THE η ρωμη και το καλον Vol. CXXXIX No. 14 AWRENCEOctober 11, 2019 thelawrence.org L Arthur Sze ’68 Named National Students Selected as National Hispanic Scholars Book Award Finalist LINA OLAZABAL ’22 tunities during the college process. StaFF WRITER As Parra-Vargas noted, the NHRP “helps you get a lot of consideration Last weekend, Santi Parra-Var- [from] the National Hispanic Col- gas ’20 and Victoria Scholtz ’20 lege Fund for scholarships for the received news that they had won top percent of Latino students.” the National Hispanic Recogni- Director of College Counsel- tion Program (NHRP) scholarship, ing Jeffrey Durso-Finley P’13 ’14 awarded by the College Board and ’19 ’22 said that students “can use organized by Scholarship America. the designation as an honor to list Approximately 5,000 awardees on their college applications, with were selected across the nation for some colleges and universities using the program, scoring among the top it as a qualification to receive insti- 2.5 percent of Hispanic and Latinx tutional financial aid scholarships students who took the Preliminary or to enter scholarship competitions SAT/National Merit Scholarship at the college or university.” For Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) instance, Boston University (BU) in the Middle States region. considers recognized students “who Scholtz and Parra-Vargas were no- have exceptionally strong academic tified that their PSAT scores quali- records” for its four-year $25,000 fied for the program in February of Presidential Scholarship, accord- their IV Form year. With the help ing to the BU website. Recipients of Dean of Academics and Science for the Presidential Scholarship are Master David Laws P’21 ’23, they ultimately selected by Boston Uni- submitted their application in early versity’s Board of Admissions and July of 2019. Scholarship Committee. To qualify for the award, stu- Reflecting on the award, Parra- dents must take the PSAT in their Vargas said, “Essentially, it’s just a Sze visited the School last year in January, leading select English sections, per- Courtesy of the National Book Foundation junior year, achieve the minimum program that allows students like forming a poetry reading, and working with individual students to workshop test score for their region, and earn me from countries in South Amer- their poems. a GPA of 3.5 or higher by the mid- ica… to be recognized for their ASHLEY LEE ’21 the summer. It then creates a list the organizing principle that runs dle of their junior year. This year’s achievements.” He added, “Some & TIFFANY YEUNG ’22 of 10 entries that is announced in through the poetry book. cutoff for the Middle States region South American countries are su- StaFF WRITERS mid-September; this year, Sze’s Sight Prior to his attending was a score of 1320. Addition- per poor, so to have somebody from Lines qualified for a Longlist Poetry Lawrenceville, Sze did not find him- ally, all applicants must be at least that country do well on the PSAT Lawrenceville Alumnus Arthur title. From there, the panel narrows self inclined towards poetry. During one-quarter Hispanic or Latinx is really good for them.” Sze ’68 was selected as a finalist for the search down to five finalists. The his time at the School, he experienced and originally descend from rela- On his reaction upon receiv- the 2019 National Book Award in winner for each category is ultimately pressure from his parents to study in tives of at least one of the following ing the award, Parra-Vargas said, “ the poetry category this past Tuesday. announced in November. the Science, Technology, Engineer- nations: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, I didn’t know I was going to get it His book Sight Lines placed in the top On his initial sentiments upon ing, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa because I thought New Jersey has a five of approximately 150 poetry book hearing that the National Book Foun- However, during his last semester at Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, lot of Latino people… I thought it entries. According to the National dation nominated his book for the Lawrenceville, Sze took a class titled Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, would be pretty difficult, and I feel Book Foundation website, Sight Lines award, Sze said, “While I was excited Contemporary American Poetry. Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, really happy that I ended up getting “moves through space and time and and pleased, I was also cautious.” He On the impact of this course on his Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto it.” brings the disparate and divergent added, “Let’s just see what happens.” career, Sze said, “In some ways, the Rico, Spain, Uruguay, or Venezuela. On her experience regarding the into stunning and meaningful focus.” Sze is the author of 10 poetry books seeds were planted there.” For clarification on eligibility, the application process for the NHRP, The National Book Award is and a Professor Emeritus at the Insti- His joy for writing poems further College Board explicitly notes on Scholtz said, “I thought it was pret- widely considered as one of the most tute of American Indian Arts. He has developed during his years as an the program website, “Hispanic and ty cool that there is an award that prestigious literary prizes in the na- also earned an array of scholarships undergraduate at the Massachusetts Latino are ethnic categories, not ra- celebrates that kind of accomplish- tion and is given by the National and awards, including the Lannan Institute of Technology (MIT). He cial categories, and Hispanic/La- ment for Hispanic students. So Book Foundation to recognize stellar Literary Award, the American Book recalled that during a calculus lecture tino students may be of any race.” I’m pretty proud of that. I was re- literary works. The awards annually Award, the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Di- at MIT, he opened up a blank sheet of While the NHRP does not di- ally grateful to receive this recogni- recognizes the best Fiction, Nonfic- gest Writer’s Award, and the Western paper and began writing as a result of rectly offer scholarships, those se- tion… because of the opportunities tion, Poetry, Translated Literature, States Book Award for Translation. boredom. “I think basically everyone lected have access to various oppor- that you can get through it.” and Young People’s Literature. Sze One of his previous books, Compass was surprised when I started to write described the award as “the Academy Rose, was one of three finalist works poetry,” Sze said. Awards of literature.” for the Pulitzer Prize in 2015. After deciding to leave MIT, Sze The Foundation assembles a panel Sze wrote the poem entitled “Sight further pursued his interest in po- of five judges for each category who Lines” within the greater book because etry at the University of California, have expertise in that category. The he was commissioned by the Univer- Berkeley (UCB). He created his own judges consist of former National sity of Virginia to write a poem about major at UCB and majored in poetry. Book Award winners, finalists, and Thomas Jefferson. Reflecting on his Sze’s advice to students on im- judges who are recruited by the Na- work, Sze said, “I was happy with proving their poetry writing skills tional Book Foundation’s Executive how that poem came out because... is to “enjoy playing with different Director. it allow[ed] me to explore Jefferson, languages, sounds, images, and Each panel is able to create its [and] I learned that sight lines move rhythms and feel the excitement of own criteria for the National Book through space in time. The sight lines discovery,” Sze said. Award, and the panel changes every don’t tell one narrative but a collage The recipients of the National Students recognized as National Courtesy of The Lawrenceville School year. Annually, each panel reads the [of narratives].” Sze then decided Book Award will be announced on Hispanic Scholars by the College books submitted to its category over to have the poem “Sight Lines” as November 20, 2019. Board. Setting the Record New Harkness Boys Water Polo Straight Travel Trips Defeats Malvern Prep in Nail-Biter Thacher Smith ’20 examines Christine Cheng ’21, Lina the uncertainty in the Trump Olazabal ’22, and Carina Li Grayson Miller ’21 recaps impeachment process. ’22 provide an overview of Big Red boys varsity wa- the new Harkness Travel ter polo’s narrow win over Programs for spring and Malvern Prep. summer. Page 2 Page 4 Page 8 The Lawrence - Page 2 Opinions October 11, 2019 TClass of HE1968 Fund in Honor L of EdwardAWRENCE A. Robbins H’68 ’69 ’71 - Nicholas G. Ifft ’ 44 Fund - The Princeton Packet Fund (Denise L. and James B. Kilgore ’66) - Michael S. Chae ’86 Editorial Jefferey Cai Editor-in-Chief Standing by Our Principles his past week a member of the students’ attention. But this creates an wide-ranging racial makeup stands Shriya Annamaneni National Basketball Associ- illusion of learning because in casting out, a more important form of diver- Managing Editor ation (NBA), Daryl Morey, aside their honest thinking, students sity is contrast in thought, emphasiz- Gabriel Gaw tweeted out a graphic stating, “Fight prevent their thought processes from ing a variety of strong ideas formed Anika Bagaria Eric Zhu Eric Morais ForT Freedom Stand with Hong Kong.” News Editor Opinions Editors Sports Editors undergoing rigorous questioning, a independently. Living at Lawrenceville A post of only seven words, the tweet critical element of our personal devel- entails opening our minds to differ- Deven Kinney Shreya Kumar received massive backlash and tore a Arts Editor Features Editor opment. While we may choose a more ent perspectives around us, but as we chasm in the NBA’s relationship with acceptable opinion at the Harkness ta- strive to learn and listen, the dangers Avigna Ramachandran Jasmine Zhang China.