CatlinSpeak

Let’s be honest: we had no idea what we were doing when we became the editors of CatlinSpeak at the end of our sophomore year. Now though, after two years of editing, emailing, and publishing, we’ve found a unique place within the Catlin community.

Hannah, Audrey and Fiona at the 2012 mayoral debate. (Photo: Deborah Naugler)

Being part of the new CatlinSpeak created opportunities we would have never imagined. We took on new roles, including leading a 19-person staff, publishing weekly online content, and organizing the mayoral debates, which challenged us to think on our feet, and allowed us to gain new confidence.

We want to thank the school, the newspaper staff, and our advisors George and Patrick for trusting us to take CatlinSpeak in a different direction. We want to thank each other for the collaboration, honesty, and ambitious attitude with which we approached this venture.

The excitement and willingness with which the students and faculty have responded to our work has been exhilarating, and we are grateful to have managed a news source for such an encouraging community. We appreciate that we were able to contribute to an audience that offered us ideas, constructive criticism, and readership. Catlin, and more specifically the Upper School, was our sounding board, and a mighty good one at that.

We value our role within Catlin because it has given us the chance to develop a more legitimate and significant student voice, and we hope that CatlinSpeak continues to feature prominently within the Catlin community. It’s been exciting to see the newspaper educate readers, be it on the pros and cons of fluoride implementation, the candidates of the mayoral race, the cross country teams, or local food haunts. It’s powerful to write for an audience larger than a single teacher or peer reviewers, and we’ve come to appreciate this influence over the past two years.

As we depart the school, we look forward to seeing CatlinSpeak further develop its niche. The ever-changing nature of the paper is key to its success, and we hope to see the new editors, Gabby, Nico, and Simon, continue in this spirit of innovation.

In the words of esteemed philosopher and impressive student-singer-athlete Troy Bolton, “we’re soaring, we’re flying, there’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach.”

Hasta la vista,

Hannah, Audrey, and Fiona

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Blazer fan who saw this season as a success. A historically inept bench, a record-tying losing streak, and inefficient scoring from top players all culminated in an ultimately disappointing result.

However, even if it ended on a low note, there were a few positives that came out of the year. Damian Lillard should take home the Rookie of the Year trophy by a healthy margin, joining Brandon Roy as the only two Blazers to win the award since Sidney Wicks in 1971-72, which, coincidentally, is the only other time Portland lost 13 games in a row.

Though some may condemn the current losing streak as it is the result of “tanking,” the process in which a team does everything within its power to strategically lose, the end result was actually a positive for Portland.

Due to a trade with the Bobcats for Gerald Wallace in the 2010-11 season, the Blazers owed Charlotte their first-round pick for this upcoming draft. However, a provision in the trade made the pick top-12 protected, i.e. Portland would retain the pick if it were 12th or lower.

As soon as it became clear that the Blazers were headed for the draft lottery, their record got worse and worse, and their draft prospects got better and better. On the last day of the season, Portland was tied with Philadelphia and Toronto in both the wins and losses column, but two wins for the Eastern Conference teams and a Blazers defeat at the hands of the Warriors left Portland in sole possession of the tenth worst record in the NBA.

Basically, between the All-Star Break and the end of the season, the Blazers gave up, started waving a white flag, and began praying that Nerlens Noel’s ACL would heal well.

Nicolas Batum (88), an integral part of the leadership in Portland. (Photo: New York Times)

This year’s draft class has largely been panned by most scouts for lacking in star power, but for a team like Portland, with three or four locker room leaders already a part of the program, it may be the perfect class to help bolster its weak bench and add the player that will help catapult Portland into the 2014 playoffs. Here are some possible routes for the Blazers to take:

PG/SG C.J. McCollum, Lehigh

A small-school senior point guard with unlimited range and the ability to play off the ball, McCollum’s game bears a striking resemblance to Lillard’s, but for the fact that McCollum has an impressive tourney record to back up his stats. You may recognize the name Lehigh from last year’s NCAA tournament, in which the Mountain Hawks joined the exclusive club of 15 seeds to win in the round of 64, beating Duke 75-70. McCollum had 30 points and six assists in that game, and was ready to follow it up with another strong season before breaking his foot in January. Through the first couple months of the season, however, he played well, averaging 23.9 points with strong 50/52/85 (Fg%/3PTFG%/FT%) shooting splits. He could immediately step in and provide bench scoring and three-point shooting to a team that desperately needs it, although scouts question his size and lack of a true position.

