April 22, 2010 - Pingry School

“I’m lovin’ it.” “Diamondsare forever.” “Is it in you?”“Just do it.” “Excellence andHonor.” All of these statementshave an important characteristicin common: theyare, of course, slogans used toattract people to a certainproduct or institution.The difference betweenthem, however, is stark.The first three sloganscome from multi-billiondollar corporations withmulti-million dollar advertisingcampaigns. Thefourth is Pingry’s recenteffort to brand itself.In October 2007, Pingryannounced the launchof “an ambitious newStrategic Plan.” In orderto attract exceptionalstudents, the plan outlinedthe enhancement of“marketing and brandingto ensure that Pingry’sreputation is exceptional.”While some mayoverlook such a phrase,I believe that the issue ofbranding a school raises somepersonal concerns.In the first place, brandingand brand management aretypically corporate actionstaken to increase profit bymaking a comparison withcompeting products morefavorable. Although Pingryis technically a corporation,we are not a business benton making money. We are aschool—a warm, safe, andhopeful place—and branding,because of its associationwith corporations, is intrinsicallythe opposite: cold andheartless.Second, the new sloganseems to imply a state of beingrather than a goal. We areunique because we are excellentand honorable; however,this thinking is inherentlyflawed. We are suggestingTHE PINGRY RECORD COMMENTARY APRIL 22, 2010Concerns With Branding Pingry and Living Up to Our ReputationBy SHAAN GURNANI (V)that we are more excellent andmore honorable than otherschools. Perhaps our students,our graduates, and our facultyare better. However, how canwe make a comparison ifthere is no uniform scale tomeasure these qualities? Wecan’t.Most importantly, we mustfocus on making our schoolactually definitive of thesequalities rather than on makingpeople think that we are. Ifwe continue to build our namesimply through quality of results,people will come to us.We should follow the Latinphrase “Esse quam videri,”meaning “To be, rather thanto seem to be,” by earningand building our reputation. Iagree with Daniel J. Boorstin,the twelfth Librarian of theU.S. Congress, who said: “Animage is not simply a trademark,a design, a slogan or aneasily remembered picture. Itis a studiously crafted personalityprofile of an individual,institution, corporation, productor service.”Pingry is already an amazinginstitution, with greatstudents and faculty, surelyat least somewhat representativeof excellence and honor.As a new junior entering Pingryin September, I had no ideawhat to expect. The stories that Ihad heard about the private schoolenvironment were not very encouraging,and I consequently beganthe school year with a feelingof apprehension. However, as theweeks began to pass, my feelingof uneasiness faded as I graduallyadjusted to the new atmosphere. Itdid not feel like a drastic changefrom life at Voorhees High School,the public school that I had previouslyattended, but it was a changenevertheless, and I eventuallybecame accustomed to all thatis Pingry.Until a couple of weeks ago,however, I had failed to realizehow truly distinctive our school’sculture was. As I sat in front of mytelevision at home, idly flippingthrough channels to see if therewas anything worth watching, Ihappened to land on a local newsstation that was doing a story onVoorhees. Two students had apparentlybeen arrested for involvementin two separate bomb threatsas well as the possession of M-80firecrackers that had spurred threedays of school-wide evacuations.As I listened to the description ofthe circumstances under whichthese events took place, I couldnot help but think to myself thatthe likelihood of a parallel situa-completely strange middle school.tion happening at Pingry was verysmall.Although I do not think Voorheesto be inferior to Pingry becauseof one unfortunate incident,the occurrence prompted me toreflect upon the reasons that hadled me to such a conclusion. Essentially,I asked myself, “Whatmakes Pingry unique?”The first thing that comes tomind is the Honor Code. Thisconstant reminder of the importanceof honorableconduct is a majorfactor when consideringthe overallidentity of Pingry.Such emphasis onmoral behaviorand the consideration of othershas shaped the student body into acommunity that exhibits tolerance,understanding, and respect. Onething that especially surprised meat the beginning of the year wasthe fact that students could leavetheir bags in the hallways withoutHowever, as I stated previously,it is nearly impossibleto find a uniform scale withwhich to measure these twoqualities. Rankings are animportant measurement tool,but they are certainly not everything.In terms of rankings,our students perform well academically,receiving high SATscoresand gaining admission to topcolleges. Athletically, wewin state championships andindividual accolades. Artistically,we showcase students’impressive talent in music, visualarts, and performing arts.Moreover, our teachers areall highly qualified and ourresources and facilities aresuperb. Finally, the qualitiesof students are impressive:many of us serve the communityextensively and careabout world issues.Even so, I would argue thatthere is, and always will be,room for improvement. Forexample, we should encouragestudents to embrace learningoutside of the classroom,by increasing participation inclubs, including the DebateTeam, Model UN, and languageclubs, and publications,including The Pingry Recordfear that their personal belongingswould be stolen. I attribute this illustrationof trust to the presenceof an Honor Code, an equivalentof which I did not have at myprevious school.While the Honor Code maybe the school’s major definingfeature, Pingry also has othertraditions that contribute to theformation of a unique student environment.One such custom is theestablishment and enforcement ofa dress code, generallyseen by thestudent body asa negative aspectof Pingry life. Ican specificallyremember onestudent proclaiming that the dresscode represents an impediment tothe freedom of self-expression. AlthoughI agree with this statementto a certain extent, I also feel thatrules regarding the improprietyof particular items of clothing areunderstandable and justified in anyand Vital Signs. We shouldstimulate students to do communityservice out of a desireto help rather than simplyto complete their requiredhours. We should positionour school to be more globallyoriented, as junior AlbertMagnell suggested in hisrecent op-ed for The Record.For example, we couldshare artwork, music,and athletic highlightswith students aroundthe world. And, whilewe have impressive resources,we should urgestudents to make greateruse of these resources.For example, teachersare usually available,and students should takeadvantage of this by interactingwith them andgaining whatever theycan, even if they don’thave an essay due or needhelp on a math problem.With respect to honor,although we do have anHonor Code, it does applyand should be takenC.Laud (VI) more