March 2016 (64, 7)

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Volu m e 6 4 , Is su e 7

A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School

Does Belmont Hill Need a Health Course?

By Brendan Pulsifer Panel Staff When I first asked Mrs. David about Belmont Hill’s sex ed program, she chuckled a little from behind her nurse’s desk.

“What program?” she inquired.

Then, she walked to the back of the Health Office and retrieved an old blue bag bursting at the seams. It contained an array of miscellaneous sexual health items - packs of condoms, diaphragms, tampons, and

things I didn’t even know existed. “This bag holds all that’s left of what we used to teach students,” she said. “I haven’t brought it out in years since this part of the curriculum was cut.”

Belmont Hill has never developed a very large sex ed curriculum by today’s standards, but over the many decades that Mrs. David has worked as the school’s nurse, she has actually seen it shrink.

In the 1990s, she and Mr. McAlpin used to teach Form I about anatomy, relationships, and the consequences of risktaking for seven sessions.

Look Inside Political Makeup of Belmont Hill pg 4 Winsor Mock Trial Team on Top pg 5 Panel Editor Switch Day pg 10-11 Review of Kanye’s New Album pg 12 “Ask Emily” Advice Column pg 18

Those classes however, were abolished after a few years to make room for more academic class time. Since the 2000s, she has taken 40 minutes in Form I Science and Form IV Biology to educate students about the fundamentals of sex. But the Form I seminar has been eliminated from the schedule, and her meeting with Biology students doesn’t necessarily occur every year. It was removed last year, for example, because of snow days.

The only formal class that the school now offers appears in the Form II curriculum, where boys meet for three one-hour sessions with the school’s health professionals to talk about the basics of sexual education.

“I’ve almost given up the fight to improve sex ed,” Mrs. David said. “The information students learn in those classes might not be as intellectual as concepts in physics, but it will be pivotal when they have to enter the real world and make life-changing decisions. And we’re not teaching them nearly

enough now.”

A recent movement led by students and faculty in the Senate and the group Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to improve Belmont Hill’s sexual education program has pushed many to consider the value of adding not only a sex ed program, but a more general “Health” class to the schedule. In addition to covering sexual education - specifically topics such as sexual orientation, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), healthy relationships, sexual harassment - Health would also educate students about drugs and alcohol, mental wellness and stress management, racial/ gender/religious diversity, bullying, and nutrition. The specific material varies from school district to school district as well as from grade to grade depending upon what the school deems appropriate and developmentally relevant.

The benefits of a Health class are myriad.

Numerous longitudinal studies around the globe have shown that the implementation of such curricula correlates with lower teen pregnancy, delayed sexual debut, reduced average number of sexual partners, curbed sexual risktaking behaviors, increased contraceptive use, reduced use of drugs and alcohol, and decreased prevalence of psychological stress. One paper even asserted that it boosts math & reading scores (though I can’t exactly explain that correlation myself ).

Continued on page 16

David Mitchell '18 Shines On Court

By Will McCormack Staff Writer Leading the team in a singalong on Monday afternoon’s bus to Roxbury Latin, sophomore Jovan Jones ‘18 approached this week lightheartedly. Yet, playing three games in five days to end the regular season, both Jovan and the entire Varsity Basketball team were aware of a dire need to bolster their NEPSAC tournament resumé. A February 17th loss at Brooks may have ended the team’s hopes for an Independent School League title, but attaining a tournament bid in New England’s competitive Class A bracket was still viable. Wins over RL, St. George’s, and Governor’s would undoubtedly improve the NEPSAC committee’s opinion of Belmont Hill’s young team. From his high-pitched rendition of Sorry by Justin Bieber that atypical Monday afternoon, no one could have predicted the three tremendous performances Jovan would soon deliver. But by

week’s end, everyone on the Hill had heard about at least one of Jovan’s highlight dunks, part of a rapidly expanding repertoire: his alley-oop Wednesday afternoon, self-pass-turned-slam off the backboard Wednesday, and a classic windmill Friday night.

Their auspicious week began with a convincing 54-39 win over Roxbury Latin. Jovan’s double-double (21 points and 12 rebounds) culminated in an electrifying four-point play late in the second half. Fouled after swishing a three pointer near the baseline, Jovan, laughing on his way to the line, calmly swished his free throw before jogging back to play defense. Jake Bobo ‘18, another starter and solid contributor, especially when taking charges on the defensive end, finished with fourteen points. On Wednesday, the team continued its streak, handily defeating a weak St. George’s team. Every single player contributed to the victory. Young players typically out of the spotlight, like Pat Shea ‘17, Continued on page 4

Marc h 1 0 , 2 0 1 6

Read Panel Online!

bhpanel.org & winsorpanel.org Supporting the Female Candidate: Winsor Opinion on the Significance of Clinton’s Gender

By Isabel Isselbacher Staff Writer In our nation’s 239 years of independence, we have had 44 presidents. Of those 44 presidents, it is troubling that the only break in the trend of Caucasian men was

Barack Obama’s election in 2008.

While all of our past presidents were certainly qualified to be elected, as a group, they are not representative of the diversity of the nation. Like his predecessors, Obama was elected based on his qualifications. Additionally, the election of our first AfricanAmerican was particularly meaningful, and the fact that America had finally elected its first black president inspired hope that true social reform was not so distant.

The Civil Rights Movement was only 50 years ago, and even then the notion of having a non-caucasian President was inconceivable to the majority of Americans. Finally electing African-American

was symbolic of the drastic social change that has occurred within the past few decades and was a crucial step in the ongoing effort to shift from a racist America to a country that truly embraces equality.

Similarly to the idea of having a black president, the notion

of saying “Madame President” seemed impossible when women were given the right to vote in 1920, less than one hundred years ago.

Some citizens still view the idea of women in leadership theintercept.com as radical even today, supporting their opposition by claiming that women are over emotional or fickle, and these stereotypical characteristics do not a leader make. Although gender-equality laws like Title IX have been enacted into law, and women are now expected to get an education through college at least and encouraged to pursue a career, sexism is still a real presence in our society. As I attend Continued on page 19

Panel Editors Farewell

To our Panily,

The past four years have been full of laughs, tears, and long Sundays in the Belmont Hill library, but we are so grateful that we have been able to make our mark on Panel through Volume 64. Being the voice of the student body has been such an honor and a privilege, and we hope that we have done it justice. From debating about center spreads to laughing at backpage jokes, we have enjoyed every minute of working alongside our hard-working staff and dedicated advisors. We will miss our staff so much next year, but we trust that you will keep the Panily alive and well.

Good luck, and we look forward to reading issues of The Panel in the future!

Sincerely, HALLAH-Brayke

Beline

Belmont Hill NEWS

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Th e Pan el

Belmont Hill Ramps up Community Service in the Spring Semester the organization and Belmont Hill after hearing more about the Pine Street Inn’s mission through fellow classmate Jared Stier ‘18.

Talking to the Director of Community Outreach, Mr. Jack Nolan, the boys learned that cereal is always needed at the inn. With more than 70 pounds, or 200 bowls, of cereal being consumed each day, Pine Street annually spent more than $60,000 of their funds on cereal; money that could have instead been used to expand their program. “After hearing these crazy facts on cereal,” McCormack noted, “We figured that we could donate the cereal they needed allowing them to focus on their other efforts, including their newlyformed street outreach program, which administers aid to people in need.” Hoping to take advantage of the competitiveness of the community to incrementally increase their goal, by the end of Class-of-

By Ishaan Prasad Panel Staff Amidst school days brimming with academic, athletic, and extracurricular commitments, 2016 has been an extraordinary year for Belmont Hill’s community service programs. Coming off of a strong first semester of community service, the group had high expectations to uphold at the start of the second semester: from the Blood Drive and Diaper Drive in February, to the Cereal Drive in March, not to mention the year-long Meadow Green and Work Crews, many hands were needed to take care of the plethora of jobs in order to ensure yet another successful year of service on the Hill.

Blood Drive With the switch from the Red Cross to the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center this past November, the “Blood Mobile” was back in the academic quad this Leap Day, with yet another great turnout of students and faculty.

With the Fall blood drive committee (Patrick Connor ‘18, William McCor-

Belmont Hill Students Unloading Diapers ‘18, Antonio Ubeda ‘18, Jake Carter ‘18, Frank McField ‘16, and faculty advisor Mr. Sweeney ‘83) reprising their roles this spring, the group looked to encourage boys to donate blood and platelets to those in need. As Patrick Connor ‘18 maintained when asked about the future of the program: “We had a great group of boys this year and great leadership from the senior class. With so many boys returning to the program next year, it’s clear that the drive is in good hands.”

Diaper Drive Established in February of 2013 by alumni Evan Chaletzky ‘15, Alex Santangelo ‘15, and Colin Ward ‘15, the diaper drive was an effort led by the class to honor the passing of Colin’s mother. With the family wishing to donate to the Shrine of St. Anthony in Boston, MA, the boys learned that the organization was in need of diapers, thus beginning the annual tradition of the Belmont Hill diaper drive. Meeting their initial goals of 2500 diapers in 2013, and 5000 diapers in 2014, by their 2015, final year on campus, the school collected more than 12,400 diapers, surpassing their goal of 10,000 diapers by a sizable margin. This year the drive was spearheaded by Frank McField ‘16, William McCormack ‘18, and Jake Carter ‘18; Charlie Danziger ‘16 Carrying Diapers while the boys were hesitant to set a goal this year, the drive exceeded all mack ‘18, Ben Lebowitz ‘16, Bhaw- expectations, with the school donatramaett Broehm ‘16, Ishaan Prasad ing nearly 10,500 diapers. As Jake

remarked, “This year was an incredible year for the drive, especially coming off of such a great couple of years with the Class of 2015. With such a great showing this year, it’s clear that the school clearly is invested in maintaining the drive for years to come.” This year’s diaper drive was also notable for its innovations in ordering diapers, as Will explained, “This was the first year students, faculty, staff, and alumni could order boxes of diapers through Amazon and have it directly sent to the school. We hoped that this would make it easier for people to donate diapers without going out of their way to buy them. Overall,” he ended, “we’re very happy that we kept the drive’s momentum up this year, and in the future we hope to hit 12,400 before we graduate, while also identifying another younger student to pass the torch and continue the drive.” A Van Loaded with Donated Diapers Cereal Drive Coming up this spring, the class-of-2018-led Cereal Drive is returning to campus. Having spent the beginning of their second form year donating “no-desert day” money to the Pine Street, in Boston, MA, cereal drive leaders William McCormack ‘18 and Jacob Carter ‘18 decided to strengthen the relationship between

18’s sixth form year, the group hopes to donate more than 1,000 boxes.

With so many other exceptional community service efforts by members throughout campus, the final quarter of school is sure to be chockedfull of initiatives that will inspire and aid the Belmont Hill community, along with our greater community. ☐

Dr. Gill, Renowned Team Physician and P'13, Talks Sports Medicine

By Chip Daley Staff Writer Though we as a school convene in the chapel to hear many speakers, performances, and announcements throughout the year, rarely do we have the opportunity to select someone from our own community. This year, the student senate chose Dr. Thomas Gill, father of 2013 graduate Ty, and renowned field leader in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. Dr. Gill previously served as Medical Director for the Boston Red Sox, Head Team Physician for the New England Patriots, and team physician for the Boston Bruins.

He began his talk with a short on how a few times Manny Ramirez narrative concerning a conversation would come into the physician’s office he held with his father when trying to and check his email during the game. find a more specific job in medicine.

As his last slide of his presentation “I asked someone I thought knew what read, he emphasized the importance of he was talking about about becoming a finding a job that you do for the right team physician. He replied, ‘Pathologists reasons, making sure the job never deknow everything and do nothing. Ortho- fines you, and, most importantly, getpedists know nothing but do everything’. ting family involved. Following his I said, thanks, Dad, for that great advice.” contributions to eight championship He then discussed the significance teams, Dr. Gill continues to serve as a of his job, recounting the play in which leader in the field of orthopedics, servMo Lewis crushed Drew Bledsoe, break- ing as the Director of the Boston Sports ing two ribs and causing severe internal Medicine and Research Institute, and bleeding of the chest. “If I hadn’t sent Medical Director for Orthopedic Rehim to the emergency room, he would search at Newton Wellesley Hospital. have died.” But just as he talked about Overall, Dr. Gill’s chapel talk the severity of his job, he also reflected provided a both humorous and in-

formative insight into the field of sports medicine while also teaching each student life lessons applicable to whatever career he may choose. ☐

March 10, 2016

Belmont Hill NEWS

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Annual Chapel Builds on Rich Tradition of Performing Poetry

From left to right: Macdony Charles, DJ Demetri, and Brendan Pulsifer nalists who performed before the school. Owen Pickette of the Fourth Form recited “Ozymandias” by PerThe Belmont Hill Poetry Fest is an cy Bysshe Shelley, Sixth Former DJ annual event renowned by all members Demetri performed “A Letter to the of the Belmont Hill community, and President” by Prince Ea, Charlie Booth this year’s performances were no ex- of Third Form delivered “If ” by Rudception. Every boy in the school must yard Kipling, Fourth Former Macdony memorize and perform a poem in their Charles presented “Because He’s Black” English class, with each class sending by Javon Johnson, Yazeed Dahleh of their best performer to the semifinals; the First Form recited “Alone” by Edfrom there, the very best performanc- gar Allen Poe, Alex Czarnecki of the es go on to perform before the whole Fifth Form performed “For the Life of school in a long school meeting, with Me” by Taylor Mali, First Former Timthree boys crowned as the winners. othy McCormack performed “Woman This year, there were twelve fi- Work” by Maya Angelou, Seth Israel

By Jason Fischman Panel Staff

of the Fourth Form recited “Cartoon Physics, Part 1” by Nick Flynn, Charles Mullaney of the Second Form performed “A Narrow Fellow in the Grass” by Emily Dickinson, Third Former Hamza Shemsu delivered “Complainers” by Rudy Francisco, Brendan Pulsifer of the Sixth Form performed “Rhapsody on a Windy Night” by T. S. Eliot, and Fourth Former Coleman Walsh closed out the chapel with his rendition of “Ten Responses to the Phrase ‘Man Up’ ” by Guante.

While all the chapel performances were recited phenomenally, there could only be three winners in

the end. DJ Demetri’s “A Letter to the President,” a slam poem which he performed with conviction and emotion regarding the problems that America faces today, was the first victor. Macdony Charles won with his rendition and passionate performance of “Because He’s Black”, a poem regarding race and its impact on a child. Brendan Pulsifer was the third and final winner, with his confident and welldelivered recitation of “Rhapsody on a Windy Night.” Overall, the poetry fest was a great success, allowing students to both witness the hard work of their peers and enjoy hearing poetry. ☐

Politics Play A Large Role on BH Campus with Many Differing Opinions been a hit amongst Upper Schoolers.

A new forum for general discusBy Bennett Rush sion without position or party affiliation Panel Staff was started under the guidance of Dr. Political conversation is every- Buckley on Thursday, February 18th. The where these days, so why should Belmont inspiration for such an assemblage develHill be any different? Political discussion oped after students approached Dr. Buckley, desiring a place for politics. Dr. Buckley describes “Politics at X” as “a drop-by, informal, ongoing conversation that anyone is welcome to join in.

