Will iam Penn Charter School • 3000 W. School House Lane, Philadelphia PA 19144 January 2013

S i n c e 1 7 7 7

A message from the editors: The purpose of a mirror is to reflect, an action that is taken very seriously here at Penn Charter. We reflect in Meeting for Worship, advisory, even during classes. Reflection seems to always be the first step in any process that is undertaken at school. In some ways, The Mirror’s job is also to reflect what is occurring in our community from sports events to club activities to fashion trends. We also believe that The Mirror has another responsibility to not only reflect on the school community but also point out hidden problems, make criticisms, and offer suggestions. However, this is not a job that The Mirror staff can do alone. We first asked for your help to provide us with any issues you feel are not being discussed openly at Penn Charter, and we have published a list of some of your responses below along with a word cloud depicting the most common words used in the over 90 responses we recieved. Now, we are asking for the community’s help again. The Mirror needs students, teachers, and staff of all backgrounds and ages to take a stance on important matters and write about them for us. Whether you are inspired by one of the survey responses or have something totally different to say, you are invited to write an editorial, reflection, or other piece of writing expressing your opinions. Please talk to us or send an e-mail to mirror@penncharter.com if you are interested in writing such an article. We can help with editing, but we need all of your diverse and unique thoughts and experiences! Please consider writing a piece for The Mirror because we can only house open and free dialogue at school when all members of the community feel comfortable sharing their voices. -Ani Schug & Kidder Erdman

A CAll to share your voice!

“Class sizes are

too big.”

“Boring social sphere.”

“Too many issues are ‘one-way’ discussions.”“The school’s

administrative bureaucracy is painful.”

“Quaker red-tape is a guarantee.”

“Sexuality is too

big of a matter at

PC.”

“I am concerned about the notion that calling out in-

stances of intolerance is considered by some members

of our community to be an example of intolerance!”

“ The PC ‘Old Guard’ is still intact.”

“We should be open to discuss

racism and our races freely at our

school.”

“Meeting for Worship is not naptime.”

“The main thing I see missing

in this school is empathy.”

“Everything you say can be taken the wrong way.”

“Let’s show some equality.”

“An overwhelming majority of the boys do not treat girls with dignity or respect.”

“Lack of individuality and

pack mentality.”

“All ideas and thoughts need to be listened to and respected by all. Not just the ideas

that are viewed as being ‘diverse’.”

“The school would rather us

win an InterAc title than do community service.”

“There is a lack of gender and racial diversity, especially in

advanced classes.”

“Lower academic standards.”

More responses on page 2

“Friend groups and where people

sit in the cafeteria are very racially

segregated.”

NEWSPAPER • APRIL2012

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News and Community Page 2

Before Winter Break, four students and four faculty members traveled to Hou-ston, Texas for the annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). The trip was filled with stimulating and fun workshops on a plethora of topics, ranging from the exami-nation of the importance of “affinity groups” to the basis of PC’s American Studies course. Juniors Hailey Bennett, Dan Zager, Gabi Bembry, and Devon Smith traveled alongside faculty chaperones David Bass, PC’s Diversity Counselor, and Natasha Pron-ga, a second grade teacher and coach of girls basketball. Upper School teachers Levan Pay-ton and Cheryl Irving, who co-teach American Studies, also traveled to the conference to present a workshop on their course and how conversations about race, privilege, gender, and regionalism are incorporated into the class. SDLC is the student section of the annual People of Color Conference (POCC), which met for the 25th time this past year. SDLC and POCC are sponsored by the Na-tional Association of Independent Schools. NAIS works to support and expand diversity work in independent schools across the na-tion through workshops, speakers, and many other activities. Irving says that the eight PC del-egates, including herself, made time to share ideas and “are committed to continuing to be connected at Penn Charter.” Junior Gabi Bembry explains, “My favorite part of SDLC was when everyone split up into affinity groups. Affinity groups are really fun because you are able to choose a group based on how you personally self-identify rather than how others view you. While in my group, I learned how to initiate

Conference confirms importance of discussions about diversity

Lela Lerner, Mirror Staffmeaningful and productive conversations about tough and controversial topics.” Fel-low Junior Hailey Bennett adds, “The friend-ships made, the open environment, and les-sons learned made my experience at SDLC unforgettable.” Irving believes it is vital for all mem-bers of the PC community to be informed and involved with issues about diversity, noting, “The research shows that students who en-gage in difficult and challenging conversa-tions about race and diversity are more effec-tive critical and creative thinkers. Let’s keep the conversation going!” Penn Charter “keeps the conver-sation going,” as Irving states, through its various student affinity groups, the annual Friends Multicultural Day, the establishment of the Grace Fund, the support of the Phila-delphia Area Multicultural Resource Center, which is housed at Penn Charter, and the sig-nificant growth of student body and faculty diversity. On this front, lots of progress has been made. Irving points out that “faculty and students are now comfortable to be openly gay and lesbian,” at PC. She believes the next step is conquering the “name-call-ing, online bullying, and racial slurs that still take place in our community. We must con-tinue to be vigilant and courageous about bringing to light those incidences that dimin-ish all that we say we believe in.”

There is a rumor going around school that all students will receive laptops next year. While nothing is set in stone, it is a possibility. Currently, over half of all the students in the higher grades bring their own laptops to school, and it is just a matter of time before our administration decides that every student should have a laptop. The school believes that next year may be a good time to make the switch. While there are no definite plans yet, here are some ideas that have been discussed. First, since plenty of students al-ready bring laptops, the school could just expand such a program. Each student from grades 5-12 would be required to bring their own laptop (BYOL), just as students are re-quired to have normal supplies, like books, paper, and pencils. The second option is a “1:1” pro-gram, where the school provides all students with a laptop. Each program has its ups and downs. Letting students bring their own lap-tops allows students to find a type that fits them personally. However, this provides lim-ited flexibility if students need tech support. The 1:1 program, on the other hand, would allow the school to fix, replace, and adapt to a single type of school-provided laptop. Nevertheless, it is pretty easy to come up with a solution that combines the positives from both programs. Undoubtedly, Macs are predominant at Penn Charter. If the school had Macbook chargers ready at hand and docking stations instead of the computer labs, they could cater to the majority. Even if there are a few Windows devices, it would not really be an issue. In reality, so much of our schools workflow has moved online that it will not truly matter what kind of laptop students use. Transitioning to Google Docs makes the switch to laptops a smoother move for the school. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been testing how a Chromebook, which is a $200 laptop that only has a web browser, fits into a students workflow. So far, it has been really simple for me to get any amount of work done with it. It really does prove that students do not need to go out and buy a $1000+ Mac, and the school is aware of this.

