the Upperclassmen Sixth Formers, Fifth Formers Pat Somers, Jameson, and J.J. House, Underclassmen Fourth Formers Dan McGrath, Chet Bickhart, Alex Heldring, John Zipf, Will Pierce, and Third Formers Ben Nelligan and Luke Ryan as well as Second Former Alex Tyminski, all need to put up some best times. The pressure is on, and Easterns are almost here, so cheer on fellow classmates on the Swimming and Diving team. History is about to be made. Go Fords. ■

SportsPage 13 The Index - Sports February 2012

The Varsity squash team.

Fourth Former Sean Kenny in a match against the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

The Haverford swimming and diving team.

Haverford Squash Goes to Nationals to Finish 7th

Swimming & Diving Continues on Record Pace

Dawn Blake

Jim Roese

Dawn Blake

Check out Third Former Manav Khandelwal’s

Philly sports blog at www.khandyman.com

When joining Haverford’s Upper School, whether from the Middle School or a different school altogether, Third Formers are faced with many different options. One of the biggest decisions they must address is whether or not they want to take an art elective or a second language. This choice, though easy to some, can lead these Third Formers to think about what is important to them at that time, but also forces them to think about their future high school careers, especially in terms of managing the work involved with taking two languages and obtaining an arts credit. Some of these Third Formers are not only uninformed, but do not have the time management abilities to judge these decisions as well. Essentially, they make these decisions blindly. The school tries to inform Third Formers on the pros and cons of each decision, but when it comes down to it, they make decisions not based on what their teachers tell them, but instead based on what they hear from older students, who often times give biased or poor answers that dissuade young students from challenging themselves. At the same time, taking two languages should not be an excuse for missing art, because by not taking an art, a person’s hidden drawing talents or acting abilities may never be uncovered. The

question exists then: is there a balance between an art and language elective? The Haverford Upper School handbook states that every student must obtain at least two consecutive years of language and at least one arts credit. However, when a Third Former decides to do the extra work and take the second language, how is he expected to obtain this arts credit? There are many different ways to get an arts credit. Taking an elective on top of the two languages is an option, be it is a difficult one. Every sophomore must take Health/PE, which occupies half of their free period, so dual language takers would have to wait until their Fifth Form year to try to take a class in the arts. The class then only adds to the already stressful lives along with SATs and college preparation. Similarly, trying to participate in an extra curricular activity that

counts as an art credit may be difficult because of one’s previous sport or extracurricular commitments. However, as Upper School students, they are expected to reach these

requirements, manage their time appropriately, and still try their best in all classes. Is this too much to expect from fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen-year-old young men? Lao Shi understands the difficulty in taking two languages, but she and the rest of the language department would like to see more kids try to accomplish this feat. As long as the students are willing to try hard in and out

of school, no one will be left behind. The language department strives to not only teach the language but also explore the culture and history of the language, so that students truly become “global citizens.” The “global citizen” goal entails educating students on the different struggles of individuals across the globe in an attempt to create less judgemental Haverford graduates. This mentality will also apply within Haverford’s own community. Language Department Chair Ms. Sara Adkins describes how she wants more kids to take two languages throughout their high school careers. She explains that she presents the idea to rising Third Formers every year, but she believes that students, with whom these middle school kids can relate, could do an even better job by sharing their experiences and teachers’ expectations. Students who are thinking about taking two languages need to be aware that an arts credit is mandatory; however, they should not be worried. By forcing these kids to take an arts class, the school may be adding stress to their lives, but in the end the students will have had unique experiences in the arts. Students may find an unknown artistic talent that never would have been discovered. At the same time, students taking two languages are becoming well-rounded, “global citizens,” a much desired trait in the modern world. ■