Given the fast-paced political world in which we live, “Politics at X” provides a weekly meeting place for students to discuss a gamut of issues--policies, parties, campaigns & elections--in an un-intimidating environment.” Sophomore Louis Gounden has taken the lead in publicizing this group. They have Belmont Hill Election Results for the Democratic Primary built up momentum as was seen on Frigroups have been springing up and gain- day, February 26th, when Mr. O’Leary preing popularity, most notably the newest: sented the group’s take on Super Tuesday in Politics at X. Continually gaining ground Chapel. Mr. O’Leary presented a complete since its recent start, Politics at X is not review of the primary process, including: the only place to discuss the issues of to- who is/was in the lead, predictions for the day. Classic clubs such as Young Conser- election, the process of delegate assignvatives exist on campus and have always ments, and the positives of each candidate.

Although the group provided much insight confined to meetings at X block, the into the politics of today, there is no exper- school-wide primary took place on Sutise required to join the conversation, only per Tuesday, as the state of Massachusetts that you are interested in the conversation. went to the polls as well. Super Tuesday Revitalized by C om m an d e r- i n - C h i e f Nate Miller and Mr. Kirby, the Young Conservatives have been a longstanding group on campus.

From fiscal and foreign policy, the presidential election and societal issues to economic trends, the Young Conservatives analyze problems and discuss solutions. Though the group does embrace a conservative political philosophy, all political views are welcome as without them, there would be no debate, and as Nate puts it, “all members of Young Conservatives have a firm belief that the use of conservative ideas and principles by our government is imperative in order to restore the country to prominence.” Young Conservatives meets on Friday’sBelmont Hill Election Results for the Republican Primary at X block and typically discusses current political issues, recaps on provided an opportunity for many Beldebates and other recent political events, mont Hill juniors and seniors to paras well as statistics and video. Overall, the ticipate in their first presidential election club offers enlightening details behind pol- cycle. So whether you are Democrat, Reicies, discussion on political issues, and a publican, and of voting age or not, if you strong sense of American pride and values. have political interests, the Belmont Hill Political discussion is not just campus has a forum for your voice. ☐

winsor NEWS

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Breakthrough in Schizophrenia Research in Boston

By Juliet Isselbacher Panel Staff There is no cure for schizophrenia.

Yet. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, schizophrenia is a severely debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by “a range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dysfunctions.” Such dysfunctions may include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and diminished emotional expression. A recent study conducted

by Bostonian professors offers momentous progress towards understanding the pathogenesis, or development, of schizophrenia-and perhaps towards developing a cure.

The authors of the study, which was published in Nature a month ago, are an associate professor of genetics at Harvard University and an assistant professor of neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital

and Harvard. They found that the risk of developing schizophrenia is associated with excessive synaptic pruning. Synaptic pruning is a process that peaks during adolescence, in which the brain discards weak or redundant connections among neurons. It occurs mainly in the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain associated with both personality expression and social behavior.

In fact, through a genomic analysis of 64,000 individuals, the researchers were able to identify an overactive gene variant of C4 in people with schizophrenia that aggressively tags connections for synaptic pruning. The gene, C4, is located in the MHC (major histocompatibility complex) locus, to which a strong association with schizophrenia had previously been determined.

Bruce Cuthbert, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, deemed webmd.com the study “a crucial turning point in the fight CT scans of brains with and without schizophrenia. against mental illness.” Indeed, it presents the prospect of a therapy for schizophre- other words, by offering us the first “bionia that would restrict synaptic pruning logical handle” on any psychiatric disorin those who demonstrate early symp- der, the study has rendered the mind just toms of the otherwise terminal illness. a little bit less elusive and little bit more However, the study has even great- accessible. And that is pretty thrilling. er implications in that, in the words of Some condemn this work of reconciling Eric Lander, the founding director of the the mind with the brain, remarking that it Broad Institute at MIT, “it [has taken] would reduce humanity to simple mechanwhat has been a black box...and [allowed] ics. Yet to simplify a phenomenon is not us [to] peek inside for the first time.” In necessarily to reduce it; one could very well contend that to simplify a phenomenon is to reveal its underlying perfect form, or the general laws to which webmd.com it adheres, thereby making it grander than ever before. spending countless hours learning case law And, (which is derived from actual Massachuremember--this setts law). Others become witnesses and all happened prepare for grueling cross-examinations. right next door!

This year, the case is a civil trial in which a ☐ young woman named Pat Varma sues Dr. Number of schizophrenia cases compared to other common disorders.

Sam Kang, a cardiothoracic surgeon, on the basis of medical malpractice. Pat was a soccer player who went into cardiac arrest after a game in 2011. Dr. Kang operated on her heart and saved her life, but she neglected to notice a small mass in her right lung that was later diagnosed as metastasized osteosarcoma. The question that Winsor seeks to answer is whether or not Dr. Kang met Editors-in-Chief a standard of care, or did his/her job corJake DeCaprio rectly, and whether Pat Varma’s life could Executive Editors Copy Editors Jay O’Brien have been extended past the few months she Hailey Fuchs John Markis Lilla Gabrieli has left to live if Dr. Kang had identified the Brendan Pulsifer Ishaan Prasad mass in 2011. Our mock trial team’s theory Abigail Simon Talia Ruxin is sure to be put to the test as they continOnline Editors Arts Editors News Editors ue to progress through the tournament. ☐ Joanna Chen Alex Afeyan Jason Fischman Arnav Prasad Betsy Kim Helen Sayegh

Update from Winsor Mock Trial

By Anya Keomurjian Contributing Writer On Sunday, March 6th, 2016, members of the Winsor Mock Trial team went against the unspoken rule of sleeping in on weekends, and start their days at 7:00 AM. They will head to Worcester, where they will compete in a daylong, grueling tournament. Thirty-two regional champions will enter the gauntlet, and Winsor hopes to emerge victorious as one of the top eight Mock Trial teams in the state for the fourth year in a row—a feat that has been accomplished by few teams before.

This tournament is part of the newly restructured state Mock Trial Competition run by the Massachusetts Bar Association every year. The season starts when the trial booklet is released in early November. Teams must prepare both the prosecution/plaintiff and defense sides of the case. Some students work on lawyer parts,

Sports Editors Matt Reppucci Brigitte Schmittlein Photo Editors Arielle Blacklow John Gosselin

Assistant Editors Kiran Butte Augustus Lamb Susy Liu Evan Ricci Jack Richards Bennett Rush Priya Shukla Abby Weyer Backpage Editors Emily Litz Gabe Schmittlein

Pallavi Krishnamurthy '16 questioning a witness

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Opinion Editors McAlister Perry Caitlin Weldon Faculty Advisors Meghan Hazard David Hegarty Sarah Wolf Juliette Zener

The Panel, founded in 1953, is the official school newspaper of the Belmont Hill and Winsor schools. 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 2016 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.

winsor NEWS

March 10, 2016

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Clinton and Trump Win Big in Super Tuesday Primaries

By Saphia Suarez Contributing Writer Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump solidified their statuses as frontrunners on Super Tuesday and will likely be the Democratic and Republican nominees. The idea of Super Tuesday emerged in 1984, and since then only seven Super Tuesdays have been held, including the five state mini Super Tuesday in 2004. In order to win a party nomination, a candidate must secure a majority of that party’s delegates. Delegates are allotted to a candidate in proportion to the percentage of the vote they receive during the primaries. Currently, Hillary Clinton has 1,121 delegates, and Sanders has 481. In order to win the Democratic nomination, one candidate must get 2,383 delegates. In the Republican party, however, a candidate only needs 1,237 delegates to get a majority. Trump has 128, Cruz has 300, and Rubio has 128.

Clinton’s big win in South Carolina last month further proved that she has secured the African American vote.

She won in this demographic by 86%, compared to Sanders’ 14%; this makes his losses in Alabama and Georgia--

The frontrunners of Super Tuesday. two states with large African- American populations of voting age-- not surprising.

The Democratic primary in Massachusetts was very close. Sanders’ voter base is largely made up of white progressives, who make up most of the left wing in Massachusetts. However, Clinton has secured union support in Boston and is popular in Boston’s black communities, so she won in Massachusetts with a one percent lead.

Donald Trump won seven of the eleven states—including Massachusetts—with

Current delegate count for Democratic nominees as of March 6.

google.com

abcnew.go.com Cruz trailing close behind. Marco Rubio election? Trump has drawn out Republiwon only Minnesota, but he has high favor- can voters, so voter turnout among Reability in the states with upcoming prima- publicans has skyrocketed. Meanwhile,

The question every Democrat is now asking is: could Clinton beat Trump in the general election?

Democratic turnout is at a low. Clinton ries, so he could still pick up momentum. will need to amass greater support and The question every Democrat is now asking encourage greater voter turnout in oris: could Clinton beat Trump in the general der to secure a victory in November. ☐

Current delegate count for Republican nominees as of March 6

google.com

Environmental Educator Speaks at Winsor

By Talia Ruxin Panel Staff Winsor’s Conserve Our World (COW) club recently hosted environmental educator Marica Gens to discuss solar power in Massachusetts. Mrs. Gens is the cofounder of “Eco-Bridge,” a lunchtime recycling and food waste composting program in schools across several towns nearby Lexington. She has collaborated with school coordinators and the Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition on the “Solarize Lexington-Bedford” grant, which has succeeded in adding 130 rooftop solar electric systems to Lexington homes.

Mrs. Gens’ expertise and background in solar energy and environmental education provided an informative platform for discussion of the science of solar panels (i.e. how they worked), the practicality of implementing panels, and the Massachusetts government’s role in incentivizing renewable energy. Since many club members did not have much prior knowledge about solar power, Mrs. Gens’ presentation proved “informative” and “thought-provoking” as club member Brigitte Schmittlein ’16 reflected. Club members also had the opportunity to voice their questions; for instance, club head Emily Litz ’16 inquired about how progressive Massachusetts is in

incentivizing renewable energy in comparison to the rest of the country. Mrs. Gens explained several initiatives proposed to help Massachusetts transition to increased solar energy including tax deductions and the environmental impact. Another topic that arose during the club’s dialogue with Mrs. Gens was the challenges that impede the widespread implementation of solar panels.

Mrs Gens mentioned two factors that are holding solar energy back: lack of unified political support for renewable energy and the myth that solar panels are unaffordable.

In fact, financial feasibility of solar panels was a primary aspect of Mrs. Gens’ presentation. She emphasized how solar power can be financially practical. With the sizable upfront costs that solar power entails, homeowners sometimes do not see solar as a viable option. Despite these upfront costs, Mrs. Gens cited net metering, which virtually eliminates homeowners’ electricity bills, as a direct financial way to offset the cost. Net metering allows homeowners to sell (meter back) any extra power produced by their solar panels back to the grid, and then they receive credit for this power at retail price. However, utility companies are pressuring the Baker administration to eliminate or decrease the cost of the credit homeowners receive for the power they “meter” back to the grid as utilities lose profits when homeowners switch to solar.

In response, Mrs. Gens recommended that COW write a letter to Governor Baker to emphasize the imperative of solar power incentives and net metering. Emily Litz ’16 explained that the letter is of particular significance and relevance now because of “the shutdown of a nuclear power plant that produced 10% of Massachusetts’ energy.” While

Statistics on rising electricity prices .

COW has yet to hear back from the Baker administration, the club remains hopeful!

Overall, the process of hearing Mrs. Gens speak and writing the letter has facilitated an interesting discussion of the government’s role in climate change, the financial costs of renewable sources, and the environmental effect of purposeful changes. ☐

Marica Gens

Belmont Hill Sp orts

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Sophomore David Mitchell Propels Varsity Basketball Team to Victory continued from page 1 TJ Agnihotri ‘17, Spenser Smith ‘18, Justin Neil O’Riley ‘18, and Quentin Harris ‘18, capitalized on the chance to showcase their skill and potential, while seniors Johnny Hincks ‘16 and 7th-man AJ DiFillipo ‘16 enjoyed one of their last basketball games sporting Belmont Hill’s sharp, navy jersey. Co-captain David Mitchell ‘18 only missed one of his nine shots (89%) from the field, but saved his most important three points of the season for Friday evening.

A large crowd composed of The Loop, family, faculty, and friends were lucky to witness Senior Night, the regular season’s final installment, a Friday night game against Governor’s. Injured co-captain Austin Masel ‘16 was forced to watch from the sideline, but seniors Johnny Hincks and AJ DiFillipo joined Mitchell, Jones, and point guard Jake Haase ‘18 in the starting lineup. Signs of the game’s historic destiny were evident even in the first half. From the second the opening ball left the referee’s fingertips at center court, teams traded leads for the remainder of the evening. A deep, buzzer-beater AJ DiFillipo gave Belmont Hill a tenuous, three point lead at halftime. With about two minutes left, however, Coach Murphy found his team down five. The events that followed would define an epic two minutes in Belmont Hill basketball history. As they have managed to do so many times this year, sophomore duo Mitchell and

Jones stepped up. A couple of steals had cut the deficit to one with less than a minute left on the clock. The Loop, feeding off Varsity Hockey’s 6-4 Senior Night win, buzzed with a unique energy.

A strategic, lategame foul landed a Governor’s shooter on the free throw line, but after missing his second shot, Belmont Hill recovered the rebound, and Jake Haase rushed up the court, preserving valuable seconds with every rushed step.

With 4.3 seconds remaining, Haase squares and releases the ball, its immense arc seemingly suspending the David Mitchell ‘18 Shoots a Free Throw

Wrestling Follows Undefeated Season with Win at New England’s

By Robert Griffin Staff Writer

The 2016 Belmont Hill Varsity Wrestling Team has now achieved every single team goal it set out to accomplish at the beginning of the year. All three banners in the wrestling room have now been modified to reflect this historic 2016 season. The team, which secured the ISL Dual Meet Championship after a 24-0 regular season, is, according to Mr. Bradley, the first undefeated varsity wrestling team in school history.

The team subsequently advanced to lay down a postseason performance for the ages -- one

that the school community will long remember.

The annual, Belmont Hill-hosted GravesKelsey Tournament augured great things for the team. Starting at 106, Ryan Williams won first place with a nail-biter finals match against a Brooks opponent to whom he had lost just a week before.

Freshman Matt Smith (wrestling at 113) and firstyear wrestler Maahin Gulati (120) both stepped up in a big way, securing fourth and fifth place respectively, and earning spot on the podium and some hardware to take home. At 126, two of New

England’s best wrestlers clashed in the finals, with sophomore Seth Israel fighting heroically against a Brooks senior and taking second place. At 132 Henry Griffin sealed third place with an impressive and surgically performed takedown in sudden death overtime in his final match. Captain Pete Tedesco bulldozed his way through his 138 lb bracket with ease, pinning all of his opponents in rapid succession and earning the coveted designation: Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament.

Phil Conigliaro secured first place in the 145 lb weight class with equal ease, effortlessly beating a talented Middlesex wrestler in his finals match by a mercy rule score of 17-2. Wrestling at 152, freshman Colin Vallis gave Belmont Hill its third firstplace finish with a pin in his finals match. Captain Sean Rayment wrestled up nearly two weight classes to wrestle at 160, and still managed to take home the silver medal-a truly impressive feat.

