VOLUME III ISSUE I THE MADEIRA SCHOOL October 2017

the spectator

Madeira Goes Up the Down Staircase

The cast of Up the Down Staircase poses for a picture in the Dance Studio. Photo courtesy of Vic-toria Akagha ‘19.

Every year on the first Tuesday of November, citizens pull up

to their local polling stations to make a decision. Whether it is as localized as deciding a school board member or as massive as a new president, Election Day comes once a year, and this year in Virginia, that day could change the state’s government in a major way. In Virginia, the position of governor, can only be held for one four year term--this is fairly uncommon, as far as the guber-natorial position goes in the Unit-ed States. Because of this, cur-rent Governor Democrat Terry McAullife must step down. In his party Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam is running for the posi-tion, after a highly publicized pri-mary against former Congress-man Tom Perriello. This primary was often compared to the 2016 national Democratic primary, due to Perriello’s support from Sena-tor Bernie Sanders and Northam’s support from Secretary Hillary Clinton. Northam’s current plat-form is fairly typical, if a bit left of a modern purple-state--one that stays fairly balanced, in terms of its political demographics--Dem-ocrat: he supports affordable health care and college, repro-ductive rights, the legalization of marijuana, the rights of undocu-

Election Fever in Virginia Bee Hyland ‘19Staff Writer

mented immigrants, and is in fa-vor of removing Confederate stat-ues from government property. Against Northam is Re-publican lobbyist Ed Gillespie, a center-right politician with some far-right values, who also won a tight primary. His was against Corey Steward, a former cam-paign staffer for President Trump known for his support of the “alt-right.” Gillespie is running on a fairly standard Republican platform; he has endorsed pro-life policies, tax cuts, privatized health care, and has largely sup-ported President Trump’s immi-gration policies, with the notable exception of the DACA repeal. He also opposes the removal of Con-federate monuments, saying that doing so would erase the Com-monwealth’s history.

The statewide posi-tions of Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General are also up for election--for Lieutenant Governor, Democrat Justin Fair-fax running against Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel; incumbent Democrat Attorney General Mark Herring running against Republi-

can John Adams. Polls in all three races are fairly tight, with the three Democrats slightly ahead. However, with Election Day still being about a month away, on November seventh, there is plenty of time for a shift in either direc-tion. In the final month of the presidential race, polls were shift-ing on a daily basis, as story after story broke on both major candi-dates. Madeira student Perrin McHugh ‘19 serves as a commu-nications intern for Mr. Fairfax. She runs his high school student-

focused Facebook page, contacts endorsements, and is involved in policy research. When asked why she became involved in the often chaotic process of campaigning, she said that she was “extremely discouraged by the current politi-cal climate… [and saw] a big need for change in the government, and the way to do this is through getting involved.” McHugh is in-terested in communications and campaign work as a career, say-ing that her boss, Mr. Fairfax’s communication director, seems to have “the most fun job in the

world.” Any Virginia citizen who will be eighteen years of age by November is encouraged to register to vote, and those who cannot should inform their friends and families who can. To get more involved, contact local party offices and connect with a local organizer. The results of this race could affect the Commonwealth’s future significantly. As Aaron Sorkin once said, “Decisions are made by those who show up.”

“Election Day comes once a year, and this year in Virginia, that day could

change the state’s govern-ment in a major way.”

Perrin McHugh ‘19 campaigns for Lieutenant Governor candidate, Justin Fairfax. Photo courtesy of Eileen Moorhead.

With the buzz of a new school year upon us, Madeira the-

ater brings a scholastic excitement to the stage. After holding audi-tions in late August, the cast can be seen preparing for this year’s fall play, Up the Down Staircase. The show was written by Christo-

Victoria Akagha ‘19Assistant Editor

pher Sergel, and adapted from the 1964 book by Bel Kaufman. Prior to becoming an author, Kaufman worked at public school in New York, and used her experiences in the novel. Mallie Moore ‘18, who is playing fellow English teacher Paul Barringer, said “[the show is] incredibly realistic because it’s based on true events and I think that everyone in the cast can feel

that realism.” The play is set in an inner-city, New York high school and focuses on the new English teacher, Sylvia Barrett, played by Alex Raposo ‘18. As she navigates her way through an overly strict ad-ministration and occasionally trou-blesome students, Barrett encounters a myriad of inter-esting characters

amid countless seemingly arbitrary

rules. The name of the play ac-tually comes from one of those rules—a student got into trouble because they went “up the down staircase.” So far, the cast, under the direction of Ms. Cowan, have been developing their characters and getting to know one another through activities such as antiqu-ing and caving. In rehearsal, they

have also started blocking out dif-ferent scenes and exploring what their characters are like onstage. Alex Raposo describes her char-acter as “hopeful, energetic, and often funny.” The cast is very large

this year, but everyone seems to get along and act well together. Meanwhile, stage managers, Alex Burnside ‘19 and Laura Simpson ‘19 have been watching rehears-als to coordinate the technical as-pects of the show. While students may not see it yet, the evening Stagecraft class is hard at work, constructing what will definitely be a creative and detailed set de-sign. “I really love the set and I’m excited to see us bring it to life,” said Simpson. November 2nd will surely give every Madeira girl something to “get excited” for.

