The Panel (Vol. 70 Iss. 7)

350 Prospect Street Belmont, MA 02478

Volume 70, Issue 7

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A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School

February 4, 2022

HONORING FOUR OLYMPIANS

Belmont Hill Commemorates the Achievements of Four Recent Alumni

By Duncan Kilbride ’24 and Aaron Stanger ’24 Panel Staff

Andrew Reed ’10, Dara Alizadeh ’11, Alexander Richards ’14, and Benjamin Wanger ’15

Belmont Hill has a long history of Olympian alumni. Starting with Bill Cleary, Class of ‘52, Belmont hill has had sixteen Olympians from Hockey, Cycling, Rowing, and Baseball. On Thursday, January 6th, 2022, Belmont Hill’s four Olympians of the Tokyo Games came to speak in a Chapel talk. The forty-minute Chapel commenced with a video highlighting each alumni’s formative Belmont Hill experiences and their experiences in Tokyo. Four banners were unveiled to honor each Olympian, his sport, and his accomplishments at the games, before each athlete touched briefly on the struggles of dealing with the delayed Olympics during the pandemic. After quick introductions, the discussion was opened to questions from the audience, primarily consisting of varsity Baseball and Crew athletes.

Beginning his career on the middle school Crew team in 7th grade, Andrew Reed quickly progressed throughout his high school career. After capping off his Belmont Hill career by winning Youth Nationals, he went on to Harvard University.

BH Communications Continued on Page 10

Martellini Basketball Court Imari Paris Jeffries Chapel what was coming. Mr. Isner, who managed the varsity basketball team while Ted Martellini coached, has gifted the School with the naming of Ted Martellini Court.

A visibly touched Mr. Martellini apOn the frigid morning of January 3, the community gathered for a special Chap- peared both overjoyed and shocked. “I had el that was held outdoors for safety precau- no idea this was coming, and I am both deeply humbled and hontions. After talking to ored by Josh’s kindthe boys about safeness,” he explained. ty protocols for the “Josh was a remarkcoming weeks, Greg able student, an inSchneider, Ronald M. credible manager, and Druker ’62 Head of an even better person.

School, announced I am overwhelmed that he was eager to by this honor, and share news of “invery, very grateful.” credible Belmont Hill During his 14 spirit” to kick things Mr. Martellini's Court BH Comms years as varsity basketoff for the semester.

Mr. Schneider explained that the ball coach, Mr. Martellini compiled a record School recently had an alumni donor, of 205-125. He has sent many players on to Josh Isner ‘04, give two spectacular gifts the collegiate level and was widely known to Belmont Hill. The first was in honor for getting the most out of his players. of his mother, Linda Isner, who was the “While the achievements were wonderful, Head of the Parents Association at Bel- they are surpassed only by the stories,” Mr. mont Hill. In a wonderful tribute to his Schneider said. “At the heart of his coaching mother, Mr. Isner had dedicated the Di- stories are relationships that changed lives. rector of Parent Engagement Office in He has held boys accountable and watched the Jordan Athletic Center in her name. them routinely accomplish feats that they The second gift was directed toward a themselves did not think were possible.”

Continued on Page 8 member of the audience, who had no idea

By Daniel Bittner ’22 and Luke Hogan ’22 Panel Staff

Look Inside The Issue

News 2 Bolles Makerspace Opening

News 3 Mayor Ruthanne Fuller

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller speaks Howard Huang ’22 explains Belmont Hill’s new to Belmont Hill. plan for a state-of-the-art maker space.

Arts 3 Artist of the Issue: Timothée Simonin '22 Arec Keomurjian '22 writes about the artist of the issue.

By Executive Staff Panel Staff To honor the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., Belmont Hill hosted Imari Paris Jeffries to talk about the legacy of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King and update us on the work of King Boston. Mr. Paris Jeffries is the executive director of King Boston, a program of the Boston Foundation

working closely with the City of Boston to create a living memorial to the Kings, and their time and work together in Boston. The memorial is intended to inspire visitors to reflect on the values of racial and economic justice that both espoused. The memorial, entitled "The Embrace," will be anchored on Boston Common, where, in 1965, Dr. King called Boston to live by its highest ideals.

Continued on Page 2

Imari Paris Jeffries, Executive Director of King Boston

Jumpstart for Young Children

Opinions 7 Belmont Hill's Lost Covid Tests

Sports 10 Athlete of the Issue: Luke Trevisan '24 reports on Belmont Hill's Martin Wilson '22 batch of lost tests after winter break.

Andrew Bittner '24 writes about Martin's successes in basketball

Sports 8 The Martellini Basketball Court Daniel Bittner '22 reports on the Martellini Court

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Cont. Imari Paris Jeffries Bolles Makerspace Opening Continued from the front page.

Construction will be completed within the next few years, with a dedication currently planned for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend 2023. Once built, “The Embrace” will provide a living space for conversation, education and reflection on the racial and economic justice ideals of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, and serve as a permanent monument to the Kings’ time in Boston,

“The Embrace” Statue Plans

a period in which they attended college, met and fell in love, and helped shape their approach to a just and equitable society.

The monument is an abstract interpretation of an iconic photo of them hugging.

Mr. Collins, Belmont Hill Director of Community and Diversity, moderated the virtual Q & A session over Zoom.

Belmont Hill and The Panel would like to thank Mr. Jefferies for his time. ☐

By Howard Huang ’22 Panel Staff On April 26, 2021, Headmaster Schneider sent out a statement outlining the creation of the new Makerspace. He said, regarding the various changes occurring across campus, “Perhaps more importantly for the boys, this shift provides the opportunity for us to transition Bolles House into a wonderful redesigned Makerspace for the community to enjoy. We will begin this renovation right after graduation with the goal of opening the space upon our return in the fall. We expect the main floor to include a dedicated training area for a robotics team, which boys will be able to access in a number of ways next year. This main floor will be able to function as two separate spaces or

King Boston Belmont Hill Makerspace in use

one larger space and will be incredibly flexible, housing a number of cutting-edge tools for making. The hope is that this room offers a space for boys to create, design, pursue engineering activities, and display and present their work in new and innovative ways. It will be joined with a new podcasting and Green Room across the Bolles Corridor, and we are eager to see how the boys and our faculty choose to use both spaces over time.”

The Makerspace has recently opened to several classes in addition to the computer science, maker, and robotics clubs.

Mr. Ziff has been doing a wonderful job managing the new space and the many new STEAM opportunities such as the Maker Prize Competition. The Panel looks forward to finding out what else the Makerspace will offer students. ☐

belmonthill.org

The Benefits of Freedom of Speech in the Classroom

By Jake Kornmehl ’24 Panel Staff Polarization continues to increase across the nation, and, in order to heal this growing wound, there must be mutual respect. Minimizing polarization requires that we listen to opinions and ideas that differ from our own and that we not dehumanize those who express them. Unfortunately, many high schools and universities are suppressing opinions on both sides of the spectrum that are deemed unpopular. The cancellation of invited speakers Nikole Hannah-Jones by the Middlesex School and Dorian Abbot by MIT are recent examples.

Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist whose epic 1619 project provided a framework for how educational institutions can teach a more accurate, age appropriate history of slavery. Part of her thesis, that the Revolutionary War was caused by slavery, has been disputed by respected historians with expertise in this era. Ms. Hannah-Jones’s invitation to speak at the Middlesex School was revoked because of concern that “outside agitators” would be disruptive.

Ms. Hannah-Jones had an important message to convey, and it was a major missed learning opportunity for the students and faculty at Middlesex that she was not provided a forum to present her thesis and open it up to debate.

Dorian Abbot is a respected geophysicist at the University of Chicago who was selected to give an honorary scientific lecture at MIT. MIT cancelled his invitation when pressure was applied on the administration because of a piece he co-authored in Newsweek.

Abbot opined that affirmative action

should not play a role in faculty hiring and that having multiple diversity officers for one particular department is not a good use of money and resources. Instead, he believes these funds should be used to improve underfunded schools in poor communities so that the children in t h e s e c o m munities can compete w i t h t h e i r m o r e privil e g e d peers.

Should this scientist be made a pariah for expressing his v i e w s t h a t should be open for deb a t e ?

Prince t o n providGraphic ed a forum for Professor Abbot to give his scientific lecture.

All educational institutions must allow students and faculty to offer their views in a respectful environment.

