The Pharcyde - August 2009

Volume XXX4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL August 18, 2009 Issue 1

Back to School Edition

l

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDESenior Hali Sammis, who spearheaded the project, works on the finishing touches of the 3-D mural during July.

A Freshman’s Guide to the Upper School

How to involve yourself in the arts

page 11

What clubs you should join

page 9New teacher biospage 2

Fall SportsPreviewpage 12

By Jenna BernickManaging Editor

Upper School students were wel-comed back on the first day of school by the campus’s first permanent visual arts display, a student-designed coral reef mosaic mural.

This summer, Benjamin seniors Hali Sammis, Alex Jackman, and Ryan Lynch, sophomores Kyra Huertas and Katie Murray, and art teachers Mrs. Monica Sweeney and Mrs. Melissa Ford put the finishing touches on the mural, which is located on the office wall adjacent to the library. The latest addition to the Up-per School campus, this new mural re-sembles the one on the outer wall of the Barker Performing Arts Center.

The mosaic was created through a collective effort of Upper School student and teacher artwork. Senior Hali Sam-mis drew the coral reef design on a sheet of paper the size of the wall where the mural would be placed and made back-ground pieces, Advanced Ceramics stu-dents created the larger fish for the wall, and 3D Ceramics students created the smaller ones.

Art teacher Mrs. Monica Sweeney said, “[Science teacher] Mrs. Spino stopped by one day and even made a

See Reef Mosaic page 3

Who’sWho ? The big stories

from last yearpages 6-7

l Class project shows offcreativity of Benjamin’s visual arts program

Prisoners of the pandemic

By Cory WeinbergEditor-in-Chief

No, they were not foreign diplomats or rebel journalists, but the Doane sib-lings were trapped in China. They were prisoners in their Beijing hotel, but they committed no crime. On June 8, the Do-ane siblings, all current or graduated students from The Benjamin School, were whisked away from their Chinese excursion because they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Although they never actually became infected with the H1N1 virus, the story of the Doane siblings offered a glimpse into Chinese culture and quarantine procedures.A vacation goes off course

Elizabeth, Bryan, and Randell had an-ticipated that their Chinese experience, taken in conjunction with the People to People Ambassador Program, would be a cultural eye-opener. They were curious about Chinese cultural and traditions.

They got more than they bargained for.

After landing in Hong Kong, the Do-ane siblings traveled to Beijing, where they got the bad news. “Ten of you will

Photo by Randell DoaneA Chinese doctor tests Bryan Doane for swine flu in their hotel room.

l For Doane siblings, China trip provides lessons inculture, quarantines, media (and Nancy Drew)

Reef mosaic adds wave of color to campus

In recession, sign ups soarfor AP Econhave to stay behind and be quarantined

for seven days,” Bryan remembered their group leader saying.

The Doane siblings had been identi-fied in their group as sitting near a man on their plane who was infected with the H1N1 virus. Instead of seeing the sites, they would now only experience their off-white colored hotel walls.

Bryan said, “It was pretty random why they [quarantined us]. It was kind of dumb because it was a three hour flight, so it doesn’t matter who was the closest because we were all breathing in the same air.”

In an e-mail written from her hotel room to her mother, Elizabeth wrote, “Before we left the hotel, doctors outfit-ted to look like aliens came to take our temperature. We were all given masks and treated like we were lepers. We were then escorted outside down a secret pas-sage so as not to be in contact with any other human beings.”Not your typical summer boredom

For nearly eight days, the Doane siblings were confined to their Beijing hotel. The quarantine was the Chinese government’s response to hundreds of foreign travelers during the swine flu

scare. Elizabeth, Bryan, and Randell were subjected to a week without air conditioning, and had to have twice-daily temperature checks. If one of their temperatures were too high, they would have been hustled to the hospital.

Combined with the heat, the Doane siblings say the boredom was probably the worst part of their time in captiv-ity. “It was miserable since we couldn’t leave. We just sat around and watched HBO for seven days. We watched a lot

See Quarantine page 10

By Katie ScheppsFeatures Editor

With the constant concern over the national economy, AP Economics sign-ups at Benjamin have increased nearly 100% in popularity.

65 students are enrolled in AP Eco-nomics for this school year, as compared to last year’s 35, one of the most drastic increases in one class in recent decades at Benjamin. To accommodate the num-ber of students interested, AP Econom-ics will consist of four sections this year, each with 15-20 students.

See AP Economics page 10

August 2008:U.S. Unemployment Rate: 5.9%Students in AP Economics: 35

August 2009:U.S. Unemployment Rate: 9.4%Students in AP Economics: 65

l Students eager to learn from real world examples

NewsPage 2 August 18, 2009 The Pharcyde

“Quick Quote:

I’m looking forward to work-ing with the student body here, and I want to rock the place.- new Band and Chorus teacherDr. Alexander Nagy ”

2009 AP test score results are positive

The results from this past May’s AP tests are in, and the news was mostly good for Ben-jamin School students. Accord-ing to the results given to the school, 85 percent of Benjamin students passed the exam (a score of 3 or higher). 23 percent scored a 5, 33 percent scored a 4, and 29 percent scored a 3.

Stoplight to operateafter school begins

The new traffic light on Cen-tral Blvd. and Grandflora Road will not be competely opera-tional on Aug. 18, the first day of school. Palm Beach Gardens Police will continue to direct traffic until the light set up is finished.

After three years of plans for the stoplight, an operation-al stoplight is imminent.

Trio of new teachers ready to join TBS communityl Drumline will continue under newmusic teacher

By Cory Weinberg Editor-in-Chief

Three new teachers have joined The Benjamin Upper School faculty for the 2009-2010 school year. Dr. Alexander Nagy takes over as the band and chorus teacher, Ms. Renee Szeliga joins the science depart-ment, and Ms. Emily Leidy has been added to the math depart-ment.

Following the departures of several respected teachers in May, multiple administrators have claimed that they believed the school “hit the jackpot” in finding replacements. Each new teacher has extensive experi-ence in his or her field, and is well-traveled around the coun-try and the globe.

Dr. NagyThe busiest new teacher at

Benjamin this fall would seem to be Dr. Alexander Nagy. In addition to teaching Band and Chorus, Nagy will estab-lish Benjamin’s first AP Music Theory class, work as Music Di-rector for the fall musical, and maintain the Drumline.

After news broke that Mr. Christopher Douglas would be leaving Benjamin after three years as Band and Chorus teacher, students questioned whether the music program would continue to grow. Under Douglas, the Drumline became a Benjamin institution, and the Band and Chorus members won several awards and state competitions.

However, students’ fears may be eased by Nagy’s pres-ence as an established compos-er with two decades of teaching experience.

Born in Transylvania, Nagy earned his Master’s degree at Yale University in Conduct-

ing and Composition. After getting his PhD, Nagy worked as the head of the music de-partment at The Taft School, a prep school in Connecticut, for 14 years. At Taft, Nagy led the school band to tour Europe and the Caribbean and also formed an orchestra.

After another prep school teaching position, Nagy won a prestigious Fulbright Schol-arship and taught in PhD pro-gram at the University of Bu-dapest, the largest university in Hungary. His world traveling continued as Nagy started up a music program at a school in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and taught there for one year.

Nagy recently moved to Ju-piter with his wife and 3-year old daughter, and after years of traveling, will call Benjamin home. “When I came to visit, it was such a wonderful place. I have been traveling all over the world, but this is such a great place to live,” said Nagy.

Although the future of the Drumline was in limbo last spring after Douglas’ depar-ture, when asked if the program would continue, Nagy said, “Oh yeah, definitely. I want to expand it. I want to introduce some African drumming, some Japanese drumming, and may-be some South American drum-ming. I think it’s a great idea. I love rhythms.”

Ms. SzeligaMs. Renee Szeliga will take

over for Ms. Colleen Donnelly in teaching Biology, Marine Bi-ology, and Anatomy and Physi-

ology. Born in New Jersey, Szeliga

has 12 years of teaching expe-rience in biology and genetics. She took part in the Princeton University Molecular Biol-ogy program for two summers, where high school teachers learn how to use cutting edge scientific equipment and bring back hands-on laboratory expe-rience to their classrooms. Sze-liga’s summer work at Rutgers University has also consisted of doing research and working on bioinfermatics, an application to molecular biology.

In her high school classroom in New Jersey, Szeliga worked with students on a topic close to every teenager’s heart: food. This summer’s documentary Food, Inc. brought the subject of the unhealthy, industrial pro-duction of grains and vegeta-bles to the forefront, but Szeliga brought this to her students’ at-tention before the topic became

popularized in the media. “We would cut DNA with scissors and look for certain marker genes. We would do that with vegetables called genetically modified organisms, where genes have been inserted to make them pesticide-resistant. Kids would bring in food, mostly corn, and we’d see if it was a genetically modified or-ganism,” said Szeliga.

