T h e

C r i m s o n s u nThe Student Newspaper of Morristown-Beard SchoolVol. 16, No. 5 May 201570 Whippany Road, Morristown, NJ 07960

While technology tends to domi-nate teenagers’ lives, most MBS students are becoming hostile to social media, ac-cording to a Crimson Sun survey of all Up-per School students, conducted in April. However, the results lead to a paradox: while many students dislike social media, including the apps and websites used to

connect with friends and the world, almost all of them are constantly on it. “ThefirstthingIdointhemorn-ing is go on my phone and check social me-dia,” said Colin Waters ‘15. But it is not just at home that stu-dents fuel their obsession. These habits have made their way into the classroom, as

well. 75 percent of MBS Upper School stu-dents said they are “sometimes” or “always” distracted by social media in class and 57 percent of these students spend more than three hours a day on technology.

Students have love/hate relationship with social mediaBy Molly Glick and Bailey RechleR

On April 17, Nicole Robertson be-camethefirstfemaleineight years to be elected Student Government Association (SGA) presi-dent. She won support

announcing clear goals: to make changes in the cafeteria and locker rooms, and to get the middle school involved in Spirit Week. This year, there

were two girls who ran for president, a clear con-trast to last year when there were no girls, and two years ago when there was just one. Along with Nicole, Will Mallen, Patrick Davis, Alex Mot-ley, Matt Enman, and Amina Rehman ran for SGA president this year. In her cam-paign speech, Robertson said she would like to ar-range for improvements to the locker rooms, add healthy options in the cafeteria such as wraps and fresh fruit, and get the Middle School in-volved in Spirit Week despite their different schedule from the Upper School. However, it was Robertson’s proposal for a new payment system in the dining room that drew great applause from students. Her idea for students to charge food to their school ac-counts instead of paying cash sparked debate.

Some wondered wheth-er it was a real possibil-ity, but the idea itself set Robertson apart from competing can-didates. After transfer-ring to MBS as a sopho-more, Nicole admits she lacks experience in the SGA, but said she could make up for that: “Despite my lack of experience with SGA, I believe that Ihave the characteristics and leadership skills that are necessary to be successful,” she said. Moreover, with her selection of Cole Sanford ’16 as treasurer, and Will Mallen ’16 to her cabinet as Vice Pres-ident, Robertson gains their experience that she feels will compensate for her lack of experience with SGA. The addition of these two longtime SGA participants will make thefirstcoupleofweekseasier for Robertson to

ease her way into her new position. Inaddition,shehas recieved advice from current SGA president Will Laud ’15. With this as well as the experience from her cabinet mem-bers, Robertson believes that she will be able to manage. Along with San-ford and Mallen, Rob-ertson’s cabinet includes Jaymi Zimmerman ’16, as secretary, and Cami Calafiore ’16, who willhandle public relations. Some doubt that Robertson’s win-ning ideas will gain full administrative sup-port. “Ihavealreadyspoken to [Upper School head] Mr. Burns about it,butmyoneissueIwillface is that because it is [outside contractor] Flik selling breakfast, it may be difficult to make anagreement with them. ButIamworkingonit,”she said.

Robertson has big plans for SGABy Max Matilsky

The seniors give Dice-K a standing ovation on Yearbook Dedication & College Sweatshirt Day, a week before they leave campus for Senior Projects. See what they are doing for their senior projects on page 5.

Photo: Amanda Sit

Outgoing SGA president Will Laud passes the gavel to NicoleRobertson,thefirstfemalepresidentin8years.

Photo: Allie Goldberg

inside this issue

See SURVEY CHARTS and continured story on page 6

Students debate

scheduleSee Pages 3 and 7

Plagiarism explored

See Page 4

Dear Edwina hits

the stageSee Page 9

The girl behind the

magic

See Page 10

Boys’ and girls’ lax See Page 12

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015

OPINION/EDITORIAL Page 2

the cRiMson sun70 Whippany Road

MoRRistoWn, neW jeRsey 07960973-539-3032

Op-Ed Editor Molly GlickStaff Photographers James Fort Chelsea Kramer Jared Rosen Amanda Sit Allie GoldbergFaculty AdviserIdaPicker

Thanks to: Bruce Adams, Peter Caldwell, Darren Burns, Darren Lovelock, Barbara Napholtz, Chris Finn, Caitlin Trought, Steve Patchett, John Mascaro, Sara Huneke and Ezra Gottlieb.

We welcome letters to the editor, opinion pieces, sto-ries, cartoons and photographs.To contact the paper regard-ing submissions, send an e-mail to either ebruno@mbs.net or wmallen@mbs.net. The Crimson Sun corrects its factual errors and ac-cepts corrections.

The Crimson Sun is a 4-16 page newspaper, available inprintandonlinethroughthembs.netwebsite.Itiswrittenprimarily for the approximately 544 students attending MBS and the approximately 100 faculty and staff members, and is distributed free of charge to all members of the school commu-nity. The Crimson Sun provides information and entertain-ment in addition to various viewpoints on debatable issues. We will not print anything that is deemed libelous, obscene or in poor taste. We reserve the right to edit or withhold anything submitted and correct spelling, grammar and punctuation when necessary.

Editors-in-Chief Emily Bruno William MallenManaging Editors Brian Andrzejewski Bailey Rechler Ben Schreiber Alexa Rojek (photos)News Editors Madalyn Braunstein Carlye CordingFeature Editor Meghan Nelligan

In aworldwhere the numberofInstagramfollowersdictatespopular-ity, and a “like” on Facebook is a sign of friendship, verbal communication has become obsolete. Text messages have replaced phone calls, and emojis convey emotions. This new age of society has ushered in a new form of communication; one in which people’s mouths remain shut and their eyes glued to a screen. Even par-ents and grandparents have been se-duced by technology, as Facebook has been invaded by the 40 and older crowd. Social media’s dominance has created a world in which it is no longer necessary to speak. Although advancements in technology may seem like progress, they have had serious repercussions. Smart-phones and iPads are overrun with so-cial media sites. They have reshaped the way social interaction between teenag-ershappensonadailybasis.Infact,81percent of teenagers (12-17) across the country have at least one social media account, and 95 percent use the internet, according to surveys by dailytech.com and pewinternet.org. Social media is widespread. In school, ata traffic light, orwalkingon the street, somebody has their head down checking a Snapchat or sending a friend request. People are constantly

refreshing their news feeds to see the newest posts to Facebook or Twitter, or checking how many likes they have on theirlatestInstagram. Just theotherdayIwasdriv-

ing and almost hit my neighbor who was walking in the street. And no, it’s not be-causeI’mabaddriver.It’sbecausehishead was down and he had somehow managed to drift into the middle of the

road while walking. Social media has given teenagers yet another source of contact, lessening the need for verbal communication.Itissoeasytojustwhipout a phone, open up an app, and send a message. Calling someone is simply ir-relevant. However, this rapid increase in social media and technology isn’t only hindering teenagers. There has also been an increase in adults, even grand-parents, who have joined social media, especially Facebook. My sister has felt the effects. My grandmother has been asking her to accept her friend request formonths now. In fact, 71percent of online adults have a Face-book account. With long time friends now con-tacting each other with such ease, high school reunions may become a thing of the past. With the click of a button, a Facebook group can be created, and all of a sudden, people are in constant com-munication. Advancements in technology have caused humans mouths to remain shut, but others will still be talking. With the lack of human verbal commu-nication, it is likely that one day, the only voice that will be heard is that of Siri’s.