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Dr. Clarke: Tarina Ahuja ‘20, Jule: Kaitlyn Alsina ‘21, Jill: Emily Bell ‘21, Harry: Anna Blackmon ‘21, Lou: Chapin Brown ‘19, Pat: Ad-dison Callaghan ‘21, Ella: Theresa Carr ‘19, Carole: Sofia Freedman

‘21, Helen: Anna Claire Frye ‘21, Ellen: Amani Hagmagid

‘19, Edward: Salimah Hagmagid ‘21, Rusty: Ryley Halloran ‘21, Alice: Melissa Handel ‘19, Car-rie: Fiona Ireland ‘20, Joe: Katie

King ‘19, McHabe: Prabha Girish ‘19, Charles: Patsy Koonce ‘20, Bester: Ilene Kruger ‘21, Kath-erine: Audrey Leins ‘21, Jose:

Olivia Lewis ‘20, Lennie: Sydney Marenberg ‘20, Andy: Alika

Mattheisen ‘21, Elizabeth: Kat Mennel ‘21, Paul: Mallie Moore

‘18, Charlotte: Keenan Parker ‘20, Linda: Caroline Potter ‘20, Fran:

Caroline Roberts-Gaal ‘21, Sylvia: Alex Raposo ‘18, Rachel: Rachel Rubin ‘21, Vivian: Neha Sinha ‘20, Bea: Morgan Taylor ‘18,

Frances: Reese Villella ‘21, Sadie: Katherine Zhang ‘20

Cast List

“[the show is] incredibly realistic because it’s based on true events and I think that everyone in the cast

can feel that realism.”

OPINIONS2

It has b e e n a solid month since our first day at school, and a lot of us are either getting back into the swing of things or are just starting to learn what it is like to study (and live) at Ma-deira. Often times, it seems like the beginning of the school year takes us all by storm, however there are a few ways that we can remain calm and grateful for an-other year in high school. From one student to another, I suggest taking some time this year to learn about yourself, those around you, and how Madeira can help you both now and in the future. During my freshman and sophomore years, I thought a lot about how much I missed home and how difficult I was finding it to make

new friends. Although I managed to make

a lot positive memories, it

was still hard to appreci-ate all of the op-p o r t u n i -ties that M a d e i r a

has to of-fer to its

s t u d e n t s . Thankfully,

when I became an upperclass-

men, I became more open minded to the board-ing experience and learned that even in my toughest mo-ments, Madeira always provides a chance to learn and grow. Since starting high school, I have become a more confident and passionate, as well as more excited about my future and all of the things that I can to contribute to the world. I know that I’m not a senior yet, and the time for reminiscing has not yet arrived (that’s after SATs and col-lege counseling sessions) but I’ve learned that there is always time to reflect on all the great things that can happen while being a student at Madeira. So with that, I say en-joy the 2017-2018 school year!

The Spectator Staff

Gabby McClellan ‘20 Julia Pecau ‘20

Zoe Brauchli ‘19Bee Hyland ‘19

YeaLim (Elsie) Jang ‘19Alisa Lai ‘19 Lucy Li ‘18

Anna-Sophia Massaro ‘18Kate McGowan ‘18

Fay Zhang ‘18

Contributing Writers:Casey Ocasal ‘19

Layout Team:Yunqing (Isabella) Han ‘21

Nisreen Marabe ‘20Sharon Ge ‘19

Photography Staff Amy Yoo ‘20

Zoe Brauchli ‘19Fay Zhang ‘18

Assistant Editor Victoria Akagha ‘19

Layout Editor:Ellie Cook ‘19

Editor: Nandi Ndoro ‘19 (Fall)Ejun Kim ‘19 (Spring)

At The Spectator, we encour-age any member of The Madeira School to submit to the news-paper. Articles submitted are subjected to a staff peer review and edit, then submitted for edi-torial review. Submission does not guarantee print, but it does help! Of particular interest to the staff are articles concerning the Madeira community, club news and events, and sports. Submis-sions should be sent to the editors or the advisors, Ms. Heishman and Ms. McGrory, at spectator@madeira.org

How to Submit to The Spectator

Corrections

Disclaimer

Any corrections should be sent to The Spectator advisor, Ms. Amy Heishman, aheishman@madeira.org or Ms. Shelia McGrory, smc-grory@madeira.org. The publica-tion seeks to always publish correc-tions as they come to our attention.

The contents of The Spectator are the opinions of the student staff of Ma-deira publications. The content does not neccessarily refect the opinions, ideas, or attitudes of the advisor, The madeira School or its administration, board of directors, and faculty/staff. Madeira student staff is protected by and bound to the principles of the First ammendment.

Generally speaking, I am not a person who loves change.

I like schedules, I like to color-code those schedules (one color for each subject, gray for free time, pink for meetings. etc.), and I like to plan out everything I do the week before it happens. So naturally, anything that causes me to have to change my sched-ules and reorganize my time, like a new school year, stresses me out. It’s fairly disconcerting to come back for junior year and suddenly realize that everything that I do in high school boils down to my transcript and a list of extracur-riculars. I recognize that change can be good sometimes, and is often necessary, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

From what I have heard, 11th grade is exhausting. I’m sup-posed to expect all nighters, met-ric tons of reading, have a crazy (or boring) experience on Capitol Hill, and leave with an intense fear at the mention of college. None of those things have hap-pened quite yet, but, to be fair, it is only October. There is always time for me to freak out later. It’s fairly disconcerting, though, to come back to school and sud-denly realize that everything that I do in high school will boil down to my transcript and a list of ex-tracurriculars. Half of my time at Madeira has passed, four years re-ally isn’t as long as I once thought it would be. This is my third year working with The Spectator, and it has become a sort of anchor for me. I’m used to the stress of put-ting out a paper, and I feel more and more comfortable taking on new responsibilities this year and working closely with the Specta-tor staff. Classes can be stressful, and with things shifting in the world and at school, it is so reas-suring to have this place where I can escape the out-side world, even for a little while.