Laptops for Everyone?Jeffrey Soffer Explains this Possible

Technological Change for PC StudentsBuilt to help anyone get work done, Chrome-books are thin, light, and fast. There is vir-tually no tech support needed for Chrome-books, and our tech team would be just as willing to help Chromebook users. Even as a student, I realize that it is a little scary to have every kid on a laptop. The web has many distractions, but most students, teachers, and administrators re-alize that it can also be a terrific learning tool. Clearly, there are still going to be times when teachers will ask students to put their laptops away, but laptops would also bring a powerful learning device into classes. Another issue is theft. Unfortu-nately, students recently have had a couple of laptops stolen from their bags. What hap-pens when there is a guarantee that every backpack has a computer in it? I am not sure, but it is definitely something to consider. Overall, laptops would be a huge improvement to our learning and provide students with a new-age way of interacting at school. However, more planning is still necessary.

If you have any ideas or thoughts, talk to Michael Moulton or email him at mmoulton@penncharter.com. The school is looking for stu-dent feed-back!

Photo Credit: http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/assets/common/images/devices/sam-

December 14, 2012, the final day of school before the long-awaited winter break, was supposed to be filled with the thrill of being able to relax for over two weeks. In-stead, when checking our phones at the end of the day, we could not believe our eyes when learning there was a massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty young children would not be able to grow up and live the life they deserved. Six faculty members were also killed in the shooting. People all around the country and world were struck deeply by the tragedy. President Obama himself was brought to tears while making a speech to the nation following the crimes, and even a month af-ter the tragedy, the victims are still being mourned. What does this all mean for us at our Quaker school? These children were completely innocent. Sadly, there is always a chance something like this could happen at any school. So, what is our community doing to ensure our safety? In a recent email to par-ents, PC’s Head of School Darryl Ford men-tioned the school is adding security cameras throughout campus and a door-prop indica-tor when door systems are overridden, which prevents an intruder from entering the build-ing. Additionally, the implementation of an Alert Now system will notify our community of emergencies. Internal locks will be on all classroom doors, and shelter-in-place drills will occur in addition to regular monthly fire drills. Aside from physical safety, what can our community do to act on this issue

emotionally? This has been traumatic news to pretty much everybody whether you are a teacher, parent, student, custodian, or secu-rity guard. Biology teacher, Jonathan Howe spoke about the tragedy in Meeting for Wor-ship after Winter Break and was deeply af-fected by the tragedy as both a parent and faculty member at a school. He said, “I think the terrifying brutality of the crime hit eve-ryone hard. Picturing children and adults in that horror is really hard to stomach. As a teacher, it’s not difficult to imagine being in a classroom between your lovely students and that evil. But as a parent who drops off a beautiful six-year-old girl in her kindergar-ten class every morning, it’s hard to breathe when I think about those kids and their dads and moms. It’s just so overwhelmingly sad; it’s impossible to express the grief I feel for those families. Those parents will never fully recover.” Another teacher, Shahidah Kalam Id-Din felt inspired to plan a workshop to dis-cuss the topic of gun violence which will take place later this year. In the coming weeks, as our commu-nity still struggles with this tragedy and the topic of gun violence takes over the airways, it is important to not allow the issue to turn political. Gun violence has come in many dif-ferent situations over the years, including massacres, wars, attacks, gang violence, etc. The right to bear arms is the Second Amend-ment to the US Constitution, but that does not mean “the right to kill innocent civilians and children.” Democrats and Republicans would both like to prevent tragedies like Newtown. As we move forward, we need to remember to talk with, not at, each other.

Violence in Newtown raises concernBryan Shipon, Mirror Staff

On January 21st, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., students and faculty from all divisions participated in service projects throughout the region. Above Upper School students work on creating a calendar dedicated to human rights issues.

Photo contributed by Sheila Ruen

More Survey Responses-”Racism is definitely a subject that can get touchy at Penn Charter. Many students are quick to jump to the “that’s so rac-ist” mantra that society has come to pin on any racial conversa-tion, racist or not.”

-”Male preference for sports teams”

-”Political correctness is a joke.”

-”I think we need to discuss how everyone is so sensitive about everything. People need to realize what to take offense at and what not to take offense at.”

-”I would like to see a broader discussion of how we can improve supporting a diverse student population - right now the focus seems to be on African American Boys (certainly an issue),but what about social class, African American girls, Muslims, LGBT students, students who are bullied, etc. I don’t think we can wait to solve the problem of helping one group of students before we tackle the broader issues of inclusion.”

- “I don’t understand how if someone uses the N-word on the Internet they are not suspended or in any trouble but if some-one were to call a homosexual the F-word a huge deal would be made.”

-”The top students and struggling students are given the most attention at PC. But what about the median students who are ‘just getting by?’”

-”I think there is a lot of ignoring others in this school. People aren’t very welcoming. I also think that there is a lot of drugs/alcohol use. Teachers don’t see a lot of the “quiet” bullying that goes on, such as ignoring past friends for no reason but being ‘cool.’”

- EVEN MORE RESPONSES ONLINE AT pcmirror.org !

NEWSPAPER • APRIL2012

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Editorials Page 3

Fixing PC’s problems or putting on a show? pais accredits the school

Artwork by Rachael Morris

How to make the GradeAaron Mandelbaum, Mirror Staff

This may come as a surprise, but I like school. I enjoy all of my classes, I like my teachers, and as a result, I like to learn. I don’t have that much to complain about. I don’t find school to be the equivalent of cruel and unusual punishment, but I can think of one time in particular that infuriated me. It was the first day of a class, and the teacher followed the usual protocol: took attendance, introduced who they were, explained the course material, and finally listed the class expectations. I followed along the hand-out until I heard one thing in particular that perked my head up. “I don’t believe in A’s. The highest grade you can get in my class is an A-. Why? Because grades aren’t impor-tant. Learning is what is important.” Unsur-prisingly, my disgust was no different than everyone else’s disguist. As a student, I am taught to observe, question, and analyze. So here is what I have silently observed as a student. I have no-ticed both students and teachers alike, ask-ing themselves, “why do we go to school?” The simple answer doesn’t satiate anyone’s palate. The easy, unsophisticated answer is, students go to school to learn, while teach-ers go to school to teach. But I find this to be a lackluster response. In fact, it is very clear why students go to school: to get good grades. This may sound depressing--because it is--but I believe every student would rather have all A’s than learn something. So now as a student, I have to ques-tion. To succeed in life, what is more impor-tant, learning or good grades? I think eve-ryone would agree that learning wins this battle. So, are kids learning for their own en-joyment, or to simply fulfil their school’s re-quirements? I actually think this one is split. There are both kids who learn because they enjoy it and students who work to satisfy their school’s requirements. So, does our current grading system work? This is one of the trickiest problems to tackle in education. Both students and teachers have different opinions, but most agree that the grading system is insufficient. Currently, students are graded on a 5 point scale: A, B, C, D, or F. In other words, C should be the equivalent to average. One teacher has stated that since his arrival at Penn Char-ter, grades have been severely inflated. In fact, he mentions that at faculty meetings, teachers used to discuss students whose grades were C’s and D’s, but now they dis-cuss grades that are B’s and C’s. The teach-er also stated that at faculty meetings, he has noticed that the number of students on high/honor roll has increased dramati-cally. While one can argue that perhaps Penn Charter students have overachieving attitudes, more than likely, students are re-vealing a flaw in an academic system. So how can we modify the sys-tem? I have determined five possible solutions to the problem. However, each solution has its own positive and negative aspects. You can decide which system you like best: First, we could maintain the cur-rent system, but divide kids into “intellec-tual groups.” In other words, we can strat-ify classes so that the smartest kids only take classes with the smartest kids. If this system were to be implemented, then the top students would have higher expecta-tions. As a result, a C would be considered unacceptable by both students and teach-ers. Meanwhile, in not as academically challenging classes, these grades would be acceptable. Of course there are nota-ble flaws with this system. First, it violates the Quaker principle of equality because it judges students based only on their aca-demic performances. Second, although a C may become a more acceptable grade in one of these other classes, that does not mean a student would be happy to receive that grade. The second option is to keep the same grade scale, but change the calendar

