MPH_FNLforWEB2

the Pebble
Winter 2017
MPH’s Olympian
Be the No. 1 HamFan
MPH Rising
Sports Lessons
advice
• culture • food • issues • spotlight

2

winter 2017 | 3

I
typically don’t remember the first day
of a class, but I clearly recall the day I
joined Journalism Workshop. It was
the start of second semester of my freshman
year and the last block of the day. The moment
class started, the staff jumped right into
proofing the entire newspaper before it went
to the printer. The process was fast-paced
and exciting to see; everyone was pitching in,
highlighting (both literally and metaphorically)
the tiniest grammar, punctuation and
JH
spelling errors. People shouted out last-minute
questions, ensuring that there were no
holes in the reporting.
It quickly became clear to me that Journalism
Workshop isn’t your typical class. We
didn’t write stories just to get a good grade.
As journalists, we wanted to bring to you,
the reader, information that impacted our
community.
We keep that same mentality as we prepare
each and every issue. We rally together
around the same motivation for releasing
captivating, fun, thought-provoking stories,
graphics, layouts and designs. We debate and
double check that every aspect of our content
is the way we want it to look, from font size,
to margins, to nut graphs, ledes (journalism
lingo) and endings, to accurate reporting.
But, at the same time, we are constantly
evolving. The configuration of the staff
changes every semester — students graduate
and new people join. Perhaps the biggest
change came last spring, when we switched
from an eight-page newspaper to a 32-page
magazine.
This was the greatest challenge that we
had posed to ourselves thus far. With a magazine
format comes a need for high-quality
graphics and meticulously thought-out designs,
more so than in newspapers. Additionally,
there was no guarantee that we would
have the manpower to pull off quality issues
in the future or even fill more than 30 pages
with content.
In essence, we made the already stressful
process of producing MPH’s premier student
publication that much more difficult. And
with only six students on staff this semester,
some, myself included, doubted whether we
could pull it off.
Despite the challenges, our never-fading
letter from the editor
commitment to journalistic integrity and our
desire to reinvent ourselves for the better was
what drove us to make the circumstances
work.
We each took on more stories. Our
designers went on double time to work on
layouts. We recruited outside writers, photographers
and copy editors, who put so much of
their time and energy into the Pebble. (Thank
you!) And our fantastic advisor, Ms. A, went
triple time in order to help us grow as journalists
and so that you could see the best of
our capabilities in hard print.
So as you look through our content,
you’ll see the final product, but beneath the
surface, each page is the result of a wonderful
process that the staff and I have been blessed
to be a part of. We’ll see Dan’s story and
laugh, thinking about the repeated arguments
we had over its headline — a very select few
(read: Dan) preferred “Sleeping Giant” — or
flip to Chris’ advice column and think back to
the time when he first showed us his brilliant
Forrest Gump poster (we hope you’ll love it
just as much as we do). We’ll smile as we see
Saad’s self-made layout (see HamFan), or
think back to early September, when we had
one of many doughnut parties in Mr. Twomey-Smith’s
room while brainstorming the
story ideas that we now present to you.
For these reasons, I believe working
on the Pebble has been one of the greatest
opportunities I could have been given in my
entire high school career. And I hope you
can join us, not just as readers, but as writers,
photographers, copy editors and designers —
or all of the above — this upcoming semester.
Gain a voice, and join the family.
4

winter 2017 | 5

spotlight
Spotlight
By Jeongyoon Han
Photo courtesy of Casey Gibson
In September, MPH parent Jill
Walsh won two silver medals
at the Rio Paralympics. Yet
Walsh doesn’t flaunt her status. In fact,
she keeps her medals in a closet.
“She is not one to put things about
herself,” said daughter Julia, a senior.
“She’s one to focus on us.”
But when Walsh was diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis (MS) in fall 2010,
life changed for the entire Walsh family.
After months of ENT exams, MRI scans and
other tests, doctors finally diagnosed Walsh’s
vertigo, dizziness, and slight numbness in her
limbs as relapsing-remitting MS. The disease
can have mild to devastating impacts on the
central nervous system and currently has no
cure
Ẇalsh had played sports since high
school and, as an adult, played club soccer
and competed in triathlons. She was determined
to continue.
“Initially, I just thought I would go on
with my life,” Walsh, 53, said.
And for a while, she did, running with
friends and training for her first Ironman
triathlon. But her symptoms worsened when
a major relapse in 2011 left her with bilateral
foot drop, the inability to fully control both
feet.
Other side effects ensued, such as difficulty
with temperature changes, fatigue, hip
pain, left-sided weakness and proprioception,
or not being able to sense parts of her body in
relation to the rest of it.
For Julia, watching her mother tackle
these challenges was difficult.
“You don’t want to think of your parents
as anything but being super healthy,” said
Julia, the youngest of three. “At first it was
kind of hard to see because she would get
discouraged.”
But Walsh never stood idle in the midst
of problems.
“Whatever situation is handed to me, I
think I’m going to handle it with the same set
of rules … the same set of criteria I used to
6

The Silver Lining
MPH Parent Jill Walsh wins two silver medals in Rio
handle things: ‘This isn’t working; what do I
do now?’ ”
With this mentality, she used different
treatments for the symptoms: electric
stimulators, numerous leg braces, wearing
a different shoe on each foot. Eventually,
however, Walsh had to give up activities that
became too difficult, such as triathlons. She
continued cycling but struggled with balance:
every time she slowed down to stop her bike,
she fell over.
“I was pretty miserable because I thought
my time riding a two-wheel bike was over,”
Walsh said.
But at the
2013 Challenged
Athletes Foundation’s
Million
Dollar Bike Ride in
California, Walsh
saw Paralympian
Steven Peace
riding an upright
trike, a racing
bicycle with two
wheels in back instead
of one. They
got in touch, and
Peace urged Walsh
to race competitively
in the parasport circuit. (“Para” stands
for sports made “para”-llel to able-bodied
athletics through adjustments.)
With teenagers still in the house, Walsh
was hesitant, but she eventually gave it a try.
After taking her last ride on a two-wheeled
bike in the fall of 2013, she switched to a
trike. Soon, she was medaling at the Para National
Championships and then at the World
Championships.
By 2015, Walsh had already qualified to
be part of the U.S. Rio Team; she prepped
for the competition as she does for any other
event, attending Rio training sessions, cycling
four days a week, and spending two days each
week working on core strength, balance and
swimming.
And in the end, the work paid off, as she
stood proudly during the medal ceremony
after winning silver medals in the Rio Road
Race and Time Trial events.
“When you have the Team USA uniform
on,” she said. “and you’re standing there and
you see our flag go up, you just feel so proud.
It’s a pretty amazing feeling.”
Walsh’s trainer Ed Ten Eyck said she is
one of the most humble yet competitive people
he knows.
“Her work ethic and desire to not give
in to MS and always find a way to stay active
is amazing and
inspiring,” he said
in an email.
As is
tradition, Walsh
and the rest of the
Olympians traveled
to the White
House after the
Games. She got
teary-eyed before
it was her turn to
greet President
Obama.
“The President
Photo courtesy of The White House
Jill Walsh meets President Barack Obama in the Blue Room on Sept. 29 as part of the
U.S. Olympic team.
said, ‘Oh, you got
a lot of bling,’ ”
Walsh said. “Michelle gave me a big hug, and
of course, with Joe Biden, I said, ‘I’m from
Syracuse,’ and he gave me a really big hug.”
But with the excitement from Rio starting
to simmer down, Walsh is currently focusing
on her activities in Syracuse: biking with local
bike clubs and volunteering, including at the
Campus Shop.
It all ties into her mantra to “live in the
moment,” since she doesn’t know how MS
will impact her life in the future.
“It’ll be a day [when] I can’t do this, but
today’s not that day,” she said, “so I’m going to
take advantage of it.”
With that, maybe she’ll take another
spin at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
winter 2017 | 7

