December 2021 Panel (Vol 70. Iss 6.)

350 Prospect Street Belmont, MA 02478

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A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School

Volume 70, Issue 6

December 10, 2021

SPEAKERS LEAVE THEIR MARKS

NYT Columnist David Brooks and South African Judge Taswell Papier

By Mac Bobo ’23 Panel Staff On November 15th, Belmont Hill welcomed another great speaker into the Hamilton Chapel: New York Times columnist David Brooks. In addition to writing a bi-weekly column for the New York Times,

Turkey

Brooks has written several bestselling books and is a recurring commentator on NPR and PBS NewsHour. David Brooks’s wellknown published book is “The Road to Character,” which examines modern-day self-centeredness and how it impedes our ability to build character and be happy.

Read more on Page 3

Drive

By Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff Thanks to the help from our Third Formers and donations from the entire community, the 12th annual Thanksgiving Dinner Drive, better known as the Turkey Drive, has been completed. Originally introduced to the school in 2010 by Mr. Trautz, the Turkey Drive seeks to collect food and donations, assemble them into Thanksgiving meals and then distribute them to families and organizations that help families in need. The first year, the school was able to help 36 families receive meals for Thanksgiving. The event has grown exponentially, and it is looked forward to every year by the rising Form III students.

This year, the school was able to help 491 families receive meals for Thanksgiving and is continuing to look for partner organizations to work with to provide even more.

This year, they were also able to make con-

Look Inside The Issue

News 7 Plans forSenate The New Student PollMaker Space

The Panel has partnered with the student government to poll the student body on several key issues. See the results of the poll sent out last week here.

By Howard Huang ’22 Panel Staff On the chilly morning of December 3rd, the school convened in the middle of the day to listen to Judge Taswell Papier in South Africa moderated by David Wilkins, a Harvard Law Professor. Judge

Taswell Papier was appointed as judge of the Western Cape High Court in 2017 after having worked as an attorney in private practice for almost thirty years. As an attorney he won numerous awards for outstanding service and contribution to human rights especially for his work during the apartheid era in South Africa.

Read more on Page 4

Continues Global Trip Opportunities

nections with and help out two new organizations: On The Rise, an advocacy support group for homeless or previously homeless women, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which is dedicated to helping those in need. The goal of the Turkey Drive is to continue to help out these organizations and their families, especially now as people are still working to recover from Covid.

The Turkey Drive process starts in mid-October when Mr. George reaches out to previous and new organizations to make sure they would still like to work with us this year. Then, the drive is announced in late October, so that students and faculty can begin to think about buying specific goods.

After that, the Form III students start to get ready for the drive. They start building up the boxes which will be used to collect the food around campus. Along with these, signs and emails were put out that tell people what they should be getting and when.

Continued on Page 4 THE BELMONT HILL THEATRE PROGRAM presents

Arts 5 Upper School Fall Play: Take Ten

Cooper Nelson ’23 reviews the fall play which consisted of short 10-minute skits.

Take Ten!

an evening of ten-minute plays

Friday, November 19, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.

Open Dress Rehearsal Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.

Opinions 11 Debate of the Issue: Simulated Snowball Fight!

Lev Tolkoff ’24 and Luke Trevisan ’24 debate who would win a snowball fight

Kraft Theater Belmont Hill School

By Cooper Nelson ’23 Panel Staff

this year, the trip picks up where it left off in 2020, going to Chico, California. Chico has been devastated by a multitude of wildfires, and the boys on the trip will provide relief to residents of the city. The boys will “work hard, but have ample opportunities to enjoy California’s natural beauty.”

Ad d i t i o n a l l y, Mr. Bracken and Ms. Otley proposed domestic trip ideas for March break. Ms. Otley, who is a veteran trip leader at Overland Summers, an organization that conducts student trips centered around nature, will run a hiking trip to the American southwest.

Continued on Page 4

Despite the unrelenting COVID pandemic, Belmont Hill is fortunately able to offer multiple student trips in March and June of 2022. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the safety of international travel, aside from the Kenney trip, Belmont Hill has decided to offer exclusively domestic trips in March. This does not mean that there are fewer opportunities for students to explore new places, as there are a plethora of available options.

The “beloved” community service trip is being offered once again this March; News 2 Community 10 The Panel Crossword Opening of Makerspace Coming Soon!

David Cho ’23 shares an update on the upcoming Complete the crossMakerspace in the old Bolles House. word puzzle and send a photo to thepanel@ belmonthill.org for a prize!

Free tickets available at ticketstage.com/T/BHSCHOOL

Sports 9 Athlete of the Issue: Jimmy Harrington ’22 Lev Tolkoff ’24 writes about Wrestler Jimmy Harrington.

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Opening of Maker Space Coming Next Semester

By David Cho ’23 Panel Staff The long-awaited opening of the Bolles Maker Space will come next semester. Belmont Hill embarked on the transformation of the Bolles House, which had previously served as the main office, into a maker space at the end of last school year in its vision to grow its STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) program. The space was initially planned to open before the start of this school year, but the prolonged opening will certainly be worth the wait. Throughout its construction, the Director of the Maker Space, Mr. Ziff, has “really enjoyed seeing how it has all come together over the last few months.” Excited about the opportunities that the space will provide, Mr. Ziff hopes that all students will come by and see it.

Open to all students and all other members of the Belmont Hill community next semester, the Maker Space will provide many new opportunities. Immediately, Mr. Ziff and his Form III Introduction to Engineering class will take classes in the space; other classes may move into the space later.

The plan for the space is to serve as a space

accessible to all students during their free time. Mr. Ziff hopes that “this will encourage everyone to drop in when they have an idea or come in to see what is going on.” He is also envisioning an “idea board” where students can openly share and collaborate on projects by writing and posting their ideas onto a notecard. In addition to this new system, Mr. Ziff hopes to bolster the Robotics teams by utilizing the foldable robotics platform (images of the maker space building and the robotics platform can be seen on the school website). Lastly, to further Belmont Hill’s engineering program, Mr. Ziff is planning a new schoolwide competition called the Belmont Hill Maker Prize, which will be detailed later.

The Maker Space presents an exciting addition to Belmont Hill’s growing campus. Belmont Hill has much to be grateful for these new resources and opportunities. When asked about what he was most excited about the opening of the Maker Space, Mr. Ziff replied, “I’m very excited for students to have another opportunity on campus to express their creativity in ways they might not have been previously able to” (more information on Mr. Ziff and the Bolles Maker Space can be found in preDesign plan of the foldable robotics platform in the makerspace BH Communications vious issues and on The Panel website). ☐

Cryptocurrency:

By Jake Kornmehl ’24 Panel Staff Everyone is talking about cryptocurrency as the future of finance.

The real question is if you should take the risk to invest. I am sure many of you are also thinking about this new phenomenon. Just like any other decision, pros and cons and past precedent are always a sure way to start.

Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, are digital currencies based on the blockchain, a public ledger that allows anonymity, is fast and does not require a middleman such as a bank or credit card company. As seen with the success of Apple devices or the newer generation of gaming consoles, the present, and future of technology is convenience. When thinking of investing in any company or product, it’s best to gather information and try and form an educated guess on whether that company will either grow or wither long-term.

In the past, people unable to hold their money in a bank were forced to cash their checks at a check-cashing outlet that charged an unreasonable fee. These businesses also required in-person interactions that could be difficult for those that lack transportation. Cryptocurrency allows one to spend and retrieve money in an efficient and secure way. Although the blockchain is public, the identity of the user cannot be traced, making it

The

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very attractive for those partaking in of the many cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin’s illegal activities. Another criticism is value has skyrocketed the most since the amount of energy required to mine its creation by Satoshi Nakamoto. An several of the cryptocurrencies, partic- almost constant uptick in value since ularly Bitcoin. The increase in the use the early 2000s tells a story not only of clean energy is mitigating this issue. of past success but also future growth.

El Salvador was the first country However, it is important to note that to adopt Bitcoin as its national curren- Bitcoin has lost 80% of its value on cy. Since then, the Central American three occasions since 2012 but always country has been able to build many came back and regained the losses and new schools and medical centers, im- rose further. Investing is always someproving the lives of citizens throughout thing that can either reward or punish that nation. Cryptocurrency is also gar- you, and by no means can I guarannering the attention of politicians clos- tee prosperity. However, I believe that er to home.

New York City’s Mayor-Elect, Eric Adams, wants schools throughout the city to teach the new generation of students more about cr yptocurrency. Adams even went as far as to ask for his first three paychecks to be in Bitcoin.

O u t Bitcoin layed on top of stock images

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decentralized electronic transactions are definitely the future of the global economy and are a wise investment.

At Belmont Hill and around the world, cryptocurrency is going to become a larger component of our daily lives. We want to capitalize on this opportunity to create a better world for both ourselves and, more importantly, our communities. Even if investing is not your forte, learning about this new global wave of finance can help you more successfully work towards improving the world in the future ☐.

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The Future of the Internet through the Metaverse

By Luke Guleserian ’24 and Duncan Kilbride ’24 Panel Staff The recent rebranding of Facebook to Meta has shocked the world within the past few weeks. Meta, a reference to the growing phenomenon of the Metaverse, was chosen to reflect the future of their company and its expansion towards an emerging industry and away from what they may consider to be a legacy business. With this sudden change, much confusion came about what

“The economic incentive for these companies to invest in this incipient endeavor is significant–not only for engaging A depiction of the Metaverse VentureBeat in new markets but also for creating Although difficult to fully compre- predict this to be expressed through virtumonopolies in an industry.” hend, put in straightforward terms, the al reality, augmented reality, social media

Metaverse will be “an expansive network this new “Metaverse” will be and why all of persistent, real-time rendered 3D worlds these Tech Giants are so interested in it. and simulations,” according to Matthew Ball, an independent journalist. Experts

platforms, video games, and many more platforms. Although multi-faceted, conceptually, the Metaverse primarily hinges on creating an independent virtual world

to our own with its own currencies, inapp purchases, but mostly a specific digital persona for all interactions online. It is not only targeted for recreational use, but also social, business, and academic adoptions. Already, many enterprises like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Meta have begun developing the enormous amount of infrastructure needed to make this vision a reality.

The economic incentive for these companies to invest in this incipient endeavor is significant—not only for engaging in new markets but also for creating monopolies in an industry. With a lack of pre-existing industry giants, many corporations see an opportunity to become one of the titans within this sphere. While these new ideas are all very exciting, much innovation is still needed to integrate it fully; a fully evolved form is not expected to be released next year, but the final product may arrive within a decade. Just like the internet in the late 20th century, the Metaverse has the potential to evolve far past our current understandings. The future of social media is here. ☐

Cont. David Brooks Gives Speech on Character Continued from the front page.

His columns in the New York Times are more political, often reframing hot-button issues in a manner that makes them easier to grapple with.

Throughout his talk, Brooks decided to steer clear of politics and focus on character and morality. In his address, Brooks described himself as “an average person with above-average communication skills.”

He proved this was indeed true in his exploration of character. The first idea Brooks discussed was that of resume virtues, accomplishments, or characteristics that define career success versus eulogy virtues, which are characteristics that define your life and your impact on others. After outlining the differences, he offered a more nuanced explanation that described the benefits and downsides of each. Brooks also discussed the two sides of Adam, the character from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament.

He labeled these Adam 1, who was career-oriented and driven by success, and Adam 2, who was driven by the need to be a good person to others. Again, Brooks highlighted the need to cultivate both sides, as each is necessary for a successful and fulfilling life. By utilizing his preternatural ability to recall anecdotes, fictional circumstances, and historical events, Brooks provided more examples of the Adam 1 and Adam 2 sides of our personalities as humans.

The other important focus during his talk was finding your passion. Brooks inspired us to find a passion and build a framework of support around it. He went on

to describe his love and passion for writing.

He described reading a Paddington book as a child and wanting to become a writer.

He then revealed how he writes a thousand words a day before seeing anyone or drinking his first cup of coffee. He further confounded the audience, a group of boys who mainly write an essay in one night, by stating his process for writing a column for the New York Times: he would separate papers into piles based on each paragraph and spread them out on the floor. In this way, he would be able to write an organized, well-thought-out column every two weeks.

This example of finding a passion and executing that passion for success provided a compelling model for going about one’s career in the most effective way possible.

Overall, David Brooks proved his reputation as a preeminent, moderate, and thoughtful political and social thinker. He highlighted the need to remain cautious and considerate in a time of increasingly rapid change. His ability to take complex topics like morality and ethics and simplify them into a condensed list of talking points allowed the audience to understand these topics better and implement them into their daily lives. At a school such as Belmont Hill, which prides itself on developing boys of sound character, Brooks’s lessons are essential. Brooks’s examination of morality and the importance of finding a passion was highly accessible and importance for students to implement in their careers as they leave Belmont Hill. ☐

David Brooks at the Chapel podium

BH Communications

Buy Belmont Hill Gear at the Holiday Hill Shop

By Alex Lo ’23 Panel Staff The Holiday Hill Shop is a cherished Belmont Hill tradition. The shop is an annual fundraiser for the school hosted by the Parents’ Council. In the shop, students and parents have an opportunity to buy Belmont Hill apparel and gifts. Originally this was the only time Belmont Hill logo merchandise could be purchased. However, in response to demand from alumni, parents, and past parents, a shop was introduced online in January 2020. The introduction of an online shop, which allowed for full-year access to Belmont Hill merchandise, was well received by the community. With the arrivHoliday Hill Shop in the Wadsworth Room al of the new online store, the Holiday Hill

Shop evolved into a special holiday shop for parents. I spoke with Mrs. Farkas, the Director of Parent Engagement, who gave me the majority of the information in this article.

