Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Montclair, NJ The Academy News Permit 180 Volume XXXIV, Issue 5 Montclair Kimberley Academy’s Student-Run Newspaper January 2009 Inside Law and Order at the Upper School Inside the Executive Committee and Honor Council Giri Nathan ‘09 News Editor With any sort of decision- leads to a letter detailing the inci- conveyed to the Honor Council. making body, a little ambiguity is dent being put into the student’s file. Academic dishonesty encompasses inevitable; that’s just the nature of If, however, A is considered serious everything from cheating on a test Winter Extravaganza Warms any group that’s highly concerned enough to warrant outside consid- to plagiarism to collaborating on an Hearts with confidentiality. At the Upper eration, it’s shipped to one of two independent assignment—essen- Page 2 School, our judiciaries maintain destinations: 1) the Honor Council tially, anything strictly involving student involvement (which is rare or 2) the Executive Committee. schoolwork. Personal dishonesty is among high schools) and have tried Each of these has its own a less concrete category; it’s harder to make their methods and messag- constitution, so to speak: the Honor to define but it generally deals with es as publicly visible as possible, Council oversees the Honor Code, lying and minor cases of stealing. but a little clarification might still while the Executive Committee If, for example, a student commits be in order. On the same illuminat- deals with the Code of Conduct. The academic dishonesty and proceeds ing note, Dean of Students Lauren distinction between the two, can to lie about it when confronted, it Lambert recently released disciplin- be summed up as “‘Honor-related becomes an issue of both academic ary data that lends some interesting versus not-honor-related,’” as Mrs. and personal dishonesty. insight into our MKA microcosm. Lambert circularly put it—which is If A is considered less seri- To untangle these behind- to say the line can be fuzzy at times. ous among Honor offenses, and/or the-scenes workings, it’s helpful In fact, what we now know as the the student is very cooperative and to track the voyage of some given Honor Code formerly fit under the understanding about the whole or- offense: Offense A, for the sake of umbrella of the Code of Conduct deal, the case can be dealt with by Model UN Adventures argument. If A is deemed relatively up until the 2004-2005 school year, an Honor Board, which consists of Page 5 minor, it’s then just the judgment when it was set aside as its own 3 members of the Council and is call of Mrs. Lambert and Head of document. The Honor Council was generally a less serious affair. Oth- School Dr. David Flocco. They de- also introduced that year to attend to erwise, A proceeds to trial with the termine the appropriate course of these newly-defined guidelines. full Honor Council, which consists action (whether that includes pun- Revisiting A, after that brief of both students from each grade ishment or not) among themselves, tangent: If A is a question of aca- level and faculty members. A mini- demic or personal dishonesty, it’s and their word is final. Usually this Continued on Page 3 Recession Hits Survival Shop Prices Up, Balance Down Phil Reisen Editor-In-Chief You Are Supposed to Know The candy bubble too has surer Laura Merriman. The reces- year. Merriman is confident that the Who Mickey Rourke is Now burst. The U.S. has officially been sion has changed that, and accord- Survival Shop will make a “respect- Page 7 in a recession since December 2007, ing to Merriman, the original prices able” profit, and says that the Shop and the implications have now come of goods have risen “dramatically.” is taking prudent measures. One to the Survival Shop. The Shop’s balance sheet is “down of these measures to reduce costs The Survival Shop opened over 50% compared to this time last is the process of scrutinizing pur- its doors over ten years ago with the year.” That means that the Shop is chases through customer satisfac- intention of providing students with making only half of what it did last tion. Senior Georgina Ellison notes a snack before sports practices or year, which reduces its purchasing that although the price changes leaving for home. Over the years, it power and the profit that it will give have caused some inconveniences, has expanded to cover both morn- to each grade. To combat not only “at the end of the day, the money ings and afternoons, and has be- loss of quality, variety, and contri- is going back to the grades, so I come a regular part of any student’s butions to each grade, the Shop has can’t complain.” The plight of the schedule. The food for the survival raised its prices for the first time in Survival Shop, although relatively shop is purchased in bulk at Costco at least six years. Drinks and Candy minor, underscores the larger eco- and sold by PAMKA for a small have gone from 50 cents to 75, Cup nomic problems around the world profit. This profit is subsequently of Noodles have increased from 50 and their far-reaching effects. Noth- divided among the four classes. By cents to one dollar, and other prices ing is safe- not even Mini M&Ms. Broadway and the the time a senior class has graduat- have increased as well.These in- Recession ed, it will have received a grand to- creases have increased the Shop’s PAMKA members Laura Merriman, Emilie Page 7 tal of about $8000 from those sales, profits an average of 16% each day, Wong, Tricia Paolucci, and Patty Strain contributed to this article. according to Survival Shop Trea- still not what it was making last News, Page 2 The Academy News January 2009 Senior Class Launches Holiday The Survival Shop Tradition Welcome to The Survival Shop! Tyler Daniels ‘10 We’re open for business and ready Staff Writer to dish out advice to help you with December the 12th, the se- dents and Athletic Liaison Mrs. and it soon became apparent that the your problems… no worry too big, nior class held its first-ever Winter Mr. Lambert both took the floor dur- Extravaganza was more than just a no queries too small. Holiday Extravaganza. Organized ing the concert. However, they were talent show: it was unifying event So…what’s on your mind? as a benefit concert for the upcom- not even the two most popular Lam- that seemed to bring out the best in ing Prom, it proved to be a night of berts of the evening. It was nine- people. Even though more than one bonding friendship and good music, and seven-year-olds Sophie and act had unexpected blunders, there Every day I stand in line, get my where each act brought something Abby Lambert, whose renditions was never an uncomfortable mo- food, and walk out to the main new and exciting for the audi- ment. The audience was patient cafeteria, where I stand awkwardly ence. and encouraging and forgiving for what seems like forever until I When students first en- to say the least, and the evening see where my friends are sitting. I tered the Weiss Auditorium was about simply enjoying each feel like everyone’s staring at me that Friday night they saw their other’s company. The concert and it makes me nervous. What school in (literally) a different concluded with a performance should I do? Sincerely, Dork with light. Upon entering they en- by the well-liked senior band a Spork countered a festively decorated Dubious Pastry who, after the auditorium filled with lights, completion of their scheduled Dear Dork, bows, and instruments. At 8 number, performed an encore You have three options. PM, the festivities began with a by popular demand. 1) Go in to get your food mariachi-style performance of According to senior class with a friend or group of friends. “Feliz Navidad.” As the night president Thomas Mazzeo, ev- From there, you can either stand continued the Extravaganza Sophomore Casey Wows Audience erything that evening simply awkwardly looking for a table with proved to be entertaining in its own “worked out.” The diversity of all someone, which might make you eclectic way—in one act, sopho- of “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph The the different numbers blended well feel better, or start your own table. more Rafi Bildner performed Bach Red Nose Reindeer” won the hearts to produce an overall enjoyable Fri- 2) Find a friend who is on his violin, and in another, fellow of the audience members. day night, not to mention a profit- bringing lunch from home, and go sophomore Jackson Murray spun an While some bands were able outcome for the 2009 Senior sit with him or her until everyone electronic remix live on his laptop. undoubtedly professionals at these Prom. Mazzeo then went on to say else starts to come back to your The majority of the performers were types of gigs, others appeared to be that he hopes the success of the Ex- table with their food. Leave them MKA’s own students. The Lambert more impromptu. Either way, the travaganza will be continued next to it with your friend with the family most definitely proved that audience seemed to enjoy every- year in the hands of the Class of home lunch and go and get your they are not stage-shy; Dean of Stu- thing.