To Piper, singing is more than just a pastime – it is a lifestyle. Piper realized her natural talent for music at an early age. “I have always loved singing; it is something that I feel everyone could relate to,” says Majors. Studying voice for the past seven years with her beloved voice coach, Lisa Wilson, Piper has been able to improve her singing and pursue her passion. Although her strong, soprano voice lends itself to the styles of classical and opera, which are her main musical focuses, Piper also enjoys singing different styles of music, such as musical theater and jazz.

Musical theater comes as second nature to Piper. She has participated in Fiddler on the Roof, twice in Once On This Island, The All Night Strut, Into the Woods, Aladdin, and Little Shop of Horrors. Starring as Erzulie in Once On This Island, the beautiful Goddess of Love, Piper will make her first debut in a HTC production.

Not only does Piper study voice and participate in shows, but she also sings competitively. During competitions, each singer is given a time for an audition. Singers prepare three songs to sing for a selected panel of judges. Contestants choose their favorite song of the three, and the judges choose one song of the remaining two. After the audition, like any competition, contestants must painfully wait for their results. Singers who are finalists move on to the next round which is a concert. It is there that they are awarded first, second, or third place.

Most of us have probably never attended a singing competition. “Singing competitively is very unnerving, but it is undeniably an amazing experience,” remarks Piper. The intense atmosphere is easily comparable to that of any competitive sporting event. Almost everyone who participates in competitions are extremely talented and dedicated to their singing. Rehearsing pieces takes hours of practice and may seem repetitive or tedious at time, but in the end, at least in Piper’s case, it does pay off.

On Saturday, October 29, Piper took part in a singing competition in the high school classical division. The pieces she sang in the competition were “I Attempt From Loves Sickness to Fly” by Henry Purcell, Ricky Ian Gordon’s “Will There Really Be A Morning, “ and “O del Mio Dolce Ardor” by Von Gluck. Not surprisingly, Piper finished as a semi – finalist, which is equivalent to receiving a silver medal.

Although transitioning from one high school to another is seemingly difficult, Piper has undertaken this challenge with ease. “The transition from Shipley to Harriton was surprisingly easygoing. Everyone is very welcoming and since there is a wide variety of people that attend Harriton, it is impossible not to find someone with the same interests as you,” comments Majors. She is very pleased to be attending a school with such a cohesive and friendly student body. Piper did not hesitate to jump into extracurricular activities and Harriton and it involved with HTC’s fall production of Once On This Island.

Piper participates in musical activities as much as possible and has taken advantage of the music program at Harriton. As a new addition to HTC, Piper serves as a role model for the underclassmen. Her dedication and passion for music is truly exemplary. Piper is part of Mr. Joseph’s IB Music class, as well as Mr. Bizich’s concert choir. IB Music is a course designed to teach students music theory and to allow them to practice and compose their own music. Piper is further continuing her musical education in this course. Concert choir allows Piper to sing during a class almost every day – what more could she ask for?
Are you wondering who inspires an opera singer like Piper? Natalie Dessay, Florence and the Machine, Jesca Hoop, and Sia are among a few of Piper’s musical inspirations. Piper mainly listens to alternative and indie music. She has reported that the most recent artists she has listened to on her iPod are Tune – Yards, Yeasayer, Beirut, Foster the People, and Noah and the Whale.
With a talent like Piper’s, the only logical explanation is to pursue it throughout the rest of her life. Applying to liberal arts colleges, Majors plans to study music and partake in musical endeavors in her college experience. She plans to push herself as far as she can go to pursue her dream. “I plan to further my music career even out of college, as far as I can take it,” says Piper.
With the rapid approach of HTC’s fall production, the cast and crew are preparing themselves for yet another fabulous and successful show. Starting November 17 and continuing through November 20, HTC will perform the mystical Once On This Island. Once On This Island is an engaging, heart – breaking love story that will get you dancing to the upbeat island music! Come out and see Piper as Erzulie, the beautiful Goddess of love, and witness her indescribable talents firsthand! After all, as Piper says, “no matter where you are from or who your friends are music is something everyone can have and enjoy.”

Adapting to high school is difficult enough for teens, let alone having move to a foreign country to enter a high school where you need to completely adapt to a new social and academic system. Adela and Lara Avedian, have done more than imagine this. For them, it became reality.

