Grytte - The Browning School

Browning
Gry¥e
An Upper & Middle School Publication — 52 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065 — November 2013, Volume CX, No. i
‘Check Out’
New Library
Browning at 125 –
Celebrating its Past,
Present, and Future
SCHOOL’S S.T.E.M.
INTEGRATION
Page 3
JUNIORS BUCKLE
IN FOR COLLEGE
Page 4
c. russo ’15
BROWNING’S
OWN POP STAR
Page 6
Norman Delgado ’15 checks out a book
with Ms. Murphy in the new library.
David Eisman ’18
Form II
rossa cole photography
Over the summer, the Browning
School maintenance staff worked
tirelessly to construct a new library
so that there would be an improved
reading and learning experience for
the students’ return in September.
Peter Gisolfi Associates was the
firm managing the library construction, and JRM Construction
provided the building crew. “We
were really hoping that the library
would be open for the first day of
school, and we wanted the terrace
completed in time for the 125th Anniversary party on October 5. Both
deadlines were achieved,” remarked
Mr. Dunham, Head of the Middle
School. There were however, some
setbacks during the construction
process, including an unfortunate
occurrence of bad weather–the
paint did not dry as quickly in a
damp environment as it would have
in a normal, dry environment.
There are many differences between the old library and the new
one. The new library is now located
on the first floor of the School, taking the place of the old cafeteria.
Since the new layout contains more
open space and therefore equipped
with less shelving, the librarians
spent the summer browsing their
entire collection to decide which
books deserved to remain in the
new library.
A new addition to the library
that has proven to be popular is the
chess playing area. With only one
board, it has many students fighting
to use it during flex periods. “While
the books are much easier to find,
the new chessboard looks very modern and is much more accessible,”
concluded Grant Thompson ’18.
Not only do the students flock to
the new chessboard, but members
of the faculty have come to enjoy it
as well. “Chess is a very important
part of our curriculum, and I am
pleased to emphasize it by having
the chessboard right there in the
new library,” stated Headmaster
Clement. In addition to the new
shelving and the chess table, there
are also other new features, such as
a common table and multiple television displays throughout the space.
story continued on page 3
ALUM GOES PRO
SOCCER
Browning’s 125th birthday celebration was reason to roll out the red carpet. Above, Headmaster Clement and first
headmaster, “John A. Browning” (center) are surrounded by Browning’s Key Society, dressed in vintage clothing.
Browning
shows off
renovations,
announces
its capital
campaign
Philip van Scheltinga ’14
Form VI
On Saturday, October 5, 2013, The
Browning School community
memorably celebrated the 125th
anniversary of the School. By all
accounts, the event was truly one
for the ages. The School closed off
62nd Street, laid out the red carpet,
and invited everyone in the Browning community to attend. Teachers, parents, alumni, trustees, and
friends, amounting to over 700
attendees, filled the School. People
who had not been to the School for
years came to a transformed school
that still had the constant intrinsic
feel. The 125th anniversary celebration was as much a celebration of the history of the School as
it was a celebration of the present
and future of the School. As many
attendees proclaimed that night,
what a party it was.
As visitors emerged on 62nd
street, they were welcomed by Key
Society boys, who were dressed up
in vintage outfits from 1888, into a
large tent with a red carpet. Many
of the guests humorously quipped,
“Oh, look, I’m a VIP!” as they
handed in their tickets and headed
towards a step and repeat process
in which paparazzi-like photographers took everyone’s pictures.
The affair was treated as if it were
a movie premiere, where the guests
were the prized individuals behind
some fantastic film. In this way,
Browning thanked everyone for
being a part of its community.
Inside the 52 East 62nd Street
building, the renovations and the
future of the School was on full
display. Completed just in time
for the event, the outdoor deck
was available for all to see. The
new library and technology center,
which opened this school year, astonished many, even an alumnus of
the Class of 2013! The cozy cafeteria completed last spring and the
Barket Balcony overlooking the
extended lower gym augmented
the physical changes that some
alumni wished had come sooner.
Having just completed its third of
five phases, Browning was physically able to show off the changes
happening in the School.
By the end of September 2015,
the Browning School hopes to have
completed the final two phases of
its renovations. At the moment, the
School is preparing for the fourth
phase to begin this summer. The
old library is now temporarily the
coaches’ office, the weight room,
and the faculty lounge. After this
school year, construction of a new
central stairwell, a three-door elevator, an expanded lobby, and
new classrooms will begin. In two
years, Browning will have completely transformed again with
more classrooms, open hallways,
central heating and air-conditioning, remodeling of all current class-
rooms, and relocation of the art
rooms, coaches’ office, and weight
room. Such are the future changes
to the school, that current Key
Society tour guides might need to
be given a tour of the school, when
visiting the school from college!
“In two years time,
Browning will
have completely
transformed
again with more
classrooms, open
hallways, and
relocation of
the art rooms,
coaches’ office,
and weight room.”
In addition to the physical
changes, Browning presented the
new STEM curriculum in the
technology lab on the night of the
party. Materials and creations used
in all K-12 courses were on display
with the technology department’s
Messrs. Sambuca, Grill, and
Droke explaining the refashioned
curriculum. Eager to bolster the
strong Browning curriculum with
courses that provide necessary
skills in the 21st century, these
faculty members have brought significant changes to the school, primarily in computer science and engineering. By the time The Grytte
comes to press, Mr. Grill will have
received the new STEM Chair on
November 11, 2013.
story continued on page 3
Page 7
Browning
Boys Help Plant
20,000 Trees
Page 11
BOYS WIN THE
SCIENCE BOWL!
Page 11
NYC MAYORAL
2013 ELECTION
Page 13
RESPONSE TO
THE PROPOSED
91ST STREET DUMP
Page 14
MIDDLE SCHOOL
BRINGS CROSS
COUNTRY BACK
Page 15
VARSITY SOCCER
2013 WRAP-UP
Page 16
2
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
BROWNING NEWS
Gry¥e STEM Prepares Boys for Future
Faculty Advisor
Mr. Jeremy Katz ’04
Contributors
William Abelt ’15
William Bousquette ’21
Norman Delgado ’15
David Eisman ’18
Michael Florentino ’14
George Grimbilas ’18
Michael Kassis ’19
Daniel Kravitz ’18
Peter Maguire ’14
Andrew Medland ’16
Connor Medland ’18
Tom McCormack ’14
Jack Reiss ’14
Spencer Reuben ’14
Jackson Richter ’18
Del Schunk ’16
Dylan Steck ’21
Caleb Sussman ’18
Grant Thompson ’18
David Valentin ’15
Brendan Walsh ’15
Alexander Wisowaty ’14
Michael Zuppone ’16
Responsibility for the material that appears in this paper
rests with the editorial board.
Opinions expressed in columns
or letters are not necessarily the views of the editors of
The Grytte or of The Browning
School.
The Grytte welcomes letters to the editor. Letters
should be sent electronically
to grytte@browning.edu.
Letters must include the
name of the author. Letters
should not exceed 500 words
in length. Unsigned letters
will not be published, but
names may be withheld upon
request. The Grytte reser ves
the right to edit all letters,
and letters will be printed
according to timeliness and
space availability. The opinions expressed in letters are
those of the author.
The Browning School
does not discriminate on the
basis of race, creed, color,
sexual orientation, religion,
or national or ethnic origin in
the administration of its educational policies, admissions
policies, scholarship and loan
programs, athletic and other
school directed programs, or
employment practices.
mr. katz
Deputy Editors
Christopher Russo ’15
Ben Weiner ’15
Clockwise from top: Mr. Droke works with first graders on game design and programming; Mr. Grill meets with
Chris Haack ’14 in Advanced Computer Science , Mr. Sambuca shows Brandon Keno ’16 the MakerBot 3D printer.
ing with Legos, a 3-D printer, and
a laser cutter. They are also shown
elementary computer programming
through Scratch, a simple children’s
version of computer programming.
It is also pivotal that the students
learn how to be safe on the Internet
and how to protect their privacy on
websites such as Facebook.
This curriculum runs from Preprimary all the way to Form VI. In
the Lower School, Director of Academic Technology Mr. Sambuca
notes, “The boys are now able to
come to class with not only a better skill set, but also with a better
sense of responsibility toward technology.” The youngest students are
learning to type, and they are being
introduced to design and engineer-
By the time the students
reach Upper School, they are well
prepared to explore the technology field. Here, high level courses
such as engineering, video production, graphic design, and
computer science are offered to
students. Some students have
taken courses at even higher level, pursuing independent studies
in building a website, in working
with Raspberry Pi computers, and
in computer programming. Director of Technology Mr. Grill,
who teaches the aforementioned
advanced courses, is utilizing the
“flipped classroom” model that
improves students’ capacity to
learn by having students watch
lectures at home and then work
individually with the teacher in
class, where students learn by doing. This change has been well received by the students, including
Chris Haack ’14, who recalled
that the Advanced Computer
Science course last year utilized
the flipped classroom in a way
that allowed him to “truly reach
[his] potential.”
In integrating technology
with the rest of the school curriculum, the technology department
has made a few notable changes.
At the start of high school, Form
III students are now given their
own iPads, which they can use to
access textbooks, to study with
interactive educational apps, and
to search for any information
they need with a swipe of a finger.
There are 50 iPads circulating
through the Lower School, where
students learn to use an iPad as
an educational tool, rather than a
toy. In addition, the new student
network has given students the
capability of sharing their com-
puter screen with the television
screens in the library and in the
technology lab.
The school is firm in its
support of the progress in the
technology. Mr. Grill has recently received the new STEM
Chair, and technology is one of
the four key focuses in Browning’s recently announced Capital
Campaign. Empowered by the
new technology lab and with the
addition of new faculty member, Technology Specialist, Mr.
Droke, the technology department will continue to embrace
the increasingly high standards
of the modern world. The future
is in technology, and Browning
is right at the forefront.
c. russo ’15
Editor-in-Chief
Philip van Scheltinga ’14
The STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics)
program is one of the latest features
to grace The Browning School this
school year. Already several years
in the works, the opening of the
STEM initiative came hand in
hand with the construction of the
new technology center, so when
Browning students returned to
school in September, they came
back to a very changed school.
The
STEM
initiative
strengthens the school’s entire
curriculum by supplementing new
21st century courses. A few years
ago, the role of the technology
department was simply to help
integrate technologies such as
Smartboards into the classroom
and teach students the adequate
skills required to use technology
productively such as making a
PowerPoint presentation. Nowadays, students are learning these
skills at an increasingly younger
age, and as a result, the technology department has taken it upon
themselves to add new, in-depth
courses on design, computer science, engineering, and more, creating an individual curriculum.
david de balko photography
The Browning School
52 East 62 Street
New York, NY 10065
212-838-6280
www.browning.edu
Tom McCormack ’14
Philip van Scheltinga ’14
Michael Zuppone ’16
Forms VI/IV
Letter from the Editor of the Grytte
Philip van Scheltinga ’14
Form VI
marty hyman photography
Vol. 110, No. 1
Welcome to the first issue of the
Grytte for the 2013-2014 school
year! It was a hectic start to the
school year as the boys adjusted
to the School’s new layout. The
Grytte staff have been hard at
work to make this issue ready for
the Thanksgiving assembly. Despite the loss of several key contributors from the class of 2013,
the team has not missed a beat!
This issue’s primary theme
is the 125th Anniversary and the
changes going on at Browning.
In addition to the cover articles
discussing the anniversary celebration and the new library, the
Grytte takes its readers back in
time to the 100th anniversary
of the School and to the future
with the STEM program. Also
covered in this fall issue are spotlights on new teachers, recounts
of students’ summer experiences,
and thoughts on the situation at
Asphalt Green uptown.
This has been my first issue
as editor-in-chief of the Grytte,
and it has been my pleasure to
lead my inspired co-writers. The
Grytte received a review from
the Columbia Scholastic Press
Association, and the team looks
to incorporate their advice, such
as creating a new mission statement into future issues. Over
the course of this school year,
the Grytte aims to increase the
quality of its already strong issues. Exciting times are ahead,
and I can only say to you readers
– enjoy the ride!