C Alex Len, Maryland

Although the Blazers drafted a center, Meyers Leonard, with the 11th pick in last year’s draft, Len would provide a much different presence down low. While Leonard’s game focuses on athleticism, energy, and hustle, Len offers a more skilled and offensively advanced approach to the inside game. In one of the most surprising and dominant performances of the college basketball season, Len came out and demolished vaunted Kentucky center Nerlens Noel in the season opener, racking up 23 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks while holding Noel to just four points. With a solid post-up game, good passing skills, and a solid jump shot, Len is the Blazers’ best bet if they’re looking for size in the mid-lottery.

SF Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

Although Muhammad is projected by most experts to be off the board by the time the Blazers’ pick comes around, he, out of all the top picks, seems to be most primed for a draft-day drop. There’s just the right combination of on-the-court attitude and off-the-court issues for NBA teams to want to back off. It happened to Andre Drummond last year, and it looks like it might happen again here. Shabazz started off the year with an impermissible benefits suspension that the NCAA, in a manner only too familiar to college sports fans, mishandled and eventually rescinded. Then the strange news came out recently that Muhammad is, in fact, 20 years old, not 19 as he led everyone to believe. That, combined with UCLA’s relative ineffectiveness in the tournament, spells a long, heartwrenching drop for a player who many believed could be the top pick in the draft at the beginning of the year. He would provide the Blazers with a sweet-shooting backup to Nicolas Batum, who, despite being tenth in the league in three point attempts, is a slightly above-average shooter at best.

SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia

An early candidate for highest-riser in the draft, Caldwell-Pope is a dead-eye shooting guard who also plays great defense, à la Brandon Rush of the Golden State Warriors. He has only slightly above average shooting statistics from the shorter college three-point line, but scouts believe his form is strong and that the stats are a result of the large scoring burden he held for the Bulldogs. He is also the only player of ESPN’s top 30 players in the draft without a single game with single-digit points. He needs to work on his ability to create his own shot to be anything more than a role player in the NBA, but his current skill set as an off-ball shooter and lockdown defender could provide the Blazers with a valuable player off the bench.

Of course, on the off chance (1.1 percent, to be exact) that Portland winds up with the top pick after the draft lottery, the choice will come down to either Noel or Kansas shooting guard Ben McClemore. Noel would immediately become the Blazers’ future at center and the low-post defensive stalwart it so desperately desires, while McClemore could step in as the franchise wing and leave open the possibility of trading Wesley Matthews to bolster the bench. Ultimately, Noel would be the better choice, rounding out the team and helping Portland’s starting five become one of the strongest in the NBA. Tune in to the draft lottery on May 21 to see the unveiling of the Blazers’ draft position and the experts’ predictions on the next Blazers’ rookie.

In an April 7, 2013, interview with Charlie Rose on CBS’s “60 Minutes”, NBA star Jeremy Lin explained that race was a barrier to his success in the NBA. When asked why he thought he never received a Division I basketball scholarship, Lin stated, “I think the obvious thing in my mind is that I was Asian American. I think that was a barrier.”

Lin’s statements generated a wide spectrum of responses. NBA commissioner David Stern agreed with Lin’s view, saying that race may have been a factor in Lin not having been selected in the NBA draft. Stern, on the same “60 Minutes” broadcast, explained “I don’t know whether he was discriminated against because he was at Harvard or because he was Asian.”

However, at the same time, many commentators associated with the NBA criticized Lin’s statements. Stephen A. Smith, a commentator on ESPN’s “Sportscenter”, explained that he believed Lin’s race also allowed him to obtain a three-year, $25 million contract. Smith echoed the sentiments of some NBA players, such as Lin’s former Knicks teammate, Carmelo Anthony. Anthony made news when he called Lin’s contract “ridiculous.” J.R. Smith, who also played with Lin on the Knicks, said that there were many “personal,” i.e. negative, feelings toward Lin in the locker room because of the high-paying contract.

From the outside, it may seem that Lin’s situation was highly desirable. The average salary for a rookie NBA player is less than $1 million, so it is unheard of for a third-year player to have an $8 million salary. However, Lin was also extremely fortunate and faced many roadblocks in the path to his contract.

Lin was first-team All-State and the Northern California Division II Player of the Year as a senior, and had the academic qualifications to pass NCAA regulations. However, he did not receive any scholarship offers while he was a high school basketball player. His high school basketball coach, Peter Diepenbrock, explained that race was a factor in the recruiting process. Diepenbrock witnessed several Division I coaches scouting an African American player who he thought “could have been a nice junior college player” but saw that the same coaches ignored Lin entirely. Diepenbrock stated, “If [Lin] was African American or Caucasian, it might have been a different deal.”