DEAR LUCYDear Lucy,

I’m a freshman boarder here at Madeira and I’m having a lot of trouble finishing my home-work before lights out at 11 pm. I already have tried waking up early in the morning but I keep turning my alarm off and going back to sleep, should I break the rules and stay up past 11? I’m really worried that this will hurt my grades. Sincerely,

Freshly Freaked-Out

Dear Freshly Freaked-Out, I’m glad you’re trying to get on top of your time-management skills sooner rather than later! I know doing homework is hard sometimes when you don’t have parents around to remind you to do it. I would absolutely not recommend staying past Eleven, It is mod 1 of freshman year, this is most likely one of the easiest

mods of your Madeira experi-ence and while it can only get harder, it is extremely important that you get your sleep now, you’ll wish you had gotten more sleep now when you’re an up-perclassmen. I think if you are finding yourself unable to get up in the morning to do your home-work, you should allow yourself a certain number of minutes to complete each class. Set a timer for 45 minutes or whatever you deem appropriate for each class, and also allow yourself an extra slot of time to finish up whatever you weren’t able to complete in the 45-minute time windows. If you schedule your afternoon and evening around these time slots you will certainly be able to complete your Homework. I hope I’ve helped! Good Luck Girl,

For all you new girls, I hope you have a great time exploring cam-pus and becoming a part of the the community. Try to remem-ber that this is a pretty cool place to be even when you have like 100 projects due at the start of A block. And returning girls, I am sure that we will have yet anoth-er academically and socially ful-filling year (even though I know most of it will be spent trying to

find prom dates).

Editorial CartoonsThe MAD[ness] Diaries:

“Madeira Weekly” by Ejun Kim, Spring Editor.

Seen Around the Oval

It’s Crunch Time, Libras!Libra: Flip a coin. It makes every-thing easier. If you are not will-ing to flip a coin, you may have already made up your mind. Scorpio: The world might seem a little bit confusing, but that is be-cause of the Earth’s position. Do

Staff WriterBee Hyland ‘19

not let petty people get you down. Sagittarius: Focus on the positive. It can be hard, but it is absolutely necessary to do. The abyss will not swallow you whole. Breathe. Capricorn: You need to put ex-tra effort into your relationships. If you are putting fifty percent in

now, put in seventy percent as soon as possible. Aquarius: You are tipping point of a breakdown like a diving board, and I am a little worried. Pisces: Reconnect with old friends. They want to hear from you, and sometimes the best new bud is an old one. Cancer: Though people try to

bring you down, you will rise up like a phoenix from the ashes.Godspeed, Cancer. Godspeed. Aries: Fix your sleep schedule. Those eight hours are key to your mental health. Taurus: If you see something that you cannot stand for, call it out. Fight the power, Taurus. Gemini: You will find new con-nections this month, if you look in the right places--or the wrong

places. Focus on improving your-self, but do not isolate yourself on that quest. Leo: Control your impulses. Rushing into something can lead to great pain, and stopping to smell the roses has never been a crime. Virgo: Try and diversify your music taste. The same album has been on repeat for too long, okay? Branch out a bit.

The October Horoscope

Livvy Kaczmarskyj ’19, Lauren Grohowski ’19, and Lyndsey Coleman ’19 play with dogs on Maynard Quad.

COMMUNITY 3

sorts, from Italian to Chinese, and of course local eateries that offer delicacies such as alpaca. With plenty of five-star hotels to choose from, you’ll have no prob-lem finding comfortable accom-modations. And of course, what is a trip to Peru without a visit to Machu Picchu? Ride the bus up the mountain or hike up your-self, which may be grueling, but has an amazing payoff. Be sure to bring your passport to get into the main archaeological site. Walk up to the peak and look at the iconic panoramic view made famous by Hiram Bingham, and look out over the dramatic and sharp land-scape. A guided tour will reveal hidden secrets and impressive ar-chaeological feats. Watching the sunset at an elevation of almost 8,000 feet over an ancient Inca kingdom is the perfect way to commence your tour of this beautiful coun-try. There is still so much more to see, however beautiful Peru is always worth another visit.

Though known for the spiri-tual draws of Machu Picchu

and the cloud forest, biodiverse Peru has multitudes of hidden worlds. From its deserts which al-lude to the American Southwest to its completely unique, “Lung of the World”, the Amazon rain-forest, Peru has much to offer un-touched by the swarms of tourists attracted by Machu Picchu. Ease into your trip by flying into Lima International Airport. The capital of Peru, Lima, is an increasingly metro-politan city. There are many well-preserved cultural relics, as well as an up and coming contempo-rary art scene, both of which are incredibly impressive. Visit the Monastery of San Francisco or The Galleria Lucia de la Puente for photo-opportunities. Stay a couple nights and familiarize yourself with the city’s opulent Spanish historical sights, or take a connection flight to Cusco.

Cusco boasts 15th cen-tury cathedrals, ancient Inca tem-ples, and a chance to try some of Peru’s delicacies- which include Guinea pig, also called “cuy”! In the Centro Histórico of Cusco, visit Action Valley, home to a daunting 405 foot bungee jump. Experience the heart-jolting freefall, or get launched from the ground in a device aptly named “The Slingshot”. If you want to explore more of Peru’s Inca history, Ol-lantaytambo is the place to go. Located in the Sacred Valley, the heart of the Inca Empire, this town is known for its ruins and beautiful location. Surrounded by jagged, glacier capped moun-tains, the Ollantaytambo fortress rests in the plateau between the mountains. A remarkably intact fortress, one is bound to be im-pressed with the advanced archi-tecture and intricately scientific sun temple. One may also note the terraced farming that made the Inca such successful agricul-turists. nights,

For someone whose wish is to get away from it all and relax, follow the Santa Teresa river across steep mountain roads

into the Santa Teresa district, marked with small towns and all natural hot springs. In the midst of the clouds, and with a beautiful view of the treetops, it’s the per-fect place to unwind and soak in the water’s nutrients. Only a short drive from Santa Teresa is Aguas Calien-tes, which lies at the seat of Ma-chu Picchu. Often compared to a European mining town, Aguas Calientes has thrived off of the foot traffic it gets from travellers on their way up to Machu Pic-chu. There are restaurants of all

A Beginner’s Guide to Peru

The citadel of Macchu Pichu in the Cusco Region of Peru. Photo Courtesy of Zoe Brauchli’19.

Zoe Brauchli ‘19Staff Writer

“There are many well-pre-served cultural relics, as

well as an up and coming contemporary art scene, both of which are incred-

ibly impressive.”

