THE NATION’S ON THE WEB: OLDEST students.pingry.org/ COUNTRY DAY record SCHOOL NEWSPAPER Volume CXLV, Number II December 19, 2019 Sickness Spreads Through Pingry Like Never Before SAM WEXLER (IV) community began to wonder what caused this local epidemic, dubbed On Friday, November 8, students at “The Pingry Plague.” Some students the Basking Ridge campus refreshed theorized that the virus originated their emails to find that the school among the play cast and then spread day was cut short due to a stomach throughout the rest of the school. bug spreading throughout the school Others assumed that the boys’ and community. After being dismissed girls’ soccer championship games from their classes, confused students led students to come to school even and faculty wandered around the if they were sick. school, some waiting for parents School nurses Mrs. Joyce Livak and or buses to pick them up. All after- Ms. Jennifer DiBiasi provided their school activities were cancelled insight on the epidemic. According to to allow the cleaning staff time to them, the potent stomach virus was perform a “deep clean and disinfect likely spread by someone who had the building,” according to an come to school with the virus already email sent by Associate Director of in their system; they also theorized Operations, Safety, and Strategic the students had contaminated Initiatives, Mr. David Fahey. communal surfaces, such as a lunch Perhaps the most shocking result table, with the virus. The rest is Andrew Goldstein ‘92 speaks to students in Hauser Auditorium of this announcement was the history. rescheduling of the Friday night To stop the further spread of the performance of the Fall play, “Our virus, the nurses recommended Lead Prosecutor in Mueller Investigation Andrew Town,” to Saturday afternoon. To washing your hands and staying boost attendance, students who home for at least 24 hours after Goldstein ‘92 Emphasizes Personal Integrity bought tickets for the Friday show symptoms have ended. With the were given free Saturday matinée cold and flu season upon us, it is RHEA KAPUR (V) in the Department of Justice’s Russia Goldstein’s main takeaway from this tickets. Students could also use the vital that Pingry students follow investigation, led by Robert S. Mueller was to figure out one’s motivations – discount code “PLAGUE” to gain free these directions, so that this “Pingry On Friday, November 8, at the III. the principles upon which one bases admission to the show. Plague” is the last one. annual John Hanly Lecture on Ethics In his remarks, Mr. Goldstein their decisions. Getting those right, he In the aftermath of the incident, the and Morality, Mr. Andrew Goldstein shared two stories, one of which noted, is the first step towards acting ‘92 discussed the influence of the centered around his experience as with integrity. This was a key theme Honor Code in his career at Pingry an investigative reporter at TIME. of his overall talk. In his conclusion, Triumphing over Tribulation and beyond, and shared some ethical While covering the Columbine High he reminded students and faculty dilemmas he faced where the Honor School shooting, Mr. Goldstein to “step back and look at our public Code’s principles guided him. discovered that members of the discourse today… the importance of MARTINE BIGOS (IV) Intense chemotherapy resulted Established in 1999, the John Hanly school’s community were distraught telling the truth has dropped off the in weight gain and hair loss. Life Lecture Series on Ethics and Morality from TIME’s recent cover photo, list of what people think matters. As On October 21st, Pingry’s Middle seemed grim, but Sean had two honors former Headmaster John in which the main focus was on the Pingry students, that should not be and Upper School students choices: he could either give up, Hanly’s personal commitment to shooters, not the students who were acceptable to you.” He encouraged attended an assembly where guest or choose to fight for his life. He instilling honorable and ethical values killed. They wanted reassurance that the community to always “remember speaker Sean Swarmer shared chose the latter. in students at Pingry. A diverse set of this would not happen again. Mr. the values [that] were taught here” to his inspiring life journey. Sean “I could either fight for my life or speakers have visited campus each Goldstein retained a neutral position, guide their decisions in life. has survived cancer twice and is give up and die,” he says. “I wasn’t year since the series’ inception, each noting his lack of control over the The talk was well received throughout the first cancer survivor to climb focused on ‘not dying.’ I focused on of them having a unique viewpoint matter, but also stated how he could the community. Meghan Durkin (V), the highest mountain on each living.” Keeping a positive mindset on ethics and moral dilemmas in not believe they would repeat such Secretary of the Honor Board, said continent (with only one fully- during his battle, he survived. the 21st century. Mr. Goldstein a thing. that “his take on the Honor Code was is no exception. After graduating When another cover story that very insightful, especially his remark functional lung). In addition, he However, the fight was not from Princeton University in 1996, focused solely on new video footage that while it may allow for more has completed the Hawaii Ironman over. Three years later, doctors Mr. Goldstein returned to Pingry to of the killers ran, Mr. Goldstein had violations, it provides students with Triathlon. discovered a second cancer known teach AP Government and World to come to terms with the betrayal the chance to make realistic, tough Sean’s battle with cancer began as an Askin’s tumor and informed Cultures, filling the role of his former the members of the community decisions.” Samantha Burak (VI) also when he was just thirteen years old. Sean that he had only fourteen days to live. teacher Mr. Joe LaValley (whom Mr. would feel and the role he played in noted how “we hear about honorable Diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Goldstein greatly admired). Later, that betrayal. To alleviate some of behavior in our daily lives, but this Lymphoma, Sean was told that Mr. Goldstein joined TIME Magazine the pain, Mr. Goldstein personally was an important reminder that the See SCHOOL NEWS, Page 8 he only had three months to live. as an investigative reporter. After reached out to each person he talked lessons of the Honor Code apply well graduating from Yale Law School, to, warning them ahead of time of the beyond just high school. The stories he eventually served as Chief of the cover story. He also contemplated that Mr. Goldstein shared with us Public Corruption Unit at the U.S. whether he “could have pushed revealed that real situations in life are Buttondowns Return to Attorney’s Office for the Southern harder [than he did] to keep that not always black or white, but that we District of New York. Recently, he photo off the cover,” acknowledging should be striving to act with personal their Roots was Senior Assistant Special Counsel his personal responsibility. Mr. integrity regardless.” BRIAN LI (IV) president Charlie Malone (VI), and funny.” Wang further elaborated shirts, khakis, and no shoes, ran but also one that not a lot of people On November 22nd, the secretary John Roberston (VI). on his plan for the movie. “I wanted down to the stage to begin their know.” Furthermore, “On And On” Buttonowns raced down from As is tradition, the assembly to bring the Buttondowns movie performance. The first song was incorporated choreography to the the top of Hauser Auditorium to began with the highly anticipated back to what it was, just something Stephen Bishop’s “On And On,” crowd’s delight. The Buttondowns begin their annual Buttondowns Buttondowns movie. Directed by more casual… a simple concept for with soloists Alex Kaplan (V) constantly moved across the stage, assembly. This year, the all-boys Wang, this year’s movie was largely every Buttondown.” and Vared Shmuler (III). Wang forming lines and semicircles that a capella group is headed by influenced by the 2010-2011 movie. After the movie ended, the defended its role as an opening kept the soloists at the center. president James Wang (VI), vice- He described it as a movie that Buttondowns, dressed in their number, saying that, “It’s the song was “so low budget and horrible signature that we’ve practiced the most. It’s See PERFORMANCES, Page 7 production-wise, but very white buttondown one of our strongest songs OPINIONS, Page 2-4 SPORTS, Page 11-12 NEWS, Page 6-10 New Staff On Peace Boys’ and Girls’ Fall Play: Our The Pingry Record is looking for Candles and Soccer Town freshman/sophomore illustrators, Being Ignored Boys’ and girls’ Varsity Pingry drama photo editors, & layout editors! Soccer both have presented Thornton Monica Chan (V) analyzes Email: impressive showings in Wilder’s award-winning the fallacy of Pingry’s [email protected] or their State tournaments. play. political correctness. [email protected] Photo Credits: Pingry Communications 2 THE PINGRY RECORD COMMENTARY DECEMBER 19, 2019 Never Doing Enough: Stress On Peace Candles and Being Ignored as a Measure of Success MONICA CHAN (V) at a number of institutions in our to when they have an issue they area. A large portion of these issues want to share with the school that When people found out about our were about Pingry. The article doesn’t fall within these groups? HELEN LIU (V) put a little more time into clubs, or study a bit harder in a class or two, plans to start the Asian Student mentions one instance where the I realize that only a few months I have a very close relationship but overall, I’m satisfied.