ask an alum
Advice
Coding a Career
MPH alumnus Kent Sutherland enjoyed coding as a student and now it’s his career
By Suzannah Peckham
Photo courtesy of Kent Sutherland
Alum Résumé
Kent Sutherland, Class of 2005
College: B.S. in Computer Science, RIT (2009)
Master’s in Engineering, Cornell University (2010)
Job: Software developer; co-founder of Flexibits, a computer
software company that designs apps that are “enjoyable
and flexible,” according to the website (www.flexibits.com).
Family: Lives in Madison, Wis. with his girlfriend, Sandra.
Career: Sutherland started Flexibits with a friend in 2010.
The company won an Apple Design Award in 2015 for the
app Fantastical 2, a calendar app billed as “the calendar app
you won’t be able to live without.” “They give the award to
about 10 apps each year, so we were really excited to be one
of the winners,” Sutherland said. “When we started building
Fantastical we had hoped that one day we might be in the
running for an Apple Design Award, so it was a dream
come true when it happened.”
Q: What are your responsibilities at your company?
A: Flexibits is me and my partner, Michael Simmons, as well as five other people who work
with us. I’m primarily responsible for software development, but having a small company
means doing whatever it takes to keep things going. While I try to spend most of my time
programming and working on products, if some unexpected problem comes up, then we have
to take care of it.
Q: What was it like building your own company?
A: Before starting Flexibits, I built and distributed a few pieces of software in high school and
college. Writing software was something I enjoyed and that helped me focus once I was out in
the “real world” after graduating from college. The first year after starting the company, we had
no idea if anyone would want to use the app we were making. We kept working through that
uncertainty by focusing on creating something that we wanted to use and were happy with.
That approach has worked well for us, and it makes us feel good about the products we make.
8

Q: What is the hardest part about your job?
A: I don’t think there is one single hardest thing, and I’ll probably give a different answer to
this depending on when you ask me. Right now, one of the hardest things for me is figuring
out what we should be doing that will be the most useful and have the biggest impact. As a
small company we can only do so much at once, so we want to make the most of our limited
resources.
Q: To what do you attribute your success?
A: I was very fortunate to have the pieces that would give someone good odds of success. My
parents helped and encouraged me. I was interested in learning. I spent a lot of time practicing
the skills that I use today. My parents bought a Mac rather than a PC when I was little.
That may seem insignificant now, but Apple had been the underdog up until I graduated from
college. Having lots of programming experience on a Mac suddenly became very valuable. It’s
difficult to point to specific things. The world is complicated, so the best you can do is prepare
yourself as well as you can and keep an eye out for opportunities.
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: I’ve always wanted to be able to make something that others can use and enjoy. While it’s
fun to write code and build something that I want myself, it’s even better to release it to the
world and find out there are others out there that like it. In high school and college I enjoyed
receiving emails from strangers who appreciated the software I wrote, and it still feels good to
get those now. It’s great to be getting on an airplane or standing on the subway and see someone
using the app that we made — both of which have happened. It’s one thing to know in
your mind that people find our apps useful; it’s even better to see it in person.
Q: What did you want to be when you were in high school?
A: I loved working with computers and I’d started to learn programming then. I spent way too
much time in front of a computer in high school, and I still do now. Making apps is a universal
term now, but that’s what I was starting to do in a limited fashion back then.
Q: Have you seen yourself change a lot since then?
A: I’m close to the same person that I was in high school, although I’d like to think I’ve gained
a lot of experience and made myself a better person since then.
Q: How did MPH contribute to your success?
A: At MPH I had the opportunity to take computer science and math courses that wouldn’t be
offered elsewhere. Those courses, combined with programming I did on my own, made it possible
for me to take more interesting courses once I got to college. In my second year I was able
to take higher level courses that would normally have to wait until the third or fourth year,
which really helped me go deeper into what interested me. MPH also gave me a great group of
friends that I still have today, despite us being scattered across the country.
Q: What advice do you have for MPH students?
A: Take advantage of the opportunity to try ideas that may seem far-fetched or ridiculous.
Even if you come up with some idea that seems too complicated or too difficult to make work,
see if you can get something started. Crazy ideas have a way of growing legs, especially at
MPH.
winter 2017 | 9

advice
To Gift or not to Gift
Q: Should I get a birthday gift for
my significant other, even though
we’ve only been dating for a few
weeks?
By Chris Hunter
A: Thank you for the question, anonymous,
and before I answer it, I would like to address
something. My partner in crime, Dan
Albanese, is no longer with us. He moved on
to bigger and better things, like re-tweeting
thousands of things at 1:00 a.m. on a Tuesday.
So I’ll be riding solo this year.
Now, back to the question. Regardless
of how long you’ve been with someone, a gift
shows that you appreciate and are thinking
about them. However, you have to be very,
very careful about what type of gift you want
to buy. The real question here is this: what car
company is best suited for me?
I mean ... how big should I go for my gift?
Well, to that I say: “Go big or go home.”
Buy them a brand new Honda Civic.
By purchasing a Honda for your S.O., this
person will learn more about how much you
care about their safety, as well as Japanese
multinational conglomerate corporations.
And every time they hop in that Civic, they’ll
think about you. Whenever they drive that
car, the only thing they’ll be able to think
about is that sleek, spacious interior. And you,
of course. You’ll always be on their mind!
However, you should leave all the expenses
like gas, oil, and spare tires to them. After all,
you don’t want to seem too clingy.
If a car is not in your price range, then
Graphic by Chris Hunter
may I recommend perhaps a Honda bike? I
suggest getting a touring bike, as it’s one of
the safest bikes, guaranteed. The 2015 Honda
Interstate offers a 1312 cc V-twin engine that
other bike competitors just can’t beat! It even
has a custom windscreen, roomy floorboards,
and, best of all, leather-clad saddlebags. Buying
the bike won’t show that you love them
any less just because it’s less expensive; it’s just
an option for the more casual audience.
But for real now, I would say that you
should get them a gift. Getting a gift for them
does show that you are thinking about them
and that you are interested. It doesn’t have to
be big, maybe just a card with a $15 to $25
gift card to their favorite store. That’s a nice,
small present that doesn’t make you seem
obsessive.
A personalized gift shows that you put
thought into it, and that’s the most important
thing you can do.
10