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
3
BROWNING NEWS
story continued from page 1
The 125th anniversary also
provided The Browning School
the opportunity to present the
Capital Campaign. Speaking
from a podium set up in the lower
gym, but heard and seen throughout the building through speakers and flat screens, the current
head of the Board of Trustees,
Jim Chanos, revealed this ambitious project, divided into four
areas. The first area is technology, for which the school is very
thankful to receive a $2 million
anonymous donation. The second focus is in financial aid with
a particular focus in the Lower
School. A $3 million anonymous
gift from a different donor has
already bolstered this goal. The
third area is Faculty Compensation and Professional Development. As Headmaster Clement
says without reservation, Browning’s “dedicated, smart, and caring” faculty is truly what gives
the school its strength. With
funding, our faculty can immerse
themselves in enlightening summer activities, conferences, and
graduate degree programs. The
fourth and final area of the Capital Campaign is the School’s endowment, which aims to be above
$50 million by 2017. Mr. Chanos
announced that the School is already two-thirds of the way of accomplishing this goal.
rossa cole photography
Browning School Celebrates 125 Years
Headmaster Clement meets the first headmaster, “John A. Browning” on October 5 at the 125th Birthday Party.
The future of The Browning students felt “a sense of pride”
These people all came
School is extraordinarily prom- to be able to celebrate the 125th to the School that night for
ising, but the 125th anniversary anniversary. For these students, one reason—pride. With the
was not entirely about the fu- with the celebration came a re- School’s first headmaster, John
ture. On October 5, the School alization of Browning’s rich his- A. Browning, brought back to
was celebrating its present. The tory and that the school’s alums life to see his school 125 years afparty developed a whole new are “Browning alums forever.” ter its foundation, almost every
appreciation for Browning. Seeing the school’s history “in member of the community eaSeveral Key Society boys from one big party” has left the Key gerly talked with “Mr. BrownForms V and VI, remarked how Society boys in awe. As one ing” about his legacy. They told
special the night was for them. student reflected, “I have never him about their little boy in the
Receiving “crazy looks” from al- seen Browning so full of people Lower School. They told him
most everyone, the dressed-up in my life.”
about the admirable young men
they taught, and they told him
about their years as a Browning
student. Everyone at the 125th
anniversary celebration had a
unique, personal connection to
the school, and from that connection came a special sense of
delight in seeing Browning in
all its glory.
The 125th anniversary of The
Browning School will be remembered as an amazing, magical
evening. The elegant, perfectly
planned event was nothing short
of spectacular as the School celebrated being itself. The packed,
renovated building energized the
community, giving a newfound
appreciation of the school.
Asked what the school
would look like on the 150th
anniversary, Mr. Haase, the
Director of Institutional Advancement, and Headmaster
Clement assented that the “essence of the school will never
change.” True to its mission
statement, Browning will always be a small, K-12, all-boys
school that produces the most
impressive young gentlemen.
Alums, parents, and teachers
will be looking forward to returning once again to the familiar red doors on 62nd street
in October 2038 for the 150th
anniversary, and if the 125th anniversary is anything to go by,
what an event that will be!
Browning hung a flag on 62nd street to mark their centennial in 1988.
Christopher Russo ’15
Form V
This year, Browning celebrated
its 125th anniversary. The birthday party on the evening of October 5 (see cover story) was a
great success. In light of this, I
thought it would be appropriate
to look back 25 years to see how
The Browning School celebrated its centennial.
1988 was a turning point in
Browning’s history for several
reasons. In 1988, Browning’s
beloved fourth headmaster,
Charles W. Cook ’38, announced his retirement, and
on April 11 of that year, it was
announced that Headmaster
Cook’s successor would be Mr.
Stephen M. Clement, III. As a
result, the centennial of Browning not only celebrated Browning’s 100th anniversary, but also
the retirement of Headmaster
Cook and the appointment of
Headmaster Clement. With so
much to celebrate, the event had
to be grand, and so, preparations for the party began fifteen
months before.
The centennial was held at
the Marriot Marquis Hotel on
April 21, 1988. “It was a lovely
night,” said Director of College
Guidance Mr. Pelz ’71, as he reflected back to that evening. Attendees remarked that the event
was extremely elegant. A live orchestra played music as alumni
met new graduates and reminisced with old friends. Some of
these alumni came from across
the country to celebrate Browning’s 100th anniversary. Prestigious Browning alumni made a
series of speeches. Each of these
speeches addressed the retirement of Mr. Cook. The Centennial Speaker was Osborn Elliot
’41, who was the Dean of the
Graduate School of Journalism
at Columbia University at the
time.
Tom Herman ’64, a reporter and columnist at The Wall
Street Journal and a member of
Browning’s Board of Trustees,
wrote a book about the history of Browning for the 100th
anniversary. As he researched
Browning’s history, Mr. Herman was “struck by how many
of the school’s founding principles remain just as important
and as timely today as in 1888.”
This includes Browning’s small
class sizes, rigorous academics,
and ‘family-style’ atmosphere.
“If John Browning could walk
through the doors of 52 East
62nd Street today, he would feel
right at home, and he would be
very proud of what the school
has become since he founded it,”
Mr. Herman said.
With all the improvements
to the School twenty-five years
later and with Browning’s Capital Campaign nearly at a close
(see cover article), Browning is
stronger than ever, and the community looks forward to its 150th
anniversary.
School’s New Library
story continued from page 1
A majority of the students
and faculty have taken a liking
to the new space. Among the
reasons the library has proven
popular is the location, format,
and accessibility. “The library is a
great place to study and complete
homework,” Jake Lefkowitz ’18
regarded. The whole school will
have to adjust to the multitude of
changes in the new library. “It has
been really delightful figuring out
how the new space can benefit
students and teachers. I’m looking forward to decorating and
adding a little character to the
space,” remarked Ms. Murphy,
the head librarian at Browning.
The fantastic construction of the new library is only
the beginning of a long-term
project that will completely
change Browning. The School’s
overhaul started with the new
cafeteria, now located in the
basement, then shifted to the
library and technology center,
with the next construction
phase involving new classrooms, a glass staircase, and an
elevator. “I’m very proud that
two years ago, we expanded the
lower gym, last year we opened
a new kitchen space, and this
year we opened a new library,”
mentioned Headmaster Clement. “Stay tuned!”
g. grimbilas ’18
browning institutional advancement
Our School 25 Years Ago ‘Check Out’ the
The new library occupies what was formally the upper cafeteria.
4
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
BROWNING NEWS
mr. katz
The Senior Class Gets Food For Thought
Michael Beys ’89, President of the Alumni Association, spoke with the Class of 2014 on the first day of school at Burger Heaven.
Spencer Reuben ’14
Form VI
the Form VI class parents hosted a breakfast at Burger Heaven.
The upper café of the diner was
the perfect setting for an informal breakfast of bacon, egg and
cheese sandwiches as the class
caught up after a summer of sun
and college applications. As the
students were finishing their
meal, the president of the Alumni Association, Michael Beys
’89, Harvard ’94, and Columbia
Law School ’99, joined the boys
with informal advice about se-
There are twenty-nine students
in this year’s graduating class
at The Browning School. Some
have been together for thirteen
years, and a few have only been
at Browning for three years. Regardless of how long they have
walked the halls, they share the
bond that develops over the career of Browning gentlemen. On
the first day of the school year,
nior year and their future paths.
A successful federal prosecutor
and now defense lawyer, Mr.
Beys made his case with five major points.
Mr. Beys advised that every senior “must compete with” himself,
to not be afraid to excel in things
that matter. His second point was
that each boy must find his voice
and start thinking about what interests him and hone in on those
interests. Thirdly, the seniors
ought to be “flexible and open to
being wrong.” He emphasized that
great things will happen along
the way and stressed the need to
adapt to new scenarios. His fourth
point was to not take anything for
granted. Each boy should appreciate his situation and realize how
lucky he is. Last but not least, Mr.
Beys encouraged the seniors to
have fun with the college process,
but not too much fun. He went on
to say that the hard work that the
seniors put into high school would
be worth it in the long run.
Mr. Beys concluded with
the hope that in May, when he
meets with the class of 2014
again to formally welcome
them into Browning’s Alumni
Association, the boys will all
say, “I have no regrets. I worked
as hard as I could.” After breakfast and the inspiring pep talk,
the senior class walked down
62nd Street to Browning and
through the red doors as 29 students, two homerooms, and one
family.
The Junior Class Feels the College Heat
Annual college trip exposes the Form V class to life after Browning
The overwhelming anxiety one
experiences when they realize
that college is just around the
corner comes to each person at a
different moment. Seniors are in
the midst of the college season, as
final aim-for lists are formulated,
applications are typed, and hair is
pulled. Juniors, however, are just
at the cusp of this new phase that
will eventually infiltrate their
lives.
Most high schools in the
country play no part in introducing possible colleges to their students, either because the classes
are too big to properly manage,
or because the school does not
have the funds. Even here in New
York City, The Browning School
is unique among the many private
schools because every year it provides juniors and seniors a threeday college trip, a wonderful opportunity to explore a variety of
colleges in different settings.
This past September, the rising juniors and seniors participated in the annual college trek,
which takes place in a different
region of the East Coast each year.
Last year’s trip was to schools in
Pennsylvania. This year the teens
journeyed to upstate New York to
visit Hamilton, Colgate, Syracuse,
University of Rochester, Ithaca,
Cornell, and Hobart and William
mr. pelz
Michael Florentino ’14
Form VI
Form V students standing in front of a Cornell University building during the college trip in September.
Smith. The Browning students
were able to judge for themselves
what they were looking for in a
school, from small to large, rural
to urban. “I know some people
have already gotten started looking at schools near their summer
houses, but personally I wanted to
wait until this trip to get started,”
a junior who wished to remain
anonymous said. “The schedule of the trip was really helpful
because I wanted to start in my
home state.”
Since visiting potential colleges
was how they spent their summer,
seniors, with a few exceptions, generally have a solid list of their ideal
schools by this point. The excursion is really for the juniors’ benefit, to get them thinking about the
many decisions to ponder as the
clock is ticking down.
One of the issues facing college recruits is perception versus
expectation. “I’ve never thought
before how the size of the school
would affect me. I was sure before the trip that I was looking
for a place similar to Manhattan,
with lots of people and buildings,
but instead, I felt almost claustrophobic. Too many people around,
and after Browning, it would be
“way too weird to just be a face
in the crowd,” stated Alexander Gottdiener ’15, when asked
about his reaction to the college
process.
Often a highlight of the trip
is not the expected, “This is it!”
but a more lowly moment. “For
me, the best time was at the end
of the day when all the colleges
are said and done,” mused Brian
Bermeo ’15. “It’s pretty tiring
standing and walking around one
campus, exhausting when it’s two,
but three in one day? It was really
nice just sitting back on the bus
with everyone chilled out. I’ve
never seen some of the people on
the trip so quiet.”
When asked what college
had unexpectedly stood out, the
two juniors contemplated before
answering.
“Well, there was that one college that really seemed to roll out
the red carpet for us,” Brian said.
“Yeah, when I heard it was
next on our trip, I was sure its
campus would be rundown and
in the middle of the boonies, but
I was wrong,” Alex continued.
“The campus was beautiful, the
clubs were stellar, and the students were welcoming. All things
considered, Hobart and William
Smith was not all that bad.”
The college tour, led every
year by college guidance counselor Mr. Pelz ’71 and willing
chaperones, Dean of Faculty
Mr. Ingrisani, Head of Upper School Mr. Reynolds and
Latin Teacher Mr. Wisniewski,
seems like a rite of passage for all
boys who make it to the upper
echelon of the Browning School.
As the seniors feel their blazers
catching fire, the juniors are only
just beginning to feel the heat of
the stoked fires that are college
admissions.
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
5
BROWNING NEWS
Fifth Grade Embarks on a Mystical Trip
After an extremely busy
afternoon, the fifth graders
stocked their stomachs with
dinner at a Mystic diner, and
then journeyed to the movie
theaters. After a viewing of the
film Planes, they rested eagerly
for the second day of our twoday saga.
The following morning,
the boys took a bus ride to the
last stop on their journey—the
Mashantucket Pequot Museum. Once there, the boys
were transported to a whole
new world. There were models
of the Pequot Native Ameri-
mr. dunham
“The trip to Mystic
Seaport touched
a bit on what
the students will
study in class,
namely about the
Native American
Pequot tribe.”
The Class of 2021 explored the
historical seaport in Mystic, Conn.
cans, and replicas of everything found in their village.