However, anyone stating an opinion should be prepared to provide evidence and be ready to answer pointed ques-

tions. There are some topics that do not deserve a forum for discussion such as whether slavery or the Holocaust really happened, as there is overwhelming historical evidence to prove their existence. Everyone benefits when our views are challenged; however, disre-

to listen and question opinions and ideas different from our own strengthens our communities. This fact proves why a diverse student body and faculty is necessary to obtain a truly exceptional education. It is the responsibility of the administration to make cer-

Google Images spectful or racist commentary should never be tolerated on school campuses.

Although I am socially progressive and fiscally conservative, I find that my arguments are sharpened after I reflect on my discussions with peers and faculty with a point of view that differs from mine. Being willing

tain that all faculty and students feel comfortable expressing their opinions without threat or intimidation. Belmont Hill excels in how it encourages and provides an environment where everyone can express their views—liberal, conservative, and everything in between—without fear of reprisal. ☐

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Mayor Ruthanne Fuller Speaks at Belmont Hill and where the curriculum and pedagogy, ing others. Part of Fuller’s job as mayor is your teacher-coach model, and your faculty, to react to the world around us. She must encourage each of you to develop and hone confront the challenges of social injustices, your leadership skills.” Fuller spoke from climate change, the ongoing pandemic, Belmont Hill welcomed Newton’s experience, witnessing the palpable impact and many more. As she explained, “They Mayor Ruthanne Fuller to the Chapel podium on January 14. Introduced by School President Luke Carroll ’22, Mayor Fuller is the mother of three Belmont Hill graduates, and her husband is from the Class of 1975.

She served many years on the Board of Trustees and chaired the Committee on Trustees.

Ruthanne Fuller is the first woman mayor in Newton’s history. She graduated from Brown University and Harvard Business School. Prior to her historic election in 2018, Mayor Fuller worked as a strategic planner for non-profit organizations and businesses for over two decades. She also served as Alderman-at-Large from Ward 7. As mayor, Fuller invested $150 million in Newton’s infrastructure, instituted fullday kindergarten, and developed the town’s first climate action plan. As Luke Carroll stated in his introduction, “She is an example of public service done right to us all.”

BH Communications Mayor Fuller first spoke about lead- Mayor Fuller stands in front of Hamilton Chapel ership. She described Belmont Hill as an that Belmont Hill had on her children and are not academic questions, nor are they institution that consciously teaches char- husband: “I see Belmont Hill and these easy ones.” Mayor Fuller is tasked with acter, where the faculty challenges and leadership skills and each in every one of the most difficult of these issues, as “when pushes the students. In this environment them. It has served each of them really well.” something lands on [her] desk, it means of fostering leadership, Fuller mentioned She then transitioned to discussing it’s the hard ones… the hard ones that that “BHS constantly creates a learning en- her role as the mayor of Newton, describ- have conflicting values inherent in them.” vironment where leadership is on display ing it as being all about leadership and servMayor Fuller’s responsibilities have

By David Cho ’23 and Alex Lo ’23 Panel Staff

Lunch

Tables

By Charlie March ’22 Panel Staff After winter break, Belmont Hill decided to make a few changes to ensure a return to as normal of an academic, ex-

Lunch before Covid

BH Website

tracurricular, and athletic schedule as possible. One of the biggest changes was the “de-densification” of the lunchroom.

The number of students in the lunchroom has been cut in half, and the distance between each person at the lunch tables has been increased. While one half of the students eat in the lunchroom, the other half

become more demanding in recent years: “All of this has gotten harder. We are in a political climate where trust has eroded. I see viscerally a rise in cynicism and contempt.” In navigating these difficult times, she called on the students “to be strong on our values but soft on each other.” Though faced with great adversity, Mayor Fuller has embraced these challenges to lead Newton to the best of her ability, stating that it takes sacrifices to make meaningful change.

As a message for the students, Fuller said, “It’s easier to sit on the sidelines and complain. Easier yet to read a newspaper, look at the headlines, and just throw up your hands. It’s obvious that we can do better. It’s hard to be in the ring. It’s challenging to serve. It’s difficult to be a leader.” Mayor Fuller then went on to underscore the privilege of attending Belmont Hill. She encouraged students to utilize the opportunities Belmont Hill provides to “get in the ring” and to take the lead.

Belmont Hill was graced by the leadership and wisdom of Mayor Fuller, who has led Newton through the pandemic and tackled several demanding issues. She exemplifies the leadership and service that Belmont Hill strives to foster in its students, and her speech eloquently narrated her responsibilities as mayor. In closing, Mayor Fuller said, “My advice: start now. Don’t wait. It can be really small—[it] doesn’t really matter. Just start. And be kind while you’re doing it.” ☐

Update Homage to Betty White

now picks up lunch to eat with a proctor in their designated location, similar to the grab-and-go lunches we had in the fall.

This change resulted from the uptick in Covid cases due to the omicron variant, which began to appear around the start of 2022. By reducing the number of students in the lunchroom and spreading them out, there is a smaller chance of Covid being spread, allowing all other activities to run smoothly without any cancellations or shift to online work.

Although the goal is to decrease the spread of Covid, there is a flaw in the system. When everyone packs into the lunchroom at 1:40 to grab their food, there is no social distancing, so Covid can easily spread.

Though the lunch has not been normal for the past few weeks, there will be a return to hot-food, family-style lunch on February 7th. Additionally, snack bar and chapel will be happening again this coming week. As Belmont Hill continues to navigate through the pandemic, it must be ready to adapt to the changing circumstances, but hopefully, a full return to pre-Covid times is not too far away. ☐

By Austin Curtis ’23 Panel Staff Betty White was born on January 17, 1922, and died on this New Year’s Eve at the age of 99. White won five Primetime Emmy Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards (including the 2015 Daytime Emmy for Lifetime Achievement), and received a Los Angeles Emmy Award in 1952. White was the only woman to have received an Emmy in all performing comedic categories, and also holds the record for longest span between Emmy nominations for performances—her first was in 1951 and her last was in 2014, a span of over 60 years. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy. She also won three American Comedy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990), and two Viewers for Quality Television Awards. She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard alongside the star of her late husband Allen Ludden. In 2009, White received the TCA Career Achievement Award

from the Television Critics Association.

Her spirit and love of wildlife live on through the viral #BettyWhiteChallenge campaign, which has led fans to donate funds to local animal shelters, conservation and protection societies, zoos, and more. Social media posts went up in honor of White, and online, thousands spread the word about the donation challenge or highlighted other animal charities. A verified Twitter account devoted to legendary actress and singer Liza Minnelli notified her mass of followers about the viral challenge on Monday. “We are celebrating Betty White’s 100th birthday,” the account wrote. “#BettyWhiteChallenge­—donate $5 to a local animal rescue organization in the beloved legend’s name on her birthday (today).” Because of the awareness, nonprofit institutions throughout the U.S. have received charitable donations in White’s name, including American Humane, the nation’s oldest humane nonprofit. Several other organizations are sharing posts about the challenge to encourage donations. Betty White’s dedication to doing good for others will always remain unmatched. ☐

Update on Return to School During the Omicron Variant

By Andrew Bittner ’24 Panel Staff Coming out of the two-week absence from winter break, the omicron variant, a variant of Covid-19 with low virulence but high transmissibility, was a terrifying prospect in the minds of many members of the community. Belmont Hill had just returned to a state of relative normalcy with sit-down lunch and no mask requirement, so many feared that the omicron variant would cause the community to lose the freedoms it had worked so hard to restore. Testing data helps determine whether these fears are justified.

Over winter break, there were 33 self-reported cases of Covid and four pos-

itive tests among athletes who returned to campus for practice. Thus, 37/45 athletes—8% of the student body—tested positive for Covid over break. Notably, the data does not include faculty and staff, representing only the fraction of the student body tested over break. Undoubtedly, the number of cases was considerably higher.

The first all-school testing results after returning supported this notion, revealing that 7.1% (39/549) of students, faculty, and staff tested positive on campus, with 22 off-campus self-reported cases. For reference, in the week before break, testing revealed that only 0.3% (2/617) of those tested were infected with Covid-19. Interestingly, the rate of testing decreased dramatically

after the break despite required testing for those on campus. It is apparent that students’ travels over break and the transmissibility of the omicron variant significantly diminished Belmont Hill’s safety from Covid.

The leaders of the community, cognisant that many members of the community might have traveled or had close contact with infected people, chose to reimpose various aspects of Covid-protocol such as a mask requirement and the removal of sit-down lunch to mitigate the effects of omicron. Masking has become required in both the classroom and the athletic facilities, and students are required to eat in isolated pods in various parts of the campus.