selfie
“Sounds and Crowns”
MPH Senior knew his career path from the start
By Saad Bukhari
Everything around me impacts my
music. My thoughts, my views
and my experiences in life are all
poured into the songs I write and sing. From
the start, I always knew who I wanted to
be. I started singing at 3, and I always sang
*NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye.” It wasn’t until thirdgrade
chorus that I knew that my life was
going to be devoted to the art of music and
the life it entails. At the end of seventh grade,
I started to consider music as a career.
My oldest brother played piano and
introduced me to all kinds of music, most
importantly Michael Jackson. My friends and
I used to study music artists and eventually
learned how to perform their songs on guitar,
piano and vocals.
Whenever I’m singing, I feel goosebumps,
literal chills from everything sounding right.
Every song I’ve sung connected with my life
and thoughts. “One Man Can Change the
World” by Big Sean was one of them. If I were
to describe how singing/songwriting feels to
me, it is like an athlete winning the gold medal
or even someone finding their true love.
As Muslims, my parents frowned upon
my choice of profession due to religious
restrictions. They were disappointed I chose
to pursue music anyway. My whole family
is very cultural, artistic and poetic, which is
where I think I got my writing talents.
Despite my parents’ initial rejections, I
had to find music on my own. I wasn’t one of
those kids who knew all the old classics like
Billy Joel or The Beatles. It was hard to keep
disobeying my parents, but they came around
as I got older. They still support me, and I
love them for it, but I know this isn’t what
they want for me.
I didn’t start out writing songs. I used to
make covers with friends, and it turned into
a weekly thing. Our first YouTube cover was
Lil Wayne’s “How to Love,” and we got a lot of
compliments from people at my old middle
school. We
decided to
make more
covers as
requested by
family and
friends. We
got hundreds
of views on
YouTube and Photo by Saad Bukhari
eventually a
few thousand.
I began learning songs every week and
practiced for more than three hours every
day. I improved at playing the guitar and
piano by myself. I listened to so much music,
it was ridiculous. If I wanted to learn a song,
I would do it by ear, and eventually I noticed
patterns: the structure of a song and what
notes or chords worked.
In fifth grade, I branched out to popular
music that my friends were listening to. If
it wasn’t for Justin Bieber, I never would’ve
thought that I could make it in the music
industry. A lot of guys wouldn’t listen to him,
but with his widespread fame as a 12-year-old
artist, Bieber showed me that I can do the
same thing as a young artist, so I practiced
and studied his songs.
Other artists like Michael Jackson, Drake,
and Ne-Yo helped me learn about songwriting
and influenced my music. Hip-hop wasn’t
big to me until the end of seventh grade, but
once I listened to it, my life changed and
my knowledge of music exploded. It was so
different from the normal pop. Rappers were
eloquent, they had flow, and they had a lot of
influence on everyone.
Good music artists study the whole
industry. I watched clips of memorable
performances for several hours each week.
People don’t understand how emotional and
time-consuming writing music is.
(Continued on p. 31)
winter 2017 | 11

“Blow Us
All Away”
Impress your friends as the No.1 HamFan
By Sophie Novak
To all “Hamilton” skeptics, I understand if you’re wondering how the story
of the ten-dollar founding father became a hit Broadway musical. How
did a bastard, orphan, son of a whore go on and on, grow into more of a
phenomenon?
Before seeing the show, I admit, I doubted it, too. But after witnessing the
first five minutes of “Hamilton,” I knew that history had its eyes on this show, and
the world would never be the same. Since then, I’ve made it my mission to show
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s elegance and eloquence to as many people as possible.
“The World Was Wide Enough” for more superfans. So all of you out there who
want to solidify your “Hamilton” legacy, listen up:
Know the score
Any diehard “Hamilton” fan knows
that the real genius lies in Miranda’s lyrics,
which tell the story of our founding fathers
and the birth of our nation through rap,
hip-hop and R&B ballads, with dozens of
rhythms, rhymes and lines that reference
famous songs. If you really want to rise up as
a “Hamilton” expert, learn every word of the
score that won 11 Tony Awards. When you
can finally rap along to the music without a
hitch, go over the words “One Last Time.”
Just you wait, your memorization will pay
off eventually. “Say No To This” fundamental
step, and you could be throwing away your
shot at the title of No. 1 fan.
Graphic by Saad Bukhari and Sam Goldman
Find your people
A good obsession can only be fostered
with the help of a support group of equally
obsessed fans. Don’t simply be “Satisfied”
with a subpar group of superfans; look
around, look around, and take your time.
You’re looking for a mind at work, so you
have to be willing to “Wait For It.” Remember,
you’re not “Helpless” in this process of
recruitment; unless your new friends can
get through Lafayette’s entire rap in “Guns
and Ships,” you should consider rethinking
your options. The only catch is that you can
never “Take a Break” from your “Hamilton”
studies, lest your “Right Hand Man” surpass
you as the No. 1 “Hamilton” expert.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of “Hamilton” performs in the
Richard Rogers Theater in Manhattan.
12

culture
Worship Miranda
You better know every award he’s won
(including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and
a MacArthur Genius grant), every last tweet
of his, every single Tony acceptance speech,
like your life depends on it. Believe me, you
won’t regret being able to say “I Know Him,”
and you will never find anyone as trusting
or as kind as Lin-Manuel Miranda. You
don’t want to “Take a Break” and go to bed
thinking, “What Did I Miss?”
While you’re at it, get to know the rest of
the original cast, too. You know you’re on
the right track when you picture Christopher
Jackson instead of George Washington
when someone mentions the historical
figure.
Talk the talk
Do this by slipping phrases from the
show into casual conversation. It’ll help
make “Hamilton” an essential part of your
identity. Summon all the courage you
require, and start by experimenting a bit.
Maybe begin all of your texts with “Dear Sir,
I hope this letter finds you in good health”
for a month. Honestly, if you’re not at the
point where everyday surprises cause you
to sing “the world turned upside down” in
your head, you’re doing something horribly
wrong. (I’m also sorely disappointed in all
of you who’ve been reading every reference
in this guide, rather than singing each one.)
Eventually you won’t “Blow Us All Away”
with your endless knowledge, but that’s OK.
You’ll be “Hamilton’s” No. 1 superfan. “That
Would Be Enough.”
Save your cash
More than anything else, all superfans
want to be in “The Room Where It Happens”
(to the point where, if you’re honest
with yourself, it’s a bit concerning). My final
piece of advice for you “Hamilton” junkies
is to start saving up for 2020 — when you’ll
finally be able to get a ticket.
Actor Christopher Jackson won a Tony Award for his portrayal of
George Washingon in “Hamilton.”
About the author: Sophie Novak is a senior
who has seen Hamilton three times and listens avidly to the
soundtrack. She is well on her way to memorizing the entire
show. Her piece mimics Miranda’s own genius of referencing
iconic lines and artists in his lyrics by weaving lines and
song titles from “Hamilton” throughout. There are 30. Did
you find them all? (Hint: lyrics are in italics and song titles
are in quotes.)
winter 2017 | 13

interactive
Eye Spy!
By Chris Hunter
ANSWER KEY: MAGNETS - ZLOMEK, BLOWFISH - FOSTER, SKULL
- TWOMEY-SMITH, PALLADIUM - LECLERCQ, LARGE COMPASS -
MEEHAN, SAT BOOK - BERNAZZANI, CLUB SODA - VURAL.
14

The teachers had a party in the back of Mr. Gregory’s
room. But it appears they left some of their belongings
in the back! Find the objects these faculty members left
behind in the photo below.
1. Mr. Leclercq
2. Mr. Zlomek
3. Mr. Vural
5. Ms. Foster
6. Mr. Twomey-Smith
7. Mrs. Bernazzani
4. Mrs. Meehan
Photo by Sam Goldman
winter 2017 | 15

Admire the Attire
Men’s celebrity trends take over MPH students
Men’s celebrity
trends take over MPH s
health and beauty
By Saad Bukhari
Take a closer look at what many guys are wearing around
the MPH campus. You might see student-athlete Fares
Awa sporting the Air Jordan XI Low
Navy & Gum basket-
ball shoes while rocking music artist Drake’s OVO Views hoodie.
Awa is just one of many students who
take part in a new
trend of men’s celebrity style, which involves dressing to
resemble the style of famous athletes, musicians or actors by
sporting their
tour or official team gear or their very own
clothing lines.
Whether it’s NBA athlete LeBron James, rapper Kanye
West, or actor
Matthew McConaughey,
celebrities have been
influencing, as well as creating, clothing styles for men, and
many MPH students enjoy the trend.
“There is definitely a presence of celebrity clothing,” said
Awa, a senior.
“People idolize and draw from these celebrities.
I know I do.”
}
MPH alumnus Ato
Arkhurst expresses the celebrity
trends that have become
popular in recent years around
campus. Arkhurst’s style is
influenced by celebrities from
actor Matthew McConaughey to
rappers like A$AP Rocky.
Arkhurst, Class of 2016, has
celebrity clothing for almost his
entire wardrobe.
“Skinny jeans thanks to
Kanye,” he said, “turtlenecks like
Steve Jobs, bombers because of
A$AP Rocky and sometimes
all black to resemble Batman. I
wear what I wear to mirror my
idols because I hope to reach
the same heights as them.”
Celebrity clothing lines can
be found mostly online, sold by
the celebrities themselves or in
stores like H&M or Express.
16
Images provided: TLOP hoodie - Custom City, OFWGKTA Donut hoodie - fitted gear from
eBay, Vans Donut O Authentic - Welcomeleeds.com, OVO hat - Pinterest, Drake Views
hoodie - DealsandThrills , Nike LeBron 13 - sneakerbardetroit.com, Retro Toronto Raptors
Jersey - Pinterest, Air Jordan XI - sneakerbardetroit.com