Did U Lose Ur Voice?By BRett Rudnitnsky

The survey conducted this spring by the Crimson Sun showed the overwhelming use of technology and social media by MBS students. The majority of students here have become too absorbed in the social media craze. Walking around campus, wefindstudentstakingselfiesand tweeting about the latest gossip. What has the world come to? How can anyone have a genuine conversation with their friends when they are more fo-cused on how many likes their Instagrampostgetsorwhotheyaresnapchatting?Itisimpossi-ble. We should not have to com-pete with social media to get our friends’ attention. There is even less in-timate conversation between teenagers. The culture of MBS is becoming completely super-ficial. People peruse Facebookand Twitter while their teach-ers talk about Shakespeare and Martin Luther King Jr. Stu-dents aren’t getting the most out of their classes because they are too busy with social media. A number of students even ask to go to the bathroom

so they can take a “social media break.” They cannot succeed in

the classroom if they are more concerned about the latest tweet than learning about one of the greatest writers or civil rights activists our world has

seen. Worse, students under-stand how bad the social media addiction has become and yet, succumb to it, anyway. People arehorrifiedbyourincreasinglyself-absorbed, selfie-posting so-ciety, yet they yearn to be a part of the social media sensation. Still, no one can deny the useful aspects of technol-ogy. From the ability to stay in contact with family and friends who live far away to the abil-ity to teach via the iPad in the classroom, the multifaceted functions of technology are key to the advancement of today’s society. However, social me-dia technology may be turning into a destructive tool that pro-pels teenagers into plummeting self-confidence and waveringgrades. Teenagers need to be-come aware of the vast world beyond their tempting screens. They need to learn to use tech-nology to propel themselves into the future of our world instead of getting obsessed with the su-perficialimagesattheirfinger-tips.

Bypassing real conversations for tweets

Editorial:

Verbal communication is obsolete

HELP!! My voice is turning into emojis!Cartoon: Carlye Cording

“We should not have

to compete with so-

cial media for our friends’

attention”

Morristown-Beard’s Upper School schedule is what one may call a “hot topic” around school for stu-dents and teachers alike. The contro-versial fashion in which we run our day was even a topic for our Debate Club’s in-school competition on May 7 (news story on page 7). The “pro” side argument was, “On balance, the current MBS aca-demic schedule serves the needs of students.” This side was vying for the schedule to remain as it is, while the “con” side argued for change. After 40 minutes of debate over this riveting topic in Dr. Crowe’s English room, the audience voted almost unani-mously for the “con” side, making it clear that many members of the com-munity are not content with the cur-rent schedule. But why? After some digging, I dis-covered the main issues with our school schedule center around the activities period, workshops, advi-sory, and the misuse of free time. “Activities period is taken for granted by students and teach-ers, and clubs aren’t getting the giv-en time they need to meet,” said freshman Zach Esposito. I concur. Between sym-posiums, class meetings, and needing to see teachers for extra help, clubs rarely actually meet. Activities period should be times for clubs, not homework help or hanging on the turf. And workshops are con-sidered a waste of time by a vast majority of students and many faculty. From personal experi-

ence, I find that workshops arenext to useless. The classes are too short to get anything done and frequently result in a poorly used free. Workshops are a good no-tion gone bad. It’s nice to have aclass unrelated to the theme or lesson at hand, but they are rarely used that way. As for Advisory period—not that productive. The time is said to be used for socializing and relaxation on a packed Monday, but it usually just results in an unproductive awkward silence. Lastly, it’s not hard to argue that MBS does not offer enough free time, driving students to use activi-ties periods to see teachers instead of excelling in extra-circulars. So, to address all these pet peeves about the schedule, the MBS debate team created two alternative schedules. Both revised schedules allow for later start times and four periods that are still 60 minutes or more. Schedule A allows optional, structured free periods throughout the day, and sixty minute classes. Schedule B maintains 70 minute classes, and more free time than the current schedule. Nevertheless, there are still people who remain faithful to the cur-rent schedule. “The schedule isn’t per-fect,butIbelieveitservestheneedsof students,” says Sarah Yamashita. Maybe it does. Maybe, changing the schedule would do more harm than good. Maybe. Clearly, the topic de-serves a bigger debate than the one held in Dr. Crowe’s room.

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015

OPINION/EDITORIAL Page 3

“We don’t want stan-dardized tests to become an extra-circular,” said an admis-sions representative at an infor-mationsession. I couldn’thelpbutgiggletomyself.Ifyouarea test genius or have no aspira-tions about getting into college, standardized testing may not becomeanunofficialextra-cur-ricular activity in your life. For the rest of us, it is. I spend my Sundaystaking practice ACT tests. Ev-ery Tuesday afternoon you can find me with my tutor strug-gling to understand the unit circle and why a comma is a better choice than a semicolon. OnmostSaturdays,Iamtak-ing some sort of standardized

test with rows of other stressed out teenagers, proctored by an uninterested teacher. What is most frustrat-ing for me is that these “stan-dardized” tests are far from “standardized.” If Iam judgingthemcorrectly, the purpose of a stan-dardized test is to compare Stu-dent A’s academic abilities to Student B. But what if Student A has a tutor and three prep books while Student B has a job and hardly any time to do their homework, let alone study for an extra exam? This example points to extreme scenarios. Still, in a country with such unequal wealth distribution, nothing is

standardized.And more afflu-ent students may have an un-fair advantage. IwishIhada solution for colleges — about how t o

put t h e s t a n -d a r d

back into standardized tests — but there are few options out there.

The College Board and

its trade-m a r k S . A . T. a n d P S A T t e s t s h a v e become a vital p a r t of the college

p r o -cess. The

Board holds the monopoly.

Itisnearlyimpossibletomakeit through the process without taking any of their tests. A test that was meant to be stan-dardized has fallen victim to bureaucracy and we stu-dents have no other option but to follow. Still, some universities have become test-optional. Inthe future, perhaps, standard-ized tests will be a thing of the past. Until then, standardized tests will remain an immense weight on the shoulders of high school junior and seniors, com-pounding the pressure and gob-bling up huge chunks of their lives, and mine.