Freshman Luca Pontone rolled his way to a first-place finish at 170, and Captain DJ Demetri battled his way back from an upset loss in the semifinals to take home third place while wrestling up to the 180 lb weight class. Also wrestling up a weight class (at 195), Will Ryan lost a heartbreaker in the finals and took second place. At 220, sophomore Myron Duarte showed a lot of character wrestling up to one of the most difficult weight classes in the tournament, and still won the team several key matches as a sophomore in a senior and junior-dominated tournament. And finally, senior Alex Afeyan won third place after an impressive victory over the St. Paul’s heavyweight in the consolation finals.

The following Saturday the Varsity Wrestling Team won first place at the NEISWA AllNew England Tournament and updated the third and final banner in the wrestling room. New additions Warren Cross and Mike Glauninger were

fitted into the lineup at 120 and 195 respectively, and each of Belmont Hill’s fourteen wrestlers from brackets top to bottom played a crucial role in the team’s first place finish. Individually, Ryan Williams took 6th, Matt Smith took 7th, Seth Israel took 3rd, Pete Tedesco won 1st place, Phil Conigliaro won 1st as well and also earned Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament honors, Colin Vallis took 2nd, Luca Pontone finished 3rd, DJ Demetri took 3rd, Will Ryan won 5th, and Alex Afeyan finished in 6th place. All these wrestlers earned the distinction of All-New England honors and spots at the following week’s National Prep tournament held at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

At National Preps, Pete Tedesco battled his way to an unbelievable second place finish--the highest of any single New England wrestler. Phil Conigliaro earned All-American honors for the second year in a row with a seventh place finish, and Luca Pontone was one victory away from being an All-American as a freshman. Also, Coach Leonardis was recognized at the tournament with the Assistant Coach of the Year Award--an honor well deserved and heartily supported by his team. Congratulations to Coach Leo and AllAmericans Pete and Phil on outstanding seasons.

This was truly a historic season for Belmont Hill’s Varsity Wrestling Team. Seniors dominated as they were given one last go-around to showcase three years of dedicated hard work and improvement under the masterful guidance of coaches Bradley, Leo, Davis, and Kaplan. Juniors grew into leadership roles over the course of the year and will be excellent role models for future Belmont Hill wrestlers coming up through the ranks. Sophomores battled and achieved as much as any other class and showed that this team is here to stay as a league powerhouse. Finally, the freshman class alone is already better than many full ISL teams and will be giving coaches around New England nightmares for years to come. On behalf of the entire wrestling team, thank you to those who came out to watch us on Wednesday and Saturday home matches, and thank you especially to those who came to watch or help out at the Graves-Kelsey Tournament. Thank you to coaches Bradley, Davis, Kaplan, and Leonardis, and thank you to everyone else who made this such an enjoyable and special season. Belmont Hill Wrestling is back on top and this team is showing no signs of slowing down. ☐

force of gravity. In a frenzy to block Haase’s three attempt, Governor’s defenders fail to monitor Mitchell’s presence below the rim.

Haase’s shot bouncing off the back rim, Mitchell adeptly positions himself on the right block. Outstretched hands meet the ball and in one swift motion, he shuffles his feet, dribbles once, and jumps, absorbing excessive contact from a Gov’s defender. Protecting the ball with his side, his gentle hands initiate the ball’s path towards the glass. The referee’s whistle sounds exactly as the net swishes, and a stoical David Mitchell walks to the foul line with a chance to convert his three-point play, avoid overtime, and win the game. Calm, cool, and collected, Mitchell positions his feet, takes a deep breath, and stares down the rim, intimidating it with his silent confidence. Slowly bending his steady knees, Mitchell grounds his feet and releases the ball. He sinks the free throw with ease before raising his arms in celebration.

The Fritz Gym erupts with euphoric fans.

Mitchell’s veteran composure towards the end of Friday night’s game reveals so much about the team’s potential.

With sophomore point-leaders Jones and Mitchell already showing the composure of seniors, the Belmont Hill basketball program has entered an exciting period of potentially unmatched success. While the selection committee failed to recognize their second-place 13-2 ISL finish and current 6-1 run, expect to see this ambitious young team in the bracket next year. ☐

Alpine Ski Team Flourishes

By George Hu Staff Writer Despite patchy conditions that plagued New England this winter, the Belmont Hill Alpine Skiing Team persevered and performed admirably, amassing an overall record 32-4 in ISL meets. With the ISL’s title-deciding race between Belmont Hill, Bill MiddleMahoney sex, and St. Sebastian’s canceled due to lack of snow, the team finished in 3rd place in a competitive ISL. Outside of ISLs, in the middle of February, seven Belmont Hill skiers (Harrison Rohrer, Will Cannistraro, Sam Rohrer, Sasha Gannon, Bobby Stevenish, Jack Theberge, and Danny Tsyvin) traveled to the slopes of Shawnee Peak in Maine to compete in the NEPSAC Class A Championships. At NEPSACs, the team performed respectably, earning 7th place in a field of almost 20 teams.

Alongside team accomplishments, this season also witnessed spectacular individual achievements.

Captain Harrison Rohrer consistently placed in the top 10 in ISL meets, winning one race outright. Despite having a sickness that sidelined him for much of the season, Captain Will Cannistraro, in his return, helped the team battle its way into contention in both ISLs and NEPSACs. Sam Rohrer, Sasha Gannon, and Bobby Stevenish consistently placed in the top 20 in ISL races, and they will provide the team with a young core in future years. Finally, Jack Theberge, Danny Tsyvin, and Quinn Richards provided much-needed depth to the team.

Overall, the team would like to thank Coaches Feldman and Trautz. Also, the two senior captains will be sorely missed. With talent always bountiful on the JV team, the team’s future shall always be bright. ☐

Belmont Hill Sp orts

March 10, 2016

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Belmont Hill Varsity Scoreboard TEAM

Hockey

RECORD

17-9-4

NOTABLE RESULTS

TEAM MVPS

W 5-2 vs. Proctor Academy W 5-3 vs. Nobles

Brian Matthews David Giunta Jovan Jones David Mitchell

Basketball

15-9

W vs. 57-56 vs. Gov’s W vs. 88-77 vs. St. Mark’s

Wrestling

24-0

Graves-Kelsey Tournament New England Tournament

Pete Tedesco Phil Conigliaro

N/A

3rd in ISL W in First Slalom Race

Harrison Rohrer Sam Rohrer

N/A

2nd in ISL 7th at Lakes Region

Henry Swain Will Weiter

17-1

W 4-3 vs. Avon Old Farms W 5-2 vs. Deerfield

Blake Gilbert-Bono Jack Bell

Alpine Ski Nordic Ski Squash

Nordic Skiing

By Quin McGaugh Staff Writer Despite the brutal winter for sports that required snow, the Nordic Ski Team had yet another successful season. The team captained by William Weiter and Henry Swain raced almost every Wednesday at the Proctor School in New Hampshire, battling with the big-time ski schools of northern New England. Starting the season in a respectable 8th place in the Lakes Region League, the Belmont Hill Varsity Nordic squad raced back and forth with their arch-rivals St. Paul’s School for the title of ISL Nordic Ski Champions. In

Squash Teams Dominate

By J.P. Champa Staff Writer The squash team wrapped up a remarkable season in a strong fashion. On February 11th, both the Varsity and JV teams travelled down to Philadelphia to compete in High School Nationals. The Varsity team competed valiantly; however, they lost to Haverford in the semifinals of the tournament.

Nevertheless, the team came back strong and defeated Avon Old Farms to place 3rd place overall in the country. The JV team also had a strong showing, competing in Division V, they made it all the way to the finals but lost in a tough finals to the University School team. After proving that the team was a top national competitor, the Varsity returned to ISL competition to clinch an ISL title defeating St. Paul’s, Brooks, and Milton 7-0, 5-2, and 7-0, respectively. The New England tournament was the final competition of the year for the team. This tournament marked the last time that the seniors: Timmy Brownell, Blake Gilbert-Bono, and Thomas Wolpow, would represent the Belmont Hill squash team. Held at Deerfield, the

top seven players each competed in an individual bracket of other players at their position on the team. After the last matches have been completed, how well each member of the team finished determines the team’s final position. Overall, Belmont Hill demonstrated the depth of the team with all seven players placing in the top five of their bracket and the team finishing 2nd overall. Jack Bell and James Bell both won their bracket at positions 3 and 5, upsetting top seeded Brunswick players in the finals.

Blake GilbertBono, Thomas Wolpow, and John Paul Champa all came in second. Timmy Brownell, having just resumed play after an injury, placed fourth and Alex Kurtin placed 5th.

Throughout the season, the team persevered through injury and tough matches and their hard work came to fruition in their ISL championship and excellent results at both the New England and National Tournaments.

With three seniors in the top seven graduating this year, this season will prove tough to follow up next year; however, with new talented players and hard work, the squash team is looking to improve upon the successes of this past year in the years to come. ☐

the Lakes Region Championships, Weiter, Swain, Hall, Pradko, and Richards led the team to a solid 7th place finish, just behind St. Paul’s. In search for revenge, the top 9 skiers made the trek up to Gunstock Ski Resort in New Hampshire to partake in the New England Championships. Despite the blazing 50 degree weather, the Belmont Hill team gave it their all. With an amazing top 20 finish, William Weiter led the team to an outstanding victory over St. Paul’s School in the ISL Freestyle Championship.

Under next year’s captains Ben Pradko and Cam Hall, the team is excited to get back on skis next year and hopes for more snow to defend their title in the 2017 season. ☐

Can Celtics Disprove Pessimists?

By Matt Reppucci Staff Writer Don’t underestimate these Celtics. Individually, Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, Marcus Smart, Evan Turner, Kelly Olynyk, and Amir Johnson are purely good-to-above-average players.

But collectively, they create a team of effort, hustle, defensive intensity, and offensive chemistry that has led to a likely 3rd place finish in the Eastern Conference to culminate what has been a fantastic season to watch. Every game is exciting and up-tempo, and the TD Garden crowd seems to propel the Celtics to victory night after night.

If all goes well, the Celtics will likely face the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with the winner moving on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors have beaten the Celtics twice this year, with the second game coming down to the final seconds. Since that January 20th date, the Celtics have gone 16-4, and have seemingly found their rhythm. The defensive identity has returned, they are getting out on the fast break, and Isaiah Thomas’s driving ability is creating open looks for himself as well as his teammates.

While some radio hosts in the area believe that a first round loss is likely for the Celtics, do not be surprised if they make a run to the East-

ern Conference Finals. If they give the Cavaliers a run for their money, maybe their success, plus an abundance of high-future draft picks to be used as trade bait, entices a big-name free agent to come to Boston, such as Kevin Durant (that idea might sound crazy, but early offseason prediction: Durant either stays in Oklahoma City,

or heads east to Boston where his road to the NBA finals is much, much easier that in the Western Conference). If the Celtics could surprise even their biggest supporters by upsetting Cleveland, believe it or not they match up very well against the guard-heavy Warriors, as evidenced by their doubleovertime loss to Golden State earlier in the year. Boston’s perimeter defense is excellent (see: Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder) and truthfully (really, I am serious,) may be the only team with any shot at all to slow down the greatness of Steph Curry.☐

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Spring Sports Begin: Captain Interviews

By Isabelle Bastian ’17 and Anya Keomurjian ’16 Contributing Writers The Charles River has melted, the frozen fields have thawed, and the weather is starting to warm up just enough to make running outside bearable. Winsor athletes everywhere are suiting up in spandex and strapping on sneakers and cleats, ready for another spring season of sports. Below, the captains of each sports team comment on the upcoming months.

Tennis

Sailing

Captains: Iona Forrester ’16 What was the highlight of last season?

“Getting the chance to play in New Englands right in Massachusetts!”

What is the best thing about playing your sport?

“Tennis is a small team so we’re all super close. Even though we play individual matches, we all have the team in mind.”

What are you most excited about this season?

“We are most excited about getting to know the new players and bonding as a team.”

What are your goals for the new season?

“Our goal for this season is for every single member of the team to improve and to have fun on the team.”

Captains: Karina Singhal ’16, Sandra Lee ’17, Haley Nolan ’17 What was the highlight of last season?

“Seeing the team get better and better at sailing skills.”

What is the best thing about playing your sport?

“The sailing team gets really close, and we all have so much fun.”

What are you most excited about this season?

“New sailors coming in.”

What are your goals for the new season?

“To continue to improve our skills and work as a team.”

“To improve everyone’s sailing skills and to have a lot of fun.”

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Lacrosse

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Track

Captains: Samantha Plante ’16, Charlotte Pollard ’16, and Eliza Beebe ’16 What was the highlight of last season?

“Definitely winning the EIL B-pool championship. We’re a pretty big deal…”

What is the best thing about playing your sport?

“Lacrosse is such a team sport - there are so many opportunities for the team to grow close and for individuals to grow within a supportive community. Lax is also a relatively easy sport to pick up, but at the same time, it’s impossible to master - there’s always room to improve and learn.”

What are you most excited about this season?

“We’re really excited to have a close-knit team and to bring a new level of intensity to WVLAX. We’re going all in, expecting to bring home the Apool banner this year.”

What are your goals for the new season?

“We would love to have a strong winning record this season, as well as a team that feels like a family. We really hope to balance having a fun-loving, close-knit team with a team that brings intensity and focus to every game and every practice. Lacrosse is an incredibly mental sport, so it’s important that we’re able to pick each other up mentally / emotionally, so that as a team, we can perform at our highest possible level.”

Captains: Nicole Cerulli ’16, Talia Ruxin ’16 What was the highlight of last season?

“Winning the first ever EIL Track Championship in a dominating fashion!”

What is the best thing about playing your sport?

“Since not everyone is racing at once, everyone can cheer for each other and encourage teammates to push themselves during races, so we have a lot of team spirit!”

What are you most excited about this season?

“Especially with the addition of sixth graders to the team, we have a lot of new athletes, so we are really excited to see what the young team can accomplish!”

What are your goals for the new season?

“If we can all improve individually, then we will have our best shot at winning the EIL Championship for the second year!”

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Crew

Captains: Giovanna De Vito ’16, Elizabeth Roe ’16, Taylor Wright ’16 What was the highlight of last season?

“The best thing about last season was winning the Team Trophy at NEIRAs, our regional rowing championships! All four varsity boats did really well in their races and all it all it was a great day.”

What is the best thing about playing your sport?

“The best thing is that it is extremely challenging.”

What are you most excited about this season?

“We’re most excited to hang out with the team and for NEIRAs.” What are your goals for the new season?

“To win the NEIRAs team point trophy and have fun!”

Softball

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Captains: Abigail Simon ’16, Sarah Condon ’16 What was the highlight of last season?

“Beating Bancroft with strong performance on offense and defense. It was a close game but we gritted out a hard-fought win!”

What is the best thing about playing your sport?

“Softball is a unique sport in that technique is the basis for the game, but no matter how skilled you are and how hard you work, there is a certain unquantifiable element of sheer luck involved: the way the grass falls, the timing of the steal, or the way the ball comes off the bat. It makes the game exciting, and this element of unpredictability brings the team together in such a special way.”