In 2020, when Covid hit, the Holiday Hill Shop had to go online in addition to the already existing shop. The Holiday Hill shop was held over five days in October, increasing the access for parents and students. This year, the Holiday Hill Shop featured the online event in October and will feature a pop-up shop in December with stocking stuffers and last-minute gifts.

The event was held on December 2, from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, for the parent community. Any items may be purchased after the event by contacting the Parents’ Council ofHoward Huang ’22 fice. Make sure to check out the Hill Shop when it arrives again next December! ☐

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Cont. Form III Leads the Turkey Drive

Tradition

491 Delivered Meals For 491 Families

Continued from the front page.

After enough food is brought in, the Form III students begin organizing all the food from the boxes into the meals that can be delivered. In an assembly-line style, the boxes are passed along, and the required amount of food is placed in each box. Ingredients such as potatoes, yams, vegetables, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce are all placed at this time. Once the meals are prepped and ready to be distributed, students and parents drive around, either to organizations or directly to the families, and drop off the meals.

This year, however, a few things were done differently from before. First of all, as with last year, instead of turkeys, gift cards had to be collected instead. Also, to boost collection, a competition for a pizza lunch was set up between advisories in each grade to drive students to get more food. This caused an initial surge of items that left some categories lacking in food. However, after a few more emails and collection days, it was all leveled out. And because of the lack of some items, a donut sale was put together by some of the Third Formers in order to raise money to buy some of the missing items. Overall, the Turkey Drive was successful this year, thanks to the quick thinking of the Form III students and despite the extra precautions that had to be taken.

And so, with such a meaningful event and so many people helping out, there were many new experiences, especially for the Form III students who hadn’t done something like this before. Mr. George, who has been an integral part of this event every year, connecting with the organizations and making sure the dona-

tions go to the right place, placed a lot of emphasis this year on the delivery drivers, both parents, and students. He mentioned that without them, the drive wouldn’t have been possible. In total, there were 37 parents and 23 students who helped to deliver meals to organizations and families. He also emphasized “the team project” and how everyone chipped in to do their part.

I interviewed two Form III students who helped out a lot through the process.

Jin Lee played a big role in the assembly of the boxes and the meals. When a mishap caused some boxes to be missing items, he and a few others went back through and checked all the boxes to make sure they had the right ingredients. He said that he “wanted to make sure [he] had an impact… so that every family received a meal.” Additionally, I interviewed Will Umschied, who went along with the delivery drivers and helped to distribute the meals. He helped to deliver over 40 meals and was able to see some of the families in person.

He said that “he enjoyed seeing the families’ reactions, and how they were so happy to be able to have a nice Thanksgiving.”

Overall, I think that the Turkey Drive was better than ever this year. Because of the spirits of the Form III students, it turned out to be one of the drives best years yet. Students put in their best efforts, and thanks to the organization of Mr. George and other faculty members, they were able to do that. However, the problems of families in need aren’t solved yet. Although the Turkey Drive was able to supply them with a Thanksgiving meal, there are still others out there who need help. I encourage you to go out and serve your community as well. ☐ Turkey Drive Boxes Ready to be Delivered

Continued from the front page.

Judge Papier holds qualifications from the University of the Western Cape, the University of Cape Town, and Harvard University.

Judge Papier talked about the struggles in South Africa especially surrounding the aparthied and his own journey from living in a country that discriminated against

him to being on their highest court. He talked about the struggles revolving around even travelling to attend school, and how difficult the years during and after the apartheid were.

Near the end of the talk, exchange student Koame Kota from South Africa sang the South African National Anthem for the entire school beautifully. ☐

BH Communications

Cont. Judge Taswell Papier

Editors-In-Chief Online Editor Alex Lo '23

Executive Editor

Cooper Nelson '23

Graphics Editor

Daniel Rashes '22

Photo Editors

Digital Media Editor Arts Editor

Sports Editor Daniel Bittner '22

Article Asst Editor Andrew Bittner '24

Judge Taswell Papier and Professor David Wilkins

BH Communications

Cont. Global Trips Update Continued from the front page.

Visiting Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon, the students will get a dose of hiking in some of the country’s most beautiful national parks. Mr. Bracken proposed a four-day trip to New York that would highlight American history and culture, and Ms. Zener notes that the itinerary was “masterfully designed.” Unfortunately, there was not enough interest, and this trip will have to wait until next year.

After Commencement in June, Belmont Hill will offer both the Kenney legacy trip to Europe as well as the Civil Rights and Leadership trip to the American south.

The Kenney trip visits several World War II monuments, battlefields, and attractions in remembrance of Charlie Kenney ’06.

Given that the trip only has six partici-

pants, the additional risks precipitated by international travel will be more manageable than the other trips. The Civil Rights trip will give four Form II students the opportunity to visit Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to study the history of the civil rights movement. Both of these trips are fully funded at no cost to students and are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the lucky eight selected to participate.

This year presented unprecedented challenges to travel, but in the wake of these difficulties, Belmont Hill has managed to provide trips to new destinations. While there will likely be mask restrictions for participants while indoors, and potentially some closures and roadblocks to certain sites, Belmont Hill’s global experiences program is essentially back to its former state. ☐

Luke Hogan '22 Howard Huang '22

Igaju Agba '22 Merhawi Ghebrelul '23 Daniel Moran '23 Davis Woolbert '24 Jack Abbrecht '23 Cam Carey '23 Joshua Doolan '23 Duncan Kilbride '24 Timo Simonin '22 Garrett Theberge '24

Arec Keomurjian '22 Kevin Jiang '22

Drew Dummer '22 Alex Sousa '22

Digital Design Editor Chris Brusie '23

Assistant Editors Daniel Cho '23 Aidan Lee '24 Luke Trevisan '24

Staff Artists/Writers Igaju Agba '22 Jarrett Chen '22 Luke Guleserian '24 Jake Kornmehl '24 Aaron Stanger '24 Lev Tolkoff '24

Faculty Advisors David Hegarty Juliette Zener

News Editor David Cho '23

Opinions Editor Mac Bobo '23

Back Page Editors Jackson Kendall '22 Tommy Madden '22 Charlie March '22 Jacob Czarnecki '22 Noah Farb '24 Brian Lee '24 Kevin Weldon '24 Daniel Xie '24 Nick Andersen '24 Austin Curtis '23 Matthew Flaherty '24 Kailen Richards '22 Lawrence Tang '22 Luke Wagner '22

The Panel, founded in 1953, is the official school newspaper of the Belmont Hill. The Panel is the voice of the student body. We publish articles that are of consequence to the students, as well as the school communities. The views expressed in The Panel belong solely to the authors and editors and do not necessarily represent the student body, faculty or administration of either school. Any comment about the content should be addressed directly to the editors.