of events. In other words, make assessments like papers: assign a due date, but allow the student to turn in work before the deadline. How does this work? The teacher continues to teach at the current pace with recom-mended test dates. A student can take the test then, or can wait until either the mid-trimester or the end of the trimester to com-plete it. This system solves a crucial problem

by potentially giving students more time to study for major assessments, which can pro-vide them more time to mas-ter the subject. After all, tests confirm that you understand the material. Not that I am not offering a system with option-al tests. All of the tests are mandatory, but teachers pro-vide the students with a soft

deadline to complete them. As a result, if a student procrastinates and has to take three tests at the end of the mid-trimester, then it is his fault for not meeting all soft deadlines or for not taking the test near the soft dead-line date. The third system is more simplis-tic. Essentially, maintain the same system, however replace many of the tests with oral presentations. Tests make sure you under-stand the material. However, oral presenta-tions, which can include a Q&A section, test the student on the material, public speaking skills, and quick critical thinking skills. Also, if there is a Q&A section, then a student can be tested on spontaneous yet relevant ques-tions. The fourth system is more debata-ble than the previous three. Some educators have suggested that to ensure that students learn, schools should simply remove the grading system and replace it with a pass/fail system. With a challenging yet plausi-ble pass grade, the student may learn more because it removes the pressure of scoring a letter grade. Many studies have shown that a pass/fail system is healthier for a student’s stress levels and overall mood. Additionally,

a pass/fail system not only has the potential to discourage cheating but also allows the student to take greater academic risks. Stu-dents could explore more classes they are interested in but would be hesitant to enroll in otherwise because the student considers them too difficult. Does a pass/fail system seem absurd? Believe it or not, many gradu-ate schools have pass/fail classes. Examples include the medical schools at the University of Virginia, University of Michigan, Harvard University, University of California--Los An-geles, Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University. So does a pass/fail system still sound cra-zy? The fifth, and fi-nal grade option is by far the most radical: get rid of the grading system com-pletely. While this may sound ludicrous, there are schools (pre-K through 12) that do not provide grades. Although not Quaker, the Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, New York takes a Quaker approach to grades. The administration believes that all students are equal and should not be given numerical (or alphabetical) values. Rather, the school wants to emphasize the significance of in-dividualism. In order to replace the grading system, Saint Ann’s School requires teachers to provide extensive comments for students. If this system were implemented, teachers could still administer tests, however they could explain a student’s achievements and faults in comments. Since Penn Charter teachers already write mid-trimester com-ments, this system would require them only to extend what they are already doing. While Saint Ann’s School’s grading system--or lack thereof--may seem ludicrous, the school is constantly decorated as a “top high schools in the country.” Although I present five different,

potential grading systems, none of them are right or wrong. Further, I am not criticizing the students, the teachers, or the subjects taught in school. Rather, I am trying to answer the perennial question: how can we modify the grading system so that students care more about what they are learning than the letter grade? There are multiple factors that will determine the answer to this ques-tion, and this article simply focuses on ways to refine it. I did not even consider what stu-dents learn, the duration of the school year

(e.g. San Diego schools are open year-round), types of school (public, private, vocational), location (sub-urban, rural, urban), or the age at which students begin school. While stu-dents complain about the hardships associated with school, teachers complain that grades are inflated. There seems to be no equilibrium, which is why I suggest that we modify the grading system. Penn Charter’s vision is “educat-

ing students to live lives that make a differ-ence,” but Penn Charter needs a difference in its grading system so that students dive deeper in their own interests to make that difference. A student should not enroll in a class because they expect to earn an ‘easy A.’

How can we modify the

grading system so that students care more about what

they are learning than the

letter grade?

In fact, it is very clear why students go to school: to get good grades.

Would you rather get a “C” and learn something

or get an “A” and learn nothing?

Let us know at pcmirror.org!

NEWSPAPER • APRIL2012

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Sports SportsPage 4

Girls Winter Track in Motion

Penn Charter Girls Winter Track runners senior Catie Skinner (above) and freshman Emily Smith (below) blur past the camera during an indoor meet at Haverford College. While neither boys nor girls indoor track is recognized as an official sport, these athletes have been running and jumping in competi-tive meets all winter long. Photos by Ani Schug

Penn Charter athletics has under-gone a multitude of changes over the past few years. Not only have both the girls’ and boys’ athletic directors changed, but the consistency of the coaching staff has var-ied as well. Some PC sports teams, most notably water polo, have had a new coach to begin each season for the past three or four years. Sen-ior Katie O’Malley, one of the captains for girls’ water polo this fall, says, “It’s great that the team has had the oppor-tunity to learn four different coaching styles, but it has also been difficult because it changes the dynamic of how we play together each year.” Indeed, for many of the teams, the dynamic has changed, occasionally in a positive way, because of the changes in coaching staff. However, the unpredictability of coaches from sea-son to season can have a negative impact on student leadership within a given team. Though coaches certainly impact the atti-tudes of their respective teams, a lot of the sportsmanship and motivation, comes from the student-athletes. The end of the 2012 Fall season marks the end of two coaches’ careers at PC: Coach Jeffrey Humble and Coach Ed-die Mensah. Over the past four years both coaches have led their respective teams to a number of victories and have supported them through tough loses. But what are the implications for the next four years for girls soccer and football? Senior Mark Opaliski explained that, “the next couple of years (for football) will be a rebuilding process while the new coach gets situated and the players adjust to the new system.” Likewise, senior Julia Mammone has a positive outlook on the future of girls soccer: “I’m sad to see Eddie go and change is always challenging…but no matter who takes over, I think that the

Athletes Respondto inconsistent STAFFING

Claudia Stedman, Mirror Staffteam will still remain cohesive.” Members of the class of 2013 hope that PC athletics continue on a trend towards success. How-ever, a number of us are wary about an ev-er-changing coaching staff and a less than energetic amount of participation from the underclassmen.

