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ArgoThe official newspaper of The BosTon laTin school
Extracurricular Fair Mini issuE
sepTemBer 2014
New Boston ONE Cards dis-tributed to Boston Public Schools’ students at the start of this school year allow for free MBTA (Massa-chusetts Bay Transportation Author-ity) rides seven days of the week.
These new Boston ONE Cards, marked “M7” on the back, were given to seventh and eighth graders who live one and a half miles or more away from the school, and to ninth through twelfth graders who live two or more miles away. Students who did not meet these requirements were instead given cards marked with “S” for “stored value,” which require money to operate—even on weekends.
The new M7 cards are an up-grade from the previous years’ M5 cards. M7 cards allow for free and
unlimited travel on the MBTA’s bus, subway, express bus and commuter rails’ zone 1A, 1, and 2 services on all seven days of the week. By contrast, students last year with the M5 card only received free rides on weekdays and had to pay student discount price—fifty percent off the normal CharlieCard cost—on weekends.
Students who received the stored value card have access to the same services as those with the M7 card, but have to pay the student discount price, reducing the bus fare from $1.60 to $0.80 and the subway fare from $2.10 to $1.05.
These costs, however, are up from the previous year, when a stored value card allowed for rides on the bus at $0.75 and the subway at $1.00. This rise in cost in
the current school year corresponds with a fare increase for the MBTA that was put in place on July 1, 2014, raising the bus fare from $1.50 to $1.60 and the Subway fare from $2.00 to $2.10 for riders with the regular CharlieCard.
In addition to providing reduced or free fares for transpor-tation on the MBTA, Boston ONE Cards also contain the student’s name, BPS identification number and Boston Public Library card number. This frees students from the burden of having to carry a separate MBTA pass, school ID, library card and community cen-ter card.
Students welcomed the im-provements of the new M7 card. “It’s great we don’t have to pay on weekends anymore,” said Tyrone
Newell (I). “Students have lots of obligations on weekends as well as during the week.”
Others, however, expressed disappointment that students with stored value passes still had to pay on the weekends, even when their weekend travels had nothing to do with the distance from their homes to their school. M7 passes were dispersed to allow students to travel to other obligations like work and extracurricular activities that may or may not be located anywhere near their schools. Many found it unfair that a certain subset of students would have to pay for this transportation while others didn’t.
“$0.80 on the bus and $1.05 on the train doesn’t sound like much, but it accumulates over the
year,” said Amory Mo (I), who lives 1.91 miles from his high school. “It still takes me a good 30 to 40 minutes just to walk to school,” he laments of the fact that he should have to pay for weekday transportation at all. He found the weekend payments, however, even more unjust. “I loved the idea of the monthly seven day pass. I could move around, whether volunteer-ing at the library, finding new leadership opportunities, working at a pet shelter or even working out. I would have made good use of my time. But I was really disap-pointed when I got the S card,” he added. He did not see the relation-ship between the distance from his house to his school and the distance he’d have to travel to go to these other locations.
The
This past summer, 19 Boston Latin School students boarded a plane to the U.S. Virgin Islands. But despite the island’s overwhelming beauty, this trip was no simple vacation. The students were conducting a field study, continuing research that had been started by BLS’s inaugural trip the year before.
Accompanying these students were Ms. Cojohn, a math teacher, and Mr. Smith, an earth science teacher. Mr. Smith has been visiting the Virgin Islands annually for the past ten years for scientific endeavors. Together, they guided the students through a study that tracked the effects of the area’s changing sea temperatures on the region’s coral.
This project was sparked in part by a notice put out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) in 2005, which cited a major coral bleaching event in the Caribbean islands that had resulted in “significant coral death,” as high as 25% mortality for certain corals. This coral bleaching is caused by rising temperatures or other factors that “stress out” corals and lead them to expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues that give corals their pinkish color.
The NOAA responded itself in 2005 by holding a series of workshops, and later task forces, committed to tracking coral regrowth. BLS’s trip collects similar data. Students counted fish in the coral reef to track the coral’s success, as fish are indicators of a thriving environment for corals.