What are you most excited about this season?

“We are really excited to work with new players and to continue to improve as a team from last season!”

What are your goals for the new season?

“We are hoping, most importantly, that everyone will improve and achieve their personal goals by the end of the season! We want to have fun events, work hard in practice, and have a winning season.”

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Winsor Sp orts

March 10, 2016

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Winter Sports Wrap-Up Swimming Record: 4-7 Quote: “We’ve had a lot of fun this year! Everybody has worked really hard and greatly improved over the course of the season; all our hard work really showed at EILs where we placed second and had a total of 25 lifetime best times!” - Taylor Wright ’16 Favorite thing this season: Having a joint varsity and junior-varsity meet where we swam goofy events. It encouraged team bonding, enthusiasm, and positivity!

Ice Hockey

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Record: 3-8 Quote: “Going into this season, we were adding a lot of new players who hadn’t had that much experience. But by the end, the team’s improvement and cohesion was unbelievable. We worked really hard and had so much fun!” -Maslen Ward ’16 Favorite thing this season: Creaming Pingree (to whom we usually lose) 7-1 in the last game of the season!

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Basketball

Record: 10-8 Quote: “The ball fam is the best! We became so close, and I think it really helped our cohesion on the court at the end of the season. Every girl improved so much and really grew into her role on the team.” - Abigail Simon ’16 Favorite thing this season: Winning on senior day in our new gym!

Squash Record: 11-5 Quote: “We had an amazing and fun season filled with lots of great squash and competition!! We are already looking forward to next season!!” - Alexa Jacobs ’17 Favorite thing this season: “It was so amazing to see all 26 players come together and have fun playing and improving together.”

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Kristie Rae Gillooly

Mad for March Madness: College Basketball Predictions

By Caroline Hearle Contributing Writer As if the second day of Spring Break is not exciting enough, March 13 will also be Selection Sunday for NCAA College Basketball March Madness 2016. Thus, the struggle to claim a top seed seat in the March Madness bracket continues. A three-step process determines the final bracket of 64 teams. The first step is to sift through incredible amounts of information and data from the season in order to select the 64 teams who will definitely compete in March Madness. The first ten teams, commonly referred to as the “Big Ten” are automatically admitted to the tournament by winning their regional championships.

After the initial step of selection, the committee seeds, or ranks, the teams into 16 “levels,” making sure that the teams in each level are as equally talented as possible to ensure maximum competition. Within these levels there are four teams from each region. The third and final step is to create the bracket where the teams ranked first play the teams ranked sixteenth, the second seeded teams play the teams ranked on the fifteenth level, the third plays the fourteenth and so on. In August 2015, ESPN released their prediction for the upcoming March Madness bracket, ranking Kansas, North Carolina, Kentucky and Maryland first and Robert Morris, Lehigh, Hampton, Texas Southern, High Point, and North Florida all vying to be ranked sixteenth. More recently, CBS predicted that Kansas, Virginia, Villanova, and Xavier will be seated first.

Last year, Duke claimed the March Madness Championship title; however, Alina Brennan ’18 predicts that “Duke

www.nanigan.com

will not win again this year even though they did win against UVA, whom I want to win.”

Even though Duke is not seeded first this year in most predicted brackets, it is seeded second, and there is a clear trend in that the same group of teams typically ends up in the top ten from year to year. So why do the same schools continue to field highly ranked teams? One reason is that the “Big Ten” are entered into March Madness by winning their regional championship, and so they have more control over how they are seeded, while the rest of the teams are selected and ranked by the committee mentioned above. For the most part, however, the teams who are in the higher seeds simply have a more prestigious basketball program and, as a result, are able to attract more high school basketball stars.

Millions watch March Madness every year, raising the question: what is its appeal?

March Madness is known for unexpected upsets that can cause unpredictability. For example, Georgia State, seeded 11th, beat Bay-

lor, seeded third, last year. Also, numerous games are played at one time, contributing to the excitement of the tournament by giving fans constant entertainment. The continous games also ensure maximum excitement and buzzer beaters, a situation where the winning basket is scored with only seconds to spare. At the center of March Madness is the prediction bracket that millions of people fill out with family, friends, coworkers and teammates before the games begin.

Once you have filled out a bracket, you have immediately chosen teams to root for. You have pride, and more often than not money, on the line as motivation to tune in. So, go fill out a bracket, because you just may get the bragging rights of picking the underdog champion at the end of the tournament! ☐

Upcoming Games: Wednesday, April 6th................. V Softball vs. Thayer (@Home, 3:45) Wednesday, April 13th........ JV Tennis vs. NCDS (@Amory Courts, 3:15) V Tennis vs. NCDS (@Amory Courts, 3:15) V Softball vs. NCDS (@NCDS, 3:45) V Lacrosse vs. NCDS (@NCDS, 3:45) JV Lacrosse vs. NCDS (@NCDS, 5:15) Saturday, April 23rd.....V Crew- Lake Quinsigamond (@St. Mark’s, 2:30) V Track vs. Thayer, Governor’s, Groton (@Thayer, 3:00) JV Tennis vs. Berwick (@Berwick, 1:00) V Softball vs. Berwick (@Berwick, 1:00) JV Lacrosse vs. Berwick (@Berwick, 1:00) V Lacrosse vs. Berwick (@Berwick, 1:00)

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WORLDS COLLIDE FOR SENIOR SWITCH DAY

For one day, the top three Winsor editors went to Belmont Hill while the top three Belmont Hill editors visited Winsor.

These are their stories: Atthebeginningoftheday,allBelmontHillstudentsmaketheirwaytoadvisory. Both Winsor and Belmont Hill have a similar advisory set-up: approximately eight studentsandonefacultymember.However,contrarytothefifty-minuteperiodonceortwice aweektowhichWinsorstudentshavebecomeaccustomed,BelmontHillhasfifteenminuteadvisoryperiodseveryTuesday.Infact,theadvisoryIvisitedwasletoutafteronlyfiveminutes.AtWinsor, advisoryseemstobeatimeforstudentstorelaxanddiscusswhateverisontheirmind.Incontrast,atBelmont Hill, advisory seemed more of a technicality, a place where students must drop by before starting their day.

Belmont Hill’s senior homeroom, Goodband Commons, is starkly different from Winsor’s.

For Winsor girls, the homeroom is a key part of social and community life, particularly for seniors, who get to paint their homeroom with a characteristic theme that is collectively chosen by, and even representative of, the class. A closed-door space for girls to sleep, work, talk (but not eat or change, of course), each Winsor homeroom serves as a sort of haven - a place to relax and let down during a busy school day. The Belmont Hill homeroom is more of a “common room”: though it seems to serve a similar purpose, it is a much more open and non-personalized space. While Winsor girls decorate their homeroom with lights, snowflakes, compliment stockings, a “hot” wall, birthday boards, and inside jokes, Belmont Hill boys don’t quite have that freedom because their hang-out space is in a more central and public location. And, although all Winsor grades are assigned a homeroom, several Belmont Hill grades (10th and 11th in particular) don’t have their own homeroom space - Goodband Commons is unique to seniors.

Since many BH grades don’t have a homeroom, their library and many study rooms serve as convenient spots for boys to hang out and do homework. Interestingly, unlike at Winsor, there did not seem to be very many silent spots for doing homework; in fact, their library does not even have a silent floor. While many Winsor girls work independently during frees, boys tended to study more in groups: they sat collectively at tables, reserved study rooms with friends, and lounged on the couches with textbooks. Perhaps my experience was distorted by the relaxed senior spring vibe, but frees seemed to be dominated by socializing more than homework: we spent the entirety of one playing a very enjoyable and intense game of Jeopardy!

I never realized that eating snack served on tables inside was a luxury until Switch Day at Belmont Hill. In the middle of the morning, Belmont Hill’s dining staff leaves cookies in buckets on the cold, hard ground — outside.

Take into account that this is the middle of the winter. Used to the warmth of our cafeteria, I watched in awe as a swarm of boys aggressively flocked to the cookies and picked them from the ground. The scene somewhat resembled that of a group of dogs scrambling for their meal. However, I have to admit that the daily chocolate-chip cookies were far superior (in taste, though perhaps not in health) to Winsor’s Ritz crackers or yogurt cups.

Lunch was certainly one of the best parts of my day. While I have grown adjusted to Winsor’s characteristic seas of red trays, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the homey feel of Belmont Hill’s family-style lunch. This may partly be due to the fact that, as a guest, I did not have to “wait” on the rest of the table; Belmont Hill has a tradition where lower-classmen take turns serving food and clearing plates for their respective tables. One of the starkest differences was that Belmont Hill lunch has required attendance. While people are constantly moving in and out of the Winsor cafeteria due to clubs and classes that end at varying times, the Belmont Hill Upper School congregates as a whole student body during their lunch period, making it somewhat similar to Winsor’s community time. The fact that the entire Upper School was required to be present for lunch created an intimate community space for chatter, announcements, and even a prayer of thanks before the meal. The grilled cheeses were a highlight; buttered and served with onion rings, they may not have been healthy, but they were certainly delicious. Of course, my judgement probably wasn’t objective because almost anything would have tasted good at that point; Belmont Hill eats a very late lunch at around 1:40 pm, leaving us all starving — even the Belmont Hill boys who have been there for years insist that they still haven’t gotten accustomed to the strange timing. But if the boys ever get too hungry, they can always go off campus senior year!

Pros and Cons • • • • •

•

•

Family-style lunches foster a sense of community.

Dogs are allowed around campus and in class!

The snack is chocolate chip cookies every day.

Some forty minute classes!!!!!!!

Many of the classes at Belmont Hill are impressively unique: offerings include a boat-building class and a class on sports statistics.

Panel-making, a BH tradition in which the boys carve a wooden panel senior year that will be hung up on the walls, allows each boy to leave his mark on the school in a concrete and physical way.

A bell rings to signal the ending of classes, meaning that students are always on time to classes, and teachers can’t run over!

• • • •

•

• •

No mandatory ILE Lower classmen have to wait on the upper schoolers during lunch, serving food and clearing plates.

Most of the campus is outside, so we got very cold walking between classes.

Snack is placed in flimsy plastic bins on the ground, forcing each boy to scramble aggressively for his share - we questioned the sanitation of this tradition...

Classes tend to be slightly less organized with students calling out answers and side conversations often becoming quite loud.

Lunch is very late (1:40-2:10); by that point, everyone is near starving.

Advisory is short (15 minutes at the beginning of the day) and only on Tuesday; boys were shocked when we told them our advisory could last for up to 45 minutes.

From “Maine Coast” to “Statistical Revolution in Sports,” the classes offered to seniors at Belmont Hill could not be more varied.

While such a variety does exist to some degree at Winsor, a part of me could not help but be a little jealous of some of the classes offered.

In “Maine Coast,” the boys have the opportunity senior year to construct by hand a wooden canoe that they will eventually take up to Maine at the end of the semester.

Throughout the class, the boys also read certain literature pertaining to Maine, which they discuss over the sounds of hammering and sawing that fill the classroom. In “Statistical Revolution in Sports,” students discuss theories in professional sports, such as the Hot Hand Theory. As an accomplished basketball manager, I felt prepared to attend “Sports Statistics,” a class which I had read about in previous Switch Day spreads. As was probably expected, the students’ interest in the subject matter was palpable: each student was eager to share his evidence for whether the Hot Hand Theory was valid.

The class dynamic at Belmont Hill also differed from that at Winsor, though perhaps not as much as one might expect. Generally, boys seemed to be more open in class, casually sharing grades with each other, self-grading tests by checking them in groups, and calling out answers even if they were uncertain whether or not they were correct; the main difference seemed to be in their general ease and playfulness in class. Though I would argue that students at Winsor, particularly by senior year, feel more comfortable messing around with one another and with teachers in and out of the classroom, the Belmont Hill seniors were definitely more at ease during class. In fact, in one of the classes I visited at Belmont Hill, boys tried to play music on their computers as loudly as possible from two different sides of the room without letting the teacher hear it!

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We visited Winsor on a Wednesday, which coincidentally is also pasta day for them. Their choices, however, were a bit greater than ours on Hump Day - they offer a variety of sauces, large deli and salad bars, and Oreos for dessert. Lunch is much more informal at Winsor; it is cafeteria style with no assigned tables, it is a very loud, communicative time to catch up with friends after morning classes. Clubs often meet during the lunch period, and Upper School students (grades nine and above) may go off campus for lunch. Students often walk to nearby Bruegger’s or the Longwood Galleria Food Court (which includes McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and more).

The schedule of a typical academic school day at Winsor certainly stuck out the most to us Belmont Hill students. The combination of four 60 minute classes and one 75 minute class--with the exception of Fridays-certainly provides teachers with the necessary time to cover extensive content within a subject, especially for AP classes. While Winsor students attentively sat through classes until the end of the academic day at 3:00, we Belmont Hill students are used to having all five classes condensed to no more than 40 minutes each, with the academic classes ending by 1:35 in the afternoon. In addition, we found that Winsor classes are little more formal than those of Belmont Hill. Even though Belmont Hill students and Winsor students speak the same amount in class, the discussions between Winsor students and the teacher don’t seem to diverge from the content quite as much as classes on the Hill. Some may say that off-topic tangents may be detrimental to the productivity of a class, but it can also be beneficial mentally for a student to take a quick break in the middle of a class before diving back into the academic subject matter.

Belmont Hill and Winsor are obviously different milieus: an all-boys prep school in the suburbs has a very different social environment from the all-girls urban Winsor campus. Nevertheless, the dynamic among students is similar. Winsor girls fondly “roast” their classmates when they slip up just as Belmont Hill boys affectionately rip on their friends. Students in both schools speak intelligently and are engaged in the classroom (though students on the Longwood campus overall seemed a bit more stressed). Furthermore, both schools pride themselves in close student-teacher relationships, and Winsor’s students clearly had the same closeness with their teachers as Belmont Hill’s. For example, the girls in one of our classes spent almost all their time before and after class discussing The Bachelor with a favorite teacher. But there were also visible differences between the two schools’ social scenes as well.

When we walked into the homeroom, girls were wrapped up in blankets on the couches and snuggling with each other, a sight not often seen in Goodband Commons. In assembly, Winsor students were much more animated than Belmont Hill students - almost every hand shot up enthusiastically after the speaker finished his lecture. There are certainly differences between Belmont Hill and Winsor, but there may not be as many as one might initially think.

Pros and Cons •

LOC facilities

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Longer class days and longer classes

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Whiteboards are an entire wall!!

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Indoor campus

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Bruegger’s in close proximity

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Inconsistent heating and cooling

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Silent floor in large library

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Open seating at lunch

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Very nice, relaxed senior homeroom

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Graham crackers for snack.... we missed our cookies on the ground

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The Life of Pablo: A New Album, A New Sound, A New Kanye

By Pablo DiBenedetto and Massimo Auferio Staff Writer Kanye West’s newly released The Life of Pablo is, overall, a great, innovative album, and, though not necessarily his best work, it will certainly be remembered as a highlight of his career.