At her former schools, Sze-liga has also brought students to observe live operations in lo-cal hospitals, and accompanied them on a trip to the Bahamas to perform scientific research.

As for her time at Benjamin, Szeliga says that she has “a tre-mendous amount of ideas,” and also looks forward to working with the local Scripps Institute and Max Planck Institute.

After years of scientific re-search and teaching, Szeliga looks forward to bringing her expertise to Benjamin. “People just rave about this school. What I’ve been through in the past day or two has just been amazing,” said Szeliga.

Ms. LeidyMs. Emily Leidy will teach

Algebra II and Geometry, af-ter being hired to replace Mrs. Marcia Perry, who retired last spring.

Leidy grew up in south Florida, but moved to Colorado before high school. She earned degrees in Math and Anthro-pology from University of San Diego, and says that she “loves archaeology and evolution.” Leidy’s hobbies include travel-ing, singing, and pilates. She taught math last year at a high school in Miami.

Leidy also looks forward to making math come alive in the classroom, as she wants to show students the different kinds of math that can be ex-citing. “One of my main goals is trying to show students that there’s really cool math beyond high school,” said Leidy. “You just have to get through the bor-ing stuff to get to the cool stuff. So I try to integrate that into my lessons.”

Leidy summed up each new teacher’s expectations for stu-dents when she said, “We’re expecting hard workers; we’re not going to spoon feed you.”

New teachers bring unique personalities

and experiencesto Benjamin.

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDETechnicians work on the new stoplight on Grandiflora Road.New courses

AP Music TheoryPhotojournalismFrench Culture

Computer SciencePlaywriting

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDEDr. Alexander Nagy takes over as Band and Chorus teacher.

Oxford shirts banto be implemented

As announced in the 2008-2009 Student Handbook last year, button-down oxford shirts will be banned as proper uni-form attire in the Upper School this year. The shirts are still

sold in The Nook for Middle and Lower School students.

“[The new rule] was ne-cessitated by the fact that stu-dents were wearing the shirts improperly - failing to button the shirt. Repeated reminders to girls to properly button the shirts went unheeded,” said Head of the Upper School Mr. Jay Selvig.

Godspell chosen as2009 Fall Musical

According to Musical Direc-tor Mr. Henry Hamilton, the 2009 Fall Musical will be God-spell, which Benjamin students will perform at the Barker Per-forming Arts Center on Nov. 13 and 14.

“I think the songs will ap-peal to the TBS demographic. Thematically, the show ties in with much of the literature that students read at TBS, and al-though the story is a Christian one, the show is universally ap-pealing,” said Hamilton. ”Cos-tume and set requirements are minimal, which makes it a good

show to do now as we ride the rough waters of a still choppy economy, and there is a great deal of flexibility in how the show is cast—as we lost an un-usually high number of seniors this year, this casting flexibility will help the next generation of talent to establish itself.”

Auditions for Godspell will take place on Sept. 8 and 9 in the Dance/Drama Room.

The Pharcyde August 18, 2009 Page 3News

NotableDates

1st Quarter

Aug. 26Senior College NightKehl Campus - BPAC

7:00 p.m.

Sept. 2Back to School Night

7:00 - 9:30 p.m.

Sept. 4TBS vs. Glades Day

Football - Theofilos Field7:00 pm

Sept. 7Labor Day No Classes

Sept. 12ACT Test

US Gym

Sept. 24Picture Day

9th-11th Grade

Sept. 28Yom Kippur

No Classes

Oct. 9TBS vs. King’s

Football - Theofilos Field7:00 p.m.

Oct. 13College Fair

US Gym7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Oct. 14Senior Team Building

Beach8:00 am - 2:00 p.m.

Oct. 14PLAN and PSAT

9th-11th Grade

Oct. 15Backdoor Cafe

Band Room6:00 p.m.

During summer, students get school without stressBy Jared FishmanSenior News Editor

While summer for Benjamin students is typically a time for exotic traveling, leadership pro-grams, or simply relaxing at the beach, many students remained in a Benjamin classroom long after May’s last exam.

Various Benjamin depart-ments offered Summer Phys-ics, summer government, and summer computers, each of which was intended to alleviate students’ school-year stress, as well as provide students flex-ibility in their schedules.

Summer Government teach-er of 4 years Mr. Jamie McVicar, who is a History teacher and la-crosse coach during the school year, believes that summer courses are ideal opportunities for both students who enjoy a given subject, as well as those who do not. He said, “Some-times [students take Summer Government] to open one’s schedule so they can take oth-er, more desired electives. On some occasions it is so the stu-dent can take the AP Gov class. It is for those highly motivated and for those looking to get it out of the way.”

Senior Patrick Rooney took the six-week Summer Physics class, which was his first sum-mer course in his Benjamin ca-reer. His experience was gen-erally positive, because of the unique situation of having a school course without the stress of school itself.

He said, “Summer Phys-ics was more laid back than a traditional subject at the Ben-jamin School, but it was no less serious. I enjoyed the light atmosphere and the unique ap-proach to a difficult subject.”

Senior Emily Fisher also took Summer Physics, simply because her two math courses and AP Chemistry course leave her little time in her 2009-2010 schedule. “It was more laid back in the sense that there weren’t any uniforms and that there wasn’t a lot of homework, but we still had to do work and it was still a Benjamin School class.”

Senior Matthew Eisenman,

who also took Summer Phys-ics, “Summer physics was a blast. Although it was in the summer, everyday was enjoy-able and fun, and totally worth it.”

In addition to experiencing diminished stress levels due to change of venue, students who take advantage of sum-mer classes generally find that they succeed because they are more singularly focused on a given subject than they are in

the school year. Rooney said, “I took the class over the summer to alleviate the stress of having to take it along with my other classes.” He added, “Only having to focus on one subject made it easier to concentrate and succeed.”

McVicar agrees with Rooney, saying “The students have a tendency to be more fo-cused and to achieve at a higher level, a trend I attribute to small class size and only having one

academic endeavor to contend with.”

Despite using part of his summer to further his mind, Rooney claimed that his three months off were no less enjoy-able. He said, “Despite being in class for six weeks, I was able to relax and hang out just as much as a normally would have.”

He added, “There is a good chance I would have slept until noon anyway.”

From Reef Mosaic page 1sea-urchin to contribute to the mosaic. And of course I had to add one of my colorful fish to the wall.”

The idea for the project be-gan in the spring of 2008 with the help of a local sculptor, Norman Gitzen, who was an artist-in-residence at the time. He helped Lower and Middle School students create the mu-ral for their campus, but Upper School students adjusted the project to befit a more complex project.

Sammis said, “The original project idea was to create ce-ramic fish and then mold them and plaster them. Then they would take the plastered piec-es and put them on the wall, because that was the method Gitzen used for anything he would make. That worked

out really well for the Lower School’s mural. We ended up changing the project a little bit so it could look a little more ad-vanced.”

About the changes, Sweeney said, “This mosaic was sup-

posed to go up the same time that the Lower/Middle School mosaic went up. After talking with my ceramic classes we de-cided that we would like our Upper School wall to be a little different. We wanted to show

the skills of an Upper School student. We wanted our wall to display more color.”

Sammis, who contributed a year’s worth of work towards creating the mural, noted the exposure it will give to the tal-ent in the Visual Arts Depart-ment.

“We wanted to bring the visual arts into the school,” said Sammis. “The drama de-partment and music depart-ment have been thriving these last few years with shows and concerts. When you do a play, you get the satisfaction of hav-ing finished something and showing the student body what you’ve done. So this is also our finished project. Now we have something that [is] going to be stuck on the wall for pretty much until everything comes down. It shows our progress.”

Sea mural allows visual arts to shine

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDEThe inspiration for the reef mosaic, which is now complete and displayed on the administrative building, originally came from local sculptor Norman Gitz.

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDESeniors Emily Fisher, Nicole Grabel, and Maggie Jamison work on a science lab during summer physics. About 30 students took the six week course for a science credit.

A Benjamin Paradox

“You have a voice. How will you use it?”

This quote hangs high on the wall of Room 149, where, if all goes right, students work hard every day to produce a quality newspaper. We hope you will find our work thought-provoking and enter-taining, as we strive to not only display students’ stories, but also improve The Benjamin School as an institution.

However, we will say right off the bat: We are nowhere near perfect. Every journalistic medium is held to a higher standard because journalists are the ones who hold others’ feet to the fire. This leads to the watchdog being watched more closely than any other student group. We will criticize people and policies, and hopefully it is always fair. If we are ever mistaken, everyone has the opportunity to defend themselves or others in Letters to the Edi-tor that can be published in the next issue or online. (We are working on finally joining the 21st century’s realm of journalism on the internet.) Also, if mis-takes in articles are apparent, we will correct them in the next issue.