In addition to assisting with the ongoing coral bleaching study, each student conducted his or her own personal experiment. One student attempted to find a method of turning salty ocean water into
clean drinking water during his time on the island. He studied two methods, evaporation and electrolysis, to determine which was more efficient (evaporation turned out to be more effective). Another student studied the concept of ocean salinity as an indicator of organisms present in the water. Still others studied the behaviors of specific types of fish, namely squirrel fish and synodontidae. One student tracked sightings of mongoose around the campsite, an invasive species afflicting the island.
The students collected the bulk of their informa-tion primarily by snorkeling around Lameshur Bay surveying coral. There, they quartered off square-meter quadrants of space with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, so they could easily collect data on the number of fish that ended up in those areas. While snorkeling,
they also made note of new species that the students of the 2013 trip had not noticed, and collected data on the diminishing numbers of other species.
As with most travel trips, however, there was room for fun. Students had the option of doing morning dives, where they witnessed sea turtles and giant barracudas that hung under the buoys in deeper parts of the bay. The picturesque island provided many opportuni-ties for taking photographs, most of which fill up multiple galleries on the trip website. Some particularly creative students created raps about their experiences: “we swimmin' in the ocean, but we ain't findin' nemo // the ocean be acidic, we ain't talkin' amino,” was one such rhyme. The students were required to write blog posts about their experiences, which are all available online.
Students seemed to have had a great time in the Virgin Islands. “I loved the trip because it was the best hands-on learning experience I’ve ever had,” said Corinne Gaucherin (I). “[The is-land] was absolutely gorgeous so it felt more like a spiritual experience than a learning experience.” Some students have participated in both U.S. Virgin Island trips. A couple of recent alumni have even attended, and have built their research into their programs of study in college. Mr. Smith and Ms. Cojohn are also extremely pleased with how the trip went. If you want to read more about the students’ findings, visit https://sites.google.com/site/blssciencefieldprogram, a site designed to encompass all field programs run through BLS, which suggests the addition of more in years to come.
Students Conduct Research in the U.S. Virgin IslandsBy Sylvie Stoloff (I), News Editor
U.S. Virgin Islands - Students explore rock formations.
Mr
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M7 Cards Provide Free Rides Seven Days a WeekBy Anton Xue (I) and Sylvie Stoloff (I), News Editors
News: [email protected] (Opinions): [email protected] & Entertainment: [email protected]
Sports: [email protected]
Copy Edit: [email protected] and Design: [email protected]
Photography: [email protected] idea what section?: [email protected]
Join the Argo!Loved the mini-issue? Get involved!
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thE Boston latin school association has proudly supported and funded
Boston Latin School’s sports, extracurriculars, music, academics, and
publications - including the Argo - for over 160 years.
Remember when you were lying on the beach in the middle of August, hot sun warming the sand beneath your feet, just starting to get a little bored of having too much time on your hands? Maybe in the deep, dark recesses of your brain, a little part of you wished that you could just go back to school already? No? You don’t remember that? (Neither do we.) Well, regardless of whether you eagerly desired or fearfully awaited the return to school, as with every year, Labor Day rolled around and here we are again.
So now it’s that time of year. And by “that time of year,” we mean time for the Extracurricular Fair. Time for fall sports and SIS. Time to have no time to sleep. Time to rebuild those calluses that we lost over the summer, the ones that come from gripping a pen too tightly and scribbling too fiercely during infamous FRQs. In short, time for good ol’ BLS.
But, more importantly, TIME FOR ARGO!You can’t possibly think that we forgot the real reason why you dragged your sleepy bodies
out of bed this morning: you heard a rumor that we’d be back. And we are! We’re back and better than ever. Except, this time, that hackneyed saying is actually preaching the truth.
Since this is page two, it’s a bit too late for us to say, “Surprise!”, but watching your jaws drop in marvel at the beauty of our new layout will suffice. Snazzy, huh?! Bet you weren’t expecting it. Well, you can always count on the Argo to throw you a curveball now and again.
Now to introduce ourselves to all you sixies, fresh from 6th grade: your 2014-2015 Editors-in-Chief, Isabelle “the taller” DeSisto and Anna “only slightly shorter” Peng, making your acquaintance.