Kanye manages to artfully combine various assets of his previous albums into this masterpiece. It incorporates the passionate emotions of The College Dropout, the positive, audacious attitude of Graduation, the minimalism and emphasized beats of 808s & Heartbreak and Yeezus, as well as a plethora of features, as on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

In order to correctly evaluate TLOP, one must look at this album not as a rap album, but just another album released by an artist. Unlike the norm for a hip-hop album, Kanye focuses most on the overall scheme of production, which includes the creation the 808s and managing the samples and features into perfectly fitting roles, as opposed to the

conventional idea of rap being limited to just the lyrics and beats.

On TLOP, Kanye shows his genius ability in production despite the fact that he was working on it until the last minute. He did not follow any sort of structure, much like Picasso’s unstructured style of painting.

There were no restrictions for him on the album, like most of his previous work. In some songs there was no hard hitting drum or snare, which is impressive as these instruments are often seen as essential in rap and hip-hop. In other songs he lets loose and has fun, as seen in “I Love Kanye” and “Ultralight Beam.” Kanye is an innovator and was not influenced by mainstream rap and pop in making the album. Instead he “shifted the paradigm” and made the album for himself with songs that sounded correct to him.

808s & Heartbreak was neither loved nor well received at the time of its release, but, looking back, musicians and critics realize that this album was ahead of its time and set forth a new wave of pop, rap, and R&B artists such as Drake, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and Bon Iver. Similarly, The Life of Pablo will need time to fully be appreciated until we fully learn the extent of its impact in the world of music, if it has one.

The Life of Pablo boasts 24 features including artists and producers currently at the forefront of the music industry and others who are beginning their rise to fame.

These artists include the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, The Weeknd, Kid Cudi, Metro Boomin, Chris Brown, The Dream, Kirk Franklin, Post Malone, Ty Dolla $ign, Rick Rubin, and a brief return from Frank Ocean, who has not released any music for the past 3 years. Perhaps the two most notable guests on the album were Chance The Rapper and Desiigner, who were featured on “Ultralight Beam,” “Father Stretch My Hands Part 2,” and “Freestyle 4.”

While Chance the Rapper has already reached a certain level of fame, his decision to not have his music sold on iTunes limits his popularity to those fans who search the internet for his music and listen via websites such as SoundCloud. However, his verse on “Ultralight Beam” can be compared to that of Nicki Minaj’s on “Monster” from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as her feature boosted her popularity in the world of hip-hop. Now a wider audience has been introduced to Chance the Rapper who might

have to consider selling his upcoming third mixtape in order to “snatch the Grammy”.

Brooklyn-born rapper Desiigner provided the modern trap sound on two tracks, “Freestyle 4” and “Father Stretch My Hands Part 2” with his own verse and a sample from his popular and only song to date, “Panda,” which took him one and a half years to complete. With an almost identical voice to the well known rapper Future, 18-year old Desiigner recently signed to G.O.O.D Music, a record label founded by Kanye West. With a mixtape expected to be released in the coming months, Desiigner can thank Kanye West for his support and for helping him spread his name in the world of hip-hop.

It is necessary to first take a step back and realize how Kanye has changed as a person before it is possible to interpret how he has evolved as an artist. It has been 3 years since Kanye released his last album, Yeezus, and in that time he has switched allegiances from Nike to Adidas, married Kim Kardashian, and fathered two children, North and Saint.

TLOP takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster while transcending various musical genres, which works to his advantage.

The opener, “Ultralight Beam,” is a gospel sounding track where he explains how he attempts to maintain his faith in God as he manages the struggles of balancing his life.

Tracks 2-8 focus on the materialistic pleasures of fame, wealth, and superstardom that defined the ‘old Kanye.’ “I Love Kanye” (the ninth track out of 18) serves not only as a reminder of Ye’s conceited opinion of himself, as it appears at first, but also a bridge between the old and new Kanye. The follow-

ing songs, 10-18, revolve around his family, faith, and business. The theme of the songs shifts from that of the liberty and insouciance of the bachelor life to one of anxiety and fear concerning his commitment to his wife and children and the management of his debt and many lines of business.

Specifically, in “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” (track 2), “Famous” (4), and “Freestyle 4” (8), he raps about having affairs with various women and his public stunts, whereas in “FML” (11) he declares his firm commitment to his wife, stating he is willing “To give up the women//Before I lose half of what I own,” meanwhile having a dark, confused, and paranoid outlook of marriage and a life with limits and responsibilities. In “Wolves” (13), he sings about his fears of parenthood as he and Kim Kardashian are controversial figures in pop culture, and their kids, North and Saint, will be the target of the “Wolves” in the media.

If you are not and never have been a Kanye West fan, then you will most likely not enjoy this album. Unfortunately, people who know very little about Kanye West and his music tend to be very strong in their opinion as they fail to separate Kanye the person and Kanye the musician; however, if you do consider yourself a fan and have enjoyed his past work, we highly recommend that you give The Life of Pablo a listen, and you will fall in love with it from the first sound of the drums on “Ultralight Beam.”

There is no more old Kanye, chop up the soul Kanye, set on his goals Kanye. Kanye has evolved, and in order to fully appreciate his work and correctly evaluate The Life Of Pablo, we as listeners must do the same.☐

about the allegations against a priest for molesting more than 80 boys in his life. Sam Smith won the Oscar for Best Original Song and was ver y delighted when he talked about being the first gay actor to win an Oscar ; however, Sir John Gielgud, for his work in the movie Arthur, actually is the first gay actor to win.

Arguably the best actor of his generation, the 41-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio finally achieved his goal of attaining an Oscar. While accepting the Oscar, DiCaprio thanked all his directors and producers from the previous years and he also talked about climate change. Leo accepted the award for those, “...Who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people who will be most affected by this, for our children’s children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed.” In conclusion, Leo finally got his Oscar, and the Oscars may be a little too white.☐

By Armin Thomas Staff Writer

well, and they were just as receptive for the next tune played by the band, Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay”.

More soloist performances followed, starting with pianist Armin Thomas, who played the capricious Rhapsody in B minor by Johannes Brahms, propagating harmonious sonorities all through the Chapel with his lyricism and passion. After leaving the stage, fellow pianist George Hu wowed the audience with a powerful performance of Franz Liszt’s “Après une lecture du Dante,” hands flying across the keyboard in octaves and in florid arpeggios.

Subsequently, the Middle School Jazz Ensemble took to the stage to rock the beat of Nat Adderley’s “Jive Samba” with Tim Brown soloing on tenor, and Jacob Welborn soloing on trumpet. As always, the MS Jazz Ensemble was well liked by the audience, and left the stage to rapturous applause.

Next came the Chamber Society’s Brandenburg Trio, consisting of Andrew Kaneb on violin, Didier Lucceus on viola, and Armin Thomas on piano, who played the 6th trio piece in a collection of 8 written by Max Bruch. Then the Belmont Hill Piano Trio (with George Hu on piano, Spencer Kim on cello, and Austin Kwoun on violin) played the Scherzo from Johannes Brahms’s Piano Trio in B major, and delighted the audience with its jocular character and wide dynamic range. Finally, the Jazz Combo, characterized by their suavity of character and sporting of aviator sunglasses, pleased the audience with a driving performance of “Cissy Strut” by Nocentelli, Neville, Porter and Modeliste.

After requisite remarks by Mr. Fiori, the audience and the musicians retreated up the dell to the Prenatt Music Building, where a reception took place.

Everyone present knew this concert was historic.

The quality of the ensembles and the quality of the soloists has never been better in Belmont Hill history.

The Golden Age of Belmont Hill Music is alive. ☐

The Oscars 2016: Leo Finally Gets His Award

By Henry Wyett Staff Writer

The 2016 Academy awards took place on February 28th, 2016, in Hollywood and were hosted by comedian Chris Rock. This year was an interesting year in Oscars history, as Leo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar for his movie The Revenant, and there was also a boycott against the Oscars for being “too white”. This was the least watched Oscars since Jon Stewart hosted in 2008, and an international trending hashtag, “ # O s c a r s s o w h i t e ,” most likely helped the Oscars reach such low ratings.

Last year, Neil Patrick Harris received 6 percent more viewers than Chris Rock this year, despite Rock being a black actor. Many famous actors boycotted the Oscars this year, including names such as Will Smith and Spike Lee. Enough about controversies, here is the recap of winners. Spotlight took the Oscar home in the best picture categor y, arguably the hardest categor y to win. Spotlight is

Instrumental Concert Showcases Talent

Last Sunday, instrumentalists from Belmont Hill School’s music program convoked and participated in the Winter Collage Concert, marking the third of four major performances this year.

The Orchestra was the first to take the stage, playing a haunting rendition of Camille Saint-Saëns’s “Danse Macabre.” Central to the piece was star violinist Austin Kwoun’s who passionately played solo to complement the excellent technique displayed by the rest of the orchestra.

The orchestra then yielded the floor to a group of soloists the like of which has never before been seen at Belmont Hill. First in this set of five soloists was veteran pianist Juan Carlos Fernandez del Castillo, who elegiacally filled the Hamilton Chapel with the beautifully moving chords of Maurice Ravel’s “Pavane for a Dead Princess”.

Then, violinist Kerby-Louis Roberson playing Pablo Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen. His showmanship and technique duly impressed the audience, who were very grateful for an excellent performance. Subsequently Andrew Kaneb took the stage, to play the first movement of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with excellent musicality and interpretation. Violist and polyglot Coleman Walsh also impressed the audience with Gabriel Faure’s “Après un rêve,” which expressed the French qualities of Faure’s composition through his soaring lyricism and legato playing. Finally to end the first group of soloists was violinist Didier Lucceus, playing the second movement of W.A. Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 transcribed for viola, and stunned the audience with his flashy cadenza.

Next, the Upper School Jazz Ensemble, supplemented by Armin Thomas on trombone. The audience took to the groovy vibe of the song very

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Austin Kwoun Performs Sibelius at NEC

By George Hu Staff Writer On the evening of Sunday, January 31, hundreds of people filed into New England Conservatory’s (NEC’s) Jordan Hall to witness Belmont Hill sophomore Austin Kwoun perform the first movement of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s violin concerto in D Minor with NEC Preparatory School’s Youth Symphony Orchestra. They were not disappointed. As one Belmont Hill student who attended the concert put it, “Austin was amazing.”

Austin began playing violin at the age of seven and has been studying with Ms. Jin Kyung Joen for the past six years at NEC Preparatory School. Austin is currently a first violinist in NEC’s Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. At Belmont Hill, he is also recognized as the violinist of the Belmont Hill School Piano Trio and a member of the Orchestra. In addition

to winning the 2015 NEC Preparatory School Concerto Competition, Austin has also participated in several other competitions. In an impressive musical resumé, he has won first place in the 2015 Wellesley Symphony Orchestra Young Soloist Competition, the 2015 MMTA Bay State String Competition, the 2014 New England Philharmonic Young Artist Competition, the 2014 Brockton Symphony Feinberg Competition, the 2013 Ellen Huff Powers Young Artist Competition, and the 2013 Roman Totenberg Young Musician String Competition.

Alongside his wins, he finished second place at the 2014 Waltham Philharmonic Concerto Competition and the 2013 American Protégé International Romantic Music Competition, and he received the Conductor’s Choice award at the 2013 Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra Jeanne Selander Concerto Competition.

Furthermore, Austin has per-

formed in numerous famous venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Jordan Hall, and the Tsai Performance Center.

He has also performed for distinguished teachers/guests including Joseph Lin (Juilliard String Quartet), Tony Woodcock (NEC), Lucy Chapman (NEC), and Mia Chung Yee (Curtis).

Austin also enjoys playing the violin for community service; he is a core member of the Boston Youth Music Charity, a non-profit musical organi-

zation that holds semi-annual concerts to raise funds for foundations such as UNICEF and Cradles to Crayons.

As a fellow member of the Belmont Hill Piano Trio and Orchestra, I can say that it has been a privilege to practice and perform with Austin for the past two years; he truly is a special musician. As his stunning performance of Sibelius’s violin concerto would suggest, Austin will surely continue to have musical success at both Belmont Hill and beyond. ☐

This Month in Arts:

Upcoming Arts Events Spring Coffee House - 6:30 PM, April 6, 2016

Senior Directed Play:

@ BH Theater

Brighton Beach Boys Cast Photo (Left), Steven DeVellis ‘16 and Henry Vettel ‘18 in the Play (Bottom)

Jazz Night at Ryles - 7:00 PM, April 29, 2016 @ Ryles Jazz Club Middle School Musical: Lion King Jr. - 7:00 PM, May 6-7, 2016 @ BH Theater Dana Hall Musical: Footloose - 8:00 PM, May 13-14, 2016 @ Bardwell Theater, Dana Hall BH Spring Concert - 7:00 PM, May 20, 2016 @ Hamilton Chapel

Visual Arts: Varun Shah won the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Gold Key for his photograph entitled Two Classrooms (left)

Four Students, Brian Antonelli, Christian Dolan, Coleman Walsh and Jack Tahan (whose Green Bowl is pictured to the right) won Silver Keys in the same competition

Middle School Play: Middle Schoolers Perform Antigone

Winter Collage Concert: The Piano Trio plays Brahm’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major (2nd Movement)

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Samantha Bee Buzzes into the Late Night Scene

By Betsy Kim Panel Staff Sharp, sarcastic, and steely-eyed, Samantha Bee is buzzing into the late-night scene. A little less than a year after leaving her job as a correspondent on The Daily Show, Bee has created much buzz as the only female late-night host currently on air. As Winsor teacher Ms. Wolf said, “I am excited to watch her show, as I admired her work on The Daily Show.” In Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, which debuted February 8 on TBS, Bee demonstrates a bold willingness to ridicule everyone and owns the late-night stage with every episode.

Full Frontal is a satirical news show that combines Bee's hosting with her fieldwork, in which she investigates social issues by interviewing real civilians in public settings and workplaces. “It was in the back of my mind for a long time to do a show with a heavy field element,” Bee remarked in a recent New York Magazine

interview. “I get something so deep from people when I talk to them.” In a segment called “Syrian Refugees,” for example, Bee humorously teaches an English class for Syrian immigrants who had recently immigrated the U.S. The segment can be noted for its humanization of the oft-victimized Syrian refugees and its simultaneous mockery of the more outrageous aspects of American culture, such as Donald Trump and Americans who would wear sweatpants to a wedding. Bee’s news show segments often shine a light on women’s issues. Her segment “Job Fair for Future Women” addresses the widespread sexual harassment that occurs in workplaces, from luxury cruise liners to comedy clubs.

Though sexual harassment is a tricky subject to talk about, Bee succeeds in making the segment informative and humorous.

Bee also ridicules all viewpoints and political parties. In one segment, Bee pokes fun at Jeb Bush’s woeful inability to appeal to the masses despite millions in

samanthabee.com Bee on The Daily Show

Are Awards Shows Stupid?

funding from super PACs. In another, she called Hillary Clinton’s declaration that Nelson Mandela is her hero a prime example of “top-shelf pandering” to black voters. By zinging everyone in equal measure, Samantha Bee shows that everyone can be satirized, regardless of political affiliation.

Bee’s evenhandedness is refreshing in a time where so many other late-night shows seem completely biased towards one party and opposed to another. As one YouTube commenter remarked on Bee’s “The Democratic Debate” segment, “I can't tell if this is pro-Sanders, pro-Hillary, or just pure satire”.