The Panel encourages responsible opinion in the form of Letters to the Editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length and content. Copyright © 2021 The Panel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Published by the Belmont Printing Co., Belmont, MA 02478.

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Musical Events: Fall Concert and Coffee House

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff On the evening of November 11, Belmont Hill held its first in-person concert since the beginning of the pandemic, showcasing the talents of musicians and actors from all forms. The B-Flats opened the concert with their rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” followed by Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.” Members Koame Kota, Jacob Czarnecki ’22, Gabe Klug ’22, and Will Kelly ’23 then sang The Four Seasons’ 1962 hit, “Sherry,” as well as “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers—a Belmont Hill classic—and concluded their performance with that same artist’s soulful 1977 release, “Lovely Day.” The Upper School Jazz Ensemble took to the stage next, opening their set with the work of one of Mr. Fiori’s favorite tenor saxophonists, Oliver Nelson. They finished with Bill Watrous’ Latin-inspired “Tiger of San Pedro.” Following a plethora of musical performances, students flaunted their acting skills through select scenes from

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Jazz Messengers’ notorious piece, “Moanin’.”

Middle School Jazz Ensemble: Moanin—Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers.

The all-school Orchestra closed the concert with two classical compositions.

They began with Jacques Offenbach’s “Barcarolle,” whisking audiences into the romantic era. George-Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” a thunderous and vibrant end to the night.

Around one month later, on December 3, the more-informal Coffee House was held. The B-Flats, Middle School Jazz Ensemble, and Upper School Jazz Ensembles all returned to perform new repertoire. Koame Kota was the standout musician of the night, playing piano, clarinet, and the ukelele in addition to several vocal performances.

The Fall Concert and Coffee House served as the student’s first opportunity to perform in-person in over a year. Although the audience remained masked, their presence alone marked a significant change; as Belmont Hill continues to loosen its restricFall Coffee House 2021 Howard Huang ’22 tions, the music department will gradualthe all-school production, Take Ten. The the world of jazz as the Middle School Jazz ly return to a pre-pandemic normalcy. ☐ audience was then transported back into Ensemble performed Art Blakey and The

the

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff Sasha Vasu ’22 has greatly contributed to Belmont Hill’s music program. He started playing the guitar in the sixth grade, led by curiosity and a genuine passion for music. He quickly outpaced other students in his guitar classes, consequently finding a private teacher to continue his growth as a musician. Through practice, he has reached a commendable level of expertise.

As the only classical guitarist in the school orchestra, Sasha’s contributions to the group are indispensable. His experience as a musician and extensive knowledge of music theory allow him to play his parts with ease, and he serves as a role model for the orchestra’s younger members. However, Sasha’s musical career at Belmont Hill extends far beyond the orchestra. As a soloist, he has played at several school events, such as MAP dinners

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and the 2021 commencement ceremony.

Sasha is currently fine-tuning his rendition of Mario Escudero’s “Impetu,” which he says has proved to be a difficult but rewarding task. The piece’s fast tempo, intricate fingerings, and complex rhythms all contribute to its difficulty, yet Sasha has been able to overcome the challenges and create a dynamic and entertaining performance. Sasha also mentioned that “Impetu” became one of his favorite pieces, as “the incessant, driving rhythm complemented by the beautiful melodies throughout gave true life to this piece.”

Sasha plans to continue playing the guitar, and he can see himself joining an ensemble or more informal musical group at college. The Panel wishes him the best in all of his future musical endeavors. ☐ Check out Sasha’s guitar performances on his instagram: @sashagtar

Sasha Vasu ’22 Performing at 2021 Commencement

BH Communications

Reviewing the Upper School Fall Play: Take Ten

school year, there were no live performances. Performing shorter plays allows participants to ease back into the routine and shake off some of the rust caused by the pandemic.

It has been almost two calendar years Since each role consists of 10 minutes of stage since Belmont Hill and Winsor students time, the workload of memorizing and reperformed excerpts from All in the Timing hearsing lines is greatly reduced. This lessens

by David Ives in February of 2020. After the commitment for participants and allows this long hiatus, Belmont Hill theater fi- students to take part in the play alongside nally returned with the Middle and Upper sports and other clubs. Lighter rehearsal school productions of Take Ten written schedules, in the words of director Mr. Conby various artists this November. Rather way, making the play a much “easier sell” than one larger play, Take Ten is a collec- to students can increase total participation. tion of five unrelated ten-minute plays.

The first of the five plays was entitled This format had a number of advan- The Grand Design, and it was written by Sutages. While Belmont Hill did have an ac- san Miller. The play follows a father and his tive theater program during the 2020-2021 son as the son tries to better portray humanity to potential extraterrestrial species. This scene was followed by Men’s Intuition written by Itamar Moses, in which two college roommates cope with rapidly evolving circumstances.

Thirdly was Space written

by Donald Margulies. In this scene, two friends explore the concept of space in the context of lost relationships. The fourth play, and the clear audience Short Play BH Communications favorite, was Playwriting

By Cooper Nelson ’23 Panel Staff

101, written by Rich Orloff. This satirical look at THE BELMONT HILL THEATRE PROGRAM the creative process was full of witty comedy and presents startling plot twists. The play ended with Philadelphia, written by David Ives. This play examines stereotypes in the form of characters trapped in realities corresponding to cities. Overall, the students’ performances of these an evening of ten-minute plays scenes were masterful and reflected months of hard work on the parts of the actors, as well as Mr. Conway’s experienced direction and the diligent work Friday, November 19, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. of the theater technicians.

Open Dress Rehearsal Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.

The next production, which will take in a few months, is an allschool production of All in the Timing written

by Joe Landry. This will be the first full-length Kraft Theater play in two years, and Belmont Hill School Mr. Conway encourages everyone to watch Free tickets available at ticketstage.com/T/BHSCHOOL the show live when it debuts in February. ☐ Take Ten Poster Mr. Conway

Take Ten!

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Fall Athletics Awards Roundup: Successful Season

By Aaron Stanger ’24 Panel Staff On November 22 in the Hamilton Chapel, Athletic Director Mr. Tahan presented the varsity fall athletic awards and recognized team achievements of the first sports season. The meeting began with the current captains reading the recipients of varsity letters, followed by the next year’s captains. After letters and captains were announced, individual awards were presented and all-league and all-league honorable mentions were presented.

In football, the Dr. Robert Saterlee Hurlbut Memorial Football Trophy, in memory of Dr. Hurlbut Class of 1929 for the player who has made the greatest improvement in the judgement of the coaches, was presented to Albert McField-Zapata Class of 2022. The William E. Croke Trophy, in memory of Bill Croke who served as Athletic Director for 37 years for the player who has been the most valuable in the judgement of the coaches, was presented to Michael Ahonen Class of 2022.