Q: Who is your favorite teacher at Madeira and Why? A: My favorite teacher is Dr. Walker because of how helpful he is. Q: What do you love to do on the weekends?A: I love to hang out with my friends on the weekends. Q: What are the biggest differ-ences between Madeira and your old School? A: North Bethesda Middle School is much bigger than Ma-deira and is co-ed. Q: If you could take a picture with anyone who would it be? A: If I could take a picture with someone it would probably be Emma Watson, she is my biggest role model. Q: If you could go back in time to any place, where would you go and what would you bring? A: If I could go back in time I’d go to America during the revo-lution and I would bring “The Loose Ends List” with me. Q: What is a unique skill of talent that you have? A: I am very good at organiza-tion. Q: If you were stranded on an is-land for the rest of your life, what would you bring and why? A: If I was stranded on an island for the rest of my life I would bring fiction books for enter-tainment.

Snail of the Month

Grace Thomas ‘21. Photo Courtesy of Amy Yoo ‘20.

Hollywood Game Night:East Dorm Hosts the First Dorm Event of the Year

Fall Editor Nandi Ndoro ‘19

O n September 22, students and faculty joined together

to participate in the annual East Dorm event. The Old Hollywood themed contest was a night filled with popular food and decora-tions from the 1920s, and friend-ly competitions between each dorm. Although the event did not boast as many students as it would have were it on an on cam-pus weekend, all of the students who showed up were excited to participate and gain points for their dorms. Raegan Thornton, a senior boarder in New Dorm, ex-plained that “the event was well put together to keep everyone in-volved at all times.” The night was split into

three activities, starting with a game of charades where each dorm was given 15 minutes to come up with a skit for an as-signed movie, such as The Lion King or Nanny McPhee. Three faculty judges were then given the important task of decipher-ing each performance and judg-

ing them based on participation (how many students who at-tended the event were included), clarity, and creativity. Each dorm was able to convey their movie creatively and clearly within the given time frame, although some proved to be more organized than others. The judges named

the first contenst winner, howev-er the night was far from be ing over! The second event of the night was celebrity trivia, with one representative from each dorm competing against one another in family feud fashion. The representatives varied widely in grade level and background knowledge, however most of them still had trouble answering the questions that the East dorm

RAs had prepared. Separating herself from the crowd, how-ever, was Sydney Newburn, a junior boarder from East Dorm. The horse rider answered almost every question correctly and

“The event was well put together to keep everyone

involved at all times.”

stunned the audience with her vast knowledge of celebrity facts. The final event of the night was a scavenger hunt all over campus. Students were told to find pictures of celebrities and return them to East Dorm Resi-dent Assistant, Bailey Petty for a prize. The scavenger hunt was one of the most exciting activites of the night as Raegan Thornton explains, “My dormmates and I were thrilled when we found a picture of Bill Nye the Science Guy! It was one of our clues and really helped us take a lead in the game. It was great!” The East Dorm event was truly a night to remember, and although East Dorm ended up as the winner of the night, there are still plenty of more chances for the other dorms to catch up!

Representatives from each dorm play celebrity trivia. Photo courtesy of Lauren Roy. Sydney Newburn ‘19, Nkem Haffner ‘19, Kaitlin Britton-Wheeler ‘20, Caroline Potter ‘20, India Turner ‘20, Francesca Saenz ‘21

What do you like the most about your subject? I love that I have the chance to help students understand a topic that is so commonly feared among students. Math scares many students and having the responsibility to instill confidence and understanding is a privilege!

Where were you before Madeira? Most recently I worked at The Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, FL and prior to that I worked at The McLean School in Potomac, MD.

What is your favorite book? I love non-fiction in general and do not think that I have one favorite.

What are your hobbies? I enjoy playing golf, running, and skiing.

What do you like most about Madeira so far? I enjoy the community-type feel that is conveyed by ev-eryone. From students to the faculty, every-one has helped me feel welcome and part of the community. The students are very mo-tivated and strive to do their best!

Ms. Ann Miller

What do you like the most about your subject? As a high school student, I loved mathematics for it’s clarity and logical processes. I also enjoyed that most classes re-quired drawing. After earning my Ph.D. in the subject and working at a policy group for a summer, I feel that the most beautiful part of mathematics is that it teaches you to approach problems and their solutions in a logical, evi-dence based, manner.

Where were you before Madeira? I have spent most of the last 6 years in Santa Barbara, California, attending graduate school at UCSB. I spent the summer of 2016 in Los Angeles at the RAND Corporation, working on prob-lems related to public policy. Before making it out to the west coast, I attended Wellesley College, located in Mas-sachusetts. I am originally from Kansas City, Missouri.

What is your favorite book? I feel like I should offer a mathematical title, but the true answer is Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

What do you like most about Madeira so far? Can I give two answers? I love the sense of community and how in-tellectually curious everyone is.

What do you like the most about your subject? For me, making art is being allowed to play all the time. I love the constant need to solve problems and mess around in ooey, gooey substances. It also encourages me to combine my experience in math, technology, and craft in creative ways. Every day I learn something new.

What is your favorite book? I love detective novels and thrillers. Dick Francis, Robert Ludlum and Carl Hiaasen are three of my favorite authors. But if I had to pick one book, it wouldn’t be by any of these authors. My favorite book is The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I’ve read it three times and have seen the movie many more times than that.

What are your hobbies? I create. Currently I’m working on a half-life-size figurative sculpture made of wire, fluff and fabric with ten smaller figures coming out of her head, telling her what to do. I also love playing with my Shelties, Parker and Festus.

What do you like most about Madeira so far? The people. I feel welcome and supported as I learn my way around. Also, I have some of the best girls in my first two classes. They are fun and funny and creative. I love coming to work in the morning.

2017 New Teachers

Mr. Josh Singer

Dr. Amanda Curtis

Snail Tales

Stella Davis ‘21

I think [my answer] would be some aspects of human na-ture, like greed, the fact that some people feel like they have to have power over oth-ers, and also the urge to solve problems with violence.

