Hourglass 2021-22 Issue 3 Online

hourglass
March 2022
VOLUME 60 ISSUE III DISCE VERUM LABOREM 1888 701 MONTGOMERY AVENUE, BRYN MAWR, PA 19010
The Ludington Library’s Columbus
Statue Faces Calls For Removal
In the midst of the social and racial reckoning that tore down controversial monuments across the
country, a much quieter debate is unfolding right on Bryn Mawr Avenue.
MAREN COHEN ‘24
Staff Writer
In front of the Ludington Library sits
a peculiar statue: a bust of a man with
a sharp upturned nose and a slightly
open mouth, as if catching his breath
mid-speech. The statue, which was a
metallic bronze when it was created 70
years ago, has turned an oxidized teal
over the decades. Its deterioration
mirrors the reputation of the man
it depicts: Christopher Columbus,
a once celebrated explorer whose
legacy is now sparking debate.
Two years ago, another
Columbus statue in Marconi Plaza,
Philadelphia became the center
of controversy and conflict.
According to NBC Philadelphia,
on June 13th, 2020 (in the midst
of the Black Lives Matter protests
following George Floyd’s murder)
a group of armed men surrounded
the statue after rumors circulated
online that it was going to be
taken down.
Counter-protestors
clashed with the group,
leading the city to cover
the sculpture with a
plywood box until a decision
was made. The statue remains
covered in Marconi Plaza, and
legal battles to remove it are still
ongoing.
The statue in front of
Ludington Library has not been as
publicized. The sculpture itself is
not even immediately recognizable
as Christopher Columbus. The
artist, Giuseppe Donato, intentionally
sculpted his statue to share little physical
resemblance with Columbus, “a symbolic
interpretation of all his theories [in finding
America],” said Donato to the Main Line
Times in 1952.
Recently, the Ludington Library has
received requests for removal regarding
Design and graphics by Anna Wang ‘22
Donato’s statue of Columbus. The
President of the Ludington Library Board
of Trustees, Gregg Adelman, said that these
letters and emails, though the Library has
received very few, have all been sent
within around the past six months.
In an interview conducted
over email, Mr. Adelman wrote,
“There have been a few people
who have expressed a desire
to see the statue removed,
while there have been a
couple of people who have
expressed a desire to see
the statue remain. The
Ludington Board is in
the process of discussion
[on] options regarding
the Columbus Statue,
but the Board has not
made any final decisions
yet.”
Lower Merion Township
began discussing the statue’s
“Its deterioration
mirrors the
reputation of the man
it depicts: Christopher
Columbus, a once
celebrated explorer
whose legacy is now
sparking debate.”
future in October 2021. Five months later,
decisions are still being made. According
to Adelman, many factors are being taken
into account, such as the history and age
of the statue in addition to the public’s
opinion.
Meanwhile, the solemn bust continues
to slowly lose its once-metallic shine.
NEWS p. 4
COVID Protocols in the
Athletic Center
The enforcement of COVID
policies such as masking tends
to pose a greater challenge in
the Athletic Center. How do
the athletes and administrators
view this?
centerfold p. 6 Sports p. 9 FEATURES p. 10 Backpage p. 12
Uncovering the history
of our libraries
Libraries have been a fundamental
resource to knowledge since people
began writing history. How have libraries
evolved throughout the years, especially
as we move into a digital age?
Athlete of the Issue:
Devon Shatzman ‘22
Shatzman, a top-ranked
squash player commited to
Cornell, shares strategies
that help her succeed and
ways to balance both sports
and academics.
Life in the residence
apartments
The Residence parted ways
from its hotel roots long
ago, but who still lives there
besides Priscilla? Various
residents discuss their dayto-day
living at Baldwin.
Is social media bringing us
together or pulling us apart?
Are our lives enhanced or hindered by
the growing integration of technology
into our lives? Eesha believes
technology draws us closer, while
Lauren argues that social media lacks
the honesty of in-person interactions.

2 | editorial the hourglass | March 2022
Design and graphics by Anna Wang ‘22 • Graphics by Sophie Cai ‘22
Photos courtesy of Grace Halak ‘22 and Lavender Huang ‘22
The Hourglass
Through History
Looking at past issues of The Hourglass reveals the importance
of journalism in preserving and defining history.
THE HOURGLASS
Editorial Board
Everything,
including The
Hourglass itself,
has a history.
Combing through the
Baldwin archives reveal
old issues of The Hourglass
dating all the way
back to 1945. At first, The
Hourglass was a relatively
insular publication. The
February 1947 issue
is solely composed of
short news summaries
of Baldwin events. Four
columns of uniform text
describe the performance
of a French play, The
Hourglass board’s field
trip to the Philadelphia
Evening Bulletin office, an
assembly speaker’s lecture
about precious gems,
and the refurbishment of
a classroom into a new
music listening room.
Scattered throughout
the pages are announcements
about upcoming
performances and events.
Lavender huang ‘22
In the absence of email,
daily digital bulletins, and
online portals, The Hourglass
probably functioned
more as a true “news”
source for students about
weekly schedules and
events.
These old issues
are a fascinating slice of
everyday life from more
than 70 years ago. Reading
through reports of daily
happenings at Baldwin
is like looking through a
time capsule: the history
of Baldwin and its students
preserved in their own
words.
As the world expanded,
so, it seems, did The
Hourglass. In later issues
from the 1970s and 80s,
Hourglass stories began
looking outside of the
Baldwin community. In
the February 1978 issue,
one student wrote an
article about corruption in
Philadelphia’s Yellow Cab
Grace Halak ‘22
Company, interviewing
a cab driver about
the substandard work
conditions and relating the
situation to union and labor
issues across the country
at large. Another wrote
an opinion piece about
the differences between
private school and public
school education.
