The Panel February 2021 (Volume 69, Issue 6)

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ACTION AT THE CAPITOL President Biden, VP Harris, and Ex-President Trump Make History in Different Ways

By Abe Tolkoff ’21 Panel Staff

President Joe Biden gives his Inaugural Address to the American public in front of the US Capitol Building in January (Getty Images).

It is clear to all Americans, especially those who follow the news, that now is not a “normal” time in our political process.

The backdrop is not new, a transition of power from one party, and one president to the other. However, the context that surrounded what is typically a day of pomp and circumstance paints a more complex image of this coveted process. In this issue, The Panel will discuss these national headlines, exploring the opinions of the Belmont Hill community and our nation.

Furthermore, we will highlight the many historic moments of the day. The views expressed in our opinions section are solely those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the paper at large or the Belmont Hill School. We hope to spark a dialogue over what our data suggests are divisive issues on our campus, and encourage faculty and students alike to write letters to our editorial staff or seek other ways to share their opinions because they are valued. Impeachment is discussed in our Opinions section on page six, and the inauguration in News on page two. ☐

Alumni Headlines Vaccine Rollout: When Will Belmont Hill Get Vaccinated?

By Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 Panel Staff

By Alex Lo ’23 Panel Staff

Over the last several weeks, multiple Belmont Hill alumni have made headlines for their involvement in national events. Dr. Rachel Levine ’75 was nominated by President Biden to be the Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. Juniors and seniors may recall her memorable Chapel talk delivered in 2016 called “Eye of the Hurricane’’ that urged students to not make assumptions and to be comfortable with themselves and accepting of others. Regarding the nomination, Biden issued a statement saying, “Dr. Rachel Levine will bring the steady leadership and essential expertise we need to get people through this pandemic — no matter their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability — and meet the public health needs of our country in this critical moment and beyond. She is a historic and deeply qualified choice to help lead our administration’s health efforts.” If confirmed, Dr. Levine would be the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate in the nation’s history. In her position, she would serve as the main advisor to Xavier Becerra, who has been nominated to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services,...

Continued on Page 2

With the arrival of the new Biden administration, the question of when Belmont Hill will receive the Coronavirus vaccine looms. As of January 23, 2021, there are 24.9 million cases and 414,000 deaths in the US. However, the development of vaccines late in the Trump administration has given promise for the future. Currently, the two vaccines approved by the FDA were developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine must be kept at -70 Celsius and is approved for ages 16 and up. The Moderna vaccine must be kept at -20 degrees Celsius and is approved for ages 18 and up.

Thus, eligible students at Belmont Hill would most likely take the Pfizer vaccine. Both vaccines require taking two doses, separated by three weeks. Although there is a pressing need for vaccines, distribution has had a slow start. From statistics in early January, of the 14 million vaccines sent out, only around 2.8 million were distributed. The Biden administration has presented several commitments for

Look Inside The Panel

’21

Tyler recounts his hockey origin story as a major player prepares for his last season on the hill.

Alex Lo ’23 and Cooper Nelson ’23 analyze the attacks on the capital and share a selection of community opinions.

Jason Wong ’23 and Luke Hogan ’22 along with Mrs. Bobo share changes brought to college admissions due to the pandemic.

vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days.

I spoke with two parents in the Belmont Hill community who have themselves received the vaccine, Dr. Florence Bourgeois, mother of Sammy Davis ’24, and Dr. Meghan McGrath, mother of Caleb McGrath-Sheldrick ’21. Dr. Bourgeois, a physician at Boston Children’s Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, provided much of the information in this article.

Pfizer and Moderna have both said they would produce 100 million doses for the US, which delivers on Chris Brusie ’23 Biden’s promise as there are two shots per person, totaling 200 million doses. As ceiving the vaccine, individuals have of today, both companies are producing to wait 15 minutes to make sure they around 4.3 million doses per week. Howdo not have a reaction that would re- ever, to reach their goal, production would quire medical assistance. Although the almost have to increase twofold to 7.5 milprocess is slow now, analysts believe that lion doses per week. On completing this systems will be optimized as organiza- feat, Dr. Bourgeois said, “This is the first tions gain more familiarity with inocula- time these types of mRNA vaccines are tion. In order to maximize distribution, being produced at such enormous scale funding has to be increased towards dis- and it’s not clear at what rate companies tributing the vaccines to the degree that will be able to ramp up production.” Howwas given for developing the vaccines. ever, she remains faithful to the compaThe Biden Administration is tackling the nies carrying their promises. Additionally, coronavirus head-on by committing to Dr. Bourgeois noted that the challenge...

Continued on Page 3 Sports 4 Athlete of the Issue: Tyler Rubin

Community 6-7 BH Opinion: Attack on the Capitol

News 3 College Admissions within a Pandemic

vaccination that may lead to Belmont Hill receiving the vaccine as early as the spring.

A myriad of logistical problems has plagued the vaccine rollout so far. Because of the holiday season, many nurses and other medical personnel have taken time off from their hard work, some of which may have played a part in vaccination. Also, maintaining physical distance has been challenging.