Most of us have never heard of Uppsala, Sweden, and it seems like a world away. To senior Adela and sophomore Lara, it is home. Uppsala is the fourth largest city of Sweden, home to about 140,000 residents. It takes around 10 to 30 minutes to travel to the different perimeters and suburbs of Uppsala. Most places are easy to travel to by walking. There are about ten high schools in the city, from grades 10-12.

Clearly, in terms of size, Uppsala is no Philadelphia. Though the city is small, it is most definitely clean and beautiful place to visit and live. The Avedian sisters moved to America this past June after their mother received a job offer in the Philadelphia area. Fortunately, they were somewhat familiar with America because they have family living in Pennsylvania and California and have visited them every year.

It would be difficult to imagine going to school and having to learn and speak in a foreign language. Most of us would never dream of being able to make that transition. Lucky for Adela, she is fluent in Swedish, Armenian, and English, and speaks some Spanish. She has been in the International Baccalaureate program for the past two years and has grown accustomed to taking classes in English.

Adela and Lara have grown accustomed to adapting to different cultures. No strangers to world travel, they have toured Europe, visiting Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Italy, Mallorca, and Gran Canaria, just to name a few. “Our family is all about traveling and I love to get to know new cultures and experience other people’s lifestyles,” says Adela.

How do the lives of the Avedian sisters in America differ from those in Sweden? In Sweden, school started at different times every day. The earliest school began was 8:30 a.m. and the latest was noon. That sounds a bit more manageable than the 7:30 a.m. we all strive to be awake for! Based on the starting time, the end time of school ranged from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Adela and Lara have quickly adapted to the American lifestyle. They love living in America and benefitting from all it has to offer. However, one aspect of living here that they find difficult is the distance between different places. In the city of Uppsala, transportation was more easily accessible than it is in America. The city life allowed the sisters to travel in a shorter amount of time than they do here.

Adela’s perception of Harriton is much different from what she thought it would be. “I thought Harriton would be like the movie “Mean Girls”, but it’s just like my old school.” Adela and Laura have eased into their new school and have made many new friends. They have also reconnected with people they have met during their travels to America to visit their family annually.

Adela and Lara embody the spirit of Harriton, and have followed suit by getting involved and showing their school pride. They frequently sport their cheerleading uniforms during and after school. Adela joined the cheerleading squad because it is the “closest she will get to ice skating.” Interestingly enough, Adela was a professional figure skater in Sweden!

When she was five years old, Adela began skating. When she was eight years old, she started her figure staking training. For four years, Adela competed in Swedish national contests for the city of Uppsala. Unfortunately, Adela has put her figure skating career on hold because of her transition to America and the lack of time in her busy schedule. “I love it, I can’t wait to get back on track when I do have time,” Adela says. Adela’s training schedule was quite rigorous. She used to train either in the morning before school or after school, and she would compete every other weekend. “All of my coaches were Russian and barely knew any Swedish. They expected an extremely high level of discipline and were very harsh,” remarks Adela. Not only did she have strenuous training with figure skating, but Adela had to take ballet classes and go to the gym to focus on her balance, strength, agility, flexibility, and stamina.

The challenge of moving away from home, ,saying goodbye to your friends, and in Adela’s case, sacrificing pursuit of your dream is not to be taken lightly. To ease into a new culture as the girls have done is commendable. It takes open-mindedness, courage and flexibility.

But then again, according to Adela, we are not that different from one another. “Americans are a lot louder but otherwise the same as Swedes.”

From as long as we can remember, we have always been told to set a goal and achieve it or to follow our dreams.  For many of us, it seems difficult to pursue our dreams at this point in our lives because we have one tiny commitment standing in our ways: school.  However, two Harriton students have taken the initiative to pursue their dreams earlier than most of us.

Senior Ameer Carter and his brother, junior Zaakir, or Zaak, Carter, started their graphic design company, Beyond Reality LLC, three years ago.  Ameer, the Chief Exectuive Officer (CEO), Co-Founder and Lead Designer on all graphic design project, says the company begun just as a simple idea, and “now it has evolved from a discussion in the dining room to a full on graphic design and music studio.”  Ameer and Zaak wanted to start a company that incorporated both of their interests: art and music.  Zaak serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Co-Founder and Lead Engineer on all music projects.  “Ideas fired left and right, sketches were drafted and in three short hours, Beyond Reality was more than just an inception. It became an organic entity and truly developed on its own,” says Ameer.