Pieces like these
showcase Baldwin students’
intellectual curiosity
and offer insight into
what issues students cared
about most at the time.
Now, the scope of The
Hourglass has broadened
even more, with students
regularly tackling big
topics like environmental
policy, national politics,
and social justice in their
articles. Digital research
tools like databases and
the Internet have massively
increased the amount
of information accessible
to writers, allowing them
to interrogate issues that
matter to them in incredible
depth and detail.
Still present in The
Hourglass, however, is
the spirit and history of
Baldwin itself. Although we
no longer publish reports
of every assembly or sports
game, the daily life and
voices of Baldwin students
are clear in everything we
write and publish.
How will The Hourglass
preserve and shape
history at Baldwin? What
will future generations
of students learn from
reading these issues? These
are questions we always
try to keep in mind. As
a publication, we aim to
capture the spirit, concerns,
and lives of Baldwin
students not just for readers
of today, but for readers in
the future as well.
hourglass
the baldwin school
March 2022
Volume 60 Issue 3
701 Montgomery Avenue,
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Editors-in-Chief
Lavender Huang ‘22 · Grace Halak ‘22
creative Directors
Anna Wang ‘22 · Sophie Cai ‘22
Junior Creative Director
Emily Zhang ‘23
JUnior media director
Sophia Ran ‘23
Photography EditorS
Melody Hao ‘22 · Izzy Antanavicius ‘22
News Editor Izzy Thompson ‘23
Features Editor
Makenna Walko ‘23
Opinion Editor Anna Wetzel ‘22
Sports Editor Marin Horwitz ‘24
Arts Editor Camille Murray ‘22
Media Content Editor
Kaitlyn O’Malley ‘22
FACULTY ADVISORS
Dr. Daniel Benjamin · Ms. Janice Wilke
mission statement
The Hourglass is The Baldwin Upper
School’s newspaper dedicated to
publishing student articles. The
views expressed in The Hourglass
do not necessarily reflect those
of the school or the editors.
content
All content published in The Hourglass
(including but not limited to articles,
designs, graphics, photographs, and
illustrations) are created by Baldwin
students for the exclusive use of The
Hourglass unless otherwise indicated.
corrections
The Hourglass aspires for its content
to be fair and correct, and regrets
when it is not. If you have questions
or comments about our coverage,
contact the Editors-in-Chief at
lhuang@baldwinschool.org or
ghalak@baldwinschool.org.
support
The Hourglass is made possible
through the generosity of the Ruth S.
Hochberger ‘68 Hourglass Sustainability
Fund. The Hourglass is affiliated
with the Columbia Scholastic Press
Association.
Be sure to check us out online at
www.hourglassnewspaper.com
follow us on instagram
@hourglassnewspaper

the hourglass | March 2022
news | 3
Physical Accessibility
at Baldwin
The school’s new campaign claims that
“Baldwin is the Future.” So why are its
structural accomodations stuck in the past?
MAKENNA WALKO ‘23
Features Editor
Though Baldwin has made efforts,
like adding ramps and elevators,
to accommodate injured and
disabled students, many feel that
the school’s design environment remains
inaccessible and antiquated.
Baldwin has already taken steps to
ensure physical accessibility. Upper School
“I guess on one hand,
they’re trying to
preserve the history
of the school. But in
doing that, they could
be excluding people.”
Director Mrs. Reed said, “There is ramp
access to every building and every building
has an elevator that people can get to from
a ramp. It’s not always easy because these
are old buildings, so it’s all retrofitted…
But they are all accessible if, for example,
someone is confined to a wheelchair.”
However, many students
feel that this is not enough.
Violet Paiva ‘23, who tore her
ACL freshman year, said, “To get
into the Schoolhouse, there’s no real
accessible entrance.”
Paiva also expressed concerns
about the Blue Hallway. Paiva said, “It’s
really long, and has random stairs in it.
You’re crutching, you’re exhausted, and
you have to stop, get rid of a crutch, and
get up the stairs. It’s really difficult.”
Lisa Evans ‘23, who has concerns
about her younger sister attending Baldwin
because of her walking disability, said,
“I guess on one hand, they’re trying to
preserve the history of the school. But
in doing that, they could be excluding
people.”
However, Mrs. Reed said that the
school strives to accommodate students
with disabilities. Mrs. Reed said, “We do
our best to accommodate. It might mean
the person would be late to some classes,
because they’d have to do some extra
routes… But there’s a way for that person
to get everywhere they need to be, it’s just
going to take a bit longer and not be as
easy.”
Looking to the future, Mrs. Reed says
accessibility is an absolute necessity. “New
spaces
like the
Simpson
Center and the
Innovation Center are
up to code,” she said.
Mr. Dwyer,
Baldwin’s Chief
Financial Officer,
added, “It’s exciting
to know that with
newer facilities, like
our under construction
Innovation Center, we can
prioritize this work and make
these special new spaces easily
accessible for all students, teachers,
and visitors.”
For now, however, the school’s dated
architecture makes navigating Baldwin
difficult for
students with
disabilities. Until
that is remedied, it will take some students
much longer to “Be There” than others.
Antiquated architecture at Baldwin is often inconvenient to injured and
disabled students.
Design by Cynthia Zhang ‘24
Photography by Lighthouse Wu ‘24

4|news THE HOURGLASS | MARCH 2022
Design and graphics by Cathy Wang ‘23 • Photography by Carly Goldenberg‘22
C ViD PROTOCOLS iN
THE ATHLETiC CENTER
Inconsistencies in Baldwin Athletic’s COVID rules cause confusion among athletes.