 Lin’s challenges did not end after the college recruitment process, as he also faced adversity in his path onto an NBA team. In addition to his race being a possible source of discrimination, the fact that Lin played at Harvard University didn’t help him since Harvard had not produced an NBA player since 1954. This meant that most professional scouts ignored the school entirely

Lin received many favorable reviews from experts on the draft. ESPN’s Andy Katz stated that Lin was “easily one of the nation’s best-kept secrets” and “one of the top point guards in the country.” University of Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun, who has coached numerous NBA stars such as Ray Allen, simply said that Lin was “really, really good” and testified that Lin would be able to play at the next level. However, despite a sterling college career, Lin went undrafted.

Jeremy Lin during his tenure with the New York Knicks. (Photo: New York Times)

Fortunately, Lin was invited to the Summer League and played under the Dallas Mavericks. After witnessing a game where Lin outplayed then-number one draft pick John Wall, the Golden State Warriors signed Lin to a two-year deal. Lin played sparse minutes and did not see much serious action on the court. He was regularly sent down to the NBA’s developmental league, and was eventually waived in December of 2011. The Houston Rockets claimed Lin off waivers but waived him just two weeks later.

Lin found his way onto another NBA team when the New York Knicks signed him off waivers on December 27, 2011. After a string of injuries to point guards on their roster, the Knicks were desperately searching for an answer to their void at point guard. Lin was sent down to the Erie Bayhawks of the D-League, where he scored 28 points and notched a triple double. He was recalled back up to the Knicks, but experienced a tumultuous next few weeks, hitting a low point when he was nearly released in early February.

The Knicks, at that point, had lost 11 of their last 13 games. Coach Mike D’Antoni, sensing that his job was in danger, decided to play Lin in a desperation move. Fortunately, Lin played exceptionally well in his first game with major minutes, scoring 25 points against all-star point guard Deron Williams on February 4th. Lin dominated the league over the next month, leading his team to a 9-3 record before the all-star break and kick-starting the phenomenon known as Linsanity.

Because Lin was undrafted, he was not bound to the traditional rookie scale salary and was able to sign a large contract early in his career. While other players may feel envious of Lin’s situation, it is inarguable that Lin took an unconventional path to his contract. Not only did he miss out on a scholarship, but he was undrafted, waived, and also sent down to the developmental league. No other players in recent history have managed to sign a large contract despite these setbacks.

Lin was extremely fortunate to be able to even have the opportunity to play major minutes. He happened to be claimed off waivers by a desperate team that also happened to suffer injuries to other players of his position. Had Lin remained on waivers or been claimed by any other team, it is unlikely that he would have ever had the opportunity to start for an NBA team.

Other talented players follow the conventional professional route of obtaining scholarships to attend powerhouse college basketball programs. Next, they are drafted in the lottery. Teams value high lottery picks, and will spend considerable resources and playing time developing these players. In the end, most of these stars end up earning amounts similar to Lin, if not more.

It would be unwise for any player to willingly choose Lin’s route. There are thousands and thousands of basketball stars who never pan out after being undrafted, and thousands more who never even had the opportunity to even attend college.

While Stephen A. Smith is likely correct that Lin’s race did indeed help him obtain a contract, he ignores the fact that Lin’s race also hurt him considerably in getting to a situation where he could conceivably obtain any NBA contract. Lin was extremely fortunate; for every Jeremy Lin, there are thousands of other players like him whose names we will never know.

In 2010, two Catlin Gabel students, Yale Fan and Kevin Ellis, earned two of the top three prizes at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in San Jose, California. The two students each won $50,000 scholarships. Catlin Gabel is the only school in the science fair’s half-century of existence to have two of its students win two of the top three prizes. Amazingly, both of those projects came from the same department: the computer science department.

Computer Science is one of the most in-demand fields in the professional industry today. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and creator of Facebook, states: “The programmers of tomorrow are the wizards of the future.” Computer scientists are important in almost every field and industry, from banking, to agriculture, to entertainment.

However, despite the need for computer scientists, there may not be enough interest nationally. Zuckerberg states the need for programmers at Facebook, saying: “Our policy is literally to hire as many talented engineers as we can find.” However, he also comments on the nation’s inability to produce competent computer scientists, saying: “The whole limit in the system is just that there just aren’t enough people who are trained and have these skills today.” According to code.org, nine out of ten high schools in the United States do not offer programming classes.

The Upper School Schedule. Each student’s personal schedule is formed using a computer program written by Computer Science instructor Andrew Merrill. (Photo: Terrance Sun)

Fortunately, Catlin Gabel has such classes. Catlin Gabel has four main computer science classes: Introduction to Computer Science, Advanced Computer Science, Topics in Computer Science, and Computer Science Research. The second-level class, Advanced Computer Science, is equivalent to an introductory-level college course, and students can take the Advanced Placement exam for college credit after the class. The third-level courses, Topics in Computer Science and Computer Science Research, are offered in alternating years and are equivalent to more advanced survey and research level college courses.