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. How many times have people repeated that message during elementary school, maybe even during middle school? Recycling does have an upside: there is less waste produced; however, what happens in the process? There are also many different myths associated with recycling materials. Take paper, for example. The first major myth associated with paper recycling is that paper production is killing forests. This claim is not necessarily true. Deforestation is due to people that want to build homes in wooded areas. That

causes deforestation, NOT paper production. Even paper companies often plant trees. We use trees to get paper; and therefore, we grow trees, which means that most of the time recycling paper does not actually save trees because the trees are going to be harvested for paper either way. Furthermore, in several cases, the recycling process creates material that is not usable, such as the sludge left over from

the bleaching chemicals, or the unusable fibers that are left over from the paper process. There is another case where recycling is not incredibly helpful: plastic recycling. In many cases plastic recycling causes many materials to be left over and wasted. Also many things are created with recycled plastic. Many times these materials are made of the original materials with the recycled plastic mixed into it. The second thing about recycling is that it is a manufacturing process, meaning an industrial process that releases real chemicals into the environment, many times using machines

that were constructed without the recycling process in mind. The “downcycling” concept is when recycled goods leaving behind useless components that are thrown away. However, that being said, it does not necessarily mean that all recycling is bad for the environment. The argument here is that there are a few recyclable things that people should think about before recycling. Paper, seeing as the recycling process releases harmful bleaching chemicals into the environment, not to mention on the paper which is being made. Plastic is another case, especially PVC plastic. PVC, also known as polyvinylchloride, is very hard to recycle. It is often thrown away because it cannot be used in many practical applications. There is also a form of indirect recycling, such as turning plastic bottles into things like rugs or carpets or chairs. This practice is also not the best thing in the world for the environment. What is claimed is that this process saves energy. This is true; however, when one looks into the fact that the soda bottles did not come naturally, which means they were made in a factory. Now suddenly there is twice the amount of factory time for a lower quality material; when in reality, the real environmentally friendly decision is to weave the carpet yourself out of natural fibers directly from the environment. There are stores in which you can buy yarn and carpet making materials that come naturally. The other claim about these environmental rugs is they save soda bottles from being sent to landfills. That claim is somewhat true; however, it is also true that simply reusing the same plastic bottle

for a day or so would also save plastic bottles from being sent to a landfill. And this practice does not actually save the soda bottles from going to landfills, it

only delays them. Therefore you are not really saving anything from being thrown away, because eventually the carpet will be thrown out. This article is not saying that simply throwing things away is better than recycling; however, there are some alternatives that are better for the environment than simply throwing that plastic bottle or piece of paper in the recycling bin. ■

Recycling is rarely criticized and even less frequently seen as a negative development in society. It is an effectively flawless process that all communities would do well to adopt. First of all, statistics about recycling should be taken with a grain of salt. Right now the EPA estimates that about 75% of waste products could be recycled, yet only about 30% actually is (Green Waste). This differential means that for all of the benefits current recycling affords society, the benefits can and will be more significant in the coming years. Recycling serves two very important purposes. One is obvious: as more and more waste products are recycled, landfill space need not be expanded as quickly if at all. For paper alone, each ton that is recycled will save 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space (The Public Recycling Officials of Pennsylvania). Remember, Sustainability Alliance President Fifth Former Wick Egan estimates that 500-800 pounds of paper recycling are collected each week. That means that within two to three weeks – at Haverford alone – 3.3 cubic yards are saved. And that it at a school whose recycling program is fairly new. As fewer and fewer waste products make it to the landfill, that space could be devoted to something else, maybe a park, which many would be considered more desirable than a landfill encroaching on clean public space. This reason alone should be enough to endorse recycling as a necessary practice for a clean, environmentally-friendly future. But recycling also plays an important role in reducing energy consumption. Opponents may argue that converting recycling into new goods also requires energy. And it does; however, for paper, it only uses 70% of the energy that would otherwise be used to create new paper