“Enough introductions!” you say, “I want to know how I can join the Argo!” Of course you do. You want to wow the school with your amazing journalism skills, photog-
raphy prowess, grammar knowledge, knack for graphic design or just plain sparkling personality? You’ve come to the right place! It’s never too early or too late to get involved in the Argo. So come one, come all! Hopefully you got a chance to sign up to our email list at the fair, but if not, just email [email protected] and we’d be happy to add you.
We look forward to a year filled with FPF (and Argo’s even better Final Friday pizza), pool parties on the fourth floor and wonderful, innovative issues of your favorite newspaper.
Forever and always (at least for another 167 days) yours,Isabelle & Anna
ediTors’ noTe
The Argo strives, in accordance with the highest standards of journalism, to inform and inspire its readers, to provide a forum for constructive de bate, and to foster understanding among all members of the Boston Latin School community.
Petere Veritatem
Boston Latin SchoolArgoThe
Every Friday after school, students can be seen playing Ultimate Frisbee on the grass field next to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. Although this sport may look casual from the sidelines, it is athletic and competitive in the heat of the game.
On “frisbee Fridays” the club hosts Ultimate games where all players and guests are invited to participate. Two teams are formed and the game starts off with both teams in their respec-tive end zones at separate ends of the field.
To formally start play, the first
team with the frisbee performs a “throw-off” where a player hucks the disc as far down the field as possible. When the disc is in the air, both teams sprint to the middle of the field for an advantageous position. By the time the frisbee lands, the receiving team is on offense, and the starting team is on defense.
“It’s similar to football,” says Mark Zhang (III). “But the air-time of the disc affects the pace of the game. Though plays can get intense, there’s a certain calmness of a frisbee in flight.”
The goal of the game is simple: to
have one of your team’s players catch the disc in the other team’s end-zone. The tricky part is advancing the disc. Players cannot walk when holding it, so the only way the frisbee can move is through passes to teammates. If a frisbee is dropped or intersected dur-ing a pass, it is considered the other team’s disc.
This sport has a unique combi-nation of characteristics, being both competitive and relaxing. The thrill of the game is something everyone can enjoy, whether your mindset is try-hard or one of leisure.
“Anyone can join the club,” marks Andrew Luo (III), Co-President. “Ev-eryone plays at their own pace, but
players can improve fast. It’s exciting to see so many new members excelling in their skill.”
The games take place on Friday so that players can think less about school work and focus solely on having fun.
“It’s a good way to end your week on a high note,” says Kevin Zhang (III), Co-President of the club, “and a good transition to a relaxing weekend.”
You can catch the Ultimate Fris-bee club every Friday, playing through rain or shine, snow or sleet. Clearly for them, Ultimate Frisbee is not a seasonal sport.
“I’m looking forward to the win-ter,” says Kevin. “Ice makes it more fun.”
Ultimate Frisbee Club Hosts “Frisbee Fridays”By Jeffrey Zhou (III), Assistant Sports Editor
SportsPage 2 Boston Latin School Argo
Editorial BoardIsabelle DeSisto, I
Anna Peng, IISylvie Stoloff, I
Anton Xue, IJonathan Zou, IISophia Tang, III
Ming Ying, IITerry Ni, II
Minh Trinh, II Malcolm DC Ekman, I
Vivian Herbert, IITaran Wise, I
Lily Caffrey-Levine, IIJeffrey Zhou, IIIShirley Zhou, I
Anli Xiang, IYujia Song, ILinda Qin, II
Nathan Han, IIIRiya Thomas, IIAllyson Ping, IIISamantha To, I
Zoe Huang, IKara Jianna Undag, I
Nathan Oalican, III
Editor-in-ChiefEditor-in-ChiefNews EditorNews EditorAssistant News EditorAssistant News EditorForum EditorForum EditorAssistant Forum EditorA&E EditorA&E EditorSports EditorAssistant Sports EditorAssistant Sports EditorCopy EditorCopy EditorAssistant Copy EditorAssistant Copy EditorLayout EditorAssistant Layout EditorAssistant Layout EditorPhoto Editor Photo EditorAssistant Photo EditorAssistant Photo Editor
BLS - Students race to catch the flying frisbee as it approaches them.
