[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|29px|0px”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”44px|0px|27px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.84″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/students.pingry.org\/record\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/cropped-masthead.gif” align=”center” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Volume CXLIV Number 2 \/\/ December 21, 2017 \/\/ The Pingry School, Basking Ridge” background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”center” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ title_level=”h4″ title_font=”Crete Round||||||||” title_font_size=”18px” background_color=”#003366″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|” custom_padding=”0px||0px|”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ make_fullwidth=”on” specialty=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_padding=”34px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”354,352,355,350,351,353″ gallery_captions=”,,,,,” fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ title_font=”||||||||” use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#c6c6c6″ border_width=”3px”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″ header_font=”Crete Round||||||||” header_4_font=”Crete Round||||||||”]<\/p>\n
On November 9, 10, and 11, the Drama Department performed its annual fall play <\/span>Antigone<\/span><\/i> by Sophocles. The Greek tragedy describes life in the city of Thebes under the domineering rule of King Creon. A part of Pingry\u2019s freshman English curriculum, the play examines issues of divine law versus societal law and the use and abuse of political power. The entire freshman class, along with special needs students from Montgomery Academy in Basking Ridge, watched the play\u2019s dress rehearsal. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The play follows a young girl named Antigone (Meghan Salamon, VI), whose two brothers turn on each other and cause a civil war. After they kill each other in battle, the newly crowned King Creon (Lucas Vazquez, V) advocates for the burial of only one of the brothers. Fearing the retribution of the gods, Antigone sets out to bury her other brother, despite the threats of Creon and warnings from her sister Ismene (Alison Verdesca, VI). Incensed by Antigone\u2019s disobedience, Creon demands that Antigone be buried alive. Creon\u2019s son Haemon (Giancarlo Castillo, VI), who is engaged to Antigone, tries to change his father\u2019s mind but fails. After the blind seer Tiresias (Megan Pan, VI) predicts that Creon\u2019s stubbornness will lead to disaster, Creon reconsiders. When he reaches the tomb, Antigone has hanged herself and Haemon, after attempting to kill Creon and failing, kills himself as well. When Eurydice (Sara Donovan, VI), Creon\u2019s wife, hears the news, she also commits suicide, leaving Creon a lonely and broken man. In the play, the Army Chorus and the Citizen\u2019s Chorus narrate the story and comment on the plot. <\/span><\/p>\n Directed by Mrs. Meaghan Singer, Pingry\u2019s production put a new spin on this classic Greek tale by setting it in a dystopian future. Mrs. Singer said of the show\u2019s setting, \u201cI heard Antigone\u2019s words ringing in my ears \u2014 \u2018t<\/span>hese citizens here would all agree\u2026if their lips weren\u2019t locked in fear\u2019 \u2014 and I knew immediately that my version of\u00a0<\/span>Antigone<\/span><\/i>\u00a0would be set in a totalitarian state, a military regime, and my chorus would be an army, not unlike that of Kim Jong Un’s, or Stalin’s, or Hitler’s.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This was Mrs. Singer\u2019s first year directing the fall play, though she assisted Mr. Romano in the past. Of the Drama Department, she said, \u201c<\/span>I love working in such a supportive and giving environment. It is a true pleasure.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In addition to having Ms. Singer as a new director, <\/span>Antigone<\/span><\/i> had a new master carpenter, Mr. Christopher Abbott. Mr. Abbott worked with Mrs. Jane Asch to create a futuristic set inspired by the play\u2019s dystopian world. \u00a0\u00a0Another new faculty member, Mr. Alan Van Antwerp, served as technical director as well as lighting designer. Lindsay Cheng (IV), Jackson Lubke (V), and Ouarida Benatia (VI) served as the play\u2019s stage managers. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Meghan Salamon, who played the titular role, said her favorite memory was \u201cspending time with all the seniors during the morning of our last show.\u201d Involved with drama since her freshman year, Meghan was eager to step into the role of Antigone for her final fall production. \u201cAntigone is smart and dedicated, and she throws herself into what she thinks is right. I really admire that about her,\u201d Salamon said. \u201cShe definitely expresses how she feels and she lets people know what she stands for.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#9e9e9e” show_divider=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″]<\/p>\n On November 16th, students from the Upper School and Middle School attended the annual John Hanly Lecture in Hauser Auditorium. The speakers this year were Mohammed Al Samawi and Daniel Pincus \u201896.