Though we are incred-ibly fortunate to have such an array of coaches with differ-ent personalities, strengths and philosophies, it would be extremely beneficial if we could hold on to some of these coaches for more than just one or two seasons. One of the issues as to why the records vary so much from year to year is the fact that there is so much inconsist-ency among those who are supposed to help lead our

teams to success. “The attitude of the team depends on coaches motivating the players first, and the players buying into the coach-es’ system to lead to team to a successful season”, explains senior Ted Foley. Despite the impact that coaches have, I think that the majority of the respon-sibility lies with the students and leaders in each given sport. There needs to be more talk among collective teams to determine what can be done to ensure better seasons and more amiable relationships among teammates. Likewise, underclassmen will have to recognize that their level of spirit and participation in athletics at PC has an incredible effect on conditions of sports teams for their remaining years in the Up-per School. Therefore, student athletes are charged with the duty of leaving a certain legacy behind them, and although we may not have control over the variability of the coaching staff from year to year, we do have a responsibility to determine how we impact the face of PC Athletics in years to come.

This winter season, the varsity wrestling team welcomed a new head coach. Recently a graduate of Ithaca College, David Priest took the reigns as the PC wrestling coach with prestigious experience as a wres-tler under his belt. While wrestling for Ithaca, Priest qualified for Nationals three times and earned All-American status as a senior. At the end of his career, he compiled a record of 104-26 and twice finished in the top four at the NCAA National Tournament. Immediately after greeting his team for the first time, Priest realized he needed to make some changes. One of his first goals was to find more students who want to wres-tle. The team started out with only 12 wres-tlers, but within a short amount of time, Priest had increased his team’s number to almost 20. Senior Mark Opaliski is a perfect example of one of the newcomers to the PC wrestling squad. When asked how he has adapted to a new sport, he answered, “Coach Priest has made this wrestling season one of the best experiences I’ve had at Penn Charter. I regret not wrestling all throughout high school.” Priest’s second goal was, like all coaches, to make each player better,“Whether they get more wins individually or help our team to get wins together.” In the end, Priest hopes to improve his team as a whole. As the season has been well underway, Senior Eric Berger can attest to the previous statement, “So far its been great. He is a great coach and knows his stuff. He runs a tough practice, but he knows how to keep it fun and enjoyable as we work hard.” At first, Priest was shocked to see how little experience his wrestling team had. While one of his wrestlers had been wres-tling most of his life, most of his wrestlers have only a few years of experience. Not to mention, about six of his wrestlers are first-timers. Due to the team’s shortage of expe-rience, Priest was wary about how the team would react to his coaching style. “I was nerv-ous as to how the kids would respond to me

and how their work effort would be. By my second week, my expectations had already been passed by my wrestlers, and I had to go back and restructure my goals.” When asked about his thoughts on being a first time coach, Priest simply stated, “I love it.” Already, Priest has five wrestlers who have more wins than they did all of last year. Even more impressive, Priest has three wrestlers who have been pivotal compo-nents to the matches PC has won this year. So far, Priest is very pleased with his team. “My team has responded well to the coach-ing change. They are working hard for me, and they are starting to believe in the things that I am teaching them.” The wrestlers love working and learning from a coach like Priest. His age and experience allows him to connect with all players and improve their wrestling skills. Berger feels that with Priest leading the way, the wrestling program has a promising future ahead of them. “He’s the kind of coach that is never satisfied, which is a good thing. He is always pushing us to do better as a team, as well as individually. I’m excited to see where he takes the program because under his coaching it has a very bright future.” So far, the season is looking prom-ising for PC wrestling. At the Chestnut Hill Individual Tournament, Berger wiped away the competition and was crowned tourna-ment champion. After only amassing two wins last year, two wrestlers, Jelaine Buie and Rob Keehfuss have already won six matches apiece. In addition, freshman and first-year wrestler James Frye has compiled a record of 5-4. With these successes, Priest hopes to stay competitive throughout the whole sea-son. “While my overall team goal is to win the Inter-Ac, I am making this season a re-building phase due to the numbers and raw experience of this team.” As a tough Inter-Ac schedule comes into sight, David Priest is prepared to guide his team through a com-petitive season.

New Wrestling coach yields new team dynamicTed Foley, Sports

Who is more responsable for motivating and

leading sports teams?

Coaches orathletes?

The new wrestling coach David Priest (top left) leads his Varsity Wrestling team in an InterAc match. Senior Etienne Dumas (below) wrestles against an opponent from the Malvern Prepratory School.

Photos by Rachael Morris

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Sports Page 5

Girls Varsity Squash focuses on rebuilding year

Lauren Matt, Mirror Staff

As Girls Varsity Squash lost very talented players this past season, the team’s fo-cus this season is individual improvement rather than team record. Captain Ryann Shaffer believes that “the season has gone pretty well despite the loss of three key players from last season.” However, she adds that “with more practice, hopefully we will, as a team and individually, improve our record”. Co-captain, Emma Ebert, continues this sentiment that practice makes perfect, ex-pressing, “a lot of the girls are using this year to work on a lot of their personal skills and improve their playing techniques.” The captains and players alike feel that the 2012-2013 season is transitional peri-od, what Shaffer refers to as a “building year.” Ebert continues, “although we have struggled throughout some of the matches, overall I think its been a great learning experience.” She is confident of the team’s progress in the future, especially with much time of improvement under the players belts. However, since the number one, two, and three seats, Margaux Losty, Izzy Hirsh-berg, and Danielle Reisley, will graduate within the next two years, Shaffer hopes that “more squash players [will] appear and develop because the PC team can really use them in the coming years.”

Freshmen basketball stars Hannah Fox (top) and Ayanna Matthews (bottom) play in a Varsity girls game against Episcopal Academy. Sophomore Claudia Dykstra (right) serves in a Varsity girls squash match.