Brian Gallucci ‘22, Albert Greene ‘22, Nolan Parchesky ‘22, and Thomas Rupley ‘25 were recognized for all-league honorable mentions, and Michael Ahonen ‘22, Dave LoGrasso ‘23, and Albert McField-Zapata ‘22 were recognized for ISL all-league.

In soccer, the Soccer Trophy for the improved player was Kailen Richards Class of 2022, and the Soccer Coaches’ Trophy for the player who has made the greatest contribution to the sport was Jack Albers Class of 2022 and William Lloyd Class of 2023. In addition, Alexander Vittal ‘24

was recognized for all-league Honorable Mention, and Jack Albers ‘22 and William Lloyd ‘23 were recognized for ISL all-league.

The Cross Country Award, which is given to the team member who has been the most valuable performer this year, was presented to James Donahue Class of 2022, and second trophy, for the boy who has made the most significant improvement, was presented to Aaron Stanger Class of 2024. James Donahue ‘22, Miles Sandoski ‘24, and William Trautz ‘27 were recognized for ISL all-league, and James Donahue was recognized for All New England.

Lastly, the Henry B. Sawyer sportsmanship awards were presented to “the ideal sportsman whose emotions are controlled by a genuine love and respect for his fellow man as well as the game.”

This season’s recipients included Thomas Romney ‘22, Arec Keomurjian ‘22, Matthew Martines ‘22, and Zach Dines ‘22.

Before the conclusion of the meeting, other team accomplishments were recognized. The JV Football team went 4-1, 3rd Football went 6-1-1, and 4th Football went 5-1-1. The 4th Soccer Team went 5-2 and captured the Belmont Cup, 3rd A went 101-2, and the JV A went 10-4 by ending their season with a 10 game win streak. The 3rd Cross Country Team went 10-2 and finished 2nd at the middle school championship race at Roxbury Latin, JV went 12-2 with a 2nd place finish at the ISL Championships, and Varsity went 11-4 with a 3rd place finish at ISLs. James Donahue was recognized for being voted ISL MVP / Globe all scholastic and as the current course record holder at 7 ISL schools. ☐ Football, Cross Country, and Soccer (Top to Bottom) Awardees BH Communications

Alpine Skis Strongly Away Varsity Squash Sails Off

By Luke Guleserian ’24 Panel Staff

The Alpine Ski team looks to have yet another successful season. Coming off of ISL titles in 2019 and 2020, the team looks to replicate that success this year. Led by captains Anton Schmitt ‘23 and Danny Crowley ‘23, integral parts of those championships, it looks to be another successful season. The team was quite young last year, graduating just one senior, making a long depth chart for this year. As always, the biggest threat to that championship will probably be Middlesex, who nearly won in 2020. Coaches Feldman, Trautz, Rohrer, and Cushman believe that this team can accomplish this feat once again. In addition,

2021

Major

By Nick Anderson ’24 and John Milewski ’23 Panel Staff The 2021 MLB offseason is upon us, but at what cost? The collective bargaining agreement, known as the CBA, ended December 1 at 11:59 pm. This means that the relationship between the players, owners, and the league essentially expired, almost inevitable meaning that a lockout will be ensuing and all action in Major League Baseball will freeze until a new CBA is agreed upon. This will be the first lockout since 1994-95, when 938 games and one whole postseason were canceled. The only actions that can be made during the lockout are minor league signings, meaning players can sign only minor league contracts until a new CBA is agreed upon.

Because of the ensuing lockout, major free agent signings have been made early in the offseason unlike ever before. There

Belmont Hill will host the NEPSAC Class A Alpine Skiing Championships at Shawnee Peak in February. The team finished 4th in slalom and 7th in giant slalom at the last event in 2020, with most of the other schools in the division having much better training facilities as they are from New Hampshire or Maine. Because the weather is not usually kind to this outdoor sport in December in Massachusetts, normal practice at Nashoba Valley will commence after Winter Break. In the meantime, the team has done a myriad of different workouts for dry-land training, including working in the weight room, cardio, and core. Everything points to another successful season for the Belmont Hill Alpine Ski team this year with the team hopefully winning some hardware. ☐

League

By Luke Wagner ’22 Panel Staff The squash team and all its members are very excited about the upcoming season.

With eyes on winning the ISL and competing at Division 1 nationals, this team is eager. Having beaten Nobles and Tabor to win the Jackson Tournament, the team is excited about their potential to win the ISL. On December 8, Belmont Hill will be kicking the season off with Andover, which will prove to be an extremely difficult opponent and likely someone that the team will face at nationals. The team has a mix of older players with a lot of experience and a lot of young talent. The team is going to be led by senior

Baseball

captains Will Okurowski and Dietrich Jacobs at the top of the ladder. The rest of the ladder has been rounded out to encompass: Leigton Calhoun ‘25, Luke Wagner ‘22, Hayden Okurowski ‘25, Aaron Green ‘23, Chris Egan ‘22, Angus Harrison ‘24, and Luke Clifford ‘27. Winning the ISL will be anything from easy, and the players on Belmont Hill’s team will have to work tirelessly the entire season with the goal of winning the ISL. With teams recruiting students internationally for squash, the ISL has become extremely competitive against other squads.

Although there aren’t many, Belmont Hill fans should be delighted to watch the squad this year as the team has the potential to be quite competitive in the ISL championship race and at the national level. ☐

Offseason

have been many star player signings before do Escobar (2 years, $20 million). the month of December, and here they are: • Kevin Gausman came off a career season • The first major move was the Astros and cashed out, signing with the Blue resigning Justin Verlander on a 1-year, $25 million contract.

• Next, the Angels signed Noah Syndergaard to a 1 year, $21 million contract.

• Jose Berrios signed an extension with the Toronto Blue Jays for 7 years, $131 million.

• Former Red Sock Eduardo Rodriguez signed a 5 year, $77 million contract with the Detroit Tigers.

• Steven Matz signed with the Cardinals on a 4 year, Montage of MLB Players $44 million contract.

• The Mets made three major signJays on a 5 year, $110 million contract. ings in one day, signing Starling Mar- • Marcus Semien is also coming off a cate (4 years, $78 million), Mark Canha reer season, where he bet on himself and (2 years, $26.5 million), and Eduarit paid off, as he got a massive 7 year,

Review

$175 million contract with the Texas Rangers. The Rangers found another star, signing Corey Seager to a 10 year, $325 million contract.

• Max Scherzer signed the largest contract in terms of AAV in league history, going to the Mets on a 3 year, $130 million contract.

• Javy Baez is going to Detroit, on a 6 year, $140 million contract.

• Finally, Robbie Ray signed a 5 year, $115 million contract with the Mariners.