seriously outsideof the classroom. For example,we should look to theHonor Code in the arts and onthe playing fields. Senior KateDreyfuss quoted the HonorCode in a fall op-ed for TheRecord as she urged studentsto observe proper concertetiquette.Moreover, we are all toofamiliar with the smack talkbetween Pingry and WatchungHills preceding, during, andfollowing the first ice hockeygame; we must continue tofocus not only on athleticexcellence, but also on maintainingour sportsmanship. Inorder to “actively engage thestudent body in its commitmentto the Honor Code,” werecently added the signing andpresenting of the Honor Codeto Convocation proceedings.In years past, the school votedon whether to keep the HonorA New Junior's Discovery of What It Meansto Join a Distinctive High School CultureBy JASMINE OGHAZ (V)B. Hamm Conard (V)What makes Pingry so unique? No, it's not the monstrous clock tower or the pretty yetEssentially, I askedmyself, "What makesPingry unique?"educational institution. Furthermore,the absence of a dress codecan tarnish the image of a schoolif it is taken advantage of. I don’tmean to say that skirt length is directlyproportional to the caliber ofa specific institution, but I concedethat appropriate attire does contributeto a reputation of respectabilityand professionalism.Lastly, class size and the student-teacherrelationship are alsoqualities that set Pingry apart.The relatively small number ofstudents per class creates a moreone-on-one interaction betweenteachers and their pupils. Moreover,the productivity of a classgreatly increases when there arefewer students, especially in thesciences where lab materialssometimes need to be shared. Inaddition, teachers’ willingnessto help students during ConferencePeriod further enhances thestudent-teacher relationship andcontributes to Pingry’s uniqueidentity as a school.Code, and I propose that wereinstate this process. Finally,students should take the HonorCode past the boundariesof school; we are the futureleaders of America, and if weare motivated by self-interestlike the current leaders ofcorporate America seem to be,the economy will be doomedagain and the country mightnever recover.So, will we be able to continueto attract strong facultymembers and exceptional studentswithout actively definingour own reputation? Well,we have done so for almost150 years. However, let’s takea look the corporate world forguidance. Google is undoubtedlythe leading company inEDITORIALPromaramaMy mother went to two proms. She likes to brag about herdates, both of whom were attractive, as you can make out fromthe grainy photographs she keeps in a dilapidated album inher closet. My father didn’t go to any. He chose to skip theminstead. He was one of those kids. And me, as of April 15, I’vegone to three.It’s funny to think where I was at those dances comparedto where I am now. Even just looking at the pictures, I cantell that I was in a different place. For the first Prom, I was a16-year-old sophomore who had managed to secure an olderdate and, accordingly, a highly sought after invitation. It hadbeen my mission to go to Prom with my best friend, who hadluckily managed to find a date as well. We thought we wereunbelievably cool. Once we actually got to the ballroom, wewere obnoxious, abandoning our dates and pretty much overrunningthe dance floor. We had a blast, but I look back at thepictures and realize that I’m standing almost a foot away frommy date, who was more than a full foot taller than me, and amclearly not as a comfortable or confident as I felt.Preparing for Prom junior year was pretty much a microcosmof junior year itself. In the midst of all of the SAT prepping, APexam studying, and college visiting, it was stressful finding adate, and even my dress was difficult to deal with. I could barelybreathe, sit down, or walk in it for that matter. Still, because ofthe people I was with, I had a good time, and my smile in thepictures isn’t nearly as forced or awkward as it was the yearbefore.And this year, well, it was the best one yet. Our table, designatedby an eight of spades playing card protruding from thecenterpiece, was one of the few of twelve people. The grouploitering around it changed throughout the night: everyone atthe beginning to stare at their salads while discussing televisionshows, to a gaggle of girls with aching feet, to Matt Zubrow (VI)who abandoned his own table to eat my dessert. Still, regardlessof who was there, everyone had the same thing to say about howmuch fun they were having. Really, the entire night — fromchatting with Mr. Keating for a ridiculously long time to all ofthe attendees rushing to dance at the first sound of Lil Jon’s voiceat the beginning of “Shots” — felt simple and carefree.I’d like to interject by saying that I didn’t set out to writeabout Prom. It is the cliché to end all clichés. However, lastweek, while I was sitting at the couches, I was contemplatingwhat to write about for my editorial. A friend asked whether Ihad anything to complain about. I asked her what she meant, andshe replied, “I think people are driven to write when they havea complaint. That’s probably why you’re having trouble.”It’s true: I really don’t have anything to complain aboutregarding Prom or anything else. I think these past weeks aresome of the best that I’ve ever had. I’ve finally been able to concentrateon the classes that interest me the most, have had timeto do things for fun, and have adopted a regular sleep schedulefor the first time in three years. And of course, it’s beautifuloutside: it’s hard not to feel happy when you’re driving withyour windows down.So, I guess that brings me to my point in an appropriatelylackadaisical way. Prom is a tradition that takes place everyyear. While the customs associated with it don’t change (dateswill always have to buy each other a boutonnière or corsage,attend some form of a pre-party where their parents can takean insane amount of pictures, and cram themselves into a limowith a group of similarly dolled up teenagers), our state ofmind does. I’ve come such a long way since I was a freshmangiddily imagining what I would wear at my own Senior Promwhile stalking pictures that the upperclassmen had posted onFacebook. And getting here, to this content place senior year,kind of like that ride in the limo full of anticipation of the nightto come, has been well worth the troubles along the way.—Jenny Gorelick3its industry. This multi-billiondollar corporation has a strongreputation and it is admiredfor the quality of its products.Can you quote its slogan?Neither can I. Google doesn'thave a significant brandingor marketing campaign. Infact, the first ad for GoogleI’ve ever seen aired duringthis year’s Super Bowl. Thepoint is Google built its strongname on the product it produces– not simple slogans.So the answer is yes. Yes, wewill continue to attract strongfaculty members and exceptionalstudents to Pingry. Nowthat we have already beenbranded, however, let’s focuson living up to our reputationand improving upon it.