So how does the graphic design process work exactly?  Ameer and Zaak begin by having a phone conversation with their client.  The client describes exactly how he or she envisions an image, and Ameer and Zaak try their best to match the client’s wants.  From the perspective of a graphic designer, this entails finding a solution to a company’s problem in a visual format.  Before the designing process begins, Ameer and Zaak receive a down payment from the client.  The brothers then proceed to plan a timeline of how they will accomplish their task on time, according to the specific package the client has purchased.  When the logistics are settled, the brothers are ready to put their creative minds to work and begin the designing process.  The sketching process lasts about two to three days.  When they are satisfied with their designs, multiple sketches are uploaded on their website for their client to view.  The client chooses the sketch that best represents his desires, and the design process is in action, lasting one to three weeks.  The amount of time spent on a design depends on other clients’ needs at the time as well as how much work and detail the client wants to be put into his or her design.  Most of their works have included logos, web design, album covers, and designs for t-shirts and sneakers.  Their most popular designs are logos and sneakers.

It is difficult to believe that Ameer and Zaak are able to balance managing a company as well as attending school, five days a week, just like the rest of us.  While juggling rigorous classes, participating in school clubs and sports, and keeping up with deadlines for clients, time management plays a large factor in the brothers’ lives.  Sure, they are stressed, but their efforts pay off.  The self-imposed time management skills the Carters are learning through juggling their commitments serve as a key component to their educational and business successes.

How successful has this three-year-old business been?  “The level of professional content we produce over years of being in the business measures our success.  I believe that while we are still a young company and have a lot to learn, we are moving at a fast pace.  With every new client, our quality and thought process gets better, and cleaner,” remarks Ameer.

The Carters plan to put their works with their graphic design company to good use in the future.  Ameer would like to accomplish pursuing graphic design as a career.  His happiness and quality of life is important to him, and by doing what he loves, he knows he will achieve this.  Zaak’s expertise is in the design of music and will most likely focus on music production in the future.

The Carter brothers have a number of goals for the future of their company.  They plan to develop their portfolio and continue to advertise themselves to increase their client network, as well as continuing to work with their current and past clients.  It is important to stay in contact with past clients to they can ensure that they can become their primary source of design or production works.  They hope to eventually market themselves through search engines, radio stations, newspapers, and TV media.  After all, there is no use in having a well-established company if no one knows about it!  As the spring approaches, the Carters are planning their clothing line for the spring and summer seasons.  The designs will highlight great moment in Ameer’s life.

Ameer and Zaak are reaching further than just trying to achieve their short terms goals and have set the standards high.  They want Beyond Reality to become a major player in the design, music, and fashion industry.  Their dream is not only to keep their company alive, but to become distinguished individuals and in the designing world.  The Carters hope to be called by popular artists to help them promote themselves and produce Grammy-winning, multi-platinum albums.  Another wish they have is to be called by the commission for the major fashion shows to promote their collections, and to be involved in New York Premier Fashion Week.  With their future successes, Ameer and Zaak plan to have their works be featured in magazines as the next company to watch.  Sure, their objective may seem larger than the aspiring lawyer or doctor, but their dreams are obtainable.  It is a complex, time-consuming process, but that will not Ameer and Zaak from being determined to reach their goals.

The Carter siblings have certainly taken their passion to the next level.  Their inspiration and enthusiasm for graphic design and music production is the driving force that keeps their company alive.  They exemplify the motto that you should “do what you love, and love what you do.”  While pursuing a dream with dedication and hard work, one can achieve anything imaginable.  When you watch the Superbowl in a few years, look out for the commercial that everyone will be raving about—designed by Ameer and Zaak Carter.  After all, every dream fulfilled begins as a simple vision.

Stereotypically thought of as a collegiate recreational activity, Ultimate is rapidly spreading to high schools throughout the country.  You may have played Ultimate in physical education, or heard about Lower Merion’s Girls Ultimate team victoriously stealing the state championship title last year.  In fact, so many students are interested in Ultimate that it seems to be the trendy question, “Why don’t we have an Ultimate team at Harriton?”  Well it’s official–the epidemic of Ultimate has finally reached Harriton High School.

Senior Evan Soloff and junior Zak Kivitz have taken the initiative to create the team.  Playing Ultimate in gym class definitely got them jazzed. “We were playing Frisbee last spring and realized how much we loved the sport.  However, Harriton didn’t have a team. Other people in our gym class were equally as excited and shared our love of Ultimate too,” Soloff remarked.  The enthusiasm of the students had been recognized and it was time to satisfy their desires of participating on an Ultimate team.