<\/span><\/p>\n The John Hanly Lecture Series on Ethics and Morality has been holding annual lectures since 1999, when former headmaster John Hanly retired. In recognition of his love of teaching and interest in ethical questions, the John Hanly Fund allows Pingry to bring in speakers to talk about issues regarding ethics and morality every year. The theme of this year\u2019s assembly was the question of how far one would go to take up someone else\u2019s problem as his or her own.<\/span><\/p>\n Speaker Al Samawi is a fellow of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy for the Middle Eastern and North African region. He is set to release his memoir, The Fox\u00a0Hunt: Escape From Yemen<\/em>, in April 2018. His book is also currently being made into a movie by Marc Platt, producer of La La Land<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n Fellow Speaker Pincus is a consultant for The Quantic Group, a pharmaceutical consulting company. He is also a member of the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council (MJAC) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC). MJAC brings together Muslims and Jews from all walks of life to collectively address issues shared by the Muslim and Jewish communities. AJC, co-convener of MJAC, is an advocacy group for Jews and the Jewish faith.<\/span><\/p>\n To begin the lecture, Pincus spoke about his experience at Pingry and directly addressed his former teachers from the stage. Al Samawi spoke about his upbringing in a Muslim household in Sanaa, Yemen, where his disability forced him to stay home and learn English rather than socialize with his peers. This knowledge of English allowed him\u00a0to connect with others outside of Yemen on Facebook, which led him to eventually attend the Muslim Jewish Conference in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 2013<\/span><\/p>\n When he returned to his hometown in Yemen and tried to convince others that Jews and Americans were not the enemies of Muslims, he was accused of being a spy, so he left the town for South Yemen. Unfortunately, the area where he was living came under the control of extremist group AlQaeda during an ongoing period of civil war and unrest in the country. Alternating turns, Pincus and Al Samawi spoke about how Pincus and his friends were able to rescue Al Samawi through many online connections and phone calls over a span of thirteen days in the Spring of 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n The student body was very moved by the lecture. At the end of the hour-long assembly, the speakers were given two standing ovations. Alex Strasser (V) said afterwards, \u201cI thought that the Hanly Lecture was able to demonstrate to all of us the way that meeting someone and going through some incredibly difficult experiences can come with moral conflicts and enlightened us on how they…were overcome. It also gave me hope that I might be able to someday help someone in the same outstanding way that we heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ specialty_columns=”2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row_inner custom_padding=”34.75px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″]<\/p>\n On December 13, 2017, Pingry hosted the annual Winter Festival, the only time that the Upper School and Lower School come together for one event. This festival has been a tradition for over 100 years. It celebrates the accomplishments of the orchestra, men\u2019s and women\u2019s glee club, Middle School band, strings ensemble, hand bells, and the music direc tors by showcasing their work to the entire school. These efforts, coupled with the festivities\u00a0and the environment, make the concert an important part of the school year in which over half the school participates.<\/span><\/p>\n The event opened with \u201cDeck the Halls\u201d conducted by Mr. Tom Berdos, the Lower School music instructor. Headmaster Mr. Nathaniel Conard then delivered an introductory speech, which focused on the importance of community and the coming together of the two campuses. Next came the presenting of gifts to Ms. Lisa Floyd, the leader of Lift for Learning, an organization that gives food and clothes to impoverished people. Afterwards, the festival commenced with the tradition of Candela Accreditor (the lighting of the candle) by kindergartener Jake Fey and Student Body President Michael Weber (VI).<\/span><\/p>\n Highlights of the concert included \u201cA Festive Noel\u201d performed by the fifth grade chorus. As the fifth graders are the only group from the Lower School that performs at the festival, their contribution was highly anticipated and they delivered. In addition, it evoked nostalgia in people who were once a part of that group.<\/span><\/p>\n Alyssa Chen (VI) said,\u00a0\u201cWatching the fifth graders filled me with warmth.\u201d Another highlight was \u201cAl Hanissim,\u201d a Jewish prayer performed by the orchestra, middle school chorus, and upper school glee club with solos from Alyssa Chen (VI) and Hugh Zhang (III). This piece is a chorus favorite due to its lively beat. Lastly, the middle school percussion ensemble performed \u201cKishmar,\u201d a take on Led Zeppelin\u2019s hit performed by the middle school percussion ensemble. This was the debut of the group and they instantly became a crowd favorite. The concert\u00a0concluded with a rousing rendition of \u201cTwelve Days of Christmas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n While all of the selections were amazing, the words of Mr. Conard ring true: the event was truly about bringing the community together. Maya Huffman (VI) and Melissa Tungare (VI) recall their first times seeing the concert. Huffman, who came to Pingry as a kindergartner, said that she was \u201calways excited for the concert as a lower school member.