Andrew Merrill, the head of the Computer Science department, teaches all of these classes. Merrill says he tries to extend students’ thinking through his teaching, saying: “Like everything else that is taught at Catlin Gabel, we mostly trying to broaden students’ minds. The focus is on trying to give experience and new ways of thinking. It’s a plus if that exposure is to a subject area that may have career potential.”

Merrill explains that computer science at Catlin Gabel is taught through a project-based curriculum. He says: “The main focus is on writing computer programs. Computer programming can be both challenging and frustrating, but at the same time it is exciting and rewarding. It’s actually more like an art, in that you can produce something that is live and functional and can be shown to others.”

The most advanced students engage in their own independent research projects. These projects are long-term, usually taking several months to years, and can be entered into science fair competitions.

Alan Mayhew ’13 has been taking computer science classes at Catlin Gabel for four years. This year, he embarked on a research project, to write his own chat client from scratch. Chat clients are used in instant messaging programs, and utilize complex computer science methods such as threading, networking, and encryption. Mayhew has built a functional chat client and hopes to finish his project soon. He comments on his experience, stating: “I’ve really enjoyed this project, mostly because it allowed me to simultaneously learn about some really useful, interesting topics with Andrew’s help, and do so in a project of my choice.”

Casey Currey-Wilson ’13, another four-year Computer Science student at Catlin, is also working on his own project. He is attempting to build a robot that can evaluate the artistic qualities of pictures, and eventually be able to take artistic pictures on its own. So far, his robot can successfully follow rules of conventional photography, such as the rule of thirds. Currey-Wilson reports that although he needs to continue working on his project, it has been satisfying so far. He says, “For me, the project has represented a way of combining my interests in computer science and visual art.” Currey-Wilson wants to continue studying computer science in college. He comments on computer science at Catlin Gabel, saying: “I think Catlin’s computer science department does a great job of giving its students lots of hands-on experience that will help them in college and beyond.”

Even though these students have been learning about computer science for four years, anyone can take the introductory class. In the words of code.org founder Hadi Partovi, “Basic computer programming is so easy that fifth-graders can learn it.” She describes the endless possibilities, saying: “Learning to code unlocks creative thinking and opens unparalleled career options. Coding is the new American Dream.”

Here comes April, a month full of strange events and mysterious rumors that might leave you asking, “What?” April at Catlin has a few quirks and special events, so here’s a guide to help you stay in the loop.

–Seniors hear back from colleges near the end of spring break, which is why there might be a sudden rise in the sporting of college apparel.
–“Senior Privileges” begin sometime soon. Every year, the senior class writes several privileges for itself to have during April. The senior class presidents propose these to the faculty for approval.

–Juniors will market Prom tickets, and people will find dates to the May 4 dance (heads up: chances of freshmen going are often slim, Tristan).

–If someone blurts, “It’s Kidnap Day!” You’re not actually/criminally being kidnapped. Every year the CGSA and the faculty kidnap the student body and load us onto buses for a day of fun at some secret location. It’s fun (trust me) and you will not see it coming (a genuinely pleasant surprise).  Also, here’s a piece of advice: do your homework, because you really never know for certain what day it will be. Your choice though.

Students at Oaks Park on last year's Kidnap Day. (Photo: Nance Leonhardt)

–If you notice a lack of 76 people from the Upper School one day, no need to panic, it’s just Senior Skip Day.  If your senior carpool doesn’t show up one day (it happens!), make sure you have a backup plan.

–If an advisor pulls a senior aside to say, “let’s talk,” it might be a frantic conversation about senior projects (a May happening) or an uncomfortably unfulfilled PE credit or an unlogged service hour (hours for non-seniors are due at the end of May). Graduation requirements for seniors aside, talks with advisors are becoming more important for all students because the end of the year is in sight.

–Advanced apologizes for little murmurs in the library: seniors will be crossing out “Days left ‘til Graduation” with excited exclamations like,  “booyah!”

If the rain starts to bring you down, remember: April showers bring May flowers, so go with the flow. All in all, if something smells fishy, it’s probably fish.

The history of water fluoridation is marred with controversy, and recent data has called into question the benefits of water fluoridation. I therefore urge all Portland voters to vote against fluoridation of our waters for the safety of the public.

There is a conspiracy theory surrounding fluoridation that calls into question the legitimacy of fluoridation as an altruistic act. The theory claims that the primary source of fluoride for the city comes from manufacturing companies. These companies have a large supply of hydrofluoric sulfuric acid, which is a byproduct of aluminum, ammunition, and fertilizer production. Private companies supposedly collect hydrofluoric sulfuric acid from the sides of smokestacks and then sell them to governments. Hydrofluoric sulfuric acid is lower grade than pharmaceutical grade sodium fluoride, causing many to question why companies sell these products to municipalities. However, this idea remains as a conspiracy theory, and no one has confirmed these speculations.