WhyIhatestandardizedtests

Time to rethink the MBS scheduleBy Blake keRnen

By Bailey RechleR

Wishful thinking: the debate club poses new schedule dreams. Schedule: Blake Kernen

IfonlyI’dpaidsomeonetotaketheSATforme...Cartoon: Carlye Cording

Hypothetical Alternative Schedules

After a long day of school and sports practice, it can be tempting to google for the answers to your Civil War key terms. In other words,in times of desperation, the temptation to commit plagia-rism looms big. The P-word is an act that Darren Burns, head of the Upper School, calls “an egregious offense that under-mines the fabric of the institu-tion.” The Academic Hon-esty Guide in the Morristown-Beard Family Handbook de-fines plagiarism as “passingoff someone else’s work as your own.” According to the guide, that someone else may be “a friend, a tutor, a parent, an Internetsite,oranoutsideau-thor.” Most MBS students are inagreementaboutthedefini-

tion. However, they think differently about plagiariz-ing on homework and essays. Most students said they have never plagiarized on major essays. But plagiarizing on homework, whether copying a definitionforakeytermfroma website or taking a friend’s work, seems to be much more common. When discovered, plagiarism results in a meet-ing with Mr. Burns, a depart-ment chair, and the student’s grade dean. Together, they decide what punishment the student should receive. Pun-ishments may include a fail-ing grade, a required new assignment and a warning; disciplinary probation; sus-pension; notification to col-lege; and expulsion. “While students make mistakes [regarding plagia-rism], most students only make mistakes once,” Mr. Burns said. “We treat it as a single infraction and a teach-able moment.” “A second offense is extremely serious,” said Darren Lovelock, head of the English de-partment. “Itisbasicallyacharacter issue.” Some students were asked what they thought teach-

ers’ response to plagiarism should be. Ethan Feuer ’15 said, “With a major analytical essay, the assignment should be failed and there should be a warning. A second offense should result in the student being expelled.” In an informal poll,sixty MBS students were asked questions regarding plagiariz-ing on essays and homework. Of these, 92 percent said they do not plagiarize on essays, while 8 percent said they “al-ways” or “sometimes” plagia-rize on essays. In contrast, nearly40 percent said they “always” or “sometimes” plagiarize on homework. The percentage of stu-dents who plagiarize on home-work increases by grade. 7 percent of freshman “always” or “sometimes” plagiarize, 43 percentofsophomores,48per-cent of juniors, and 55 percent of seniors. Students disagree, however, about what consti-tutes plagiarism on homework. Some students think that if

there is only one correct answer, copying it is not considered pla-giarism. Yet the MBS hand-book’s definition of plagiarismstates that answering questions using phrases from a textbook, online source, or friend is pla-giarism. Among teachers and students interviewed for this article, there was a consen-sus: plagiarizing on homework cheats the student more than the teacher. By plagiarizing, the student does not fully grasp a concept as much as a teacher would want. The school’s hand-book, however, contradicts what many faculty members believe about how and when to discipline cases of plagia-rism. It reads, “Teachers atMBS have a duty to respond to all aspects of plagiarism they en-counter; it is not a choice but a requirement of the School.” Mr. Lovelock said it is almost impossible for teachers to check every piece of home-work for plagiarism. “I don’twant to be a

police state,”he said. “I don’twant to be a policeman…it has to ultimately come down to the character of the individual.” Mr. Burnsadded,“Idon’tadjudicatehomework.I’mmoreinterestedin tests, essays and research pa-pers.” On hearing that more students plagiarize on home-work, Mr. Burns said that by not doing their homework, stu-dents were losing more than their teachers. Itisthecharacterandthinking of each individual that teachers at Morristown-Beard strive to enhance. “The whole point of writing assignments is to learn to ask questions and think inde-pendently,” said Kate Sheleg, head of the Center for Academic Writing. “It’s[plagiarism]lazy,”Steven Karbachinsky ’16 added. “Itshowsalackofrespectandconsideration. Copying [messes up] not only you but the person you are copying…Plagiarizing is going against the process of learning.”

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015

NEWS Page 4

Drawing distinctions on plagiarismBy Bailey RechleR

The bleachers were filled with people of all ages,blue bracelets hugging their wrists which inspire great-ness. Some remembered this event from last year while oth-ers were unsure what the night was all about. Either way, they showed their support not only for the boys’ varsity basketball team but also for the Special Olympics team, Thunder. Senior Ethan Feuer recalled the support he received that night: “For me it was great butIbetfortheSpecialOlym-pics players it was a whole otherstory. Ihaven’thad thatmuch support at home games in basketball season.” Ethan said how incredible it was that the relationship between the MBS players and the Special Olympics players carried over after an entire year, this being

the second time the fundraiser occurred. For Bobby Fredericks, a Thunder player, his favorite moment was the last, when the buzzer went off leaving both teams tied and specta-tors jumping to their feet in cheers. “Playing with the bas-ketball team gave us the oppor-tunity to showcase our abilities, and not our disabilities,” Fred-ericks said. This event, coordi-nated by teachers Andrea De-venter and Jessica Weinberger and this writer, earned a total of $2,400.00. Yet it seemed that the night was about more than the moneyraised.“Itwasaneventthat made me proud to be at MBS,” said English teacher Owen Boynton.

Special b-ball game triumphsBy MeGhan nelliGan

(Top) Meg Nelligan and Bobby Fredericks share a hug after the game. (Bottom) Sean Nelligan is all smiles at the Special Olympics Basketball Game

Photos: Amanda Sit

A note to the reader: Students and teach-ers participate in an open discussion about Morristown-Beard’s definition of plagiarism.

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015 Page 5

NEWS

InearlyApril,MattSefcik‘15openedupto the Morristown-Beard community about an is-sue very close to his heart: mental illness. “Irealizedthatthedepressionthatde-finedmybrotherdidn’thavetodefineme,”Sefciksaid. Sefcik, along with his parents spoke in Founders Hall during Activities Period on April 1 to share the story of T.J. Sefcik, who passed away four years ago after losing his battle with depres-sion. WhileMattwasan8thgraderatMBS,T.J. took his own life. His death shocked his friends and family, as T.J. was a popular, athletic, charismatic young man. However, those who deal with depression often do not fall into the stereo-types associated with the illness, explained the Sefciks. Depression can affect anybody, from the star football player to the class scholar. Approxi-

mately one in eight teens suffers with depression, but it often goes unnoticed, Ms. Sefcik said. Those with the illness become extremely skilled in hid-ing their pain. As a result of his brother’s death, Matt too began to struggle with depression. By facing itdirectlyandconfidinginthoseclosesttohim,he was able to take control of his illness, he said. Seeking help is not an act of weakness; it is one of strength, he added. The presentation proved to be both in-formative and touching, giving each student in the packed auditorium a new perspective on mental illness. “Itwasinterestingtoseesomeonewith-in our own community be so open and willing to discuss a raw and serious topic,” said Leah Seldin ’17.