BLS - Mark Zhang (III) skillfully tosses the disc.
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September 8, 2013—I de-cided against saying the Pledge of Allegiance. This is because standing for the Pledge, while not wrong, is a trivial matter in the face of more pressing codes of conduct.
Each morning, thousands of BLS students and millions more across the nation rise in stone-faced salute of the flag. Some do it because their friends do it, but there exist others who strongly adhere to the underlying tones of the Pledge: faith in the idea of democracy, representative government and unity, among other beliefs.
Nevertheless, reciting the Pledge, ritually, is no more wrong than right. Words speak more softly than actions. Athe-ists may claim indignation in swearing allegiance “under God,” and the faithful may justify the Pledge under the
vague notion of patriotism, but in effect the Pledge deals no real harm, no true benefit.
“We’re very fortunate to live in a country where we have the option to sit or stand [for the Pledge]. In a lot of countries, you don’t have that right, but we’re protected by the First Amendment,” says Ms. Cousens, guidance counselor at BLS.
One can honor his coun-try by pledging allegiance, but that pledge is empty weight until he actively strives to benefit his community.
When Americans mistake genuine loyalty with the rep-etition of the 31 famous words, they become superficially sat-isfied in a similar way that some routine churchgoers fail to exercise the moral teachings of their religion.
To be sure, this notion of prizing words over action
does not apply to everyone—the United States is a country
filled with everyday heroes and selfless people—and when an individual makes a promise and carries it out, beautiful events transpire.
As Jesse Ventura, Ameri-can actor and politician, once said, “Patriotism is voluntary. It is a feeling of loyalty and allegiance that is the result of knowledge and belief. A patriot shows their patriotism through their actions, by their choice.”
But it is crucial to re-member that the monotonous swearing of an oath is less
significant than carrying out that actual promise.
The prevalent controversy today focuses on the small picture, broiling over the exact context of the Pledge and its un-derlying religious connotation. What many proponents and critics of the Pledge are missing is the big picture, that remem-bering the lines to the Pledge is not as impressive as internal-izing its call to action, whether it be for the army, for the workforce or for family.
Richard Rohr, a Francis-can Friar, was right: “I see little difference in the attitudes of
those who consider themselves Christian and those who are openly secular and agnostic. Most Christian citizenship ap-pears to be clearly right here—on this little bit of very unreal estate.”
In all likelihood, one of the most profound impacts of the Pledge is that everyday Americans can now recognize a piece by Francis Bellamy, who composed the original Pledge in 1892. Given a choice between a society of droning, flag-saluting citizens and a community of intelligent, car-ing individuals with no knowl-edge of the Pledge, most would likely choose the latter.
On a high school level, in a community where nobody can fight for his country or serve it professionally, the Pledge would be irrelevant un-less it were a call for an end to bullying, and for academic integrity. But plagiarism and harassment remain pervasive realities in many schools; fur-thermore, how many about-to-be bullies and cheaters have hesitated before the act, recalling their Pledge earlier that morning?
The fact that we have the right to free speech hangs on all of our tongues. But freedom of thought, which allows us to realize what our words truly symbolize, bears a power just as great.
In short, I honor the Pledge in silence by striving to become the best citizen that I can be.
While I find it unnec-essary to stand and remind myself of my allegiance each day, there is no fault in doing so. The scariest scenario occurs when one stands, salutes the flag, and promptly forgets about it all a minute later.
ForumBoston Latin School Argo Page 3
To Stand or Not to StandBy Ming Ying (II), Forum Editor
By Socrates’ beard, another school year has come upon us! With clubs to join, sports to play, friends to make and tests to take, one may be in a predicament trying to choose the best aspects of this varied experience we call Boston Latin School.
This article will help you decide exactly what to appreciate the most, or at least lessen the regret that some people may feel in coming here. Despite all that exists to complain about (and Argo Forum has covered quite a lot of that, too), you must understand that there’s a lot to love about this brick box in which we spend much of our life.
First of all, one of the best parts of BLS is the student body. After all, it’s hard to hate oneself. Rarely do all the students in a school share so much: we all live in Boston and we all beat out a ton of people on the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam).