Moreover, the school has made various ac-

commodations for virtual students to help everyone stay up to date with their learning.

Despite several pandemic-related challenges, Belmont Hill has remained in person—an impressive feat especially considering the high number of school closings. The school’s administration acted quickly and effectively, minimizing the spread of a virus while maintaining as much of the typical Belmont Hill experience as possible. Hopefully, the school will see a return to normalcy in the near future.

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Belmont Hill Movie Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home

By Daniel Rashes ’22 Panel Staff The superhero film genre is a curious thing. After years of buildup and interconnectivity, it often seems that a superhero movie need not be aptly constructed or emotionally compelling to feel rewarding and satisfactory. However, when a film is able to work both sides of that coin, sitting in the movie theater becomes a religious experience. Spider-Man: No Way Home is one such film. As this film has been out for some time and there’s not much I can say about it without divulging major plot elements, spoilers follow. Be warned.

The third and final film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe “Home Trilogy,” NWH immediately following the events of its predecessor, Far From Home. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has been outed as his alter-ego Spider-Man and framed for murder, an act that puts him and his loved ones, in great jeopardy. After bearing witness to the detrimental effects the media frenzy has had on his friends MJ (Zendaya) and Ned’s (Jacob Batalon) college admittance, he turns to fellow superhero Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to concoct a spell to make the whole world forget Peter Parker is Spider-Man. This is where the fun begins.

As he tries to ensure his closest friends and family remember his alternate identity, Peter’s mid-spell interference crosses some wires. His insistence that everyone who already knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man should remember such throws open the Multiverse, allowing villains from prior, non-Spider-Man villains to cross through inter-dimensional barriers and torment Holland’s Parker.

This film is very silly. Various acts of contrivance and conceit are necessary to do what the film requires—compel fans to come to the theater by the tantalizing thought of seeing iconic characters return to the screen. Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), The Lizard (Rhys Ifans), and Electro (Jamie Foxx), representatives from all films prior to Holland’s tenure make their grand re-entrance into the Spider-Man franchise up to twenty years after their last appearance.

What is surprisingly successful about this endeavor is, despite their inclusion alone being enough to appease fans, the film goes to great lengths to explore the individuality of each “villain.” Every character reacts to their situation uniquely. Each one is given time to interact with the new Spider-Man. They all have importance to the plot and service the dramatic proceedings of the film. While the gimmick could have just felt, well, gimmicky, brilliant re-

turning performances and their non-shoehorned incorporations make for great fun.

The central conflict of the film arrives when Strange attempts to send all five of the dimension-hoppers back to their realities, despite the fact that many of them face certain death upon arrival. The ever-good intentioned Parker takes issue with that and instead devises a plan to “heal” the villains of their destructive powers so that they can cease to cause harm and

again leaves Peter an orphan and forces him to come face-to-face with the consequences of superheroing. In her last moments, May gets to deliver the iconic line often attributed to Peter’s Uncle Ben, “with great power, there must also come great responsibility.” Holland’s performance in the face of utter devastation elevates a gut-wrenching moment that recontextualizes the entire film without giving the audience whiplash.

Just when Peter and the audience

Spider Man: No Way Home might return to normal lives. Here comes a moment where the movie’s inherent silliness comes at logical detriment. This central goal is the film’s most glaring issue as it simply makes no sense. Though it’s easy to overlook during the excitement of the film, Peter’s nonsensical plan only succeeds in stripping these people of their powers before returning them to a deadly fate.

Regardless of sound logical reasoning, Peter’s plan goes pretty well until the Green Goblin personality takes control of Norman Osborn’s body in a sequence that is an instant classic for comic book cinema.

In a visceral sequence, Parker and Goblin, both unmasked, fisticuff through floors of an apartment building. This film makes the wise decision to cast aside the Goblin’s iconic mask early on, allowing for Dafoe’s performance alone to strike fear into Peter and the audience’s hearts. When I was a wee lad, two things scared me more than anything else: The Wicked Witch of the West and Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. Well, Dafoe’s back and better than ever. His menacing, cackling laughter in the face of Parker’s powerful blows are off-putting and shocking. In this sequence, thanks to Dafoe’s performance, what has been an upbeat movie changes tones. The scene ends with the devastating murder of Peter’s Aunt May (Marissa Tomei) at the hands of the Goblin, an act that yet

Columbia Pictures

are at their darkest moment, the audience is treated with a surprise most knew was coming but remained utterly sublime. Not only villains crossed the interdimensional boundary, as prior Spider-Men, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield, return to the screen. Nine-year-old Daniel would not believe his eyes, and frankly, neither did the eighteen-year-old. The two arrive to console Holland’s Peter in his time of sorrow and offer a hand in the final climactic battle.

By treating the three as brothers suddenly uniting despite their rather isolating experiences of being Spider-Man, a gimmick is once again evolved into dramatic gold.

These two are the only ones who can truly relate to Peter’s struggle. Their camaraderie and banter are natural and joyous. A scene that finds the three working together in a lab kept a stupid grin on my face the whole time. Their union is a rewarding and emotional moment for someone like me, whose childhood was bolstered by the individual adventures of these three incarnations.

The highlights and greatest asset of No Way Home are its unforgettable performances. To see Maguire return to a role that made me fall in love with movies was a dopamine-inducing thrill. Yet, it is Garfield, the victim of being a great talent in two dreadful Spidey films, who steals the show. Rarely have I seen a performer do

so much with so little screen time. Garfield exudes charisma and offers a rather redemptive return for the often forgotten middle-child Spider-Man. The excellent Dafoe provides his best performance as the Green Goblin, while Foxx aptly provides comic relief as a much cooler rendition of Electro than previously displayed. Molina steps right back into the shoes, or should I say tentacles, of the good-at-heart Doctor Otto Octavious. Most importantly, Holland turns in his best performance in the role yet. The bonafide leading man continues his Spider-venture with all necessary dramatic and comedic chops while imbuing the web-slinger with distinct physicality. His friendship with Batalon’s Ned continues to be a comedic highlight of these films, and his chemistry with Zendaya provides the film with an emotional core, making Peter’s final sacrifice all the more meaningful.

The film’s somber ending seems to address one of the most prominent criticisms of Holland’s version of the character. While I have always been a fan of the character’s most recent outings, his reliance on fanciful technology and the support of Tony Stark has never given the feeling of a “friendly neighborhood” hero. Peter’s decision to allow the whole world to forget Peter Parker leaves him truly on his own.

With May gone and his friends’ inability to remember him, he is left to fend for himself.

While the ending feels a little incongruous to the rest of the movie, it offers a chance to show genuine growth in Peter and, in a sense, finally complete his origin story.

I’ve had an up-and-down relationship with the Home Trilogy. Director Jon Watts delivered what may very well be the best Spider-Man film in Homecoming. However, I was left disappointed by the globetrotting Far From Home, which excelled in portraying a budding romance between Peter and MJ yet lost a piece of the character in taking him out of New York. Luckily, Watts proves Homecoming was not some fluke with NWH, a singular achievement whose heart equals its applause-inducing spectacle. He juggles a massive quantity of characters, a feat that has been the downfall of past Spidey films, with ease and engaging pace.

Emotional beats are left time to breathe while action is thrilling and inventive. One of my concerns going into this film was that all of the returning elements from previous films would distract from Holland’s journey.

Luckily, the screenplay from Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers never sacrifices Peter, Ned, and MJ’s story for the sake of fan service. Marvel Studios and Sony pulled off something immensely impressive in this film. It’s far from perfect and likely nonsense to the uninitiated, but as a lifelong fan of this material, I couldn’t have asked for a more fulfilling time at the theater. ☐

February Artist of the Issue: Cellist Timothée Simonin '22

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff Timo Simonin ’22 started playing the cello in the fourth grade. He was drawn to the instrument because he "preferred its deeper and fuller sound compared to that of a violin or viola". As he started to practice more often, he developed his skills.

At Belmont Hill, Timo continued his lessons with cello instructor Ms. Carye, further expanding his knowledge of the instrument and improving his technique.

In the seventh grade, Timo joined the all-school orchestra, and his commitment to the ensemble is commendable. Timo utilizes his skills to contribute to the formidable cello section. As a senior in the group, he acts as a leader to the younger members, especially those in the cello section.

Timo is currently working on a medley of themes from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” soundtrack and a few movements from Jacques Offenbach’s “Ballet Parisien” with the rest of the orchestra.