Remembering T.J.By teRRi GReen

Matthew Sefcik shares his story with a packed student audience at Founder’s Hall.

Photo: Steve Patchett

Senior year may be over academically, but in real-ity, that is far from the case. Seniors are going off, leaving the school that has been their home away from home for four years and learning what the real world is all about. Some se-niors are working hard in their chosenfieldsofinterest,familystores or at jobs found through family connections, while oth-ers are experiencing something entirely new to them and dis-tant from their ambitions. Marie McGann is working at a law firmwith adefense attorney at James V. PomacolawfirminNutley. Emily Bruno, co-editor in chief of The Crimson Sun, is at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, working in the pub-

lic relations department. Some of her family members were patients at the hospital, which helped her get the job. Her skills on the newspaper will help in this position, as well in college, where she plans to ma-jor in communications. The theater will al-ways be a part of Alexa Rojek, Crimson Sun managing editor for photos, so it seems natu-ral that she is interning at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Mill-burn on an American musical called Ever After. She said she is “super excited” about the job, which she learned about from a senior who did a simi-lar project last year. She in-tends to pursue theater in col-lege. “I’m interested in the-

ater simply because it’s fun and Iloveit,”shesaid. Courtney Pepper will intern at SportsCare Physical Therapy where she will be doc-umenting some Physical Thera-py patient write-ups. “All of my English classes and especially the number of essays I havewritten will pay off,” she said. Brian Andrzejewski, the Crimson Sun managing edi-tor, is working with MBS alum-nus Zach Gray, former editor-in-chief, in the marketing division of his start-up social media app calledStrivr. “Iwas friendswith Zach when he was a stu-dent here and when I askedhim about interning with him, he was thrilled,” Andrzejewski said. “I am very interested

in business and marketing so this internship relates directly to my interests for a college ma-jor,” he said. The fashion indus-try attracted some students. Elizabeth Mignon and Han-nah Toohey are working with fashion companies in Manhat-tan. Mignon is interning at at Rebecca Minkoff, an indus-try leader in handbags, while Toohey is working in the city at Veronica Beard. Both have found their places through fam-ily connections. The real estate indus-try will also be seeing some seniors. Nate Taggart is work-ing for Forest City Ratner Co in Brooklyn, NY, Nick Menne with Century 21, and Austin Good-man with Mack Cali Realty

Corporation. Thousands of miles away from the comfort campus, James Fort is interning in Hong Kong at the marketing division of the world-wide shipping com-pany Maersk. He landed the job with some help from a family friend. “This is a great opportu-nity for me especially because I amplanning onmajoring inmarketing,” said Fort. Ryan Palazzetti and James Callahan are getting a taste of a major company atFoley,Inc,adivisionoftheworld wide construction ma-chinery company Caterpillar. Both are learning about the sales of caterpillar machines, how the service department works, and about the business office.

Students escape school and face the worldBy Riya patel, nicholas Fazio, MeGhan nel-

Senior Projects:

(Clockwise from left) Emily Bruno, Marie McGann and Lizzie Hunt peruse the yearbook; Kendall Cornine, Hannah Toohey, and Morgan Bartner have mixed feelings about their departure from school; Kyle Maslan and Kathleen McNamara joke with Vineeta Maddali; Dani Sclafani, Maddie Braunstein, Jenny Baguer, and Hannah Guenther show-off their college gear.

Photos: Alexa Rojek

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015

NEWS Page 6

The freshman class has the highest rate of students who “sometimes” or “always” are distracted in class with 91%. The so-lution? “Take iPads away,” said Harris Johnson ‘16. Many MBS students have lis-tened to their parents advice that bright screens are a “no” before bedtime, yet some are still logged in deep into the night.88percentofthesophomoreclassis “sometimes” or “always” on social me-dia after midnight. The classes with the fewest night owls are the freshmen and seniors, with both 38 percent “never”staying up with social media. Millennial teenagers are all too familiar with the “cycle” of social media, in which they refresh one app only to move to another, repeating the process until it seems no new material can be found.38percentoffreshmen,43percentof sophomores, 50 percent of Juniors, and 35 percent of seniors get caught in the cyclefiveormoretimesperday. As part of the “Me” generation, teenagers are often criticized for a lack of human interaction and MBS students are no excpetion. Asked if they “some-times”, “always”, or “never” chat with a friend online instead of seeing them in person, an alarming 98 percent of se-niors,88percentofjuniors,86percentofsophomores, and 96 percent of freshmen “sometimes” or “always” prefer online time to in person time spent with friends. The class with the highest ani-mosity toward social media was the soph-omores,as68percentwishitdidnotex-ist. 57 percent of freshmen, 52 percent of juniors, and 49 percent of seniors agree.

Ifwecouldhavealifefreeofso-cial media, would we? The Upper School was evenly divided on the issue. 49 per-cent wish it did not exist, while 51 per-cent of students could not imagine life without it. Yet, no one can deny the impli-cations social media has had on personal interaction. “Social media has changed the waythatwefunctionasasociety.Ithasmade us lazier in our relationships and less genuine in the way we interact with each other,” said Hailey Winterbottom ‘16. “Itcausespeopletobemoreen-grossed in how they appear to one group,” Winterbottom said. “It’s all about howthey formulate their own image”. Amanda Sit, 16’ went further: “Social media has become a barrier to socializing with the people around you. . . People are too focused on capturing the moment that they no longer actually ‘live.’ ” On the other hand, Josh Katz sees the advantages of social media. “Sometimes, technology and social media can be a good thing,” Katz said.“Itprovidesawaytokeepintouchwith people we cannot see often, like fam-ily members or camp friends.” “Iliketoseeallmyfriends’pho-tos [on Facebook] and what’s going on in the world,” Brandon Bernstein 16’ said. Courtney O’Brien ‘15 disagrees. “Even with social media, we are becom-ing more and more disconnected with others. There is no personal connection. Instead,weonlygettoknoweachother’s‘mask’ - what we want others to see.”

Students have love/hate relationship with social media(cont.)

Charts by Molly Glick based on the results on the Crimson Sun survey administered in April.