Commonalities often inspire friendship. There is no surprise, then, that many of us are able to understand each other easily. When I first walked into this school, I was surprised that the students weren’t divided into distinct cliques. We seemed like one united group. Only after years of inspection could I tell that there were in-dividual groups of friends within this giant mass.
Despite that, anyone in this building, independent of his or her own “friend cluster,” is open to a conversa-tion. Sometimes, I feel that a person I’ve just met and chatted with has known me for years. In classes, I gain new friends simply by sitting next to people for long
enough. I’m not the only one who loves the friendly vibe in this school. When asked about her favorite part of BLS, Saoirse Connolly (II) offered a similar answer: “The students... the camaraderie, and the fact that they help each other out.”
Then there’s the many clubs and activities at this school. A great system here is that any student can start a club if the club has potential members and a teacher to be the advisor. These extracurricular activities allow us to meet people with similar interests.
Nafisa Wara (I), who is active in many school-related activities, claims with excitement that her favorite part of BLS is “definitely all the ridiculously talented and amazing friends that I’ve made! [They are] legitimately invaluable.”
One needs simply to take a walk around the eye-opening Extracurricular Fair to realize the merit of clubs. Even old, wizened upperclassmen at Boston Latin School can feel a sense of amazement simply by looking at the rows upon rows of posters and the loud noise of the crowds. All these people! All these communities that connect them! I’m willing to believe that even if there were a person in this school who hated the world, he or she could find a companion here to bond in united hate.
And of course, we can’t forget about the atmo-sphere. Everyone is genuinely excited about something, and BLS brings it out of the vast majority of us. There’s this liveliness that can’t be matched anywhere else.
Students and staff alike, everyone with a purpose, bustle by each other in the hallways. One can almost reach out and touch the energy in the air. The excitement about going to the Galleria with friends after school, the joy felt when meeting someone new, but also the anxi-ety for the term exam and the exhaustion from having studied for said exam—all these feelings diffuse through the halls of our school.
Now some people are probably thinking at this point, “Isn’t this article overly optimistic? I only came here to get the reputation, when I graduate, of having gone to BLS.”
Ever wonder why BLS has kept its great status for so long? Our renown is sustained by the students that this school is constantly producing. Time and again, we prove the magnificence of Boston Latin School.
The education alone may not draw out the best in us, as we’ve all had our share of useful and not-so-useful teachers, and neither can the kind and helpful people here in this building. Yet all certainly contribute to this strange phenomenon.
So, deal with whatever reasons there are for complaint (or just join Argo Forum—it’s our job to find something we feel strongly about and argue for it). Start appreciating that you’re here at this school, at the Extracurricular Fair, gazing upon all the opportunities that we have created for each other, admiring the en-ergetic atmosphere and running toward all the friends you’ll enjoy.
The Best Parts of BLSBy Terry Ni (II), Forum Editor
Boston Latin School - Some students, in homeroom, remain sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance.
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When students are reminded to say the Pledge every morning, they are in essence being summoned to
commit a worth deed every day.
A&EPage 4 Boston Latin School Argo
A Festivus for the Rest of UsThe first weekend of
September marked the third biannual Boston Calling Music Festival. Music fans gathered from across the country to listen to their favorite bands play at Boston’s City Hall Plaza. However, while artists such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Lorde, Childish Gambino and The Roots were performing down-town, another festival was tak-ing place that was equally as inspiring.
The Jamaica Plain Music Festival (JPMF) had its fourth show on September 6. Local art-ists gathered to perform while residents of Jamaica Plain were joined by other inhabitants of the hub to enjoy a wonderful day of music in the sun. I was first introduced to the JPMF when I attended the second festival in 2012. I was engrossed by the magic of the music, which ranged stylistically from americana folk to heavy alter-native rock to free-form jazz. During the performance of one local JP band, Coyote Kolb, the crowd became a blur of danc-ing Bostonians. Since then, I had participated in fundraisers for the festival’s subsequent incarnations. Through these
fundraisers, which would often occur at the Midway Cafe near Forest Hills, I met many of the colorful personalities that make up the JP music and arts scene.