Saint Pablo Tour
Hat by Kanye
West
Photo Credits: Sam Goldman
Saint Pablo Tour
Hoodie by Kanye
West
OFWGKTA Donut
Hoodie by Tyler the
Creator
Ultra Boost Triple
White 2.0’s by
Kanye West
Vans Donut O
Authentic Shoes by
Tyler the Creator
Freshman Ezra Hanlin wearing clothes
made and inspired by Kanye West
Photos by Sam Goldman
Hanlin wearing clothes made and
inspired by Tyler the Creator
October’s Very
Own (OVO) Owl
Logo Sportcap
Senior Fares Awa
wearing Drake’s
famous brand OVO
and athlete LeBron
James’s shoe brand
Drake Views
hoodie
Retro Toronto
Raptors jersey
Awa wearing
athletic-style
clothing inspired by
the NBA
Nike LeBron 13
Friday the 13th
basketball shoes
Air Jordan XI
Low Navy & Gum
basketball shoes
by Michael Jordan
winter 2017 | 17

food
Good Eats
Three quick and easy vegan breakfasts
By Julia Mettler-Grove
Ending all consumption of animal meat and byproducts may sound extreme to some.
But for me, veganism is a key part of my identity. I have tweaked my diet over the past
17 years, transitioning from an omnivore, to a pescatarian, to a vegetarian, and, finally,
to a vegan, diet. This change impacted how I felt at every meal, giving me a sense of integrity,
mindfulness, empowerment and compassion — not to mention improved sleep and energy
level
Ṁy interest in health has been especially helpful in smoothly transitioning my diet through
being well-informed. That interest flourished a year and a
half ago, when I started a health and wellness blog
called Avocados & Adventures.
To provide you all with some easy, delicious
and healthful dishes — which happen to be
vegan — below are three recipes: Chia Seed
Pudding, Steel Cut Oatmeal and Scrambled
Tofu. Before you think, “I don’t like
tofu,” or, “What is a chia seed?” I urge you
to approach these recipes with a sense of
adventure. And if adventure isn’t enough to
entice you, all three contain a variety of micro-
and macronutrients that will give you
an energy boost, keep your blood sugar stable,
and leave your mind and body feeling
refreshed and ready to power through the
day ahead.
Steel Cut
Oats
About the Author: Julia Mettler-Grove’s blog
Avocados & Adventures is updated weekly. Visit it at
www.avocadosandadventures.squarespace.com.
Ingredients:
Start to Finish:
25 minutes (5 minutes active)
Servings: 4
-4 cups water (and/or non-dairy milk)
-1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
-2 large bananas, mashed
-Pinch of salt
-Toppings (ex. fruit, cinnamon, nut
butter, flax seeds, coconut flakes, maple
syrup, vanilla, coconut oil, nutmeg)
Recipe:
In a medium-sized pot, bring the
liquid to a boil. Add in steel-cut
oats and salt; reduce heat to low. Stir
in the mashed banana. Simmer on
low, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes,
stirring occasionally. When the oats
are creamy and tender, remove from
heat, serve, add toppings, and enjoy!
18

Photos by Lyla O’Hara
Scrambled
Tofu
Start to Finish:
15 minutes (5 minutes active)
Servings: 2
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-One 8-oz. package extra-firm tofu,
pressed, crumbled with a fork
-½ bell pepper, diced
-2 green onion stalks, sliced
-Dash smoked paprika
-Dash crushed red pepper flakes
-Dash turmeric
-Salt and pepper, to taste
-3-4 kale leaves, chopped
Ingredients:
Chia Seed
Pudding
Start to Finish:
3 hrs (15 minutes active)
Servings: 3
-3 cups unsweetened almond milk
-½ cup chia seeds
-1 to 3 tablespoons of pure maple
syrup, to taste
-Toppings (ex. fruit, granola, nut
butter, coconut flakes, cinnamon,
maple syrup)
Heat the oil in a large sauté
pan over medium-low heat.
Add the crumbled tofu, bell
pepper and green onion.
Stir well with the smoked
paprika, red pepper flakes,
turmeric, salt and pepper.
Cook for approximately 5
minutes, until the bell pepper
softens slightly. Add the kale
and let wilt, stirring occasionally.
Heat everything through
and enjoy!
Recipes:
Whisk almond milk, chia
seeds and syrup together in
a bowl. Cover; chill in the
fridge for 2.5 to 3 hours, or
overnight. Stir well, serve,
and top with all the yumminess
(toppings)!
winter 2017 | 19

A
“Hole”
Lot of
Lessons
features
By Dan Mezzalingua
After the fifth consecutive loss by the
boys varsity soccer team this past
fall season, coach Don Ridall got a
shovel and dug a hole at Andrews Field. The
hole represented the team’s losing streak. Ridall
told his players that they needed to bring
Manlius Pebble Hill soccer back to where it
used to be.
The team became determined, and the
next game beat Tyburn Academy, 4-0. The
following morning, defender Nate Barton was
chosen, due to his leadership in the game, to
pick up a chunk of dirt and put it in the hole.
The team chanted “Fill the hole!” as its
journey to put MPH soccer back on the map
began.
The team won four out of their next seven
games, qualifying for sectionals for the 39th
time in school history in October.
Manlius Pebble Hill is primarily known
for having a strong academic program that
tends to paint an image that MPH’s athletic
program struggles tremendously — which is
not always the case. MPH enjoys some athletic
The MPH boys soccer team’s practice field, Andrews Field, is where Coach
Don Ridall inspired his team to make sectionals with motivational talks.
success but struggles with wins and losses due
to low enrollment, limited facilities and a nocut
policy.
Ridall said that teams in the sports program
at MPH have won more than 30 sectional
championships and more than 80 league
championships in the history of the program.
Traditionally, MPH sports excel in the fall.
This past fall, every team qualified for sectionals.
The boys soccer team lost in the first
round, while the girls team advanced to the
second round. The girls tennis team ranked
second in its league, and several players advanced
to the state qualifier.
In the spring, the boys golf team is also
strong. Last spring, the team was 12-0 and was
the Section III small school champion, and
two players moved on to the state qualifying
tournament.
“I think one of the problems is because
we’re such a highly regarded academic institution.
That’s what people think of first, and
20