Now that the bad stuff is out of the way, here is

the way The Pharcyde works. This is the first time ever that we have published an issue during the first week of school. You can expect four or five more print issues during the year, typically at the end of each academic quarter. The Pharcyde consists of Upper School students who have chosen “Exposi-tory Writing” as an elective course. However, we do not want the voices in the newspaper to be merely our own. Letters to the Editor are encouraged, and this year we will accept Guest Columns written by students, teachers, and administrators. (Head of

School Mr. Robert Goldberg is starting us off with our inaugural Guest Column.) Space will be limited, but we want to know what students are thinking.

Maybe we are overconfident, but we truly be-lieve that our work helps to better the school. A dis-

An introduction fromThe Benjamin School’s

student newspaper.

EditorialThe opinion of The Pharcyde

Editor-in-Chief Cory Weinberg

Senior News EditorJared Fishman

Sports EditorPhil Staiman

Managing EditorJenna Bernick

Features EditorKatie Schepps

Opinions EditorGarrett Bruno

AdvisorMr. Kendall Didsbury

The Pharcyde solicits advertisements at the following rates:The price of a full page ad is $200.00/ issue.. The price of a half page ad is $120.00/ issue.The price of a quarter page ad is $90.00/ issue. The price of a business card ad is $50.00/ issue.

If you or anyone you know would like to place an ad in The Pharcyde, please contact Mr. Didsbury.

*The editorials in this paper are the opinion of the writer and/or The Pharcyde staff as a whole. They are not the opinion of The Benjamin School or our advertisers.

The PharcydeFounded in 1980 as The Spectator, now in its 30th year

The Pharcyde, the Upper School Newspaper for The Benjamin School, is published four times a year in October, December, March, and May. Editorial offices are located at 4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418. The phone number is 561-472-3485, and the fax number is 561-691-8823. The advisor can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. The Pharcyde is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, American Scho-lastic Press Association, and Columia Scholastic Press Association.

Editorial Board

By Robert GoldbergI have been asked by the editor-in-chief of The

Pharcyde to launch the new “guest column” feature of your student newspaper. This is one of the many honors bestowed upon me since my arrival as the Head of School. And, the notion of “honor” will un-derscore the points I hope to make with you in this article. But first, I want to tell you that school year 2008-09 was a busy one for me. I was busy meeting all of you for breakfast or lunch in the Conference Room. I was busy meeting your teachers. I was busy meeting your parents. I was busy studying the Upper School curriculum. I was busy reviewing the athletic and extra-curricular options that are avail-able to you. I was busy perusing your standardized test scores. I was busy reviewing the college pro-file of the past few years, that is, where Benjamin students attend college. All in all, I was just plain busy.

However, there was a method to my madness. I was busy trying to get an opinion of the place. If I were to suggest changes at Benjamin, I would need a basis for those decisions. My observations of you and the experiences offered you were juxtaposed with my knowledge of other fine independent schools. Your school is one of five I have come to know well during my career. Also helpful to me in my efforts to arrive at some early diagnosis of the state of Benjamin was my first foray into the field of education, which was as a Spanish teacher at a really excellent public school in New Jersey. So, the very scientific approach I took toward my investiga-tion of what was right and wrong about TBS was bolstered by 35 years of exposure to the science of learning. Some of my findings may surprise you.

In the first paragraph, I spoke about “honor” as

a theme for this article. It has been nothing short of an honor for me to have spent my adult life as a teacher. In my mind, there is no cause greater in service to mankind. Now, I warned you that some of my “findings” may surprise you. I will now tell you that, without a doubt, the greatest honor I have experienced in my adult life is the opportunity to come to Benjamin. Remember the title of this arti-cle…A Benjamin Paradox? It is painfully paradoxi-

OpinionPage 4 August 18, 2009 The Pharcyde

Symbolic, But Necessary“Sexual orientation” is now protected in the School Hand-book’s No Harassment and No Discriminaton policies.

Cheers JeersFirst Week Block Days

The first week of high school is confusing enough for freshmen. Do we really need to pile on? Let’s ease them into the year.

Photo EditorMatt Murray

turbing trend toward gossip and whispers threatens facts and transparency not only at Benjamin, but also across south Florida. Rumors are embedded in our culture, but honest reporting and debate can help clear things up. We will try to break down the barriers of communication between students, teach-ers, administrators, and parents.

Freshmen, we would like to encourage you to kick off your high school careers constructively. Do not make the mistake of coming into your fresh-man year with an apathetic attitude. Your freshman grades have just as much weight as when you are a junior, and slacking off early can severely hurt your college chances. Not only should you focus on grades, but really try to discover your passion in high school. Focus on one or two clubs that stimu-late your interests. Carry that commitment into ath-letics. Become involved in the arts. Benjamin is full of opportunities, and you would be wise to take ad-vantage of them.

We hope you enjoy reading The Pharcyde this year. As we try to develop our own voices in our writing, hopefully we can make a difference in de-veloping the voices of the entire school.

Nice to meet you. We’re here to help.

cal that I feel compelled to say that my fascination with this school and my highest regard for it should “surprise” you.

The Benjamin School is an extraordinary place. The curriculum is strong and your teachers are exceptional. I have never seen AP exam scores as high as those of this school. They are a testament to the passion, energy, dedication, and even fervor of the faculty who teach those classes. You are pre-pared throughout the grades for the rigor of that curriculum and the advanced work that all of you will encounter at the college level. Your athletic op-portunities are numerous. Students in our Upper School have options to play a multitude of sports at a very competitive level, not so in other academic settings. The visual and performing arts are prom-inent--producing dancers, musicians, actors, artists who go on to study and major in the arts at the fin-est colleges and universities in the country. Clubs and organizations appear endless in number, offer-ing leadership opportunities to a large majority of our student body. Alumni return in praise over the preparation at TBS that catapulted them into easy success their freshman year. Students who met with me for breakfast or lunch were equally as praiseful over the faculty who teach them, the extra-curric-ular activities afforded them, and the camaraderie enveloping them.

What has my empirical investigation rendered? What has my comparative study produced? What is my diagnosis of The Benjamin School? The an-swer: Confusion. Where other excellent schools I have known boast their status, shout it from the mountain tops, favorably compare themselves with the competition, TBS remains silent. There is a particular elegance and recalcitrance to the way we define ourselves. Although humility is a genteel quality, one to be quietly respected, let us not have others confuse it with lack of pride for who we are and what we do here. The caliber of our academic program, the attention and care given our students, the options for athletics and the arts, the opportuni-ties for leadership, the freedom to be ourselves and be accepted by many are not found just anywhere. As a matter of fact, they are not found often. But,

they are found here at Benjamin. There are very few options across the country that provide a Benjamin-type experience.

Do we not know this? Or, do we know it and not need to say it? Why did I believe that you would be “surprised” to hear my evaluation of this singular school? Is it that braggarts brag without cause? Do those who do not need to brag remain quiet in the midst of self-congratulation? For whatever this says about me, I need to shout the accolades that Ben-jamin deserves. It is important to me that we are known for who we are and what we do here. So, let me do that now. I am honored to be a part of what goes on here. I believe that you should be honored to be here as well. I do not like to think that the most incredible school I have ever known would be “sur-prised” to hear that said. Let us celebrate our good fortune in finding ourselves here, knowing that our futures will be brighter because of it. If we are stuck in a paradox, let us be there willingly and knowing-ly. Truth, however, should always be overt. There is no reason to hide it. I do not want to feel alone in my extreme admiration for this place. You need to join me. It is the right thing to do.

Guest Column

Mr. Robert Goldberg Head of School

Benjamin truly is a great school. Why should we remain silent about it?

Mr. Robert Goldberg is in his second year as Head of School atThe Benjamin School.

August 18, 2009 Page 5The Pharcyde Opinion

Can wizards still make great literature? Yes.l Although ‘Harry Potter’is an easy, entertainingread, it still embodiesthe best literary traits

By Cory WeinbergEditor-in-Chief

For me, this was a magical summer. No, I did not have any life-changing ex-periences nor make many unforgettable memories. However, it was magical because I reconnected with the fantasy story of my youth – J.K. Rowling’s wiz-arding world of Harry Potter.

Undoubtedly, the Harry Potter series has become a worldwide phenomenon. The books have sold faster than any oth-ers in history, and the film adaptations have grossed billions. The book series is unique in that I, along with essentially the rest of high school-aged kids, have grown up along with both Potter and Rowling. As Harry (the character) en-tered the enthralling magical universe at age 11, we too as readers were the same age, and were captivated by his adventures. As Harry matured as an adolescent wizard and became more angst-ridden, lovesick, and ripe for any challenge, we held the same emotions. We made a connection with Harry; we longed to abandon our muggle lives and enter Hogwarts. Alas, the owl never came.

Nevertheless, I held that Potter is the fantasy-literature masterpiece that de-fines our generation. Rowling is our Tol-kien. Our Lewis.

Some disagreed.While I encountered Benjamin Eng-

lish teacher Mr. David Gatewood at school over the summer, the topic of Pot-ter came up in a lighthearted conversa-tion. I said that Gatewood, as a literature teacher, should be proud of me for hav-ing my head stuck in a book all summer, but he disagreed. “Harry Potter is not literature,” Gatewood said.