Shreya Sangela ‘19

Nicolette Brewer ‘19

I would change South Dorm because I heard it’s making people sick, and I think that’s a safety hazard. Graphics drawn by Fay Zhang ‘18

I would change that healthy food is much more expensive than cheap, unhealthy foods and it’s really not easy to get accessible healthy foods and that's a problem.

Photography by Amy Yoo’ 20 (Photographer) Spread Layout by Nisreen Marabe ‘20

What do you like the most about your subject? I love teaching English because I think literature is one of the best ways to understand ourselves and the world. It’s highly rewarding for me to awaken in students an aware-ness of the power of literature and the way it can shape our lives. It’s equally rewarding for me to guide students to an understanding of the power of their own voice in their writing.

Where were you before Madeira? Prior to Madeira, I was teaching at Rice Memorial High School, a private school in Vermont. I had returned to teaching after a career as a writer/editor because I missed working with young peo-ple.

What is your favorite book? It’s hard for me to choose one favorite book, but if I have to choose it would be To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. I never tire of reading it, and each time it speaks to me in a new way.

What are your hobbies? Is food a hobby? I enjoy cook-ing, dining out, and exploring farmers markets and other eateries (I have a food blog called The Virginia Epicure where I write about my food-related adventures). I also enjoy yoga, biking, travel, and the outdoors.

What do you like most about Madeira so far? I like a lot of things about Madeira, but I think my favorite as-pect of teaching here is that it’s a school whose mission is “launching women who will change the world.” That’s a mission I’m excited about devoting myself to every single day.

Ms. Giulia PaganoWhat do you like the most about your subject? (French and Spanish) Foreign languages have always been my passion. I love speaking and learning different languages because it helps me better understand myself and those around me. There comes a point in language learning where you realize how little you know about the world around you, but also how much more of an advantage you have in the world because of your knowledge of that new language.

Where were you before Madeira? Before Madeira, I was working on obtaining my undergraduate degree at Dick-inson College in French and Spanish with a dual teaching certificate in both languages. During my undergrad years, I worked extensively with the art museum on campus to create foreign language programs in the museum itself.

What is your favorite book? My likes and dislikes of all things are constantly changing, so I will say that, right now, I am thoroughly wrapped up in the book The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Wilkerson is an incredible storyteller who recounts the lives of Afri-can Americans who were involved in, what she terms, the Great Migration. Don’t be intimidated by the size—every page is worth reading.

What are your hobbies? One of my main hobbies right now is taking nature walks to Black Pond with my dog, Chester. I also enjoy listening (and, of course, singing) to all kinds of music at all hours of the day, while practicing my latest Zumba dance moves in front of Chester—he’s my biggest fan.

Ms. Sheila McGrory

Dr. Lee Walker

What do you like the most about your subject? I like the universality of math. Math explains EV-ERYTHING. Math is logical, elegant, and it’s how humans make sense of stuff.

Where were you be-fore Madeira? Salis-

bury, MD. I coached a swim team and built bicycle frames.

What is your favorite book? The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

What are some of your pet peeves? Laziness, clutter, dust bunnies, and inefficiency.

What are your hobbies? I run, mountain bike, swim, rock climb, build princess castles and bike frames, and cook.

What do you like most about Madeira so far? The envi-ronment. I went to boarding school, so it reminds me of my own time in high school. I grew a lot in many ways during those years, so I have that perspective and appreci-ation for what the girls are going through. My high school years totally shaped who I became as an adult, and I love the environment that Madeira offers.

Snail Tales

If you could change one thing in the world what would you choose?

What I would like to change about the world is education. I’m really passionate about it, and some people don’t have the opportunity to be educat-ed, especially in a lot of Afri-can countries. I would like to be able to provide a success-ful system of education in these countries.Osi Haffner ‘18

So many people in different countries around the world, including the US, suffer from human rights violations. I feel that it is up to us as the youth leaders of the world to help those affected by this and advocate for those people, because it’s really the youth who help the most. We can do this by calling our repre-sentatives in Congress and the Senate and shar-

ing our ideas with them, which can have a direct impact and show that peo-ple really care.

I would end world hunger. Alice Kondracki ‘21

Halle Johnson ‘21

I would change the world so there was no war.

Nkem Haffner ‘19

Kalyna White is a senior day student from Oakton,

VA. She attends classes, binge watches VEEP, and does yoga in the spring. But outside of school, Kalyna is the founder of LABUkraine, a nonprofit initia-

LABUkraine:Madeira Senior Sends Computers to Ukrainian Orphans

“I was definitely really happy,” says White, “it was a stressful process … but I think it was gratifying to be recognized for my work, and it was a great

experience.”

Kalyna White ‘18 with women from the Bukova Orphanage over the summer. Photo courtesy of LABUkraine.

Kalyna White ‘18 poses with representatives from the Lviv Education Founda-tion. Photo courtesy of LABUkraine.

In December 2015, 195 coun-tries agreed to tackle what

some consider to be one of Earth’s most pressing problems: climate change. Over the past century, the average global tem-perature has increased by 1.5˚ F, and the Earth is facing a more drastic rise in temperature. In the near future. Scientists have concluded that the 20th century ushered in an era of pollution, and they have reached a con-sensus that there is greater than a 95% chance human activ-ity is responsible for this global

Politics of the Paris Agreement

Negotiators gather for the 2015 UN Climate Conference in Paris, France. Photo courtesy of Center for Climate Change and Energy Solutions.