THE PINGRY RECORD SCHOOL NEWS APRIL 22, 2010Mrs. Landau Leads Her Final Holocaust Remembrance AssemblyBy REBECCASPICEHANDLER (V) andSHAAN GURNANI (V)On Friday, April 9, The HolocaustRemembrance Programwas held in Hauser Auditoriumin an effort to remember andlearn from “man’s inhumanityto man.” This year was longtimecoordinator Mrs. Madeline Landau’sfinal assembly.For this assembly, JacquelineMurekatete, a survivor of the1994 Rwandan Genocide, andDavid Gewirtzman, a Holocaustsurvivor, shared their experiencesin order to urge others totake action against hatred andprejudice.As a nine-year-old Tutsichild, Murekatete witnessed theslaughter of her parents and sixsiblings by the majority Hututribe during the Rwandan Genocide.After escaping with hergrandmother to an orphanage,she was adopted by her uncle inQueens and began to assimilateto American culture.Courtesy of Communications OfficeDavid Gewirtzman and Jacqueline Murekatete sharetheir stores.SAC Surprises Student BodyWith Witty Spring AssemblyBy SARAH PARK (IV)The SAC’s Spring Assemblywas held on Wednesday, March10 during morning meeting. Theassembly was a well-kept secret;other than the members, no oneknew what the assembly wasabout or when it was going tooccur. As always, SAC provedthat they could make everyonelaugh amidst the academic pressurethat students face the weekbefore spring break.The assembly began withWill Pinke (VI) playing his versionof Beethoven on the piano,accompanied by a slideshow ofpictures and captions as a meansof mocking his lack of musicalexpertise. He varied his bangingon the keys according to the captionson the slideshow.Pinke’s performance was followedby some witty and amusingremarks about the new roofingconstruction and then a list ofthe Top 10 Faculty AfterschoolActivities, which included comparingbiceps with Mr. NormanLaValette, money bathing withMr. Bradford Poprik, and emailreading with Mr. Quoc Vo.Next up was a video about theoften-discussed issue of cafeteriacleanliness. The video featuredCharlie Laud (VI) and a brigadeof other students as the causeof all of the messes that are leftin the cafeteria. The short filmshowed the students amusingthemselves by spilling drinks,throwing food on the tables, andtaking dishes out of the conveyorbelt and placing them on thetables. Kate Leib (V) liked thevideo because “it relieved someA. Mohin (V)Charlie Laud (VI) wreaks havoc on the cafeteria in ashort film.Now a first year law student atBenjamin N. Cardozo School ofLaw in Manhattan, Murekatetetravels the country to spreadher message of hope, resilience,and faith. Murekatete is workingwith the nonprofit organizationMiracle Corners of the Worldto build a community center inRwanda for genocide survivors.Gewirtzman experienced asimilar situation at age 11 whenthe Germans invaded his smallPolish town during World WarII. After being consigned to aghetto, where he was forced towear the Star of David and abideby other restrictions imposed bythe Nazis, Gewirtzman hid withhis family under a local farmer’spigsty for two years.A truly fortunate man, he wasone of the sixteen out of 8,000Jews that survived from histown. After spending some timein Italy, where he attended theUniversity of Rome, Gewirtzmanimmigrated with his familyto the United States in 1948. Hewas later drafted into the Unitedof the tension surrounding theissue of cafeteria cleanliness,while reminding us to clean upafter we eat.”This film was followed by aseries of short clips: a movie trailerfeaturing Adam Armstrong (V)as a heroic fireman, a mock up ofa fake psychology survey, andjokes about the beard sketchesdisplayed in the hallways.Since waterless urinals havebeen installed in the boys’ bathroomsto conserve water, SACalso devised some ironic slogansand pictures to express their feelingsabout the change.The assembly’s last big videonarrated the story of Jenny Gorelick(VI), one of the only femalesin SAC. The video highlightsthe awkwardness that occursbetween Gorelick and the SACboys whenever she tries to contributeto the meetings.The final part of the assemblywas X-treme Sports, a segmentintroduced earlier in the schoolyear. SAC photoshopped students’sports images to makethem more “extreme.” One ofthe photos featured a boy beingeaten by a shark.Maisie Laud (IV), another ofthe few girls on SAC, “thoughtthe whole assembly went reallywell. We worked really hard oneverything, and from what weheard, everyone was havinga good time.” KC Eboh (IV),agreed, adding that he hopes“SAC will have more assemblieslike this before the end of theyear. They’re so funny!”States Army and ironically wasstationed in Germany.The two speakers connectedfive years ago when Gewirtzmanvisited Murekatete’s highschool in Queens where she immediatelyrecognized someonewhose experience felt intimatelysimilar and binding. In a note toGewirtzman, Murekatete wrote,“At one time I, too, like you, hada feeling of guilt for being alive.‘Why was I left?’ I asked myself.I never really got an answer tothat, but now…maybe I can domy part in making sure that noother human beings go throughthe same experience as I did.”At the assembly, Murekateteand Gewirtzman told their storiesto the audience of faculty andstudents from both the Middleand the Upper School. Gewirtzman’stalk was accompanied bya slideshow presentation withpictures from his lifetime.The speeches were followedby a brief question-and-answersession and the traditional Candle-LightingCeremony led byseniors Erika Lampert and WillPinke in which Murekatete,Gewirtzman, and a few studentswere called to the stage to lightcandles in remembrance ofthose who had lost their lives.The assembly closed with arecitation of the Kaddish, theHebrew prayer for the dead, byGewirtzman.Gewirtzman and Murekatetecontinuously share their storieswith a hope of inspiring youthto learn from the past and stopsuch tragedies from happeningagain. As Gewirtzman stated inCasino Royale Prom Hits theJackpot for Juniors and SeniorsBy NOININ GILBERT (V)On Thursday, April 15,the annual Pingry Prom washeld at the Marriott Hotel inBridgewater. The school wasfilled with prom chatter forthe weeks leading up to theevent. Science and substituteteachers Mr. Andrew Alfanoand Ms. Jill Kehoe spearheadedthe prom committee thisyear, and “Casino Royale,”the year’s theme, came to lifeon the big night. Accordingto Danielle Westerman (V),“Their planning, dedication,and commitment really madefor a great Prom.”As everyone gathered inthe hall outside of the ballroom,students mingled andreceived their seating arrangements.Westerman said,“One of my favorite decorationsof the night were theseating tickets! When I saweveryone’s names on theback of the card I could notget over how creative it was.”The front of the playing cardscorresponded with the cardsin the center of the tables.Continuing the “CasinoRoyale” theme, the tableswere decorated with palmleaves and poker chips. Afterdinner, students made theirway to the dance floor. “TheDJ was great. I thought hereally kept the energy of thenight going. I had so muchfun dancing with my friendsand seeing everyone dancein their Prom attire,” saidAnjana Ganti (V). In fact,there were even a few “danceoffs.”What do you think of the construction Pingry is currently undertaking?5his speech, “No infant is everborn with hatred.” Rather, prejudicesare acquired; therefore, itis the power of today’s youth topromote acceptance rather thanhatred. Gewirtzman’s powerfulwish is, “Holocausts and genocideswill only be found in thepages of history.”John Varvaro (V) said, “Itwas really a different and extraordinaryexperience to hearfrom people actually involvedwith these horrific events.” Hecontinued, “Genocide is clearlya problem which must be dealtwith, and I think the speakers’message that the world mustlearn from the past is vital.” JuliaDowling (V) agreed, saying,“I think that the assembly wasespecially powerful and stimulatingthis year.”J. Dowling (V)Juniors Rebecca Gluck, Chloe Sorvino, and Sam Neibart pose with Aaron Davis (VI).Allie Logerfo (V) said,“The whole night was a completesuccess and you couldjust feel the excitement inthe air.” Ganti agreed, saying,“Whether you were sittingat your table having niceconversation with friends oron the dance floor, everyonecan agree that it was a pictureperfect prom that could havebeen straight out of a movie.”Logerfo summed the night upnicely: “I think everyone reallyenjoyed themselves, andit was a great opportunity tohang out with kids from differentgrades and schools.Everyone looked great too!”Westerman said, “Promwas a complete success thanksto the wonderful Prom Committee.It was a night that noone there will soon forget!”Ja s o n Le v i n e (IV)"It's aninconvenience butwell needed."Liz Jo l l e y (IV)"We should getair conditioninginstead of a roof."Al e x Pa r k e r-Ma g y a r(VI) a n d Br i a nWe i n i g e r (VI)"Highly obstrusiveand, quite frankly,condescending."Ja s m i n Ne a l (VI)"I hope it's done bygraduation."Se n o r Va s q u e z"I think it'snecessary."Courtesy of Yvonne Jeng (IV) and Sarah Meyers (IV)

6Gorillaz's "Plastic Beach" FallsInto Its Own Musical CategoryBy DAN ABEND (IV)The English virtual bandGorillaz is back, this time withtheir third studio album, “PlasticBeach.” Although differentfrom their previous albums“Gorillaz” and “Demon Days,”it is clear that Damon Albarnand his two-dimensional groupcreated something even morespecial with this album.Released in March, “PlasticBeach” has earned solid reviewsGeoff LaTulippe is the screenwriterof “Going The Distance,”a romantic comedy slated forrelease late this summer. Centeredon a couple trying to maintain along-distance relationship, themovie stars Drew Barrymore,Justin Long, Christina Applegate,“Saturday Night Live’s” JasonSudekis, and “It’s Always Sunnyin Philadelphia’s” Charlie Day. Ontop of writing screenplays, Geoffhas also written comedic pieces forgeekweek.com and ESPN.com.Originally from Pennsylvania, hegraduated from James MadisonUniversity and is a huge fan ofPhil Collins.1. What is your writing background?As far as writing professionally,“Going The Distance” is my background.Pre-professionally, I’vewritten in some form or anotherfor as long as I can remember. Ijust always liked stories...and Ialways loved movies. I took acouple of writing classes in college(fiction, short fiction, playwriting,scriptwriting, etc.), but it just madesense to get into the writing thatallowed me to tell stories in movieform. All that said, I worked as ascript reader for New Line Cinemafor 4+ years, so most of my writingCourtesy of Google Imagesand commercial success. Withprogressive musical