\u201d Similarly, Tungare has been going to the concert for over ten years with her big brother and has witnessed multiple performances. As a current Balladeer, she said that \u201cit is nice to now be a part of the concert.\u201d Over the years, Pingry has changed drastically; the change in campus (moving from Hillside), the admittance of females into the school, the construction of the Middle School, and much more showcase the development of Pingry as a school. Similarly, this concert has gone through its changes as well; the one thing that remains the same is the spirit of the concert. In the words of Mr. Miller Bugliari, \u201cthe whole sentiment from a long time ago is still present.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”356,361,357,360,370,371,358,359,362,363,364,365,368,369,372,373″ gallery_captions=”,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,” fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ pagination_font=”||||||||”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_divider color=”#9b9b9b” show_divider=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″ header_font=”Crete Round||||||||” header_4_font=”Crete Round||||||||”]<\/p>\n On November 3, the Big Blue football team enjoyed a 42-16 win against the George School of Newtown, PA, at the PSPA\u2019s annual Friday Night Lights. Students and faculty from both the Lower and Upper School campuses came to support and cheer the team on to victory. <\/span><\/p>\n Middle and Upper School singers kicked off the evening with the National Anthem, and thanks to Middle School Athletics Director Gerry Vanasse, younger fans enjoyed a variety of games, activities, and prize giveaways before and during the game. Middle School students ran Pingry flags across the field and participated in a Mega-V-Ball game during halftime. <\/span><\/p>\n Captain Obi Nnaeto (VI), who broke the mark of 1,000 yards run two weeks earlier, led the team, rushing 214 yards on 13 carries and scoring three touchdowns, which effectively locked in the victory by halftime. Ryan Feeley (VI) led the defense with seven tackles. Brian Benson (V), Channing Russell (VI), and Nate Hefner (V) also scored. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was a great showing for Pingry football,\u201d said freshman defensive lineman Ore Shote. <\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, under a huge tent, students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni enjoyed a delicious tailgate selection, which included pizza, meatballs, mozzarella sticks, pigs in a blanket, wings, hot apple cider, and a wide range of desserts, all provided by the PSPA. <\/span><\/p>\n Overall, Friday Night Lights was a fun night for the whole Pingry community. Congratulations to Big Blue football, and thanks to all the Pingry fans for their support!<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”223,228,229,224,226,227,230,231″ gallery_captions=”,,,,,,,” fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ make_fullwidth=”on” specialty=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row_inner custom_padding=”0px|0px|34.578125px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_divider show_divider=”on” height=”33px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_padding=”25px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Editorials and Op-Eds” background_layout=”dark” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ title_font=”Crete Round||||||||” title_font_size=”40px” background_color=”#003366″ animation_style=”fade”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ make_fullwidth=”on” specialty=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|” custom_padding=”0px||0px|”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″ header_font=”||||||||” use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#003366″ border_width=”3px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”15px|15px|15px|15px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ inline_fonts=”ABeeZee”]<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been crying a lot lately, but here\u2019s the latest reason why: on November 26, I decorated the family Christmas tree for last time.<\/span><\/p>\n It was the latest of many lasts that weekend: my last Thanksgiving I\u2019d welcome my sister home, my last squash tournament road trip with my parents, my last Thanksgiving dinner I\u2019d sit at the \u201ckids\u2019\u201d table instead of the \u201cadults\u2019.\u201d I suppose they all compounded, unacknowledged, until they hit me like a double decker bus at 12:09 AM as I stared into the glowing ornaments and shimmering tinsel I had hung. Who\u2019s going to decorate the tree next year? Who\u2019s going to make Mom and Dad excited for Christmas?<\/span><\/p>\n I could see it in my head so clearly\u2014Christmas, always powered by my sister\u2019s and my incessant Mariah Carey singalongs and burnt sugar cookies, fading from our household, evaporating like breath on a windowpane. My parents had only ever loved the holidays as much as Marcia and I did. Would my parents still give each other gifts when the two of us were gone? Would they even put up a tree?