Gabby McClellan ‘20Staff Writer

warming pattern. According to scien-tists who study climate change, human activity has radically increased the amount of green-house gases existing in the atmosphere. Car emissions, landfills, agriculture, and the burning of fossil fuels are a few of the major producers of greenhouse gases in the United States. Around the world, these gases act as a blanket shrouding the Earth in heat, causing global warming and climate change. Regionally, rising sea levels and temperatures equate to extreme weather patterns and the chron-

ic flooding of many U.S. c o m m u n i -ties. Not only would the economy suf-fer the dras-tic impacts of disaster recovery, but e c o s y s t e m s will face in-surmountable challenges in their environ-ments. In order to fight this cli-mate epidem-ic, countries from around the world

signed a global climate initiative in the winter of 2015: The Paris Agreement. The Paris Agree-ment centers on communica-tion, accountability, and reli-ability to reach the specific goals essential to the success of this initiative. This work includes and emphasizes the importance of keeping the average global temperature from increasing over 2˚ C by making sure that more developed countries help facilitate the climate clean-up actions of underdeveloped countries. On September 3rd, 2016, President Barack Obama formally entered the United

States into the Paris Agreement, stating that it “is the single-best chance that we have to deal with a problem that could end up transforming this planet in a way that makes it very difficult for us to deal with all the other challenges that we may face.” Alongside the U.S., China also entered the Paris Agreement; the union of China and Amer-ica, two nations that collectively contribute to 40% of global car-bon emissions, was an impor-tant moment for climate change activists and many world lead-

ers. However, after the election of President Donald J. Trump, the United States’ stance on climate change shifted. Ful-filling one of his campaign promises, on June 1st, 2017, President Trump formally re-moved the United States from the Paris Agreement, making the U.S., Nicaragua, and Syria the only three countries to re-fuse the Paris Agreement. Ac-cording to President Trump, taxpayers would have to account for the money lost as a result of

the requirements outlined in the Paris Agreement, putting the United States at an econom-ic disadvantage. In regards to President Trump’s decision to remove the United States, Re-publican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel stated, “I commend the presi-dent for making this decision that will save the U.S. economy from the loss of millions of jobs and trillions in economic out-put.” Instead of committing the Paris Agreement, Trump plans to revive the coal industry and allow companies to drill for shale oil and natural gas. Doing so will decrease the cost of gas, and President Trump intends to work towards using clean coal energy. Conforming to the re-quirements of the Paris Agree-ment entails reducing carbon emissions, and the fossil fuel industries are responsible for much of the United States’ to-tal carbon output. However, because these industries’ eco-nomically contribute to the United States, many have grown concerned about the repercus-sions of eliminating fossil fu-els, and this has caused climate change—and man’s role in it—to become a question of politi-cal interest. Politics aside, only time will reveal the effects of climate change.

NEWS6MADNews

Assistant Editor Victoria Akagha ‘19

“Scientists have concluded that there is greater than a 95% chance human activ-ity is responsible for this global warming pattern.”

tive that provides computer labs and education for orphaned children living in Ukraine. Inspired by her moth-er, a native of Ukraine and chair of the Women in Homeland Security, White launched the organization earlier this year. She has always had an affinity for STEM related subjects and serves as a representative for WHSSTEM, a division of the WHS that focuses on garner-ing interest for STEM subjects and fields in middle and high

school age children. In May, she won the PINK Award, an an-nual grant given by Madeira to fund a student’s passion project. “I was definitely really happy,” says White, “it was a stressful process … but I think it was gratifying to be recognized for my work, and it was a great ex-perience.” Recently, there has been great civil unrest in the Ukraine, from the 2004 Orange Revolution to the annexation of the Crimea by Russia in 2014. On top of that, there are many orphaned children without a place to go, and not enough orphanages to serve them all.

As a result, most end up on the streets. With her initiative, Kalyna wants to give some of these children another option, an opportunity to become part

of Ukraine’s growing technol-ogy sector. Last summer, LA-BUkraine installed a lab in the Bukova Orphanage for Girls. It was White’s first visit to the Ukraine, and while there she explored Kiev, Lviv, and Bu-kova. All of the computers for the labs were donated, some by Madeira’s very own Mr. Day-ton of the I2 department. Also over the summer, Kalyna met with potential partners for her organization. She established

partnerships with the Lviv Edu-cation Foundation, and the He-bron IT Academy for Orphaned Boys, a technology focused school for boys who have aged out of the foster system. She plans to go back to Ukraine this summer to build more labs. As for the future of the initiative, Kalyna is set on setting up other locations in Ukraine and expanding globally to Tunisia and Slovenia.

7

Casey Ocasal ‘19 Contributing Writer

U.S. and North Korea Spar Over Nukes

Despite continuing tensions between the United States

and North Korea ever since the Korean War in the 1950s, a se-ries of recent threats and nu-clear tests have brought the two countries contentious relation-ship to shocking new heights. North Korea’s success-ful test of their first Interconti-

North Korea launches four ballistic missiles during a drill. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

nental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) this July marked an important milestone in its nuclear pro-gram and a turning point in its relationship with the United States. According to the New York Times, in early July, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un launched this long-range mis-sile over Japan, taunting the U.S. by calling the launch a “Fourth-of-July gift” for President Don-

ald Trump. Previously, North Korea’s most effective nuclear weapons were powerful, liquid based missiles however they lacked the range needed to reach farther than Korea and Japan. North Korea’s launch of an ICBM, a highly-compact, missile capable of striking as far as the Pacific coast of the United States, proved their unexpected capability to develop smaller,

more mobile nuclear warheads that are able to strike U.S soil. Because of North Ko-rea’s rapidly progressing nuclear weapons program, the coun-try poses an escalating threat to the United States. CIA di-rector Mark Pompeo threat-ened to remove Kim Jong UN from his nuclear stockpile. The North Korean government re-sponded with a threat to strike the United States and its allied nations and territories, such as Japan and Guam. As CNN re-ported from North Korea’s Ko-rean Central News Network, “The DPRK legally stipulates that if the supreme dignity of the DPRK is threatened, it must preemptively annihilate those countries and entities that are directly or indirectly involved in it, by mobilizing all kinds of strike means including the nu-clear ones.” The Trump Admin-istration has reacted to these threats vaguely, calling for the “complete destruction of North Korea.” In late August, accord-ing to The Atlantic, Trump also expressed his frustration about China’s unwillingness to stop North Korea’s threatening be-havior and said that all threats to the United States would be met with “fire and fury”. So what happens if war

breaks out between the U.S. and North Korea? Although the United States’ plans in this case are not quite clear, experts say that there is little chance that a war of any kind will end favor-ably for North Korea. Accord-ing to the Seeker Daily, North

Korea’s few political allies pale in comparison to U.S. defense partners such as Canada and Japan. An attack from North Korea would mean that it would have to withstand attacks from nations with the strongest mili-taries in the world. Also, North Korea’s allies would likely not be willing to defend North Korea, believing its dwindling econo-my, with a GDP ranked 125th in the world, is not worth the cost of a war.

