The unrest may not have begun in the student body alone, but the sophomores are responsible for some of the important questions. Earlier in the year, Maddy Shay and I submitted a proposal that Biology be split into two levels to accommodate the needs of all students. Biology students are concerned about the quantity and quality of lab work, as well as the pace of learning. While some students feel they “are not pushing themselves as much as they could be,” wishing for greater challenge, others think “some of the stuff” is presented “sort of fast.” Many others declared the pace of learning is fine.

Part of the situation is the discrepancy between different teachers. While this is not necessarily bad, as every teacher has their own interests and style of teaching, it does mean that it is difficult to standardize curricula enough to decide on the problem and solution. Ms. Hick’s students, for example, often appreciate the organized, textbook-oriented approach. In contrast, Ms. Harryman’s classes may not cover as much material, but they explore certain topics in great depth and detail. Mr. Hilgartner says he too finds himself “moving farther and farther away from the textbook.”

With all these differences, it is difficult to determine whether the Biology curriculum specifically needs to change. Yet the situation is further complicated by a possible shift in how the courses themselves are presented to students. Currently, the standard Friends School student takes Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, then Physics. Now, teachers and students alike are revisiting what courses would be most relevant in today’s world in order to provide the best experience and the highest level of education for every student at Friends.

Some are in favor of merging environmental science into biology, so that seniors and teachers are freed to pursue elective interests, ranging from pathology and bioethics to electrical engineering and oceanography. Others are concerned that the limiting factor may in fact be the math department, as Chemistry may require Algebra II skills and Physics may need some Calculus. Some, like Ms. Hicks, feel that molecular biology is “the way of the future,” while still recognizing the importance of Environmental science, which, she notes, can be “very, very critical” as we “live by a major estuary.”

Clearly, the discussion is complicated and multifaceted, and many different models are being proposed and evaluated. Undoubtedly, further developments are to come as the faculty searches for a solution that will be to the greatest benefit to students studying this crucial field in our modern world.

The first thing you need to do is to earn your elephant’s trust. Before approaching an elephant you need to talk to him and the trainers at the farm told us key words that they would understand. You must take bananas with you as you walk with confidence towards him. As you walk and say the command the elephant lifts his trunk and opens his mouth you check to see that his ears are wagging. If so, he is showing trust in you and you have a match. Puchang and I would get to know one another very well as he sucked bananas out of my hand for about a half hour and I cooed praises to him.

After inspecting all aspects of my elephant to ensure he was in good health, I rinsed him off before I was lifted up by his trunk to ride bare back on top of his head. This was the most trust I could give any living creature. We walked on paths through the mountains of Thailand that were no more than five feet wide, so Puchang had to carry me walking one foot in front of the other. The only control I had was my voice and the tap of my feet behind his flapping ears. Incredibly, I felt no fear, but rather a serene sense of bliss. The two of us were traveling as one through one of the most beautiful parts of the world, and I was sure that Puchang was going to get me through the forest safely.

Out of all the life changing experiences I had on my trip, Puchang taught me the greatest lesson of all: to walk like an elephant. The gentle giants use their trunks to feel the ground before them, they listen to the earth beneath them, and they inspect carefully before they raise their foot to take a step. Most importantly, elephants remember. In my life I can begin to incorporate the lessons I learned from Puchang. I can assess each situation fully before I begin a new task, I can research, and I can use my best judgment to decide when it is safe to move forward. I can remember my mistakes so as to not make them again, but I can also remember my successes. Sometimes, the most important lessons will come from places you would never expect. So remember to walk like Puchang and that sometimes even elephants may be your best teachers.

For a more athletic crop, the only thing that satisfies their spring fever is to get out on the field. The spring sports at Friends include golf, badminton, tennis, dance (yes I count that as a sport, if you have a problem with that ask yourself this, can you do what they do, stay together and look as good doing it? That’s what I thought), baseball, softball, and lacrosse (we are in Baltimore after all). Some people only feel like it’s spring if they are out there with their team playing hard and playing to win. I never did any sport other than dance before this year and the type of friendships you form on team, where you are all working together instead of competing against each other are unlike any other. It’s amazing going out there and just working with your friends.