Major free agents that have yet to be signed include Kris BryMLB ant, Carlos Correa, Kyle Schwarber, Marcus Stroman, Nick Castellanos, Freddie Freeman, Carlos Rodon, Anthony Rizzo, Trevor Story and many more that will be signed once a new CBA is agreed to. ☐

B elmont HIll Sp orts

D e c emb er 1 0 , 2021

Pa g e 9

Athlete of the Issue: Wrestler Jimmy Harrington ’22

By Lev Tolkoff ’24 Panel Staff Over the last decade, Belmont Hill has had one of the best wrestling programs in the country, having won many ISL and New England Championships. They also have had an abundance of star-athletes, having placed many All Americans, however none have stood out like Jimmy Harrington ‘22.

Having started wrestling at the age of four, wrestling has always been a part of Jimmy’s life. After dominating in the local youth program in his town, Jimmy then seeking a higher level of competition, joined Belmont Hill in ninth grade. As a freshman he placed 8th at prep nationals for the 106 weight class, making him an all-american. As a sophomore, Jimmy took a big step up, by placing 5th the following year with much more competition at a higher weight class. Finally during Covid, Jimmy was able to take a break from wrestling and reignited his passion for wrestling, and

in that next season he won prep nationals.

Jimmy attributes some of his success to his dad, who helped him elevate his game being a wrestling coach himself. Jimmy remarks how, “ there was definitely a point where I was ready to take it to the next level … and he recognized that, and then we were going to tournaments every weekend, driving hours on end.” He also thanks his many coaches saying, “I am very lucky to have had many amazing coaches, it’s a blessing.”

Jimmy is prepared to go even further in his wrestling career, he is committed to wrestle at Harvard next year. The wrestling team and Jimmy hope to win the New England championship and prep nationals once again this year. And Jimmy hopes to win prep nationals once again as defending champion of his weight class.

Jimmy hopes to leave with one final piece of advice to wrestlers and all athletes, “ Love what you do … and then don’t back down from a challenge.” The Panel wishes the wrestling team and Jimmy Harrinton luck on their upcoming season. ☐ Jimmy Harrington ’22 at a Wrestling Tournament

Event Photography

Nordic Skiing Season 2022 Great Start for Basketball

mages between the Rivers School at Weston Ski Track. Fortunately, weekly Lakes Region races will take place this year, and the team looks forward to being back on long bus Following an unusual season last year rides on Wednesdays to race against some of due to COVID, the Nordic Ski team is excited the top Nordic schools of New England. Afto be back for the 2021-2022 season. Having ter a highly successful season two years ago been an integral part of the team for the past with a Lakes Region Championship and a 3 years, Coach DeCaprio will take up the second place finish at NEPSACs, this year’s role of the Head Coach this season, guiding Nordic team is hopeful to perhaps clinch its first ever the team NEPSAC a l o n g win. As with the the team leaderwaits for a ship of sufficient freshly amount elected of snow, Captains dryland Ja m e s practices Donaare fohue and cused on Howard improvHuang. ing balDue to ance and C O V I D, the team Will Walton ’25 on a Ski Jump Last Year BH Communications c a r d i o , with lots was unable to race up north against schools from of roller-skiing and distance runs. Overall, the New Hampshire and Vermont last year, with team is excited to continue the trend of great the majority of races limited to small scrim- success of the BH Nordic Ski program. ☐

By Cam Carey ’23 Panel Staff

By Brian Lee ’24 Panel Staff

National

Football

By Noah Farb ’24 Panel Staff As the NFL enters Week 13, almost nothing has been settled in the playoff picture with six more weeks in the season. In the AFC, the Ravens lead the way at 8-3, with the Patriots and Titans close behind at 8-4, and Chiefs finishing off the division leaders at 7-4. The wild card slots are currently held by the Bengals (7-4), Bills (7-4) and Chargers (6-5). Not a single spot of the seven is secure, and I wouldn’t even consider the Ravens a playoff lock yet as they have looked sloppy in recent weeks and have an extremely tough schedule to end the season with games against the Packers and Rams along with the Steelers twice, Bengals and Browns.

Fighting to get into the playoffs in the AFC are the Broncos and Raiders (both 6-5), Colts and Browns (both 6-6), Steelers (5-51), and even the Dolphins sitting at (5-7), as they are only 1.5 games behind the Chargers and have an easy schedule to finish off the season. In the end, I think the Patriots will finish as the AFC’s top seed with the Titans

As the varsity basketball team opens up their season there is an increased excitement around this team. Belmont Hill has a very talented team led by senior captains Martin Wilson and Josh Baldwin. Both will be integral to the success of the team who hopes to make a run at an ISL championship and a deep run in the Class A New England Playoffs. Belmont Hill basketball has never won the ISL in the history of the school but that could very well change this year. In his third year on the team, junior John Milewski is confident about the team’s chances saying that he is “excited to compete and beat St. Paul’s this year.”. After seeing that St. Paul’s was ranked ahead of Belmont Hill, the team now has even more reason to make a statement and prove that they are one of the best teams in New England. Ranked 16th in New England, the team is poised to increase their ranking as the season goes on. In addition, Coach Cofield is beginning his first Max Hall ’21 on the Court

League

or Chiefs in 2nd and 3rd respectively and the Ravens rounding out the division winners. For the wild cards, I have the Bengals, Colts, and Bills as the favorites, in that order, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chargers or Browns took any of those teams’ spots.

In the NFC, things are a little more clear as there are five clear teams at the top, and it would be extremely surprising to see any of them miss the playoffs. The Cardinals lead the way at 9-2 with the Packers just behind at 9-3. The Buccaneers are 8-3 and the Cowboys and Rams finish off the group with both at 7-4. The 49ers are in control of the six seed after winning four straight games at 6-5. After this it gets messy, as there are six teams in the NFC with five wins including the Football Team, Vikings, Saints and Falcons at 5-6, while the Eagles and Panthers are both 5-7. A bit behind but with a real shot at making the playoffs are the 4-7 Bears and Giants, and even the 3-8 Seahawks. The 0-10-1 Lions are still not mathematically eliminated, but I can guarantee that they will not qualify for the playoffs. I would expect NFC to finish much like it is now with the top five as the top five, but

season as head coach of the varsity basketball team after Mr. Murphy left the school.

With assistant coaches Ms. Otley, Mr. Melmore and EJ Kaymite, the coaching staff are ready to see Belmont Hill be extremely competitive and potentially win Belmont Hill its first ISL championship in school history.

Belmont Hill should be excited to watch the team this year and hopefully witness history as the team can be extremely competitive in the chase for an ISL championship. ☐

Playoff

Lombardi Trophy Being Hoisted with the Packers as the one seed. I also think the 49ers will stand their ground as the 6th seed. I have no idea who is going to finish as the 7th seed, but I would guess the Vikings or Eagles if I was forced to make a decision.