Timo enjoys playing classical pieces more than modern songs; Timo cites Haydn’s “Cello Concerto in C,” with its upbeat and joyful melodies that allow him to showcase his cello expertise, as his favorite.

Timo hopes to continue playing cello in the future, and he mentioned that he might join a chamber group at Northwestern. He stated that if he were to continue playing, however, it would be in a more informal setting that would enable him to enjoy the music more instead of worrying about perfection and deadlines. The Panel wishes Timo the best in Timothée Simonin '22 (left) in the Orchestra all of his future musical endeavors. ☐

Adam Richins

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Television Review: Disney+’s The Book of Boba Fett

By Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff The Book Of Boba Fett, a spin-off Star Wars TV series, follows infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) as they return to Tatooine. Fett was initially re-introduced to the franchise in The Mandalorian after it was thought that he had died. As The Mandalorian ends, he is briefly featured reclaiming Jabba the Hutt’s palace from Bib Fortuna, Jabba’s successor.

In The Book of Boba Fett, he works on establishing his rule as a Daimyo of the nearby city Mos Espa. So far, the show has aired four episodes, the first having been released on December 29th of last year; the finale will premiere on February 9th.

As with all Star Wars media, Boba Fett’s lore and background information seem infinite. From Tusken Raiders to B’Omarr monks, the show has cameos dating back to the original 1977 movie A New Hope. Its extensive lore helps keep the show exciting and provides a sense of continuity. The characters that comprise the dirty streets or crime syndicates never fail to disappoint, either.

The pig-like Gamorrean guards or the old Ithorian mayor always spice up the visuals.

A unique part of the show, mainly present in the first three episodes, is the series of flashbacks on Fett’s escape from the Sarlaac pit and his adventures afterward.

He is first captured by a group of Tusken Raiders who bring him to their campsite.

Once Fett proves himself as a warrior, they welcome him into their tribe. Eventually, he rescues Shand, whom he finds dying after her encounter with the Mandalorian.

The flashbacks end after Fett completes his bacta tank healing process because the Sarlaac’s digestive juices scald him.

Additionally, the camerawork effectively conveys a sense of struggle and foreboding, especially in Fett’s palace. Scenes are either illuminated by bright sands and oppressive sunlight or enveloped in the dark shadows of night, and the contrast highlights Fett’s resilience in his journey. Finally, the music scores, composed by Ludwig Göransson, greatly augment the action. Boba Fett’s new theme rivals that of the Mandalorian and, using parts of his original entrance track, gives an impactful sense of nostalgia.

As a hardcore Star Wars fan, I can’t get enough of this show; however, from an objective point of view, there is room for improvement. The storyline, punctuated by out-of-the-blue flashbacks, is somewhat lackluster, and it feels like he doesn’t stay in the same spot for more than a few minutes.

Additionally, while Fett has maintained his fighting skills, his image and awe have deteriorated. Compared to his first appearance, his helmet has been taken off many more times, revealing a 61-year-old Morrison scarred by the Sarlaac. Otherwise, the set and character design and the fantastic soundtracks add immensely to the series. Overall, I think The Book of Boba Fett has potential, and I am looking forward to the finale. 8.7/10. ☐

Boba Fett

Luke Trevisan

Orchestra/Jazz Band Update

By Brian Lee ’24 Panel Staff

Orchestra during Rehearsal with Ms. Carye

After a successful transition to in-person rehearsals and concerts in the fall, the Belmont Hill Music program has continued to thrive throughout the winter. The All-School Orchestra has immersed itself in various styles of music, evidenced by its diverse program for the upcoming winter concert. Currently, the Orchestra is working on an arrangement from the motion picture Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl as well as a few movements from “Ballet Parisien” by Jacques Offenbach.

Meanwhile, the Upper School Jazz Band has been rehearsing Mr. Fiori’s own arrangement of a fusion composition Adam Richins called “Thing Of Gold” by Michael League

in addition to their rendition to the funk classic “Pick Up The Pieces.” The Middle School Jazz Band has been hard at work perfecting “Killer Joe” by Benny Golson.

Even amidst challenging academics and time-consuming sports, students participating in the Belmont Hill music program have dedicated themselves to growing and fostering their talents. Their shared love for music fuels their commitment to continue rehearsing even during the busiest weeks. We hope you appreciate their efforts by coming to the upcoming Winter Concert on Sunday, February 27th, in the Hamilton Chapel, and the Spring offee House, which is scheduled for Friday, April 8th, at 6:30 PM in the Kraft Theatre. ☐

Book Review: On Writing

By Luke Wagner’22 Panel Staff I first started reading On Writing by Stephen King in my nonfiction English class with Mr. Cunningham this fall. This book has been my favorite book that I have ever read at Belmont Hill, and it has taught me more than any book I have read in the past.

On Writing utilizes King’s experiences as a writer to tell a larger story about his life centered around writing.

King explores what, in his opinion, makes an author good and what to avoid.

He tells stories from his childhood, explaining his upbringing and how he fell in love with writing in the first place.

What makes this book special is the lessons it teaches throughout.

One of King’s main themes revolves around reading and writing more.

King’s fundamental philosophy in becoming better as a writer is that you

must practice writing often and read books to understand how to write well. He emphasizes the importance of drafting and how the first draft is never perfect and often altered before the final project is completed.

One of the clear benefits of this book is that most of its instructions are very concrete. I feel that sometimes minor details and themes are blown out of proportion in English classes, and this book makes it very clear what is good and what is not. It is very easy to understand what King is trying to explain to the reader, and he makes clear what steps to follow for people to improve their writing. I encourage every student to read On Writing; it will significantly improve your writing skills as well as your understanding of the English language and how to manipulate it to get your points across effectively. ☐ Stephen King

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Debate of the Issue: Skiing or Snowboarding?

By Lev Tolkoff ’24 Panel Staff Skiing has been one of the most popular sports and forms of transportation for a very long time, with the earliest evidence of the sport dating to 6000 BCE. Originally, skiing was performed in its truest and best form, Nordic skiing. It was originally a mode of survival in extreme environments and contributed to the survival of the human race. An advantage of skiing is its versatility, something snowboarding does not have. There are two types of skiing, Alpine and Nordic. Alpine is more of a commercial sport and has been an Olympic sport for the past few years, while Nordic is less known but is more practical and requires more cardio strength.

While some may criticize the many components of skis; two skis and two poles, it is in fact a strength.

If a snowboard breaks, is faulty, or uncomfortable, then it’s over, you simply cannot go on the mountain that

day, and could potentially get stuck in a dangerous situation; however with skis, that problem is non-existent.

Finally, the real advantage to skiing is speed. Having poles and being able to move your feet allows for much higher speeds; at the end of the day it matters less how you got to the b ottom of the mountain, all that will be remembered is who got there first.

By Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff Since its first prototype invention in 1965, the snowboard has grown in popularity extensively. It has become one of the biggest win- ter sports in the country, and is another alternative to skiing.

Although it hasn’t reached the same level of sales as skiing, 0.7 mil-

Luke Trevisan T o conclude, t h e greatest counter-argument a snowboarder could make is that falling with skis is a lot more dangerous than with snowboards.

However, the solution to this problem is quite simple: don’t fall. ☐

lion vs.

3.2 mill i on (although in reality that’s only 1.6 million since you need two skis), nevertheless, it is still just as known. The art of snowboarding requires the rider to lean on their toes and heels in order to turn or stop the board. Thus, snowboarding requires a considerable sense of

balance that isn’t needed when skiing.

One major advantage of snowboarding are the boots and attachment system. The boots themselves are very light and flexible compared to the clunky ski boots. As a skier myself, I know the struggles of going anywhere with ski boots. Due to the locking system of the ski, the boot is rigid and square, ultimately resulting in a tiring rocking motion when walking. I won’t even mention the stairs.

O n the other hand, snowboard boots are just like any pair of outdoor snow boots, with a special tightening mechanism to keep them locked in. In these, you can run, jump, and do anything your heart desires.

While Lev may have some creative arguments, I think they will be fairly easy to disprove. He’ll probably argue that traversing is tough with a snowboard but that’s why it’s so easy to take off and the boots are so comfortable. Also, getting off the chairlift may be hard, but once you learn how to turn the board, it’s no big deal. And if it’s so bad, then why has it become the biggest new sport in the last 30 years? ☐

What Happened with the Lost BH Covid Tests? ed, “this is super unprofessional and uncool.” This is primarily a major issue not only because the Broad Institute lost the tests, but also because of As we all know, the week we came the timing of the incident. If it were back from a long and restful Winter break, the Broad Institute, who was in charge of our Covid-19 tests, somehow managed to lose all of our Covid tests.

