Google search your soul. www.phillipian.net Veritas Super Omnia Vol. CXXXVI, No. 29 January 31, 2014 Phillips Academy Academic Skills Center Shifts Focus as Student Demand Increases that approach the ASC By RANI IYER with learning disabilities have Attention Deficit Every year, the Aca- Disorders (ADD) or anxi- demic Skills Center (ASC) ety disorders, which can opens its doors to help cause distraction, lack of new students manage the organization and lack of whirlwind of commit- priorities—all major aca- ments at Andover and the demic skills. school’s demanding aca- “We probably weren’t demic workload. Due to a taking [concussions] seri- recent rise in the number ously enough until recent of reported concussions years. There was the law- and learning disabilities, suit against the National however, the ASC has Football League that was been forced to forgo ap- settled in the defendant’s pointments with students favor… I think more kids who seek academic assis- who had concussions who tance to prioritize those weren’t treated in the past with learning and tempo- are now being treated, rary disabilities. which is a good thing,” The number of stu- said Davison. “The stig- dents requiring disability ma that may have once accommodations in a full persisted around having year has grown from 33 in a disability I think has J. WOLFE/THE PHILLIPIAN the 2011-2012 school year lifted greatly. People are Michael Kim ’14 and Sam Zager ’15 of the Bobcats dodgeball team celebrate after advancing to the quarter finals. to 51 students in the 2012- much more accepting and 2013 school year. As a re- understand that it has sult, the ASC has had to nothing to do with how The Price of an Andover Education: cut 16 students from the intelligent or capable you previous 87 one-on-one are.” appointments. The ASC’s disabil- Three Students’ Difficult Transitions to Andover The rise in accommo- ity accommodations nor- portunities in education for situation, however, barred cial situation, so Gutierrez dations for issues such as mally consist of working By KAILASH their son. him from admission. spent his ninth grade year concussions and learning with students’ parents SUNDARAM “I expect you to go way “At the time, we weren’t at Hightstown High before disabilities, however, has and teachers to arrange David Gutierrez ’15 above your father and I did likely to admit him because applying to Andover as a re- not emerged from a sud- for extra time, moving as- smiles and greets everyone in Colombia,” said Luz Guti- our budget was limited. A peat Junior. den increase in students signments and assessing he sees as he walks between errez in a phone conversa- large part of this was due “I filled out the forms with disabilities, but rath- students through differ- classes. Gutierrez is an inte- tion with her son and The to the recovery period after [my parents] were supposed er from a growing aware- ent methods. gral member of the Andover Phillipian. “Hopefully, you the market crashed in 2008, to fill out because they ness about disabilities in “Every [disability ac- community, but his journey go to university and get a so the financial aid budget were too busy working. I’m general, according to Pa- commodation] is complex to Andover, which began 12 doctorate. If you don’t suc- was returning to normal,” guessing that curiosity and tricia Davison, Director of and very involved, and years ago, has been anything ceed above us, then we just said Dana Brown, who in- pride motivated me to come. the ASC and Coordinator there are a lot of players but average. wasted our time here.” terviewed Gutierrez then. I read that Andover was the of Student Disability Ser- that need to be part of, David Gutierrez’s family After immigrating to Brown is the former Peddie most prestigious private vices. for example, a conversa- has held political asylum in the United States from Co- Admissions Officer and cur- school. And for a kid with no Disabilities can be tion about concussion the United States since they lombia, Gutierrez attended rently the Senior Associate funds, this sounded like the medical, temporary or management or any sort immigrated here from Co- Grace N. Rogers Elemen- Director of Admissions at complete opposite of what I learning-based; among of situation that doesn’t lumbia in 2002. His father, tary in 2002, where he first Hotchkiss. was used to,” said Gutierrez. these three types, ASC neatly fit in the box. It’s Jairo, works as a housekeep- learned English and began Brown suggested Guti- has seen the largest in- a time-intensive process er, while his mother, Luz, to excel in academics. errez apply to Andover, crease in learning dis- is a caregiver in a senior In eighth grade, a teach- a need-blind school that Continued on A6, Column 1 abilities, said Davison. Continued on A4, Column 1 center. They