The different exhibits showed
the Pequots performing activities such as harvesting corn,
fishing by a pond, and riding
their horses. The boys walked
along the museum path with
their mouths agape at every
stop. Brian Granville-Smith
’21 regarded it as “an incredible
museum.”
All of the boys reported
enjoying the trip immensely
and were saddened to have to
return back to New York City.
The fifth grade reported that
the Mystic trip would be remembered by each of them for
a lifetime.
g. grimbilas ’18
Boys Tutoring Boys
Jake Lefkowitz ’18 reviews with his peer tutor, Hunter Stern ’17.
Michael Kassis ’19
Form I
It’s the start of another school
year, and Mrs. Sheppard is heading up Browning’s peer tutoring
program once again. Peer tutoring provides extra academic support in all content areas for students from grade five to Form VI.
Students noted that it is one of
Browning’s most helpful and popular programs, but Mrs. Sheppard
is currently short on volunteers
for morning sessions on Monday
and Friday mornings from 7:40
to 8:10 am. This year, there have
been more drop-in students from
fifth and sixth, who need extra
support with homework and
studying for quizzes and tests.
Currently, two Form II students
are helping Mrs. Sheppard on
Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and one Form I boy has volunteered for Tuesday mornings.
Mrs. Sheppard does not want to
turn any students away who need
extra help.
“Peer tutoring is the perfect option for students who
are struggling in a class and
are looking for a way to receive
help during their school day,”
peer tutor Michael Zuppone
’16 said. Peer tutors allow students to get help from their
peers, when their teachers are
not around. “Peer tutoring is
the best thing any older kid can
do to assist a younger peer. Not
only do you get to help others,
you set an example for people
to also aid other individuals.”
another peer tutor Adrian Rodriguez ’18 said. “Peer tutoring is a way for me to share my
knowledge with others, and to
connect with them both during and outside of it,” added
Charles Pink ’18.
Charlie Pink, Connor Medland ’18, and Adrian Rodriguez
have been arriving early assisting fifth and sixth graders in the
mornings with math and history.
“It has been an enormous help,
and the students have really appreciated their support,” says
Mrs. Sheppard.
For those interested in helping out and are available on either Monday or Friday mornings,
please stop by Mrs. Sheppard’s
office in Room 211.
g. stimpson ’21
In September, the Browning
School fifth grade went on its
annual adventure to Mystic,
CT. Head of Middle School
Mr. Dunham explained that
the trip is an annual tradition
because “it has a lot of landmarks and it is a fun place to go
to.” The trip also touches a bit
on what the students will study
in class, namely about the Native American Pequot tribe.
After what the boys felt
was a lengthy bus ride, the fifth
grade along with Mr. Dunham
and their homeroom teachers,
Messrs. Lisciandrello and
Ragsdale, arrived in Mystic
Seaport parking lot. There
was much chatter and wonder
amongst the boys of what they
were about to encounter. They
began their adventure on the
Sabino steamship for a relaxing, yet exciting boat ride.
The boys explored the
ship’s quarters, dodging in and
out of rooms, up and down
stairs, marveling at the engine,
and mostly having a good time.
After the ride, the boys exited
onto the craggy shore, searching through the village and its
surroundings. They browsed in
and out of local shops, viewing
items ranging from nautical instruments to clockworks. The
boys even went into the haunted chamber of the old captain
in a display boat. After taking
a nice roam through the village, the group headed to the
aquarium.
The fifth graders took in
an enjoyable performance by
the Beluga whales in the aquarium. “The Beluga whales were
very spectacular,” remarked
Chris Preziotti ’ 21 shortly after watching them.
The boys witnessed a plethora of sea creatures including jellyfish, sea lions, turtles,
penguins, seahorses, frogs, and
tortoises. “I loved the aquarium, especially touching the
sharks,” commented Akshay
Swani ’21. Robert Magnus
’21 believed that “the aquarium
was a highlight of the trip.”
Cartoon by Gus Stimpson ’21 of the boat ride that the students went on.
Seniors Dress Up
m. florentino ’14
William Bousquette ’21
Dylan Steck ’21
Grade Five
Seniors dressed in their costumes on Halloween.
Michael Florentino ’14
Form VI
Boys of all ages must have been
scared out of their wits this Halloween as the Class of 2014 masqueraded through the school in their
unique costumes. Deliberating
weeks in advance, the eldest grade
decided that it was unthinkable to
come to school in such mainstream
getups as Dracula or the Mummy.
With determination, perseverance, and creativity, The
Browning School was graced
with the presence of such figures
as Beetlejuice, the Roman Inquisition, Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, and, to top off the occasion,
a live performance from the one
and only Miley Cyrus! Grades
one through eleven be warned,
you all certainly have much to
live up to!
6
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
BROWNING PROFILES
life outside of Browning.
This issue highlights what
several students did over
the summer, a new addition
to the math department,
two notable talents to grace
Browning’s hallways - one
current and one a graduate!
melissa lis p ’20
Liam Lis Reaches
His High Note
Liam Lis ’20 opening up a concert for R5 and Fifth Harmony.
Jackson Richter ’18
Form II
A student in the sixth grade,
Liam Lis ’20 loves music and has
written many songs. Some students have attributed his singing as just a hobby, but in fact,
he has a public following. Liam
described writing music as his
passion. He began singing when
he was around six years old, and
enjoys writing melodies and lyrics that he creates in his head before playing them on the piano.
According to Liam, music is his
life.
This past summer, Liam
sang with a tour called Camplified, which raised his public
profile and fanbase. Camplified
included many artists, such as
Ares Carter, Ali Isabella, and Savannah Maddison. Liam is very
proud that he has songs on YouTube in addition to two songs
available on iTunes. He opened
for Fifth Harmony and worked
with R5., as well as participating
in a radio interview with Zach
Sang and the Gang recently.
Bruno Mars is Liam’s favorite musician. Lis has even
performed one of Mars’ songs,
“When I Was Your Man,” on
YouTube. Liam’s original songs
include “RockStar,” “One Day,”
“Beggin,” and “Count the Ways.”
He feels that as long as his music reaches people in a positive
way, he does not care how many
people hear it.
To learn more about Liam,
visit him at Instagram.com/LiamLis, or on his website, LiamLis.com. Lis’ website discloses
teh following: “12-year-old Liam
Lis hails from NYC and is as
busy writing songs and playing
piano as he is on the basketball
court. Liam started writing songs
and playing piano at the age of
five. Cultivating his talent with
school performances, acting in
commercials, and modeling,
Liam has made it his priority to
pursue a career at being a recording artist.”
Liam will be performing
in concert on December 16 at
the Wiltsie Performing Arts
Center in Hazleton, PA. Liam
wants part of the proceeds
to go to Ronald McDonald
House. You can purchase tickets at w w w.wiltsiecenter.org.
Philip Van Scheltinga ’14
Form VI
Having already studied French for
several years at Browning prior to
this past summer, I was looking
for a way to practice the language
and build up my conversational capabilities, which cannot be easily
learned in just four forty-five minute classes per week. As any student of language knows, the best
and perhaps only way to truly learn
a language is through immersion.
For this reason, one of Browning’s
French teachers, Ms. Ryan insisted that the immersive Middlebury
Monterey Language Academy
(MMLA) was the program to go to,
and so I decided to attend MMLA
at their Pomona location to practice French last summer.
The program truly began on
the second evening of the fourweek immersive experience, when
every student signed the language
pledge. Beginners, who did not
know a word of French, were allowed to sign a modified language
pledge for their first week, but after
one week, they too signed the full
language pledge. This language
pledge embodied the MMLA experience. From the moment the
students signed the pledge, they
spoke French twenty-four hours a
day, seven days a week for the remainder of their stay.
The seconds after the language pledge was instated was a
truly memorable moment as all
the students suddenly realized
how drastically their situation
had changed. During breakfast
the morning after the language
pledge ceremony, the mood was
noticeably somber, sharply contrasting from the vivacious dinner the previous evening, when
everyone could speak English.
The first day in language felt
like a week for most students as
they struggled to express themselves, but as the days progressed,
people began to get used to
speaking a different language all
the time. Words seemed to flow
easier, and students soon figured
out how to work around trying to
say something they did not know
how to say.
While students adjusted to a
limited way of self-expression, they
always found a reason to smile.
On the first night in language, my
RA, who like all the RAs went by
a French name, Arthur (his actual
name is Austin) had the eleven
p. van scheltinga ’14
“Spotlight at Browning” is
a section of the Grytte in
which faculty and students
are highlighted. Its purpose is to give the Browning
community a better understanding of that individual’s
background, interests, and
Senior spends summer in French immersion program
Philip van Scheltinga ’14 in a game of tug o’war this summer.
boys in the French Academy play a
game, where a person would make a
funny face, trying to make the others laugh, while they would try not
to laugh. By the end of the game,
Arthur had proved that any group
could “rire sans dire” or laugh without saying anything. This positive
attitude truly allowed the students
to succeed. Every morning, the
French students eagerly greeted
each other, “Bonjour! Ça va? As-tu
bien dormi?” or in English, “Good
day! How are you? Did you sleep
well?”
During the program, a weekday comprised six hours of courses,
divided into four blocks. The first
block was a cultural course, which
had a different theme each week.
These themes were Swiss chocolate, French films, fitness, and life
in Senegal. The other three blocks
were language courses. These
courses were with the same teacher
and classmates for the entire four
weeks. Here, the students learned
grammar and vocabulary by reading texts, watching movies, and engaging in various activities such as
describing their family trees.
The afternoons began with
an activity period, where students
played sports, watched a movie,
made friendship bracelets, danced,
and drew. After the activities period, there was free time, in which
students could go into the Claremont area, call home (depending
on the day), shop at the Pomona
store, play sports, or just sit in the
quad and relax.
reproduced by permission of mmla
SPOTLIGHT
at
BROWNING
Un été Français During the daily language
courses, the French students, of
which eleven were boys and forty
were girls, prepared a skit to be
done at night. These skits brought
out the best in everyone as each
student was put in the spotlight. If
wholly unprepared, a student had
to improvise. Since everything was
in French, the skits were always hilarious as students enthusiastically
acted out in a language they did not
normally operate in.
After the skits, the students
had until 9:30pm free to relax before everyone had to return their
respective hallways, where they
had until 10:30pm before bed.
Everyday, the last hour the boys
in the French academy spent together everyday consisted of one
boy standing on top of a chair,
whereupon he honestly answered
any question asked. Occasionally,
the boys played a game called “Je
n’ai jamais fait…” or “Never have
I ever…” This last hour gave them
a sense of camaraderie as they
completed the four weeks of the
program.
As I sat in the shuttle bus
back to the airport, I wondered
how quickly and slowly the previous four weeks had gone by. My
first day in Claremont, California
seemed just as much an eternity
ago as it seemed like yesterday.
Such was the effect of a fun, exciting, tiring, and profoundly lifechanging summer experience.
My experience at the Middlebury Monterrey Language Academy at Pomona College was truly
unforgettable. When speaking a
new language, students could only
be themselves, and as a result,
the friendships formed over the
course of just four weeks are stronger than those made in English.
When I left Pomona, I felt liberated and determined to continue
practicing my French, which had
improved immensely. I strongly
recommend any student, who
is interested in learning French,
Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, or
German to go to MMLA.
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
7
BROWNING PROFILES
Laurent Manuel ’04 began
playing soccer when he was just
four years old. “My mom just
needed me to run around because I was always so hyper and
I guess I just stuck with it,” he
says. By the age of 13, Laurent
knew he wanted to become
a professional soccer player.
A talented player, he joined
Browning’s varsity soccer team
in Middle School. “I was by far
the smallest kid in the league
at that point, but I was glad to
be playing and gaining experience playing with bigger kids,”
and Manuel remembers. Everywhere he played, in and out
of school, his proficiency at
soccer was noticed. After Laurent’s first game as a Browning
varsity soccer player in Form II,
both referees came up to Coach
Watson to tell him that Laurent was by far the best player
on both teams that day.
Laurent achieved great success with the Browning soccer
team, and after graduating
Browning in 2004, he attended
Brown University where he
was recruited to play for the
school’s varsity soccer team.
Immediately after graduation
in 2008, the New York Red
Bulls drafted him. Since then,
he has played for teams in
over eleven different countries
across Europe. In honor of his
success, Laurent’s number 10
jersey currently hangs above
the wall outside of the Latin
Room on the second f loor.