techniques,unique lyricism, and fantasticguest appearances from artistslike Mos Def, Lou Reed, SnoopDogg, and Mick Jones, “PlasticBeach,” which is often considereda “pop” album, is really ina category all its own.The album starts off withan “Orchestral Intro,” but thendelves into the core of the trackswith the aptly named “Welcometo the World of the Plasticbackground comes from havingread and dissected over 3,000scripts. Once you know what todo – and more importantly, whatNOT to do – you sort of guideyourself into the process.2. What’s your creative process?Honestly, I’m not sure I havea creative process. I sit down andI write. If I’m not feeling whatI’m writing, I stop. If it’s flowingwell, I don’t stop. I can write fivepages in a day or I can write 50. IfI think something I wrote is crap(which happens a lot), I’ll reworkit until I think it’s right or that itat least won’t wreck my career.And once I hand something in,I get prepared to rewrite becausewriting is rewriting, as the oldsaying goes.3. Who are your influences?Influences: John Hughes, CameronCrowe, James L. Brooks,Judd Apatow, Richard Curtis.I’m also a big fan of anyone whohas the freedom to do and saywhatever they want whenever theywant...and yet they choose not toabuse that power.4. Do you remember howmany features you had writtenbefore “Going the Distance?”Hmmmmm. Technically, I hadTHE PINGRY RECORD ARTS APRIL 22, 2010Beach,” which features SnoopDogg. The great symmetrybetween his usual laidback styleand the electric background musicis instantly intriguing.From there, the album keepsthe listener satisfied with itshypnotic, eclectic musical styleand extraordinary lyrics. Thisis most notably demonstratedin “Stylo,” which features MosDef and Bobby Womack. Thesynthesized musical interludesand soulful lyricism create amusical experience that explainswhy the song reachedsuch success as a pre-releasedsingle.The group still keeps the musicalstyles diverse throughoutthe album with some upbeattracks, like “Superfast Jellyfish”featuring Gruff Rhys and DeLa Soul, some slower, deeperones like “Broken,” and tracksthat fall in between these descriptionslike “Some Kind ofNature” featuring Lou Reed.All of these tracks cometogether to provide is a unique,fantastic listening experience.If the listener keeps an openmind when listening to “PlasticBeach,” it’s easy to see whysuch an astounding number ofpeople thoroughly enjoy thisalbum.written two - one in college (afeature-length version of a shortI’d written) and one a couple ofyears ago out here. Both suckedbadly. BADLY. I sent them out toone or two people each and quicklyrealized that not only was neither astory I really wanted to write, butI wasn’t good enough to tacklethem. So I read more, learnedmore, and when I was ready, Iwrote “Going the Distance.” Andthat got a good reaction, which isfantastic, but I still have a hell ofa lot more to learn.5. Personally, I can’t wait tosee “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s”Charlie Day in a bigfilm role. Are you happy with thecasting? Are the actors they castolder than the ones you had inmind?You have no idea how excited Iam about Charlie. No idea. “Sunny”is my favorite show on TVright now, and he was the one guyI wanted badly for that role fromthe first moment, so if I said it wasanything less than awesome, I’d belying to you.As far as everyone else, wegot the types we wanted, thekind of people that could play thecharacters in the script for literallyevery role. It was like some kindof magic trick. I have no ideahow it all came together, but itdid. Originally we were lookingat actors in their early 20's to playErin, but when Drew became anoption there was not a second’shesitation in making the characterjust two or three years older.6. Your script got 14 votes onthe “blacklist.” What are yourthoughts on the “blacklist?” Didyou know about it before yourscript was on it?I was well aware of the blacklistbefore I ended up on it, and itwas a HUGE honor. If you’re anew writer, you want to be on it,plain and simple. No matter what,Mediocre Performances to a LousyScript in "The Bounty Hunter"By CHRISTINE KUMAR (IV)The 2006 film “The Break-Up” grossed around $200 millionworldwide. Although the actingand direction of the film were subpar,it achieved such box-officesuccess because of rumors thatlead actors Jennifer Aniston andVince Vaughn were dating.Unfortunately, it’s the samesituation with Aniston’s newromantic comedy “The BountyHunter.” Despite the critics’scathing reviews, it made about$20 million in its opening weekendpurely because of speculationthat Aniston and co-star GerardButler are dating.