THE November 2, 2016 theP park schoolOSTSCRIPT of baltimore | 2425 old court road, baltimore, md 21208 Volume 74.1 Issue No.2 GIRLS WIN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP photo by N. Blau ’18 Sophomore J. Luljak (left) attempts to pass an opposing runner from another school in the IAAM Girls’ Cross Country Championships, on October 25. Luljak placed third in the meet and the Bruins won the championship, completing a stellar season with a record of 13-0. See article on page 12. Upper School addresses Senior participates in hackathon by LEAH GENTH ’18 pronoun preferences Senior Aaron Eline joined students—mainly acceptance in regards to gender and sexuality.” from undergraduate and graduate schools—to by THAO KAHN ’17 While faculty did not adopt Pound’s rec- solve problems in medicine using technology. An email sent over the summer from junior ommendations immediately, they did agree, The MedHacks 2.0 hackathon took place at Luke Pound addressed to teachers and students within the first few weeks of school, to ask all Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus pushed the Upper School to confront an issue students to fill out surveys or questionnaires September 24 and 25, and drew in 300 computer common on many college campuses: pronoun stating preferred pronouns. By explicitly asking science students from across the nation’s high preferences. for students to inform them, “[Faculty mem- schools, colleges, and graduate programs. This In the email, which was a follow-up to his bers] want to make sure that their classrooms unique national “hackathon” challenges par- assembly last year on sexuality and gender, are a safe space,” Upper School Principal Nancy ticipants to use technology to solve problems Pound’s purpose was “to help Park become a Dickson said. in the field of medicine. Eline, one of the 1,800 more inclusive and safe environment for the “While Park is great, it’s not as great as it applicants, was selected to participate in the LGBTQ+ community,” he said, especially for could be with regard to preferred pronouns,” 36-hour event. According to the MedHacks 2.0 students who identify as trans or nonbinary. Pound said. “My goal is to normalize the con- website, student computer scientists compete to Pound explained that “pronouns ‘he/him’ versation…if someone who does not identify “[integrate] their learning into real solutions to and ‘she/her’ carry the heavy connotations of [with their assigned pronouns] enters Upper pressing medical challenges.” photo by T. Kahn ’17 the genders they are associated with. For some- School, they should feel welcome because Few high school students were selected. A. Eline ’17 helped create a medical one who does not identify with the gender they there’s already a system in place where teach- “There weren’t a lot of high schoolers there, device at ‘MedHacks 2.0’ at JHU. were assigned, other people referring to them ers ask for preferred pronouns.” but no one cared because it was more about ic with two graduate students and two under- with the pronoun of their assigned gender is an “I understand the importance of being what you can do,” Eline said. graduates, who came from Texas and Illinois, uncomfortable experience.” addressed the way you would like to be ad- Participants arrived early on Saturday, Sep- respectively. Their project was to create an app He suggested that teachers encourage all dressed,” Upper School Spanish teacher and tember 23, and, after a keynote speech, were that detects early signs of problems in motor students to share their preferred pronouns, and faculty adviser of Pride Club Nancy Fink said. sorted into three rooms where people could skill development, specifically in children with use them when students feel it’s safe to do so. “It’s the recognition that identity is important, pitch their ideas. “You could sign up for any cerebral palsy and autism. One caution is that teachers not use preferred and what we’re called [by others] is important.” ideas you wanted,” Eline said. “You would call Current methods are, according to Eline, not pronouns in reports or in front of parents if stu- Questions arise from these discussions. First, the person who made the pitch, tell them your accurate. “One of the issues with the current dents have not yet come out to their parents. what responsibility do teachers have to protect skillset, and then they’d tell you if they could method [for tracking fine motor control] is that “This is extremely important,” Pound wrote in the gender identity of their students? Should use you or not.” doctors are subjectively rating patients’ draw- his email, “because parents and other adults in Eline ended up on a team called Sketch Mag- ings,” Eline said. and out of Park have a wide range of levels of See Pronouns, p. 4 See Hackathon, p. 3 INSIDE THE POSTSCRIPT COMMENTARY FEATURES