Photo by Sam Goldman
Beyond wins and losses,
MPH athletes reap benefits off the field
that’s fine,” said Don Ridall, who was MPH’s
Director of Athletics for 40 years.
One obstacle MPH faces is enrollment,
and the numbers show its impact. In 2000 and
2001, the boys soccer team won
consecutive state championships.
In 2002, they made it to the final
four. Then, in 2003, they lost in the
finals. Enrollment was around 600
students then, Ridall said.
MPH’s current enrollment is
314. Enrollment decreased in the
last few years due to the financial
crisis the school suffered in
December 2014. Since then, the
school lost 98 students, which impacted
the sports program.
“I think everyone can name a
few people who were key athletes
on their team who left,” said junior
tennis player Hannah Ebner.
As a result of the crisis, girls
Photo courtesy of MPH
junior varsity tennis was eliminated and girls
lacrosse combined with Onondaga Central
School because there weren’t enough players
to field a team. Several MPH teams have combined
with other schools over the years due to
low numbers. Ridall said sports are a lot about
numbers and how many students participate.
“I think the more students you have, the
better chance you have to have better teams,
because it creates a little bit more of a competitive
atmosphere,” Ridall said.
MPH’s low enrollment forces the athletic
program to have no cuts or tryouts. Yet, even
when enrollment is high, the school has kept
the no-cut policy because it is unique, according
to Ridall.
Some students and coaches agree that this
no-cut policy can make MPH athletics less
competitive since students can play having
no experience. However, it can push students
out of their comfort zone and provide them a
chance to play. It also gives them an opportunity
to learn about sports and possibly discover
a passion they otherwise wouldn’t.
Pat Bentley Hoke, girls varsity soccer
coach, said she loves having no cuts. Bentley
Hoke admires student-athletes’ work ethic
while they understand they may not get
enough playing time to develop due to lack of
JV teams.
“That’s a great learning experience too,
to have a challenge that’s maybe a little bit
beyond your reach,” Bentley Hoke said.
(continued on p. 30)
winter 2017 | 21
The MPH girls soccer team in action earlier this fall. The team
finished the season at 10-5, losing in the second round of sectionals to
Cincinnatus.

features
USA: U Start Again
Syracuse, a top destination for refugees, plays an even larger role in
re-settling due to the conflict in Syria
By Jeongyoon Han
It’s 6:30 on a fall evening when 10-yearold
Alene picks up an unattended iPhone lying
on the table at Hopeprint, an organization
in Syracuse dedicated to refugee assistance.
Children laugh at her jokes as they draw pictures
of their families.
Alene opens Safari and types into Google:
“Kinyarwanda English Translator.” She finds
one dictionary for her native Rwandan language,
but it doesn’t work. Alene moves on to
her next target: finding a Rwandan pop music
video. Success: her favorite pop song starts to
play on YouTube, and she sings along.
Alene left Rwanda with her family as a
refugee in 2014 and has joined Hopeprint’s
support system, attending functions such
as this Nightlife event, a gathering space for
refugees and city students. But even after two
years in the U.S., all that seems to be on her
mind is life back in her home country.
Her story here in Syracuse isn’t a unique
narrative; according to syracuse.com, she is
just one of more than 10,000 refugees who
have come to Syracuse from 42 countries
since 2000. Beth Broadway, President/CEO of
InterFaith Works, an organization that creates
community dialogue between people from
different religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds,
said that all of these refugees face a
difficult transition period.
“It’s a very challenging time,” Broadway
said. “You know, it’s a time when people are
having to face that they won’t be going home
again, or if they do, they’re going to be going
through something quite extraordinary to get
there, so it’s very difficult for people to make
that transition.”
It’s a story that the American public has
heard over and over again: refugees come to
the country because they are persecuted because
of race, religion, nationality, membership
in a particular social group, or political
opinion, according to U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services. Refugees are unable or
unwilling to return home for fear of serious
harm.
And in Syracuse, these people can find a
safe haven. Onondaga County has the highest
refugee acceptance rate per capita in New
York, and the third highest in all of America,
according to syracuse.com. Syracuse’s strong
refugee assistance system, which involves
organizations such as Hopeprint, the Refugee
Assistance Program (RAP) and InterFaith,
is what makes Syracuse an optimal refugee
resettlement location.
But this isn’t to say that the transition
to life in America is easy. Facing economic,
cultural and emotional challenges, refugees
arriving in Syracuse must undergo a complete
transformation of their lives. And while
Syracuse’s long history in welcoming refugees
is undeniable, there still remains work to be
done to make them feel completely at home,
especially with the current refugee experience
becoming increasingly complicated.
Dr. Bruce W. Dayton, Director of the
CONTACT Peacebuilding Program at the
School for International Training in Brattleboro,
Vt., considers it a major accomplishment
that more than 12,000 Syrian
refugees have arrived in more than 200
American cities since 2011. However,
he argued, the confluence of past events
— including Sept. 11, terrorist attacks
in the U.S. and Europe within the past
year, and the rise of ISIS and al-Qaeda
— has fueled a false perception that Syrian
refugees will somehow threaten our security.
Further exacerbating the situation is
the increasingly tense political climate in
America, which has exaggerated our negative
perceptions of refugees, specifically those
from Syria. And many view President Donald
Trump as one of the instigators of such
hateful messages against immigrants and
refugees alike. His message at a Rhode Island
rally in April was quite clear: Refugees are not
22

Noor Chhablani wlecomes a refugee family to
America by placing this card on a bedside table.
Photo by Sam Goldman
winter 2017 | 23

welcome.
“Now here’s one [thing] I don’t like,”
Trump said, as recorded by many media outlets.
“Syrian refugees are now being resettled
in Rhode Island … Just enjoy your — lock
your doors, folks.”
Going further at a Phoenix, Ariz., rally,
Trump referred to refugees as a “Trojan
horse” and even went as far as to suggest that
mosques be put under special surveillance,
according to The Guardian.
Such rhetoric has hurt many refugees,
including 16-year-old Omar Omar and his
cousin, 15-year-old Murjan Abdi. Even
though both came from Kenya to the U.S.
more than 10 years ago, the never-ending
misconception that all Muslims — like themselves
— are terrorists still makes them feel
unwelcome.
“That’s wrong,” Omar said. “It’s tough,
because not all of us do this … He’s [Trump]
accusing all Muslims doing this. Because
we’re Arabic.”
Dayton said Trump’s message has negatively
impacted not only refugees, but also the
nation’s attitude towards them.
“It is such a miniscule fraction of that
community, and to characterize an entire
group according to the actions of a tiny, tiny
fraction is the worst kind of stereotyping and
prejudice that I can imagine,” Dayton said.
“I think that that has really tainted the
way that people see refugees. I think the
public has very much been swayed in viewing
the refugee crisis as being seen as a security
threat, ... instead of the way that I think it
should be seen, which is a humanitarian crisis,
which is a threat to humanity, which we
all have a responsibility to try to alleviate.”
Broadway agrees; Trump’s sentiments
have allowed for a sense of negativity against
refugees to surface. Rather than recognizing
the hardships of a new American, Broadway
said she believes that members of the public
have fears regarding refugees that are not
grounded.
“It’s tough to be in the kind of economy
that we have where so many people are
unemployed; native people, people who were
born here, are unemployed, people who
feel like they haven’t kind of achieved the
American dream, and so there’s this sense of
entitlement around that and how we balance
that with this huge global crisis of refugees,”
Broadway said.
“It’s been a mixed bag. I think that the
current election has really allowed us to have
a picture of the divisions that we have in the
United States about welcoming ‘the stranger,’
which is very much a part of every faith tradition,
but there’s a lot of fear.”
According to Stephanie Horton, Program
Facilitator for the Refugee Assistance
Program — an organization run through the
Syracuse City School District that teaches English
to adult refugees and prepares them for
the job market — this negative environment
can be exacerbated by the fact that Syrian
refugees are coming directly from an active
war region.
“So a lot of our other refugee groups are
coming from more stable conditions … and
they’ve had time to catch their breath, for lack
of a better word. But these folks are coming
out of active, violent situations,” Horton said.
Horton said this can cause a longer
transition, as the change from living in a wartorn
climate to a country in peacetime can be
daunting and arduous.
This challenge to start new lives in America
will become even more pertinent, according
to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a
Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research
organization. MPI has stated that in addition
to welcoming more than 12,000 Syrian refugees
since 2013, the Obama administration
will “significantly increase” the number of refugees
coming into the US — from 70,000 in
2015 to 85,000 in 2016 and 100,000 in 2017.
Photo by Jeongyoon Han
Murjan Abdi (right), gets food during the November International Dessert,
held at Wellwood Middle School in conjunction with Hopeprint.
24