Although I recognize that providing and getting results of individual PCR Covid tests for over 600 students and faculty is not easy, I and many other students believe it was a major mistake.

When I asked Kevin Weldon 24’ about any other week, it would not have been his opinions on the lost tests, he stat- a major problem; however, due to the

By Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff

fact that it was the first test after Winter break, and since we have no knowledge of who could have been exposed or contracted the virus during the twoweek break, this makes losing the first

been a major health and safety issue, as the virus could have easily spread in the week we were together with no results. Luckily, there were not too many cases reported after we finally got our results back; however, this incident was still unprofessional, and, under worse circumstances, could have led to a spreader event throughout Belmont Hill and its community. Although we did not receive many positive cases, I still believe that Belmont Hill and the Broad Institute should strive to clear up any future miscommunications and tests a major problem. Since the results issues to make sure that a problem were delayed one week, it could have like this one does not happen again. ☐

Two Weeks of the First Semester After Winter Break

By Kevin Weldon ’24 Panel Staff

a good way to transition from Winter Break back into the school schedule.

Getting back into the rhythm of school can be a drastic change at times, but by having the first two weeks of January, the school can ensure that the Belmont Hill community will be able to acclimate much easier. Overall, the final two weeks of the first semester are beneficial to the Belmont Hill community and are a great way to begin January. ☐

When Belmont Hill returns from Winter Break, we have two final weeks of the first semester before they begin the second half of the school year. This period of time is often pointed to as a pointless part of the year, but in actuality it has many benefits. The extended time for projects is one of these bonuses. Every class does not have an exam before the break, so having the extra two weeks allows teachers to assign projects for after Winter Break, giving students more time to focus on their exams before break and use the time off to work on their projects. Additionally, having time after break to continue the first semester before it is finalized gives teachers an opportunity to offer their students Exam Corrections and final assignments, as well as the ability to finish units cut short by the exam review days.

Lastly, the final weeks of the first semester can be Calendar in the Winter

By Duncan Kilbride ’24 Panel Staff While coming back from a well deserved Winter Break, and having two more weeks to finish up the semester can be beneficial in many ways, it has many more drawbacks. One particular disadvantage is the rather abrupt pause in the school year. Even though most midterms happen just before

break, most major projects are due afterwards and this break could interfere with the flow of the year and make it much harder to finish the first semester strong. Adding on to this, it can also make for a very busy final two weeks if the student has many projects due.

While the separation of these projects and exams can be helpful for managing stress and studying time, it also makes the periods right before and directly after break extraordinarily busy. A final drawback of the final two weeks of the semester is for many classes once they have finished exams, there's not much left to do in the course and while this can be fun and allow teachers to mix up the material, it also can make the weeks seem rather pointless and a bad end to the semester. In closing, there are many positives and negatives to both sides, but the last two weeks of the first semester being after Winter Break causes more trouble than good. ☐

Microsoft

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Introducing

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By Luke Hogan ’22 Panel Staff On the frigid morning of January 3, the community gathered for a special Chapel that was held outdoors for safety precautions. After talking to the boys about safety protocols for the coming weeks, Greg Schneider, Ronald M. Druker ’62 Head of School, announced that he was eager to share news of “incredible Belmont Hill spirit” to kick things off for the semester.

Mr. Schneider explained that the School recently had an alumni donor, Josh Isner ‘04, give two spectacular gifts to Belmont Hill.

The first was in honor of his mother, Linda Isner, who was the Head of the Parents Association at Belmont Hill. In a wonderful tribute to his mother, Mr. Isner had dedicated the Director of Parent Engagement Office in the Jordan Athletic Center in her name.

The second gift was directed

New

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toward a member of the audience, who had no idea what was coming. Mr. Isner, who managed the varsity basketball team while Ted Martellini coached, has gifted the School with the naming of Ted Martellini Court.

A visibly touched Mr. Martellini appeared both overjoyed and shocked. “I had no idea this was coming, and I am both deeply humbled and honored by Josh’s kindness,” he explained. “Josh was a remarkable student, an incredible manager, and an even better person. I am overwhelmed

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by this honor, and very, very grateful.”

During his 14 years as varsity basketball coach, Mr. Martellini compiled a record of 205-125. He has sent many players on to the collegiate level and was widely known for getting the most out of his players.

“While the achievements were wonderful, they are surpassed only by the stories,” Mr. Schneider said. “At the heart of his coaching stories are relationships that changed lives.

He has held boys accountable and watched them routinely accomplish feats that they

Mr. Martellini on his new court (Left) and Mr. Martellini and Mr. Schneider (Right)

Winter

Training

By Mac Bobo ’23 Panel Staff For the past couple of months of the winter season, athletes have flocked to the weight room in the Jordan to get stronger and prepare for their spring sport. This year, the athletes opting to participate in weight lifting have been led by a new addition to the coaching staff - Coach Markham. In instructing first-time lifters and encouraging and continuing to instruct experienced athletes, Coach Markham has added significant invaluable knowledge and enthusiasm to every athlete’s afternoon.

The first month of weight training consisted of building a base of knowledge and experience for athletes to build off of to get stronger in the future. According to Coach Markham, “it is important that we cover the basics and create strong movement patterns first. I have found that increasing weight comes gradually with this approach”. Although there is significant emphasis on getting stronger, anyone who visits the weight room in the afternoon will immediately discern the importance of safety. Every athlete is required to complete mobility exercises before beginning the main exercises to avoid injury. Another priority

Weight Room

Court

themselves did not think were possible.”

Mr. Isner believes that during his years at Belmont Hill, Mr. Martellini exhibited as much energy and passion on the basketball court as he did in the classroom. “He is the model teacher/coach,” he says. “While I’m not sure my calculus has withstood the test of time, the leadership and team-building lessons I learned on that court were foundational to my career. My family and I are so grateful for the opportunity to recognize Coach Martellini in this manner.” ☐

BH Communications

Update Beijing Winter Olympics

is to build a mindset that will eventually lead to success in the gym and on the field.

“Strength comes,” as Coach Markham often says, “with commitment and consistency”.

Over the course of the winter, the athletes participating in winter training have experienced substantial improvements. Because of the building of a foundation of strong habits, athletes have been able to add weight and move on to harder exercises. According to Coach Markham, “student athletes are now able to get into positions that they might have struggled with before and to accomplish these movements safely and effectively”.

If the past couple of weeks can be used as any indication, these improvements will continue through the winter and into the spring season, giving many athletes an advantage heading into their spring season.

The availability of weight training hours for athletes has also expanded. Over the course of the winter, before-school hours have become increasingly available. Students are able to come to school early and get an hour of training in to free up their schedules.

Through the fall and winter, winter training has been an engaging and rewarding experience for all Belmont Hill athletes. ☐

By Cooper Nelson ’23 Panel Staff Beginning on February 4th, less than six months after the closing ceremony in Tokyo, the 2022 Winter Olympics will take place in Beijing, China. Due to Covid-19 delaying the Tokyo games by a year, this six-month break is the shortest gap between two Olympic games in 30 years. Additionally, Beijing will become the first city in the history of the competition to host both the winter and summer Olympic games.

The events will be split up into one of three locations: Beijing, Yangqing, and Zhangjiakou. The city will be reusing several venues from the 2008 summer games to host winter events such as Ice Hockey, Curling, and the opening and closing ceremonies. Located north of Beijing, the mountainous Yangqing region will host events that cannot take place in the city, such as alpine skiing and bobsled. In the ski town of Zhangjiakou, most freestyle skiing and snowboarding events will take place, as well as Nordic Skiing. Each site has its own village to house athletes and an extensive newly-constructed rail-based transportation system to bring spectators to the events.

belmonthill.org Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

The United States will send about 220 athletes alongside 40 paralympic athletes to China competing in every sport. However, the United States announced a diplomatic boycott against the games in December, which means that American government officials will not travel to China. A number of other countries announced similar boycotts as well. The US cited “Genocide and crimes against humanity” to justify its decision, referencing the Chinese government’s controversial treatment of predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. While there has been widespread condemnation of China’s actions including even some athletes speaking out, the Olympic committee stresses the apoliticality of the games and no athletes will skip the games.