Bee can also be commended for diversifying late-night TV. In a recent TIME magazine interview, Bee dished on how she assembled one of the most diverse writers’ rooms in TV today: “We had a blind submission process, and we actively recruited… we really worked hard to reach into different communities and call people we admired.” The result? A writing staff that is 50 percent female and 30 percent nonwhite.

comedycentral.com

The staff also includes a wide range of background and socioeconomic status: there is one staff writer who previously worked for David Letterman and another whose latest occupation was working at a Maryland DMV. Bee’s efforts to hire qualified people from diverse backgrounds has proved successful: Full Frontal with Samantha Bee has gained high ratings from critics and garners hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. In an industry where most shows are dominated by white males, it is crucial that women like Samantha Bee boost gender diversity in the late-night scene.

Through her talent, fearlessness, and wit, Samantha Bee has proved that comedic brilliance does not have a gender. Bee addressed this fact herself in an interview with magazine Mother Jones: “A good joke is a good joke… I have a really tough sense of humor, but I don't have a gendered experience of laughing at things”. Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome Samantha Bee! ☐

Bee on Full Frontal

samanthabee.com

One Winsor Student Reflects on the Golden Globes, Oscars, and Grammys

By Emily Litz Panel Staff Ron Swanson (beloved Parks and Recreation curmudgeon) once said, “I think awards are stupid.” I, too, think awards are stupid, yet I watch award shows religiously. The award shows I love, like the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Grammys and the Oscars give out awards based on subjective decisions made by groups of unidentified voters. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, for example, which decides the Oscars, is well known to be overwhelmingly white and male (a 2012 Los Angeles Times study actually determined that Oscar voters are 94% caucasian and 77% male). Other academies and institutions whose awards on which we put such great emphasis are widely suspected to be influenced by how much money was made by a given movie or what position a song reached on the Billboard charts. Did you know that Golden Globe-winners are decided upon by the Hollywood Foreign Press, a group of 88 foreign reporters? Doesn’t it seem bizarre that the second most important American award show for both film and television is governed by the tastes of such a small, specific group? In short, maybe we shouldn’t care about these awards because of their level of subjectivity. The recent protest of the Oscars by many black actors comes to mind. I believe there is substantial classism, sexism, and arguably racism ingrained in the award show model, and these prejudices should be recognized, but in spite

Oscar host Chris Rock

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of their stupidity I don’t think award shows are completely devoid of merit.

Will I keep watching them? You bet.

Award show silliness includes the red carpet ritual. During red carpets, viewers at home watch a parade of glamorous people name-dropping their extravagant dresses and jewelry. According to E! Online, the worth of a red carpet look for an “A-Lister” can be up to $10 million dollars, including hair styling, dress, jewelry, shoes, makeup, and more primping. According to my calculations,

that amount of money would feed the family from 19 Kids and Counting for 122 years (so the next generations of Duggars!). This amount of money is unimaginable for the typical American.

Also, the fact that women and men aren’t considered in the same category for acting (and sometimes for music) is inherently sexist in that it makes it seem like the genders can’t give equally powerful performances. When I first read that The Grammys distilled its “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” and “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” categories into “Best Pop Solo Performance” in 2011, I believed that this change was made as a laudable attempt to de-gender the awards. However, my naivete was soon unmasked: it turns out that the two categories were combined because both received too few submissions and to decrease the number of categories. Ideally, actresses and actors (and female and male musicians) would be judged in the same categories for the right reasons. In all, there are a lot of questionable and perhaps prejudicial practices surrounding award shows.

I still watch these shows though and root for my personal picks because I love the spectacle. I love seeing my favorite performers interact with one another, and I love seeing mishaps, technical difficulties, and acceptance speeches running over the allotted time. I love watching Jennifer Lawrence trip over her dress and love-tohate watching the camera pan to Taylor Swift enthusiastically singing and dancing along to others’ songs and being far too happy post-loss. Seeing everything

Lady Gaga at the Oscars

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go down on live television can be at once wonderful and cringe-worthy. It’s fascinating for a pop culture geek like me. Call me a hypocrite, but I’ll never stop tuning in to (or DVR-ing, in order to forward through the insanely long commercial breaks) award shows. ☐

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Brand-New Broadway Shows Arriving Soon poser, choreographer, and book writer). her strict mother, Winnie discovers that the The other show opening this spring Tucks have a secret which could potentially is Tuck Everlasting, an adaptation of the change her life. She must decide whether “I am not throwing away my shot!” beloved children’s book, directed by Casey she wants stay with the Tucks and experiWhether or not you recognize that quotation, Nicholaw. It is about a young girl named ence their secret, or return to her former you’ve probably heard of the smash hit Hamilton. The cast album ranked number 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list, made Spotify’s trending page, and the difficulty of getting tickets has been joked about by even celebrities such as Stephen Colbert. The show’s unique mix of traditional showtunes and hip-hop, combined with an incredibly diverse and talented cast, has catapulted Broadway into popular culture. For anyone who has just become interested in Broadway (whether because of Hamilton or not) or anyone who simply loves a good musical, here are some of the newest shows coming to Broadway and several exciting announcements for the future.

Two of the newest shows opening on Broadway will be coming this spring: Waitress and Tuck Everlasting. Waitress, which premiered here in Boston to a sold out run at the American Repertory Theater, is based on the movie of the same name starring Kerri Russell. It is about a woman named Jenna, played by Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller, who works at a diner and is amazHolly Gettings ing at baking pies. She is trapped in an abusive marriage, and when she hears about a baking contest that could potentially win her enough money to break free from her current life and start anew, she must make some difficult decisions. Directed by Diane Paulus (who also directed Pippin and Finding Neverland which premiered to glowing reviews at the A.R.T. as well), with music and Kimiko Glenn, Jessie Muller, and Keala Settle in Waitress broadway.com lyrics by Sara Bareilles, Waitress will make Broadway history when it opens because it Winnie Foster who one day meets a boy life. Starring Andrew Keenan-Bolger as will be the first show ever to have females named Jesse Tuck and his family. Long- Jesse and 11-year-old Sarah Charles Lewis in all four top creative spots (director, com- ing to be out from under the control of as Winnie in her Broadway debut, Tuck EvBy Julia Mastandrea Contributing Writer

erlasting promises to be as magical and heart-wrenching as the original book.

Two other new Broadway shows are in the works as well, though they won’t be making their debuts just yet. Shortly after the blockbuster-hit Frozen came out, Disney revealed plans to adapt the movie for the stage. Because one of Frozen’s songwriters is Tony Award winner Robert Lopez (Book of Mormon, Avenue Q), and many actors and actresses in the film have Broadway backgrounds, Disney decided to make Frozen the next of its movies to be reworked as a stage musical.

However, no casting has been announced yet so it is unknown whether any of the cast of the movie will also join the Broadway production. To Kill a Mockingbird recently announced that it acquired its stage adaptation rights. The beloved novel, set in 1930s Alabama, follows a young girl named Scout whose lawyer father decides to represent a black man accused of rape.

The book shows Scout’s discovery of the racism of the world she lives in while retaining a sense of humor and warmth throughout much of the novel. The show will feature Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher (South Pacific), in addition to well-known screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who has worked on shows such as The West Wing and movies such as The Social Network and Steve Jobs. Little is known about the show so far, but To Kill a Mockingbird’s popularity is sure to attract a large audience. Both Frozen and To Kill a Mockingbird are scheduled to arrive on Broadway in 2018.

With a wide variety of shows coming to Broadway over the next couple of years, theater fans have a lot to look forward to in the near future! ☐

Thriller Writer Regales and Enriches Winsor Audience Holly Gettings

Holly Gettings

Author and Winsor Parent Joseph Finder Speaks at Assembly

By Arielle Blacklow Panel Staff

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Winsor Lamp, Winsor had the privilege to host Joseph Finder, wellknown writer and parent of a Winsor alumna during assembly on February 24. Mr. Finder spoke about his experiences writing and becoming a writ-

Finder’s High Crimes

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er. He told of his time translating Russian texts for the CIA and how it was not the thrilling job he had hoped for. So instead, he turned to writing thriller novels. Among his first fictional novels to be published were bestsellers The Moscow Club, High Crimes, and Paranoia. While his books have definitely been a success, Mr. Finder certainly had his fair share of struggles when trying to both write his novels and find a publisher. His books were refused by publishers over and over again and he faced writer’s block and disorganization during the writing process. He reflected, however, that “rejection is not such a terrible thing. It's how the world tests you." Some of the most respected and bestselling authors, he added, “are not the best writers, but are the most stubborn, the most persistent.”

Mr. Finder’s rejection surely did not stand in his way to fame.

Not only are his thrillers top sellers, but movies have been made based on High Crimes and Paranoia, starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, and Harrison Ford. Mr. Finder himself was excited to be given the opportunity to play a role of a prosecutor in High Crimes. During the assembly, Mr. Finder revealed, however, that other than his small role as prosecutor, he took little part in the production of the movie. No matter, the movie production has given him an inlet into the Hollywood world and

sor students had the opportunity to ask questions to Mr. Finder. In response to a question about the book he is most proud of writing, he decided on Paranoia because “it was the first book [he] felt was really in [his] own voice.” The assembly has also sparked interest and inspiration in many Winsor girls who still have questions for him. Claudia Meyer ’17 commented, “Hearing from a successful author was so inspiring. I think it reminds the students how important it is to keep trying at whatever you are interested in.” Overall, Mr. Finder gave great insight into the writing and filmmaking processes for Winsor students who were eager to hear and respond to his knowledge. ☐

Paranoia film poster

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helped further acknowledge his enthralling books. Despite this sentiment, Mr. Finder talked about how he did not have a glamorous lifestyle, but Brigitte Schmittlein ’16 remarked, “It looked pretty glamorous to me! When your daughter gets to meet Liam Hemsworth, I think that’s a win.”

Finder with Emma ’12 At the end of the assembly, Win-

amazon.com

Belmont Hill Opinion

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Movement for Establishing Health Course at Belmont Hill Gains Traction continued from page 1 Though there is no health class integrated into the schedule on the Hill, the school does offer important programs where students can discuss health-related topics. Special student-led clubs, such as Peer Leaders, often hold programs for boys about alcohol, bullying, and dating. Guest speakers - Will Slotnick, Bob Bigelow, and Urban Improv - visit campus throughout the year to get students thinking about drug use and sexual harassment.

From ninth graders in Dr. Melvoin’s Ethics class to tenth and eleventh graders in Fishbowl to twelfth graders in TYSK, students discuss the negative effects of sexual and drug-related risk-taking behaviors.

But many believe that those short seminars are not enough. “The programs we currently have about alcohol and stress are certainly valuable, but they’re just too fragmented to effect the benefits we are hoping for,” says Mrs. David. “A Health class, however, connects information from the discrete programs Belmont Hill offers and a host of new material in a streamlined course.” Furthermore, the current program only covers a fraction of what most semester-long courses examine, and many activities are led informally by students who may not be as well-informed as a professional.

As the Director of Counseling and an influential confidante for boys at Belmont Hill, Ms. Schmunk understands the need for a larger Health program. “These are the years when guys develop the foundations of their character, and I have found that our boys are eager to explore these issues,” she says. “The school has provided opportunities for growth through individual speakers, workshops, programs and support groups. We have not, however, offered a consistent, thoughtout Health program where boys could meet weekly and process the non-academic issues in their lives. This would be a valuable experience

for our boys as they move through adolescence.”

Though our male counterparts at Roxbury Latin and St. Sebastian’s schools have a similar paucity of formal Health classes, the majority of schools in our area have implemented substantial programs. Winsor girls are required to take 3 semesters of a robust Health course to graduate high school. “Throughout my years at Winsor, the experience I have had in my many health classes has been invaluable,” says Rebecca Koppel, a senior at Winsor. “I’ve learned so much about so many different, important topics - I’m not sure where I would be developmentally without it.”

Additionally, most of Massachusetts’s public school systems choose to offer a comprehensive program despite the lack of a legal requirement for Health classes. In Winchester and Newton, for example, students are required to enroll in Health classes as early as 6th grade, and these continue as core classes through senior year.

So without a Health class, where exactly do Belmont Hill students get their information?

The programs that the school offers are undoubtedly informative and thought-provoking, but some boys feel that even those cannot answer all of their questions. “I like the programs we do, but I ultimately learn most about Health issues from the Internet and from what my friends tell me,” says an anonymous Belmont Hill student.

“I’m not really sure if the information I’m getting is all that accurate, but there’s really nowhere else I feel comfortable talking about that stuff.”

“Most of our boys are getting the majority of their sex education not from their parents and not from the school, but from online porn,” says Dr. Michael Thompson, author of Raising Cain and the supervising counselor at Belmont Hill. “Sex is an important part of the lives of most adults. I wish for all boys at Belmont Hill to have happy, healthy sexual lives. I believe that a well-

taught Health course could help boys avoid std’s and legally dangerous situations; equally important, it could help them to feel better about their bodies and to find loving sexual relationships.”

A particularly stunning moment for Dr. Thompson was when the Urban Improv group presented to the Upper School about rape and consent. At on point, he realized that none of the hundreds of boys in the chapel knew that they should bring a rape victim to the hospital after an attack.

“At first, I was mad at the students for not knowing, but then I realized that they didn’t know any better. We didn’t teach it to them, and that’s our fault.”

To better understand the sexual activity and health-related decisions made by Belmont Hill students, SADD sent out survey to the Upper School in September, in which 35% of the 62 respondents indicated that they were sexually active. Of those sexually active students, only 55% affirmed that they were confidently practicing safe sex, and only 43% affirmed that they wore a condom during every sexual experience. Furthermore, over ¾ of respondents felt that they have experienced average to poor health education at Belmont Hill. It is important to note that the relatively small sample size of this survey may not allow for readers to draw immediate conclusions.

Yet at the same time, it might be interesting to wonder if these results could change for the better through the establishment of a formal health class.

In response to recent student initiatives, Dr. Melvoin has been receptive to hearing calls for updating the school’s policies on sexual education and improving the current health program. When asked for comment, Dr. Melvoin stated the following: “I believe that Belmont Hill has a strong program in what might be termed ‘health and wellness’ - but it is fragmented. As examples, we do excellent work in drug and alcohol education in every Form; we also help boys think about important issues

from the “We Lead” program in Form I through Third Form Ethics class, from some of the groups that Ms. Schmunk leads through the TYSK program in the spring of Sixth Form year. We also try to be responsive to current issues, as was seen when we put together two events last fall to address matters of sexual assault. At the same time, we need to look more holistically at our program to make sure we are being as comprehensive as we can. In that regard, our different programs in sex ed deserve review and, led by our Health Team, I hope we can engage more in that discussion in the months ahead.”

Unfortunately for student and faculty activists, there are significant obstacles on the road to establishing a Health course. Two glaring obstacles include the already-overloaded schedule and the availability of teachers. Members of the Senate believe that the course could operate like Ethics or like meetings with Will Slotnick, happening weekly or bi-weekly for one semester at a Lunch, 2:15, or 4:00 Study Hall period. As for course instructors, Ms. Schmunk, who has experience working on a similar course, believes that the best Health educators are those who understand what the boys are thinking and allow students to be honest with each other. The training, she says, is not extremely rigorous, and it would appeal to many engaged advisors on campus.