This will directly impact Syracuse, as
Mayor Stephanie Miner has officially promoted
opening the city to more refugees by
joining the Cities for Action coalition, which
consists of more than 118 mayors and county
leaders supporting federal immigration
reform.
Horton and Broadway’s main goal locally
is to try to reduce all of these external burdens
for the families they serve, especially
their Syrian families, so that they can reach a
state of self-sufficiency within a year.
Their role in the resettlement process,
however, begins only once refugees have been
vetted by the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security and the United Nations. Broadway
said normally it takes two to three years to get
the finances, documentation and approval to
enter the U.S., but the vetting process is so extensive
and complex that in extreme cases, it
can take 20. According to Homeland Security,
Syrians must pass two more layers of security
checks than refugees from any other country.
After the Paris attack, the House of Representatives
voted to tighten security. The 20-step
vetting process for Syrian refugees can take at
least two years.
“If terrorists are going to get into this
country, it’s not going to be through the refugee
resettlement programs,” Broadway said.
And when they do manage to arrive in
the U.S., refugees essentially start from the
ground up, which can be disheartening. One
new American encapsulated the entire feeling
to Broadway in one statement: “I’ve come to
realize that U.S.A. stands for You Start Again.”
“There’s inevitably a kind of a disenchantment
that happens,” Broadway said. “You
know, you first come and you think, ‘Oh. I’m
going to America, I’m going to be an American.’
... But then they come here, and it’s hard.
You might come on a beautiful August day,
but four months later, you’re in the depths of
winter. And if you’re from Africa, that can
just be awful for people.”
Refugees are only given $900 to cover
the first 90 days of expenses — including a
security deposit and the first month of rent.
These new Americans must initially rely on
Syracuse’s carefully structured refugee assistance
framework, which remains one of the
strongest frameworks in the U.S., thanks to
InterFaith
Works and
Catholic
Charities.
These are
the two
resettlement
agencies in
Syracuse,
along with
refugee support
groups
such as Hopeprint
and
the Refugee
Assistance
Program.
The
transition
can take
weeks,
months or
Photo by Sarah Smith
Devi, from Nepal, far right, laughs with her
friends after dancing at a Hopeprint event at
Wellwood Middle School.
years, depending on one’s particular circumstances.
While money remains a big issue in
the transition period, according to Horton
and Broadway, the most universal issues that
refugees face are learning English and getting
jobs.
“Learning the language is huge,” Horton
said. “Probably right at the top [of priorities].”
Thirteen-year old Devi, a Nepali refugee
who has been in Syracuse for about two years,
has gradually opened herself to the local
community by performing traditional Nepali
dances. Still, she finds the transition difficult,
namely because of learning English, which
illustrates the huge challenge agencies face in
helping refugees jump over this hurdle.
“I’m so scared,” she said. “I don’t know
how to talk English … don’t know how to
speak English.”
Programs that both RAP and InterFaith
offer help address language issues along with
cultural adjustment. RAP offers English Language
Learners five days a week, from Monday
to Friday.
Different members of the community
have also contributed greatly to help refugees
learn their way around Syracuse. Centro,
Syracuse’s public transportation system, offers
a free learning program so that new refugees
— who mostly live in the city — can become
winter 2017 | 25

Photo by Sam Goldman
MPH teacher Sue Foster helps set up a home located in Syracuse
for a refugee family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
accustomed to what some Americans view
as basic knowledge: buying a bus ticket and
knowing the conventional bus system.
Syracuse Police Department Chief of Police
Frank L. Fowler has also worked closely
with InterFaith, Broadway said, establishing
translation lines for refugees seeking assistance
and a specialized policing unit that
works for their safety.
While Hopeprint and InterFaith can easily
and quickly help new refugee families meet
their basic needs, the bigger challenge is for
refugees to feel connected to the American
community.
U.S. Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, said
that this sense of awareness — for both refugees
and natives — about different cultures
and ideas is crucial.
“Acceptance and appreciation of different
backgrounds and cultures strengthens
our community and our region,” he said in
an email. “It is important that we increase
awareness and coordinate greater local
efforts to unite our community and combat
prejudice.”
Dayton, Horton and Broadway agree
that the most effective way to create a better
climate for refugees in America is to have
more local programs to unite people of
varying backgrounds and to educate local
communities about refugees. Broadway even
argued that the focus should be to foster
cooperation among nations so that the international
community can eventually reduce
wars and conflicts that create refugees in the
first place.
MPH’s Refugee Outreach Club Association
(ROCA) founder Hannah Ebner said she
believes that just increasing awareness regarding
the refugee experience will do much to
help create a more open space for dialogue.
Ebner, who helped start the MPH ROCA
chapter last summer, said she believes that
through awareness projects like clothing
drives, fundraisers and education, millennials
can feel more empowered to assist new Americans.
“I hope I can help other people, people
our age who will go on into future generations
and carry this idea that we can help and
[that] there is always someone to help,” Ebner
said.
Employees at MPH have been doing just
that; led by Sue Foster, Head of the Science
Department, teachers and staff furnished an
apartment with basic necessities for a new
refugee family in November.
But on a more basic level, Dayton said
that perhaps the most effective way to increase
empathy within the U.S. is for the
public to recognize that refugees and native
U.S. citizens aren’t much different.
“It’s easy to demonize and be afraid of
somebody until you meet them and realize
they’re not so different from me,” Dayton said.
“They have the same kind of fears and
dreams and hopes for their children as I do.”
Photo by Sarah Smith
Wellwood students and refugee children mingle at a Hopeprint event at
Wellwood Middle School in November.
26

Graphic by Chris Hunter
A rendering of the new gym
From
with the current gymnasium building
the
and tennis courts. The
Ashes
new gym will be located behind the current gym and library.
MPH embarks on a $5 million campus renovation
By Suzannah Peckham
Hundreds of white cards will lie
beneath the floor of the new Manlius
Pebble Hill athletic center.
Wishes for Manlius Pebble Hill’s future are
scrawled across the cards — student wishes
for things like better Wi-Fi, more desserts
and windmills for renewable energy. Similar
to ashes from a fire, these cards supply the
foundation for something fresh.
The gym, rising like a phoenix from the
ashes of our wishes, will be the first major
physical change to campus as part of MPH
Rising, a school-wide initiative with four
parts: improved campus facilities, increased
faculty compensation, increased financial aid,
and continued program innovation.
These wish cards, like the student signatures
scrawled on the beams of the library
when it was built, represent the hopes of the
community for MPH as it emerges from the
rubble of its recent financial crisis.
“It’s a way to have a little piece of each
community member be part of the building,”
said Jennifer Neuner, Director of Events and
Communications.
Ground was broken for the gym in December
after several delays; the Town of De-
Witt gave approval for construction of both
the fine arts building and the gym on Nov. 3.
MPH plans to finish construction of both in
August. Completion of the gym will allow for
the old gym to be converted into a two-story
visual arts center with administrative offices,
currently in the Farmhouse, on the second
floor. Construction will also follow on a
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathmatics) park, which will be built over
the course of several years.
winter 2017 | 27