(Graphic: Emi Foster)

Some of the early fluoridation research came out of the MK-Ultra program (the United States’ covert research into behavior modification that produced such breakthroughs as LSD). Other research was funded by the producers of hydrofluoric sulfuric acid. They took their data, and under a public relation campaign run by Edward Bernaise, lobbied Congress and cities into fluoridating their water.

As time passed, several researchers and lawyers felt that work against fluoridation was suppressed. The Atomic Energy Agency was known for redacting studies on fluoride, and many have theorized that this is because fluoride is an essential ingredient for nuclear weapons. The U.S. government also denied many grants for studies on the dangers of fluoride. In 2003, the Water Act outlawed civil or public hearings against water companies in relation to water fluoridation, making the water companies virtually invincible under the law.

Conspiracy or not, the research surrounding fluoride’s supposed benefits is questionable. Many of the so-called benefits (mostly related to tooth protection) have been called into question.

Dr. William Hersey of the EPA believes “fluoride is a hazardous waste product for which there is substantial evidence of adverse health effects and, contrary to public perception, virtually no evidence of significant benefits.”

Almost all of the research that demonstrates the benefits of fluoridation was conducted more than 20 years ago, and used pharmaceutical grade fluoride (sodium fluoride), which is not the chemical that is commonly used in water (hydrofluoric sulfuric acid). Many of the studies that were conducted recently reveal some of the dangers of fluoride, and use hydrofluoric sulfuric acid.

While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and American Dental Association deny a link between cancer and fluoridation, studies have proven a link to bone cancer in rats.

The CDC recently announced that dental fluorosis (damaging of teeth due to over fluoridation) has been a problem for 41 percent of children 12-15 years old in America. If fluoride is meant to protect teeth, one must wonder why fluorosis is so common. Arthritis has been found in one third of adult Americans, and may be linked to an excess of fluoride.

In addition to damaging to the body, there has been research that shows fluoridation damages the brain and mental health. Conspiracy theorists have long pointed to the fact that as fluoridation rates have increased, so have the rates of autism and ADD/ADHD, but one must remember that correlation is not causation. However, research from the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the journal Environmental Health Perspective showed that Chinese children who drank water with naturally high fluoride content had lower IQs than their counterparts in villages with non-heavily fluoridated water.

Fluoridation has also been linked to premature development in children. Fluoride has a well-documented detrimental impact on the pineal gland (the piece of tissue that sits between the right and left hemispheres of the brain) as the gland has a high affinity towards binding with fluoride. Research on animals has shown that fluoride hinders the pineal gland’s ability to produce melatonin, which in turns accelerates development. While no world health organizations have run studies to conclusively demonstrate this link, it has been shown that girls have reached puberty on average five months earlier in the past 50 years.

There is a lack of evidence that proves that fluoride is beneficial at preventing tooth decay. As the Fluoride Action Network (a lobby group against fluoridation) points out, “tooth decay is not a waterborne disease.” Countries that do not fluoridate their water do not have higher rates of tooth decay than those that do. However, not that some of these countries may have naturally fluoridated water. While it is a fact that tooth decay has declined in the years that fluoridation has proliferated, the drop in tooth decay rates hold about the same for all countries, regardless of how fluoridated their water is.

Therefore, there is no conclusive correlation between fluoridation and the decline in tooth decay. The widespread improvement in dental health can be attributed to a general increase in hygiene and healthcare, and not to fluoridation of water. Furthermore, people already receive pharmaceutical grade fluoride regularly and inexpensively through toothpaste and mouthwash, which are not ingested. Many claim that this is enough fluoride to protect one’s teeth.

This May, the Portland public will vote on whether or not to allow fluoridation of their water. Many citizens of Portland signed a petition to stop the City Council from authorizing the mandate. It caused many to question if this was a way for the government to attain more power, and has sparked resistance across the Portland area. The proposed cost of instituting fluoridation is between three and five million dollars, which many feel is not in our budget. Others suggest that if the true goal is to give dental care to the poor, a free clinic could be established for around the same cost.

The lack evidence supporting fluoridation benefits show the potential risks of ingesting fluoride. Furthermore, fluoridation would come to Portland at a high financial cost. Many feel that this money could be used for more effective causes. For these reasons, I urge the Portland public to vote against fluoridation of our water.

Starting in the first week of school in 2002, for the first time ever, every Upper School student had his or her own laptop. It has been almost eleven years since then, and laptops have become an integral aspect of the Upper School academic experience.

However, with increasingly large numbers of distractions to be found online, laptops can potentially be more of a detriment than a benefit to academic learning.

The school originally instituted the laptop program for multiple reasons. First, faculty members commented that there was inadequate access to technology during classes.