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015

NEWSPage 7

For a split second, ten-sions grew, faces straightened, and the room turned quiet. This would be the last debate for seniors Jared Gaby-Biegel, Kyle Maslan, and Jojo Caruso. Taking place in the comfortable quarters of Dr. Crowe’s room, the debate covered the MBS schedule. The pro side argued that there was nothing wrong with the current schedule, while theconsidefiercelydis-agreed, contending that MBS must design a new schedule

which will ensure less wasted time in the school day. The silence was short lived. Kyle Maslan jumped in. “If it ain’t broke don’tfix it,” Maslan said, claimingthat the current school schedule works well—that Activities pe-riods give students time to meet with teachers, work, relax, and participate in clubs while Work-shop periods give teachers a chance to get creative, catch up or prepare for tests. “The amount of free

time during the week also gives students the chance to hone their time management skills which will be essential in col-lege,” Maslan said. Freshman Nick Pago-ria brought up the importance of morning meetings. The sev-enty minute class periods pre-pare students for college cours-es, he added. Debate star and Morn-ing Meeting announcer Jared Gaby-Biegel and his “con” team argued right back. “The worst thing you

can do is nothing,” Gaby-Biegel said. The Monday schedule must be altered, his team ar-gued, so that class periods are longer, giving time for more work to get done. Free time scheduled throughout the week is not enough for students, and should be better scheduled into the week, his team said. The “con group” de-signed two new schedules. One includes a later beginning of the school dayalongwithflexperiods that could be used for

meeting with teachers or partic-ipating in clubs. “Sleep, struc-ture, and don’t settle,” Blake Ki-ernen said, outlining the three main goals for their plan. “Regarding the sleep issue, 15 percent of teens do not get enough sleep and it is not natural for teens to go to go to sleep before eleven,” said freshman Jared Cohen. “A later school start time would allow students to get more sleep,” he said.

Debate heats up over MBS scheduleBy nicholas Fazio

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015 Page 8

FEATURES

(Clockwise from top) Sundia Nwadiozor, Gracie Goldie, and Olivia Shrieber belt out a song together; Tiernan Mullane performs a solo; Juniors Sam Nickson, Steven Karbachinskiy, Zen Luckowski, and Ross McGinnis rock out on stage; Dean Grogg replaces his football with a guitar; Sr. Rusnack and Jack Hughes collaborate.

Photos: Alexa Rojek

Every year, the Contemporary Music Work-shop (CMW) gets better and better. With an impressive 29 songs, there was no shortage of great performances.Many students and faculty members auditioned for this season’s CMW, and there was a packed crowd to boot. Someperformersparticipatedforthefirsttimeand still delivered excellent performances, such as sixth graderAmnaJan,whotookthestageconfidentlywiththe piano support of her brother, Mikaeel Jan. After her stellar performance of “Fix You,” the packed crowd gave her an ovation. A welcome change of pace arrived in the self-produced EDM song, “The Beat Never Stops,” per-formed by Vinayak Sharma, Tiernan Mullane, and Mikaeel Jan. This song showcased the talent of the MBS students to create their own song and perform it in front of a full founders hall. Luxshman Saravanapavan, a crowd pleaser every year, performed his freestyle dance. He seem-ingly melted into the song, portraying every note with a precise move. The Cult of Obediah, comprised of Zen Luck-owski, Steven Karbachinskiy, Sam Nickson, and Ross McGuiness made an appearance with excellent perfor-mances of “Higher Ground” and “Rock the Casbah.” Students weren’t the only performers. Faculty

musicians, as always, rocked the crowd. From Span-ish teacher Troy Rusnak playing guitar in songs such as“HowtoSaveaLife”and“InterstateLoveSong,”toBruce Van Hoven providing excellent piano support in songs “Home” and “Karma Police,” they dem-onstrated that they are much more than just Spanish and chorus teachers. To end the show, every performer took the stage one last time to belt out “Wagon Wheel” togeth-er. In this standoutgrand finale,the delighted audience clapped to the beat.

CMW musicians pack in the crowdsBy MaRk tiMcenko

C r i m s o n s u n Page 9

FEATURESMay 2015

During the summer of sixth grade, RyanPalazzetti remembershis frequentfish-ing trips to a nearby lake. He recalls trying to hide from the scorching summer sun under his Cohassett Hockey hat and struggling to keep his line from getting tangled in the reel of his fishingpole. Despite the occasional bobbing of his line atop Mount Kimble Lake in Harding, Ryan re-membersnothingbutstillness.Interruptingthiscalm,Ryangotjoltedfromhisseatbyafirmpullattheendofhisfishingline. Because he kept the lure he used to hook

hisfirstbigcatch,Ryanstillrememberscatchingthe enormous catfish that inspiredhis love forfishing. “FishingisunlikeanyothersportIhaveeverplayed,”Palazettisaid.“Itisnotcompetitiveand you never have to worry about letting your teammates down.” While out fishing, Ryan loves relaxingwith his friends and getting his mind off of every-thing going on in life “Fishing has taught me a lot about pa-tience and perseverance,” he said.

RyanPalazzettifindsstillnessBy kRisty cotteR

Mini-profiles:

Di Yang gets out of her seat and heads to the front of the room to give a presentation on Baroque Art in Dr. Atwater’s Art History Class. She waits for Dr. Atwater to give her the signal to start. Dr. Atwater says, “Okie dokie, shoot!” Yang continues to stand still, ready to begin. After a few moments of silence, Dr. Atwater says, “Oh, I’msorry,thatisslangfor‘okay,go!’” Yang mentally notes this new American slang, laughs it off, and begins. “[Idon’tunderstand]alot....Ithinkyouwouldn’twantme to list everything [I don’tknow] out.” says Yang’15. Di Yang transferred to MBS in 2013 for her junior year from Dandong, China, a city close to the North Korean border. As an international stu-dent, Yang is tuned in to the dif-ferences between her peers in China and those in the U.S.

“Unlike Chinese stu-dents who are usually under a lot of pressure, worrying too much, and who therefore be-have way too maturely, the students in the U.S. are much more like real teenagers,” says Yang. “They are fearless, en-thusiastic, loud and enjoying their lives.” At MBS, Yang is a stand-out in the classroom. She was recently voted “Most Studi-ous” for this year’s Salmagundi and anyone who has a class with her can attest to that. She manages to do brilliant things, even though the education sys-tems in China and the U.S. are very different. “InChina,studentsareassigned into different classes and participate in all kinds of activities with the class, instead of the grade unit. Students do not need to change classrooms.