Laurent attributes his success to the Browning community as well as Coach Watson’s
training. “Browning allowed
me to grow academically and
athletically, which would not
have been the case at most of
the other schools.” He adds
that at Browning he had already mastered the skills of soccer, but that the school helped
him “grow as person, which is
ultimately the most important
thing he took away from his experience.” He also touched on
the topic of coaching, stating,
“confidence always plays a huge
role in sports and ‘Watty’ always
provided that.” Coach Watson, himself, said that Laurent
was very coachable. “Browning
has had individual players who
have been better scorers or better statistically. However, Laurent was by far the best overall
player that Browning has ever
seen.” Coach Watson and Laurent both believe that the most
important thing for success in
soccer is “confidence in your
abilities.”
Asked for any advice for
young soccer players, Manuel
replied, “Enjoy being on the
field now because you don’t
know when things will change.
At the end of the day, you put in
what you get out of soccer, like
everything else in life.”
Laurent attended Browning’s Alumni Soccer game on
Tuesday, September 17. Coach
Laurent Manuel ’04 playing in
the 2013 Alumni Soccer game in
September; Retiring his jersey at
the 2009 Hall of Fame induction.
Watson noted that Laurent was
“as quick as ever” that day. Before the alumni game, he had
told his varsity players that
Laurent would be participating. “When the kids actually
saw him play, they knew what I
meant when I said that he was
a truly special soccer player. It
brought me back to my old days
to see Laurent split the defense
with such ease,” Coach Watson
concluded.
browning institutional advancement
William Abelt ’15
Form V
mr. pelz
Footballer Alum Reaches His Goal
Michael Florentino ’14
Form VI
While colleges are, of course,
looking for the best and brightest
students with amazing academic
scores, they are also looking for
those with the unique touch, the
ones that go out of their way to
go the extra mile. Seniors and juniors alike do a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, but the
most demanding and interesting
of activities are the jobs that help
them feel that they have achieved
something. Jack Reiss ’14, a senior, worked as a horticulturist as
part of the Central Park Conservancy’s summer paid internship
program.
Moving to New York City
from the suburbs eight years
ago, Jack felt that he had “lost
a connection with nature” and
the “peace and comfort” that it
provided him. With such a great
change in environment, he craved
the openness of nature, which he
fortunately managed to find in
Central Park this summer. “It’s
such a wonderful place, where I
can go to get a break from the city
pace. I can imagine I am somewhere else,” Jack eagerly noted.
The internship provided him
with not only an opportunity to
enhance his interest in plant sciences, but also a chance to give
something back to his beloved
Central Park.
“The internship
provided Jack
with not only
an opportunity
to enhance his
interest in plant
sciences, but also
a chance to give
something back to
Central Park.”
After receiving the acceptance
letter to the program, attending
two days of orientation, and scrutinizing the employee handbook,
Jack felt that his “dream had come
true.” Placed in the north woods
section of Central Park, Jack became friends with his supervisor,
Kevin Selig, who led as a zone
gardener. “Making friends with
an older person and working side
by side with him was a great experience. Getting to know Kevin
and hearing his stories opened up
a whole new world, and it took my
mind off some of the more gruel-
ing aspects of the job.”
On the first day of the internship, rain and lightening welcomed Jack to his new job. Remembering that chaotic day, Jack
recalled, “Kevin and I had to rush
to get a lawnmower started on the
Great Hill and attach it to a golf
cart which could not be left out in
the rain.” Only a few distant trees
were taller than the pair, so Kevin
and Jack felt “very vulnerable” to
Mother Nature’s mean mood.
Although this first day was
an exception, Jack actually travelled often on the gator golf cart.
In the mornings, routine jobs
included clearing garbage and
finding discarded hypodermic
needles from addicts. “One time
I found a set of totally new needles - real life in the city!” Jack
exclaimed. In the afternoons,
lawn mowing and weed whacking were typical. Jack warned,
“Weed whacking was the hardest job, because my hands were
left numb from the vibration and
grass “shrapnel” that hit my face
constantly. It felt like I was being stung by bees!” Sometimes,
Jack worked to clear out patches
of Japanese knotweed, an invasive species that was brought to
the park thanks to its ability to
grow quickly. Recollecting an-
mr. pelz
Upper Schooler Cleans Up Central Park
Jack Reiss ’14 in Central Park.
other responsibility, Jack added,
“My resilience was tested when I
had to wear waders to go into the
loch, a stream running through
the north woods, to spend hours
on end clearing wood, knotweed and other debris. During
the hot days in July, the weeding
was more difficult because I was
sweating and swiping at mosquitoes. Even though I have never
experienced summer swelter in
the Louisiana swamps, I think I
know it now.”
Jack also experienced a shocking, real-world event. The only
other intern in his section was
fired. Jack explained, “I was surprised and saddened, because he
was someone I could talk to and
relate to, especially when it came
to commiserating over the hard
work. He was caught sleeping in
the golf cart twice, when he was
supposed to be working. They
gave him the boot.”
The long summer experience
taught Jack to “work hard, commit
to obligations, and fulfill responsibilities of a job.” Though the work
was physically demanding, he believed that making it through the
six-week program made him a more
mature and responsible person.
8
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
BROWNING PROFILES
Teacher Solves for Comedy
Browning School welcomes Mr. Bratnick, mathematics extraordinaire and improv master
on leave, prior to which I had
been at the Ramaz School for
two years after ten years teaching at Sacred Heart.
What made you decide to come
to Browning?
The person I was replacing
at Brearley was coming back
and I needed a new teaching
job. Luckily, Browning had an
opening, so I set up a demo. I
liked what I saw and heard, so I
took the Browning job.
How do you like Browning so
far?
g. grimbilas ’18
I like it very much. I love the
people with whom I work. Everyone seems very warm and
friendly. It is loads of fun to
teach the kids here at Browning. I am enjoying it here a lot.
Mr. Bratnick meets with the Improv Club on Mondays during Activities period.
David Eisman ’18
Form II
A new math teacher has come to
The Browning School this year,
and he is looking forward to
teaching students all his mathematical knowledge. These questions answer a few of the many
interesting factoids about Mr.
Bratnick.
Where do you live, and where
were you born?
I live in Harlem, and I was born
in Washington Heights, Northern Manhattan. However, I spent
most of my childhood and adolescent life in the Central Bronx.
What schools did you attend?
From toddler through 2nd grade,
I went to Hudson Country Montessori School. For 3rd and 4th
grade, I went to New Rochelle
Academy. For 5th and 6th grade,
I went to Thornton Donovan.
For 7th and 8th grade, I went to
Iona Grammar School. For high
school, I went to Fordham Prep.
After Fordham Prep, I attended
Fordham University. Finally, for
graduate school, I went to NYU.
What made you decide to become
a math teacher?
My love of math and my love of
working with youth.
What schools have you taught at
before Browning?
The first school I taught at
was a public school in the East
Village called PS 19. However,
it was not a complete teaching
job. I started out as an in classroom tutor, and then quickly
became the math teacher when
the head classroom teachers realized that I was in school for
mathematics education. They
asked me to teach a few lessons,
and then that escalated into
many more lessons, which eventually led to a job as the schools
math teacher. Before coming to
Browning I was at The Brearley
School filling in for a teacher
What things do you do in your
free time?
One of my hobbies is improvisational comedy; it is a very big
passion of mine. I have been
doing it for almost seven years.
I have an improv team that I
work with and perform with on
a daily basis. Besides comedy
I enjoy listening to and seeing
live music. I occasionally pay a
visit to the theatre. I am a diehard sports fan for the Yankees, Jets, and Knicks. I also
enjoy reading and chilling out
by watching television.
What exactly are you doing in
the Improv Club?
I am going to be teaching the
basics of improv comedy to the
members of the Club. I am attempting to teach them how to
not think too deeply and learn
to be funny outside of a script.
What is improv comedy, and
how does it differ from stand
up comedy?
Improv comedy is about speaking without a script. It is done
with a team, and each member
of the team has to make the
whole team look good, for if
the team looks good, then you
look good. In stand-up comedy, the entire show is based
around one comedian. Most
of the time it is scripted, but
sometimes it is not.
What made you go into improv
comedy?
I’ve always loved to make people laugh. I chose improv comedy specifically, because in
2007 I took classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade, which
is basically a school for improv
comedy and sketch comedy.
After taking classes there, I
started joining teams and practicing more and more. Right
now I have my own improv
comedy team.
Why do you love math?
I think that math is the universal language. It is related to
everything, like science, economics, language, and philosophy. Math shows the underlying structure of the universe,
and I believe that it is very
beautiful.
Bringing Hope to Sloan-Kettering
Jack Reiss ’14
Form VI
Over this past summer, Michael
Florentino ’14 worked at the pediatric oncology department at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center, the foremost hospital for
cancer patients. To his surprise,
Michael was accepted to the internship. He immediately “felt out
of place,” because he did not feel
that he had the qualifications for
such a venture and because he was
the minimum age of an applicant.
Michael was the least equipped
of his colleagues in terms of experience and academic prowess, considering how many of them had
various medical degrees and more
experience. The only experience he
had in taking care of children was
babysitting in his building. Fortunately, Michael took the skepticism
and “derisive snorts” with grace and
decided to turn the uncertainty
into motivation to work hard and
ultimately succeed.
Michael described his first
day volunteering as the toughest,
since for the first time, he had to
witness so many sick children in
the same place. Michael started
out by working in the playroom
with outpatients—children that
were allowed to go home because
their ailments were not as serious as others. In his first hours
at work, Michael “clung” to a
girl no older than four that was
sitting idly by. He tried, mostly
with little success, to elicit laughter and joy from the girl. His attempts seemed futile, but when it
was time for the girl to be picked
up, the girl hid behind him and
screamed, showing that she enjoyed the time that she had spent
with Michael, reinvigorating his
spirit and confidence.
For the rest of his internship,
Michael “organized volleyball
games with an inflatable ball, sang
silly serenades with a karaoke ma-
chine, constructed sandcastles,
built trains, read stories, told tall
tales, and even raced down the hallways on push-cars pretending to be
in the Indy 500.” Always offering
a helping hand, Michael and the
volunteers also graciously helped
the young children whenever they
needed assistance.
The moment that really defined
Michael’s internship was when a
three-year-old girl was watching a
boy shadow-box. She decided to intervene in the fun and threw a little
punch of her own. The volunteer
who received the punch “yelped”
and pretended to fall down much
to the joy of the girl as she giggled
“uproariously.” Michael said it was
“the most innocent and beautiful
sound that echoed throughout the
playroom.”
The opportunity more than
anything else gave Michael a sense
of perspective. He realized that he
was lucky to have grown up healthy,
and that he had never really thought
mr. pelz
Michael Florentino ’14 volunteers at cancer-patient hospital over summer
Michael Florentino ’14
of the other side, the side where suffering and fear is endured every day
by many young children. Michael is
grateful to have had the opportunity to help Memorial Sloan-Kettering in its objective of instilling hope
and promise in children in need by
providing the children a means of
escaping from their realities and
having fun. During the internship,
Michael’s job and goal was to bring
joy to the children he worked with,
but in the end. “They brought more
joy to me,” he concluded.
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
9
BROWNING PROFILES
A Dance with Death
Alexander Wisowaty ’14 reports on witnessing controversial sport during summer in Spain
a. wisowaty ’14, mr. katz
back of the bull. This is done so
that the bull is not able to lift
its horns high when charging,
as lifting an unfortunate torero
off the ground is how most injuries happen. After the picadors leave, three members of
the entourage each try to plant
a pair of decorated spears in
the shoulders of the bull. This
is one of the most dangerous
jobs because one must stand directly in the path of a charging
bull, plant the spears, and then
quickly dodge four hundred
kilos of angry beef. Now, the
main show begins.
Alexander Wisowaty ’14 spent his summer in Madrid where he took in a game of bullfighting.
Alexander Wisowaty ’14
Form VI
Bullfighting is one of Spain’s
oldest traditions. Since the
eighteenth century, the combination of sport and dance has
been preserved, almost as if
frozen in time. The costumes of
the toreros are identical to ones
that can be seen in paintings by
Goya or Velasquez. The fight
follows the same order of three
tercios the same way it would
hundreds of years ago.