“North Korea’s launch of an  ICBM, a highly-

compact,  missile capable of striking as far as the

Pacific coast of the United States, proved their un-expected capability to develop smaller, more

mobile nuclear warheads that are able to strike U.S

soil.”

Man signals for help on a flooded street in Texas. Photo courtesy of Joe Readle, Getty Images.

Hurricane Harvey Wreaks Havoc Ejun Kim ‘19 Spring Editor

On August 25th 2017, Hur-ricane Harvey, the wettest

tropical hurricane on record in the contiguous United States, began its weeklong onslaught on Texas, Louisiana, and other locations such as Belize, Ni-caragua, and the Honduras. Initially, Harvey emerged as a benign wave; auspicious envi-ronmental conditions predicted that the wave would merge with an area of low-pressure south-west of Cape Verde. However, the two disturbances remained isolated, and soon, rain shower and thunderstorm activity cou-pled with the influence of a vast ridge of high pressure culmi-nated in the birth of Harvey, a Category 4 storm. Sweeping through the Gulf of Mexico, Harvey first hit Caribbean and Latin American countries. Strong winds and heavy rainfalls impacted Barba-dos and Guyana, flooding sev-eral buildings and completely demolishing many residences. Harvey’s effects, however, were far more prominent in Texas and Louisiana, where 27 tril-lion gallons of rain inundated the two states during a 6 days

period. Throughout Texas, over 300,000 people were with-out electricity and more than 185,000 homes were damaged and destroyed. Thirty-three of Texas counties were under fed-eral disaster declaration, and over 215,000 students were out of school once the Houston school district canceled classes. Approximately 72,000 people were rescued, and 71 fatalities were also reported. The estimated econom-ic losses vary from source to source. CNN reports 75 billion dollars in estimated losses; USA Today cites an AccuWeather es-timate of 190 billion- a number that would surpass Hurricane Katrina’s 175 billion. A major-

ity of the losses is attributed to damage to homes and com-mercial property. Moody’s Ana-lysts estimated that as many as 700,000 vehicles and 400,000 homes were significantly dam-

aged. Aside from property losses, economists are trying to gauge the economic effects from lost jobs, reduced wages, interruptions in production and supply lines, and environmen-tal factors. These estimates and their effects cannot yet be con-solidated, but analysts are cer-tain that gas prices will climb and will be one of the first to ripple out to the broader U.Ss

economy. The disastrous impacts of Hurricane Harvey garnered non-governmental organiza-tion response. Charitable orga-nizations including the Ameri-can Red Cross, Salvation Army, Humane Society of the United States, and AmeriCares provid-ed support for victims by col-lecting donations and providing shelter and food. Support for

those affected by Harvey oc-curred on a local level as well, with food trucks, radio stations, churches, and individual fami-lies. In fact, Madeira’s commu-nity service co heads, Vanessa Saenz ’18 and Karina Atkins ’18 organized collections for toilet-ries, an effort that was extend-ed to the Varsity Field Hockey team’s tournament with other ISL schools

“Harvey’s effects, however, were far more prominent in Texas and Louisiana, where 27 trillion gallons

of rain inundated the two states during a 6 days

period.”

NEWS

It’s late at night and you’re work-ing on trigonometry home-

work. Trying to, at least. All your focus is on the vast expanse of space between this problem and the next. You wonder if math problems ever get lonely. Imag-ine sitting on a sheet of paper for eternity; imagine your friends, all the other math problems, inches and inches away from you. A few inches is nothing for a human but for a tiny math problem that can-not move around freely, it is ter-rible. You’re tired, you should start drawing sine graphs, and you’re drowning in exhaustion. Like those math problems, you’re lonely, especially at these late hours. Everyone on the floor is asleep and no one is online. You regret requesting a single room. This small space feels like the en-tire world, and you the only per-son in it. Well, you and a book by Aristotle. It has lived in the corner of your dorm room from the day you moved in, collecting dust and hair. You pick it up, give it a good shake, and flip through it; is this what people do when they’re sad—seek advice from de-ceased Greek men? Honestly, you just really want some sort of hu-man company tonight and, at this point, a dead philosopher will do just fine. Nicomachean Ethics. Rational choice? Boring. Vir-tue and vice? Too deep. Justice? Overrated. Hedonism? Story of your life. And then--Book VIII. Friendship. Perfect! Aristotle claims that friendship is an ab-solute necessity in life. You agree.

Let’s begin. The lowest level of friendship is when two people are useful to each other. You re-member the friend back in el-ementary school who always had candy. You’d exploit her candy supply during recess. Candy for math homework answers. Fair trade. The next level is when two people find pleasure in one another’s company. Like that girl you sat with at lunch the other day: you have a few classes with her but don’t know her all that well. She’s really nice and makes funny math puns. You don’t understand all of them but laugh anyway. Is this all there is to friendship? At the highest level, two people hope for the true good of the other: this is true friendship. You grin. You wish the best for some people, and you know it’s mutual. You immediately think of the bestie in New Dorm—you’ve known her since freshman year and experienced all sorts of happy and hard times together. The only problem is that she’s asleep in another dorm while these math problems are insufferable. Thinking about friends makes you smile; however, it’s weird to think about friends in levels. It feels a little too calcula-tive. Either way, you feel less lone-ly. You neglect the math home-work and get in bed. Trig, unlike friendship, is not an absolute ne-cessity in life. If lonely math prob-lems were of any importance, Ar-istotle would write about it, right? You chuck the worksheet next to your unfinished English essay. Maybe they’ll make friends with each other or something. After all, interdisciplinary is the new thing. Right now, sleep is mine.