This was the kind of discussion and disagreement between teachers and stu-dents that strengthen the scholastic envi-ronment; however, I had to pause. I had learned in many of my previous English courses that great literature gives us a better perspective on life. How was this not so with Harry Potter?

Maybe the reading level of the books is not on a level comparable to Faulkner, Kesey, or Shakespeare, but the analy-sis would be as valuable as any other novel in English class. The story is so densely layered with fascinating, love-able characters and contains obvious motifs about the value of fighting for good against evil that it is hard to not be inspired while reading. The books challenge readers to be better people and to value friendships, love, and courage above all. This may not be rev-olutionary stuff in the realm of literature, but it is great none-theless.

Once one digs deeper into the subtext, and analyzes Potter as one would in class, its value becomes even more apparent. The main antagonist, the Hitler-esque Lord Voldemort, finds a way to become immortal by killing mil-lions of people, an ironic ploy that un-derlines the tenacity and resilience of evil. Motifs of political corruption and ineptitude in the Ministry of Magic, along with blatant biases and “spin” by the media shown in the magical news-paper the Daily Prophet, reflect a clear rejection of these establishments by Rowling. Let’s not forget the theme that bigotry is a divisive mon-ster that only fuels the world’s problem. Much of the fight-

ing between dark wizards and those on the side of Harry Potter stems from the idea that only “pure-blood” wizards are worthy. Those who are half-breeds, or “mudbloods,” face prejudice and fight for equal rights.

Political corruption, media biases, and endless bigotry. These could be ripped from the headlines of today, but they are also examined in Harry Potter. Rowling may mask her message behind magical charms and Polyjuice Potion, but the themes, motifs, and sym-bols that I read about this summer are as unmistakable as in the required summer reading books assigned by my Eng-lish teachers.

Cory Weinberg is a senior and the Editor-in-Chief of The Pharcyde.

Defending “TheBoy Who Lived.”

By Garrett BrunoOpinions Editor

For most of my high school career, I went without texting, or for that matter, a cell phone of any kind. It was not until recently that I came to be the reluctant owner of a brick-like flip phone. It was just last month that my foray into the world of texting began, and my unique perspective of being without a cell phone for so long qualifies me to provide you with a few texting Do’s and Don’ts.

Don’t get me wrong, text messaging is a wonderful thing. It allows everyone to avoid that barbaric nonsense of using your telephone to actually talk to peo-ple. Not only is it a great way to keep in contact with friends, but cell phones can also be used to augment your game with the opposite sex. Indeed, flirting via text

message takes some nifty social maneu-vering, and gives guys the opportunity to make use of those smiley faces that in any other context would clearly be the lamest thing ever ;-).

And so, with the help of a few texting masters and my own beginner’s intu-ition, I have compiled a list of basic rules one should always follow when ventur-ing into the strange and nuanced world of texting.

Some Texting Do’s1. It is completely suitable to send

text messages while you’re at work (or school….wait, what?). It allows you to actually get something done while you’re thinking about how much you want to get the heck out of there. In fact, it is infinitely more enjoyable to receive text messages at work than at home.

2. When you’re out with your friends, texting occasionally during the evening is actually an important part of maintaining your social status. Doing so will allow you to be viewed by every-one as a person with a lot of friends who can’t be bothered with the old-school shenanigans of actually paying attention to the immediate company.

3. As previously mentioned, tex-ting to maintain a relationship is key. A corollary to this is the post-date text. This is essential to a proper modern court-

ship, and is a perfect way to gauge how much the girl or guy really wants you. The post-date text usually occurs imme-diately upon both parties’ return home or on the car ride home (but like, who texts and drives?... That’s so unsafe)

4. If the conversation is boring you, then DO feel free to completely ig-nore their texts. Although it’s rude, it’s one of those weird nuances of the tex-ting world that you just have to deal with if you are on the receiving end of such tactics. For consolation, see texting Don’t #5.

Some Texting Don’ts1. All right, please stop texting

throughout the entire movie that I paid nine dollars to go see. Yeah, actually, that tiny light that your stupid phone gives off every time you open your phone is incredibly distracting. If someone texts you while you are in a movie, ONE text message is permitted to say “I’m in a movie.”

2. This is for the ladies: if I’m buy-ing you dinner, put the phone away. The old adage “don’t answer your phone during dinner” has been around for de-cades and applies in almost every situa-tion.

3. Don’t exceed the 160 character limit when texting friends who are not on the same server as you. This will just

confuse the receiver when your text is cut off mid-sentence. If the 160 limit is reached, go back and remove unneces-sary commas. Oftentimes, the “g” at the end of words ending in “ing” can be re-moved for optimum character use. Yes, “Going” can become “goin.” It’s NBD.

4. Never, EVER, ask a girl on a

date for the first time through a text mes-sage. This is one of the few times where being efficient is trumped by the need to look just plain awesome. It’s pretty ret-ro, but a first-date phone call is a power play that is critical to closing the deal.

5. Please, please, PLEASE don’t ever send a text that just says “k.” It makes me feel cheated out of ten cents every time I get one of these lame mes-sages. You know, some of us don’t have unlimited texting and get charged for reading these messages (or…letters?). Even a simple “sounds good” would suffice. “K” is just dumb. K?

6. Don’t get offended if you don’t get a response for hours on end. They might very well be ignoring you, but chances are they are busy or just don’t have their phone with them.

Kthanxbai.

Garrett Bruno is a senior and the Opinions Editor of The Pharcyde.

Think b4 u txt l A guide to the unwritten rules of text etiquette, and why abiding by them will save your social life

Advice from a new convert to

the wide world of text messaging.

Want your voice heard? Send a Letter to the EditorE-mail [email protected]. Letters must be 150 words or less and may not be anonymous.

The Benjamin Upper School

Year in Review2008-2009

All of the headlines, stories, celebrations, and controversiesthat were covered in The Pharcyde during last school year

AugustNew Head of School,Mr. Goldberg, arrives at TBS

Mr. Robert Goldberg was hired as the new Head of School at The Benjamin School in the spring of 2008, and officially started the new school year in his position in August 2008. Goldberg replaced interim Head of School Mr. Jim Young, who had agreed to stay on for one year following the departure of for-mer Head of School Mr. Gene Gross.

Goldberg, who came to Benjamin after being the Head of School of the Boca Raton campus for The Pine School, has been in edu-cation for 35 years.

SeptemberBecause of uncertain legal standing as a stu-

dent publication, The Pharcyde is unable to write about an accident involving a former student al-legedly driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The Pharcyde plans to address the issues of drugs and alcohol in future issues.

OctoberStudent Council organizesfirst badminton tournament

During the beginning of October, the Healey Athletic Complex was transformed into a venue for the first ever Benjamin Bad-minton Tournament, which was organized by Student Council. In the October 3 finals, the team of sophomores Frank Cunningham and Brett Rosenthal defeated teachers Mr. Si-mon Behan and Mr. Jamie McVicar by a score of 16-14 during an Upper School assembly.

Student Council intended for the tourna-ment to be a promotion of school spirit dur-ing a mid-way period between the start of the year and the November homecoming. Student Council also organizes the Benja-min Table Tennis Classic in March, which is a charity event that will now be in its third year this March. Plans for on-campusaquatic center, auditorium

In an interview with The Pharcyde, Head of School Mr. Robert Goldberg said that ex-pansion plans were underway to add an on-campus aquatic center and an auditorium to the Upper School.

“We received a very generous gift to start an aquatic center here, which would include a pool and related training and locker room facilities,” said Goldberg.

Although an auditorium, or performing arts center, may be further away from a real-ity because of necessary donations and fund-raising that could now take longer because of the economic downturn, Goldberg neverthe-less stressed the necessity of such a facility.

“There is no hub for the [Upper School] campus. There’s not place for the students and faculty to come together,” said Gold-berg.

NovemberObama elected President

On November 4, Barack Obama was elect-ed as the 44th President of the United States. In the process, Obama broke down a racial barrier, becoming the country’s first black Commander-in-Chief.

In The Pharcyde’s October mock election, 53% of students voted for Republican John McCain, while 47% voted for Obama. 67% of faculty voted for Obama, while 33% voted for McCain.

DecemberCookout for Kenya a success

The 6th annual Cookout for Kenya raised approximately $25,000 on December 7, which the Kijana Education Empowerment Initiative (KEEI) would use to build schools in Kenya. The event consisted of African-themed food, sales, raffles, and music, and was brought to Benjamin by KEEI members, former Upper School social studies teacher Mr. Jim Cummings and Middle School music teacher Mr. Bruce Huber.

FebruaryStudents protest resistanceto Gay-Straight Alliance

During the early months of 2009, stu-dents worked to break down the barrier of homophobia at Benjamin by attenpting to found a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). Stu-dents across the country use GSA clubs to help foster a sense of acceptance for gay teens in their school.