Second, there was a noticeable difference in technology access outside of the classroom for students of different socioeconomic backgrounds. The laptop program attempted to remedy any inequalities that existed.

Third, the laptop program promised innovative curricular experiences that were never possible before. This was further helped by a donation to the school to fund wireless internet access.

A student uses his laptop in the Miller Library. (Source: Catlin Gabel)

Seen through the lens of those original objectives, the laptop program has been overwhelmingly successful.

According to Upper School English teacher Tony Stocks, “The laptop computers give all of us much more flexibility in revising written work, and offer the opportunity to freewrite, engage in electronic discourse, and share documents without killing any more trees than we have to.”

Upper School dean of students Aline Garcia-Rubio adds that the laptop program is also extremely useful for organization. “It is much harder to lose electronic documents than pieces of paper or notes,” Garcia-Rubio says.

Laptops have introduced new academic possibilities, too. Teachers can now use a variety of specially tailored software or internet tools. Upper School mathematics teacher Kenny Nguyen has capitalized on the availability of technology: “I’ve introduced Desmos, Mathematica, Fathom, and Sketchpad as technological resources that students are encouraged to use to help them solve problems,” he says.

Programs like the Global Online Academy would never have been possible without student access to computers both at school and at home.

Despite the academic gains, though, there are some noticeable detriments to using laptop computers, especially during class discussions. The internet, especially social networking and gaming sites, can be a distraction within classrooms.

“Our constant access to internet causes us to pay more attention to social events,” Garcia-Rubio says. “As a result, we pay less attention to intellectual discourse.”

Garcia-Rubio cites brain research that shows that social and gaming tools online may be altering reward pathways within the brain: “It’s kind of like an addiction, but not quite there. It’s a gray area. It just feels good to be gaming or checking Facebook constantly.”

Some teachers have attempted to lessen the distraction by limiting unnecessary technology use. Upper School history teacher Patrick Walsh enforces a “no-laptop” policy during class discussions. “I remember the first year I used laptops in the classroom. It was horrible; the class discussions really died,” Walsh says. “The next year, I told all my students to close their screens during discussions. The discussions suddenly flourished again.”

Other teachers enforce a soft policy on restricting laptop use. Stocks says, “While I generally allow students who wish to use their laptop for note-taking during class discussion to do so, I make it clear at the start of the year or semester that students must not abuse that privilege.”

Stocks comments that his policy relies on the honor system, but says, “I remind students that abusing that trust will result in a conversation that neither they nor I are particularly anxious to have.”

It is debatable what kinds of approaches to limiting technology use are most effective. Garcia-Rubio comments that teachers have limited capacity to monitor what happens on students’ laptops. She says that too much policing over laptop usage can get in the way of teacher-student relationships. “I don’t want to be known as the disciplinarian. I want students to choose not to game or go on Facebook because they feel invested in their community,” she says.

So far, the laptop program has been successful, but can be improved. Constant discussions among information technology staff, parents, and faculty center on increasing uses of the Internet both at home and at school. It is a complicated problem, as computers are necessary for much of the work done at Catlin today, yet can be detrimental to finishing work and focusing in class. While no proposals have been made yet to change usage policies, the laptop discussion will certainly continue at Catlin Gabel.

(Graphic: Marina Dimitrov)

“‘Stop, for heaven’s sake! I hate math’ … ‘Pure torture from the start of school. It’s a total mystery how I ever managed to graduate’ … Complaints such as these are heard all the time. Thoroughly sensible, educated people express them routinely with a remarkable blend of defiance and pride.”

–Hans Magnus Enzensberger, in his essay “Drawbridge Up, Mathematics – A Cultural Anathema”

Catlin Gabel is known to many as a liberal arts school. Assistant Head of Upper School Aline Garcia-Rubio explains, “One can understand the ‘liberal arts’ qualifier because of the school’s academic strength in the arts and the humanities. But Catlin Gabel is also a place … that produces truly outstanding scientists … note that 70 percent of our seniors pursue advanced science courses and 90 percent of seniors pursue advanced math; we have many national award recipients in the sciences and our graduates attend many universities and colleges with research and engineering foci.”

So, what’s up with all this math and science at our “liberal arts” school? Math and science are actually part of the liberal arts. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “In the medieval European university the seven liberal arts were grammar, rhetoric, and logic (the trivium) and geometry, arithmetic, music, and astronomy (the quadrivium). In modern colleges and universities the liberal arts include the study of literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics, and science as the basis of a general, or liberal, education.” Well, there you go.

However, Catlin technically does not “self-describe” as a liberal arts school, as Garcia-Rubio puts it, but as “a nationally recognized, progressive, independent day school.”