from scratch (The Public Recycling Officials of Pennsylvania). At the same time each ton of paper that is recycled averts releasing 60 extra pounds of air pollutants (Green Waste). When a small school like Haverford with a student-run recycling association can do something this successful, the possibilities for a world committed to recycling are unimaginable. The world still has some work to do. Switzerland leads the world in amount of waste recycled with only 52%; Greece is at the back with just 10%. The United States recycles almost a third of all waste products at 31.5% (BBC). This rate is actually a massive improvement for the United States, considering this is nearly double the rate a decade ago (Environment Green).While recycling undoubtedly should remain a core focus of environmentalists, the other two “R”s – “reduce” and “reuse” – are also important. The average American produces 1764 pounds of trash per year (compared to 1272 pounds per person in Western Europe). Since some waste products still cannot be recycled, personal habits ought to be reformed as well. But when it comes to certain materials, such as paper, glass, plastic, and aluminum, the only alternatives to recycling are landfilling and incinerating. Very few would consider either of these approaches as supportive of long-term environmental health as recycling. ■

Grayson Sessa ‘13 Evan Kuritzkes ‘13

Connor Atkins ‘15

A classroom recycling bin set up by the Sustainability Alliance.

A Dallas landfill.

OpinionsPage 14 The Index - Opinions February 2012

Recycling: Beneficial or Hurtful?“Recycling is fantastic” “There are alternatives”

Should Students Choose an Art Elective or Anoth-er Foreign Language?Connor Atkins explores the decision many Third Formers must make: Is it better to finish off the arts requirement in the first year, or to opt to take an additional second lan-guage?

Drew Field

Texas Comptroller’s office

This poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students was taken via Facebook using SurveyMonkey during the week of February 13, 2012.

James Shecter

He is frequently ignored by the media. He once went through an hour-long debate with only 89 seconds of speaking time although he was in the top tier of Republican candidates.

Even after strong finishes in the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire Primary, he was only allowed to speak for a measly six minutes in a later debate. He has yet to win a state outright, but

his motivated supporters abound and are often more numerous than those of “major” candidates. The candidate is Ron Paul. The Republican Party may be at risk of letting the one politician who can defeat Barack Obama slip through their fingers, and the country may be

dismissing the only man left standing with the right medicine for the nation’s ailments. When it comes to discussing Paul as the Republican nominee, naysayers will usually simply state that he has no chance at winning the general election. But using this tactic only perpetuates misinformation and stops undecided voters from bothering to look

at Paul’s campaign tenets. Of course, Paul does not look like the classic Republican candidate (Mitt Romney) and certainly does not share all of the beliefs of the current Republican Party. But, in reality, he may have the best chance at stopping Obama in the fall. In the Nevada Caucus entrance poll, Paul did stunningly well in a few categories that a Republican nominee must be strong in to win an election. He took young voters – a group key to defeating Obama – with a strong plurality at 41%. He won those listing their religion as “None” with 54% - the next closest was Romney at 24%. With a Paul candidacy, no longer would “faith-less” voters be automatic tools of the Democratic Party. When roughly 30% of the American electorate considers themselves “Independent,” Paul winning them by 46% is quite important. The candidate who is supposed to attract them as a moderate – Mitt Romney – came in a distant second with 28%. But Paul’s support was also strong among core components of the Republican Party: those looking for a “True Conservative” voted for him 39% of the time; Romney only received 4% of that vote. These results are not an anomaly. He won all of the same categories – as well as voters making under $50,000 a year – in Iowa. Unsurprisingly, he had done the same in New Hampshire; in fact, there he added those looking for a candidate with “strong moral character” as another group he decisively won. Calling Ron Paul unelectable when he leads with the groups that usually support Democrats is a joke. This week a poll showed that he had the highest favorability rating of all remaining Republican candidates. But why does Ron Paul – by all visual accounts a too old man with a faltering voice and an ill-fitting suit – have such a