What has changed about
the art of bullfighting however,
is how the audience feels about
the sport. For years, bullfighting
managed to remain unwavering in the face of huge changes
in the way we look at entertainment because of its graceful, aesthetic aspect. Yet recently, the
morality of bullfighting is being
called into question once more.
In the region of Catalonia, it has
already been outlawed. Madrid,
the second capitol of Spanish
bullfighting has been put under
the microscope. Will the rising,
progressive youth have their way
against bullfighting? Or will the
tradition that had been declared
part of a national holiday remain
a cornerstone of Spanish culture?
Living in Madrid over the
summer, I decided to experience a part of Spanish tradition
that may not be around much
longer.
The fight itself is divided
into “tercios”, or thirds. During the first third, the bull is
brought out and the torero’s
entourage teases it from four
sides to see if it is ready for a
fight. If the bull shows signs
of being too weak, it is taken
out of the arena to fight another day. Then two men on
horses attract the bull and use
a long spear with a short blade
to make a small incision on the
“A stadium shaped
like the Coliseum,
the packed rows
of passionate
spectators, and the
man versus beast
competition gave
off a very Roman
atmosphere.”
The torero gets his red
cloth and three-foot saber and
begins to fight the bull one
on one. The quality of the torero’s fight is judged on his
technique, his ability to get
the animal to follow where he
leads, and how close he is able
to get to the bull without being
knocked to the ground. Once
the torero believes the bull is
sufficiently exhausted, he attempts to drive the saber into
the back of the bull in a downward motion. If successful,
the entire sword is driven in,
reaching the heart. The bull
often survives this stab and
continues to chase the cloaks
of the members of the entourage who have reentered at this
point. After a minute or so, the
bull keels over.
The usual bullfighting event
features three toreros, each of
which goes up against two bulls.
This means every other Sunday,
six bulls are killed for show. After having gone to a bullfight
and seeing the blood spill six
times in a row, I can understand
the controversy that bullfighting is facing. This sport seemed
to me like a relic of Roman culture. A stadium shaped like the
Coliseum, the packed rows of
passionate spectators, and the
man versus beast competition
gave off a very Roman atmosphere. As I sat in awe of what
I was seeing, a primitive desire
for a ‘life or death’ fight arose.
It was not until the fight was
over and I hopped back on the
subway that I was brought back
to modern reality.
I do believe it was worth
seeing and recommend anyone
spending time in Madrid to see a
bullfight. That is, as long as one
does not have fear of seeing blood
or allowing primal instincts to
momentarily take over.
Caleb Sussman ’18
Form II
Cycling is regarded by fans as
one of the most engaging sports
in the world. The age-old sport
relies on teamwork, cutting-edge
technology, skill, power, and wit.
Professional racers come from all
around the world, from China
to Slovakia to the United States.
The racers need a high level of
endurance, because the sport of
road cycling is based off of the
UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Pro tour, which consists
of three main 23-day races with
two rest days in between.
The Giro d’Italia (the Tour of
Italy) takes place in late May and
early June. The second and most
important is the Tour de France,
which takes place in late June
and early July and is celebrating
its 100th anniversary. The final
grand tour race is the Vuelta a España (the Tour of Spain), which
takes place in late August and
early September. In between the
Grand Tour races there are many
Continental Circuit races.
The sport of cycling is very
team oriented. Current major
teams are BMC (USA-SWI),
Garmin-Sharp (USA), Cannondale Pro Cycling (ITA), RadioShack Leopard Trek (LUX-
USA), Astana (PAK), Colombia
(COL), SKY Pro Cycling (UK),
Saxo-Tinkoff Bank (DEN),
Omega Farma Quickstep (BEL),
and Lotto-Beisol (BEL). Each
team has a roster of about 30
men, each one of them having a
specialty, such as being a climber, or a sprinter, or a time trialist,
an all-around, or a domestique.
Each team has a lead man at one
particular position for each race
as well as a race captain. A team
designates a captain for a team of
seven to nine bikers each race.
Most races are between one
and three weeks long and are divided into one-day stages. The
stage tends to be about 100 miles
long. Scoring is based upon time
and points. The person with the
least amount of time at the end is
the winner of the race. This prize
is called the G.C (General Classification), where typically, a jersey
is bestowed upon the winner.
There are three other prizes–there is the Sprint Points jersey, which is given to the person
with the largest number of sprint
points, earned by crossing a line
that tends to be at the end of a
long straightway or decent. The
King of the Mountain Jersey
is awarded to the person who
earned the most mountain points
by reaching the peak of a moun-
c. sussman ’18
The Sport of Cycling
Caleb Susman ’18 visited Colorado this summer where he took in the Vail Time Trial.
tain first. The final common jersey is the Best Young Rider. This
jersey is the same as the G.C., but
it is awarded to a person who is
under 21 years old.
For support, the racers are
followed by tons of cars, called
the caravan. The caravan follows the peloton, the main pack
of riders. If a group manages to
get ahead of the peloton, they are
called the break, and if a biker
is between the peloton and the
break, they are called the chase.
Once the break goes, the caravan can support their teams with
food, water, and lunch. The lunch
is given in a light shoulder bag,
which they stuff into the back of
the jerseys.
All of cycling uses super hightech bikes, which cost between
$9,000 and $12,500. They are
designed to climb smoothly and
descend in speeds in upwards of
70 mph with the utmost control
by being as light and aerodynamic as possible. Most teams have
bicycle-manufacturing sponsors.
Usually the company will give
the riders its newest and best
bikes and use it for advertising.
When asked how children
can get into cycling, legend
Jens Voight (GER) said, “Don’t
do too much at the start. It’s a
long way to go, and it’s enough
if you have fun with your
friends. Go twice a week, and
if possible, have a car follow
for security. With cycling in
general, you quickly discover
if you have a passion for it, and
if you have the passion, you
also have to work hard, and
you have to make sacrifices,
but it’ll give you huge rewards.
You get to see the world. I’ve
raced in 31 countries and almost all continents, so it’s a
beautiful sport to do.”
10
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
BROWNING NEWS
c. russo ’15
ms. bramble
Middle School Runs Marathon Mean Green Team
to Support Save the Children Recycling Machine
Middle School boys took on the World Marathon Challenge on October 17 in Central Park.
Green Teamers Ben Weiner ’15 and Alex Gottdiener ’15 bird watching.
Caleb Sussman ’18
Form II
William Abelt ’15
Form V
On October 17, the Browning
boys went out to Central Park to
run the World Marathon Challenge. With the help of the New
York Road Runner Foundation,
the School booked the Great Lawn
loop to complete the challenge.
Each boy had to run part of the 26.2
mile marathon. Form I and II students ran 175 yards each, while the
fifth and sixth graders ran 130 yards
each.
“Browning is honored to be
partners with Save the Children
and the World Marathon Challenge. The event was a huge success, fun, and helped to raise awareness for the Save the Children and
their projects. Browning raised
close to 10,000 dollars for Save the
Children and the boys had a blast
running in Central Park on a beautiful, sunny, NYC day,” said Mr.
Dunham, Head of Middle School.
Going forward, the Browning
School wishes to introduce the Interschool community to the World
Marathon Challenge and hopes to
keep this tradition alive.
ms. bramble
The Book Fair Stops By
Ms. Coleman checks out the Book Fair with her third grade students.
Del Schunk ’16
Form IV
This fall, the Browning School
community enjoyed another
successful Book Fair, held in the
School’s lower gym from October 25 to 28. Students from Preprimary to Form VI enjoyed a
wonderful atmosphere for shopping, mingling, and conversing
with visiting authors during an
impeccably planned event by
the Parents Association and
the School’s head librarian, Ms.
Murphy. “The Book Fair was
very informative, and that he
really enjoyed the plethora of
authors that came to visit the
School,” Andrew Medland ’16
remarked.
One of these writers was
Lenore Look, author of Alvin
Ho, Allergic to Camping, Hiking,
and Other Natural Disasters, who
addressed the Lower School
students during their weekly
assembly period, sharing with
them insights regarding her
book. Newsday has recently
noted that her book shares
with Jeff Kinney’s famous Diary of a Wimpy Kid series “the
humor that stems from trying
to manipulate the world,” and
gave the book high remarks.
In the end, Ms. Murphy commented that “the Book Fair was
great this year and very successful. All the boys had a great
time and loved the authors that
came to talk to them.” They are
all enthusiastic to broaden their
horizons with their new books
and eagerly await the Fair’s return in 2014.
One of the new clubs that made a
debut this year was the Browning
Green Team. Headed up by science teacher Ms. Wolf, the club’s
purpose is to make Browning a
more “green” school.
Browning was one of the
original schools involved with the
founding of the Green School Alliance (GSA) back in 2007. The
GSA was first created in response
to Mayor Bloomberg’s challenge
to New York institutions to reduce their carbon footprint by
30% by 2030. After being founded
in New York, the GSA’s goal is
now “to connect and empower
K-12 schools worldwide to lead the
transformation to global environmental sustainability.”
Among the members in the
Green School Alliance are Spence,
Hewitt, Marymount, and Friends
Seminary. “Hewitt finished 2nd
place nationwide last year for the
recycling challenge and I think
we can beat them!” Ms. Wolf exclaimed. This year’s Green Cup
Recycling Challenge began on
Monday, November 4 and will
run for four weeks. The goal is to
recycle the highest amount of paper possible. Recycling bins that
are contaminated with non-paper
products, like pencils and tissues,
cannot be recycled. The amount of
paper recycled among homerooms
will be measured. The winner of
the Green Cup Recycling Challenge will receive a $1,000 recycling station. There are over 6,000
schools competing in the Green
Cup Recycling Challenge. “There
is a lot of competition,” Ms. Wolf
remarked.
Besides the Green Cup Challenge, the goal for this fall is to
get the buzz going about the
Green Team. The overall goal for
this year, however, is “determine
Browning’s baseline ecological
footprint and create a plan to reduce it.” Ms. Wolf’s Green Team
meets on Tuesday’s after school in
the Middle School Science Lab.
Truck or Treating
mr. katz
The Browning School was the
first school in New York City
to run the Save the Children’s
World Marathon Challenge. The
Browning community reached
a North American fundraising
record of almost $10,000, with
the Middle School boys running
a collective marathon record
of about two hours and fifteen
minutes.
Save the Children is an organization that helps children in developing countries. The organization also provides aid and support
in desperate times, such as during
the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Another project that the organization is constantly working
on is improving the living conditions in third world countries.
The group strives to produce
clean water, schools, doctors,
vaccinations, and many other necessities that New Yorkers may
sometimes take for granted.
Browning’s partnership with
Save the Children started in the
spring. Bo and Go (Benefiting
Global Organizations), an internal student-run foundation, raised
$2,500 through bake sales and dress
down days, which they donated to
Save the Children. Jason Wood,
of Save the Children, visited the
School on May 9 to personally receive the donation from Bo and Go
members.
In September, Mark Shriver,
senior vice president for U.S. programs at Save the Children and the
son of Sargent Shriver ’34, Peace
Corps founder, visited Browning.
He spoke with the Middle School
about the importance of being a
good man and to encourage the
boys to participate in the World
Marathon Challenge. Following
Mr. Shriver’s visit, the boys began
preparing for the challenge—the
Form I boys even managed to
have a Skype video chat and get
advice from Wilson Kipsang
of Kenya, the current marathon
time record holder at 2:03:23.
Ms. Gerber’s second grade class counted all the coins, which totaled $1,214.17!
Dylan Steck ’21
Grade Five
On Halloween this year, Lower
School boys participated in the City
Harvest Truck or Treat fundraiser.
“This community service initiative
encouraged the boys to take part
in the fight against hunger in New
York City,” explained Ms. Gerber,
who oversees Browning’s community service efforts. The boys were
told that City Harvest’s goal was
$30,000 this year, which would
feed 40,000 people in New York.
Each student that participated in Truck or Treat received a
cardboard box shaped like a truck
to take along with them whilst
trick or treating. Collecting 24
cents would yield one pound of
food. The Lower School boys that
participated brought their coins
to Ms. Gerber’s second grade
class, who counted up the coins,
which totaled $1,214.17!
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
11
BROWNING NEWS
Browning Community Branches Out
Connor Medland ’18, Ms. Lien, and Henry Smith ’22 took part in the
planting of 20,000 trees by the Million Trees NYC organization.