Other outdoor activities like flying kites, going on walks, and just sitting outside in a sunny spot and reading suddenly hold a new appeal. The heady scent of flowers permeates the air and the breeze nips playfully at your ankles as the sun warms your soul.

Whatever it is that spring means to you, just remember its here now, so soak it up, relish it and enjoy it.

The art school students in Talavera were not amidst a new-age, European learning experience, but were instead challenged by overcrowding. The teachers were unable to control the 40 students before them, and the constant disruptions were acknowledged as an inherent quality of the classroom environment. Just as in the struggling city schools in the US, overcrowding encouraged a pedantic teaching style that focused on memorization.  The students were taught not for the love of learning, but to pass the test, and like many American public school students, were unable to find value in the curriculum. My sister could write entire essays in English, but did not understand a single phrase she wrote as it was just one of many drilled into her brain for memorization. The unequivocal sense of knowledge that rises from academic immersion and practical teaching was unavailable in the overcrowded Spanish schools because the teachers were unable to form an individualized and concentrated lesson plan for forty students. The teacher could not challenge her students to form questions around the material, creatively interpret what lie before them, or actively discuss because her time was spent controlling the overfilled classroom.

The lack of resources within the school further betrayed the superior European archetype I had imagined. The schools seemed to model some of the public schools in the US, and failed to provide students with a comfortable environment that promoted the learning process. The schools in Talavera and the surrounding towns had few computers, relaxation spaces, and books for their students. The bathrooms lacked soap, toilet seats, paper towels, and students were often times required to bring their own toilet paper. The schools further lacked fields and recreation space for sports teams, an aspect that stood as a detriment to the overall school day experience.

Various European countries do not lie separate from the problems present in America, and the flaws of my idealized vision were made clearer through my observations of the school.  Before Spain, I foolishly linked the label of foreign to the idea of superiority, and thought the unfamiliarity of the country somehow implied an intrinsic sense of wealth and prosperity.  Overcrowding inhibited the learning process just as it does in America’s public schools, and students found themselves unwilling to learn in an environment that did not encourage  their intellectual curiosity. Beautiful scenery and unfamiliar customs do not correlate to an idea of flawlessness, but only add diversity to a nation that faces educational problems much similar to those of the US.

I remember the first night spent with my Spanish sister, brother, and mother: I was terribly homesick and speechless with fear of strange customs and a near inability to communicate. But as time wore on, I found myself gaining a better confidence in my speaking skills and with it a fearlessness and voracious need to explore. Whether it was translating American songs for my friends, or discussing the finer points of Spanish politics, or debating the absolute best flavor of frozen yogurt, every step was a learning experience: sometimes sudden, often awkward, and always enlightening.

Each and every person I met during my stay with the Huetes was incredibly unique and offered their own bit of Spanish culture to share with me. Jose, my brother, explained to me “La Semana Santa” in Talavera; my host mother and aunt taught me how to shop in the mercadillo; Sarah showed me how to dance to a more spicy European rhythm; Alejandro taught me the ways of Spanish cuisine and the most important (which also happened to be vulgar) vocabulary for surviving in Spain; and Clara, my sister, gave me every bit of wisdom she had, patiently answering my questions and gently correcting my linguistic mishaps. I hope that one day soon I will be able to see all of them again, when we can share both our cultures in a confluence of both language and personal experience.

Skizzy Mars- Phases

I have to admit it, I have a bit of a man crush on Skizzy Mars. I am a big fan of the attitude he portrays in his songs. I also really like how he goes against the grain by not rapping about women like they are objects. It’s a different brand of rap that really touches your soul. It is hard to focus on the beginning of the album because it concludes perfectly with the song, Phases. The featured artist, Conner Youngblood, is the real hero on Phases (song) who sings the hook with heart touching remorse. Overall, this is a great debut album that is worth a listen. Key Tracks: What Up Girl?, Pay for You, Phases

In the winter of my sophomore year, I decided not to play basketball. Instead, I chose to train in the offseason for my two main sports: football and lacrosse. Following advice from some of my older friends, I decided to go to the daily workouts in the weight room. These workouts were run by Coach Jason, the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Friends.