Upper School Head Daniel Griffiths agrees: “the [liberal arts] label is too open to personal interpretation to be helpful when

(Graphic: Marina Dimitrov)

describing what we do.”

Okay, so maybe Catlin isn’t exactly a liberal arts school, but that’s a topic for an entirely separate article. The point is, Catlin is definitely not a math and science magnet school. Still, we have an exemplary math and science program. There has to be some reason for this.

The crux of the matter is that understanding and appreciating math and science are vital for everyone – even those of us interested in the humanities or the arts – to survive and take an active role in the real world. As Head of School Lark Palma says on the Catlin website, “integrating disciplines such as math and science, history and English, we prepare students for the real world.”

In the words of Valerie Ding ’15, “Math is crucial to performance as a good citizen … and contributing meaningfully to society requires that essential math and science education.”

Math department head Jim Wysocki explains how on a higher level, “Like any liberal art, mathematics is about learning how to think. It is looking at the world around us and trying to make sense of it. We may use more quantitative skills than an English or history class, but we are doing the same thing. We want to see how things fit together, and express them in new ways for the understanding of others.”

(Graphic: Marina Dimitrov)

Math teacher Lauren Shareshian agrees, and cites more practical examples, like political polls, global warming, credit card debt, and mortgage rates. In general she says, “a solid understanding of mathematics helps us to make wise decisions and understand the world around us.”

English teacher Virginia King agrees that appreciation for and understanding of math and science is crucial: “being part of the here and now is a moral imperative in a global world wracked by environmental, economic and political disasters. It’s hard to imagine how our world can be improved without mathematicians or scientists, or at least a rudimentary understanding of why their contributions count and willingness to support their work.”

Garcia-Rubio adds that “for a student building skills and mastery in literature, philosophy, history, and the arts, science and mathematics are essential vehicles to reinforce skills and complement the foundations of a wholesome education.”

So it sounds like science and math are pretty helpful all around, from a more theoretical standpoint, and for countless practical uses. On the flip side, education in humanities and the arts also proves invaluable to mathematicians, scientists, and engineers. This is all part of the well-roundedness Catlin seeks to instill in all of its students (and faculty).

(Graphic: Marina Dimitrov)

Griffiths agrees: “Even if you know you want to pursue a career in science, you still need to know how to read for detail and write effectively if you want to share ideas with others. Even scientists have to vote, so a knowledge of history and politics is useful.”

Garcia-Rubio concurs, saying “communication skills, organization of an argument, writing, interpretation, analysis, synthesis of ideas, collaboration, creative thinking, stating a position, [evaluating] our positions critically, presenting evidence are all developed in the humanities and the sciences.”

At Catlin and in the world, English, history, art, math, science, and all subjects really, are inexorably intertwined. Like the other subjects, math and science should be recognized and respected.

Catlin’s school profile notes that “We do not educate scientists, nor artists only. Our curriculum builds competence in our students, but even more, it builds a capacity for them to ask their own questions. Catlin Gabel graduates know how to think deeply and work effectively. By integrating disciplines such as math and science, history and English, we prepare students for the real world, where scientists must communicate persuasively and policy makers need to understand cultural differences.”

(Graphic: Marina Dimitrov)

So the next time a lab report leaves you sleepless or a problem set makes you perplexed, spare a thought for why you’re doing this in the first place. Take a calm moment to think, because that’s the point – learning how to innovate on your feet, in whatever field you choose.

I leave you with these parting thoughts from physicist Brian Green Here.

Today, over 70 percent of U.S. water supplies are fluoridated. This water reaches 185 million people. Due to its widespread use and aid in the dramatic reduction of tooth decay over the past 60 years, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has named water fluoridation one of the top ten greatest public health achievements in the 20th century.

Many studies have been conducted that examine the effectiveness of water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and many have found the practice very successful. In 1989, the Journal of Public Health Dentistry published a study led by Ernest Newbrun, a professor at UC San Francisco. The study found that water fluoridation led to a 30-60 percent fewer tooth cavities in children in fluoridated communities. It also found that water fluoridation became less effective as age increases. However, for adults and seniors, the number of cavities decreased by 15-30 percent in fluoridated communities.

This graph relates the percentage of water fluoridation and the rate of tooth decay. (Graphic: Audrey Davis)

In 1999, CDC also found similar results. The study concluded that water fluoridation reduces cavities by at least 25 percent in adults and children over and above brushing and flossing. In 2000, Marian McDonagh, an associate professor of OHSU’s Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, conducted a study concluding that children with exposure to fluoride had lower rates of tooth decay.

The effectiveness of water fluoridation can be shown in the graph to the right published by the CDC. The red line represents the percentage of fluoridated water supplies in the United States, and the blue line represents the average number of decayed, missing, or filled permanent teeth.