SARAH YING ‘22
CALLIE STOLTZ ‘22
SAVANNAH RHODES ‘22
As soon as the Athletic Center
doors open to Upper Schoolers
at 3:30 pm, all of the vigilant
health and safety procedures
followed in the Schoolhouse seem to
change. While mask mandates and
guidelines are strictly enforced in the
classroom, the rules pertaining to indoor
sports are more blurred, with some
confusion developing among athletes since
winter sports commenced.
Although there is a Baldwin Athletics
COVID health and safety plan, some of
the guidelines have proved impractical to
implement exactly.
The plan states that “All studentathletes
must wear masks when they are not
physically active (e.g., on the team bench,
pool deck, observing practice, riding team
buses).”
This seems to mean that, for example,
track athletes are supposed to put on their
masks during resting periods. However,
student athletes say that these resting
periods feel like active participation
because they are either still out of breath
and recovering from running or preparing
to begin the next set in a few moments.
Indoor track co-captain Thea
Rosenzweig ‘22 said, “Nobody is running
and then putting a mask right back on
because it’s not sustainable and is not
really possible.”
Kerrie Snead, Athletic Trainer and
Wellness Coordinator, provided some
clarification on masking rules in the middle
of strenuous competition.
Ms. Snead said, “If you’re
coming out, for example, for a 30
second basketball timeout, you
don’t have to put on your mask;
it’s the extended time periods
where players are sitting
next to each other that
you have to be masked
to avoid any sort of
quarantine.”
Ms. Snead
added, “The
main concerns
from the health
department
are [longer]
team events.
For example,
when the basketball
team is sitting on
the bench together or
having a team meeting,
masking guidelines have to
be stricter.”
Despite Baldwin’s best
efforts to keep its athletes
safe, close proximity
with others is sometimes
unavoidable, especially
in a contact sport like
basketball. Basketball cocaptain
Gabi Pritzker ‘22 recalled
a recent basketball game where she felt
uncomfortable getting close to a team
suspected of being exposed.
Pritzker said, “I
didn’t want to risk not
wearing a mask. There
is always the thought in
the back of my head saying,
‘maybe I don’t really want
to be this close to [the opposing
player]’.”
Basketball co-captain
Kaya Weiser ‘22 added, “While
I feel comfortable with Baldwin’s
players, as I have a general idea of
the behaviors of my peers and their
whereabouts, this is not necessarily true
for opposing teams. Playing against other
teams is always a risk.”
The basketball team in
particular has faced roadblocks
related to COVID; in January,
a COVID outbreak among
team members canceled
a week of practices and
games.
Despite
the challenges,
coaches and
athletic staff
applaud Baldwin
athletes for their
adaptability during
this difficult time. Snead
said, “Everyone just rolls
with all the changes, whether
it’s masks on or masks off, indoors or
outdoors. Everybody has been more than
flexible. It couldn’t be easier to work with
our student athletes.”
Similarly, Director of Athletics
Ms. Glascott-Birch said, “I am grateful
that our school community continues to
follow all protocols that we have in place.
Our students and spectators have been
supportive and understanding of the health
and safety policies.”
At the end of the day, athletes,
coaches, and administrators must accept
the tradeoffs that come with practicing and
competing amid COVID in order to have a
successful season.
Student athletes
follow Baldwin
Athletic’s COVID
protocols by
wearing a mask
when they are
resting.

ANNA WETZEL ‘22
Opinion Editor
Even the most casual horror fans
are familiar with the shaky,
sloppily edited camcorder
footage used to create the found
footage horror flick. Created by the 1980
cult classic Cannibal Holocaust and
popularized by The Blair Witch Project in
1999, the genre has since made its way into
the mainstream, appealing to audiences for
its chaotic, DIY-quality and to producers
for its low production costs.
The most recent entry into the found
footage horror genre is Netflix’s Archive
81. Released in January 2022, the show
tells the stories of Dan, a film archivist, and
Melody, an anthropology student, as they
investigate a potential cult in a New York
City apartment complex. (The remainder
of this review contains spoilers for the
show Archive 81. Read at your own risk!)
The series is set across two timelines:
Melody’s timeline in the 1990s, as she
records her ethnographic findings with
a Sony camcorder, and Dan’s timeline in
the present, as he restores her film that has
since been burned in a mysterious fire that
led to her demise.
The series uses found footage on
Melody’s 8mm film as both a narrative and
visual device. The grainy, pixelated quality
of Melody’s 1990s world creates a distinct
contrast with the high definition present.
When restored by Dan in the present,
Melody’s cassettes are a bridge between
their worlds that become increasingly
entangled as the series advances.
Melody’s timeline is shown in the
first person through her own camcorder
videos, amplifying the viewer’s horror
as her reality, now our reality, becomes
increasingly nightmarish. Her low-quality
film footage draws on the nostalgia of the
home video, seeming familiar even as
she uncovers a dark underworld that feels
entirely strange.
The
“
grainy, pixelated
quality of Melody’s
1990s world creates
a dintinct contrast
with the high
definition present.”
Scenes alternate between the found
footage and Dan’s restoration and viewing
of the footage. He acts as a surrogate for
the viewer at home, following the narrative
of Melody’s video entries just as we are.
The perspective of the viewer and
Dan finally diverge when he realizes that
the cassettes are haunted and that his
material reality is threatened by the evil
spirit inhabiting the film.
This “meta” narrative structure –
Design and graphics by Grace Halak ‘22
the hourglass | March 2022
opinion | 5
A MANIC PIXIE
SCREAM
GIRL COLUMN
involving both the found-footage and
its “finder”– forces us to reconsider the
ostensibly passive role of the viewer.