Teachers do. The school hours are much longer and the class sizes are much bigger, ranging from 30-40 students per class,” says Yang. Outside of the class-room, Yang is still adjusting to the culture shock. She notes specific things like energydrinksandcakeshavingartifi-cial colors as jarring. “What are those green/blue/red cakes? Those are hor-rible colors,” she says. Yet, two years after her big transition, life is starting to get easier. Yang even has some favorite things about her new life in America. “I like the shorterschool hours and the less amount of homework. I alsolikehowIcanfindthingsfromall over the world here, espe-cially fresh food in the super-market,” says Yang. Inthefall,Yangwillbe

attending George Washington University. “I chose to stay herefor college because, in China, the hardest education is high school. The situation is the op-positehere,soIwanttotryit,”says Yang. However, Yang does not plan to stay in the United States forever. “My plan is to live here untilIfinishmyeducation.Myfamily visits the U.S., but they only stay for a few months at atime.Iwouldliketobewiththem in China after college.” At that point in the distant future, she will un-doubtedly have to adjust to life in China again. After years of culture shock, Di Yang may be more like American teenagers than she thinks. She will prob-ably never be loud, but, wheth-er she realizes it or not, she will always be fearless.

Di Yang takes culture shock in strideBy eMily BRuno

Twenty-one Middle Schoolers sang and danced as Founders Hall stage transformed into a neighborhood located in Paw Paw, Michigan for the perfor-

mance of Dear Edwina Jr., the Middle School musical, written by Marcy Heisler and composed by Zina Gold-rich.

“I likedthemusica lot,”saidSusan Speidel, Director and head of MBS theater department. “Dear Ed-winaJr.isintelligentandcatchyandIthought the students would relate to it.” The show centers around 13-year-old Edwina Spoonapple (Pa-mela Beniwal ’19), who runs an advice show for her friends in her garage. Kids in her neighborhood send Edwina let-ters and she gives them advice through songs and dance numbers that she ar-ranges with her friends. She enters the “Advice-a-palooza” festival contest, so she can prove that she is as talented as hersiblings.Intheend,shelearnsthatlove is more important than winning a prize. “Iknewithadabigensembleand cast and we wanted to get as many [Middle School] students involved as possible,” said Dr. Speidel. Some students take on several different roles. The cast includes Pame-la Beniwal ’19 as Edwina Spoonapple, Anika Buch ‘20 as the queen of Boola Boola who teaches manners, Michelle Carneiro ‘20 as Carrie who needs help

learning how to set the table and a mem-ber of The Napkins a singing group. Michelle Corcoran ’20 performs as Lola and Susie; Yihana Curl ’20 as Aphrodite; Matt Ellerthorpe ’20 as Wil-liam Sonoma and Johnny; Jake Gold-berg ’21 as Scott; Quiya Harris ’19 as Kelli; and Ryan Heffernan ’19 as Bobby and Frank. Inaddition,SarahKarbachinskiy ‘21 plays Annie; Alex Keri as Cordell ’21, Harry, and Farmer Jerry; Rachel Kelson ’20 as a member of The Napkins; Ethan Kim ‘19 as Billy Vlanderspoonk and Ziggy; Liza Leever ’19 as Katie Spoon-apple and Fairy Forkmother. More actors include Nicolette Lewis ‘19 as Abigail; Sophie McGuin-ness ’19 as a member of The Napkins; Lauren Mennen ’19 as Chef Ludmilla; IanO’Brien ‘19 as Lars Vanderploonkand Vladimir; Rebecca Tone ‘19 as Mary Sue Betty Bop; and Kailyn Williams ’21 as Becky and a member of The Napkins. Sydney Morris ’17 served as as-sistant choreographer and director as an independent study at MBS. This writer stage-managed the performance.

Middle schoolers romp through advice musical, Dear EdwinaBy aRielle Moss

Di Yang survived two years of culture shock at MBS.

Photo: Kramer

Ontherunway,RyanPalazzettihideshisinnerfisherman.

RachaelKelson,EthanKim,RebeccaTone,andIanO’Briendanceinthisyear’sMiddleSchool Musical, Dear Edwina Junior.

Photo: Amanda Sit

Photo: Steve Patchett

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015

FEATURES Page 10

Itisnotadiscussionofwhether or not you go, because everyone does. The real ques-tion is where you go. With a plethora of bathrooms to choose from on campus, each person has their “spot.” After talking with classmates, and, even, fac-ultymembersandreflectingonmy past experiences over my seven years here, I have com-posedarankingofthetopfivebathrooms that the campus has to offer. All of them share the constant of being clean, a very important characteristic. Checkoutmyfindingsbelow.

5. Headmaster Men’s Bathroom

Tucked away in a back hallway of Beard Hall, this restroom is somewhat unknown. While isolated, this lavatory is, unfor-tunately, not for solo use. Still, it has a calming environment. You might even run into Head-master Peter Caldwell or Dean of Faculty John Mascaro.

4. Middle School 6th Grade Hallway Women’s Bathroom

Opened inSeptemberof2008,the Middle School building pro-vides students with a wonder-ful space to learn and stimulate all kinds of new interactions.

It also gives students fancyand modernized bathrooms to use to their advantage. From what I have heard, girls lovethe bathroom near the Middle School Commons. With pretty countertops, good lighting, and a quality color scheme, what’s not to like?

3. Downstairs South Wing Bathroom

Before second quarter my se-nioryear,Ihadneverencoun-tered this spot. That means it is pretty hidden. This one-person bathroom is located in the base-ment of the South Wing. While it is not new, the restroom is soothing. After my one expe-rience, I only have fantasticthings to say about this hidden location.

2. Founders Hall Men and Women’s Bathroom

A close runner-up, these bath-rooms are a favorite of many community members. Their main attraction is location; they are placed within male and female changing rooms. Inotherwords,thereisadoorto get into the changing room, and then there is another door to enter the bathroom. These

ginormous personal restrooms areuptodate.Inaddition,thecombination of the changing room and the lavatory provide different types of mirrors. Just in case you want to check your-self out.

1. Wilkie Hall Down-stairs Bathroom

This bathroom tops the list and is my favorite for a couple rea-sons. Located in the back corner of the basement, the restroom is extremely isolated, mak-

ing it one of the more tranquil spotsoncampus.Itisnewandstreamlined. Finally, the spot has a unique “Occupied” sign on the outside to signal whether it is in use or not.

RankingthetopfivebathroomsoncampusBy teddy hatField

On Morning Meeting days, Taylor Jaskula arrives at school at 7:30 a.m. to unlock the techboothinFoundersHall.Inthe following twenty minutes, she turns on the light board, the lights in the theater, the computers, soundboard, speak-ers, and microphones. She also sets up the podium, bringing it out onto the stage and test-ing the microphone. At 9:55 she rushes back to the tech booth to double check that everything is working properly, and that the theater is ready for the arrival of students. “Taylor is the most hardworkingpersonIhaveevermet,” said junior Ray Namar,“yet she is also one of the most fun and interesting people in the world.” All events that take place on the stage of Founder’s Hall are run by the tech crew, a group responsible for the lighting, sound, and all tech-nical needs of morning meet-ings, performances, and other school events, under the guid-ance of the Performing Arts Technical Director, Nik Mar-mo. Although she does not run the crew, Jaskula shows intense commitment and dedication to the job. She ar-

rives early and stays late, the epitome of a team leader. And she has been fascinated with theater tech since arriving at MBS. “Ever since I came insixthgrade,Ihavealwaysbeen

interested in what goes on be-hind the scenes during morning meetings or theater in general,” she said. Jaskula is always ready for the unpredictable. “The inability to not alwaysbeabletofixeverything

when something goes wrong, and all of the unknowns, bring lots of stress.” The entire tech crew has to prepare as much as possi-ble, but always be ready for the mishaps that occur in running

a live theater. Taylor acknowl-edged the feeling of anxiety but has learned how to manage it. “At some point,” she said, “you have to realize to just let these things go, because if you don’t, it is going to affect ev-erything else you do.”