rent a small er saw potential in Gutier- could take on his finan- The majority of students apartment on Rogers Street rez and encouraged him to in Hightstown, NJ. Amidst apply to Peddie, a private trying circumstances, Jairo boarding and day school in College Counseling Process to Include Younger Students and Luz see boundless op- Hightstown. His financial By AUSTIN TUAN “The idea was not to students. lege before being assigned talk about college un- College coaches begin a College Counselor. Over the next two til January of 11th grade reaching out to prospec- The parents of first- years, the College Coun- so students and parents tive student-athletes as generation college stu- seling Office (CCO) will would not get too revved early as the summer before dents may also have less hire an additional college up or over-excited and too their Lower years, when experience than parents counselor in the hopes of focused on college [before students haven’t been in- who attended college. A tailoring its program to Upper year],” he said of the troduced to the CCO yet. become more personal and existing strategy. In the past, some students Continued on A4, Column 1 fit for younger students. Although the current have committed to a col- One of the primary strategy addressed the weaknesses of the current stress aspect of the pro- CCO approach is the lack cess, the late start and eas- of contact with students ily accessible information in the ninth, tenth and around the Internet al- the beginning half of 11th lowed students and fami- Check out A5 for two grade, according to Sean lies to be easily misled or E.KAUFMANN-LADUC/ THE PHILLIPIAN Logan, Director of College build unrealistic expecta- Benny Ogando, David Gutierrez and Jason Young Counseling. tions incongruous with to- new course offerings day’s admission landscape, said Logan. ASM Speaker Steiner-Adair Cautions The current model par- this Spring Term! ticularly disadvantages recruited athletes and Students Against the Abuse of Technology first-generation college By BENNETT dencies on one another. It tone of voice, conveying MICHAELS used to be, ‘My roommate the nuance through these would wake me up.’ You feelings and connecting What Does It Mean to be a Female Artist? Returning to campus would depend on each oth- through these feelings. 31 years after leaving her er, not on your phone,” said [These feelings] become Messud Examines post as a Graham House Steiner-Adair in an inter- flat, lost and one-dimen- counselor, Dr. Catherine view with The Phillipian. sional when we text,” said Gender Roles in Today’s Society Steiner-Adair explained “The course work Steiner-Adair during her the impacts of social media hasn’t changed at Andover. presentation. agreeable and cynical main up] the parameters of what on teenage culture during But the way in which you Steiner-Adair said that By LAUREN LUO characters. She noticed, is acceptable. I know that as All School Meeting (ASM). manage it, manage your an increasingly connected however, that not a single a mom,” said Messud. Steiner-Adair, the key- time and relate to each world changes how teen- A book fanatic from an one of these narrators was a Messud, who is best note speaker of Wellness other and find each other agers think of themselves. young age, Claire Messud woman. known for her novel “The Week, emphasized social is completely different,” “It’s completely un- particularly enjoyed read- “Over the course of my Emperor’s Children, ex- media’s ability to both she continued. precedented for kids to ing stories narrated by dis- life, I encountered various plores the role of females in connect users with and New technology has go out and take photos of versions of this grumpy, society in her latest novel, disconnect users from radically changed the the food they eat and send ranting storyteller: some “The Woman Upstairs,” the world they live in. Al- way humans communi- them to each other. Kids of them funny, some of through the story of Nora though social media has cate with each other. High go to parties already plan- them visually caustic. But Eldridge, a 37-year-old given individuals the abil- schoolers rely on social ning who they want a pho- I couldn’t ever find the schoolteacher. After hav- ity to connect through media and texting, where- to with, how many photos grumpy girl. So I wrote her,” ing to take care of her dy- chat-rooms, texting and as parents are spending they will be in. So you are said Messud, explaining the ing mother, Nora gives up status-updates, it has also more time on smartphones actually not living in your challenges female artists on her dreams of becoming taken the human aspect and tablets, said Steiner- world, you are not enjoying face to the Andover commu- an artist in order to support away from interactions, Adair during her speech.