Initially, Dan is a neutral audience member
just like us, sympathetic but unaffected by
Melody’s horrific findings… that is, until
her reality becomes his.
The neutrality of Melody’s academic
ambitions is also called into question.
Melody enters the world of the Visser
Apartment building as a Ph.D. candidate
Anthropologists
and documentary
filmmakers
“
are
supposed to act as
a neutral presence;
they should engage
with and learn from
their subjects, not
insert themselves
into their lives.”
with the intention of filming a documentary
on the residents for her dissertation
in anthropology. Having no previous
connection to the community she is
entering, she resorts to going door-to-door,
begging for interviews from her neighbors,
to no avail.
Finally, she finds a willing subject: an
unaccompanied, 14-year-old girl named
Jess. Melody does not have permission
from Jess’s mother to interview her and
conducts most of her investigation against
the wishes of the apartment residents.
For someone pursuing a doctorate in
anthropology, Melody knows shockingly
little about professional boundaries and
the ethics of conducting an ethnographic
study, which include principles of
respectful engagement, informed consent,
and cultural sensitivity. Anthropologists
and documentary filmmakers are supposed
to act as a neutral presence; they should
engage with and learn from their subjects,
not insert themselves into their lives.
Eventually, with Jess’s help, Melody
uncovers the Visser’s cult and its dangerous
rituals of human sacrifice and dark magic.
But instead of removing herself from an
unsafe environment, Melody continues
to pry and insert herself into precarious
situations for the sake of anthropological
research.
The horrors of found footage film are
often the consequence of clueless, nosy
young adults who stumble into a nightmare
they created for themselves. Just as we
scream at our TVs when a scantily-dressed
woman in a horror movie descends into
her haunted basement, I want to scream at
Melody, “a Ph.D. in anthropology is not
worth being sacrificed to a Satanic cult!”

6|centerfold
THE HOURGLASS | MARCH 2022
UNCOVERiNG THE HiSTORY OF
OUR LiBRARiES
How have libraries evolved over history to become
what they are today?
IZZY THOMPSON ‘23
News Editor
Design and graphics by Sophie Cai ‘22 and Anna Wang ‘22
Photography by Sophie Cai’22 and Melody Hao ‘22
Libraries are everywhere. You’ll
find them on the second floor
of the Schoolhouse, on Bryn
Mawr Avenue, even in Ancient
Mesopotamia. . . but what could possibly be
similar between our wonderful Anne Frank
Library and the oldest human civilization
archives in history?
According to Britannica School,
one of the earliest forms of writing was
cuneiform, originating from the ancient
Sumerian civilization around 4000 BCE.
Scribes pressed wet clay with rudimentary
symbols representing single syllables or
words, and baked the finished tablets in the
sun or with a kiln.
Libraries were filled with tablets
like these, which were used to record
information until
roughly 2000 BCE. An excellent
example is the Library of Ashurbanipal,
a collection of 30,000 sources found in
ancient Nineveh, Egypt from around 600
BCE. One of these was the original Epic of
Gilgamesh written in Akkadian cuneiform
across twelve tablets.
In the original, ancient library,
librarians organized tablets by series and
names on their ‘spines’ and then placed
them in boxes, baskets, and shelves.
Around 3000 BCE, the Egyptians
began developing hieroglyphics and
writing them in ink on papyrus, a thick
paper material made of papyrus plants on
the Nile river.
According to Britannica School, the
Egyptian pharaoh Rameses II (1279–1213
BCE) built four libraries, one of which
was his own funerary temple in the city of
Thebes. It served a dual purpose: a temple
for the final resting place of a fallen king
and a library filled with educational texts.
According to an article in the Journal
of Pan African Studies, classes were often
taught in these library-temples. At the
temple of Ipet-Isut, there were classes of as
many as 80,000 students taught by teachers
in subjects like astronomy, astrology,
geography, geology, philosophy, and law.
However, the people reading these
ancient texts were few and far between; the
literacy rates in ancient Egypt were only
around 1-2%, according to The Scientific
American. Only the extremely wealthy and
educated could read at all, let alone have
access to a library.
This contrasts dramatically to
the world today, where, according to
ThinkImpact, 88% of America is literate
and libraries are public institutions where
anyone is welcome inside. Libraries have
an additional integral purpose now: to be a
community center in addition to being an
education center.
When asked how people use and
interact with libraries, Mrs. Friedman-Way
answered that librarians try to ensure that
teenagers and school-age children “have a
safe place to go if their home isn’t safe.”
Libraries are still places of learning,
as they were from 4000 years ago, but
they have evolved into something much
more profound: a place of wholehearted
acceptance and support for everyone. As
Mrs. Friedman-Way put it, current libraries
are “places of the people and for the
people.”
Yes, There Were Anti-Maskers
More Than 100 Years Ago
American reactions to mask mandates during the 1918 flu epidemic mirror anti-maskers.
Ms. Welsh helps Bald
students navigate
present-day colle
admissions proce
CAMILLE MURRAY‘22
Arts Editor
Despite two years of
recommendations and
mandates, there are still people
who refuse to wear masks in
public. “Anti-maskers,” although a new
and baffling phenomenon to many of
us today, actually existed 100 years ago
during the 1918 flu epidemic.
During the early months of
COVID-19, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), World
Health Organization (WHO), and other
health officials recommended that face
masks be worn in public and when
gathering with other people. However, an
audible minority of Americans resisted
masking and lockdowns, some going as far
as to protest in the streets over wanting a
haircut and a return to “normal” life.
This, however, is nothing new. In
1918, as the Spanish flu epidemic ravaged
the country, a similar public health
response followed. Americans donned
masks of gauze and cotton cloth, lockdown
orders went into effect, and communities
across the country issued mask mandates
or recommendations.