<\/span><\/p>\n My tear ducts, overworked as they are in the season of giving and college applications, started to ow. Marcia knew wordlessly why I was upset. \u201cDid you know,\u201d she started, pulling me in for a hug, \u201cthat 90% of the time you will ever spend with your parents is over by the time you leave for college?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Now, I\u2019ve searched for this statistic and can\u2019t find it anywhere. But con rmed or not, it still packs a punch to the heart. Realistically, how many hours will I spend with my parents after I leave for college? A summer here, a holiday there. Blink twice and I only call once a week between my work commute and dropping my kid off at school. That not-so-distant future is a far cry from the Sunday morning pancakes and long car rides and Costco runs we share now.<\/span><\/p>\n And that explains why they\u2019ve been so lenient lately. Classic symptoms of early onset empty nest syndrome\u2014I just didn\u2019t recognize them until I put the star on the top of the tree. In the past few weeks, my parents have bought my sister and I orchestra tickets to Anastasia on Broadway (amazing show, 12\/10 would recommend!); gifted us a slew of lululemon clothing; even surprised us with entirely unnecessary, expensive Fastpasses for our winter break visit to Universal\u2019s Harry Potter theme park. They\u2019ve displayed an uncharacteristic indulgence with their eat this, do that attitude. Nothing is a waste of money anymore\u2014not if it offers happiness to enjoy, an experience to share, another memory to cherish.<\/span><\/p>\n Their indulgence makes me ashamed of my behavior during the past few weeks. I\u2019ve used stress, exhaustion, and anxiety as excuses to be snappy, self- centered, and rude. And worse, my parents have simply tolerated it with closed-lipped grimaces because they love me, wholly and unconditionally\u2014the way they have for the past seventeen years, they way they will continue to forever.<\/span><\/p>\n Okay, maybe I\u2019m being overdramatic. I\u2019m sure there will be other holidays in the future for which I\u2019ll return home early enough to untangle the lights and hang up stockings. But staring at the Christmas tree at 12:09AM, I took a breath during my race to move on\u2014from high school, from Pingry, from family\u2014and felt, for the first time, that I wanted everything to stay the same.<\/span><\/p>\n So here\u2019s what Marcia told me, that I\u2019m now telling you: it is your duty to make every minute of these last few years count. Be kind. Be patient. Be present, because here is something wonderful and exciting and terrifyingly sad, all at once: everything is going to change. Everything is changing already. Treasure these moments before 90% of your time with your parents is gone.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been counting down the days till I leave for college for years now. I just never realized that Mom and Dad have been, too.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/students.pingry.org\/record\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-26-at-2.09.16-PM.png” align=”center” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#bababa” border_width=”3px” max_width=”93%” custom_margin=”100px|||” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row_inner custom_padding=”80px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” inline_fonts=”Crete Round,Noticia Text,Goudy Bookletter 1911″]<\/p>\n \u201cOk, now can you describe yourself in 30 seconds or less?\u201d During my college interview, I shifted in my seat as I tried to come up with an answer. Not wanting to seem unprepared but also worried to speak without gathering my thoughts, I asked my interviewer to give me a minute to think. As I left the interview, I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about how in all of my life, I\u2019ve never been\u00a0asked to shrink myself down to 30 seconds. Even as a teenage entrepreneur who pitched to Warren Buffet, I at least had 60 seconds to present a business idea. How much more should a person with an entire life story get?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The experience I had during my college\u00a0interview mademe wonder if\u00a0the college application process\u00a0gives people\u00a0enough room\u00a0to explain who\u00a0they really are.\u00a0As I work on mycollege supplements, I find that,\u00a0happy to get many of them out of the way, I worry that I didn\u2019t mention some of my activities or certain life experiences that I really valued. Focusing on events that occurred only during high school \u2014 as the process requires \u2014 isn\u2019t enough to capture the full range of my life.\u00a0Furthermore, my fellow classmates seem to agree with me. In a voluntary survey conducted in the Class of 2018, 68% responded that they feel the college application process does not give applicants enough room to express who they are. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0As a result, it\u2019s easy for students to get stuck trying to balance detail and simplicity. Yes, colleges value students who show a wide variety of achievements and interests, but\u00a0they also value students who thrive in a few select areas. This paradox creates the challenge of trying to display all of one\u2019s achievements while trying not to seem all over the place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Further, I\u2019 ve found myself having to pick and choose which aspects of my life I want to demonstrate as ones that I value the most. Of course, words on an application can\u2019t encompass an entire person\u2019s\u00a0life experiences or values. But, I often find it hard to choose which values I want to incorporate. Do I talk about my experience playing soccer with an all-boys team in Ghana? Or should I talk about something more academic like participating in a coding camp for seven weeks?