While Omicron has ravaged most of the world, cases in China have remained relatively stagnant. In order to ensure that the games will continue safely, the games will be held under strict rules.

These include a bubble system for competing athletes, a vaccination requirement, and extremely limited spectators at events.

Thanks to these safeguards, the games should proceed in full with the majority of spectators watching from home. ☐

The Guardian

B elmont HIll sp orts

Febr u ar y 4 , 2 0 2 2

Analyzing

By Noah Farb ’24 Panel Staff

the

College football went through a drama-filled regular season with tons of surprises, upsets, and wild stories throughout the year. Cincinnati went on an unprecedented run for a team from a non power-five conference, becoming the first to make the college football playoff since its inception in 2014 as the 4th ranked team in the country. Georgia had one of the best defenses in college football history, battling through the SEC and shutting down everyone they faced until they finally slipped up against Alabama in the SEC championship game, losing 42-24. Still, their overall body of work kept them as the 3rd best team in the country in the eyes of the College Football Playoff Committee. Michigan finally had the season fans were expecting during the Jim Harbaugh reign. Even though they lost to Michigan State, their long-awaited win over Ohio State solidified their spot in the final four as the #2 team in the nation. Alabama had fallen from the top spot in the rankings after a stunning last-second loss to Texas A&M. They rebounded and their win over Georgia in the SEC Championship gave them the top seed heading into the playoffs.

Cotton Bowl: Cincinnati vs Alabama: Led by quarterback Desmond Ridder and cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati had battled through their non-conference and

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American Athletic Conference slate, including a win over Notre Dame, who at the time was the #9 team in the country.

Alabama had a relatively regular season with their lofty expectations, except for the loss to Texas A&M. Quarterback Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy after a fantastic performance against

NCAA Logo Georgia in the SEC Championship game. Even though Cincinnati was the undefeated team in this matchup, most expected them to be blown out by Alabama as they were 13.5 point underdogs in the betting markets. Even though their offense was underwhelming, Alabama blew the brakes off of Cincinnati as Young struggled to have much

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success through the air. Nick Saban’s squad primarily relied on running back Brian Robinson Jr. and the solid defensive effort led by edge defender Will Anderson to defeat the Bearcats 27-6.

Orange Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan: Michigan had an extremely impressive season even with their close 37-33 loss to Michigan State. Their final two weeks of the regular season were extraordinarily impressive.

They defeated Ohio State and annihilated #13 Iowa 42-3 in the Big 10 Championship game.

They had a dominating pass rush with Aidan Hutch i ns on and David Ojabo. Georgia had the best defense in College Football by a mile. They hadn’t let up more than 17 points in a game until the SEC Championship. Even though they were the lower seed, Georgia was expected to win and favored 7.5 points.

Led by former Clemson transfer cornerback Derion Kendrick who had two interceptions, the Bulldogs shut down

Playoffs

the Wolverines en route to a 34-11 victory to set up a rematch with Alabama.

CFP Championship: Georgia vs Alabama: Even after the dismantling of Georgia by Alabama just a few weeks before, the Bulldogs were favored against the Crimson Tide. The game started as a defensive battle by both sides. Missing top receivers John Metchie who got injured in the earlier game between these two teams, and Jameson Williams, who tore his ACL early in the game, the Alabama offense struggled to get their passing game working as Bryce Young was clearly not playing as well as he did in the earlier matchup while throwing to mostly freshman receivers. The first touchdown wasn’t scored until Zamir White ran up the hole for a 1-yard touchdown to make the score 13-9 with just over a minute left in the 3rd quarter. The scoring opened up as the defenses slowly got more tired and receivers started to find open space across the middle of the field. Georgia Quarterback Stetson Bennett played mistake-free football for most of the season except for a fumble early in the fourth quarter. After some more back and forth, Georgia took a 26-18 lead with 3:33 to play before kicking it off to the Tide. Needing a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie and send the game to overtime, Young threw an interception to Kelee Ringo, who returned it 79 yards for a touchdown and made the score 3318, effectively ending the game and the 2021 College Football Season. ☐

MLB Update Looking to the African Cup of Nations

By Noah Andersen ’24 Panel Staff

By Daniel Cho ’23 Panel Staff

What a lonely time it is for baseball and MLB fans across the country right now. Currently, the MLB is in a lockout, where all activities are shut down. No trades, free agent signings, or roster moves can be made. At the time of writing this article, there has only been one meeting between the players union and owners to discuss a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), to evidently end the lockout and resume baseball activities and the new season. The players union will be meeting with the owners to propose their rebuttal to the owner’s proposal, but it is expected that the owners will decline.

This is the first MLB lockout since 1994-95. Some speculate that the owners will wait out the lockout so long, that the season will be delayed and the players will fall into the owner’s trap and begin to lose their contracts. One thing that baseball fans can look forward to is the beginning of the NCAA baseball season starting February 18.

Although the lockout is in effect, MLB teams can hire front office personnel and coaches. During the lockout, 3 managerial spots had been filled. Starting out west, the San Diego Padres hired Bob Melvin away from the Oakland A’s after he spent 11 years as the manager in Oakland. Oakland filled Melvin’s shoes by promoting Mark Kotsay to manager. He had been with the A’s as a part of their staff since 2016. The Mets hired their new manager in Buck Showalter, as the Mets become the 5th team he will manage.

Buck spent the majority of his time as the Baltimore Orioles manager, being there from 2010-2018. He has been an analyst for MLB Network and is now coming back to a managerial role. ☐

The 53rd ranked Mali national soccer team is up 1-0 against the 30th ranked Tunisia. It’s the first match for both teams at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). At the 85th minute of the match, Mali fans are hoping for minimal added time to preserve the narrow lead. Instead, the referee blows his whistle not for a water break but for the end of the match, five minutes short.

Tunisian coaches and staff point to their watches exclaiming that the game hasn’t ended yet. The referee, without embarrassment or shame, resumes playing with a drop ball. In the 87th minute, the referee shows Mali striker El Bilal Touré a red card. Even in real-time, it seems that the foul does not merit a red; the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, implemented for the first time in the tournament’s history, suggests that the referee should reexamine the incident on replay: he declines. In the 89th minute, the referee ends the game, again prematurely. This time the Tunisian team rushes to the match officials.

Two penalty incidents and one red card but no added time, Mali prayers are miraculously answered. This bizarre sequence of errors highlights the contrast of AFCON, a venerable tournament that is still seeking fame and a tournament players are hopeful of winning but club teams don’t want to happen.

The Tunisia-Mali game is not the thing to end prematurely. Reigning champions Algeria headed into the tournament with an unbeaten run of 34 matches. They were placed in Group E, which featured strong contender Ivory Coast, but also Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone, the former ranked worse than North Korea and the latter only one place above it: a top-two spot, which

secured qualification to the knock-out rounds, was easily expected. Algeria finished bottom fourth. Algeria, which featured Premier League stars in Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City and Saïd Benrahma of West Ham United, tied against a team whose feature played was a former Major League Soccer player. They then lost to Equatorial Guinea 1-0. At a final grasp to progress in the tournament, Algeria needed to win against Ivory Coast. Algeria lost 3-1.

Ghana, another strong contender, ended on a similar path: in an easy group, but winless and at the bottom.

While the top two finishes guarantees progression to the next round, a third-place finish also gives a chance (the top four third-place finishers complete the sixteen-team knock-out bracket). Both Algeria and Ghana gave that up to low-ranked teams Sierra Leone and Comoros which did move on.

Premier League clubs complained about AFCON’s schedule. The tournament would extract teams’ valuable players in the midst of the season.

Desperate title contenders Chelsea would lose goalie Edouard Mendy and Liverpool would lose attacking pair Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Whereas most African players have rightfully opted to join the country, some few decided to stick with their club teams. Hakim Ziyech of Chelsea was one of those players. While his nation Morocco has progressed to the next round, Chelsea has slipped further behind leaders Manchester City.

Watford was desperate to keep Emmanuel Dennis, who has been their main striker in the relegation battle.

Dennis decided to help out his club instead of joining his country Nigeria.

Nigeria finished the group stages with a perfect record of three wins out of three games. In the meanwhile, Watford

slipped into the relegation zone, losing against relegation rivals Norwich City: Dennis will be unable to help club or country during AFCON due to a red card ban he received in the same game.