Organizations such as the American
Red Cross advertised mask-wearing as a
civic duty. In a 1918 issue of the Oakland
Tribune, Oakland Mayor John Davie said,
“[mask-wearing] is sensible and patriotic…
to safeguard our fellow citizens.”
In cities with mask mandates,
punishment for not wearing one was much
more significant than today. According to
the San Francisco Chronicle, the police
arrested hundreds of citizens in San
Francisco for defying mask laws, although
most were disciplined with fines ranging
from $5 to $200.
According to The Conversation,
in 1918, a crowd of 2,000 people called
the Anti-Mask League met for a rally
in San Francisco’s Dreamland Rink
and vehemently protested the mask
requirements.
Defiance rose in Denver, Colorado as
well. One anti-masker said in a 1918 issue
of Rocky Mountain News, “I believe there
is [a] higher power than the authorities of
Denver who is looking after my health.”
Although anti-masking in 1918
was not as partisan as it is today, the
phenomenon of “mask slackers,” as the
American Red Cross called them, is eerily
similar to the anti-maskers in 2022.
According to data compiled by the
New York Times, COVID-19 has killed
more than 900,000 Americans. Protests
against a safeguard meant to protect us are
a dangerous repetition of history.

win
the
ge
ss.
THE HOURGLASS | MARCH 2022
centerfold| 7
HOW UNIVERSITIES CHANGED
THE WORLD OF ADMISSIONS
MARIN HORWITZ
Sports Editor
Harvard’s “Jewish quota” limited the proportion of admitted Jewish students in the 1920s.
But discrimination in the college admissions process is still under scrutiny.
College prep is the reason Baldwin
was created in the first place.
But looking into the past of elite
college admissions processes
reveals a history of anti-Semitic policies
designed specifically to limit Jewish
populations at these institutions.
Harvard will be the main focus of
this article because it was and still is, the
forerunner of elite American postsecondary
education. The current admissions system
was crafted by many schools, but none were
as influential as Harvard. Additionally,
although the focus of the article targeted
discrimination against Jewish populations,
the policies in a place prohibited virtually
all minorities from having access to higher
education at the time.
According to the Library of Congress,
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
hundreds of thousands of immigrants came
to the United States from Eastern and
Southern Europe, specifically Catholics
and Jews. As a result, new movements
against immigrants gained traction in a
predominantly white, Protestant United
States.
All during this time, people known as
WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants)
who ran schools like Harvard noticed the
major influx of Jews into their student
populations. According to Jerome Karabel’s
book The Chosen: The Hidden History of
Admission and Exclusion at Harvard, Yale,
and Princeton, Jewish students made up
21.5% of Harvard’s student population in
1922, a significant increase from only 7%
in 1900.
According to a 2021 amicus brief
for a pending case on Harvard admissions
written by Jonathon Vogel, Harvard
considered Jewish students “repulsive
to wealthy Protestant families” and was
therefore “concerned that a large Jewish
student population would discourage
Protestant students from choosing Harvard
over other comparable colleges, such as
Yale and Princeton.”
Enter Harvard President Abbott
Lawrence Lowell, the namesake of Lowell
Hall. He decided to take responsibility
for eliminating his university’s “Jewish
Problem,” as it was commonly called.
According to Karabel, Lowell’s
solution was to impose a quota that would
limit Jews to 15% of the student body.
Lowell proposed this plan at a faculty
Baldwin students enjoy
the facilities and resources
provided by Anne Frank
Library and Ludington Library.
meeting on May 23, 1922, but it failed to
pass with a 64 - 41 vote against it.
So Lowell proposed a new, subtler
plan to the faculty that involved the
creation of a special admissions committee
whose “primary object… was to consider
the question of Jews.”
He then created new application
questions, such as “Religious Preference,”
“Maiden Name of Mother,” “Birthplace
of Father”, and “What change, if any, has
been made since birth in your own name or
that of your father?” These questions were
blatant attempts to identify Jews in order to
effectively limit their admission.
Lowell also changed the admissions
process and rubric. Suddenly, admittance
depended on highly subjective qualities like
“character” and “personality”, which, as
Karabel wrote, “is a policy that seem[s]…
to be an open invitation to prejudice and
discrimination.”
Lowell’s plan worked. According to
Vogel, “the percentage of Jewish students
in the freshman class fell from over 28
percent in 1925 to 15 percent in 1926…In
fact, for the next 20 years, the percentage
of Jewish students remained at about 15
percent.”
Although Harvard no longer
discriminates against Jewish applicants
as overtly and intensely as it did during
Lowell’s presidency, it still considers
character and personality, a system which
some contend perpetuates discrimination
in the admission process to this day.
Students for Fair Admission Inc v.
Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College
is a pending Supreme Court case in which
Students for Fair Admission Inc (SFFA)
alleges that Harvard’s admissions process
discriminates against Asian American
applicants.
SFFA’s petition for a writ of certiorari
cites research by Harvard’s Office of
Institutional Research (OIR) that found
“evidence that Asians are disadvantaged in
the admissions process and that Harvard’s
‘personal rating’ [is] to blame”.
Statistics reveal that “Asian Americans
receive the lowest personal ratings among
all races, and the negative relationship
between Asian American identity and the
personal rating is statistically significant.”
Harvard admissions officials
contend that race does not affect personal
ratings. Separately, many groups have
criticized SFFA’s case for threatening to
dismantle affirmative action in college
admissions more generally.
Elite universities like Harvard have
become some of the most famous and
prestigious schools in the world, with tens
of thousands of applicants a year. Although
the “Jewish Quota” has faded, the system it
was built on remains and is still the center
of critical discussion and debate today.