SPORTS Bennett Demsky ’18 and Mon- New Associate Head of School Rivalry Day on October 8 was tana Love ‘18 examine recent Priscilla Morales brings vital- an exceptional display of school administrative decision making ity and a diverse educational spirit. During the regular season, we procedures. perspective. should do the same. PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 11 EDITORIAL // THE POSTSCRIPT November 2, 2016 2 Making connections between divisions and disciplines At Park, it often feels like we have three become a buzzword for institutions of high- and English classes. divisional and interdisciplinary programs distinct schools that happen to be located er education, and for good reason: classes This is all to say that we’re already do- because they will help us become the school on the same campus. While some cross- that bridge different fields of study allow ing a lot. These programs and classes are we strive to be, where students are provided divisional partnerships do exist, there are students to make connections and expand extraordinary, especially in a high school opportunities to be more thoughtful, moti- opportunities for more of these partnerships. their knowledge. Knowledge isn’t confined setting, and it is exciting that students have vated, and self-aware. Students of all ages could have more mean- into distinct areas. Rather, the connections the ability participate in them. Let’s do more of this. ingful, educational, and empowering experi- between disciplines that may not appear It’s important that we create more cross- ences if we decide to fully embrace the fact related upon first glance help students un- that we are a K-12 institution. derstand how the world works. The Partners Program and the Cardin Interdisciplinary classes remove the un- Writing Center are two examples of current necessary labels. Students in these courses cross-divisional programs. These partner- don’t think, “I’m in history class” or “this is ships create a more cohesive school environ- chemistry,” but instead, “I’m learning about ment and provide role models for younger how the world really works.” members of the community. We already have classes that do this: Senior Atira Koikoi has been a part of the every other year, when the Spring Produc- Partners Program since she arrived at Park tion is a Shakespeare play, English teacher in third grade. “In third grade, I was one of Patti Porcarelli and drama chair and theater the few students of color. I was paired up director Peter King co-teach an English and with a partner, and the program helped me acting class for the actors involved and ad- see someone like me who was doing well ditional interested students. Last year, the in school,” Koikoi said. “That made me feel Chesapeake class focused on the history and like ‘Wow, I can really keep going here.’ I science of the Chesapeake Bay. decided to be a [Partners Program] leader This year, Spanish teacher Paul Villmoare because I wanted to make sure the Lower and English teacher Angela Balcita are Schoolers have the opportunity to do and offering two linked courses on the Span- feel the same.” ish Caribbean. Villmoare’s Spanish class Koikoi has summarized exactly why focuses on the history and culture of the cross-divisional programs are important: region, while Balcita’s English class stud- these partnerships inspire self-confidence ies literature from the Spanish Caribbean. and allow students to both teach and learn. Students are required to take both classes cartoon by Josie Reinkowitz ’18 Just as we hope to remove barriers be- for an immersive experience. tween divisions, we believe that it would Physics with calculus, affectionately Debate is an essential part of learning be beneficial to create more links between known as PhysCalc, joins math and science. disciplines. It is important to embrace the Yet another example of this is Irish History by ISAIAH HUG ’17 students because it depicts violence against places in which Upper School curricula and Literature, a course that asks students to The University of Chicago has always been women. Others contend that some classes overlap. The word “interdisciplinary” has draw on what they’ve learned from history a place of intellectual excellence. It has also should be racially segregated to avoid harmful been a place that promotes debate and chal- micro-aggressions between people of different lenges liberal American assumptions. Milton races or ethnicities. THE OSTSCRIPT Friedman, a Nobel Prize winning economist I think that whenever someone suggests cen- P and former U. Chicago professor, described the sorship or some sort of restriction in order to THE PARK SCHOOL OF BAltIMORE atmosphere: make people more comfortable, they are usually 2425 OLD COURT ROAD, BAltIMORE, MD 21208 “People were not very polite. People were asking for too much.