After drafting a club proposal and a pe-tition with 74 student signees in support of the club, students also organized a demon-stration to show support for the club by tie-dyeing their Benjamin uniform shirts. On February 27, nearly 80 students wore their tie-dyed, rainbow shirts to school, and 150 students and faculty donned rainbow rib-bons and bracelets in supports of the cause.

Administrators have yet to approve the club, but Head of School Mr. Robert Gold-berg said, “Administration is hoping for fur-ther discussion with students, teachers, and parents before reaching a conclusion on the matter.”

MarchRelay for Life exceeds goal

On March 7 and 8, 300 participants joined in Benjamin’s second annual Relay for Life, which raised over $50,000 for the American Cancer Society. As Benjamin’s first overnight event, participants not only took turns walk-ing laps around the Reback Track and Field, but also took part in games and activities, like ping pong and Ultimate Frisbee. The Dark Knight was later played on a theatre-sized screen, and activities continued until 6 a.m.

Matt Murray / THE PHARCYDEJunior Rachel Kaslow embraces her father, a cancer survivor, during Benjamin’s Relay for Life.

March

February

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDEClass of 2009 graduates Elliot Larkin, Laura Baker-Finch, and Ben Young enter school on Feb. 28 wearing tie-dye Benjamin uniform shirts, in support of the proposed Gay-Straight Alliance.

Page 6 August 18, 2009

The Pharcyde Spotlight

The Benjamin Upper School

Year in Review2008-2009

All of the headlines, stories, celebrations, and controversiesthat were covered in The Pharcyde during last school year

NovemberObama elected President

On November 4, Barack Obama was elect-ed as the 44th President of the United States. In the process, Obama broke down a racial barrier, becoming the country’s first black Commander-in-Chief.

In The Pharcyde’s October mock election, 53% of students voted for Republican John McCain, while 47% voted for Obama. 67% of faculty voted for Obama, while 33% voted for McCain.

DecemberCookout for Kenya a success

The 6th annual Cookout for Kenya raised approximately $25,000 on December 7, which the Kijana Education Empowerment Initiative (KEEI) would use to build schools in Kenya. The event consisted of African-themed food, sales, raffles, and music, and was brought to Benjamin by KEEI members, former Upper School social studies teacher Mr. Jim Cummings and Middle School music teacher Mr. Bruce Huber.

FebruaryStudents protest resistanceto Gay-Straight Alliance

During the early months of 2009, stu-dents worked to break down the barrier of homophobia at Benjamin by attenpting to found a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). Stu-dents across the country use GSA clubs to help foster a sense of acceptance for gay teens in their school.

After drafting a club proposal and a pe-tition with 74 student signees in support of the club, students also organized a demon-stration to show support for the club by tie-dyeing their Benjamin uniform shirts. On February 27, nearly 80 students wore their tie-dyed, rainbow shirts to school, and 150 students and faculty donned rainbow rib-bons and bracelets in supports of the cause.

Administrators have yet to approve the club, but Head of School Mr. Robert Gold-berg said, “Administration is hoping for fur-ther discussion with students, teachers, and parents before reaching a conclusion on the matter.”

MarchRelay for Life exceeds goal

On March 7 and 8, 300 participants joined in Benjamin’s second annual Relay for Life, which raised over $50,000 for the American Cancer Society. As Benjamin’s first overnight event, participants not only took turns walk-ing laps around the Reback Track and Field, but also took part in games and activities, like ping pong and Ultimate Frisbee. The Dark Knight was later played on a theatre-sized screen, and activities continued until 6 a.m.

AprilSpring varsity teams makestate tourney appearances

The Boys Track, Girls Track, and Boys Tennis teams allso advanced to the state tournament in their respective seasons. Nano Anderson won the state title in high jump as a junior for the Girls Track team. Girls Track, Boys Track, and Boys Tennis all made state tournament appearances, while Girls La-crosse and Girls Tennis made regional tour-nament appearances.

MayMr. Pazant named Director of Multicultural Affairs

Mr. Bradford Pazant, Middle School Social Studies teacher, was named the new Director of Multicultural Affairs, and will begin his effort to divsersify Benjamin in 2009-2010.

Pazant’s first act in his new role was to change the job title from the former label, Director of Diversity. “I changed the name because a lot of times when people hear the word ‘diversity,’ they think black and white. They think that it’s a term that only address issues of race as opposed to various aspects of diversity,” said Pazant.

Pazant plans to become more of a pres-ence on the Upper School campus, including becoming advisor of R.A.C.E. Club.

Senior prank turns into actof vandalism in libarary

On May 8, The Benjamin Upper School Li-brary was vandalized overnight, In what was believed to be a senior prank, intruders re-moved hundreds of books from the shelves, creating weeks of clean-up for librarians, teachers, and students. According to Dean of Students Mr. Ryan Smith, despite all efforts to find the perpetrators, nobody confessed or was caught.

Global recession leads toenrollment decline andteacher layoffs

The economic downturn affected inde-pendent schools across the nation, and The Benjamin School was no exception. Families had to decide whether an average annual $17,000 tuition was worth it in a difficult economy. As a result, Benjamin’s enrollment fell by nearly 100 students in the Lower and Middle School as of May 2009, but stayed = steady in the Upper School. However, the Upper School still felt some of the damage, and several teaching and secretarial posi-tions were eliminated, causing the layoffs of a few favorite teachers.

Head of School Mr. Robert Goldberg said, “We’re looking at over a million dollar deficit next year without making expense cuts. Those expense cuts had to come in the way of faculty positions and faculty ben-efits.”

November

Lannis Waters / PALM BEACH POSTSome Benjamin students and teachers attended then-Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign rally across the street at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter on October 29.

April

Phil Staiman / THE PHARCYDEAs a junior last year, Nano Anderson won the 1A state championship for the high jump.

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDESenior boys of the class of 2009 continued the tradition of celebrating the end of their lastday at The Benjamin School by jumping into the campus lake on May 4.

May

August 18, 2009 Page 7

The PharcydeSpotlight

Student LifePage 8 August 18, 2009 The Pharcyde

Did you know?India, the world’s largest

democracy, has never invaded another country in its 10,000 years of history.

By Jenna BernickManaging Editor

This summer, I joined 11 other high school students on a trip to India with a company called World Challenge Expe-ditions. Travelling under the impression that every accom-modation, plan, and decision that needed to be made was my team’s responsibility allowed me to gain more from my trip to India than just a regular summer vacation would allow. Through a collection of journal entries and reflections, I hope to open your eyes to some of my experiences.

July 3 We landed in Delhi at about

8:30 p.m. and were told by the adults to brace ourselves for “cul-ture shock…” The main shock was the traffic: complete and utter chaos. The 16 of us split into three taxis - five or six bodies wedged into what in America we would consider three seats. We saw tons of stray dogs and heard A LOT of honking. In the cars, all [we] could do was laugh. Traffic lanes are ir-relevant… as are stop lights. Cars, motorcycles, bikes, and people come within centimeters of each other. Once we made it off of the highway and into city streets we became a part of even more chaos. Dirt roads were filled with dogs, cows, a camel, and tons of men – at 11:30 p.m. A lot of the people were poor and starving, sleeping on the sides of the road. The smell was horrible outside.

The few days we spent in Delhi were just as chaotic as that first night. We learned that a tap on the shoulder is usually not one of your friends, but a young child begging for the money that you both know is in your pocket. Delhi introduced us to absolute poverty.

July 4 This morning, a man, sleep-

ing on a table made of wood, was abruptly awakened when another man poured water on his face. The man’s bed was quickly turned into a mango stand where the second man would make his living during the day.

Next we travelled to Manali where we would prepare for our community service project. From our room at the Tourist Hotel our first night in Manali we could see the Himalayan Mountains that we would soon be hiking up, and the cows that woke us up each morning.

During the day we were led around town by a local boy we met, Rakesh. A few of us went to have our boots shined by him in return for his help. One day he showed us his home, a small hut located in and behind a place where the locals dumped garbage.

July 5 I really am loving the kids and

experiencing this culture. It was so hard to say no to child beggars today – an adorable little girl hold-ing her baby sibling, grabbing my hand and not letting go.

After Manali, we took an hour long jeep ride to Nashala. Our project was based at the Pari-Angel Model School (PMS) in Nashala, where we would be painting the inside and outside of a schoolroom, along with some murals.

Our few days in Nashala were a tough balance between getting our painting jobs done and distracting the thirty or so students at the school. Unlike American schools, this school had little structure, and the kids spent a lot of time outside. We spent the first day learning a lot of their names, a task more complicated than one would think. The only English most of the kids knew were colors and numbers. Games like tag and duck-duck-goose became their new favorites. “One photo” was probably the one phrase we heard the most from the kids in Nashala. Seeing their faces in photographs was a novelty they had never experienced before. Stickers and bubble-blowing put smiles on their faces for the rest of the day.