One member of this scene is veteran rocker, Rick Berlin, whose current band, The Nickel & Dime Band, has been one of the symbols of the JPMF throughout its four years. Rick, along with members of local JP
businesses, such as Tres Gatos and the Midway Cafe, work hard each year to make sure the music fest happens. Since the festival is free, the fundraisers, in addition to donations from the local businesses are what keeps the festival running. Luckily, the JP community fully endorses the independent and self-sustaining mantra of the festival, and the annual turnout reflects that.
This year, the festival kept consistent with its zany and grassroots vibe. My band, Mother Mother Please, had the pleasure of performing along-side such local legends as Talla-hasse and Streight Angular. To both our genuine surprise and delight, BLS’ own Ms. Walshak was performing as well with her band, Surf’s Up Spicoli. Our bassist, the venerable Joseph Weydt (I), whose own band,
Happy Cactus, had just won a battle of the bands the previous weekend, could point out famil-iar faces both behind the stage and in the crowd. In addition to the many BLS students who attended the festival, Mr. Pitts and Mr. Kennelly stopped by to share in the festivities.
The crowd steadily grew until Pinebanks Field, the festi-val’s traditional site, was filled to the brim with faces both new and old. Food truck favorites from around Boston were there to cater to the waxing crowd. JP Licks even created a new flavor especially for the festival, which it served at a discount price via an on-site tent. There were games for children and a steep cardboard slide which could be gleefully ridden with a burlap sack. To make the day even better, the sun shown brightly for the majority of the festival, warming the field as the attendees enjoyed the music. However, the JPMF shared the same fate as Saturday’s Boston Calling, when it was cut short by the flash thunderstorm, but Rick and Co. have assured Bos-ton that next year they will be back with an even bigger and better festival.
By Malcolm DC Ekman (I), A&E Editor
Sweet on SweetgreenBy Vivian Herbert (II), A&E Editor
Boylston Street: a glistening promised land of store after store, each seeming better than the next. As someone who spends enough time eating in the Newbury area that I’m practi-cally a chain restaurant's version of Gordon Ramsey, I’m always on the look out for new food ventures to explore and eventually get ad-dicted to. Enter Sweetgreen: a new installation directly across from the Boston Public Library. I passed by it a few times before it decidedly piqued my interest. Its simplistic white and black frontier isn’t exactly eye-catching, but in a way it speaks to the company’s pure, organic aesthetic.
Now as a self-proclaimed salad person, I know well enough that many people do not share my views about leafy greens. How, I thought, could someone open a restaurant dedicated to only serving salads and soups? It didn’t seem to be a successful business model. So blame me for eating there partially out of doubt and pity. However, as I often am about buying large amounts of ironic pins or believing summer lasts forever, I was wrong.
Upon entering Sweetgreen, one is immersed in an aura of Zen. Casual wooden tables and benches, a large bay window and even an exposed brick wall speak to
the company’s laid-back vibe. A board with a list of the all locations of the farms where they get their all-organic ingredients from stands proudly next to their menu. The glass shield against counter where the customer can hand design a salad is completely clear, so that they can watch it be tossed right in front of them.
As any young pretentious hipster would be, I was in heaven within five minutes. I had done my research, and knew that this place had a lot to live up to as an eatery. Founded in 2007 by three Georgetown students, the restaurant started as a brainchild of a younger generation searching for better versions of fast food. As one of the founders Nathaniel Ru has said: “We started by making healthy eating ac-cessible, approachable, and also cool.” Now it was up to me to determine whether or not a simple salad could contest with some McDonalds French fries.
And you know what? It definitely did. The customizable option allowed me to create exactly the salad I desired, with choices like basil, apples, avocado, sweet potatoes and dif-ferent types of cheeses. Their dressing selection had enough options to make me want to order two. They even had cold press juices and next
level lemonade. Sweetgreen might not attract all audiences, but it’s clear after going there why it
has gained so much popularity as a franchise. Its focus on organic ingredients and sustainability help set it apart as a chain, and its incredible food makes the entire experi-ence worthwhile. After stopping by, there is no doubt in my mind that I am sweet on Sweetgreen.
Jamaica Plain - Rick Berlin & The Nickel and Dime Band performing at JPMF.
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Back Bay- Customers eating in Sweetgreen's outdoor seating.
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