But what is the appeal of the sport anyway?  What makes Ultimate one of the rising “hot” sports over the past four decades?  Maybe it’s because Ultimate attracts a wide variety of people.  You don’t have to be the fastest or the strongest to play Ultimate.  It doesn’t take much coordination, just some conditioning and proper throwing form.  But who could forget the strategic aspect of the sport?  Like most sports, it is a game of constant thinking, anticipating the next move, and split-second decisions.  Ultimate could even be considered an intellectually stimulating game with all of the analyzing skills required.  And I would be remiss if I did not highlight the camaraderie of the sport.  Ultimate is a game of trust and honesty among teammates as well as the opposing team.  Sportsmanship is a must; referees are not part of the game.  It is up to the players to make their own calls and rely on everyone else on the field to play with integrity.

Needless to say, Harriton has been lacking a sport that would definitely contribute to our school spirit.   Zak and Evan did their research by talking to students at other schools with competitive Ultimate teams participating in weekly games and statewide tournaments.  However, they realized that they would probably not be able to have a competitive team for a few more years.  Producing a competitive team would require coaching, organizing practices, and experience of the players.  So Evan and Zak decided that they would try to start an intra-scholastic club team.

As protocol, Evan and Zak took their proposal for an Ultimate team to Mr. Ferguson, our athletic director.  However, this was not the first time Mr. Ferguson had heard about students’ interests in starting a team.  Mr. Ferguson approved their request by suggesting they have a table at RAM day to get an idea of who was interested in the team.  Reassuring their hopes of beginning a new team, Evan and Zak received a staggering 120 signatures from students who were enthused by the idea of giving Ultimate a shot.  Surely they would be on their way to making up plays in anticipation of the impending season.

Despite             the overwhelming turnout for the Ultimate team at RAM day, school officials informed Soloff and Kivitiz that there would not be enough funding to start the team.  The need for buses to transport players to local fields would require substantial funding.  Lower Merion’s competitive Ultimate team is also facing the same funding issue.  The Lower Merion Ultimate team only receives transportation provided by the school district for two of their three weekly practices.  The players themselves must provide all transportation to tournaments.  Like Harriton Crew and Squash, Lower Merion Ultimate players must pay to play on the team.  Despite the financial woes, Lower Merion Ultimate players still manage to enjoy success as a high-spirited team.

Lower Merion can do it, so why can’t Harriton? The wrinkle of funding problems in their grand plan to start an Ultimate team did not stop their efforts.  Soloff and Kivitz have been neither discouraged nor deterred from continuing their pursuit to create a team.  Soloff and Kivitz are planning to start an independent club that will play on the weekends in the spring.  They are hoping that the 120 students who signed up for Ultimate on RAM day will still express their interest in the spring.  “We just want to play some competitive Frisbee at a level that most people can handle, and we believe this is the way to do it,” says Soloff.

If all goes well, the Ultimate club team will be up and running in the spring.  With the grass on our fields beginning to sprout this fall, we just might have enough space for Ultimate to play next year.  Maybe this team will turn into something bigger than just an independent club.  For all we know, we could be on our way to snagging the Ultimate state championship away from the Lower Merion girls!

But what is Hiba Ansar doing? It is Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar. This is a month to “pray, fast, and cleanse yourself and your soul,” says Ansar, a Harriton senior. Now this isn’t any sort of fasting you’ve ever tried before. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day for a month. That’s right- one month. However, the practice of fasting does not always come as a bother to those who observe the holy month. In fact, that would upset the purpose of the holiday itself. Hiba contends, “During Ramadan, one is supposed to be in good habits only. It is about patience.” Muslims observing Ramadan are supposed to abstain from crude language and angry outbursts in order to demonstrate a more modest, positive, and peaceful attitude.

Ramadan begins with the taraweeh prayer the night before the first fast. The word taraweeh originates from an Arabic word meaning to rest and relax. During the evening Hiba and her family gather at the local mosque, standing shoulder to shoulder with their fellow Muslims. The Imam, leader of prayer, recites the prayers. A portion of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, is read. While the congregation is listening to the Imam, they carry out four cycles of motion: standing, bowing, kneeling with outstretched arms, and sitting. A brief interval of rest ensues and four more cycles follow shortly after. Besides having the goal of maintaining a pure mindset during Ramadan, it is a goal to finish the Quran during the thirty days of the month. Hiba can easily accomplish this goal by attending the evening prayer of taraweeh at the mosque, which is fortunately located across the street from her house. Attendance is not mandatory at these prayer services. Taraweeh can be recited in one’s home, but it is highly recommended to practice them with a congregation.

