B elmont Hill Arts
Pa g e 8
T he B anner / Panel
Standout Musician of the Issue: Jacob Czarnecki ’22 By Daniel Bittner ’22 Panel Staff Of all the individuals who participate in Belmont Hill’s visual and performing arts, there is likely no one more passionate than Jacob Czarnecki ’22 of the B-Flats. Whether he’s practicing for an upcoming performance in the Prenatt music building or performing a solo in front of the whole school on a Friday morning, Czarnecki’s upbeat attitude and excitement towards singing is contagious to everyone listening, improving both the spirit of the B-Flats and the entire music department. Although Czarnecki enjoyed music and singing prior to coming to Belmont Hill, he first experienced being a part of a major group in Form I as a member of the Glee Club. Crediting his instant passion for group-signing upon entering Belmont
Hill to the “always fun” Brother P, Czarnecki would later be inspired to join Belmont Hill’s B-Flats as he entered Form IV. In addition to his role in the B-Flats at Belmont Hill, Czarnecki has also pursued singing in his community. Having joined the choir of his local church a few years ago, Jacob says he has “improved and learned a lot” performing outside of Belmont Hill with different groups of singers. Ultimately, Czarnecki says his favorite parts of singing are the ability to “add your own flavor to a song” after memorizing the notes and lyrics. Now a leader of the B-Flats as a senior, Czarnecki strives to continue signing well into the future. Although he may not be able to sing regularly with his local choir due to the potential location of his future college, he hopes to be able to join either a college a capella group or other choir after Belmont Hill. The Panel wishes Czarnecki well in all of his future musical endeavors. ☐ Jacob Czarnecki ’22
BH Commu-
Spicy Squid Game Review By Aidan Lee ’24 Panel Staff As many know, Squid Game is a Korean drama on Netflix. The show is based around the experiences of Korean individuals in their endeavors to pay off their debts, a task that involves them playing classical Korean children’s games with a fatal twist. Squid Game represents the intricacies of our society and how we view and treat those in debt. It focuses on the struggles of Seong Gi-Hun as he decides whether money is something worth risking his life for. The drama also demonstrates how money can undermine humanity, as the people par-
Squid Game
Luke Trevisan ’24 Netflix’s hottest new show
ticipating in the games begin to lose all morality. Through the lies and tragedies in the show, we get a sense of a completely devastated society, in which everybody will do anything for their own survival. The show is completely riveting, with an interesting plot and dynamic characters. Other than the first two episodes, I believe that Squid Game deserves top marks for entertainment, and I believe that many others would agree; its worldwide recognition allowed it to become the #1 show on Netflix in 90 different countries. I strongly recommend Squid Game, as its shock factor and investing storyline provide for an entertaining experience. ☐
Netflix
Can’t Hurt Me Book Review by Luke Wagner By Luke Wagner ’22 Panel Staff David Goggins recalls his life in a short and sweet autobiography titled Can’t Hurt Me. Growing up in an underprivileged neighborhood, Goggins dealt with racism and experienced struggles in learning. He was behind his grade level academically, which resulted in him changing schools many times during his early education. However, he was never really able to find a place he could call home. After becoming overweight and depressed in his mid-twenties, Goggins decided that he needed to turn his life around. An upcoming Navy Seal trial served as his motivation, and Goggins dedicated his life to improving himself both physically and mentally. Goggins tried three times to pass the Navy’s evaluation, succeeding on his third try and earning his spot as a Navy Seal. The book goes on to detail his unbelievable feats and successes, some of which are entirely inconceivable by readers. Goggins describes the times he ran for twenty-four hours straight with no training, competed in one of the hardest Ironman races, and set the world record for most pull-ups in a day (4,030), a record that sadly does not still stand.
My main takeaway from Can’t Hurt Me wasn’t the grandeur of Goggins incredible achievements, but his unrelenting drive and determination; grit and overcoming obstacles remain central to every chapter of the novel. Goggins highlights that no matter what you endure in life, you can overcome anything. He was knocked down all throughout his childhood and early adulthood, but he was able to come out on top because of his perseverance. Goggins also focuses on how people don’t become successful overnight, and that it takes countless hours of practice to become truly great at something. He emphasizes that success requires being able to overcome immense adversity and that struggle is sometimes necessary for personal growth. I recommend this book to everyone. This novel changed my perspective about physical and mental strength; it made me realize there is always more in me, even when I think I have reached my limit. ☐
Can’t Hurt Me
Amazon.com