motivated following? It is because of his perpetual honesty: try as his opponents might, Paul has never compromised his unyielding belief in freedom. When other Republicans – less inclined towards libertarianism – try to campaign on the issue of freedom, the message comes out as disjointed and hypocritical. Romney and Newt Gingrich campaign on repealing the “Obamacare” individual mandate, calling it unconstitutional and restrictive on personal freedom, but are quick to defend the War on Drugs, which by definition regulates what an individual may put into their body. Rick Santorum believes that the manufacturer is overregulated, but, god forbid, a woman ever see a combat role in the armed forces. Only Ron Paul’s plan makes sense: increase economic freedom while reinstating lost personal freedoms. Paul once announced that a pundit told him that he could actually win if he just changed his non-interventionist foreign policy. He and his supporters laughed it off because it is that very libertarian policy – keep a strong military, just do not wield it across the world – that can make him popular with hawks and Code Pink activists. Paul is also favored because he is willing to take on objective look at issues that are “scary” to other politicians. One may hear all of the Republican candidates – and even Obama occasionally – championing their budget cuts. But there is a reason that Paul’s cuts are emblazoned as “real.” Unlike his opponents, whose cuts are cuts from the projected budget, his cuts actually decrease government spending. While his opponents promise to cut billions from the projections, the budget deficit will still inch upwards. It is Paul who has the plan to cut $1 trillion of current spending. In fact, his plan, which has been public for many, many months, provides a pathway for a balanced federal budget – and likely a surplus – within three years. His focus on the tough issues of the day predates the 2012 campaign and even his 2008 one. In 2002, he presented the Free Housing Market Enhancement Act because he saw the housing bubble coming. Part of his speech on the floor of the House: “The government’s policies of diverting capital to other uses creates [sic] a short-term boom in housing. Like all artificially-created bubbles, the boom in housing prices cannot last forever.” Paul, who is known as “Dr. No” on Capitol Hill for his refusal to vote for anything outside of the bounds of the Constitution, is said to be unpopular among other politicians; needless to say, his bill was never passed. Many would argue that the American political system works best when compromise allows moderate yet effective solutions to cleanly pass through Washington. Paul and his libertarian message of smaller government are in and of themselves a compromise between the two parties: the Republican Party champions economic freedom while the Democrats champion social freedom. Paul loves both. As the 21st century is increasingly looking like a time of great hardship for Republicans, the party cannot afford to pass up embracing libertarianism. Libertarianism and Ron Paul may be the Republican Party’s last chance at becoming a mainstream, popular party that rejects men like Santorum. Santorum, who is frighteningly emerging as a real competitor, once attacked Libertarians as “They have this idea that people should be left alone, be able to do whatever they want to do. Government should keep our taxes down and keep our regulation low and that we shouldn’t get involved in the bedroom, we shouldn’t get involved in cultural issues, you know, people should do whatever they want.” He notes these principles as if they are evil, but shouldn’t they be the morals of every mainstream political party? ■