“It wasn’t hard to find things to do,” said
Head of School Jim Dunaway. “The hard
thing was which ones to do and which ones
not to do.”
In December 2014, MPH’s financial crisis
almost caused the school to close. The community
raised money to pull MPH out
of the ashes. As part of that recovery,
MPH hired Crane MetaMarketing
in January 2016 to help rebrand the
school.
After months of focus groups and
observations, Crane identified areas of
improvement for the school, including
the need for capital improvements,
and created a slogan, “The MPH Effect,”
that highlights MPH’s best qualities,
which include the school’s unique
classroom methods and accepting
atmosphere.
In January, MPH also unveiled a
new logo, website and color schemes
for the school’s new marketing tools.
The new materials feature some of the
same green and blue colors that have
been added to the hallways and classrooms.
These materials will include
new viewbooks, billboards and radio
segments.
The construction is being funded
by a $5 million donation from the
Mezzalingua Family Foundation.
MPH graduate John D. Mezzalingua,
President of the MPH Board of Trustees,
said MPH will continue to be a
leading school of innovation, helping
to prepare students for an ever-changing
world. Separate donations will
fund the financial aid packages, faculty
compensation increases and other
campus upgrades, such as the new
windows recently installed in Bradlee.
“As we isolate out those unique elements
and begin to articulate them broadly — and it
will happen quickly,” Mezzalingua said in an
email, “those who know MPH will smile and
knowingly nod, and those who don’t know
us will inquire and want to know more about
how we can change their children’s lives.”
MPH worked closely with Crane to assist
with the transition into MPH Rising. Christine
Albetta of Crane said that MPH stands
Photo by Chris Hunter
out among the many schools she has visited.
“[We] were so impressed by your talented
faculty,” Albetta said, “who use so many
different approaches and methods in their
classrooms.”
One of MPH’s best qualities is the rela-
Head of School Jim Dunaway looks over renderings for the new STEAM park and fine arts center. Th
tionships that form between students and
faculty. MPH Rising will highlight that.
“Our faculty are who our students are,”
Dunaway said.
The decision to build the gym was made
rather easily by the board, and staff similarly
saw the need for a bigger communal space. A
bigger gym will allow for benefits to the entire
MPH community, including sports practices
finishing earlier, more seating for assemblies
and more space for gym classes.
28

“We thought that the gym space impacts
student learning and student well-being most
directly, and therefore that prioritized it as
a major need,” said Head of Upper School
John Stegeman.
Some questioned why a new gym was
e art building will be complete in August. The STEAM park will take several years.
prioritized over MPH’s performing arts space,
which many would agree is in need of attention.
The performing arts center has certainly
not been forgotten.
Over the last 15 years, there have been
several plans about what should be built and
where it should be built, Dunaway said, and
these plans have often included a new performing
arts center.
“I would say a performing arts area is
high on the list of next big projects,” Mezzalingua
said.
According to Dunaway, making that
change is challenging. There isn’t space for a
big performing arts center. The barn has value
to many, but it isn’t all that safe anymore,
despite being a staple of MPH.
“Some people would be glad to
see the barn go; in fact, they see it as a
tinderbox waiting to burn,” Dunaway
said. “Others are very attached to it
emotionally, not just people who are
here now but some alums.”
The performing arts curriculum is
a big part of the MPH culture, just as
the sports program is, and MPH wants
to recognize that.
“For those who do athletics, just
as for those who do theater or music,
that’s a big part of who they are and
what motivates them.” Dunaway said.
“There’s no reason our sports can’t be
as impressive as our arts.”
After the completion of the gym,
the STEAM park will be built. The current
gym will then be repurposed as
an admissions and fine arts center, and
also as a replacement of Lehman.
“I think it’s important to note
that it’s more than a new gym,” Mezzalingua
said in his email. “There are
four entirely new spaces —art gallery,
STEAM park, gym, plus the renovation
to Bradlee. These are major moves
that will completely revitalize the
school, and the whole place will feel
like a new campus when they are all
completed.”
Looking ahead five years, Dunaway,
Crane and Mezzalingua share
big ideas and hopes for the future.
The future is bright; MPH Rising
is going to give campus some much-needed
changes — changes that lead further away
from the crisis.
“When I came on board a few years ago,
people were talking about whether the school
would survive,” Dunaway said. “I don’t even
want to hear that. I’m thinking about what
the school is going to look like 100 years from
now, 200 years from now. It will still be here;
it will just look different.”
Manlius Pebble Hill is here to stay.
winter 2017 | 29

features
(continued from p. 21)
MPH also struggles with old and limited
athletic facilities, including a small gym built
in the 1960s, and no track. The current gym
can only fit one, sometimes two, sports at a
time, making scheduling practices difficult.
With the construction of the new gym underway,
many students are excited.
“I think it will definitely inspire more
focus on sports because I guess it shows MPH
is taking a new interest into that besides
academics and performing arts,” said Mariah
Storie, a junior soccer player.
Coaches and students think the school is
underrated for sports. Along with the quiet
success MPH has had, student-athletes learn
lessons that prepare them for life. Though
winning and being more competitive is more
fun, the win-loss ratio is easier to accept when
players learn and develop.
Former MPH soccer player Tim Goldman,
who graduated in 2011, said he was
angry when his parents moved him from
Baldwinsville to MPH because Baldwinsville
is known for its strong sports programs.
However, his time at MPH helped Goldman
succeed both on and off the field. He went on
to play collegiate soccer and work as an intern
for the United States Olympic Committee.
“Winning does not matter at MPH,
but learning the fundamentals of sport
(teamwork, sportsmanship, respect) can be
achieved without winning,” Goldman said in
an email.
These qualities were taught once again
this past year by Ridall. The boys soccer team
lost in the first round of sectionals, but it
achieved its goal and filled the hole.
“Even though the numbers claimed that
we had a losing season,” said sophomore
Grant Lewis, “the filled-in hole said differently.
It showed that we were different. We kept
our chins up, we pushed each other beyond
our limits, and we achieved our goal.”
Photo by Dan Mezzalingua
30
At the boys soccer team’s end-of-season banquet, MPH’s senior captains presented Coach Don Ridall with a golden shovel with
the words “We filled the hole!” written on the blade.

seen at school
The Laptops of MPH
Story & photos by Suzannah Peckham
Stickering your laptop allows for personalization and
differentiation among the many MacBooks at MPH.
Here’s a sample of some creative Upper School designs.
Top Left: Xiaolei (Yura) Quan, Grade 11
Top Middle: Sadie Tenenbaum, Grade 11
Top Right: Philip Lynch, Grade 11
Bottom left: Bianca Melendez Martineau, Grade 11
Bottom right: Brian Wood, Grade 10
(continued from p. 11) The songs I write
are straight from my heart and mind and
things I’ve experienced growing up: finding
love, losing love, wild nights, the sports I
play, my friends, my family, my strengths,
my weaknesses, my story, my mistakes, my
choices and my feelings. It takes a lot out of
me by filling my mind with memories, and I
get caught up in the past. I have many feelings
that I go through that I need to talk to myself
just to cope with it. Sometimes I think I’m
going crazy. But when you hear the right cadences,
the right sounds, and the right words,
it’s all worth it.
My friends and I have been doing everything
we can to be the most memorable
people. We listened to the best music, wore
designer clothes, and socialized. In tenth
grade, I created TYK Sound to give a name
to my group of friends that inspires me and
helps me in my music endeavors.
Right now I’ve put out three original
songs on SoundCloud, but I’ve got books full
of songs I’ve written. I want to be the best
singer/songwriter I can be, and I will spend
most of my time writing songs, studying and
practicing until my name and my music are
on top of every chart.
I always knew who I wanted to be from
the start. I want to be is a music artist.
That will never change.
winter 2017 | 31