That phase of our trip was unquestionably the hardest to walk away from. The most heart-wrenching part was real-izing that those children would miss us more than we could

ever imagine. But we left know-ing that we’d given those chil-dren much more than a fresh coat of paint.

We headed back to Manali to prepare for our 12-day trek. We stayed at the Tourist Ho-tel again and savored our last bits of civilization, hoping our showers and clean clothes would last for the next week and a half.

We travelled to Kaza, where we would begin our trek after a day of acclimatizing.

July 12We found out that the Dalai

Lama was going to be in the area so today’s mission was to find him. He was giving a talk in Dankhar – an hour away from Kaza. We got taxis and made it there in time to wave at him as he pulled away in his car, preceded and followed by police jeeps. An unbelievable day.

We all had our cameras out and tried to capture him driv-ing by, smiling and waving at us. After that exciting day we headed back to camp for our last night before the trek would begin.

We were exhausted after setting up camp on the first night of the trek, after six hours of uphill hiking. I didn’t have the energy to write in my jour-nal that evening. I wrote again on the third day. We would hike anywhere from four to ten hours every day, set up camp and settle in, eat dinner, and go to sleep.

July 15 It was a much easier day to-

day which was a relief. A total of 4 hours hiking – not including our stop in Komic – the high-est inhabited village in Asia – at around15,000 feet. We went inside a colorful monastery and the guys

went in another one that the girls weren’t allowed in.

July 18 The last few days have been in-

credibly hectic but first I’ll write about today – easily the most phys-ically straining day of my life. We left at 8:30 a.m. from Demul and arrived in Dankhar at about 6:30 p.m. 10 hours total, at least 8 of which were spent hiking. The last stretch was completely uphill.

July 20 We stopped in Mudh which is a

beautiful little village. We bought chocolate and toilet paper at a gen-eral store where I played with some local kids. At first they were asking for food but soon they were teach-ing me handgames, high-fiving me. Unlike a common American ‘hello,’ the locals in every village, including Mudh, were excited to greet us and welcome us with their Himalayan greeting: ‘Jule!’

July 23Today we reached our pass. The

snow that we had been so excited to reach was miserable, very slippery. The closer we got to it the dirtier it looked.

We took a break at the top of the first snowy hill and then moved on to the hill that would lead us to our pass at 16,000 feet, the highest alti-tude we would reach on our entire trip. We took a group picture at the top and tried to start eating lunch as a rain and hailstorm was com-ing through. We layered up and headed down the other side in the miserable weather.

The last two days of our trek which followed the day of the pass were mostly downhill and quite simple. We took nine hour taxi rides to Shimla from Kafnu where we ended our trek. We stayed in a YMCA in Shimla

where we spent part of our rest phase.

July 25The sign downstairs in the

lobby of our hotel says to keep the windows closed… ‘Beware of Monkeys’

In Shimla we showered, shopped, relaxed, and visited a monkey temple. After a few days there we went back to Delhi. We spent a lot of time buying tickets to the Taj Mahal in Agra at the train station.

July 31After getting some interesting

looks from the hundreds of men waiting in line to buy tickets at the Nizamuddin train station, I surrendered myself to the “Ladies/Senior Citizen/Handicapped” line simply because it was shorter.

On the train to and from Agra to see the Taj Mahal, young boys, no older than five years old, wearing clown make-up, somersaulted and danced up and down the aisles, beg-ging for money. I gave them an American dollar, a huge sum of money compared to the single rupee they would usually re-ceive.

We made it to the Taj Mahal, an incredible experience which marked the end of our journey together. We shopped the next day, and then headed home.

August 2I’m home. This is the official

end of my expedition but I may write reflections of the trip in this journal soon, as a lot of my writ-ing was simply fact. Experiencing the slum and mountain life opened my eyes to a world and people that we don’t hear much about, and all I can say is that I’ll have to go back again someday. Namaste!

Jenna Bernick / THE PHARCYDEWorld Traveler participants admire the view of the Himala-yas on a stop in the midst of a 10-hour bus ride to Kaza.

Jenna Bernick / THE PHARCYDE

Summer Diary: India

Through the looking glass:

Children from the Pari-Angel Model School play tag with Jenna in Nashala, India.

A reporter’s new perspectives from a summer in India

Discover your PASSION The Pharcyde’s guide to Benjamin clubs and student organizations

Whether you’re interested in frisbee, politics, art, or helping the community, student-run clubs and organizations can provide you with opportunities. Some students merely use club participation as a bullet point on a transcript, but many are sincerely interested in making a difference in the community or enhancing their interests. Here’s a snapshot of some of the clubs Benjamin offers; not every club could be featured. If no club fits your interest, it is simple to start one. You just need a teacher advi-sor, a genuine interest in maintaing the club, and a written proposal submitted to the the Dean of Stu-dents.

Politics & DebateJunior Statesmen of America (JSA)JSA is a national organization in which students can take an active role in democracy, politics, and debate. JSA members travel to Ft. Lauderdale in the fall, Washington D.C. in Febru-ary, and Orlando in spring for the organization’s three annual conventions.

Yale Model United Nations (YMUN) & Harvard Model Congress (HMC)Neither HMC nor YMUN is a year-long club, but students who are interested in global affairs and cold weather should sign up to travel to Yale in New Haven, Connecticut for a four day trip in January where students represent countries in the United Nations in a mock setting. With a similar mock premise, students interested in Boston and national politics should sign up to participate in HMC, where students debate and try to pass leg-islation through the House and Senate.

Debate ClubFor students looking to improve their public speaking and to argue and debate, the Benjamin Debate Team travels to competitions around south Florida and meets on a regular basis.

Global IssuesR.A.C.E. (Respecting All CulturesEqually)Members of R.A.C.E. Club work to spread cultural awareness and encourage diversity in the school community. The eight identi-fiers of diversity are ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-economics. Last year, R.A.C.E. Club members created and presented a trib-ute to Martin Luther King, Jr. on the day of his namesake. Members also participate in Student Diversity Leadership Connfernces, and organize Mix It Up Day lunches.

Environmental ClubThe Environmental Club takes action againsta deteriorating global environment, and tries to change the way students think about the environment. Club members have particpated in beach clean ups, and last year refurbished the butterfly garden at school by planting new flowers to attract butterflies. Club members also sold “Sensi-tive Plants” to raise money for environ-mental projects.

CommunityService

Habitat for HumanityStudents in Habitat for Humanity are al-ways eager to spend some time helping people out. They come together to help build homes and shelters for people with-out a basic life necessity. Benjamin’s Habitat works with the Jupiter chapter of Habitat International, a nonprofit organization.

Protecting Animals Within Society(P.A.W.S.)For animal lovers of all kinds, P.A.W.S. mem-bers are dedicated to helping and nurturing many different animals. The club discusses an-imal rights, and raises money to help neglect-ed animals. Students work together with the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in order to support its goals, and also holds an annual car wash.

Benjamin for Foster Kids (BFFK)Founded in 2008, B.F.F.K. works with the national organization Place of Hope, a Florida welfare organization, in order to ensure that foster kids have a big brother or big sister that they are excited to see.

Key ClubOne of the most prominent community service clubs at Benjamin, those who join Key Club are nationally recognized members of the organization. Students organize several community service projects throughout the year. The most frequent and popular ser-vice projects however are the blood drives, during which students and teachers recog-nize how valuable of a gift blood can be.

Photo by Cory Weinberg

August 18, 2009 Page 9The Pharcyde Student Life

ArtsPoetry Club

Whether you take pride in your own poetry, or simply just enjoy reading Frost or Cummings, the Poetry Club is a sanctuary where kids can discuss poetry. In past years, the Poetry Club has organized nights in which students could share their favorite poetry with others in a relaxed setting.

Photography ClubIs your photography crav-ing not fulfilled merely in a photo class? The after-school photo club is a perfect op-portunity for students to hone their skills with a camera.

Special InterestsUltimate Frisbee

Possibly the most fun club on campus, Ultimate Frisbee meets

once or twice a week on the

Reback Track and Field for friendly, competitive games of Ultimate Frisbee. This kind of frisbee isn’t lazy and laid back; get ready to sweat and run because Ulti-mate will get you in shape.

Fellowship of ChristianAthletes (FCA) &

Federation of JewishAthletes (FJA)

Every Friday morning before school, kids in FCA eat breakfast together, hear from guest speakers, and discuss their relationship with Christ. Oh, and there’s also Bible Trivia.In FJA, students plan ways to promote Jew-ish culture and heri-tage in the school.

Anime ClubNo matter what kind of anime you like, Anime Club is for students who love Japanese animation. Last year, club members attended and dressed up for Mega Con in Orlando, the biggest anime event in the southeast.

Career Club & Future

Business leaders of America (FBLA)

Members of Career Club and FBLA are already taking their futures seriously. In Career Club, speakers are invited weekly to talk to students about how they’ve made it in the real world. Students learn about the highs and lows in many job fields. FBLA is designed to harness students’ interests in business. In past years, FBLA has set up a com-petitive stock market game.