Arsenal had some things to be happy about when Ghana crashed out of AFCON: their star midfield Thomas Partey would be returning early to rejuvenate their injury-stricken and suspension-prone midfield. Two days after experiencing a shocking loss against Comoros, Thomas Partey was on the bench of Arsenal’s second-leg Carabao Cup Semi-final game against Liverpool. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta subbed Thomas Partey in the 74th minute hoping that he would contribute to a possible comeback in the last minutes. Three minutes after his introduction, Liverpool secured victory with another goal. In the 87th minute of the game, Partey received a yellow card. In the 90th minute where an Arsenal comeback was beyond reach, Thomas Partey found his proud inner Arsenal roots, from a club that reached the impressive milestone of being the only Premier League club to have 100 red cards: he got a second yellow card and was sent off. Thomas Partey must serve a one-match suspension and will miss the next Premier League game; the game after that is after AFCON. It didn’t matter that Ghana left early. ☐

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By Andrew Bittner ’24 Panel Staff Following the BH Basketball team’s incredible upset over Exeter on Wednesday, January 26, it is only fitting that The Panel should dedicate the Athlete of the Issue to celebrate one of the team’s most hardworking and accomplished athletes: Captain Martin Wilson. As a dedicated member of the varsity team since freshman year, Martin has experienced a wide variety of challenging seasons as a Belmont Hill Athlete: From playing with Covid-19 restrictions last year, to previous seasons where the team struggled, Martin and his team have finally gotten to experience some success this season. As Martin put it, “Now, seeing it

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all come together and seeing the team doing well makes me super happy.”

This year has not been without its setbacks, however. As Covid continues to impact athletics, numerous games have been either postponed or cancelled, and the team has had to play without some of its key members.

While these complications have undoubtedly taken a heavy toll on the p l a y e r s ’

psyche, Martin seems determined not to let unfortunate circumstances dictate the outcome of the season: “Now that all the distractions are out of the way, we’re just getting started.”

To Martin’s credit, the team has performed e x c e pt i on a l ly well this season: with an overall record of 6-3 and a victory over the reigning ISL champions, Martin’s team is poised for greatness, a fact of which Source Martin is well

were upset at home. The Buccaneers lost in a thriller to the Rams, tying the game at 27-27 after previously trailing by 24, their defense gave up a Mathew Stafford pass to the NFL’s leading receiver Cooper Kupp which set up the eventual game winning field goal. Rodgers and the Packers were heavy favorites at home after having gone undefeated at Lambeau all season. But the Forty-Niners, led by their special teams unit, shocked Rodgers on a last second field goal to win 13-10 in the snow. The only touchdown scored by Green Bay was on their first drive, and had their field goal blocked to end the first half, and in the second, the Niners special team unit came up with another big play, blocking the Packers’ punt with 5 minutes left in the game and returning it for a touchdown to tie it. With the conference championship games coming up this weekend, many hope that the games match those of this past weekend. ☐

By Cam Carey ’23 and John Milewski’23 Panel Staff

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aware. When asked for his predictions for the upcoming season, Martin’s Answer was simple: “ISL Champions.”

Although the ultimate fate of the BH Team is uncertain at this point, Martin’s love for the sport extends beyond his experiences at Belmont Hill. Martin described some of his favorite memories as, “traveling across the country to play in different tournaments. (I) built memories that will last forever.”

Many of Martin’s future aspirations also lie with basketball. While Martin has his own personal goals to play in college, he also hopes to use basketball to help future generations: “In the long run, I want to help basketball be a part of changing younger kids’ lives.” No doubt, we’re all looking forward to Martin’s future in the sport of basketball. ☐

Reaction to NFL Playoff Madness Loop Gets New Heads for Winter

By Cam Carey ’23 and John Milewski’23 Panel Staff The first two weeks of the NFL playoffs have come to a close and we have potentially witnessed one of the most exciting, if not the most exciting, weekend of football in history. After four walk off victories, the conference championship matchups are set. The Los Angeles Rams are hosting the San Francisco Forty Niners at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, and the Kansas City Chiefs are going to their fourth straight AFC Championship game and host the Cincinnati Bengals. Both these games are rematches of late season matchups.

In the NFC, the Rams lost to the Forty-Niners after blowing a 17-0 lead to lose in overtime. The Bengals played the Chiefs at home in Cincinnati where they stunned Mahomes and company 34-31 to clinch the AFC North crown.

So far, the playoffs have lived up to the hype, as Brady and Rodgers both

While the current winter season Loop has been hindered by cancellations and Covid limitations, when it is able to meet, it is as strong as ever.

Led by Commander Mike Ahonen and Colonel Sebastian Costantini, the Loop has supported the Varsity Basketball and Hockey teams in their matches against ISL rivals. Each time I’ve been, the rink has been packed and the court has been extremely loud. This year, a Jersey theme made its appearance and a ski theme was set in place but sadly, no spectators were allowed.

Mike Ahonen, former football captain and soon to be track captain, is the current leader of the Loop. As a player, he appreciated the Loop’s support, and now, as a leader, he sees the strong connection between both groups: “I think the two go hand in hand and the team plays better once the Loop gets hyped up.” As leader, he recognizes the oppor-

tunity he has to lead and enjoys cheering on the boys. He recalled his favorite moment during the basketball-hockey doubleheader when the basketball team was able to defeat Nobles and the whole Loop stormed the court.

Unfortunately, due to the resurgence of Covid, the Loop has not been able to make as much of a difference.

Everyone is frustrated by the limited capacity, especially for big games like Sebs.

While it may be hard to get together, it makes it that much more important for everyone to show up when we can. As for the future, Mike continued to vouch for, “the ski theme, and I definitely plan on doing that for a hockey game. I also like potential neon or tie dye themes, but you’ll have to wait for them to come out the Tuesday before the games.”

While limited capacity may be frustrating, hopefully soon we can all be back cheering on our varsity teams.

In the meantime, our support will be in the form of watching live streams until we can get back to normal. ☐

Cont. Reflecting on Belmont Hill Olympians Chapel

By Duncan Killbride ’24 and Aaron Stanger’24 Panel Staff

Continued from the Front Page.

Andrew competed at three world championships following a collegiate career and won silver in the USA men’s 8+ in 2017. In his speech, he stressed the importance of hard work and determination. Even though he was the oldest of the Olympians and the games were delayed, he stayed committed to the sport for one last shot at gold. In Tokyo, Andrew raced in the USA men’s four. Andrew will set his sights on a professional career outside of rowing following the games.

Before developing into a worldclass sculler, Dara Alizadeh came to Belmont Hill as a wrestler. He developed his sweeping technique throughout his high school career and was a captain his senior year. Continuing his career at Penn, where he rowed for four years, Dara also became a captain and a part of the varsity boat for two years. After college, he placed silver, stroking the Men’s 8+ at the world championships.

Dara talked about the transition from sweeping to sculling and from a group boat to a single in the Chapel. He highlighted the importance of persistence in the face of doubt and creativity when facing limits on his training during Covid lockdown. At the games, Dara

competed for Bermuda in the Men’s 1x. though they did not get their desired Alexander Richards, Class of ‘14 performance with a fifth-place finish, and son of our own Coach Richards of it was still an incredible experience. the Belmont Hill Varsity Crew team, Regarding the chapel, Coach began his rowing career in 7th grade. Richards remarked, “It was pretty inRichards instantly fell in love with credible that we had four guys who the sport. After graduating from Bel- had competed in Tokyo. There’s simmont Hill, he continued his passion ply no school our size on the planand rowed at Harvard. Throughout his et who could say that. It was a pretty rowing career so far, Richards has three neat thing and they and we are lucky World Championships and placed fifth that it happened at all because it was in the men’s 8+ in 2019. A year later, he qualified for the USA Rowing team to go to the Tokyo Olympic Games. During the Chapel when asked what the hardest part of the process was, Alexander talked vividly about constant erg tests and seat racing making it one of the most stressful, but rewarding periods of his life.

When the Games finally did happen, Richards barely missed bronze with a fourth-place finish in the men’s 8+.

Benny Wanger, Class of ‘15, was one of not only Belmont Hill’s, but the ISL’s greatest pitchers pitching a perfect game in his senior year against Nobles, which may be the first in Belmont Hill history. After graduating, Wanger continued playing baseball with Yale, where he was offered to play for Team Israel. Despite the daunting task of actually becoming one of six teams to qualify for the Olympics, Team Israel with Wanger did the impossible and qualified. Al-Four Olympians and Mr. Schneider

pretty unclear (due to the pandemic).