8 | arts the hourglass | March 2022
Design and graphics by Greyson Walko ‘25 • Photography by Jaclyn Dichter‘22
Artists of the Issue:
Julie Brose ‘23, Rachel Gopalani ‘23,
and Chloe Watson ‘24
The leads of Our Town discuss discovering their characters for the Maskers’ upcoming performance.
GRACE HALAK ‘22
LIGHTHOUSE WU ‘24
Editor-In-Chief and Staff Writer
If you wander into the Simpson Center after
2:45, you’ll hear joyful laughter coming
out from the auditorium. Students stand
in a circle, put their scripts on the ground,
stretch to relax their bodies, and sing to warm
up their voices.
The Baldwin Theater department is
rehearsing for their annual new show: Our Town,
directed by drama teacher Ms. Alexis Scott,
which will be performed on March 4 and 5. The
classic play, written in 1938, tells the story of
a small town in America through the childhood,
marriage, and death of two of its inhabitants,
Emily and George.
Rachel Gopalani ‘23 plays Emily, and Chloe
Watson ‘24 plays George. The third lead is The
Stage Manager, played by Julie Brose ‘23. All
the actors have been acting since a young age—
Gopalani since eight, Watson five, and Brose
seven. They are all passionate about acting
and find joy in the process of discovering and
formulating a character on their own.
A unique aspect of Our Town is that the
play is self-aware; the characters know that
they’re in a play. This is conveyed through The
Stage Manager, who narrates the story, directly
addresses the audience, and occasionally fills in
some of the roles.
In this production, the actors have been given
significant freedom to interpret their characters
as they choose.
Gopalani said, “I think Ms. Scott is creating
a [good] energy for the actors by saying, ‘Okay,
you can absolutely play with your characters,
and decide what you want the character to be
like.’”
Watson, in particular, has taken advantage
of this freedom to reimagine their character.
Watson said, “I decided to portray George as
Our
Town
The three leads
of the show,
Rachel Gopalani
‘23, Julie Brose
‘23, and Chloe
Watson ‘24, who
play Emily, the
Stage Manager,
and George.
a non-binary character. In terms of personality,
they give off middle-school boy vibes, and in the
original script, they go by ‘he.’”
Gopalani also spoke about the process
of developing her character: “I know how to
characterize Emily because I’ve been there—I
can relate to a young girl who is smart and wants
to prove to everyone that she can do well. But
there are deeper parts of her character that I still
have to understand as an actor.”
Brose said, “I like that [acting] is a challenge
with no right answer. Nobody’s grading you on it
and saying, ‘You did this incorrectly.’ It’s really
just an interpretation.”
Our Town is not originally a musical, but
director Ms. Scott has added songs to the script
to give performers a chance to sing after two
years without musical theater at Baldwin.
Rachel Gopalani ‘23 and Chloe Watson ‘24
singing “The Moon Song” as their
characters Emily and George.
Watson said, “I am excited to sing ‘The
Moon Song,’ which Emily and George sing
when they’re staring out their windows, looking
at the moon. The song speaks what they want to
say to the other person at the moment.”
In addition to adding music, Ms. Scott also
changed the script to make it more suitable for a
present-day performance.
Brose said, “I like that [Ms. Scott]
modernized it by taking out some of the
language that seemed antiquated because that’s
often a problem with performing arts. You can
appreciate what something was done for its time,
but also not see the relevance of it today.”
No matter what kind of show it is, all
three actors agree on how unique the theater
community at Baldwin is.
Gopalani said, “I like that Baldwin is a
close-knit community because that provides us
with a lot of pre-existing chemistry to apply to
the show. A tightly-knit cast makes a tightly-knit
show; theater is unifying.”
Watson said, “We’re like a family.”

the hourglass | March 2022
sports | 9
Athlete of the issue:
Devon Shatzman ‘22
The nationally ranked squash player discusses her athletic career and plans for the future.
KATIE MCMAHON ‘22
Staff Writer
Devon Shatzman ‘22 is a
top-ranked squash player
who also excels in the
classroom. The student
athlete’s hard work has paid off, as
she is set to play squash for Cornell
University next year.
Shatzman began playing squash
when she was 8. Shatzman’s sister,
Alexis Shatzman ‘19, began playing
squash at Baldwin after the Athletic
Center was built in 2008 and inspired
her to do the same.
In her junior year, Shatzman
committed to Cornell
University to play squash at
a Division I level. Her sister
Alexis Shatzman ‘19 is
also currently attending
the university, which
allowed Devon to see
firsthand what her next
four years will look like.
Beyond squash,
Shatzman plans to major
in Health Care Policy,
“
The long hours on the court, on the road,
and in the gym have helped Shatzman
reach a career-high of being ranked number
1 in the country.
Devon Shatzman
‘22 lines up to hit
the ball as she
competes at a
Baldwin squash
game.
Shatzman said, “I always
liked playing sports like tennis,
equestrianism, and soccer, but
squash was always where I had the
most fun and always looked forward
to practices and matches.”
When asked about her practice
and competition schedule, Shatzman
said, “I play at least two hours a
day, plus gym sessions that vary in
length, and I have tournaments every
month.”
The long hours on the court,
on the road, and in the gym have
helped Shatzman reach a careerhigh
of being ranked number 1 in the
country.
Shatzman attributed most
of her success to being “creative
on [the] court and having a very
unconventional way of playing. My
playing style is unique because I
use a lot of deception during rallies,
whereas others usually play up and
down one wall.”
”
a combination of her
favorite concentrations:
economics, politics,
history, and science.
Cornell is one of
the few schools that
offers this major.