Matt Murray / THE PHARCYDE

Photo by Chris Oakes

Dance EnsembleThe Dance Ensemble is an after-school program that runs all year, but can be used in replacement of a sport. Students take classes in Ballet, Modern, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop, and perform in the many concerts and perfor-mances put on at school.

Page 10 August 18, 2009 The PharcydeStudent Life

From AP Economics page 1When asked if today’s un-

stable economy had an effect on her decision to sign up for the class, junior Crystal Rosat-tisaid, “That’s definitely one of the reasons. We’re able to get real life examples of what we’re learning.”

Junior AP Econ student Ali Colclasure said, “I think that it’s important that I understand the economic reasoning behind what’s happening in today’s changing world.”

Explaining the growth in class sign ups, AP Economics teacher Ms. Nidhi Pardue said, “I think the economy is obvi-ously a very popular subject right now. I think this is one of the few AP’s where students feel that the subject is very applicable to daily life. His-tory and math are obviously very important, but I think it’s harder for students to see how those things relate to their lives,

where with economics you can make the argument that it re-lates to almost every discipline in some way.”

She added by saying, “Eco-nomics is part of daily life and it’s a part of every choice you make.”

From Quarantine page 1of Nancy Drew,” said Bryan.

Randell said, “The news kind of blew it out of propor-tion. I was surprised at how many people cared aobut the quarantine.”

One unique facet of the Do-ane sibling’s experience was that this was not only a lo-cal sub-story about the H1N1 pandemic, but they also used-methods of new media to cir-culate their story. After e-mails and cell phone pictures were exchanged, The Palm Beach Post grabbed hold of the story, and wrote six articles on the sub-ject.

“People were coming in, and it was really the first thing I could think of. Well, let’s take pictures, maybe it will be in-teresting,” said Bryan. “I sent

The students who are en-rolling in the class have made it clear that learning economics is interesting in the sense that the material pertains to every-day life. Colclasure said, “I’m interested in Econ because it’s applicable to the things we do every day.”

A recession can even teach-ing Economics a little less com-plicated. Pardue said, “I think it’s easier to teacher [Econom-ics] in a way where you can take articles from magazines, newspapers, and the web, and teach it rather than out of a book. That way kids get hooked on it because they’re learning it from all different sources.”

In the case of AP classes, some students believe that teachers are tough in the first few weeks in the hope of forc-ing students to seriously con-sider the commitment of an AP. If students fail to live up to early expectations, they typi-cally drop the course. Pardue, however, rejected this notion. “These are some of the biggest classes I’ve taught. I’m always tough in the first couple of weeks. Contrary to what peo-ple think, I’m not just trying to weed people out. Being tough in the first couple of weeks al-lows students to prepare for what the rest of the year will be like,” said Pardue.

Considering the overwhelm-ing interest shown in AP Eco-nomics this school year, Pardue said, “A bad economy is great marketing for me because ev-eryone wants to take my class when they don’t know what’s going on. It’s one of the best times to be teaching econom-ics.”

the pictures to my mom, and she contacted all sorts of news channels. I was sending pho-tos and my sister was sending e-mails to my mom describing the situation, and that’s how the story broke.”A resolution and a question

On June 15, Elizabeth, Bryan, and Randell were free to leave their hotel and experience the outside world once again. The teens were able to revisit most of their intended trip itinerary before they flew home to North Palm Beach.

The incident does make one wonder why China, a country trying to enhance its global im-age, would subject travelers to such an inconvenience?

“China has a population of 1.3 billion. In 2003, approxi-mately 8,000 people were in-

fected with and 800 died from SARS (Severe Acute Respira-tory Syndrome). This resulted in the discipline and punish-ment of many government of-ficials for alleged inaction dur-ing the outbreak. That explains why China is so cautious at this time. With its population, if one catches the disease, many will suffer,” said Benjamin Man-darin Chinese teacher Ms. Lei Cohen.

Despite the whirlwind ex-perience, the Doane siblings still have no regrets about their summer. Bryan said, “It was different. Definitely a culture shock. Still an amazing expe-rience too. Despite all that we went through, I’m glad I went through it because it’s some-thing I’ll always remember.

College Counseling Update: Can’t-Miss Colleges and Universities

Just like some students, college counselors Ms. Kristin Learner and Mr. Neil Culhane spent their summers traveling and touring colleges and uni-versities from coast to coast. They now believe that their knowledge of schools can fur-ther help students in one of their most important decisions of applying to colleges. After this summer, Learner and Cul-hane have some new favorite schools that they will want their students to check out.

More information on these and hundreds of other schools are available on Naviance, and during Senior College Night on August 26, and at the College Fair on October 13. The guest speakers for the Senior College Night will be Elizabeth Cos-tello from University of Central Florida and Dan Sarracino from Notre Dame

Learner and Culhane want students to take note of some of the colleges that some may overlook during the applica-tion process, and these are some of the schools that the college counselors are excited for students to get to know.

Birmingham-SouthernCollege

Birmingham, ALMr. Culhane: “If somebody is looking for a school that’ll help them transform the world, this is it...Drop dead gorgeous campus...Very personalized school.”Fast Facts: 1,500 students; one of the top liberal arts colleges in Amer-ica; profiled in Colleges that Change Lives by Loren Pope (Book available in College Counseling Office); strong areas of study include Pre-Med, Bi-ology, Pre-Law, and Business

Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO

Ms. Learner: “It’s a unique, intel-lectual adventure...People toss out the world ‘liberal arts’ a lot, but they really have a solid foundation in liberal arts here...It’s one of the most scenic locations I’ve ever seen.”Fast Facts: 1,850 undergraduate students; scheduling revolves around the ‘block plan,’ in which students take one course for 3 and one-half weeks; competitive Division 1 Men’s Hockey and Women’s Soccer teams

Barry UniversityMiami Shores, FL

Ms. Learner: “For those on cam-pus, they really tap into where they are. They take kids to a lot of short trips off campus to Orlando or the Keys...They’re known for their nurs-ing, and it’s pretty cometitive.”Fast Facts: Specialty programs include photography and sports management; every student receives a scholarship; if you have a 2.0 GPA, you get a $7,500 scholarship; it is a Catholic university

Global recession providesreal world scenariosto AP Economics students

The only thing that becomes easier during a recession is learning APEconomics.

William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA

Mr. Culhane: “It’s an Ivy of the South. It’s in the same category as Duke, Rice, and Emory, but William & Mary is a public state school. Virginia is such an anomoly. There’s so many colleges and universities that are state schools there, and it’s really a great bang for your buck in this economy.”Fast Facts: 5,850 undergraduate students; top five overlap schools for students who apply to W&M include Duke, Cornell, Georgetown, Virginia, and Vanderbilt; believed to have the first honors system in the country

QuinnipiacHamden, CT

Mr. Culhane: “The neat thing about it is the location. You are [close to] New York, Boston, and the ESPN Headquar-ters, so it opens up the door for all kinds of internships...It seems to be the size school [of about 5,000 students] that Benjamin students are looking for.”Fast Facts: Main academic strengths include communica-tions, theatre, and health care; also was featured in 2009 Princeton Re-view’s Best 296 Business Schools

U.S. Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD

Hamden, CTMs. Learner: “If these words speak to you, speak to the Naval Academy: selfless, inspirational, proficient, in-novative, articulate, adaptable, pro-fessional...These words represent the midshipmen that I met there...It’s a warm and nurturing school.”Fast Facts: Tuition for the school is $3,000, and midshipmen must serve for five years in the armed forces; strong programs in the sciences and engineering; for rising seniors who are interested, the U.S. Naval Sum-mer Program is a useful tool

Greg Baker / ASSOCIATED PRESSA man wears a mask to protect himself against the SARS virus as he walks past a SARS bill-board in Beijing in 2003. China was criticized by the World Health Organization for failing to take strict action against SARS. As a result, Chinese officials enforced unusually strong measures during the H1N1 pandemic, including the quarantine of the Doane siblings.

August 18, 2009 Page 11The Pharcyde Student Life

10 ways to be

an Artist at Benjamin

4 Backdoor CafeIf you seek a more relaxing atmosphere to perform your art, then the Backdoor Cafe is perfect. It is a coffee house performance held in the Band Room one evening at the end of every academic quarter, and features students and teachers displaying their indi-vidual artistic talents. Performances range from poetry to monologues to piano solos.

1 Drama club productionsIf you like to act, the Upper School has no shortage of op-portunities to get on stage in the Upper School. Typically the Drama Club presents a Fall Play and a Spring Musical, but this year the seasons have been switched. The musi-cal will be in November, while the play will be in March. Auditions are open for all students, and make-up and set design positions are also available. Actors in these plays always rave about unforgettable cast camraderie, and call the plays their highlight of the year. Also becoming a staple of the Drama Club productions in the last two years has been the one-act, student-directed plays in February.