There is a significant distance that must be covered by both the student body and the administration before any real change becomes implemented. But the energy around these ideas is unprecedented. “I’ve never been so hopeful that we can actually expand the Health program,” says Ms. Schmunk. “The students in SADD and the Senate have had great timing.” Perhaps next fall, students from Form I to Form VI will be having entirely new and provocative conversations about previously-awkward topics, and that blue bag in the Health Office will be brought out once again. ☐

The Exploitation of College Atheletes: Should They Be Paid?

By Mack Perry Panel staff In a week, tens of millions of Americans will turn on their televisions and dive into 67 games of March Madness, watching college athletes compete at a top level. The tournament brings in over a billion dollars in advertisement revenue alone.

College football generates the same amount of insanity, with an estimated 26 million tuning in to this year’s championship. Yet the athletes will not receive a penny for their work; instead, the money goes straight into the pockets of the schools and the NCAA, a “non-profit” association that made $989 million in revenue for the 2014 fiscal year.

There are two sources to blame for this monetary exploitation of these athletes: the NCAA, which has a near-monopoly over collegiate sports, and the schools themselves. To exploit their athletes, the NCAA hides behind its “amateurism”, which they laud as a “bedrock principle of college athletics and the NCAA”. This protects the NCAA and their schools from having to pay their athletes. “There’s not even a salary to debate. They’re not employees, they’re students”, says Mark Emmert, president of the NCAA. The NCAA enforces strict rules banning athletes from accepting any form of payment or benefit that a “non-athlete” wouldn’t receive, including discounts at stores or even free lunches. The NCAA and its schools profit off of ticket sales, ads, sponsorships, and apparel, using the money to finance ludicrous stadiums and salaries of valuable head coaches. Who is Alabama’s highest-paid state employee? None other than Tide coach Nick Saban, who earns a handsome seven million dollars a year. In fact, the highest-paid employees in 40 states in the country are either men’s basketball or football coaches. It’s a conundrum with no right answer: while these athletes shouldn’t be paid tens of thousands of dollars in yearly salary, we can’t simply ignore the injustice of a thirteen billion dollar business that gives not one penny to its “money-makers”.

Sports have always been viewed as beneficial to academics; it’s one of the founding tenets of Belmont Hill, where students play sports every day. But at Belmont Hill, students dedicate the majority of

their hours to academics, and have designated time for clubs. The NCAA notes on their website that less than 2% of their basketball and football players turn pro, and stresses the importance of education before sports. However, Division 1 men’s basketball and football players spend approximately 40 hours a week on their sports; basically, it’s their full-time job. The amount of time demanded by D1 sports makes it virtually impossible for students to keep up with classwork. In fact, top athletes may not be able, or choose not to, attend class at all. A 2014 scandal at the Uni-

with an education; however, only 53% of studentathletes are awarded some sort of athletic scholarship.

However, athletic scholarships are contingent on athlete performance and health and can be revoked at any time. A torn ACL or career-ending concussion can mean that a student loses his or her scholarship, which might have been the only way he or she could afford college in the first place. The NCAA does not cover their athletes with insurance, instead requiring players to finance their own insurance, either by themselves or through the school. Furthermore, play-

versity of North Carolina revealed the school offering fraudulent “paper classes” for eighteen years where attendance was optional and the only requirement was a one page final paper, aiming to keep athletes academically eligible with a free “A”. The time-consuming schedule of a Division 1 sport creates an incredibly tight schedule that leaves little room for studying or other parts of college life. Adding in other demands prior to college, such as camps, AAU and club, and college recruiting visits, elite athletics can prevent top recruits from developing the academic abilities that would enable them to thrive in college courses.

The NCAA rationalizes that athletes are “paid”

ers are rarely subsidized by a full scholarship - only the best of the best have a free ride, for the NCAA caps the amount of yearly scholarships granted by a school to their team. For example, the NCAA permits just 12.6 full scholarships for D1 men’s lacrosse programs that must be split between the 40-odd players on a roster. Most scholarships are not split evenly, either - starters on the team are awarded more than second-stringers, who commit just as much time on the team, but may not be earning the school as much money for their play. A chart in an October 2015 Business Insider article averaged the athletic departnment revenue vs. scholarship expensives from

the ten schools that made the most money in 2014, which were all large state-schools, such as Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M. The average scholarship expense for each school totalled $12.4 million, while incoming revenue added up to $144.8 million’ colleges are funneling just a 1/12 of income back into scholarships.Both an increase in scholarship cap and a guarantee in the case of injury must be implemented to fairly reward an athlete’s work on the field.

Recent attempts to define student-athletes as employees made national news as the Northwestern football team attempted to unionize after the 20132014 season. The Chicago district of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) voted in favor, but their decision was overturned in August 2015 on the argument that the players were students, first. A CNN article published at the time revealed that the Northwestern players spend 50-60 hours a week on football in the pre-season and 30-40 during the regular season, quite for a heavy dose of time “extra-curricular activity”. The lead student-athlete organizer for Northwestern, former quarterback Kain Colter, testified that the coaching staff advised him to drop his plans to continue his pre-med major, as the courses required were too difficult and time-consuming to align with his football requirements. Missed class time due to athletic commitments prohibits a student-athlete from the “student” opportunity; there should be an opportunity to freely continue and finish their education and install more regulations to ensure students are receiving the valued education they are promised.

It would be ideal to protect the sanctity of amateurism in collegiate sports, but in reality the booming business has turned too large to ignore “amateurism” anymore. While we cannot professionalize college athletics, the NCAA should increase the number of scholarships available to cover more athletes and guarantee the scholarship in the case of a season-ending injury, cover insurance for all of their players, and provide a free education for those who choose to finish their degree or cover classes missed due to the burdensome athletic commitments. Increased benefits for athletes is the first step to tackle the exploitation of student-athletes without completely professionalizing the sport.☐

Belmont Hill Opinion

March 10, 2016

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Student Debate: Pie vs. Cake This is our last Panel debate. We’d like to thank all the people who’ve read this column over the past year and passionately voiced their opinions to us. We’ve enjoyed writing this section and we hope you all have enjoyed reading it too. Look out for our final email, in which we’ll send out the poll for this debate as well as take a look back at all previous debates. Without further ado... Pie vs. Cake. Jay and Gabe out.

Team Pie

By Gabe Schmittlein Panel staff I’ve got one question for Jay O’Brien… Do you hate America? Do you hate freedom? Do you hate bald eagles? (that was three questions I’m sorry) To quote the great card game Apples to Apples, “Apple Pie: It’s as American as….. as….. Something.” Of course, the classic idiom goes “as American as apple pie,” which is why the quote is funny guys! The natural association that we see between pie

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and America is easy to understand -- both are great -- but this debate isn’t about America, it’s about pie versus cake, so let’s get down to it.

First off, let’s talk heavy hitters; the big two that initially come to mind when thinking of pies are apple pie and pumpkin pie. Any type of cake pales in comparison to these legends of the dessert game. In fact, when young cakes around the age of five or six (in cake years) are asked what they want to be when they grow up, their most common answers are apple pie and pumpkin pie (research done by Gabe Schmit-

tlein). I’m in danger of running out of analogies here but apple pie and pumpkin pie are like the 2025 Philadelphia 76ers winning their 5th straight NBA Championship and visiting the White House to meet the President - the perfect combination of unstoppable and America.

Pie doesn’t just bring the heat with its top two, though, it’s also an extremely diverse and deep group of desserts. Let me take you on a trip down Pie Lane… We’ve got all the fruit pies: apple, blueberry, peach, strawberry rhubarb, grape; the creamy pies: pumpkin, chocolate cream, banana cream, Boston Cream, key lime, pecan, sweet potato. Or we can show off the versatility of this food and go for the non-dessert pies: chicken pot pie, shepherd’s pie; the stretching-the-definition-of-pie pies: pizza pie, any sort of cobbler or crisp, tiramisu (all considered pies according to food.com). Pie takes the cake (YES PUNS) in this debate with both top-end quality and impressive depth. Doesn’t hurt that it’s got America on its side either. Your move, cake. ☐

Team Cake In what will be our last newspaper debate, Gabe has made the fatal decision to argue in favor of Team Pie in a classic debate of cake versus pie. These have been very enjoyable for the two of us to write over the past year, and I thank everyone for read-

previous debate for chocolate versus vanilla), and while these are certainly high quality dessert options which have rightfully earned an annual spot at the birthday dinner table, Team Cake has more to offer. Much like the addition of the designated hitter in baseball, the invention of ice cream cakes added an entirely new offensive juggernaut to this debate, since

ing. Now let’s get into the debate.

Much like our first debate of breakfast and dinner, this is truly a matter of quality versus quantity.

There are plenty of different pies that one can eat, and I will concede that apple pies and pumpkin pies in particular are moderately delectable. Yet for every apple pie and pumpkin pie, you also have to take into account the ones at the bottom of the barrel, like the sour tasting lemon meringue pie or pecan pie, which basically looks like a pie made of bugs. So sure Gabe, your top two or three precious pies may be good, but there is a sizable drop off in quality once you start examining the spinach pies of the world. I bet Gabe didn’t mention that one in his article.

As for cake, the typical image that pops into mind is a icing-topped chocolate or vanilla birthday cake (see

the dessert combines icing and ice cream into one refined masterpiece of a cuisine. In addition, the addition of cheesecakes to this stellar lineup creates an unstoppable food trio that is not to be messed with. Much like ice cream cakes that can have many different flavors of ice creams, the cheesecake has a plethora of options to choose from depending on the restaurant, including chocolate, mocha cappuccino, oreo, and strawberry swirl.

So on the surface, it may seem like Team Cake has a limited number of options, when in reality, the three main branches have all kinds of different flavors that warrant your vote in this debate. In conclusion, I would like to once again thank everyone for reading these debates, and more importantly, I plead that you make the correct decision and vote for Team Cake. ☐

By Jay O’Brien Panel Staff

Jockeying For Success: In Favor of Spring Break Practice

By Robbie Warming Staff Writer Although being dragged from a Floridian beach to a week-long sports camp doesn’t feel ideal for parents and students alike, the week of training positions our teams for success throughout the season. The intensive week-long training sessions, which are now recognized as a part of varsity sports at Belmont Hill, allow our athletes to develop camaraderie, skill, team strategy, and fitness long before the season starts. The extra training adds to the short spring season and gives us an athletic edge over our ISL peers.

Spring training, at its basic level, supplies time for team bonding through spending a week together through intensive, double-session training. By forming team camaraderie early, athletes act more

cohesively in future practices and games.

Not to mention, the friendships born from sports teams are second to none. This early-formed teamwork simply creates a better playing environment which, in turn, provides more long-term success. By starting off in a better mental state, teammates can push each other to whatever level necessary to win throughout the season.

Whether it be on the campus fields or the waters of the Charles, skill is a defining factor in a team’s success as well.

Spring training, often involving double sessions or longer practices, provides coaches with the time to cement athletes’ muscle memory. In the case of rowing, the extra week of training during March break is the ultimate WD-40 for rusty form. Mr. Richards, the head coach of Varsity Crew, said: “It is pretty much a fundamental truth in sport that practice and repetition lead to mastery, wheth-

er shooting free throws, doing the pole vault, or rowing a stroke.” Spring training provides our teams the chance to hit the ground running once the season kicks off, as many spring games are played the first week back. Thus, the extra week is absolutely vital for installing plays, formations, and individual technique.

Perhaps more pressing, athletes obtain significant physiological benefits from this week of training. Though exceptions arise, vacations tempt a sedentary lifestyle - I certainly wouldn’t mind lounging on the couch and watching twelve-hour Netflix marathons for two weeks. But success in spring requires maintaining some semblance of a training plan during break. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association both recommend thirty minutes of moderate activity five days a week, at minimum. That being

said, rest is important, and perhaps one can utilize one week for resting the mind and body. But not two, which is why a March break training camp is so important. Active individuals lose strength after two and a half weeks of inactivity; cardio drops in just twelve days and the effects of strength-loss would set in by the end of break. Therefore, the training camps during the second week of March break are absolutely vital, preventing atrophy and building toward future success.

If we expect to continue Belmont Hill’s victorious athletic legacy, March break training must be supported. Not only do these camps improve our athletes psychologically, technically, and physically, but such training has become increasingly commonplace across the ISL program; in short, everyone does it. If spring training were dropped, the scoreboards would reflect the consequences.☐

Winsor Opinion

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The Return of the Winsor Advice Column Winsor Junior Emily Chen responds to your inquiries

By Emily Chen Contributing Writer Welcome back to The Panel advice column! Thank you to everyone who submitted such thoughtful questions. Think of another question? Send it through the GoogleForm, and I’d love to answer it in the next issue of the Panel! -- Emily Chen, Class VII I play a Varsity sport at Winsor, and I also do one of the more time-consuming clubs. How do I manage that in addition to homework? – Miserable Mary Dear Miserable Mary,

You are not alone! Everyone struggles to balance her academic life (homework), her personal life (sports you do, clubs you’re involved with, time to eat, relax, sleep, etc), and her social life. Since this is your first year of high school (you mentioned on our survey that you are a Class V student), everything must seem ten times more time consuming and overwhelming.

There are two pieces of advice that I can offer you: 1) make priorities and 2) motivate yourself in someway to stay efficient. Both of these things are easier said than done (I am the first to admit that I struggle to be efficient with my time everyday). Nevertheless, these skills are important for ensuring that you have time in the day to do everything you enjoy. To prioritize your activities, perhaps you could find another club that you would enjoy just as much as your current club but that requires less commitment.

I know it’s difficult to consider dropping something that you might be super passionate about, but there may be another club out there that is just as exciting and interesting.

To get motivated, give yourself some incentives to get homework done sooner rather than later. Think about a favorite food of yours that you can eat when you’ve written two pages of a paper. Or maybe hold off from perusing Instagram and sending Snapchats until you’ve finished two subjects. But do make sure that you take periodic breaks and don’t work for six straight hours. It’s important to enjoy yourself, too! Watch a favorite show or talk to a friend. And remember: using your free periods to work means

that you’ll have less work to do at home.

Despite all of this advice, I want to remind you that this is just the beginning of high school. You still have many years to figure out what works for you. I felt incredibly overwhelmed myself as a freshman because I wasn’t used to having so much work in addition to my extracurricular commitments, and it took some time for me to realize that I couldn’t do every possible thing I wanted to do. If you use your first year of high school as a time to experiment with different time management strategies, then you will feel much more comfortable managing all of your commitments during the rest of high school.

You can do it!

What are some good foods to eat (real food, candy, junk food, anything really) for a Friday night hangout with your friends?

What if it’s been an emotional/traumatic week? What will make everyone happy (and full)? – Fun-on-a-Friday Felicia Hi Fun-on-a-Friday Felicia!