When asked
to give advice to
younger student athletes,
Shatzman said, “It’s very
important to
have
a good balance
between academics,
athletics, and social life
[to avoid] a stressful
environment. It can
really help to plan out
your week or even
your month so you can
keep track of all of your
priorities.”
Design by Anna Wang ‘22 and Gemma Young ‘24
Graphics by Anna Wang ‘22 • Photos courtesy of Devon Shatzman ‘22

10 | features the hourglass | March 2022
Life in the Residence
Apartments
Design by Trisha Yun ‘22
Photos courtesy of Rahiel Ibikunle ‘22
Baldwin’s apartments house a thriving community with bonds that last a lifetime.
RAHIEL IBIKUNLE ‘22
Staff Writer
The tenants of The Baldwin
School’s Residence have been
fostering a family together
for years. Baldwin provides
apartment spaces for current faculty
members and retired ones alike.
According to the Bryn Mawr Business
Association, the Residence was originally
part of the Bryn Mawr Hotel, which was
built in 1871. It was designed by Frank
Furness, a notable Victorian architect.
In 1888, Florence Baldwin founded
the Baldwin School and conducted classes
in her mother’s home. Nine years later,
she leased and later purchased the hotel to
use for classroom space. According to the
Lower Merion Historical Society, Baldwin
became a boarding school, and the rooms
in the Residence were used as student
dormitories.
Now, the building is a hodge-podge
of admissions offices, art studios, music
classes, and the entire Middle School.
Despite how much the Residence has
changed over the decades, a few apartments
remain, occupied by faculty and their
families.
Through sharing the same building
and workspace, the community has
flourished, and tenants have bonded with
each other in numerous and meaningful
ways.
Mrs. Oxana Harlamova, Orchestra
Director, has been living in the Residence
since 2001. Mrs. Harlamova said, “It’s
wonderful. Residents helped me raise my
kids—it’s like a big family. We helped
each other, saying things like, ‘Go out for
dinner, I will take care of your kids.’ It was
like a big village.”
Mrs. Harlamova added, “I would just
call and they would pick up [my daughter]
Maria from preschool or daycare… Kath
Houlahan from Admissions was living on
the second floor, and would always pick up
Maria for me.”
Ms. Pitocchelli, PE teacher and
athletic coach, said, “When I started
living at Baldwin, I was like, ‘I don’t want
anyone in my business.’ But there were
flowers at my door when I first moved in,
welcoming me to the Residence. And in
the past we have had resident parties and
fun celebrations of milestone birthdays and
things like that. I felt really lucky.”
“It’s wonderful.
Residents helped me
raise my kids—it’s
like a big family. We
helped each other,
saying things like, ‘Go
out for dinner, I will
take care of your kids.’”
The tight-knit community of the
Residence apartments is certainly unique.
When asked about her experience in
a different apartment building, Ms.
Pitocchelli said, “I basically knew my
manager and that was it. There were a
couple of people I would see and say hello
to, but I didn’t really know them.”
Right under the noses of Baldwin
students—or rather, above their heads—a
flourishing community lives in the rooms
just beyond their classrooms.
A look inside Mrs. Harlamova’s apartment in the Residence.
The Legend of Priscilla
CARLEY TAYLOR ‘23
Staff Writer
Strange occurrences have led many to believe that the ghost of a
former student, Priscilla, haunts the Residence.
Every old building has a ghost…
and in Baldwin’s case, it’s the
infamous spirit of Priscilla.
In my previous article, I discussed
the rumored haunting of the Residence.
Another one of the school’s best known
rumors is the legend of Priscilla, a student
who passed away back when Baldwin was
still a boarding school.
As the story goes, Priscilla was a
music-loving student who sadly lost her life
due to illness during her time at Baldwin.
After her death, her friends renovated the
student study room into a memorial, which
then served as the handbells room, and is
now Dr. Porges’s office. Some argue that
the renovation of this room as a tribute to
Priscilla may have attracted her spirit to
Baldwin.
According to the Director of
Handbells, Mrs. Erb, Priscilla is most
active in the performing arts classrooms,
as she is “fond of music.”
Mrs. Erb also recounted that the doors
of the Bells room would open and close on
their own accord. The Residence is old and
drafty, which could very well be an nonsupernatural
explanation. However, Mrs.
Erb said, “I like to think that it’s Priscilla
letting us know she’s there, enjoying the
music that she once loved as a student.”
Other students also reported strange
occurrences in the handbells room. Flora
Brigham ‘23 said that “two years ago, we
had a lockdown drill and someone was
laughing. Nobody claimed to do so.”
This event suggests that Priscilla was
present during the drill, and perhaps trying
to make contact with the new generation of
students through friendly laughter.
However, some of Priscilla’s actions
indicate a not-so peaceful presence coming
from our school’s ghoul.
One junior described the sound of
banging that would often fill the bells
room during her 8th grade classes. Izzy
Thompson ‘23 said, “It sounded like
someone was in [the walls], and it [the
sound] would always fill the room with
fear.”
Thompson added that she felt the
noise could be attributed to the old heating
system, but even so, “It felt like someone
was there trying to get to us.”
Other bells students recount stories
of footsteps coming from empty rooms
and hallways surrounding the bells room.
Sara Min ‘23 said, “The halls are always
creaking around [the bells] room even
when no one is walking in there.”
So, is Priscilla haunting the school?
That’s up for you to decide. The cold chills,
slamming doors, and strange noises all
suggest that her spirit is still here, enjoying
the music of the Residence. However, all of
these events could also be attributed to the
creaks and drafts of the old building. Thus,
the legend of Priscilla remains unsolved.