I Think, Therefore I AmIn Which I Avoid Homework

by Way of Aristotle

ColumnistYeaLim (Elsie) Jang ‘19

KA

TE’S KORNER

Dear Struggling New Students: My Freshman Flashback

Restaurant Review for Fiola MareWe Came, We Saw, We Ate:

Fay’s Table

Staff WriterFay Zhang ‘18

If you are looking for a nice restaurant to celebrate spe-

cial occasions, meet that special someone or simply have incred-ible food, I definitely recom-mend Fiola Mare. According to ZAGAT, a food review company, “The beautiful Georgetown wa-terfront vistas are outdone only by the “excitingly prepared” sea-food served by staffers, who ac-commodate your every whim at Fabio Trabocchi’s exquisite Washington Harbour Italian”. Fiola Mare is an Italian restaurant located in George-town, 3050 K St NW, about 20 to 30 minutes drive from Ma-deira. It is near the Washington Harbour, and if you go on a day

“Originating in Italy, Fiola Mare was created to evoke their customer of a seaside

dining experience along the coast of the Mediter-

ranean sea.”

Fiola Mare Lobster Ravioli. Photo courtesy of Alisa Lai ‘19.

with warm and sunny weather, I would highly suggest sitting out-side to enjoy the splendid seaside view. The inside of the restaurant is built in a European style that reminds me of a calm afternoon. You can either choose to wait at the bar or the regular sitting area, where you will be tended by a friendly waiter, many of whom have a slight Italian ac-cent, enhancing the calm, Euro-pean country feel even more. Originating in Italy, Fiola Mare was created to give customers a seaside dining ex-perience along the coast of the Mediterranean sea. It special-izes in high quality seafood and steaks. My personal favorite for

brunch is the Fiola Mare Sea-food platter and Lobster Rolls. Fiola Mare really preserves the original flavor of the ingredients used, especially seafood. De-pending on the serving size, the seafood platter contains 6 to 10 kinds of seafood, including East and West Coast Oysters, middle neck Clams, Maine Lobsters, and Sea Urchins. They usually come with three different dip-ping sauces. The Lobster Roll is another highlight of the restau-rant. It is served warm, juicy and buttery, with the right portion of lobster and bread, and is prob-ably one of the best lobster rolls I have had. Finally, even though I have never tried the Fiola Mare Lobster Ravioli, it is highly rec-ommended by many online re-viewers, so I think it is definitely a recipe to try and I cannot wait to hear feedback about it from you guys. For dinner, make sure that you do not miss the Grang-nano Spaghetti (Littleneck Clams, San Marzano Tomatoes, Parsley), Scialatielli (Carolina Rock Shrimp, Zucchini, Beech Mushrooms, Lemon). And for desert, make sure you try the

Apple Crostata and Bomboloni. In general, if you are not a seafood fan, Fiola Mare might not sound attractive, but if you are really into seafood, Fi-ola Mare will be the right place. On special occasions such as national holidays, the restaurant may receive over 400 requests a for a reservation on that day, so if you are considering going there on one of these days, be sure to reserve early.

8 ENTERTAINMENT

ColumnistKate McGowan ‘18

For every new girl at Madeira that is finding her place, there

are probably two more feeling more lost than ever. Well, rest-assured fellow Madeira strug-glers, your first year at Madeira is without a doubt ten times bet-ter than my freshman year. Flashback to 2014: my face was rounder, I was a couple inches shorter, and (as hard as it is to imagine) I was even more pessimistic than I am now (it’s kind of my thing). Upon my ar-

rival, I was greeted with the news that I would be living in a single room. Being an only child, I

was relieved about not having a roommate. How-

ever, with no one to wake me up, I overslept on first day of class for about 45 minutes and had to book it around the Oval to get to my A block. I loudly stumbled into the room with un-brushed hair and a Madeira sweatshirt. I do not know how, but I am still close with some of the girls in that class who love to remind me about that first day. I honestly cannot explain why I overslept on at least half of the days that first mod but I also distinctly re-member falling out of my chair at one point, dead asleep in that

class. I like to blame most of my problems during my fresh-man year on living alone. I stayed up way too late. Instead of doing my homework every night like a normal person, I would apply copious amounts of foundation and eyeliner to my face and ex-cessively watch TV until the sun came up. Here are some other tragic ways I made my mark on this school back in 2014 through 2015: I charged around $300 home worth of food in January, I went to study hall with my face painted in hot pink lipstick (just cause), I got ten GIBs in the first two months, and I failed (failed as in got an F) in my last mod of algebra I, a class I had already taken in middle school. Watch-

ing my freshman year was prob-ably like watching a car crash. So. What was the point of reading this utterly awful ac-count of my freshman year? Was it to tell you that everything is hopeless? Or that I’m really self-absorbed and I just wanted to talk about myself? Am I trying to invoke sympathy from the Madeira community so you will all be my minions like I’m Blaire Waldorf on Gossip Girl (a show I binge-watched twice as a fresh-man instead of, oh I don’t know, did homework)? While both the second and the third question posed above are partially true, the first question is actually the exact opposite of what I’m trying to tell you. Even if you don’t quite know how to handle high school yet, or you don’t have those best

friends for life that people are always taking about, that’s okay! It took me so long to figure out how to get my high-school life together and even now I, and all those around me are still faking having it together. Yes, everyone around you is faking being put together. No one really knows what they’re doing! I still reli-giously wear sweatshirts and it’s been over three years. But don’t you worry, new students, you will all figure it out (at least a little bit). While it might not always seem like it, Madeira is filled with people who want to help you. I like to think that I’m a product of that Madeira support, but then again I wrote this article while procrastinating doing my Latin homework. So you all can be the judge of that.