I am truly amazed at the fickle nature of people. The Republicans want unity to bridge the gap between the Tea Party and the Establishment as well as to get behind a candidate who encompasses both moderate and conservative values. However, some seem to want a brokered convention so that another person could snatch away the nomination. Why? Why can’t political pundits, reporters, and hosts just accept the field for what it is – not perfect by any means but adequate. They say that none of the candidates can beat President Barack Obama, but that is not true at all. When unemployment is at 5.6%, or the number it was at when George W. Bush was president in January 2004 (a year in which he beat John Kerry to remain president) then I’ll concede that Barack Obama cannot be beaten. Until then, 8.3% doesn’t cut it. I say that any one of the Republican presidential candidates can beat the incumbent president because of his other unpopular measures (stimulus, health care, unwise spending, etc.). So let’s take a look at the next potential candidates for president of the United States, shall we? First, there is Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. “The Great Orator” would certainly be an ideal President of the United States based off of his initial appearance. He has conservative values, appeals to moderates from his previous bipartisan work with Bill Clinton, and can talk and get across the Republican message like no other candidate. With all of these positives, you would think that Gingrich would be double digits ahead in the polls. Oh wait…but there was the matter of cheating on his sick wife with another woman…or the time when he appeared on the couch with Nancy Pelosi to “Stop Global Warming”…or when he said that noted liberal/progressive Franklin Delano Roosevelt was his favorite president…and how about his underhanded mean streak? Still, Newt is currently a staunch defender of conservative values; his strongest platform is in or during a debate, yet even this can be subdued as it was during a recent one when the audience was asked not to cheer. Newt couldn’t rile up the crowd and fell flat because of it. The next candidate, Representative Ron Paul, is a very complex (and arguably powerful) candidate in the Republican presidential race. Ever the grassroots candidate, Ron receives little to no press coverage and is considered dangerous by many who think that he wants to dismantle the government. But Ron Paul is the strange enigma that appeals to some conservatives and liberals yet is reviled by others in each group. He wants to cut many of the current government operations that are not necessary to help save the country in the face of the huge deficit. Conservatives like his ideas about domestic cuts while liberals agree with him on military and defense spending cuts. Truly a libertarian, Paul wants little government, but at what cost would this be? Some of his ideas are fundamentally sound and are needed by the country, but the United States cannot possibly remove all troops overseas or dismantle the Federal Reserve overnight. That would crush us. Onto Former Senator Rick Santorum. The ultimate underdog, how Santorum’s seemingly monumental rise to fame was achieved few can understand, but it is certainly amazing that a person can go from last to first in a period of a few weeks. Still, Rick Santorum as a candidate is somewhat disappointing. Despite the fact that it has been already established that Barack Obama can lose the upcoming election, Santorum was an incumbent senator in a swing state (Pennsylvania) in which he lost in 2004.

If he cannot win a (generally Republican leaning) swing state, how does he expect to win the others in this election? And how will Santorum, a “heartland” candidate, fare on the east and west coast? It appears to me as though his emergence is due to desperate hope for a conservative candidate in the race with strong social values. He will also have to deal with an inevitable media “feeding frenzy” over these; character assassination will run rampant. No doubt that he will be portrayed as a person that should have lived in the 1700s with his Christian ideas, but how will he respond? Santorum could win, but there are just too many questions. Finally, the frontrunner, former Governor Mitt Romney. It is truly amazing to me that in the last election cycle, he was hailed as a conservative, but in this one, he is simply a moderate. How the times change. What troubles me the most about Romney is his inability to gain any ground against the rest of the Republican nominees; he doesn’t lose any, but doesn’t exactly rise either. Apparently, Romney does not appeal to the conservative base which does not help his election chances – John McCain was another moderate Republican candidate who could not appeal to conservatives, and he lost the general election. The idea that one must be moderate to win died with the 2008 presidential campaign, so if he thinks that it helps his “electability,” then he is mistaken. As such, Romney’s largest mistake in the eyes of fellow Republicans was the Massachusetts healthcare bill, which paved the way for “ObamneyCare” (as it is mockingly known). There is no way for him to distance himself from this, and therefore he will always be ridiculed for it. The 2012 reelection campaign for Barack Obama will no doubt be vicious, and I fully expect to hear ads over the summer about how Romney is a hypocrite for attacking the national health care bill, and so on. One last thing about Romney – he reminds me of another moderate Republican who entered the presidential race and served eight years as president, leaving at a time of great uncertainty…George W. Bush. Nonetheless, I fully expect Romney to win the nomination. Santorum’s rise to prominence seems too meteoric, Gingrich’s baggage will stop him, and Ron Paul is (somewhat unfairly) considered too radical. So who will the vice presidential nominee be? An ideal person would be Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a young, energetic conservative and also appeals to the Hispanic vote; however, if not Rubio, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell would be a good candidate because of his conservative stances and engineered budget surplus (an odd word nowadays when used if talking about politics) in Virginia for two years straight. President Barack Obama is with no doubt a tough incumbent to shove out of office; the question is, who among the four remaining candidates will be able to accomplish this goal – and will the Republicans stand behind whoever it may be, or will quarrels and talks of brokered conventions dampen the spirit of the Republicans? ■

Grayson Sessa ‘13Matt Larson ‘14

The remaining four Republican candidates before a debate in Florida.