The ceremony was a really terrific celebration and recognition of these guys and I loved what each had to say about the challenges they faced, their experiences as Olympic athletes, and how much they liked being back at Belmont Hill.” Lastly, a special thanks to all the coaches, athletic directors, the communications team, and the Olympians who made this Chapel possible. ☐

BH Communications

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Be lmont HIll sp orts and News

Vol 70 Issue 7, February 2022: Student Senate Update

By Luke Carroll '22 Panel Staff The New Year didn’t come quietly this time, and Omicron no doubt took us all by surprise. That being said, everything points to this being the shortest wave – meaning Belmont Hill stays intact and our runway through the next five months stays totally clear, beside only a short time left with masks.

Here are just some of the things on the Senate’s horizon:

Party With a Purpose in April –– Panini presses –– the Senior Talent Show –– a *surprise* Chapel guest –– a Semi-Formal and a Prom –– a Spring musical –– two long weekends and two weeks of Spring Break –– the BH Textbook Exchange –– a return to the Dining Hall and brand-new changes to the menu –– Birthday in a Box –– Student Coffee –– and more.

From a Secret Santa exchange after exams to a hit Facultones performance (and skit), the first semester ended as strongly as it started. And a huge congrats to Form I and Form II on finishing your first-ever exams.

Only a week or two ago, the Senate, like all of us, was wondering if we’d go back online like the earliest days of the pandemic – and guessing how many hundreds of us would be out with a positive test. Now, as of this edition of The Panel, we’re wondering how soon the masks go off and we switch the engine back on. That’s a quick swing in the other direction. What it tells us, though, is that our persistence paid off.

If anything, January showed us how quickly circumstances can change. But it won’t be long until it’s for the better, and a special thanks to all the class officers from Forms I-VI who’ve made sure of it. Here’s the full list of class officers, by form: Form I: PJ Nolan, David Robinson Form II: Will Achtmeyer, Nathan Zhang Form III: Evan Dresser, Sam Caulfield, Chris McEvoy Form IV: James Mullowney, Nolan Bibbo, Zach Khozozian Form V: John Goguen, Daniel Drucker, Joe Puglielli, Dan Moran the Man Form VI: Luke Carroll, Adam Figler, Ben Trotsky, Thomas Madden, Shane Kelly ☐

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Editors-In-Chief Online Editor

Luke Hogan '22 Howard Huang '22

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

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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T he Panel

In the News Today “Mr. Decaprio to take fall for entire backpage; Future teacher dreams shattered” - Quoted from the Flannel April 2016 Middle School fight club uncovered, Belmont Police to sweep the Hab for bodies Mr. Harder teaches pre-calc class entirely in Spanish, students surprised to find they understand him about as well as before Mr. Rosser to spend weekend scouting Arlington third-grade lineman who is already 100 pounds Jesus descends down from the heavens to declare that senior Luke Carroll is the perfect child.

Study: Recent peer leader program reveals many freshmen are good candidates, report freshman Town of Belmont to be renamed “Schneider” following significant influx of alumni donations, forcing Belmont Hill to become the Schneider Hill School

LOOKING FOR WRITERS FOR THE FLANNEL WILL BE PAID WITH MASSIVE FAME enjoy this great belmont hill tradition please contact the staff unaffiliated with

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Doc Fast kidnapped by Keebler elves, held at ransom for cookie recipe

bh fashion column: a comprehensive review of belmont hill winter sports uniforms

By Aidan Lee ’24 and Daniel Xie ’24 Panel Staff The aesthetics of team uniforms have long been a source of interest among students, and their designs can play an important role in not only the look of the team but also the performance. A “good” uniform should be highly visible, display team colors along with the school logo, feel comfortable, etc. A good example of an aesthetically solid uniform is the Varsity Hockey jersey. The deep navy and maroon tones, highlighted with white stripes and a plainly clear school icon help the jersey to stand out from the reflective white backdrop of the ice rink, allowing for a better viewing experience for fans. In this case, the material of the jersey does play a lesser role as they are primarily aesthetic, with pads and such providing a majority of the physical aspect of the uni-

form. Another good jersey would be the Varsity Basketball jerseys, as again, they fit the criteria for a good jersey in a practical sense, and the clean design definitely adds to the look. However, though this may be personal preference, the number on the front of the jersey, separating the “Belmont” and “Hill” can be offputting, and it may be more pleasing if the text was together at the top, with the jersey number beneath. The wrestling and skiing uniforms are unique in that they are all skin-tight, which forces the aesthetic to also revolve around the conformity and shape of the body of the wearer. For the wrestling uniforms, though the dark blue tends to not stand out as much against certain colour mats, the extra visibility is not needed as severely due to the usual proximity of the audience and the fact that wrestling matches are one-on-one.

However, the bright sextant icon on the side

s ' i n i l l e t r a M From Mr. d r a o b p i l C Coaching

of the uniform is definitely a nice touch, as well as the “Belmont Hill” text running vertically along the back of the spine. Such little details may be typically ignored; however, when compared to uniforms of other schools, small features may play an important role in the overall relative appearance.

In addition, the stretchy-yet-strong fabric of the uniform makes wearing it comfortable while still providing good performance.

Coming to the skiing uniforms, the Nordic ski team’s unique colour palette leaves much to be desired, and the extremely thin fabric can leave racers cold, especially when traveling up North. In terms of saturation, the colours on the uniform are much brighter than those of the school, with maroon being replaced with a magenta-ish colour, and the navy being replaced with a much lighter sapphire blue. Though this may lead to increased visibility, it is typically poor to stray

Dissecting BH’s Most Gritty, Competitive, and Star-Studded Team: IM Squash

By Daniel Rashes ’22 Panel Staff

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away from the school’s core color palette.

The Alpine ski team’s uniforms, similarly to the hockey team’s jerseys, employ the use of mostly dark tones to contrast with the bright white of the snow. However, unlike in other sports, the need to differentiate between schools is far less as skiers descend the mountain one at a time. However, the Belmont Hill logo on the chest does appear quite small and is almost unnoticeable while skiing, and the serif font style of the “Belmont Hill” text on the jersey does not seem to match with the rest of the aesthetic.

Finally, the squash team’s uniforms are simple yet elegant; the successful use of school colors, alongside the lightweight and athletic material, allows for a comfortable and stylish experience while in play. Overall, the Belmont Hill team jerseys are able to do their jobs well, all clearly distinguishing from other schools, as well as being high-

Mr. Craig Schneider runs a tight ship during upper school Intramural Squash.

His ragtag group of athletic specimens works tirelessly to get the call-up from Coach Brownell. Coach Schneider is relentless in ensuring that his disciples improve themselves in the sport. “It’s my responsibility to whip these lads into shape,” he claims, “if not me, who?” When asked about his coaching philosophy, the young physicist explained, “Back in England, we have a saying. ‘Football is life.’ On the pitch, you’ve got to be willing to throw some bodies and crack a couple ribs. If you don’t get a yellow, are you even playing the game? If you aren’t watching the match, are you even a fan? Football is a game of skill, passion, and maths. It takes 100% of your dedication and 60% of your DVR storage.” When asked about this impassioned remark’s applicability to the sport he is actually coaching, he elucidated, “Ummm… squash is also a sport, so I think the same applies.”

The coach’s most promising player, President Luke Carroll, has been hitting the courts with intense purpose: “Every day, I visualize what it might be like to get that call-up. It’s still a dream, but I know if

I put in the effort I can get there.” Despite his early favorability, critics think the political sweetheart may have plateaued. His progress remains stagnant and, despite nail-biting victories against Montoya and Ghebrelul, he has failed to further improve and diversify his skill set. One source who wishes to remain anonymous said, “if you look at the stats, junior Carroll is more varsity material than whoever’s playing now.”

Perhaps the most surprising development is in regards to senior Morris Smith, whose tireless efforts seem to have overtaken Luke’s. The Harvard commit only picked up a racket for the first time this year, but his work speaks for itself. “He’s a beast,” claims fellow IMer Alex Sousa, “he’s feared on the courts.” Despite a perceived level of camaraderie, it seems that tensions are starting to ride high amongst Coach Schneider’s pupils. Says Sousa, “there’s a lot of stress right now, the competition is heating up. People are starting to realize that winter doesn’t last forever and that call-up gets less and less likely by the day.

I mean… Listen, I won’t name names but, you think some people are your friends…

At this level of competition, everyone’s just out for blood.” Will the IM Squash crew be able to overcome their differences and rise to a new level before the spring is ushered in? This author is eager to find out. ☐