Regardless of what happens, this

BH Communications

Predictions

ThinkStock Images season is setting up to be one of the most exciting playoffs in recent memory; there are not any teams that seem to be “dominating” the regular season, so I expect many surprises throughout the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs. ☐

Pa g e 1 0

Belmont Hill C ommun it y

T he Panel

The Panel Volume 70 Issue 6 Crossword Challenge

Rules: All answers will be a string of characters. Some answers have multiple words: remove the space (Ex. Belmont Hill School becomes “belmonthillschool”). All answers are within the newspaper. Fastest submissions of a picture of a correctly completed crossword puzzle to thepanel@belmonthill.org win prizes.

ACROSS 3. The number of course records James Donahue currently holds 5. There are no ____ teams in the NFL Playoffs so far 6. The team that made the first major move in the MLB offseason 8. The song Kailen Richards always hears during wrestling practice 14. The name of the type of currency that Bitcoin falls under 15. The name of the operation referenced in the slightly obscured article on the backpage 16. The projectile used in a wintery competition 18. The name of the trip to WWII sites 20. David Brooks writes this for the New York Times 21. The Holiday Hill Shop is in this room

DOWN 1. The number of plays in Take Ten 2. The town where last years’ Nordic Ski scrimmages occurred 4. The name of non-competitive sports 7. The Basketball team’s current ranking in New England 9. The tournament Squash has already won 10. Companies like Nvidia, Meta, and _____ are investing in the Metaverse 11. Taswell Papier’s occupation 12. The piece Middle School Jazz performed 13. The food item the drive that donated 491 meals is named after 17. The school Jimmy Harrington committed to 19. The ski site where the Alpine Ski Team practices at

B elmont HIll Opinions

D e c emb er 1 0 , 2021

Pros

and

Cons

By Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff Whether you’ve partaken in one or not, Intramural sports are an important part of athletics at Belmont Hill, whether it be training for the next season or just having fun. IM sports take place all year round and they are available for all grades. The main difference from these programs and the standard sports teams is that IM teams stay within the school and don’t have any outside competitions. IM sports have been in practice for over 20 years, as Mr. Tahan said “they have been running since before the start of his 21 tenure” here at Belmont Hill. In middle school, you can take part in IM Basketball and IM Squash in the winter. In the upper school, more options are available and you can choose to take part in From IV Fitness or Strength and Conditioning along with the two previously mentioned programs. Occasionally, if a strong desire for an IM sport is there, students can form IM teams. In the past, there have been teams such as IM Tennis and IM Flag Football. While I believe that IM sports are beneficial to athletes and the school, there is still some debate over whether they should be kept or not.

Even though IM sports are running efficiently right now, there are some problems that arise when com-

of

Playing

paring them to the standard sports.

First of all, the biggest difference is that IM sports lack the competition of standard sports. In standard sports, games are played once or twice a week against other schools. This fosters competition that drives athletes to work harder so that they can get better and perform

Casual Soccer Players well in their contests. As for IM sports, that aspect isn’t there. Additionally, IM sports take away athletes who would otherwise participate in the standard sports. Mr. Tahan expressed the concern that “if there are not enough athletes for the sport, it may cause problems for the traditional team” and the team may not be able to compete. Without its standard teams, Belmont Hill

Pa g e 1 1

Intramural

loses representation outside of school.

While there are some other problems, these cons are the biggest reasons that may dissuade someone from IM sports.

Although there is some controversy with IM sports, they still have many good aspects as well. IM sports are positive because they make sure

Google Images athletes are participating in a sport, when they might otherwise be deterred.

Whether it be because they don’t like the sports offered or because they want less competition, IM sports allow for all athletes to improve their skills. They take all the positives from the standard sports, such as exercise, social interaction and team skills, and put them in an environment where such a serious

Sports

commitment isn’t needed. A lack of competition may be seen as a negative, but for some, it is exactly what they are looking for. If an athlete is just starting up the sport or needs a less time-consuming schedule, then a non-competitive environment may be the perfect fit. It allows for practice while not putting athletes under the pressure of competitive games. Additionally, if athletes are dedicated to the sport, but are unable to make the team, they can join the IM team so that they don’t go a season without practice. Despite the cons, there are many pros to IM sports.

Due to the debate about IM sports, there are the pros and cons mentioned above. IM sports have less of a competitive aspect compared to the standard sports and they may draw players away from those teams.

However, they also provide a level of competition that some may be looking for, while still allowing for athletes to have fun and get better at that sport.

In conclusion, I believe that IM sports are more helpful than harmful. Even though they may be lacking in traditional competition between schools, they still allow for in school teams and those games may be less stressful.

Furthermore, since the teams are only formed by demand, they are less likely to take away from the standard sports.

I hope that the program can be expanded at school in the future, as long as there is a big enough demand. ☐

Debate of the Issue: Simulated Snowball Fight!

By Lev Tolkoff ’24 Panel Staff For this Debate of the Issue, we decided to try something a little different. Instead of the normal argument, we will face off against each other in a classic backyard snowball fight. The rules are simple: Each person starts off from one place in the yard and can claim corners in order to build a fort and attack. In addition to the team leaders, there will be four clones of that person to help them out with construction and fighting. Each team will receive two regular snow shovels as well as two plastic snowball makers.

Finally, both sides will have to place three flags within their forts. Once all six flags are collected by one team, that team wins. There will be thirty minutes of preparation time and the fight will end once all flags have been captured Starting at the top gives me the advantage, to be aggressive. Knowing that Luke will try to be passive I set up my defensive igloo in the center, shielding me from all sides, but with an opening from the top. Each of my clones do the same thing, essentially dividing the battle field in two. I know if it is close combat it is a certain victory for me, having the advantage by having the better arm in this battle. With my igloos, there is only one possible disadvantage, that if surrounded I would have to fight from both sides.To account for this I will instead stack the igloos, one on the left with one behind it and the same on the right. The front two igloos will have the shovels to act as shields for themselves and the igloo behind it.

While the back two igloos will have the snow ball machines, with a constant aerial of snowballs, victory is imminent.

The goal is to whittle down the front defenses of Luke and to then cre-

ate a semi circle of igloo’s around Luke, effectively winning the battle. Pushing down the battle line from side to side is key as to not let the igloos be surrounded.

The attack strategy is simple, a constant aerial of snowballs from the back two igloos, will cause Luke to not be able to move from his two areas. With a cut off of communication

Snowball Fight Battle Plan

and resources, it is essentially a four versus two. All that is necessary is to be both at different times. Estimated win time is approximately ten minutes, I think Luke will put up a decent fight, but being too passive will not fare well against my belligerent attack. ☐ Who do you think would win?

Share your answer here:

By Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff By starting from the bottom, I am happy with the stone wall to my left. Its uniformity will allow for a quicker construction since the stone wall is already in place. To the right, the rocks and trees will offer some protection; howe v e r, b e c au s e they a r e i n cons i s tent, i t m a y b e h ard er to s e t up a solid base.