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Interestingly, in Peer Leadership, we were faced with this\u00a0same task. We were instructed to write words or phrases that make up our identity. We then had to put them on a wheel with the things we value most taking up more space. Many of us found it dif cult to prioritize some things over others. Shrinking ourselves down into categories felt impossible.\u00a0For argument\u2019s sake, the college application process has reasons for the way it functions. Even though we don’t\u00a0have much space to focus on many aspects of our lives, the essays are required to be short because so many millions appply. Another point to consider is that recommendation letters and interviews help account for the more personal side of the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even so, the process still allows much of what makes up an applicant to get lost.\u00a0While the college process won\u2019t drastically change anytime soon, that shouldn\u2019t discourage us. Sometimes saying less is more. American photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams wrote, \u201cWhen words become unclear, I shall focus on photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Even though it\u2019s easy for us to go crazy trying to explain ourselves in our applications, we should sometimes opt to just leave things out when it becomes too much. Don\u2019t be afraid to keep an essay or explanation simple. Get your point across, but don\u2019t feel burdened to hit every detail or every experience. Yes, there is the pressure to prove yourself to a college by explaining everything. But there is also beauty in the mysteriousness of having un nished chapters in the story of your life.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”3.0.84″][et_pb_column_inner type=”1_2″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/students.pingry.org\/record\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/12\/ElliotOpEd.png” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|” custom_padding=”0px||0px|”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column_inner][et_pb_column_inner type=”1_2″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/students.pingry.org\/record\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/12\/Screen-Shot-2017-12-18-at-7.11.42-PM.png” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner custom_padding=”31px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″ text_font=”||on||||||” inline_fonts=”Crete Round,Noticia Text”]<\/p>\n Shrill, piercing, and unbelievably scratchy. The first time I heard a violin, I couldn\u2019t believe my ears. Yet, there I was at my local music shop, picking out my first violin as a fourth grader. Hundreds of violins lined the walls, waiting to be brought to life with a single bow stroke. A select few were lined against the back wall; they were the chosen ones that had been treasured for centuries on end by the old and the young. As I grasped the neck of a dark brown, German-made violin and\u00a0picked up a bow, I was determined to let its voice ring to the world for the first time.<\/span><\/p>\n When I was in the Lower School, coming to the Winter Festival at the Upper School was always the highlight of my year. I couldn\u2019t wait to sink into those big, comfy red and blue chairs in Hauser Auditorium as Mr. Berdos waved his baton to begin the concert. My gaze always fell on the concertmaster, who was a quiet yet important leader of the entire orchestra and always seemed perfectly in sync with the conductor.<\/span><\/p>\n Years later, I\u2019m no longer ensconced in\u00a0the comfort of the redchair. Instead, I am\u00a0sitting in a hard, black\u00a0metal chair as a part\u00a0of the Upper School\u00a0string orchestra. As\u00a0the conductor\u2019s baton\u00a0waves overhead, I look at the same piece I have played for four years and try to make sense of the black lines that ood the page. Around me on the stands, heads are bobbing up and down, and there are wide gaps in the bleachers that had once been filled with eager faces and cheery smiles. As I look out to the audience, rows and rows of seats are empty. Those performing glance down at ashing phone screens, impatiently tapping their feet, their minds on school and work.<\/span><\/p>\n What has happened to the power of music? Why is it no longer bringing people together the way it used to?<\/span><\/p>\n The answer may lie in the recent budget cuts on national arts programs, a result of the increased emphasis being placed on STEM and athletics programs. In March, President Trump announced that \u201c… the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities would be eliminated entirely…\u201d (NPR). Historically viewed as an integral part of education, the arts have begun to fade, largely due to their perceived \u201cuselessness\u201d in an era of progressive technology.<\/span><\/p>\n But why was music so important in the first place? Was it not to connect the world, breaking all barriers, be they linguistic or geographical? Music is the universal language, and directing funds and support away from this important subject is damaging to current and future generations.