THE HOURGLASS | MARCH 2022
features|11
Design and graphics by Elva Chen ‘22 and Sophie Cai ‘22
Photography by Jaclyn Dichter ‘22, Jessica Lamontagne ‘22, and Trisha Yun ‘24
WHAT HAPPENED TO HiGH
SCHOOL HiERARCHY?
The Class of 2022 is not as intimidating as seniors traditionally are.
KATIE MCMAHON ‘22
Staff Writer
High school seniors walk into
school on the first day and
expect to rule the school with
the rest of the grades fearing
and respecting them… but not this year at
Baldwin!
In a poll sent out to underclassmen,
out of 60 responses, 87% are not afraid
or intimidated by the seniors. Most
underclassmen regard the Class of 2022 as
“nice” or “friendly”.
“
”
I think that there is a level of respect
that should be held between
underclassmen and upperclassmen
and I don’t think that exists.
Bela Ahn ‘25 said, “The seniors I’ve
met are all very sweet…I like some of the
seniors more than my own grade.”
Ms. Loke, the Senior Grade Dean,
didn’t have to see these results to know
that the seniors do not scare the rest of the
Upper School.
On whether she thought that other
grades are intimidated by the seniors, Ms.
Loke said, “I don’t think so… they’ve
been very kind, very welcoming, very
thoughtful, and very respectful of the
underclassmen even though they are
younger. They’ve been doing an awesome
job as seniors.”
Similar to Ms. Loke, when asked
if he thinks underclassmen are scared
or intimidated by seniors, Dr. Biss said
“No. I think there are very good leaders
in the senior class…there are trustworthy
individuals that can be counted on.”
Despite the reasoning, the senior class
took offense to this data. When asked if
underclassmen should be intimidated by or
respect the seniors, many members of the
class of 2022 said yes.
Kaya Weiser ‘22 said, “I think that
there is a level of respect that should
be held between underclassmen and
upperclassmen and I don’t think that
exists.”
Additionally, Clara Page ‘22 said,
“I think underclassmen should be a little
intimidated by us because we are superior
in the sense that we have been here longer.
Maybe [underclassmen] shouldn’t be
intimidated by all the seniors, but definitely
the Fourteen Year Club.”
However, Page later reconsidered
the underclassmen’s views, and said, “I
genuinely think people saying they aren’t
scared is a nice thing, because if you looked
two years ago at the Class of 2020, mostly
everyone would say they were scared. That
means we are nice and good leaders, which
is what seniors should be.”
The seniors seem to be in a tough
situation. While they are seen universally
by teachers and underclassmen as a kind,
welcoming group, they still feel as though
they are missing out on being the “top dog”
at Baldwin.
Sana Goyal ‘25, Trisha Yun
‘24, Julie Brose ‘23, and Maya
Clever ‘22 are not following the
traditional high school hierarchy.
‘25
‘24
‘23
‘22

12 | backpage the hourglass | March 2022
eesha PRO SOCIAL MEDIA
LAUREN HALAK ‘24
EESHA SHARMA ‘24
Staff Writers
In the age of technology, social
media is an accessible method of
communication, connecting hundreds
upon thousands of people ranging
from your neighbor to someone living
across the world. But is social media really
bringing us together, or is it responsible for
tearing relationships apart?
eesha: pro social media
Although social media has gained a
negative reputation for tearing us apart, at
its core, it brings people together. Social
media helps people stay in touch regardless
of distance or busy schedules.
Social media provides a platform for
old friends or family to connect. People
with family across the world or friends
who they have not seen in a long time can
see what they are up to on social media.
This aids people in staying up to date
on each other’s lives and maintaining
communication between each other.
Communicating online is also easier
for many people. Social media can be
a tool for those who might be unable to
connect with others as easily in real life. As
HelpGuide states, “Social media enables
you to find vital social connection if you
live in a remote area, for example, or have
limited independence, social anxiety, or are
part of a marginalized group.”
Ultimately, social media’s impact
depends on how it is used. Users have
control over how social media affects
them. Although its power can be abused,
it can also be harnessed and turned into
something beneficial.
Is Social
Media
Bringing Us
Together
or Pulling
Us Apart?
Lauren and Eesha disagree on
the effects of social media.
Lauren: anti social media
Social media might first seem like
it helps foster relationships with instant
communication through DMs, stories,
posts, and more. But it is clear social media
is becoming a platform that does quite the
opposite.
Users can post virtually whatever
they want, with little regard for accuracy.
By hiding behind a screen, people feel
comfortable sharing even their most
controversial thoughts with a large
audience, something they would likely not
feel comfortable doing in person.
Inflammatory posts can lead to
extreme polarization, and not just on the
internet. As Eli Pariser, author of The
Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding
from You, said in Vox, “Where I live and
who my friends are and what media I
consume all shape what I see, which then
shapes decisions I make about what media
I consume and where to live and who to be
friends with.”
Not only does constant conflict take
place online, but social media has a wellknown
reputation for being extremely fake.
Users can post fake or edited pictures of
themselves just to garner attention through
likes and comments. As an article on
Odyssey puts it, “We become so fake with
one another that it’s hard to distinguish
who’s real and who’s not.”
How can users form relationships
online when they aren’t guaranteed honesty
from the person they’re communicating
with? The ability users have to put up a
facade online allows fake relationships to
form, and real ones to fall apart.
BY THE
NUMBERS
4.2 Billion
People actively use social
media across the globe
(Statista 2022)
70%
False information is
70% more likely to be
retweeted than the truth
(MIT Sloan 2020)
Design by Anna Wang ‘22 and Emily Zhang ‘23
Graphics by Cathy Wang ‘23
Photos courtesy of Ivory Tree
Be sure to check us out online at
www.hourglassnewspaper.com
follow us on instagram
@hourglassnewspaper
ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA LAUREN