issues
Issues
Issues
Make America America Again
Presidential Election causes spike in hate incidents in schools
By Lily Grenis
When Deynaba Farah began
hearing more stories of violence
against Muslims this past year,
she feared for her life.
Farah, who is Muslim, works with youths
at the Islamic Society of CNY. The schoolchildren
she mentors and her five younger
siblings have recently expressed the same
degree of fright to her.
Hatred directed at the American Muslim
community is certainly not new. However,
Farah said it increased during the 2016
presidential election due to President Donald
Trump’s intolerant rhetoric.
“Now that there’s this whole spark of
Islamophobia, it’s almost as bad as it was
when 9/11 just happened,” she said before the
election. “Mr. Trump comes out, and he just
sparks the fire that was going on and it starts
all over again. … Because I wear the hijab, I
am a symbol of what happened that day.”
Trump built his campaign on promises
to build a wall between the United States and
Mexico, deport masses of illegal immigrants
and ban Muslims from entering the country.
Farah, a Syracuse University senior, is
not alone in her assessment. In addition to
the pre-election hostilities she described, hate
incidents toward marginalized groups such as
Muslims, immigrants and African-Americans
skyrocketed after the election. In the 10 days
following Election Day, the Southern Poverty
Graphic by Sam Goldman
Law Center, an American civil-rights organization,
tallied almost 900 incidents of hateful
harassment nationwide. The center counted
any report of intolerance-fueled harassment
against a specific group as a hate incident.
Nearly 40 percent of these incidents took
place in schools, from elementary schools to
colleges.
This alarming statistic
Issu
epitomizes “The
Trump Effect,” a phenomenon coined by
SPLC last spring. In an SPLC study published
in April, more than 50 percent of 2,000 teachers
interviewed reported “an increase in uncivil
political discourse.” Teachers mentioned
Trump five times more frequently than all of
the other candidates combined.
Examples respondents provided included
chants of “terrorist” and “ISIS” directed at
Muslim students and “dirty Mexican” at Hispanic
students. At a high school basketball
game in Indiana, students chanted “Build a
wall” at Latino players on the opposing team.
Comparatively, in SPLC’s November
study, 90 percent of 10,000 educators interviewed
said the election negatively impacted
the school climate. More than 2,500 gave specific
examples of hate with roots in Trump’s
campaign rhetoric.
The day after the election in a Michigan
middle school, video recording captured students
shouting “Build a wall” during lunch;
in a New Jersey high school, a male student
targeted a group of Hispanic girls and told
32

them Trump would deport their families; in a
Massachusetts middle school, a white student
told a black peer to “Go back to Haiti because
this is our country now.”
Teachers reported that they found swastikas,
racial slurs and the Trump tagline “Make
America Great Again” written on school
property.
Maureen Costello, Director of Teaching
Tolerance at the SPLC, said no one should be
surprised that tensions unfold in our nation’s
schools.
“They’re microcosms of our society
that reflect all the divisions,” Costello said
via email after the election. “They are sites
to which most people are assigned, so there
isn’t that kind of self-selective sorting that
happens in other spheres of life, like churches,
es
where people are sorting themselves into
like-minded groups.”
Even an accepting campus such as ours
can’t fully shield students from being impacted
by what’s being said and done across the
country.
Last winter, Head of School Jim Dunaway
sent an email to MPH parents urging
them to look out for Muslim students. He
acknowledged that children can “internalize”
disheartening national happenings, including
hateful rhetoric.
“When students hear and see things in
the media and at school that make them feel
unwanted, misunderstood, even shunned or
hated, they don’t feel emotionally safe, and
it inhibits their ability to learn and flourish,
which are primary goals of a school,” Dunaway
said in an email interview.
MPH junior Isabella Casella is a
first-generation American whose family
immigrated from Brazil when she was 5.
Though she has felt sheltered from bullying at
MPH, she recognizes that hateful words and
actions can be detrimental.
“High school is already stressful enough
for public school students who don’t have the
support we have at MPH, and then having all
this pressure saying that being you is not OK,
it’s going to mentally destroy some people,”
Casella said.
Though time has passed since Trump’s
campaign and his stance on some of his most
potent promises seems to have softened,
Costello said she fears his words will persist.
“Words linger in people’s memories, and
the beliefs that fuel these behaviors won’t go
away just because the election is over,” she
said. “We all remember the unkind and mean
things others say to us. If children and youth
believe that immigrants are bad, including
those in their own classes, I don’t see that
belief disappearing.”
Despite the overwhelming divisions we
face, Americans must do all we can to heal
our country. Costello stressed the importance
of schools “stopping cold” hateful interactions.
She urges teachers to listen to the
voices of students of color and make them
feel valued at school. She calls on students to
ally themselves with targeted peers. Even the
simple gesture of joining someone at lunch
can make a difference.
Dunaway said he believes that the key to
change lies in younger generations.
“I believe our children can rise above
such nastiness and build a better future than
we are offering them,” he said.
Regardless of race, religion or gender, today’s
students are builders of a better future.
We possess the capacity to spread acceptance
rather than resentment.
Our country must not fall to such a low
standard that we allow entire groups of people,
especially children, to be attacked. That’s
not America. Let’s create an environment
in which 21-year-old Farah will never again
worry that her younger siblings won’t return
from school one day.
Let’s make America America again.
winter 2017 | 33

ig picture
Unsung Heroes
Maintenance crew quietly keeps campus safe and up-to-date
big picture
Photo and story by Sam Goldman
Soft wisps of snowflakes cascade from
the sunless sky. As the morning draws closer,
Mike Longden emerges from his basement
“office” and reads the poorly-lit analog clock;
3:30 a.m. He grabs his keys and puts on his
insulated winter boots.
Longden exits the building, stepping on
top of a thick blanket of snow as he unhurriedly
makes his way to the truck. The rugged
old truck whirls on and he lowers the plow.
As the sun rises, Longden unearths more and
more snow, painting a black and white picture
with snow and asphalt. Once the artist
has completed his craft, he parks his truck
and makes his way to the crosswalks to guide
people safely across the roads.
Snow continues to fall as he gazes at his
masterpiece of the neatly-plowed roads, only
to be alarmed by a genuine voice, thanking
him for letting them cross. These nods of
appreciation don’t come often.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s every single day,
but it’s not completely rare,” Longden said.
This is a typical winter morning for the
the maintenance crew, which spends countless
hours tending to the campus. By sacrificing
their early mornings, late night and summer
vacation, the maintenance crew prepares
the school grounds so MPH students can
learn in a comfortable and ever-improving
environment. Yet the crew of six members
receives little to no recognition in the nine
months of the school year. Andrew Park, an
MPH senior, called them the “unsung heroes,”
the “milkmen” of MPH.
“Before anybody is even awake they already
delivered all the milk,” Park said. “They
are modern heroes, man. … I don’t think
they are appreciated enough. We don’t even
know their names. We don’t even know how
many there are.”
In fact, the combined custodial and
maintenance staff will increase in order to
accommodate the rising demands that will
come with maintaining additional buildings
such as the new gym.
The maintenance crew’s typical morning
consists of arriving at 7:00 a.m., though
they often arrive at 3:30 a.m. to deal with the
treacherous Syracuse weather. Once they arrive,
they unlock the doors, coordinate traffic
and the crosswalks and manage daily issues
that the day brings on.
Hundreds of students and parents are
guided through the crosswalk daily.
“There are parents that do talk,” maintenance
staff member Jeff Smith said. “[Sometimes]
we say ‘Hi, have a good weekend,’
and they don’t say anything, they just keep
walking. I feel better about myself because I
know I said what I had to say.”
The soccer field, tennis court and basketball
court aren’t magically set up either.
Hours are spent weekly maintaining MPH’s
athletic facilities. On cold winter nights, some
maintenance crew members stay well past
their regular shift to remove snow, their days
stretching into 12 and 13 hours. Some winter
days that start in the wee hours can stretch
into the evening until the end of basketball
and volleyball games, meaning an occasional
20-hour work day for some.
Once the winter weather has parted,
the job doesn’t let up. In the months outside
of school, the crew spends its time making
improvements on the campus for incoming
students. Over the summer, the maintenance
crew painted the whole school, put in new air
conditioning and windows in Bradlee, along
with more behind-the-scenes work most students
aren’t aware of and is overlooked.
For all the work that the custodial staff
does — both out in the open and behindscenes
— in allowing a smooth start and finish
to each school day, Head of Upper School
John Stegeman put it best.
“They are really the glue,” he said, “that
holds that process together.”
34

Franklin Dunlap assists students
with crossing Jamesville Rd daily.
winter 2017 | 35

MPH MPH