Andrew Medland ’16
Form IV
Saturday, October 19 was a
sunny and unseasonably warm
day. While many Browning Upper School boys headed to 62nd
Street to take the PSAT, another
group of Browning boys trav-
eled to Rockaway, Queens. They
were part of a large group of
New Yorkers who volunteered to
plant 20,000 trees in a park that
had been devastated by Hurricane Sandy last year. A group of
almost 50 Browning boys, parents and faculty travelled by bus,
subway, and car and arrived at
Rockaway Community Park just
before 9 am. The group included
boys from Pre-primary through
Form VI and was led by Science
Department head Mr. Keany
and Green Team advisor/science teacher Ms. Wolf. Joining
them was science teacher Ms.
Ting, Director of Middle and
Upper School Admission Ms.
Lien, Head of Lower School Ms.
Gruhn, as well as several parents
and siblings. Even Ms. Gruhn’s
daughter, Susanna, came along.
The event was sponsored in
part by the National Football
League as part of its efforts to
give back to the community that
hosts the Super Bowl each year.
The NFL has made this type of
effort in every Super Bowl host
city since the 1994 Super Bowl in
Atlanta.
This event also forms part
of the NYC Parks Department
larger Million Trees Planting
program that aims to plant and
care for a million trees in NYC
over the decade. According to
the organization’s website, over
775,000 trees have already been
planted as part of this effort!
At the park, everyone registered and was given wax
coated gloves, hats, pins, wristbands and even breakfast. The
Browning group went to its
designated “aqua” area where it
was introduced to members of
the NYC Parks Department,
who taught the group how to
plant the trees. The Parks Department had done an impres-
sive job of preparing the site
for the volunteers. A contractor
was brought in days earlier with
a machine that dug small holes
for the trees. Parks Department
employees had placed a potted
tree or shrub in each hole. The
volunteers’ job was to remove
the plant from the pot, loosen
its roots, plant it in the hole and
fill the hole in with dirt, making sure not to cover the plant
too deeply. With great enthusiasm, the Browning group got to
work immediately.
Working in teams, and
sometimes alone, the group
mastered the planting technique quickly and moved efficiently through their designated area. Having completed
the planting in that area, they
spread into other areas and
helped other teams. Once all
20,000 trees were planted, the
volunteers admired their results – the park was amazingly
transformed!
Every volunteer was treated
to a lunch of salads, hamburgers,
hot dogs, and baked desserts. Sat
on large field, they enjoyed the
warm autumn day in a beautiful setting. After lunch, minifootballs were distributed by the
NFL, and many Browning boys
were seen throwing the football
around with their friends and
family.
As the group eventually departed the park, several boys
were heard saying that they
hoped to return to the park
soon to see “their” trees. Everyone had a wonderful time, felt
good about their efforts, and
enjoyed the spirit of the Browning community.
ms. suárez
ms. lien
Students and faculty aid tree planting in Sandy-ravaged Rockaway Community Park
Mr. Keany and Middle School students pose by their designated area sign.
Browning Students Win Science Bowl!
November 16, 2013 was a day
that the Browning community would not soon forget as
the science team won their
first Interschool Science Bowl!
This competition is held annually between the eight schools
that comprise the Interschool
organization: Trinity, Collegiate, Spence, Nightingale,
Dalton, Brearley, Chapin, and
of course, Browning. In the
past, Browning has always
performed admirably, but the
team was never able to emerge
victorious over the larger institutions that make up Interschool until now.
With several seniors on the
team this year, the boys came
into the competition fully intent on winning. Every Monday during eighth period, these
boys held mock competitions
in the science lab under the
guidance of Ms. Ting, and they
studied during their spare time
for the seven topics covered in
the science bowl: general science, earth science, astronomy,
chemistry, physics, mathemat-
mr. keany
Philip van Scheltinga ’14
Form VI
Interschool Science Bowl winners Chris Haack ’14, Griffin Bassman ’14, Isaac Barrezueta ’14 and Michael
Adeleye ’14 proudly hold up their trophy at The Brearley School.
ics, and biology. In the days
leading up to the big event,
students could be seen studying in the library with books
sprawled out over a table, and
in class practicing their mental
mathematical skills without
using a calculator.
On competition day, the
boy’s preparations paid off as
they won five out of six games
in the preliminary rounds.
During games, a team of four
students faced off against an
individual school in two eightminute halves. The two teams,
eight players in total, sat at
two separate tables buzzer in
hand, ready to answer a fourpoint toss-up question. Upon
correctly answering a toss-up
question, a team was given a
ten-point bonus question in
twenty seconds. Whenever the
Browning team was winning,
the boys used the full twenty
seconds available to them to
answer the bonus question,
which the other team was not
allowed to answer, in order to
run-down the clock. This piece
of tactical ingenuity allowed
the team to advance to the
championship round against
Trinity with the second-most
wins.
At half time of this tense
match, Trinity was a mere
4-points ahead of Browning. In
the second half, however, Browning dominated, blowing out
Trinity. Captains Chris Haack
’14 and Griffin Bassman ’14
were called the heroes of the day,
answering many of the questions
and serving as rallying points for
the rest of the team. Isaac Barrezueta ’14, Michael Adeleye
’14, and Armaan Rawat ’15 also
performed very well. The event
was a tremendous success, and
the team was very thankful for
those who came out to support
the team. Moving forward, the
science team now has its eye
on the citywide New York City
Science on March 1, 2013. Opponents, beware!
12
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
MULTI-CULTURAL CLUB OP-ED
Norman Delgado ’15
Form V
The goal of the multicultural club is to bring together
students of different backgrounds and to challenge
racism and prejudice. It is
important to provide a space
for students of similar backgrounds to meet and support one another. It is also
important to provide a space
for building bridges and connecting students across their
differences.
Despite the diversity of
the student body, the official
culture of the school is that
of the dominant racial group.
This is one of the main problems that challenges the multicultural club. In order to
promote diversity, the club
helps students become more
open to and less threatened
by differences through discussions.
Members of the club
learn to be compassionate
and analytical in order to
interact with people from
different backgrounds with
humility and the ability to
learn from different experiences. Aside from trying to
raise awareness, the multicultural club strives to give
members leadership skills
and the ability to facilitate discussions. Through
the use of the “question of
the month” and school assemblies, the club is able to
promote a diverse learning
environment. The ultimate
goal is to transcend mere
tolerance of differences and
aspire to a celebration of
the varied perspectives and
values that characterize our
community.
mr. katz
DIVERSITY
at
BROWNING
No Representation in Media
The Gay-Straight Alliance led an assembly on November 15, educating
the Upper School on gender labels.
Brendan Walsh ’15
Form V
Media consumption is central
to our modern world. Advertisements, television, movies, video
games, and books constantly surround us. The growth of alternate delivery methods for mass
media over the last decade has
further increased its presence in
our lives. The incredible pervasiveness of mass media highlights
one of its critical flaws: mass media often improperly represents
minority groups, especially sexuality and gender minorities, if it
even represents them at all.
We can all name a popular
show in which the leading character is a straight white man. But
as soon as we expand out to different races, sexualities, and genders, we find our options severely
limited. For instance, how many
mainstream shows have an asexual main character? What about
a gender-fluid character? Even if
we include the supporting cast,
we still struggle for titles, which
fit our relatively simple criteria.
Representation in the media
matters. It is very difficult to be
a part of a minority group that is
commonly portrayed as nothing
more than a joke or a stereotype.
The media version can shape
one’s perspective. Common misrepresentations perpetuated by
mass media often become part
of the collective consciousness
of media consumers. These ste-
reotypes are taught to people
through repetition over various
forms of media. An excellent
example is the representation of
transgender individuals in the
media. There is a very common
trope of “revealing” transgender
characters–a character that identifies as one gender and is presented as that gender, is found
out to have a different biological
gender. This fact is then played
for laughs, and the character is
presented as not really being the
gender that they identify as. This
perpetuates the idea that gender
is decided by one’s body and not
one’s mind, as well as that it is
okay to laugh at transgender people because of how they identify.
Perhaps even worse is when
a group is not represented at all.
Members of an unrepresented
group can feel as though they
are worth less than other people,
and often feel the need to justify
themselves to others. Members
of these groups are made to feel
invalid, as though they do not really matter. Portraying members
of minority groups fairly and as
real human beings serves not
only to bring the reality of that
group of people to consumers
of media, but also to empower
members of that group. It is important that every kind of person
that has such an impact on our
lives be given fair representation
in the mass media.
The Case of Diversity and Social Mobility
How social mobility in America affects Browning students compared to other schools
David Valentin ’15
Form V
What is diversity? The common
misconception about diversity is
that it solely accounts for race, but
the truth is diversity goes beyond
just race. Diversity is about gender, socioeconomic, perspective,
religious, ideological, and cultural
identity. Diversity, needless to say,
is a complex issue that takes on
several dynamics and places them
into one category.
The latest college trip with
Form V and VI shed some light
on this issue of diversity. Many
of the students noticed at one
particular institution that many
of the college students in the
cafeteria were largely segregated
in homogenous groups. Most of
us were pretty surprised how divided the cafeteria was. I, however, looked at my table and saw
something vastly different: a
fairly mixed group of students
from different races and unique
ethnicities. With this introspection, I felt that Browning’s
Upper School was more diverse
compared to this college institution, which consisted of only
about 2,000 students. The issue
was apparent in this college, but
how can you tackle a lack of diversity?
The reality is that some students and individuals have not
talked to peers with very contrasting backgrounds. Where
does a lack of diversity start?
It frankly starts in the lower
grades. If younger children are
not exposed to classmates of
differing races and ethnicities
or even people, they will simply
stick within their racial scope
of friends in the future, as that’s
what they are most accustomed
with. So you cannot really blame
individuals or groups that have
never been introduced to diversity.
How does diversity connect
to social mobility? It’s simple:
consciousness and perspective.
But is even tackling social mobility even possible? According
to a New York Times op-ed article by Richard Reeves, “It is
well known that in the United
States, income distribution has
a sticky floor…Two-fifths of children born into the poorest fifth
of households remain there as
adults. But it is sticky at the top,
too: the same odds apply to those
born into the richest fifth…”
Within this framework,
children of the more affluent
are able to remain at the top and
able to garner a larger amount of
opportunities, but more impor-
tantly, choices. These choices
enable them to weigh out the
consequences of each possible
decision. In contrast, students
of lower socioeconomic backgrounds have a smaller number
of choices and therefore do not
have the luxury to exercise this
decision-making.
There is only a certain
amount of opportunities available to students and undoubtedly those who are more affluent will have greater access to
these opportunities. Sociologist
Charles Tilly calls this “opportunity hoarding,” because, less
talented children of the affluent
can “defy” falling under the ladder of social mobility.
Educational institutions can
only do so much in their outreach to disadvantaged students
who have potential. The institutions do not recognize how powerful diversity can be not only
for their reputation, but also
for the institution as a whole. In
positive environments, diversity
promotes a higher level of sensitivity and promotes the recognition of cultural differences. It
is really about the exchange of
ideas and most importantly, the
perspectives on issues.
A Pakistani student may
have vastly different views than
an American student. They can
both learn to accept each other’s
views by attending and interacting at the same university or college institution. This exchange
that occurs everyday is pivotal
to the growth and constantly
broadening the perspective of
the individuals. Not only is perspective gained, but understanding, something that seems to be
missing in schools.
“I felt that
Browning’s Upper
School was more
diverse compared
to this college
institution we
visited, which
consisted of only
about 2,000
students.”
Richard Reeves discusses
how affluent parents pour thousands of dollars into their children’s future and can offer them
a great deal of networking opportunities. The argument Reeves
makes is valid, but the reality
is that we cannot stop parents
from beings parents, which he
makes a point of. So how can we
improve diversity and aid social
mobility?
Discussing the issue of social mobility and diversity, Ben
Jacobs ’13, currently attending
Yale University, gave an erudite
response: “One must wonder to
what extent the School, 125 years
after its founding, instills what
John A. Browning cites as ‘responsibility to the broader community.’ It is a nebulous concept,
to be sure, but Browning must
continue to challenge its students’ notions of what civic engagement means. If it does not,
students might feel a rather unfortunate disconnect between
the community’s core values
and the culturally and socioeconomically diverse city which the
school calls home.”