\u00a0Now more than ever, we need music to connect us in these divisive and stressful times. Without suf cient emphasis on music programs, we cannot compose this bridge.<\/span><\/p>\n Fortunately, Pingry is heading in the right direction. Although it has spent most of its budget and time on STEM and athletic programs in the past, the school is beginning to improve its arts programs. Just this year, the newly formed percussion ensemble\u00a0blew me away at the Winter Festival, and the newly appointed Arts Ambassadors have paved the way for Pingry arts programs to gain more recognition from fellow classmates. In addition, Hostetter on the Five performances are great venues for student musicians to share their talent and\u00a0music with the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Making a violin sing is not an easy job, as I\u2019ve learned in the past seven years. Every day, I\u2019m faced with a new challenge, whether it be the dif cult rhythm, technique, or structure of a piece. But I\u2019ve learned to push forward, and the results can be rewarding. If everyone in the community can join together in harmony by attending and supporting their peers at school concerts, we can truly make our hearts sing together<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_signup mailchimp_list=”713def41c0″ mailchimp_account_name=”pingryrecord” mailchimp_api_key=”fd21e13408f802ced82d2e780aa7e059-us17″ title=”Get the Pingry Record sent right to your inbox!” button_text=”Subscribe!” background_color=”#003366″ _builder_version=”3.0.84″ header_level=”h1″ header_line_height=”1.4em” body_font=”Goudy Bookletter 1911||||||||” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”67%” module_alignment=”center” animation_style=”slide”] Subscribe to receive emails and updates on the Pingry Record’s most recent articles, photo journals, and issues! [\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ make_fullwidth=”on” specialty=”on” padding_top_1=”0px” padding_bottom_1=”0px” padding_top_2=”0px” padding_bottom_2=”0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|” custom_padding=”0px||0px|”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ padding_bottom=”0px” padding_top=”0px”][et_pb_row_inner custom_padding=”29px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″ inline_fonts=”Crete Round,Noticia Text”]<\/p>\n As many people have seen by now, a new Participation Policy has been put in place. The policy, which was emailed to parents around November 26, states that students must participate in activities that they excel in throughout their time as a student in the Upper School.<\/span><\/p>\n Soon after parents received this email, there was backlash in student group chats and on social media. Students questioned why and how the school would be able to require such a thing. Specifically, how could the school require a student to take his or her time after school to participate in one of the school\u2019s athletic teams?<\/span><\/p>\n Fundamentally, I agree that any student who does have a talent in a certain area should want to contribute that talent to his or her school community. But is it fair of the school to threaten dismissal of a student if he or she doesn\u2019t do so? As a player on one of school\u2019s tennis teams, I have seen the type of situation where players who would have been members of the varsity team do not play for Pingry.<\/span><\/p>\n The fear of loss and of not being the top player has driven members away from the bigger picture of team success. Of course, I do not know students\u2019 reasons for not joining or continuing their time on <\/span>the tennis team, but this policy has called me to question whether it was fair of these players to quit the school team. Is <\/span>it fair that quali ed ath<\/span>letes don\u2019t contribute their skills to the community?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Not only as a member of the Pingry tennis team but also as a member of a much larger tennis community, I have seen this type of behavior before. I have seen many girls across the state of New Jersey who don\u2019t play for their high school teams because they believe that playing on a team far below their skill level\u00a0will hinder their careers,\u00a0that playing on a high\u00a0school tennis team is not\u00a0worth their time, or, in\u00a0many cases, that playing\u00a0on the team will lead to\u00a0more losses, a result they\u00a0are afraid of. An important question is raised by\u00a0the situation: On what\u00a0grounds can these girls\u2019 schools require players to play for their teams?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Pingry has grounded their policy in the Honor Code. The Honor Code states that students should work for the \u201ccommon good rather than solely for personal advantage.\u201d After quoting this section of the text, the policy continues: \u201cAccordingly, it is Pingry\u2019s expectation that students will participate in ways that advantage the community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n However, as one reads further, it can be noted that this \u201cexpectation\u201d is actually a requirement- one that, if not fulfilled, might result in denial of enrollment for the following school year. Is it more selfish for the school to require such players to dedicate such a large portion of their time to its programs or for the students to choose not to share their talents though the school’s programs?