During one small per-formance, she forgot to turn on the microphones, and didn’t notice until the performers had begun to sing. By the time she realized, the tech crew would ei-ther have to interrupt the song

and have them start over, or just let them sing. They decided to let them sing. Taylor said she blames herself for forgetting to turn the mics on, but realizes that is part of live theater. On the other hand, there have proud moments.

When the school lost power during a morning meeting, Taylor says the teamwork that went into rebooting and attempting to gain back power was extremely grati-fying. “Itisnotalwaysjusta huge show or dance that is an accomplishment for us, but it is the little things as well,” she said. After being a stage manager for last year’s musical, Peter Pan, she took a techni-cal theatre class taught by Nik Marmo and became an instru-mental part of the tech crew this year. The tech crew includes CarinaSteficek‘15,DylanIuz-zolino’15, Titilope Ogunsola ‘15, Ray Namar ‘16, Jack Col-lins ‘16, Ryan Fisher ‘16, Taylor Jaskula ‘17, Harrison Kern ‘17, AustinPenizotto‘18,BrianCol-lins‘18,ZachEsposito’18,andDanFrancis-Manshel ’18, andJaskula. After morning meet-ings, Jaskula turns off all of the equipment and makes sure the theater is clean. Some days, she even returns after school to en-sure everything is properly shut down.

Tech Crew: Taylor Jaskula and the kids behind the lightsBy caRlye coRdinG

GiovanGuanill‘17praystotheshrine-likeWilkiebathroomneartechnologyexpertCaitlinTrought’soffice.Photo: Jared Rosen

Taylor Jaskula works at the sound board in Founder’s Hall. Photo: Alexa Rojek

C r i m s o n s u n Page 11

SPORTSMay 2015

After Boys’ Varsity Baseball finished last season with a 14-9-1 re-cord, they entered the 2014-2015 season with high expectations as many start-ers returned. And they met those high hopes. For the third consecutive season, the baseball team won their conference, defeatingParsippany6-2 in theirfinalconference game on May 14. Despite losing seniors Travis Nardin, Kyle Vanderhoof, Chris Ber-nardon, and Ben O’Connell to gradua-tion last year, it seemed like the base-ballteamcouldfillthesemissingspotsthrough the development of young play-ers. Sure enough, a number of freshmen moved into big roles early. Pitching has played a crucial role to the team’s success. With Jeremy Westaway ’15, Colin Waters ’15, Pat Da-vis ’16, Pat Dempsey ’16, Kevin Brophy ’16, and Tyler Faccenda ’17 all having varsity experience, the Crimson’s depth has worked to their advantage. “Since we are only averaging about 2.7 runs per game, the pitching staff has been crucial as they are what has kept us in games throughout the

season,”saidfirstbasemanandpitcherPatrick Davis ’16. With the players at the top of their games, literally, the baseball team enters the state tournament confidenttheir pitching can carry them all the way to the championship. “The pitching has given us the advantage in close games. With our of-fense not providing many runs, it is our pitching staff that has given us the edge over some teams this season,” added Head Coach John Sheppard. Inadditiontothestrongpitch-ing rotation, the varsity team has re-turned Max Matilsky ’16, Dillon Sinegra ’16, Drew Jansen ’16, and Dean Grogg ’15 to the starting lineup. “Our experience has been great because when the underclassmen have questions, upperclassmen and returning players are there to help guide them in the right direction,” said Davis. New to the varsity team this season include: Johnny Schaaf ’17, Ryan Green ’17, IanBeumee ’18, andRyanRusso’18.Whiletheirrolesontheteamvary, each has found a way to contribute.

After not traveling south last year, the baseball team decided to go toFloridaforthepreseason.Itseemedas though they would have success this season after averaging about 11 runs per game down there. “While we were able to get onto afield,otherteamsinNewJerseywerestill indoors, so we obviously gained a huge advantage being able to play more than any other team in our area,” said pitcher Colin Waters ’15. While the season has not gone as planned, the boys were able to win a

county game as a sixteen seed, but even-tually lost to the one seed and eventual champion, Roxbury. Then in the prep tournament, the boys lost in the firstround to Princeton Day School, the six seed. The team enters the state tour-nament on May 26 as the number two seed and will play at home throughout thetournamentuntilitreachesthefinalround on June 6, which is played at a neutral site.

Younger team hungers for state championshipsBy Max Matilsky and BRett Rudnitsky

Baseball:

Junior Kevin Brophy, #10, pitches for the Crimson in a challenginggameagainstGloucesterCatholic.Theteamlost1-8onMay1.

Photo: Amanda Sit

Girls’ varsity softball won their firstcounty game in over 20 years, demonstrating the skills of their new coach, Kevin McDonald ’98.Atpresstime,theteamhad10winsand10losses. “The season is trending in the right di-rection,” Coach McDonald said. Still, the team lost some valuable play-ers to graduation last year, including Jessica Wright, Bryair Alston, Dana Riback, and Kath-ryn Sidlowski. Their loss balanced out with returning experienced players Hannah Guen-ther, Lindsey Reeth, Christina D’Alessandro, all seniors. AsCoachMcDonald’sfirstyearcoach-ing softball winds down, he “loves it [coaching the sport],” he said. Next year, he hopes to cre-ate a junior varsity team, since now there are players from each grade and not all get much playing time because of the size of the team. This year’s seniors played important positions, including Guenther at first base,with 11 years experience playing the game. Reeth, who plays second base, has been playing softball since she sixth grade. Younger players have contributed to the triumphs of the season, including Katie Wright’18,GertrudeNaples’17,NicoleRobert-son ’16, and Lauren Conway ’16. Over all, the varsity softball players become a cohesive unit this season, improv-ing their skills through practices and deepen-ing their commitment and passion toward the game, Coach McDonald said. “Whenever they fail,” he said, “they make it their priority to get back up on their feet and improve, regardless of the score.”