Educational
institutions
have to start establishing where
they stand on the issue of diversity and social mobility and recognizing the need to reach out to
the larger community. Browning
and its students must start taking the initiative to promote and
give back to the larger community. Despite the strides Browning
has achieved in diversity, there is
still much room to move forward
in the coming years. I am proud
to say that I am a part of it.
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
13
STUDENT OP-ED
Bill de Blasio during his mayoral campaign.
Ben Weiner ’15
Form V
The 2013 race for mayor of New
York City was a fight between Republican Joe Lhota and Democrat
Bill de Blasio.
Joe Lhota was the city’s budget
director and later became deputy
mayor during Mayor Giuliani’s
administration. Before working in
the public sector, Lhota spent fifteen years in the private sector as an
investment banker. Bill de Blasio
started off his political career under
the administration of Mayor David Dinkins. He later became the
regional director of Housing and
Urban Development for New York
and New Jersey during President
Clinton’s administration. In 2001,
he ran for city council to represent
the city’s 39th district. He stayed
as a city council member until 2008
when he successfully ran for public
advocate.
Joe Lhota only faced two opponents in the Republican primary,
John Catsimatidis and George McDonald. He easily won the primary
and become the Republican candidate for mayor on September 10,
2013. During the primary he had to
fight against his billionaire opponent John Catsimatidis, who spent
$10 million discrediting Joe Lhota’s
experience and credibility. Out of
all of the candidates both republican and democrat, Joe Lhota had
the most experience in running
city government.
Bill de Blasio was last in the
polls going into the democratic
primary. With the help of big donations he was able to barrage
television screens with commercials showcasing his family and tell
New Yorkers what they wanted to
hear. He won the primary. From
this point on, the general election
was between Joe Lhota and Bill de
Blasio.
Bill de Blasio had an easy campaign to run. Right out of the primary he was ahead of Joe Lhota
by forty points. Joe Lhota, on the
other hand, went to every borough,
every parade, every block party,
and any event where potential voters could be. Lhota challenged de
Blasio to a debate in every borough
but was denied. Bill de Blasio was
at a clear advantage in this election
cycle. He had more name recognition and more support of different
demographics. There is a 6:1 ratio
of democrats to republicans in New
York City.
When they met in their first
televised debate, the government
shutdown was underway in Washington, D.C. and ‘Stop, Question,
and Frisk’ was declared unconstitutional. This hurt Lhota’s performance in the debate. Despite the
fact that Joe Lhota is a socially moderate republican, Bill de Blasio succeeded in painting Lhota as a “Tea
Browning community poll of
who they would elect mayor
38%
62%
Bill de Blasio
Joe Lhota
b. weiner ’15
reproduced by permission of ap / donald traill
The 109th Mayor – An Unfortunate Victory
Ben Weiner ’15 interned in Joe Lhota’s campaign over the summer.
Party Republican.” The response
after that debate was the same as it
was beforehand—de Blasio in the
lead and Lhota behind.
Before the next debate Joe
Lhota released an ad explaining
what would happen to New York
if Bill de Blasio became our next
mayor. The ad depicted images of
New York under the Dinkins administration, which de Blasio was a
part of. In the second debate, Lhota
came in swinging and gave a strong
performance, yet this did not really
affect how he did in the polls.
On the campaign trail, Lhota
focused on advocating for more
charter schools in the city, while
de Blasio kept saying he wanted
to raise taxes on people making
$500,000 a year or more to fund after school pre-k. The problem with
de Blasio’s tax plan is that Governor Andrew Cuomo has stated explicitly that he will not accept it. In
the final debate, a week before the
election, it became heated and the
two candidates argued over their
issues.
NBC released a poll two days
before the election stating that
Joe Lhota was down significantly
in the polls. This poll may have affected voter turnout as only 24%
(1,026,168) of registered voters participated in this election.
The winner of the race was
projected on the news around
9:05pm on November 5, 2013. The
final election result was 73.3% to
de Blasio and 24.3% to Joe Lhota.
The Grytte conducted a poll, and
62% of Browning voted for Bill de
Blasio (see chart on left).
The citizens of New York voted to end the problem of a “tale of
two cities,” which de Blasio vehemently attacked. Such a divisive
platform left Joe Lhota with no
chance, and so, the city ultimately
decided to vote for a different
kind of mayor.
A Midfall’s Trip to the Opera Michael Zuppone ’16
Form IV
On Tuesday, October 8, 2013, my
music survey class and I ventured
to a dress rehearsal opera at the
Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center. The performance was
Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer
Night’s Dream,” the first opera I
ever had the privilege of attending.
Although I had been to musicals,
plays, and ballet performances in
the past, the opera was a new experience for me, which I went into with
an open, curious mind. Dozens of
people from several other schools
across the city packed into the
theater to view the performance,
which was an intriguing sight. The
opera house was gorgeously furnished with red velvet carpeting,
wooden carved walls, and ornate
chandeliers, to simulate a classical
yet modern styled theater.
The set designer, Antony McDonald, gave the stage a fascinating, modern themed scheme that
definitely caught my attention.
During Act II, the set was arranged
as to resemble a seemingly modern
production set with a moon shaped
bed in the distant background.
This was an ideal and spacious layout for the workingmen characters
to practice their play for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta.
The moon bed in the backdrop
complemented the seduced Tytania well, and illustrated her petty
love for Bottom, who was turned
into an ass. The beginning of Act
III demonstrated perhaps the most
clever aspects of the scenery, which
commenced with the four main
characters all waking up after their
fight in beds next to one another.
There was a carefully positioned
tree hanging over them. As they
woke up and walked toward the
front of the stage, the back of the
stage moved backward slowly, similar to a conveyor belt in a factory.
This illustrated how even after a
long, exhausting argument, they
were still able to move on and become friends again as they walked
along the conveyor belt.
The conductor of the orchestra, James Colon, did a fantastic
job directing the musical portion
of the opera. I was really intrigued
by how influential and important
the role of the orchestra was in my
emotional connection to the plot of
the show. They seemed to be able
to simulate almost any emotion
through sound. For example, when
the four main characters were falling in love with one another at various instances during the opera, the
orchestra played sweet, slow, pleasant music to illustrate the affection
in the air. On the other hand, when
the four main characters were in
their outrageous argument during Act II, the orchestra played
fast, loud, harsh sounding music to
complement their resentment of
one another. At many times during the play, the only well to tell the
very mood of the characters was by
listening to the orchestra! I really
came to appreciate their contribution to the opera.
The lighting aspect of the performance is probably the most underappreciated role in the opera. It
became apparent to me during “A
Midsummer Night’s Dream” how
much effort it took to ensure the
audience could see the characters
clearly in the large, dark theater.
Because we were in one of the high
balcony sections, I was really able
to observe how carefully the lights
had to be aimed at each singer. It
must certainly be difficult to shine
the light on eight different people
who are all moving quickly and in
different directions! The lighting
designer, Matthew Richardson, did
an excellent job.
On the contrary, I also realized how unimportant the costume aspect was to this opera
performance, as no costume can
truly take away from the splendor
or dreadfulness of each character’s voice. I found that although
some of the costumes were silly,
Form IV attended the final dress rehearsal of “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream” Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center on October 8.
such as the nineteenth century have in the past. I thought that the
suits worn by the workingmen, nearly four hour long performance
it really did not change the over- seemed to drag on forever and was
all impact of the performance. difficult to follow along, even with
I would argue that although the the subtitles. Because the voices
costumes were far from bad in the sounded so muffled at times from
performance, they were and still where I was sitting, if I did not
are a generally over anticipated have the subtitles right in front of
aspect of the opera.
me, it would have taken me until
In the end, I had mixed opin- well into the performance to realions about my first trip to the op- ize that it was indeed in English!
era. Although I enjoyed having the That said, I did really appreciate
experience of seeing some of the how much effort and talent went
country’s finest vocalists and in- into carrying out the performance.
strumentalists in one of the coun- Whatever your opinion or reservatry’s most esteemed opera houses, tions are regarding the opera, it is
the opera in and of itself was not still an amazing and impressive
of particular interest to me. It evolution of western culture and
did not “click” with me as perfor- it is at least worth seeing once in
mances such as musicals and plays one’s lifetime.
14
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
STUDENTS REPORT THE NEWS
Proposed Dump Threatens Asphalt Green Since the beginning of this year,
there have been serious talks
about having a waste transfer
station on the East Side of Manhattan. There are many political views on the subject. During
New York City’s mayoral campaigns this year, the subject became more widely known to the
public. Six of the nine mayoral
candidates, including Democrat
Bill Thompson and Republican Joe Lhota, were against the
dump. Newly-elected Mayor Bill
De Blasio, however, has a different view on the matter than
most New Yorkers. He believes
that the dump will not only be
successful in the long run, but
is what New Yorkers need right
now.
“I believe residents have valid
concerns that must be addressed
in the implementation process,”
stated Bill De Blasio at a mayoral debate. He understood what
the people wanted, and was not
afraid to let his views be heard
before New Yorkers elected him
mayor.
Joe Lhota, the Republican
mayoral candidate, did not believe in creating a marine transfer station near Asphalt Green,
a recreation center where tens
to hundreds of thousands of
children play and exercise year
round. Developing a marine
transfer station would include
having hundreds of garbage disposal trucks coming in and out
of the area, releasing a stench
reproduced by permission of asphalt green
Daniel Kravitz ’18
Form II
Aerial view of Asphalt’s Green soccer field and the access ramp to the Department of Sanitation of New York’s 91st Street Marine Waste Transfer
Station (white building). Opponents claim the waste station will destroy the quality of life of the neighborhood, and could pose a health hazard as the
access ramp currently runs between Green Asphalt’s Fitness center and it’s soccer field.
that would be unbearable for
many New Yorkers residing in
Yorkville. The issue has brought
on a plethora of complaints from
the area’s locals.
Browning students questioned on the subject simply answered “no” when asked whether
there should be a marine transfer
station at 91st street. “Of course
there should not be a dump. It is
unhealthy and causes an unpleasant smell where many children
play. It can cause diseases for children and absolutely should not be
allowed,” Alex Buckfire ’18 replied when questioned about the
topic.
The transfer station once operated until the late 1990s, when
the community evolved into a
largely residential one. In fact,
it was Joe Lhota’s idea to shut it
down in the first place during this
time. The New York City Council recently set aside $125 million
to build a new ten story waste
processing facility on the corner
of 91st Street, in direct proximity
to the Asphalt Green Athletics
Complex and Carl Schurz Park.
This is part of a governmental
effort to distribute the city’s garbage equally throughout the city.
Whether or not the disposal plant
deserves to be in such a residential neighborhood remains a hot
button issue. This story will be
developed in upcoming issues of
the Grytte.
Stopping the 91st St. Marine Transfer Station
reproduced by permission of asphalt green
DUMPS DON’T
BELONG WHERE
KIDS PLAY
The above advert was circulated to raise awareness of the proposed dump.
Michael Zuppone ’16
Form IV
[Editor’s Note: Student Op-Ed]
As many members of the Browning School community are already aware, the City Council is
planning to construct a garbage
transfer station at the corner of
East 91st Street and York Avenue.
This proposed Marine Transfer
Station (MTS) will affect the
lives of tens of thousands of New
Yorkers, including those who reside in Yorkville, East Harlem,
and the Upper East Side. Also
among those impacted will be
31,000 children annually who
utilize the turf field at Asphalt
Green, a not-for-profit health
and fitness center situated in the
middle of the proposed dump
area.
If built, the MTS would have
a horrific impact on Eastern Manhattan. Dozens of garbage trucks
would crowd the streets of Yorkville
daily, causing traffic congestion, air
pollution, and safety hazards for
children and pedestrians crossing
the street. The carcinogenic diesel
emissions from the garbage trucks
will exceed new EPA safety standards, and the site will cost taxpayers a total of over $45 million in
construction and operation fees.
In response to the city’s illadvised decision to build the 91st
Street MTS, a growing coalition
of residents, businesses, and educators have formed Pledge 2 Protect, an organization that works
to prevent and raise awareness
about the construction of the garbage site. Supporters of the organization can take the “pledge to
protect” the city from the dump
via the organization’s website,
which over 25,000 people have
already done.
“A coalition
of residents,
businesses, and
educators have
formed Pledge
2 Protect, which
works to prevent
and raise
awareness about
the construction of
the garbage site.”
Proponents of the organization include formal mayoral
candidate Joe Lhota, who has
already taken the pledge to
protect, and New York City
Councilman Ben Kallos, who
addressed Browning during
an assembly a few years ago.