<\/span><\/p>\n As a highly ranked and highly dedicated tennis player, I have always felt compelled to play for my school\u2019s tennis team and help the team advance to every championship possible. For a tennis team, the loss of even one player can make a huge impact. However, it is within my own morals that I feel as though I should play to help a larger focus than myself, and it is my choice to express this sense of obligation through Pingry\u2019s teams and not elsewhere. Others may interpret their own morals through different actions, maybe by participating in a community outside of the school.<\/span><\/p>\n I believe that every student should be an active member of whatever he or she can in the school community, but it should be within his or her own moral standards. It shouldn\u2019t have to be forced upon these students by regulations or threats of expulsion. With this, I would urge not only for students to dive into the rich programs Pingry has to offer, but also for the school\u2019s administration to appreciate the students who already want to ben<\/span>efit the community and not <\/span>just those students who are deemed more talented and valuable to the school.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner custom_padding=”66px|0px|56px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][et_pb_column_inner type=”1_2″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/students.pingry.org\/record\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/12\/MurphyOpEd.png” _builder_version=”3.0.84″ custom_margin=”0px|||”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column_inner][et_pb_column_inner type=”1_2″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/students.pingry.org\/record\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/12\/FungOpEd.png” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.84″][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ box_shadow_position=”outer” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″ inline_fonts=”Noticia Text,Crete Round”]<\/p>\n I am a swimmer, and with being a swimmer comes having a notoriously large appetite. We high school swimmers might not be inhaling Michael Phelps\u2019s famous 12,000-calorie diet, but we certainly do consume more than the 2,000 calories an average American eats in a day. That being said, over one third of my daily food intake comes from Pingry\u2019s cafeteria, and if I\u2019m being totally honest, I love it.<\/span><\/p>\n While some may not share this sentiment, I look forward to lunch at school every day. I came to Pingry as a freshman, and I vividly remember my visiting day as a buddy. I sat through a health class, a chemistry class, and a geometry class. The classes were all great, but I have to say, lunch was my favorite part of that day. I was floored by the swarm of students walking around with a wide variety of well-portioned meals that were vibrant in color, served on real plates, and eaten with real silverware. There was chicken, and rice, and pasta, and grilled cheese, and salad, and a panini\u00a0<\/span>station, and peanut butter and jelly\u2014 the options seemed endless!<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been to other schools\u2019 cafeterias where\u00a0students are <\/span>served a few\u00a0<\/span>chicken nug<\/span>gets, one\u00a0<\/span>scoop of\u00a0<\/span>mashed pota<\/span>toes that are\u00a0<\/span>made from\u00a0<\/span>powder, and\u00a0<\/span>some canned\u00a0<\/span>fruit that\u00a0<\/span>consists of<\/span>a couple of\u00a0<\/span>beige cubes\u00a0<\/span>floating in\u00a0<\/span>syrup. On\u00a0<\/span>other days,\u00a0<\/span>students get\u00a0<\/span>a boiled hot\u00a0<\/span>dog set on\u00a0<\/span>a slice of\u00a0<\/span>white bread,\u00a0<\/span>a scoop of\u00a0<\/span>brown bean paste, and some soggy, gray collard greens that nobody but the bravest kid would eat. Food is served on styrofoam trays that are smaller than the average Pingry student\u2019s laptop, and that\u2019s that.<\/span><\/p>\n The difference between these schools\u2019 lunches\u00a0<\/span>and Pingry\u2019s lunch is night and day, and come freshman year, I was exceedingly satisfied with\u00a0<\/span>my dining experience at Pingry. I was so grateful to have a variety of healthy options to choose from as well as the chance to grab a piece of fruit to snack on throughout the day.<\/span><\/p>\n As my freshman year went on, I also became increasingly appreciative\u00a0<\/span>of the care taken to make our dining experience the best it can be. The kitchen staff put an in<\/span>credible amount of effort into serving hundreds of hungry, growing students a variety of over six different meal options daily. Even when we are not at school for lunch, whether for a game or a field trip, we are still served food thanks to the extra time put in to make brown bag\u00a0<\/span>lunches on top of regular in-school lunches.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to the effort the kitchen staff puts into all the nutritious meals they prepare for us, they go above and beyond to tend to the small details regarding how we are served as well. Every day, just like my first day of freshman year, I am greeted with a warm smile and a \u201cHi, how may I help you?\u201d before I am served a neatly portioned plate of food complete with an extra ladle of sauce, a sprinkling of green onions, or even an edible flower.