Photos by Anna Wills

Basketball and Quaker crew season In high gearBennett Samuel, Sports

People say the most wonderful time of the year is the holiday season. Person-ally, I prefer InterAc basketball season. And yes, folks, it’s that time of year again. Time to break out your shirts and cough drops and cheer on the Penn Charter basketball teams. This year, the Quakers are off to a hot start, ranking 20th in the state at the beginning of the season. The squad pulled out big wins in the GA holiday tournament over Shipley and Lawrenceville. The return of junior Demetri-ous “Big Meech” Isaac has really helped the team, and many other players are stepping into bigger roles this year, replacing key sen-iors from last year. Junior Alex Schwarz and sophomore Chase Kumor have already made great contributions to the team from early on. The front court is led by seniors Dave Huber and Mike McGlinchey, who have both been key varsity players during their time at PC, and now they are backed up by the new junior Anthony Campanile. Fellow junior Sean O’Brien is starting where he left off last year, and now he is PC’s new go to man. However, you can’t talk about PC basketball without mentioning the best cheering section in the league. The Quaker Crew will continue to strike fear in the hearts of InterAc foes. The crew has been praised for being the true “sixth man” of PC. Many players have expressed their gratitude, say-ing that the crew helps win games. Last year, we were undefeated at home night games. Let’s keep it that way...

The girls basketball team has played very well so far. The team has suffered from many injuries, but the core group of young-

sters has stayed healthy. Freshmen Han-nah Fox, Ayanna Matthews and new sopho-more Nicolette Ray have been starting for the Quakers along with senior Kelly Kubach when she’s healthy. Katie O’Malley, starting senior forward is sidelined with a knee in-jury, but expresses that “the team has been learning through wins and losses.” The team is looking for revenge in their second round of regular season InterAc games.

“The crew has been praised for being the true ‘sixth man’ of PC”

PC boys Varsity Basketball team huddles (right) before a game against Malvern Prep. Junior Demetrious Isaac (below) helps bring the team to

a 55-51 victory.Photos by Julia Vahey

NEWSPAPER • APRIL2012

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Editorials Page 6

I am one of the addicted. I am one of the people who spends countless hours on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr- the social spheres of our generation. There are many things I love about social networking, such as the abil-ity to stay in contact with friends and family members who live far away or the capability to discover common interests with people with whom you thought you had nothing in common. There are also many things that deter me from posting on social networking sites everyday. ‘What is it that deters me?’ you might ask. I will tell you. But you may not take it seriously, as this lackadaisical attitude is common when the issues of cyberbully-ing and the fear of being cyberbullied are brought up in the Penn Char-ter community. Let me be clear. I could have written this arti-cle anonymously. That op-tion was presented to me. But I no longer want to stand back and watch as others get bullied online. I am a by-stander no longer. I am taking a stance and will not back down until the voices of cy-berbully victims have been heard and taken seriously. Something has to be done. The prevalence of cyberbullying by Penn Charter students to Penn Charter students on social networking websites is unacceptable. Because I spend so much time on these social networking sites, particularly Fa-cebook, I see a lot of posts that catch my at-tention and qualify as cyberbullying. Moreo-ver, the “like” button on Facebook is perhaps my least favorite implementation made by the social networking website. If a user makes a demeaning comment, his friends can “like” the comment as a way to show their support for what their friend posted. So, what does this mean? This means that the person to whom the comment was addressed does not only feel attacked by the person who made the comment, but also by the 15 friends who “liked” the demeaning comment. It is not the “like” button that is causing issues though, it is the people who choose to use it in a nega-tive way. Director of the Upper School Travis Larrabee comments, “this is a generational thing. I do not equate ‘likes’ to supporting a comment, but if someone feels as if they are being bullied, that is the only thing that mat-ters.” The reason I believe cyberbullying to be so prevalent is that it is much easier to

Social Media or social slander?Rachael Garnick, Mirror Staff

Where is the line between hate

speech and our First Amendment rights of freedom

of speech, and where does that

line end?

say homophobic, racist, misogynistic or other degrading and threatening comments be-hind the keys of your computer than in real life. It is easier to speak your mind online, where you do not see the disapproving faces of onlookers and where you know you cannot get in trouble by a “higher power.” But to what extent can the Penn Charter administration get involved with the issue of cyber bullying? According to the Student Handbook, the administration does have a lot of power: “All forms of harassment in cyber-space, often called cyber bullying, are unac-ceptable. Cyber Bullying includes but is not limited to the following misuses of technol-ogy: harassing, teasing, intimidating, threat-

ening, or terrorizing another person by sending or posting inappropriate and hurtful e-mail messages, instant mes-sages, text messages, digital pictures or images, or website postings (including “blogs”). Community members who feel that they have been the victim of such misuses of technology should not erase the offending material from the system. They should print a copy of the material and re-port the incident immediately

to the appropriate division director, Upper School dean of students, Middle School as-sistant director, or the director of educational technology. All reports of harassment in cyber-space will be investigated fully and sanctions may include but are not limited to the loss of computer privileges, detention, suspension, separation, or expulsion from school.” You may ask: If there are so many instances of cyber bullying, why hasn’t any-one reported these instances? And if people have reported these instances, why isn’t any action being taken on them? The answer is, many people do see cyber bullying every day and have the desire to stand up for the per-son being bullied or report the instance of cyber bullying, but are too afraid to address it out of fear that they might be bullied on-line or in the real world. Larrabee comments, “It’s a fine line that we [the administration] are trying to walk. We want people to feel safe and supported, but at the same time… we do not want to have to put ourselves in a position in which we have to deal with every comment that is perceived as bullying on the Internet. We need to follow a precedent, but we do not want to be held hostage by our own precedent. If we act on one case, people

will ask, ‘why aren’t you acting on any of the other cases?’” The question I cannot seem to an-swer, however, is if instances of cyberbully-ing have been reported, why haven’t they been taken seriously? Does our commu-nity still believe in the idea that “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?” Well, here is a heads up: WORDS DO HURT. And while you may think that some of the comments you make online seem funny or harmless, you should think twice before pressing send because some-thing you say can affect someone more than you know. One of the questions that often comes up when the issue of cyber bullying is discussed is “where is the line between hate speech and our First Amendment rights of freedom of speech, and where does that line end?” This is a conversation that I believe the Penn Charter community must have. The only response that I currently have to this question is: Before you type, think. The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) is currently starting a Think Campaign. The club will be hanging posters around the school reminding mem-bers of our community to be conscious of what they say and type, regardless of topic. While the GSA is being vocal about this im-portant issue, the battle against cyberbul-lying is not one unique to members or sup-porters of the LGBTQ community, nor is it a battle that should be fought solely by the GSA. If the Student Handbook says that cy-ber bullying is punishable, then it is time for the administration to put its money where its mouth is. It’s time for ALL members of the Penn Charter community to take this issue more seriously. Photo Credit: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fWdIVq5Ml7s/UFutqGiJ8uI/AAAAAAAABus/JiHoEUC_PuM/s320/before+you+fb+txt+tw+or+blog2.jpg