“The Bounty Hunter” narratesthe story of Milo, a tough yetsweet bounty hunter, and Nicole,an ambitious metro journalist.The divorcees are reconnectedwhen Milo has to bring Nicole tojail because she skipped a courtappearance so that she could followup on a newspaper article.However, Nicole, who is hoton the trail of a big story, trieseverything she can to wriggle outof his clutches.When Nicole’s amateur detectivework lands her in trouble andMilo becomes the target of thugs,the two begin to rely on each otherfor survival. The two rekindletheir love while solving a drugscandal, leading to the typicalSeniors Charlie Laud and Luke PounderInterview Screenwriter Geoff LaTulippeCourtesy of IMDBDrew Barrymore and Justin Long star in "Going theDistance."Courtesy of Charlie Laud (VI)and Luke Pounder (VI)when your peers, the people whorepresent them and the people whobuy scripts like your work enoughto mention it...well, it was a bigdeal to me.7. Along with the dialogue, thescene description in your scriptis very funny. Do you believehaving funny scene description isimportant?I don’t know if it’s important.A lot of times scene description isjust scene description. Sometimesit helps if it’s minimal and justguides the reader through the scriptquickly. Other times it’s better asalmost prose, descriptive enoughthat it helps draw the reader moreinto the story. With comedy, I thinkyou have a little leeway with thescene description, so if you dropa funny line or two in there, youhelp keep the tone you’re goingfor within the reader’s grasp andhopefully keep them entertainedeven when the characters aren’tspeaking or performing much ofan action.8. Do you have any advice foraspiring screenwriters?I could give screenwritersenough advice to fill a book(hmmm...maybe that’s an idea...),but I think there are a couple ofthings that are paramount: readscripts. Read as many scripts asyou can, both good and bad, producedand never having a chanceto be produced. The good oneswill show you the kinds of thingsyou should be doing - and thebad ones will show you what youshouldn’t be doing, which mightbe even more helpful. Learn threeactstructure, at least in theory, soyou know how to break the rulesthe right way later. And pay attentionto the way people talk andinteract. Stories and concepts aregreat, but if you aren’t accuratelyable to capture humanity and emotion,you’ll never be telling a fullnarrative.happily-ever-after ending.When it comes to acting,Aniston, America’s sweetheart,definitely disappoints. In addition,Butler’s caveman-like qualitiesare a turn-off for the audience.However, the worst part aboutthis movie is the screenplay: it ispredictable and full of clichés. Thelove between Milo and Nicole ispoorly portrayed: they simplyfight with each other throughoutthe movie and seem to have absolutelynothing in common. TheBy MOLLY SCHULMAN (IV)Currently on display in thePingry art gallery is an excitingexhibition put together byPingry alum Jon DeCola ‘01.This is the first time ever atPingry that someone was askedto come in and select the artistsand works to be featured in thegallery. Art teacher Mr. MilesBoyd said that the show features“up-and-coming youngimportant artists from NewYork who are early in theircareers and have been shownbefore at the International ArtFair.”The work in the galleryfeatures bright photographyby DeCola himself, words suchas “stink” and “creep” paintedon a light background, and avariety of sculptures. Paintingteacher Mr. Peter Delmancommented, “The work in theshow is subtle, understated anddemands that the viewer think.It is representative of much ofthe work of younger contemporaryartists.”When one walks around thenew exhibition, the abstractpieces of art require a littleextra thought to decipher theirmeanings. Mr. Boyd commentedthat “there’s some similaritybetween the ways people probe,one of the reasons why abstractart is so interesting. Since allthe pieces of art assembledin the gallery have been puttogether for a reason, it makesone question what the similaritiesare between a ladder withan opaque neon yellow pieceof plastic balancing on it andof a man crouching in a ditch.subplot was focused on a drug andsuicide scandal that was neitherinteresting nor funny.The only enjoyable scenesof the movie came from “SNL”actor Jason Sudeikis’ characterStewart, who plays an awkwardman willing to do absolutelyanything – even endure torture –for Nicole.Overall, “The Bounty Hunter”isn’t a terrible movie, but if youenjoy romantic comedies, justwait for it to come out on DVD.Pingry Alum CuratesProvocative ExhibitAn abstract sculpture featured in the exhibit.A. Mohin (V)The wonderful thing about thisexhibition is that the meaningis all relative.”Students who have beento the gallery find it uniqueand interesting. The contentmakes it hard to understandthe exhibit without spendingtime to think about each work.Jonathan Freinberg (IV) said,“The intentional shadows createdby the sculptures werevery interesting.” Other studentsagree that this show wasvery “thought-provoking” andnoteworthy.DeCola, the 26-year-old curator,is currently living in NewYork City and pursing a careeras a photographer. The show heput together consists of worksmade by fellow contemporaryartists in New York. Accordingto Mr. Boyd, he “did some ofthe most important 9-11 imagesever done.” After being a partof the art program all four yearsat Pingry, he spent his freshmanyear of college at Parsons inNew York and then transferredto the International School ofPhotography.DeCola’s work, which Mr.Boyd calls “tremendous quality,”includes commercial work,fine art, and photography. Someof his works in the exhibitioninclude the double TV imagewith dialogue on the bottom ofthe left-hand wall, an abstractphotograph with bright colors,and another small photographthat is quite hard to decipher.Mr. Boyd asserted, “He’s someoneyou’ll know someday. Iguarantee it.” Judging from thisart show, he’s definitely a forceto be reckoned with.