At first, I was very intimidated by Coach Jason. He was clearly very intelligent and it felt like he knew everyone in the weight room, except for me. Over the course of the winter, I got to know Coach better and better. After a few weeks, he knew my name, the sports I played, my athletic tendencies, and what I needed to work on to become a better athlete. To say the least, I was impressed.

Since then, Coach Jason and I have become closer and closer. He has taught me an unbelievable amount about athletics and nutrition and more importantly character, and hard work. I can say with absolute certainty that he has helped me become a better athlete and also a better person over the course of my high school career. Coach Jason has taught me that one should spend their life doing things that they enjoy. Otherwise, what’s the point?

For those of you who don’t know, Coach Jason lives in York, Pennsylvania. He spends over two hours in the car everyday commuting back and forth to Friends. I have always been impressed by this display of dedication. Recently, there have been rumors that Coach Jason will not be able to stay on the staff at Friends. I sincerely hope that Friends will work hard to keep him. I know he’s had a serious impact on the lives of many students at Friends and would continue to in the future. It would be a shame to see a man with such an impact in the Friends community leave our school.

Hidden in an upstairs studio behind two doors, away from the rest of the sports complex, is the dance community at Friends. These are athletes who don’t set foot on fields or in gyms; these are artists who create work as a team, without anything other than themselves.

There is a certain stigma attached to dancing at Friends. Many view dance as the easy way to get a gym or sports credit. In fact, the opposite is true. A down moment in the studio either during L-Block or after school finds not a lazy group of slackers, but rather an active team stretching, practicing steps, and asking questions of the teacher or their peers, far more involved than many choose to be in gym classes or when managing a sport, for example. The dance studio at Friends is a place where talent is genuinely respected, but where even the least skilled person is motivated to try and do it right for both their personal gain and for the sake of the whole, without losing hope or judging anyone else.

There is no one type of person who dances at Friends. Some are athletic in the traditional sense and choose to do other sports; some don’t.  Some are also involved in theater; some aren’t. Some are introverted, some extroverted. Some dance outside of school extensively, and some started dancing this year; some love moving, some love performing.

However different, this collection of people is not unique to each dance opportunity; most dancers, in fact, find themselves dancing many different places: Chance, Dance Team, Dance Company, Exploring Dance, dance in gym, ballet class, and the musical. Many also take advantage of chances to choreograph for themselves or others. This has lead to a tight, but mostly ingrown, community of dancers. Often those without a direct connection are not aware at all of these opportunities when they open up, and are only slightly more informed about performances and other ways that the extensive work done in studio and on stage are showcased.

Under the surface, dance has actually been thriving this year. An even wider variety of dance forms than usual have made their way into the studio. Beyond the regulars, ballet, jazz and modern, patrons of this year’s dance showcase will see a combination lyrical-jazz piece, tap dancing, hip-hop, and a rendition of the original choreography to “One” from the Broadway musical A Chorus Line, complete with sparkly hats. Besides the culminating showcase and classes, however, Friends school dancers have explored dance off-campus in several ways. At the Friendly Dance Exchange at Sandy Spring Friends School with Sidwell Friends, all of Ms. Mellisa’s dancers had the opportunity to enjoy master classes in Pilates, Step and Afro-Caribbean styles, and then they were able to blend ideas with dancers across Maryland by creating a piece of original choreography. The dancers selected for the inaugural Maryland Dance Festival not only performed “Amphibious” in a show with some of the other best dancers in the state, but also got to enjoy intense and challenging classes throughout the day. Both of these opportunities were eye-opening for the girls.

It is indeed true that all of the high school dancers in Ms. Mellisa’s studio are girls, and while this is not uncommon in relation to other schools, it is still a missed opportunity. Chance was created to give boys a chance to dance, and yet very few take advantage of this, and even fewer make use of our other invaluable resources: a studio, complete with lots of light, fans, a good dance floor and music, and the time and energy of Ms. Mellisa.

This year, the stage will once more be filled with music, costumes, lights, hard work, grace, and vision for one night; be aware of when the Dance Showcase will be. And next year, consider challenging yourself to the athletic art of dance. Dance is a unique blend of mental, physical, and emotional skills; it deserves to be a part of everyone’s education as much as painting, music and fitness.