theft plagues pc Equality, justice, and honesty. These are Quaker values that lie within the student body at Penn Charter, right? Not exactly. For the fifth time already this school year, an-other student was the victim of theft on the grounds of this school. Throughout a typical school day, students walk around with their backpacks on their shoulders from class to class. How-ever, many times these bookbags get left unattended, whether in the library, the field house, or down the science hallway. At these times, Dean of Students at Penn Charter Brian McCloskey explains “there is a student out there in our community who is walking our hallways, grabbing money and valuables straight out of bookbags, and it bothers me that we cannot find this person.” Most recently, senior Ashleigh Brown had her Macbook and iPod stolen, and she is aware of plenty of other students who have had things stolen from them in the past. Brown’s valuables were taken outside of Room 204, which is down the science hall-way. Although it is not the only place in the school where stealing has been reported, the science hallway is well known for items be-ing taken, as students are often instructed to leave their backpacks lined up against the wall outside the classroom. Bookbags are expected to be left outside because they

are safety hazards in the lab. Now, steps are being made to solve this problem. Brown explains, “Dr. Comiskey is now allowing stu-dents to bring their backpacks into the class-room; we just put them in front so they are out of the way.” However, this laptop and MP3 play-er theft is an unusual case, according to Mc-Closkey. “Most stealing that goes on here at this school is people taking other students’ money.” Junior Ian MacCabe, who had mon-ey stolen from his gym locker over in the field house, says, “I’ve heard many people complaining about having things stolen from them in the locker room.” The field house is a place that has a stealing history. In fact, McCloskey relates, “We have cameras in the field house, and a couple of years ago it worked and we were able to track down the thief.” Nevertheless, cameras throughout the school is neither a realistic scenario nor the solution to this problem at hand. When asked if there was anything that the school could do to prevent steal-ing from happening, McCloskey answered, “We as a community need to be more vigi-lant with our valuables, take advantage of the lockers, and just be more aware.” Similar to McCloskey’s perspective as to what the school can do to solve this problem, MacCa-

Ben Plotnick, Mirror Staff

The Mirror Staff2012-2013

Editors-in-Chief Ani Schug

Kidder Erdman

News & CommunityHeidi Zisselman

Aaron Mandelbaum

SportsBennett SamuelLeigh Steinberg

Online SportsTed Foley

EditorialsGlynis Braun

Greg Nazarian

EntertainmentIzzy Hirshberg

Lauren Matt

Photography Anna WillsJulia Vahey

Online EditorRachael Garnick

Faculty AdvisorsFred HuntingtonLiz Spagnoletti

Check out our website at www.pcmirror.org!

be responded, “I don’t think that the school can do anything differently. I think that the students just need to lock up their things.” It is imperative that a solution to this problem is found. While many, including the administration, believe that lockers must be taken advantage of, students certainly know the struggle of having to go to their lockers and make it to class on time. Brown exlpains, “I understand that we are given lockers but they are, especially for the juniors and sen-

iors, a hassle to get there and back to class in time.” While the reality is that Penn Char-ter is a high school like any other and steal-ing takes place at practically every school, there is no room for such behavior at PC. Mc-Closkey gives students a final warning: “We cannot tolerate something like this; we do not want people like this in our community. Expulsion from school is on the table.”

McCloskey states, “there is a student out there in our community who is walking our hallways, grabbing money and valuables straight out of bookbags, and it bothers me that we cannot find this person.”

NEWSPAPER • APRIL2012

7

Entertainment

Pop Culture GridGlynis Braun Mirror Staff

Name Best Holiday Gift Most Fun Winter Break Activity

If you could kiss one person at midnight,

who would it be?

Favorite Song of 2012

Kelly Kubach,Senior

Ross Wood,Sophomore

Tim Zurcher,Freshman

Money

Page 7

iPhone

A good Subway sandwich after swim practice. Most days

were very fun

Girls’ night out

Hanging out with my family and friends

Gabriel Macht aka Harvey Specter from

Suits

Mila Kunis

Hermione Granger or Emma Watson...either

one is fine

“Babel” by Mumford and Sons

Carmela Dow,Junior

The handmade purple quilt that my grandma made me

Spending time with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins Taylor Lautner “Thrift Shop” by

Macklemore

Katherine O’Donnell,Senior Frye Boots

Going bowling with the swim team

Tim Riggins “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen

“Forever” by Leon Thomas or “The Motto” by Drake

Favorite Movie of 2012

The Dark Knight Rises

Magic Mike

Think Like a Man

Probably the scrubbing brush for my shower...I like

to stay clean

Skyfall edges The Hunger Games

by just a little

Best Albums of 2012

“Thrift Shop” by Macklemore

The Dark Knight Rises

Colin McCloskey, To the Mirror

Photo Credit:http://www.rollingstone.com/assets/images/album_review/kendrick-lamar-good-kid-maadcity-1350679355.jpeg

http://www.rollingstone.com/assets/images/album_review/550744e8ead5f1acae0cb72e0713517dd38213b5.jpghttp://www.rollingstone.com/assets/images/album_review/3758f9eb5c331369267828bf7a0b13c2c8e58b6a.jpg

http://www.billboard.com/photos/stylus/2366059-channel-orange-frank-ocean-617-409.jpg http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/until-the-quiet-comes-20121005

The year of 2012 has brought some of the most forward thinking music the industry has ever known. Whether it be the independent music scene, or the ever expanding (and not neces-sarily a good expanding) popular music scene, many of the musical releases of 2012 have really raised the bar of the music we love, and hate. So, here are some of my personal favorites from

2012... some you may know... others, well...

channel ORANGE by Frank Ocean Released on an ideal summer’s day, Frank Ocean’s channel ORANGE reprises what everyone loved from his acclaimed first effort, nostalgia, ULTRA., but the work has matured musically, structurally, and, of course, lyrically. The gentle, moody keyboard swirls and hollow percussion of the hit single “Thinkin’ Bout You,” coupled with the story of a lost love, give the record a calm, yet ominous start. However, the subsequent “Fertilizer” calls back to Stevie Wonder’s golden years, leaving you to toe tap and smile to your hearts content. “Sierra Leone” shows a more musically mature Ocean, with one of the most lush musi-cal soundscapes he’s ever sang over, as well as his trademark interpretational lyrical style. “Sweet Life” and “Super Rich Kids” are two of the strongest tracks on this record, bringing unforgettable R’n’B hooks with even more unforgettable lyrics. Earl Sweatshirt’s smooth wordplay on the latter is something missing in most of today’s MC’s, and his presence is a real gem on this record. The 9-minute epic, “Pyramids,” finds Frank on the dancefloor, then quickly resorting to floating around his hotel room. John Mayer brings coffeehouse guitar slurs to life in the instrumental “White,” while André 3000 showcases his sweet-talking southern poetry delivered in his molasses lyrical flow on the track “Pink Matter.” “Forrest Gump” leads the

record to it’s conclusion, with it’s charming staccato guitar strums, and inviting happy-go-lucky chorus. In the end, Ocean is only “searching for a real love,” as the lyrics of “Super Rich Kids” point out. Whether he finds it or not is up to the listener.