By NICOLE BLUM (III)On February 27, both theboys’ and the girls’ VarsitySwimming teams won theNon-Public B state championship.The girls captured thetitle for the first time in twelveyears, while this is the thirdstraight state championshipthat the boys have won.The boys won against HolySpirit by a landslide, with afinal score of 109-61. The teamwas led by junior standoutNic Fink, who was named theStar Ledger’s Swimmer of theYear. Fink, who is ranked firstin the state for the 100-yardbreaststroke and second inthe state for the 200-yard IndividualMedley, broke outof his comfort zone at thechampionship meet. He swamthe 100-yard butterfly (56.73)and the 100-yard backstroke(56.66), winning second andthird places, respectively.Other key contributors tothe win were James Ross (IV)and Brandon Moy (VI). Rossplaced first in the 200-yardIndividual Medley, while Moyplaced first in the 50-yard freestyle.Moy was also essentialto securing first place in boththe 200-yard medley relayand the 400-yard freestylerelay. In fact, Holy Spirit wononly one event, the 100-yardBy HAYLEY ADVOKAT (III)This season, the girls’ VarsityBasketball team had theirbest record ever. By the semifinalround of the State Tournament,the varsity squad’srecord was 21-3.The team was named ConferenceChampions when theybegan the North Jersey Non-Public “A” State Tournament,and their unbelievable seasongave them a “bye” for the firstround.The team faced ImmaculataHigh School in the secondround. Pingry Head CoachDavid White called the Immacualatateam “a tenaciousand dogged team that willnot roll over for anybody.”Forward Kelly Kurylak (VI)had a total of ten points and11 rebounds, and Pingry wasvictorious with a score ofbackstroke.Captain Calvin Jones (VI)and assistant captain Nick Gilligan(VI) were very proud ofthe team’s performance, whichallowed them to advance tothe Meet of Champions. “TheMeet of Champions was ourfinal meet, for which we hadbeen training all year,” Gilligansaid. There, the boys deliveredanother amazing performance,“sweeping all of the relays.”“Very few teams in the historyof the Meet of Championshave ever done that,” Gilliganadded. Overall, the boys’team showed an unbelievableseason: they were undefeatedduring the regular season in thecompetitive Skyland Conferenceand were named the bestboys’ team in the state by theStar Ledger.The girls’ team faced atough challenge against BishopEustace, who was favored towin the meet. In the 200-yardmedley relay, Cailee Cassidy(IV), Kathryn Kolb (V), ReganFink (VI), and Morgan Burke(III) established a new schoolrecord with a time of 1:52.42.Alysia Tsui (VI) broke anotherrecord with 59.55 in the100-yard butterfly. Tsui pushedPingry to the lead once againwith her first place 100-yardbackstroke swim (59.82).Captains Meghan Hager44-27.The quarterfinal was againstThe Oak Knoll School’s powerhouseteam. Emily Damstrom(IV) and StephanieHanchuck (V) scored tenpoints each and had a total of17 rebounds. Pingry’s victoryled #2 ranked Pingry to play#3 ranked Paramus Catholicin the Semi-Final round.As expected, it was aclose game with multiplelead changes in every quarter.Despite extraordinary effortsfrom Victoria Morgan (VI),who scored eight points, andthe dedication of the entireteam, Pingry lost in the finalseconds.Lexi Van Beisen (III)thought that the best part ofbeing a member of the teamwas “meeting all the girlsand having fun while workinghard.”THE PINGRY RECORD SPORTS APRIL 22, 2010 7Girls' and Boys' Varsity Swimming End Seasons On TopGirls' BasketballAchieves #2 RankB. Morrison '64(VI) and Gabby Scrudato (VI)were “thrilled with the way thegirls swam.” “Thirty-five personalbest times were achievedat the meet,” Hager said. Mrs.Lee, the girls’ head coach,agreed, saying, “All of theperformances were impressive.Seeing the culminationof everyone’s best efforts andwatching everyone rising tothe occasion was outstanding.”Despite some tense moments,the girls eventually triumphedwith a score of 90-80.The double wins were celebratedby pushing coachesBill Reichle, Judy Lee, andSteve Droste into the Collegeof New Jersey’s pool.Boys' Varsity Ice Hockey Finishes TheirSuccessful Run With Stellar 20-4-1 RecordBy KASIA AXTELL (III)With a final record of20-4-1, the boys’ Varsity IceHockey season was the bestone in school history. Despitea disappointing 3-1 loss toMontgomery in the SkylandConference ChampionshipFinals, the rest of the seasonwas hugely successful withkey wins against schoolssuch as Ridge, Hillsborough,Randolph, Kinnelon, St.Peter’s Prep, and, the team’slongtime rival, ChathamHigh School.Led by senior captainsPeter Martin and Ryan Kiska,senior assistant captainsBrian Weiniger and AndrewLaFontaine, and head coachJohn Magadini, the teampulled off incredible wins inthe new, more competitiveconference. Particularly notablefor the team was beatingMontgomery twice duringthe regular season withfinal scores of 3-2 and 3-0.One of the most disappointinglosses occurred inthe Prep B finals when Pingrylost 5-2 to Morristown-Beard. However, the team isstill enthusiastic about theirseason. “We can’t complain.We had a great run,” Martinsaid.Next year’s team looks tobe just as good, despite theloss of 7 key players: Martin,LaFontaine, Weiniger, Russoniello,Brandon Brier (VI),Pierce Fowler (VI), and Kiskawho was recently namedStar Ledger’s Central JerseyPlayer of the Year. However,top scorer Matt Beattie (V)will lead the team next year,hopefully powering them tomany more victories.“This team will be consideredthe best Pingry Hockeyteam ever because we are theB. Morrison '64first to win twenty games andthe first to finish in the toptwenty overall,” said Martin.And, after finishing the seasonwith a ranking of ninth inthe state, the team definitelyhas reason to be proud of itssuccess.B. Morrison '64