2 DanceThe Benjamin Dazzlers, the Up-per School Dance team, is a well-established sight at football games, assemblies, and dance concerts. The dance team is audition-based and competitive, as the team also par-ticipates in state competitions. For those who want more dance, the Dance Ensemble is an after-school class that teaches many facets of dance, and is open to everyone.

3 Variety ShowThe annual Benjamin B.A.S.H. Vari-ety Show takes place every January at the Eissey Theatre, and shows off much of the dance, drama, vocal, and musical talent at Benjamin. As an culminating event of all the arts at Benjamin, the Variety Show is one of TBS arts’ biggest spectacles.

5 Video ProductionOne of the most popular fine art electives at Benjamin is video produc-tion. In a class taught by Ms. Franci Jefferson, students learn the basics of multimedia and broadcasting in Video Production I, and then can move on to Video Broadcast Jour-nalism, in which students perfect and hone their broadcasting skills. Students typically put their talents to work with WBUX, the school’s online broadcast news program.

6 PhotographyAnother popular fine arts elective recently has been the photography courses. Although Mr. Christopher Oakes has departed from Benjamin, Mrs. Melissa Ford brings her expertise to teach students photography, from the basics to the advanced. Students interested in photography follow a track from beginning, to intermediate, to advanced as an elective course. However, this year, the school has added a Photojournalism course that has no prerequisite in photography.

7 ChorusThe Benjamin School vocal program has recently been one of the rising stars of the school’s arts program. Students from all grade levels may participate in learning to perfect their vocal skills in a variety of differ-ent music. Last year, in the chorus’ first year competing, they earned a “Superior” at the regional level and advanced to the state level.

8 BandThe Upper School band has flourished in recent years, and now looks to gain strength under the new teacher and conductor, Dr. Alexander Nagy. The band performs at concerts and competitions, and learns to become one singular musical unit. Two years ago, the Drumline was also founded, which has raised school spirit and challenged band members even more, as students now typically learn percussion along with their instrument.

9 Studio ArtStudio Art courses at Benjamin are taught by Mrs. Melissa Ford and Mrs. Monica Sweeney, and consist of 2-D Design, 3-D Design, Advanced Ceram-ics, Intermediate Studio Art, Portfolio, and AP Studio Art. Benjamin Studio Art can develop and teach a begin-ning artist, and challenge an advanced artist who dreams of their work hanging in a museum. Art students have the chance to display their work in local competitions, and last year hundreds of student work was dis-played in the Gardens Mall in May.

10 GeodesGeodes is The Benjamin Upper School’s literary magazine, and fea-tures students’ poems, short stories, and photography. The magazine is prdouced annually in May by the Expository Writing class (which also produces this newspaper), but any student may submit their work.

Jason Malone / THE PHARCYDE

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDE

Photo by Hali SammisChristian Sendler / THE PHARCYDE

Page 12 August 18, 2009 The Pharcyde

Sophomore Scott Slawsondashes downthe field after a hand-off from junior quarter-back Charly Schooley during a practice drill. After participat-ing in speed and weight train-ing all summer, players finally had their first real practice on August 10.

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDE(Left) Michael Nestler catches the football during a receiving drill at the first practice, (right) and transfer running back Ben Dexter makes a run.

Bucs hope summer trainingleads to autumn celebrations

Football

l QB position battle, newtransfer RB highlightoffensive changes

By Cory WeinbergEditor-in-Chief

Posted in the Benjamin football locker room is a sign that reads, “The fall will ask, ‘What did you do this past summer to get ready?’” As the Buccaneer football team kicks off its season on August 29 at Martin County High School, players will hope their summer training will lead to a successful playoff run in this fall.

Last season, a dog pile of injuries plagued the Bucs, and the team floun-dered to a 5-5 season, making it the first time in four years they had failed to make the playoffs. Now, they hope extra summer sweat pay offs for this season. “We’ve always had summer lifting but never like we did this summer. We had virtually everyone in the weight room when Coach [Jimmy] Clark opened it up for us and we also started to speed train which we hadn’t done in previous years,” said senior wide receiver Mi-chael Nestler. “However, we can’t play with a ‘don’t get hurt’ mentality. We just have to play football and hope no one gets hurt.”

The Bucs also participated this sum-mer in seven-on-seven games and a Lake Worth tournament against bigger schools like Dwyer High School.

The team seems poised to challenge for a playoff spot and the district title, but it may prove difficult in a District 1A that added talented rival King’s Acade-my. However, the Bucs run an energetic offense, anchored by Nestler and senior running backs Kyle Gilmore, Dylan Nugent, and new transfer from St. An-

drew’s Ben Dexter. “We’re anxious to see Ben play. He’s a game changer,” said Head Coach Ron Ream.

Junior wide receiver Sean Marshall added, “Last year we struggled with playing at a consistent level, but this year it feels different, as if we are al-ready on the same page and all ready to perform.”

The offense is not complete yet though because of a quarterback posi-tion battle between juniors Teddy Dwork and Charly Schooley. “They both have different skills that can help Benjamin football. So if one wins the job, that’ll be great, but if they’re both sharing time, then we’ll be strong too,” Ream said.

Schooley said, “I think the quarter-back position battle is a good thing for our team because competition brings

out the best in everyone, and the coach-es can deliberate on who fits our team offense better.”

For now, nobody is complaining about having two capable quarterbacks, as the team tries to line up depth across the field. The team has high expecta-tions of playing deep into November, which can only occur if the talent stays off crutches, and in pads. “It’s an un-predictable game. You’d like to stay healthy. The teams that go the farthest in the playoffs are usually the healthi-est,” said Ream.

The Bucs have reloaded with depth and added strength, but their hopes may very well hinge on all bones stay-ing intact.

Rebuilt Bucs expect a playoff berth.

Cory Weinberg / THE PHARCYDEJunior Christine Casey spikes the ball during the first week of prac-tice of the volleyball season.

Fall Sports Preview

Volleyball team looks to get back to regionalsBy Cory Weinberg

Editor-in-ChiefLast year, the Benjamin Volleyball

team was runner-up for the district championship, and kept playing strong until they fell in the quarterfinals of the regional tournament. After losing two seniors who were key to their suc-cess, the Bucs nevertheless think they certainly have the talent and teamwork to even exceed last year’s results.

Although the Bucs are young, most of the players are still accustomed to playing together on the court. “It does come as an advantage because we have all played together. If the upcoming sophomores step up and fil the posi-tions of the two seniors, then I think we have a good chance at succeeding as a team,” said junior Christine Casey.

Senior captain Codi Mimun echoed the sentiment that much of the Bucs’ season hangs in the balance of the success of the young play-ers. “I feel as though the upcoming sophomores need to step it up a lot in order to deal with the adversity [of losing two key seniors]. Maturity will play an important role in how our season turns out,” said Mimun.

The team was not satisfied with wait-ing until the fall to see how the team would shape up, and players participat-ed in open gyms throughout the sum-mer. The Bucs also attended a team vol-

leyball camp at the University of Tampa in July.

Mimun said, “We really want to win districts this year, and everyone needs to work together in order to do so.”

Girls Golf looks to repeatlast year’s success

After a successful season, and a run to the state tournament last season, the Benjamin Girls Golf team is hungry for more. Last season, the Bucs won the dis-trict title, finished second in regionals, 13th in the state tournament.

This season, the Bucs will look to get back to what helped throughout last year: coming through in the clutch.

“Our biggest assets are that we work well under presure and that we all work well as a team,” said senior Olivia Kurst-einer.

For now, confidence is not lacking. Kursteiner said, “We have high expecta-tions for this year, as we are expecting to win districts, possibly regionals, and go to state again like we did last year, but all shoot lower than we did.”

Boys Cross Country expectsa quick rebuilding process

When top athletes graduate, it can be a detriment on any team. However, the Boys Cross Country team has been hit hard recently, after the team’s top seven runners have graduated in the past two

years. Nonetheless, the team still expects a successful season.

“We are continuing to rebuild the boys team,” said Cross Country Head Coach Franci Jefferson. “The goal this year is to make a return trip to region-als.”

This year’s team consists of return-ing seniors Patrick Murray and Garrett Bruno, juniors Phil Siragusa and Dash Zahringer, sophomore Thomas Benz, and 8th grader Austin Matese.

The team, along with Benjamin alum-ni, participated in summer “fun runs” multiple times per week in order to stay in shape for the season.

Boys Golf bolsters teamwith twin transfers

After winning both the district and regional title last season, and finish-ing runner-up in the state tourament, the Bucs graduated key seniors Connor Barry, Brant Peaper, and Taylor Szynlar. However, juniors Alec and Matt Cera-volo, top ranked players in the area, have transferred to Benjamin, and will look to lead the Bucs, along with fresh-men Clancy Waugh and Tanner Kratzer, to a state championship.

Girls cross country, Swimming, Bowling, and Cheerleading coverage in the next issue of The Pharcyde.