Among those in favor of the
dump is the newly elected New
York City Mayor Bill de Blasio,
who has publically declared his
support for the project. Hopefully, Mr. de Blasio will reconsider his views now that he has
taken office.
In conclusion, the 91st
Street Marine Transfer Station is an unfortunate example of the city government’s
growing miscommunication
with the people of New York.
There is no reason a garbage
disposal station should be
built in such a vulnerable,
residentia l
neighborhood
that would be negatively impacted by the development.
Pledge 2 Protect, however,
offers promising hope that
the project will be shut down,
and many determined New
Yorkers will not stop fighting until this goal is achieved.
For more information about
the garbage station, visit
pledge2protectnyc.org.
November 2013
BROWNING GRYTTE
15
BROWNING SPORTS
Athlete Spotlight: 7th & 8th Grade Soccer:
Christopher Keyko Defense is the Best Offense
team. Although the team had a
rough beginning, the new captain settled into his role by the
end of the season. Now, he is
ready to make the cross country
team number one next year.
Varsity cross country captain
Christopher Keyko ’15
Ben Weiner ’15
Julian Orillac ’16
Forms V/IV
The varsity cross country team
had some stellar members on the
team this season. Christopher
Keyko ’15 consistently placed in
the top five runners and always
gave Browning a fighting chance.
As the captain of the team,
Christopher set the bar for how
the team should do in cross country. Yvan Maslenikov ’16, also
finished in less than twenty-one
minutes at every meet.
In the first meet, Browning
placed in the back of the pack.
The team did not have great
starting results even though it
had trained diligently. However,
the runners improved dramatically over the course of the season.
At the New York State
Association of Independent
Schools championship, Browning came in third place. This
was a tremendous improvement with Keyko, Maslenikov,
Philippe Laffont ’16, Brandon Keno ’16, and Diego
Lopez-Lirazo ’15 all finishing
in the top fifteen.
This year, Keyko was the
captain of the cross-country
Being captain of the cross
country team was always a goal
of mine. Previously, I had witnessed several other captains
such as James Brisotti ’12 and
Michael Gabrellian ’13 who
were both great role models
and following in their steps is
a great honor.
Do the other teammates treat
you differently now that you
are the captain?
Initially I was treated as just
another teammate, but as time
went on, with the help of Diego
Lopez I gained respect from the
other runners.
What are some difficulties you
face as captain?
It can be difficult after a bad
race when everyone’s morals are
low, but by always taking each
meet as a learning experience
our team as a whole is able to
recover. Even this year while we
had not been doing well before
the championships, we managed to run faster than some of
the teams that had beaten us in
the meets beforehand.
What are some of the ways
that you get the moral of the
team up?
Because the team is still relatively small, I am able to go up
to each runner individually and
discuss any issues that they are
having. Also Julian Orillac ’16
always brings treats after every
meet, which brings up everyone’s spirit!
ms. bramble
mr. pelz
How does it feel to be the
captain of the cross-country
team?
Top row from left: Coach Brown, Connor Buettner ’19, Kyle Tobia ’18, Charlie Pink ’18, Jack Twaronite ’18,
Andrew Ceonzo ’18, Sebastian Rodriguez ’19, Philip Raftopoulos ’18, Kenneth Daniel ’19, Christopher Batista ’18,
and Coach Protheroe. Bottom row: Blaise Lowen ’19, John Jaenisch ’19, Gabriel Flicker ’19, Lucas Coffey ’19,
Connor Medland ’18, George Grimbilas’ 18, George Stavropoulos ’18, and Eric Pena ’19.
Connor Medland ’18
Form II
As is tradition, prior to the start
of the school year, Middle School
students headed to Camp MahKee-Nac in the Berkshires to
hone their skills with their Upper
School compatriots, having fun
together and getting back into
the flow of playing soccer again.
Upon return to Browning on the
first day of school, prospective
7th and 8th grade soccer players
headed out to Randall’s Island to
begin practice.
The previous year’s 7th and
8th grade team had been unbeaten and had won the NYCAL
League. This year, however,
many of the players had moved
up to junior varsity or varsity soccer, leaving the team with many
spots to fill. This year, the team
was headed up by co-captains
Andrew Ceonzo ’18 and Charlie Pink ’18, as well as returning
coaches, Coach Brown and Dr.
Protheroe.
The first match of the season was against Lycée Français.
Browning played very well, and
the game ended as a draw. That
match was followed by another
draw against Trevor Day. Browning looked good up to that point,
but over the following two
games the team suffered losses
to Columbia and St. Hilda - St.
Hughes. The team was not disheartened by these losses, but
rather worked with its coaches
to figure out what went wrong in
those games.
The very next game, the team
enjoyed a crushing victory over
Trevor Day with all its players contributing. After that win however,
the team lost to Avenues, and then
again to Buckley. Still, the young
Panthers were not deterred, and
they fought back with a dramatic
win against Packer Collegiate the
following game.
The team went on to tie
against Columbia, a team who
had previously beaten them. In
the rematch against Lycée Français, the team worked hard, but
ended up losing due to what
some players called ‘questionable
refereeing.’ In the last game of
the season, Browning tied with
St. Hilda - St. Hughes. It was a
strong way to end a hard-fought
season. The team’s final record
was 2-5-4. The players knew at
the start that this was not going to be an easy season, but by
working hard together, the team
compensated for deficiencies
with tenacity and in true Browning fashion, played with grit.
When asked his thoughts,
“the season went as expected,”
Coach Brown said. “We knew we
had a strong defense that would
give a lot of teams in our league
some trouble. We also knew our
offensive presence was not nearly
what it has been in the past. We
had some of our best performances against the better teams
in the league such as LFNY (Lycée Français) and Columbia Prep.
Andrew Ceonzo, Charlie Pink,
and Connor Medland ’18 were
as reliable at our defensive end
as we had seen in recent years.
Though our ultimate goal was to
win the championship, we feel
we had a successful season with
the boys we had on the team.”
Middle School Runs into a New Beginning
mr. pelz
Grant Thompson ’18
Form II
Theodore Florescu ’18 dashes.
This year marked the first time
that the Browning Middle
School has had a cross-country
team since the 1990s. The team
was a successful venture that
spanned six weeks coached by
Mr. Young, Chair of the Classics Department. This was his
first time coaching a sports team
at Browning and he was eager to
participate in the club. About a
dozen boys in Forms I and II also
decided to join the newly recreated cross-country team.
Over the fall, the team prac-
ticed in Central Park every Monday and Tuesday.
On Thursdays, the team
ran in a track meet at the Van
Cortland Park with the varsity
cross-country team. During
one of their practices in Central
Park, the Middle School team
even had an opportunity to run
a small portion of the New York
City Marathon set-up. Endurance training, speed running,
and uphill running were some
of the primary focuses of the
team during this first season.
One of the phrases the
team used to keep everyone
motivated during long work-
outs was, “long, slow, distance.”
With each practice and meet,
every student progressively
became more proficient in the
sport. Coach Young remarked,
“ I wanted their legs to become
used to running three and four
miles, so that, on the 1.5 mile
meet course, they could concentrate on speed.”
Runner Teddy Florescu
’18 recalled that “it was a hard
course to run and the terrain
tended to vary because of the
weather.” Henry Choy ’18
also reported that the crosscountry experience made everyone more fit and prepared
for the winter sports. The boys
demonstrated their increased
proficiency of running with increasingly faster times at every
meet. The more the runners
ran on the course, the faster
their times became.
The first time the team ran
was a completely new experience for everybody, so it was
a little overwhelming at first.
All in all, however, it was a
successful start for the Middle
School cross-country team,
and Coach Bernard hopes to
see the Form II runners make
a return to the team next year
as Varsity runners.
Browning
soccer
cross country
squash
hockey
fencing
baseball
golf
tennis
track
An End To A Successful Season
Varsity Soccer advances to the semi-finals only to lose to Columbia Prep
ms. bramble
One Huge
Kick for JV
Soccer
basketball
Sports
Harry Calianese ’16 on the field.
The future has never looked
brighter for junior varsity
soccer. Under the guidance
of Coach Lisciandrello, the
team managed to win its first
game in four years!
The roster of JV soccer was
completely renewed, as thirteen members of the class of
2017 joined the team. With a
quick start to the season, the
team initially failed to create
chemistry, and struggled to
communicate effectively.
The first game was a friendly against Masters. Without
much practice or experience,
Browning fell 0-6 and had
plenty of mistakes to learn
from. The next two games also
served as experiences to learn
from, as Browning failed to
score a single goal.
On September 23, Browning faced off against Calhoun
and was able to not only score
its first goal of the season, but
was able to tie its first game in
two years.
This season, Browning had
Calhoun’s number and managed to beat them during their
second match, 2-1. The game
was hard-fought and was a clear
example of how well the team
had developed and highlighted
the team’s desire to win. Teammates attributed the success of
that game to Chris Childs ’17,
who was able to score both goals
for Browning within the first 15
minutes of the first half.
The first game the JV soccer team played against Trevor, they lost 0-9. The second
game played against Trevor
Day, they lost 0-3, which demonstrated how the team had
developed a defensive over the
season. While no other victories occurred for the remainder of the season, the players
felt it was a great foreshadowing of the future to know that
JV soccer has a strong core and
has the ability to be a competitor against any team.
mr. pelz
Norman Delgado ’15
Form V
Top Row from left: Coach Watson, Arthur Mensah ’15, Chris Haack ’14, Jon Flinchum ’14, Alex Wisowaty ’14, Karsten Monteverde ’16, Caspar Boele
’14, Kevin Centeno ’15, Andrew Medland ’16, Rafe Harvard ’14, and Coach Zeuner. Bottom Row: Jamil Guzman ’17, Micah Bowey ’17, Joshua Jordan
’17, Alex Makkos ’15, and George Allen ’17. Not Pictured: Philip van Scheltinga ’14 and Griffin Bassman ’14.
Peter Maguire ’14
Form VI
game undefeated streak,
in which they drew the
next game and won the
The Browning varsity
following two matches,
soccer team finished its
all of which were league
2013 run with a 2-1 heartgames.
breaker against CoDespite the fact that
lumbia in the NYCAL
seven members will be
Semi-Finals. While the
graduating after this
consensus among the
year, the season proved
community remains that
that the team has an
Browning was the better
abundance of younger
team, a goal just before
players ready to fill the
the half and another in
gaps. The majority of
the second half put the
these seniors had been
team in a hole it could
the “backbone” of the
not dig out of.
team since their freshDespite this abrupt
man year, as Coach Watend to the season, the
son describes them. The
varsity Panthers were
outgoing seniors have
able to accomplish con“shown leadership to
siderable feats this seathe younger guys, makson in the face of great
ing everyone feel like a
adversity. The team had
member of the team,”
to survive without many
Coach Watson added.
senior starters at the
This inf luence on the
beginning of the season
younger players on the
for different reasons.
team is a good sign for
Notably, co-captain and
the future.
All-League player, Rafe
Griffin Bassman
Harvard ’14, was out
’14, Caspar Boele ’14,
with a foot injury for a
Jon Flinchum ’14,
sizeable amount of the
Chris Haack ’14, Rafe
season. The team made
Harvard ’14, Philip
the best with what it had Andrew Medland ’16, Rafe Harvard ’14 and Karsten Monteverde ’16 in the semi-finals.
van Scheltinga ’14 and
and was able to perform
Alex Wisowaty ’14 have
another solid season.
loss. “It was a mismatch,” Coach like the previous match, how- left a strong legacy on the past
While the players may not Watson said.
ever, the team rallied and scored four years of Browning sochave gone as far as they wanted to,
Several weeks later when three straight goals to take the cer. Looking ahead, the team’s
the season had many moments of the two opponents met again, it contest. “The team never gave leading scorers, Karsten Monstunning success according to the seemed to be a replay of the first up,” and the win showed how far teverde ’16, and Arthur Mencoaches. In their first game of the game, when LFNY jumped out the team had come and how de- sah ’15 are both set to return as
season against the always-strong to a two-goal lead. The early termined they were to win. The well as four freshman starters,
Lycée Français, the Panthers deficit gave Coach Watson a vengeful win was the high point who will provide a good base
were “demolished” in a sore 10-1 sense of “here we go again.” Un- in the season as it started a four- for seasons to come.