Additionally, water fluoridation will particularly benefit those without access to dental care. The rate of untreated tooth decay among children from low-income families is twice that of families with higher income (31 percent versus 14 percent). The fluoride in the water will inevitably reach these low-income families, giving them a source of dental care.

Some opponents of the issue argue that water fluoridation cannot prevent major dental crises. However, it is not intended to prevent all severe dental health issues. It simply provides a baseline of dental care for families without the necessary resources to provide this for themselves.

Water fluoridation is also cost effective, as the least expensive way to deliver the benefits of fluoride to all community members. According to the CDC, fluoridation in large cities such as Portland would only cost 50 cents per person. Additionally, every dollar spent on this project will save Portlanders 38 dollars in dental treatment costs.

Many of those who oppose water fluoridation argue that it can lead to health issues such as various forms of cancer, arthritis, and bone damage. However, these speculations remain unproven. Countless factors influence the development of the named health issues, and the few studies that have been conducted do not make a concrete connection between fluoridated water and disease.

Opponents even argue that water fluoridation can lower IQ. Firstly, the studies that supposedly demonstrate this correlation test levels of fluoride as high as 4.12 ppm, which is over five times the amount that most cities use in their water. Unusually high doses of any medication will inevitably lead to negative effects.

Others worry about the potential risk of fluorosis caused by water fluoridation. Fluorosis results from an excess ingestion of fluoride. It simply alters the color of the tooth during development, and poses no direct threat to physical health. Several studies have shown that there would be no such risk at the levels used in Portland. The National Research Council concluded that dental fluorosis should be of concern when fluoridation levels are at 4 ppm, and barely a risk for levels under 2 ppm, which is still well above the recommended level of 0.7 ppm for large cities.

Water fluoridation is a tasteless, painless, and highly beneficial resource that should be implemented in Portland. Most importantly, it can provide dental care to the families across our city who need it most.

Over one billion people around the world use Facebook – that’s one seventh of the world’s population that takes part in this Internet phenomenon. Despite this number, does it really bring positivity into our lives, or does it simply add to our world of electronics?

Many people use Facebook as a means of communication and a way to interact with friends and family. However, some say these connections may not bring us as much happiness as one might think.

Layla Entrikin ’13 comments, “Facebook is ideal to keep in contact with people you don’t see, but it turns into a spiral of self loathing because you see other people’s pictures and think about how much fun they’re having, how pretty this girl is, and then two hours go by and you realize you’ve spent that time looking at people you don’t even really know.”

American youth spend hours upon hours on the Internet surfing the web, using social media sites, doing homework, and much more. Research conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals that American teens spend twenty hours a day using electronics. In their study, each device counted for a separate hour, so one hour spent using a phone and computer tallied up to two hours total.

This shocking number reflects our tendency to communicate with others through the Internet instead of face to face.

Instead of stretching the phone cord through our rooms to talk with our best friend for hours, the youth of today stare at a screen, typing into Facebook Messaging, iChat, and other instant messaging programs. From my experience, these conversations rarely reach any form of a substantial conversation and could not replace a real conversation.

Other Facebook users disable the messaging feature of the site, reducing it to a source for social “news.” Users can scroll through their newsfeeds and view status updates, photos, and other posts from their friends.

Many studies show that Facebook can actually lead to a feeling of disconnectedness. (Source: nytimes.com)

According to the latest study from the Pew Center’s Internet and American Life Project, the average user has 245 friends. Sounds small, right? It all boils down to the “friendship paradox.” Sociologist Scott Feld discovered in 1991 that a person’s friends will, on average, have more friends than they do. He claims that people tend to be friends with others who have more friends rather than fewer friends. For example, if a woman named Becky has three friends, while those three friends only have one friend of their own, the average number of friends of friends will be greater than each person’s number of friends. (For more information, visit: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/friends-you-can-count-on/)

This idea directly translates to Facebook where, on average, your friends will have more friends than you. While it might be an overstatement to conclude that this fact leads to depression, it can contribute to the loneliness felt by many users when on Facebook.

A study conducted by RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, “Who uses Facebook?” looks into the various trends of Facebook users. The study found that although most users feel less “social loneliness,” they tend to have more “family loneliness.” This increased time “chatting” with friends in turn takes away time that people spend with family and friends in person. This correlation could also stem from the fact that lonely people tend to spend more time on the Internet. The researchers found that “neurotic and lonely individuals” tend to spend more time on the wall, while more social users tend to use the chat feature.

In turn, these “lonely” individuals scroll through their newsfeeds, and begin to feel worse at the sight of their friends’ photos. It seems like Facebook tends to fuel this cycle, and exacerbates these feelings within many users across the world.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, take a break from social media for a few days. These sites make it fairly simple to reactivate accounts, so there is no big commitment. Who knows, you might never want to log on again.