Page8Vo l u m e CXXXVI, Nu m b e r 5 The Ap r i l 22, 2010By AMANDA HULSE (III)Both the boys’ and girls’Varsity Lacrosse teams are offto a great start this year. EachBy KATE LEIB (IV)This spring, boys’ VarsityTennis faces bigger and morechallenging schools in the SkylandConference. The new conferenceincludes seven schoolsnamed to the Star Ledger TopSp o r tSPingry School, Martinsville, New JerseyPreseason Florida Trip Prepares Boys' and Girls' Varsity Lacrosseteam began their preseasonwith a training trip to Florida;the girls traveled to DisneyWorld, and the boys stayednear Orlando.20 last year, but the boys, whoreturn with five varsity starters,believe they will be strongcompetitors.Although matches againstlarger schools will be tough,senior captains Brian Weiniger,Nic Meiring, and David KerrSenior captains Ali Rotatori,Katie Bennett, and KatlynCasey were very happy aboutthe trip and are all excitedabout the upcoming season.B. Morrison '64Boys' Varsity Tennis Joins NewSkyland Conference With High HopesUpcoming Gamesbelieve that the matches willbenefit the team. Weiniger said,“Tougher competition will ultimatelylead to a stronger anddeeper tennis team.”Victor Hsue (V) and JamesChin (VI), two new additions tothe Varsity squad, have moved11:00 AM, Saturday, April 24th - Boys' Varsity Lacrosse vs. Ridge2:00 PM, Saturday, April 24th - Boys' Varsity Baseball SCIAA 1st Round4:00 PM, Tuesday, April 27th - Boys' Varsity Track vs. Warren HillsB. Morrison '643:30 PM, Wednesday, April 28th - Girls' Varsity Golf vs. Bridgewater Raritan4:00 PM, Thursday, April 29th - Girls' Varsity Lacrosse vs. Phillipsburg“The Training trip was beneficialfor all of us, lacrossewiseand in just bringing theteam together,” explainedBennett. She thought that theup from last year’s JV team andare starting at second doubles.Meiring also has high hopesfor another new Varsity player,Henry Gadsden (V). Meiringsaid, “Gadsden, who is new toPingry tennis, has the buddingpotential to boost this year’steam to being a top contender forthe county and state titles.”Weiniger added, “I think it isvital to note that due to freshmanMike O’Reilly, team spirits havenever been higher. Thanks to hisquirky sense of humor and bothhis naïveté and jejune outlook onlife, he has brought stress levelsdown and playing levels up.”The Star Ledger named Pingry,among schools includingCBA, St. Augustine, and Delbarton,as top contenders forthe Prep A state championship.According to Meiring, “Thepast three years, Delbarton hasbeaten us in the Section Finalsof the State tournament.” Headded, “We have been workinghard in the offseason and thepreseason to make this year different.”Kerr and Meiring hopeto make it deep into the Statetournament as doubles partnersthis year.So far, the team has beatenRidge High School and WatchungHills with scores of 3-2and 4-1. However, losses to BlairAcademy, Hillsborough, andMontgomery prove that there isstill room for improvement.Two main goals for the teamthis year are winning the SomersetCounty Tournament andbeating Delbarton in the SectionalFinals of the State championship.Weiniger concluded,“Nearly every match is goingto be tough, and fan support isgreatly appreciated!”“fun times playing on the fieldand in the parks and hotelgave the team members theopportunity to get to knowthose who they didn’t knowvery well and reconnect withthose they hadn’t talked to ina while.”The team was also verysuccessful on their trip, winningseven out of the eightscrimmages they played.Head Coach Michelle Pooleand Assistant Coach MeredithFinkelstein led the team totheir first victory againstMontgomery. The game endedwith a score of ten to seven.The team also beat JeffersonTownship High School 17-6on April 3rd.Rotatori is very happyabout the team this year becauseas she said, “Althoughwe lost some really good playerslast year, we have reallystrong underclassmen whoare rising to the challenge tocomplete the team.”Varsity BaseballStrives to ImproveBy YVVONE JENG (IV)The Varsity Baseball teamis starting their season withsignificant improvements fromlast year. With high expectationsfor the players, thecoaches hope to rebound fromtough losses to Bernards andNorth Warren and improvetheir current record of 3-5.Varsity players are sophomoresDan Keller, Lee Barker,Rob Kiska, Nick Branchina,Ben Ballintyn, Anders Velischek;juniors Ethan Kenny, TimLee, Randy Falk; and seniorsRobby Allen, Simon Greene,David Hamilton, AndrewLogerfo, Freddy Porges, RyanKiska, and captain Ram Sinha.There are a lot of young pitchers,which, according to Allen“will be good to maintain theteam’s standing for the nextfew years.” However, theThe boys’ Varsity team isled this year by senior captainsTyler Zoidis and DylanWesterhold, and by CoachMike Webster.The team had a great tripto World Class Lacrosse inKissimmee, Florida. Theywon scrimmages against TheMiddlesex School and DeerfieldAcademy and lost to theWoodberry Forest Academy.When they weren’t playinglacrosse, the team visitedUniversal Studios and wentto see a movie.In the regular season, theylost their first two games toMontgomery and HunterdonCentral but are still lookingforward to a successful season.As Parker Butler (III)said, “I’ve been waiting forlax season since the summer.”David Soled (III) attested, “Itwill be a good lax season.”He’s hoping “to get a couplewins to break his losing streakin Pingry sports.”seniors are still the backboneof the team. Allen continued,“Hamilton has been solid atthird base, and Logerfo’s extrabatting practice has paid off.”Lee added, “Branchina hasproved to be an impressivecatcher, Keller and Sinha arespectacular pitchers, and Kiskahas been an awesome hitter.”Allen also commented onthe strength of the JuniorVarsity players, saying, “JVhas excelled under the starpitching and leadership ofsophomore Nik Oza. Kellersaid, “The team has potentialto win some games inthe county tournament.”Lee concluded, “Coach Corvinoruns a great program, andhe pushes us to do the best wecan. Although sometimes ourrecord might not show it, wework really hard and are atight team.”B. Morrison '64The Editors would like to thank Mr. Bruce Morrison '64 for takingsports photographs and allowing the Record to use them.