Election CoveragePage 15 The Index - Sports February 2012

Ron Paul is Hidden Gem of the Republican Party

GOP Primary Finds Itself Full of Flawed CandidatesMatt Larson insists that although an initial glance would indicate that none of the Republican candidates seem to stand a chance against Obama, the opposite is true.

Grayson Sessa finds Ron Paul to be the Republican candi-date who stands the best chance against President Obama and in the November Presidential Election.

Chip Somodevilla

This poll of 100 Haverford Upper School students was taken via Facebook using

SurveyMonkey during the week of 2/13/12.

James Shecter

The OutdexPage 16 The Index - The Outdex February 2012

The Haverford Robotics team is one of the best in the country when it comes to placing a ball in a hoop. Although there’s an actual league dedicated to this called the NBA and it’s far more entertaining, we’re sure robotics will eventually catch on.

Haverford DECA attended its second vacation competition of the year in Hershey, PA.

The Model U.N. team returned from their conference and won? We’re not sure what really happens there, nor why we choose to emulate a failed sovereign body, but we’re sure Haverford did well.

Stepping his game up from placing mere phone calls to your parents, Fisher Pressman will show up on your doorstep with a law enforcement agent if you do not have your senior paragraph in.

Jonathan Paras would like to know if you are allowed to donate blood if you turn sixteen on the Day of the Blood Drive at 11:59 PM that night.

Student Council has announced there will be no student lounge this year. A representative from the Council informed us that if they had followed through on their promise, they would not have anything to promise the student body with during this year’s upcoming elections.

Iran is worried that the United States has developed nuclear weapons capable of reaching themselves and their allies.

It’s almost spring-time, and we all know which sport The Haverford School is set to defend its title in. Tennis.

Mitt Romney is a completely relatable Presidential Candidate.

Following the precedent set by the senior class taking trolleys to the Prom, the junior class will keep with the tradition of arriving on out-of-date forms of transportation as they will be traveling to this year’s prom on a steam-powered locomotive.

Following the trend of younger students committing to colleges, the entire eighth grade cross country team has verbally committed to the college of their choice.

This report is not about the whereabouts of a group of senior citizens (plus we already know where they were, it was the early bird special at Minella’s Diner). Rather, it is aimed at ripping the lid off of the case of the Haverford School seniors who were missing from school a few weeks ago. Rumors have been running wild. Was it a senior skip day? Did it have anything to do with the copious amount of chicken wings and a certain famed hotdog eating champion inhabiting the Wells Fargo Center? Or could they have even been at one of the famed techno/electronic music concerts that the seniors seem to love? (We don’t really understand why

they’re that exciting, but we hear they’re provocative and they get the people going.) All of the above answers could be true, but thankfully, they’re not. Does the Haverford Community truly believe that their school leaders would skip school for a day to watch competitive eating or simply sleep in and play Xbox?

No. The seniors who were missing were all at home studying. Now we here at the Outdex are not condoning the fact that parents called in to excuse

their sons from

school that day, but it was for a good cause. Students here know that a Haverford School education is an incredible and costly gift,

and the only reason they would miss school and waste such a gift would be to get ahead and be a better student by staying home and studying. Instead of questioning students who missed school, we should be praising them for having the courage to be a better student and person. While this has seemed to be a case of seniors skipping school, if you do a little digging, you’ll find that to label it as such is slander against the individuals who stayed at home to study. Hopefully this clears up any and all confusion, and we here at the Outdex would like to congratulate all the students who skipped school to stay home and do only academic work one last time.

This man is clearly doing a Quizlet on his laptop and the mouse mask on his head must be for a biology presentation on rodents present in the ecosystem.

The DECA state judge

Clearly the most economical way to get to Prom

Where Were the Seniors? An Eye-Opening Investigation

In the News...

Wikipedia.org

manorbooks.files.wordpress.com

deviantart.net

The Outdex is The Index’s humor page and is not true nor intended to hurt or offend anyone. Please email hsindex@gmail.com with any concerns.