good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar’s major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, is regarded as a “classic” hip-hop record; and it was only released about two and a half months ago. The album opens with “Sherane,” which first presents a prayer, asking the lord to come into the lives of misguided teens. Seconds later, haunting synth howls lightly reverberate off of the walls, while soulful voices sooth the fright. An eerie yet funky bass line surprisingly adds to the overarching atmos-phere, until a pause. Finally, the dark, phaser-tinged snare hits linger above the mix while Lamar presents his witty

tale of an interesting girl he meets at a party. What makes Kendrick’s fluid rhymes so fantas-tic is his personal and poetic lyrics. One can listen to this record and immediately take steps in Lamar’s shoes. The album presents multiple voicemails to Kendrick’s phone and scenes from the intense gang life of Compton, Los Angeles, where the album’s out-of-order narra-tive takes place. Choice cuts “Backseat Freestyle” and “Swimming Pools (Drank)” make for incredible singles, with infectious sing-along choruses and swift, banger production. Drake sounds impressively comfortable in “Poetic Justice,” with his distinguished swagger and stellar flow. The old school vibe of the beats give this record a classic 90’s feel, but there’s always a modern twist to them. The music on this album is one of it’s main crowning achieve-ments, with production from beat-crafting giants Just-Blaze (“Compton”), Hit-Boy (“Backseat Freestyle”), and Pharrell Williams (“good kid”). It’s also extremely worth mentioning that Dr. Dre himself co-produced the entire record and appears on the album’s final cut, “Compton,” delivering masterful rhymes and the classic 90’s rap scene to the listener’s ears. The album comes full circle when Kenrick asks his mother to borrow her van for 15 minutes... listen, lather, repeat.

Mondo by Electric Guest Ridiculously slept-upon indie rock band Electric Guest re-leased one of the most unbelievable debut albums last year, ti-tled Mondo. With help from production genius Danger Mouse, Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton have created an alterna-tive-electronic-pop masterpiece. Opening cut “Holes” starts the record with bright, uplifting synth stutters and fuzzy bass resolve, while Asa’s sweet vocals seem to drift seamlessly over the track. Danger Mouse creates a subtle atmosphere with his twittering background synths to add another dimension to what could’ve been a boring opener. The indelible groove and

charm of lead single “This Head I Hold” make it the most underappreciated song of the year. Not once was this song ever played on Radio 104.5. Asa’s falsetto abilities are stellar, and his delivery on this song is one-hundred percent in-the-pocket. “Under the Gun” is another great track, with a Billie Jean-esque back beat, and a classic piano chord progression. Watch for the satisfying synth solo at about three minutes in. “Awake” takes a groove The Black Keys might have thrown away, and makes it shine with hand claps and a group falsetto chorus. The rewarding end of the track shifts to a completely different idea, with an almost uncanny simi-larity to Danger Mouse’s other project Broken Bells. “Amber” is the band’s first ballad, with some of the most beautiful sounds the record has to offer. “The Bait” and “Waves” bring the album’s back to it’s upbeat mood, with head-bobbing grooves, and get-on-your-feet dance rhythms. “Troubleman” is the band’s 9-minute epic, comprised of two parts that accentuate the mature musical abilities of the band, as well as a place to showcase Asa’s simplistic lyrical genius. “American Daydream” and “Control” finish the record with even more expansion of ideas and sounds presented previously, but in a different musical lens. “And you are looking at a brand new day,” Asa sings in the final minutes of the album, and he’s right.

Valtari by Sigur Rós Icelandic post-rock giants Sigur Rós create their most colorfully ambient record yet, with Valtari (Icelandic for “roller” or “steam-roller”). The quartet are known for their ethereal and epically gran-diose musical works, and the music on their 6th studio album is no exception. In “Ég anda,” the record starts with Jónsi’s delicate croons creating ambient soundscapes while strings and light guitar strums build around it. The sweet vocal melody enters with light percussion and swooshes creating all sorts of sonic goodness. Eerie ambience ensues, which leads disparagingly into lead single “Ekki

Múkk,” which happens to be a main highlight of the album. Jónsi’s intoxicating vocalizations caress your ears at first, until a powerful swarm enters with deep bass and piano. Settling back down again, the song continues with haunting tones and repeating climaxes. “Varúð” presents one of Sigur Rós’ most intense climaxes of their entire career, with crashing, pound-ing, tortured drum smashes, and claps that escalate until they die quickly to the whisper of a childrens choir. “Rembihnútur” starts slow and gets into a twisted rhythmic sludge by the end. “Dauðalogn” and “Varðeldur” show some of the most serene and peaceful moments of the record, without ever losing the emotional power that the band is so commonly known for. If not a single moment of this record touches you in any way, you can’t possibly know what true beauty is. Title-cut “Valtari” brings even more ambience than the previous tracks, continuing the instrumental motif of the second half of the record. A child-like Celesta lull-aby is played beyond the enveloping din that encompasses this piece, and reminds you that Sigur Rós are always searching for the perfect melody. “Fjögur píanó,” the album’s ultimate track, is simply created by overlapping four tracks of completely different piano melodies. The result is stunning and unforgettable. The beauty of this record is almost indescribable and should be unreputable. The last song finishes with a high pitched whistle, that maybe belongs to the steamroller this album is named after. As it drives away slowly, it’s explosive babel is turned quiet, and then, silent.

Until the Quiet Comes by Flying Lotus On September 26th, Los Angeles beatmaker Flying Lotus presented his fourth studio LP, Until the Quiet Comes. Many were wondering how the hip-hop-electronica-jazz-master could top his 2010 magnum-opus Cosmogramma, which pre-sented some of his most challenging, yet awe-inspiring music. However, Flying Lotus has proved again that he can expand his palate even more with this extremely impressive effort. Opening track “All In” submerges you into Fly-lo’s dream world, with crackling chime flourishes and heavily processed percussion that invite you to travel the frothy clouds in the midnight skies. On “Getting There,” guest vocalist Niki Ran-

da floats gorgeously over Flying Lotus’s off-kilter beats and washy tambourine hits. “Until the Colours Come” presents sounds only the title can truly surmise (headphones required). “Heave(N)” brings a blissful soundscape with eerie touches that give the music huge sound, without ever getting loud or overstuffed. “Tiny Tortures” and “All the Secrets” both accom-plish jazzy and ethereal vibes that play ping pong with the pair of headphones you may be wearing, incorporating slick production with more blips and bloops you could shake an iPhone at. “Sultan’s Request” is Fly-lo’s successful attempt at creating dark, and fat grooves, that can get your car subwoofers shaking real-quick. “Putty Boy Strut” is a playful track with silly melodies and an addictive beat. Brainfeeder record label-mate Thundercat plays incred-ible bass sweeps and counter melodies on this brilliant track, as well as all over the record. Single “See Thru to U” features the neo-soul goddess Erykah Badu, using her voice in simple, yet melodic qualities, to add to the already lush soundscape of the piece. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke stops by to add an extremely soulful vocal to “Electric Candyman,” and Fly-lo’s secret weapon vocalist Laura Darlington adds a hauntingly gorgeous croon to “Phantasm.” The re-cord ends with a sweet suite of shorter segments, leaving the listener begging for more after the final sounds have faded, and the dream ends.