At 4:30 a.m., Hiba and her family are preparing for the daily fast by eating traditional foods during sehri, the meal before the fast begins. Luckily for the Ansar family, this year many of their meals were the inspirations of Hiba’s grandparents, who spent five months visiting from their native Pakistan and were able to contribute to this year’s festivities. Once they have filled their stomachs with traditional foods, the fast begins around 5:00 a.m. A dua, or prayer, for the intention of fasting, is recited, which is the official closing of the fast. Hiba then washes herself for prayer. During Ramadan, practicing Muslims like the Ansars must pray five times a day. “If you fast without praying, it is said that its just like you are staying hungry,” explains Hiba. The first prayer is Fajr, which takes place before sunrise. After prayer, Hiba then goes back to sleep and wakes up at a more typical hour for Harriton students over the summer. She goes about her normal day, with the exception of eating or drinking. At noon, Hiba recites the Dhur prayer. She prays then again in the afternoon, reciting the Asr prayer.

After the Asr prayer is delivered, it is time to begin preparing for Iftar, the ending of the daily fast. When Hiba cooks, it is an epic struggle to not break her fast. One lick of the fingers and a difficult day of fasting is ruined. But Hiba is able to resist the urge to do so, for she is motivated to please God and to wait until sundown. When the sun finally sets late in the August day, it is time to break the fast. A dua for the intention of breaking the fast is recited once again and God is thanked for the food. Now it is time for the Ansars to relieve their hunger and thirst and celebrate a day of fasting. This daily routine of fasting and prayer continues for the entire month of Ramadan.

How difficult is it to fast during the day for thirty days straight? I fast annually for the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, but can never imagine doing it every day for a whole month. Hiba has been fasting every year since elementary school, practically since she could understand the concepts of Ramadan. She reassured me that fasting at school isn’t as bad as fasting while she is at home because she is constantly keeping busy with classes and theatre rehearsals, rather than being tempted by a not-so-distant refrigerator. But what does it feel like to have a pit of hunger in your stomach every day for an entire month? What is the point of putting yourself through this experience? Hiba views Ramadan as a meaningful experience. Her parents have never forced any Muslim customs upon her. It is her choice to practice her religion and fast during Ramadan. “As I grow older, I realize the beauty of the fasting and what it teaches me. It reminds me that there are thousands of people on this earth that have nothing to eat at all.”

One would think that partaking in Ramadan would hinder Hiba’s social life, but she is actually able to spend more times with friends and family. For Iftar, the Ansars attend parties with other Muslims to celebrate the breaking of the fast. This is similar to the Jewish custom of holding break fast parties for Yom Kippur.

Ramadan ends with Eid ul Fitr, commonly referred to as Eid, the celebration of the conclusion of the fast. To many Muslims’ relief, it is forbidden to fast on this day. Hiba and her family usually wake up and attend an Eid prayer. After the prayer, the Ansars attend several parties throughout the day to celebrate the ending of the month of Ramadan and the conclusion of the fast. The fast is broken with a date, a fruit indigenous to the Middle East, where Islam first began. Muslims break the fast with a date because on the first Ramadan, Muhammad, the prophet, broke his fast with a date as well. The day is spent with friends and family and eating traditional Pakistani dishes. For the termination of Ramadan, the kids in Hiba’s family are rewarded for fasting by receiving money from their family. Eid seems like it would be physically draining from waking up before sunrise and having a full, eventful day. Hiba says, “At the end of the day I am beat tired from all the parties and socializing, but its so much fun!”

And with that, Ramadan, one of the more physically and spiritually demanding holidays known to man, ends with massive celebration. After thirty days of consecutive fasting from sunrise to sunset, Hiba is able to eat during the day! She feels refreshed, like she has cleansed her soul. It even feels odd for her to eat in the middle of the day! Besides feeling accomplished for completing the fast and revitalized, Hiba feels grateful for her experience. “[After Ramadan], you just appreciate what you have more and I just feel more in tune with my faith and my goals as a human being.”