Turning a cornerBy Riya patel

Softball:

Lauren Conway, #7, pitches for the Crimson. Girls’ Softball won against Mountain Lakes 12-1 at their game at home on May 6; Lindsay Reeth, #5, slides to home base scoring a point for the Crimson. Girls’ Softball won against Mountain Lakes 12-1 at home on May 6.

Photo: Amanda Sit

Last year, after Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse lost in the state champion-ship game following a fantastic 19-3 season, they headed into the 2014-2015 season eyeing another shot at the title. Theyknewitwouldbedifficultwithlastyear’s captain and face-off man, Trevor Baptiste, no longer at the helm. Trevor, who went on to play at Denver Universi-ty, one of the nation’s top college lacrosse programs, has performed this season as one of the best freshmen in the country. The leadership and play he brought to thefieldwillbehardtoreplace,buttheteamfeelsconfident theycanget thejob done. “We know that we have to be more careful on offense, and can’t just throw the ball away because he gave us so many possessions,” said Sophomore MidfielderKevinGill. Despite losing Trevor, the team knows that they can get the job done, and get back to the championship game. Three players in particular, Connor Mo-rin ‘17, Bradley Finnegan ‘16, and John McDonald ‘15, have have split time tak-ingface-offs,tryingtofillthevoidleftbyTrevor. “More players have stepped up thisyearthathavefilleddifferentroles.The team has also been much healthier than last year,” said Gill. Not only are they healthier and more experienced, but this team still has plenty of talent. Seven of the ten starters arecommittedtoDivisionIschools,andfive of these seven are seniors, whichincludes Attackmen Teddy Hatfield,Thomas Rago, and Chris Glancy, Mid-

fielderJohnMcDonald,andGoalieMattSefcik. Thus far, the lacrosse team has a record of 11-2, with their only losses

coming against #5 ranked Mountain LakesonApril18,andrivalChathamon April 25. After sweeping through last year with an undefeated regular season, Coach Sal Tromonda decided to move the team up from the Klank to Water-man division, and moved up a confer-ence as well, giving them a much more difficultschedule. “We felt that playing better competition would help once it’s time for

the state and county tournaments, and that it would help us beat perennial con-tenders like Immaculata and Pingry,”said Coach Tromonda when asked why

he decided to move up in both division and conference. The revamped schedule also in-cludesmuchmoredifficultnon-division-al opponents, such as Mountain Lakes and Delbarton, who won the Tourna-ment of Champions just this past year. Both Coach Tromonda and TeddyHatfieldwereinagreementwhenasked what was the team’s biggest chal-

lenge entering this season. As the team swept through last season, even beat-ing one team by 20 goals, the starting varsity players rarely played a full four quarters. “In75percentofthegames,thevarsity players were out by halftime,” said Coach Tromonda. This meant that come tourna-menttime,itwasdifficultforthestart-ers to play at full strength for an entire game. “Playing the full 48 minutesagainst other top ten teams will be vital to our success in the tournaments. Inclose games, we need to be able to pull throughandexecute,”saidHatfield. The team played Delbarton in their last regular season game on May 14 at home. They have been waiting all season for this rematch from last year, whichDelbartonwon8-7. “This is a big rivalry for our school. We know fans from across the state will come out to watch. Delbarton lax is huge, but we’re trying to build a similar brand name for Morristown-Beardlacrosse,”saidHatfield. The team ended up playing Delbarton before the planned regular season game in the Morris County Tour-nament Semi-Finals on May 9, but lost 16-9afterscoringthefirsttwogoalsofthe game and then ultimately falling behind. When the regular season game arrived on May 14, the team looked to avenge their first loss. They came outhotagain,scoringthefirstgoalandtak-ing a 4-2 lead, but ended up losing 13-12.

C r i m s o n s u n May 2015

SPORTS Page 12

IntentonStateChampionshipBy BRett Rudnitsky

#33ColeSteinfeldt’15runsbacktohisgoaltohelphisteaminMBS’s14-8winoverMorrisKnollsHIghSchool.

Photo: Jared Rosen

Boys’ Lacrosse:

Girls’ varsity lacrosse team has had a tough spring, finishingwith a record of 1-15.However,thenumberofwinsdoesnotreflecttheplayers’ spirit, nor the improvement they have made over the course of the season. While fac-ingadversity,thegirlshadtofindawaytobuildthemselves back up and grow together as a team. Inlightoflastyear’sPrepBchampion-ship title, the lacrosse team had a great deal ex-pected of them. And they faced many issues. “We lost all but two of our returning starters from last year, either due to graduation or injury, so a lot of younger players without var-sity level game experience found their way into the starting lineup,” said coach Meredith Locasto. Players such as Carolyn Chambers, Devon Flinn, Delaney Flinn, and Bridget Finnegan graduated toplayataDivisionIlevelincollege,leavingtheteamwithmanyspotstofill. Inaddition,JillBurke’15toreherACLvery early on in the season, taking away one of the team’s top scorers. With a varsity lineup of predominately underclassmen, the team had to findawaytocarryon. Many younger girls had to jump in, be-comingkeyplayersduringonly theirfirst sea-sonontheteam.KeeganHeher’18andMelissaBorker’18eagerlytookonthischallenge. As full time varsity players, the two im-mediately made their presence known on the field.Borkerprovedtobeanessentialpartofthedefense, showing that she is both an aggressive and technical player. Heher’s pure athleticism shone on both

defense and attack. Capable of scoring, taking the draw, and defending, she is already a monu-mental component of the team as only a fresh-man. Girls such as Borker and Heher will only continue to grow as players as their lacrosse ca-reers on campus continue. While the team may be young, the players are no less dedicated and skilled. Although the girls’ lacrosse team may not have won many games, the year still contained a multitude of accomplishments. Throughout the season, a total of three players reached their 100- goal milestone. First, Burke scored her hun-dredth goal on April 1, shortly before her injury. Following by merely a few days, Alissa Masini ’16 reached her hundredth on April 13. The third player of the season to achieve this feat was Chel-sea Kramer ’15, who scored her hundredth goal on April 30. These accomplishments prove that the season is still one worthy of pride. Looking into the coming year, the girls are very positive. “Iamveryexcitedaboutnext season,because such a large percentage of the team is re-turning,” said Coach Locasto. “Next year we can pick up where this season left off and continue to grow and improve.” While this season may not have had a stellar record, the attitude of the players and the effort of the team proved to be unwavering. As Katie Hunt ’15 put it, “This season was not about winning games, but about build-ing character andmaking relationships that Iwill have for the rest of my life.”

Surviving losses and breaking recordsBy teRRi GReen

Girls’ Lacrosse:

(Top) Cheslea Kramer defends her position; (Below) Freshman Keegan Heher takes on a varsity position in a tough home game.

Photos: Allie Goldberg