<\/span><\/p>\n It is the special care the kitchen staff put into the deliciously prepared\u00a0<\/span>lunches we enjoy five days a week that makes our dining experience all the more meaningful. So the next time you are in line waiting for lunch, don\u2019t forget to express your gratitude towards the kitchen staff. And if you find something that doesn\u2019t particularly suit your taste, think about how lucky we are compared to the students in some other schools. Just like we already appreciate the amazing choices we have in classes, sports, art, and beyond, we should show our appreciation for the great choices we have in our lunches as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ padding_bottom=”0px” padding_top=”0px”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.84″ header_font=”||||||||” use_border_color=”on” border_color=”#003366″ border_width=”3px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”15px|15px|15px|15px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ inline_fonts=”Crete Round,Noticia Text,ABeeZee”]<\/p>\n Ever since I was young, I\u2019ve had a strong sense of attachment. My mother told me that when I lost my first tooth, I cried over the loss of a part of me that had been with me for seven years. As I grew older, this sense of attachment developed into a fear of losing hold of the past. While the eponymous hero of F. Scott Fitzgerald\u2019s The Great Gatsby attempted to recreate the past in the present, I preferred instead to hold on to what remained.<\/span><\/p>\n Tangible objects served as portals to the intangible; I kept notebooks from elementary school, saved old voicemails on my phone, and held on to even the most trivial of mementos, like gum wrappers, in order to have an extant link to the people, places, and experiences of my memories. In my mind, preserving my memories of the past in the present validated their having happened, and to lose a piece of my past in the present was to lose the past itself.<\/span><\/p>\n In March of 2015, my grandmother passed away. She was the cornerstone of my childhood, practically raising me as my parents worked in the city. My grandmother played a part in all of my happiest memories: teaching me how to ride a bike, driving me back and forth from school, telling me stories before I went to sleep. Upon her death, I lost a beloved family member who was as precious to me as my own life, and the world with her in it that I had known for all my life crumbled away.<\/span><\/p>\n I was living in a postmortem world that I never imagined could have existed, and I was unable to find any way of fully bridging the gap back into the world of the past. I had photographs, of course, and clothes she had worn, journals she had written, gifts she had given me\u2014but none of it was enough. Like Harry Potter\u2019s resurrection stone, they managed to conjure the image of my grandmother, but they could not bring her back, nor could they represent the entirety of the love and warmth that I missed.<\/span><\/p>\n It was my grandmother\u2019s death that led me to reconsider my obsession with the past. Up until that point, I had lived my life with a retrospective focus, with a preference for the preservation of old. However, during my period of mourning, I realized that my grandmother would not have wanted me to dwell on her death and to forget to live. Everything she had done for me while she was alive was in service of my future, and to disregard that was to dishonor her memory. My grandmother taught me that I must embrace living in the present, trusting that what really mattered from the past would stay with me.<\/span><\/p>\n In about two weeks, I\u2019ll be turning eighteen. What a strange thing\u2014the inevitable passage of time! Though my heart feels entirely like that of a child, its vessel has managed to outgrow itself. To be perfectly honest, I never imagined that I would live to see the day I turned eighteen. I don\u2019t mean this in a morbid sense\u2014it\u2019s just that, throughout all these years, the idea of adulthood always seemed so far away, a fantastic mirage somewhere in the distance, beyond the boundary of where I could ever reach. But come January first, I\u2019ll have crossed a threshold, and the door on my childhood years will be gently shut.<\/span><\/p>\nPincus and Al Samaqi Explore Ethics at the Hanly Lecture<\/h1>\n
By Aneesh Karuppur (III)<\/h4>\n
Winter Festival Rings in the Holiday Season<\/h1>\n
By Udochi Emanghara (V)<\/h4>\n
Community Unites at Friday Night Lights<\/span><\/h1>\n
By Noah Bergam (III)<\/span><\/h4>\n
Editorial: Ode to the Empty Nest<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 – Rachel Chen (VI)\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Elliot Analyzes the Nature of the College Application Process<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
by Alexis Elliot (VI)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Learn to Face the Music<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
by Felicia Ho (V)<\/span><\/h4>\n
Murphy Discusses New Extracurricular Participation Policy<\/span><\/h1>\n
by Brooke Murphy (VI)<\/span><\/h4>\n
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice: Sage Dining<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
by Darlene Fung (V)<\/span><\/h4>\n
Editorial: Gatsby and Goodbyes<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
\u201cSo we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.\u201d The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n