T h e midd l e Luke Trevisan ‘24 looks promising, but its main use would be to make an attack, and so I’m going to leave it for now. Two clones along with myself will make for the stone wall, which we will set up to be our main base. The other two will be sent to the forest corner, so that we still have some control over it. Each group will take one shovel and one snowball maker.

Once our corners have been acquired, the fort building process will begin immediately, since we only have thirty minutes. To start off, we can pack the snow to create the walls on top of the stone wall and in between the rocks.

Splitting up our fort will allow us to re-

treat back to one if the other gets taken over. To make it easier, a path will be set up between the forts by digging up the snow and placing it next to it. Finally, handmade snowballs as well as ones made from the snowball makers will be made and stockpiles will be created in both forts, as once fighting ensues it will be hard to replace them fast enough.

The first move I would like to make would be to push two clones up to the top left, as I believe Lev will leave it the more unfortified of the two due to the hedges. Remaining at the firepit fort with one of the clones and a snowball maker, I send another over to the forest fort, leaving it least fortified due its distance. In case of emergency, the two clones at the hedge fort can retreat back. At the hedge fort, I don’t plan on making any serious fortifications as the bushes can’t support much and we won’t be there for long.

Feeling pressure from both sides, I hope Lev will push to the middle as it is the only open space remaining.

If he does, I can easily take him out by pelting him from three sides. If he doesn’t, and decides to hunker down, we can then send in a charge from the top right and bottom left corners and pummel his defenses with an onslaught of snowballs. Finally, if Lev chooses to be aggressive, which I see as the most realistic option, I still have a defense plan in mind. To whichever fort he attacks, the defenders in that area hold up a pseudo-defense. Then, similar to a screen pass, once Lev and his group pursue my retreating members, I will send in my other three members to come forward guns-blazing and surprise his attacking force. Then the rest of my team can turn around and we can easily wallop Lev and his team while they are on their heels. ☐

1725 Slough Avenue Scranton, PA 18503

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A Student Backpage of the Belmont Hill School

Volume 70, Issue 6

December 10, 2021

MASSIVE SUPPLY-CHAIN ISSUES PLAGUE DINING STAFF Nonexistent Farmers’ Club Lodges Complaint For Missing Chickens

Picture of “BH” Chickens from Dr. Goldberg’s Email; definitely not from random video Unsuspecting, Hungry Students; sorry for the old photo

blurry photo on website

Midterm Exams Cancelled Backpage Takes Over School

all exams have been indefinitely postponed

By Tommy Madden ’54 to a later date (aka never). Please do not ask Panel Staff your teachers about midterm assesments.

Please direct all inquiries towards Mr. Grant, Due to the Omnicron Variant confusThe 1954 Guatemalan coup d’état, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Butler. The Belmont ing Greek and Latin students alike (they nevBoard of Health (aka Donna David) will code-named Operation PBSuccess, was a er got to that letter of the alphabet in class), clear exams hopefully after winter break. covert operation carried out by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that deposed the democratically elected Guatemalan President Jacobo Árbenz and ended the Guatemalan Revolution of 1944–1954. It installed the military dictatorship of Carlos Castillo Armas, the first in a series of U.S.backed authoritarian rulers in Guatemala.

The Guatemalan Revolution began in 1944, after a popular uprising toppled the military dictatorship of Jorge Ubico. Juan José Arévalo was elected president in Guatemala’s first democratic election. He introduced a minimum wage and near-universal suffrage, and turned Guatemala into a democracy. Arévalo was succeeded in 1951 by Árbenz, who instituted land reforms which granted property to landless peasants.[1] The Guatemalan Revolution was disliked by the United States federal government, which was predisposed during the Cold War to see it as communist. This perception grew after Árbenz had been elected and formally leEating half their body weight in cook- galized the communist Guatemalan Party of Labour. The United Fruit Company (UFC), ies daily to maintain their consump- whose highly profitable business had been tion of treats at milk and cookies affected by the end to exploitative labor practices in Guatemala, engaged in an influenBy Mr. Butler ’23 Not Panel Staff

BH Winter Break Plans Mr. Harvey:

Watching hours of tennis each day to prepare for JV tennis

Sean Scales:

Look for his missing calculator (somehow disappeared again)

First Formers:

Look Inside The Issue

News [oh wait, not in the newspaper] Plans forSenate The New Maker Space Student Report

The new monthly Student Senate Report by Luke Carroll ’22 will be published in The Panel for a new era of transparency from student leaders.

I wIlL wRiTe OnE eVeRy IsSuE! – Luke Carroll ’22

Opinions 3 Sit Down Lunch

burnt math student calculates that the average panini press user smokes the equivalent of 2 cigarettes when making a grilled cheese

News 13 3/4 Wow, a mysterious QR code!

Oh look the link to the chicken video is right here!!

Scannie Scannie!

tial lobbying campaign to persuade the U.S. to overthrow the Guatemalan government.

U.S. President Harry Truman authorized Operation PBFortune to topple Árbenz in 1952; although the operation was quickly aborted it was a precursor to PBSuccess.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected U.S. president in 1952, promising to take a harder line against communism; the links that his staff members John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles had to the UFC also predisposed them to act against the Guatemalan government. Additionally, the U.S. federal government drew exaggerated conclusions about the extent of communist influence among Árbenz’s advisers. Eisenhower authorized the CIA to carry out Operation PBSuccess in August 1953. The CIA armed, funded, and trained a force of 480 men led

by Carlos Castillo Armas. The coup was preceded by U.S. efforts to criticize and isolate Guatemala internationally. Castillo Armas’ force invaded Guatemala on 18 June 1954, backed by a heavy campaign of psychological warfare. This included a radio station which broadcast anti-government propaganda and a version of military events favorable to the rebellion, claiming to be genuine news, as well as air bombings of Guatemala City and a naval blockade. The invasion force fared poorly militarily, and most of its offensives were defeated. However, psychological warfare and the fear of a U.S. invasion intimidated the Guatemalan army.

Read more on Page 13

IT IN CASE YOU MISSED e too

After going to the well on many times on fake tweetsll and angering the baseba team, Seniors Charlie March,, Jack Kendall, Tommy Maddene ar and Jacob Czarnecki putting in their 4 months no tice. The illustrious backpage group will be holding thorough interviews for the next back page editors. Send all inquiriesg to thepanel@belmonthill.or

Centerspread 8 Admissions Tour Review

Community 4 The Panel Crossword: Holiday Special

Potential Applicant writes review on admissions Complete the IMPOStour. Notes that he was shocked to see students SIBLE crossword puznot paying attention in class. zle or wait don’t actually. It’s impossible after all.

B

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Sports 12 BH Sports Uniforms Winsor writers rate BH Sports Uniforms. The article was cut by Winsor Editors last issue.

5/10