In my opinion, any food is good food--at least most of the time! I think that people will be happy with anything you serve, but a good thing to do before a hangout would be to ask the invitees what they would like to eat. If you want to indulge on “unhealthy” treats, some good “go-to” options are Doritos, sea-salt popcorn, and bars of (dark) chocolate. If you really want to splurge on junk food, however, go for those gourmet peanut butter cups (or Reeses work fine too), Peeps, and Terra chips. Of course, you could also serve some healthier options like kale chips, almonds, and yogurt parfaits. These foods will definitely make you feel better than how most of us feel after advisory! If it’s been a particularly difficult week, I suggest having more food than usual (the more food the better). But to be honest, I think that people will be happiest that

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they get to spend time with their friends and relax after a long week. Have fun!

I don’t know how to respond when my friend gives me backhanded compliments. What do I do??????? –Anonymous Hi Anonymous!

Compliments are always nice to receive, but backhanded ones are a little bit harder to understand. Your friend probably means the best when s/he is complimenting you, but there are two ways to respond based on whether or not you like the compliment. If you don’t really mind them, or actually find them funny, then perhaps it can just become a joke between you two. A little humor in life is always good! But if you don’t like backhanded compliments, say so!

You shouldn’t have to laugh off every veiled insult.

Seeing as the person behind a backhanded compliment is most likely a good friend (s/he probably feels tangibleireland.com close enough to joke around with you), telling your friend that you’re hurt by these “compliments” can be really difficult. However, I think that your relationship has the capacity to grow enormously from telling each other the truth, so even if you’re worried about your friend’s reaction, know that honesty is always the best path to take in a friendship.

How to get good grades? – Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Oh! If only there were a straightforward, easy answer to this question, I would happily give it to you! Don’t worry though, because you are far from alone – I also wonder about this question quite a bit sometimes! What I can give you is some advice to help you feel more confident during tests or while writing papers. The first piece of advice that I can offer you is to seek help if you don’t understand something. Either find a friend to study with or schedule a time to meet with your teachers. Also, there are peer tutors available if you want an “expert” to work with you one-on-one once per 7 day cycle. My second piece of advice

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is to actively participate in class. The more questions you ask, the more involved you become in class discussions, and the more you use class time effectively, the more likely you will get to a test or paper and understand the concepts. My last piece of advice may seem counterintuitive to getting “good grades,” but I suggest that you think less about your grades and more about whether or not you’ve gotten something out of the experience. This particular piece of advice is extremely challenging to remember in the moment that you get a “bad grade” back, but I promise that you will get way more out of your high school experience if you take a step back and gain perspective of the greater picture. Always ask yourself, do I understand what I’ve done right and what I’ve done wrong? How can I improve next time? By asking these questions and seeing the whole rather than the part, you are more likely to relax and have more fun in school. See the path to your future as a bunch of squiggly lines, rather than a clearly defined path. Good luck! ☐

facebook.com Emily Chen- here to solve your problems!

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Beyonce’s “Formation”: Super Bowl Smash or Super Out of Line?

Reflections on the controversy behind Beyonce’s latest single

By Sophie Stone Contributing Writer Beyonce recently released her latest song, “Formation.” In true Beyonce form, the music video was, as one Winsor girl put it, “a work of art.” The lyrics engage with the black American Southern experience, and act as a call to action, a call to “get [into] formation” for the cause of black equality. The video comments on different aspects of the black southern identity, according to Beyonce. A young boy is shown dancing in front of a police line. The camera pans to graffiti saying “stop killing us,” then pans back to the officers who put their hands up. The images of the video are both compelling and evocative.

A majority of Winsor students interviewed praised the song and vid-

eo. Chanel Matthews, ’17 stated that “‘Formation’ brings attention to a very real, pressing issues, and that can be uncomfortable to discuss, but I think [Beyonce highlights] topics that necessitate conversation.” Chanel’s sentiment is also shared by Priya Shukla, ’17 who stated that she admired that Beyonce “was using her platform to bring her message out.” She acknowledged that though there were parts that she “didn’t understand,” she still found the video “compelling.”

On a different note, one student expressed that while she thought “Formation” certainly highlighted important concepts, she believed “that as a very influ-

ential artist, Beyonce could so so much more with her voice.” She expressed frustration that Beyonce had not used her fame and power to “speak out more” for the Black Lives Matter movement.

With the release of her recent song, Beyonce has sparked discussion and captured the nation’s attention. What she decides to do with this attention will be telling. ☐

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Winsor Opinion

March 10, 2016

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Why Winsor: Juniors reflect on choice to attend Winsor

By Emma Pan Contributing Writer As we study for standardized tests and begin the college counseling process at Winsor, we juniors (Class ’17) are forced to acknowledge that college is coming and that it, and all of its expectations, are very, very real. A survey sent out to Class of 2017 revealed, perhaps not surprisingly, that almost everyone’s least favorite aspect of Winsor right now is the stress that comes from the pressures and expectations of quickly approaching college applications.

Many of us feel that we live in an environment in which “everything is about getting into college (Anonymous, ’17)” and that at Winsor in particular, there is an “infectious mindset that we must all be perfectionists and cannot take pleasure in our successes (Amanda Lu, ’17)” perpetuated in our school. These frustrations with Winsor raise an important question that we may have ignored or forgotten: Why do we go to Winsor? One student had the opportunity to experience an environment without Winsor’s stress at a semester away program last semester and returned with the simple but sublime answer of: “I don’t know (Anony-

Kiran Butte

mous, ’17).” Luckily for the rest of us, we needn’t look far from home in order to get some new perspectives on and answers to this question.

In order to figure out why we go to Winsor, it may help us to be reminded of why we applied to Winsor in the first place. Since different people come to Winsor at different times, there is a great range in age for when we applied to Winsor. A fourth grader applying for Class I will probably have different priorities than a more experienced eighth grader applying for Class V. Thus, our decisions to apply to Winsor may have differed based on how old we were at the time of application. Some of us may not have even had a choice in applying. In the survey, 66.7% of Class of 2017 chose “parents” as one of the reasons for their applying to Winsor, and 72.2% chose “prestige.” However, the most popular reason, with 88.9% of the responses, was for “the challenging curriculum.”

According to Betsy Kim, ’17, Winsor has “an incredibly stimulating academic environment, and I believe that it will prepare me well for college.” The academically challenging curriculum is one of the things that makes Winsor special, and apparently most of us were drawn to Winsor by the promise of the thought-provoking material characteristic of our classes.

However, after applying, we had to take a large leap of faith to turn that promise into a reality. When we jumped from simply applying for another education option to choosing to spend a third (or more) of our lives at Winsor for the next 3-8 years, our reasons for going must have strengthened. When asked what factors helped people to decide to actually come to Winsor, once again the most popular response was for the “challenging curriculum,” with 72.2%. Notably, not as many chose this as the reason for coming to Winsor as they did for applying to Winsor. The number of people who chose “the prestige” also sank to 55.6%, and “parents” sank even more to 38.9%. Instead, people tended to choose options that had to do more with them-

selves than outside forces.

55.6% of people chose “the Winsor community,” 50% chose “the academic options,” and 44.4% chose the “all-girls environment.” After applying to Winsor, these more personal reasons ended up being the main reasons for why people chose to actually attend Winsor.

In fact, when asked “What’s your favorite aspect of Winsor?”, almost everyone’s response was linked to the Winsor community or the allgirls environment in some way. For some of us, the community is made special by how engaged and intelligent the people are. “I really like the motivation that you see from all the students and the close-knit community,” says Arielle Blacklow ’17, “People are so intellectual that discussions about topics you study continue outside the classroom.”

Others love the freedom to say what you want to say. “[Winsor]’s such a safe place to openly express an interest for a subject/ topic of learning-- here, students aren’t considered “nerds” for doing so--or if they are, it’s a positive label (Anonymous, ’17).” Additionally, the all-girls part of Winsor helps to foster this open and “nerdy” environment in which we feel comfortable with our opinions and how we look. Kiran Butte, ’17 says, “[Wearing] sweatpants [is] actually the norm here, and I think that is special. You don’t have to try hard to look pretty or cool or whatever because here that is just not the focus; it’s who you are and what you like and how much you can procrastinate when writing an English paper because honestly that is talent.” Because we are so comfortable with expressing ourselves at Winsor, we are able to explore who we are. According to Isabel

Kristie Rae Gillooly Griffith-Gorgati ’17, “It has allowed me to really find my own voice in many ways.” Another anonymous Class ’17 Winsor girl said, “we’re encouraged to be whoever we want to be.” What all this comes down to is that many of us are here because, as Audrey Bloom ’17 aptly states, “somebody is doing an excellent job attracting and admitting genuine, passionate, and supportive girls to the school.

My classmates are why I show up to school (almost) every day.”

We’ve all had our moments of doubt, and we’ll probably be having a lot more in the future. But, despite the fact that the highly academically-motivated Winsor community may be what perpetuates the stress that we dislike, it is also what makes many of us want to stay. “Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I hadn’t come here, but I’ve stayed because I genuinely cannot imagine a place in which I would feel more safe, accepted, and supported. I have had wonderful teachers and made such strong friendships, and I think these bonds are what have kept me here. I know we criticize the “Winsor Bubble” but it is a happy little bubble that I can call my home (Anonymous, ’17).” As long as we remember why we go to Winsor, nothing, not winsor.edu even college, will be able to burst our bubble.☐

What is the Role of Feminism in the Ballot?

A Winsor Student’s Opinion on the Significance of Clinton’s Gender

Sanders in which she declared, “There is a President would handle situations and such special place in Hell for women who don’t in America rather than making a statement support other women.” It is important to note, through gender.” These arguments are valcont from page 1... first of all, that Albright’s quote was taken a litid. In an ideal world, the factor of gender in As I attend an all-girls school and tle bit out of context; she was giving a broader electability would be nonexistent, as would have associated with progressive, thoughtful talk on gender equality, not commanding race and religion. The motive of feminism, people all my life, I have rarely been discrimi- women to after all, is apajuelo27.files.wordpress.com to nated against based on my gender. However, vote for achieve although the full brunt of sexism may be an C l i n t o n . equality for experience that I and many girls my age lack, R e g a r d the sexes, not its existence cannot go ignored. There are few less, femisimply to prowomen in government, there are more CEO’s nists Gloria mote women named John than there are those who are fe- S t e i n e m in general. male, and there remains an unwarranted in- and MadHowequality in pay. Some misinformed individu- eleine Alever, others als take a look at the closing wage-gap and the b r i g h t ’ s argue that we improving percentages and deny the existence messages to do not live of sexism. Numbers may be improving, but young fein an ideal that does not mean that the problem is solved male voters world, so as sexism cannot be accurately reflected in that they do gender must numbers. As millennials in an all-girls setting, not necesbe consida generation known for being near-aggressive sarily comered more in with accepting and embracing difference, we p r e h e n d elections. Eva can scarcely comprehend the full inequality the imporDowd ’18 exthat still exists. tance of the plains that, Just as having Obama in offices ad- f e m i n i s t “Many peovances the cause of racial diversity, having movement ple, people Clinton in the office would be necessary to didn’t bode I’ve heard in advance further gender equality, a phenom- well with younger women and sparked a heatperson and people online, say that we live enon much more difficult than writing new ed debate: Is Hillary Clinton’s gender inconin a world of “post feminism,” and it doesn’t laws. Juliet Isselbacher ’18 affirms this sig- sequential or a possible factor in electing her? matter that [Hillary Clinton] is a woman nificance: “Just as it was a social statementpolitichicks.com to Some women argue that true femisince women have equality in the world elect Obama, it would be a statement to elect nism entails judging and electing candidates now. That is just not true. We have not had Clinton. It would show that we as a nation are on their policies only, male or female regarda woman president yet, and there is still deeply committed to the achievement of gen- less. Penny Mack ’18 argues, “It’s important much discrimination in the workplace.” der equality. And that’s a powerful message.” to acknowledge her gender, but it should not Although gender, “should not be the only, Many women erupted in outrage after be a reason to decide for or against [Clinton].” or the most important, thing that should be Madeleine Albright’s recent comment against Likewise, Caroline Nolan ’20 reasons that, thought about when deciding what candiyoung women supporting candidate Bernie “the election should be about the way the date to vote for,” she adds, “I don’t think we

By Isabel Isselbacher Panel Staff

can start to ignore gender and pretend it’s not an issue until equality has been achieved.”

Overall, although all Winsor students who were asked for a quote said that Clinton’s gender should be considered when voting, they diverged on whether that point should be factored into casting a vote.

By no means should you vote for anyone based solely on their gender or racial identity; numerous factors must be taken into account when electing a President. A candidate may be likeable and charismatic, but may lack a true action plan. A candidate may hold all the same opinions and values as you do, but they might be ineffective in congress. Effectiveness is one of the most important things to consider when electing a President, because if the executive can’t get things done, their ideas don’t matter.

But, if the importance of effectiveness is taken into account, one might also argue that a pioneer President (first woman, first Hispanic, etc.) might be effective if he or she succeeds as a leader in promoting meaningful change by serving in office.

As many people put it well, finally having a female President would reflect positive change for the country, regardless of what party you identify with. Therefore, although it is not right to simply pick the minority candidate, if you are ever torn between two well-matched candidates, consider the implications of having a first female, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu etc. president.

Although a candidate’s minority status alone is not enough to warrant your vote, it could definitely be a tie-breaker after you’ve considered the candidates’ plans and policies.☐

Gabe & Emily’s Last L ast L o ok

Pa g e 2 0

Th e Pan el

Breaking News: Your Teachers Were Once Young Winsor

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Winsor: 1-Ms. Macaulay, 2-Ms. Labieniec, 3-Ms. Kelly, 4-Mr. Mosher, 5-Ms. Ryan, 6-Mr. Braxton, 7-Mr. Johnson, 8-Ms. Stern BH: 1- Mr. Trautz, 2-Dr. Wachtmeister, 3-Mr. Kirby, 4-Mr. Martellini, 5-Mr. Zamore, 6-Doc Fast, 7-Mr. Bradley, 8-Mr. Brownell, 9-Mr. O’Leary, 10-Mr. Butler

This Quiz Will Help You Determine Your Favorite Nickleback Song Look at this photograph:

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Yes, and every time I do, it makes me laugh.

Your favorite song is Photograph No.

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Did you look at it?

Are you through with standing in lines to clubs you’ll never get in? Is it the bottom of the ninth, and you’re never gonna win? Has this life not turned out quite the way you want it to be?

Your favorite song is Rockstar

What is this quiz?

I’m not really sure...

More fear, revolution -- Armin Thomas • 48555 65200 81818 54747 56215……. If you weren’t able to decipher that code don’t even bother responding. Long live the revolution.

A visa to New Zealand -- Mr. Kirby • Will purchase pending a certain presidential outcome (rhymes with trickery prison, which are two words that ironically describe said candidate well, also I’m not very good at rhyming).

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Yes, and I just wanna be a big rock star.

“Reaching for something in the distance, so close you can almost taste it, Release your inhibitions, feel the rain on your skin, No one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, No one else, no one else, can speak the words on your lips, Drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms wide open, Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten”

- Natasha Bedingfield The Panily (Panel-Family)

• I can’t afford to be looking small. Also, if you’ve got any good calf exercises I’m all ears.

A win -- The Football Team • We’d settle for a tie even.

A name that’s easier to spell -- Bhawramaett Broehm •

never hear about unless they had weird names (including, but not limited to etc...) Lorenzenioso, Literally any name ever.