NEWSPAPER • APRIL2012

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Are you interested in writing, taking photos, or making videos for The Mirror ? If so, talk to Ani Schug or Kidder Erdmam or e-mail mirror@penncharter.com!

Entertainment

Check out Heidi Zisselman’s Comedic Apocalypse Survival Story at

http://www.pcmirror.org/entertainment/2013/01/18/doomsday/

Quaker Pick-up LinesRachael Morris and Kevin Kelly, to the Mirror

] Hey girl, is it a moment of silence? Because you just took my breath away.

] Hey beautiful, is your father George Fox? Cause you’re pretty Foxy.

] Hey lass, is it meeting for worship? Because I feel moved to speak about you.

] Hey girl, I would stay awake in Meeting for Worship if you promised to go on a date with me.

] Hey girl, do you hear that? Your inner light is telling you to give me your number.

] Hey girl, don’t fight simplicity, just date me.

] Hey girl, are you hungry? Because I’ve got some Quaker Oats with your name on them.

] Hey girl, even though it’s just a moment of silence, I would spend forever in silence with you.

] Um excuse me...... your inner light is shining ;)

Movie ReviewsSilver Linings Playbook Les Misérables

Izzy Hirshberg, Entertainment Sophie Eldridge, Mirror Staff A potential Oscar winner takes place in our backyard! When Silver Linings Playbook hit theaters in September, critics predicted that this movie would win several awards and be an Oscar contender due to its famous cast and well-adapted screenplay. David Russell adapted Matthew Quick’s book Silver Linings Playbook and brought it to the big screen with an outstanding cast which in-cludes The Hangover and Wedding Crasher’s Bradley Cooper, The Hunger Games’ star Jen-nifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles, and Jacki Weaver. This movie was recently played at the small Jenkintown, Pennsylvania neigh-borhood theater The Hiway because Bradley Cooper himself is a Jenkintown native. The Hiway paid a special tribute to Cooper by showing his picture throughout the adver-tisements before the movie, and CBS News even interviewed Cooper in the seats of the local theater. Bradley Cooper attended Penn Charter’s rival school Germantown Academy and was happy to return home to film the Philadelphia-based Silver Linings Playbook. The movie takes place in Ridley Park, and scenes were filmed across Philadelphia, in-cluding at the Llanerch Diner in Upper Darby. This movie is about a man named Pat, played by Cooper, who has bipolar disorder and has just been released from a mental health fa-cility. Throughout the movie, he lives under the care of his parents, played by De Niro

and Weaver. He tries to win his wife back, but in the process he meets a dancer, Tiffany, played by Lawrence, and the two form an un-likely friendship. In addition, the movie ex-plores Pat’s relationship with his father, a de-voted Philadelphia Eagles fan, who regularly bets on games. As Pat copes with his family problems, he begins a new source of therapy by dancing with Tiffany and a new romance forms. Bradley Cooper has already been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors award and is predicted to be a com-petitive contender for Best Actor at the Acad-emy Awards. This film has already won many awards, and on January 4th Silver Linings Playbook was officially nominated as a candi-date to win one of the Writers Guild Awards. Jennifer lawrence won a Golden Globe for best supporting actress. Silver Linings has Oscar nods for Best Picture, actor (Bradley Cooper), actress (Jennifer Lawrence), sup-porting actor (Robert DeNiro) and supporting actress (Jacki Weaver). My favorite part of the movie is when Pat (Bradley Cooper), in a fit of rage, tosses a copy of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms out of a window, because the “world is bad enough” without unhappy endings. My thoughts exactly! One takes away good feel-ings from this film. Life does not always go according to plan, but with perseverance things will work out. “Stay positive and you will have a shot at a silver lining.”

5 out of 5 stars

The French Revolution is a tragic event in history, especially as it is depicted in Les Mis, where the French people live in pov-erty, disgust, and fear. This winter break, the classic musical Les Miserables was adapted into a film starring famous actors and ac-tresses such as Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway, to name a few. The play has been a smash hit, and the movie is almost comparable. The story occurs in 19th century France, following the horrific French Revo-lution. It is told through a series of songs which are terrific and go hand in hand with the excellent choreography. A majority of the people are living in poverty, and feel as if not much change was produced from the revolution. Jean Valjean (Crowe), an escaped prisoner, cares for a poor factory worker Fan-tine’s (Hathaway) daughter, Cosette. Through the outstanding actors, the audience is able to feel and understand the desperation that the characters feel through-out the movie, and connect with their hard-ships. As Jean Valjean and Cosette get closer, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to tell Cosette of his prior life as a convict, which puts her in more danger when the French police come in search of Jean. In my opinion, there were only two downfalls of the movie. First, the begin-ning is hard to follow because the time pe-riod changes frequently as the audience is taken on the journey of Jean Valjean’s life

from poverty and jail to fleeing the streets of France. Additionally, Les Mis is a very long movie, over one and a half hours in length. Nevertheless, translating a play into a movie is generally done with difficulty, but in Les Mis it is done seamlessly, and the actors, cho-reography, and music make it all the better. Contrary to my opinions, Les Mis did get its share of bad reviews. Tom Clift of Mov-iedex pronounced it “Overstuffed, dreary and dripping with sickening sentimentality. What starts promisingly soon becomes a two-and-a-half hour struggle to stay awake.” Alonso Duralde of the Wrap, added, “Direc-tor Tom Hooper piles one terrible decision upon another, with the result being a movie so overbearingly maudlin and distorted that it’s one of 2012’s most excruciating film ex-periences.” These reviews, which make the movie sound dreadful and unappealing, do have some truth to them such as the lengthi-ness. However, I disagree with Tom Clift’s critique that the movie is “a struggle to stay awake.” Les Mis if anything, keeps you on your seat because of the impeccable singing voices of the actors and suspenseful scenes. Despite the negative reviews, I would fully recommend Les Miserables, but not if you are looking for an uplifting and quick movie.

4 out of 5 stars

Sophomore Holly Webb and her sister Juliet Webb (above) sing “Call Your Girlfriend” (above). Sophomore Sophie Sepel and junior Colin McCloskey play “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” (below).

Photos by Paige Hodges

First showcase of 2013

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