Adding onto these difficulties, after re-

News 2 New Weekly Global Cooking Classes Arec Keomurjian ’22 recounts his experience Cooking Around the World with Ms. Zener, Director of Global Experiences.

Arts 11 Playlist of the Issue

Check out Jalen Walker ’21 and Henry Moses ’21 favorite songs for this issue.

Opinions 8 How Belmont Hill Could Change after the Pandemic Read Daniel Bittner ’22’s thoughts about how changes brought by the pandemic could lead the school to new heights.

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T he Panel

Joseph R. Biden Inaugurated as 46th US President

By Sammy Jomaa ’21 and Abe Tolkoff ’21 Panel Staff Merely two weeks after Capitol Hill was overrun by supporters of former President Trump, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took their oaths of office in a historic day of firsts. Perhaps the most glaring was the emptiness of the National Mall. Instead of throngs of supporters, hundreds of thousands of flags demonstrated national backing for the new president.

Surrounding the Capitol too were tens of thousands of national guardsmen from all fifty states. These men and women worked to ensure the sanctity of the coveted transfer of power process and demonstrate the security of the seat of American democracy.

On the platform, Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn in first by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Both women represent historic firsts in our nation’s history, the former our first female, African-American, and Asian-American Vice President, the latter the nation’s first and only Latina Supreme Court justice. Holding the two bibles on which she was sworn in, Vice President Harris’ husband, Doug Em-

hoff, became the first Jewish and first male spouse of a president or vice president.

Shortly after, at 11:50 AM, President Joe Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts on his family’s bible. His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, is the first spouse in history to hold a job outside of her official capacity as she will continue to teach in Virginia.

President Biden is only the second Catholic president, the first being President John F. Kennedy. In his inaugural address, Biden stressed the need for national unity, declaring, “For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness, and fury, no progress, only exhausting outrage; no nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America.”

Momentous too were the performances by myriad artists, including 2017 Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, 22 years old, who made history as the youngest inaugural poet. In her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” Gorman boldly recited that “And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful, will emerge battered and beautiful. When day comes,

we step out of the shade of flame and unafraid.” In addition, pop superstar Lady Gaga sang the national anthem, followed

by Jennifer Lopez’s medley combining “This Land is Your Land,” “America the Beautiful,” and a part of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rounding out these performances was Garth Stein’s rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

Former President Trump was notably absent from the inauguration, the first to be so in over 150 years since Andrew Johnson skipped Ulysses S. Grant’s inauguration in 1869. However, Vice President Mike Pence did attend and spoke with Vice President Harris immediately following the ceremony.

On a day that saw the United States reach a grim milestone of over 400,000 COVID-19 deaths, the inauguration was reminiscent of this new landscape. Stringent masking protocols were in place, and many of the President’s supporters were not able to attend due to safety concerns.

In attendance, however, were members of Congress, former Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and their spouses. President Carter was not able to attend, making it the first inauguration since 1977 he has missed. Later that day, Vice President Harris swore in three new Senators, Alex

Padilla from California and Jon Ossof and Rev. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, giving the Democrats the slimmest 50-50 majority in the upper chamber of Congress.

While this inauguration was surely one of the most restrictive and bizarre in United States presidential history, it went off without a hitch, demonstrating the strength of our political system and reassuring many Americans and people around the world that our democratic institutions are still sound. ☐

livered in 2015 prior to Veterans Day. The statement in part read, “The violent riot in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021, was a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process … The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition, and insurrection.”

The memo also reminded service members to “remain fully committed to protecting a n d defendi n g the Cons t i t u t i o n ,” a particularly important message after multiple former members of the military were arrested in connection

ies (Ausstecherle) and spiced hamburgers (Frigadellen), Moroccan Harira soup, Lebanese Shish Tawook chicken, Armenian red lentil patties (Vosbov Kufte), and In a time when COVID makes travel- a three-dish Spanish supper. The lessons ing around the world unsafe, the “Cooking will continue through the spring, with Around the World” project allows for the already scheduled classes featuring Palexploration of global experiences domesti- estinian, Chinese, Italian, Zimbabwean/ cally. The project, which was organized by Shona, and Eritrean cuisine. Every contiMs. Zener, launched in early December. nent but Antarctica will be visited virtually.

She remarks that “the Cooking Around the Howard Huang ’22, a participant and World projfuture host ect invites who will be members of cooking Chithe school nese chowcommunity mein, said, “I to share herreally enjoyed itage cuisine” learning through about othi nte r a c t ive er cultures cooking while cookclasses via ing alongside Zoom. Since some of my its incepfriends, and I tion, Bel- BH Cooking Program makes Challah bread. can’t wait to mont Hill has taken part in a cultural cel- lead a class of my own.” All recipes and Zoom ebration through the sharing of delicious videos are posted to the Cooking Around food. Members of the school community, the World website, so you can still connect as well as their families, are able to explore with other cultures even if you cannot atand experience various aspects of the cul- tend the Tuesday afternoon classes. Many tures that comprise Belmont Hill’s cultural have already done so, cooking the recipes mosaic while also having fun and enjoy- at their own pace and sharing pictures of ing company when cooking each dish. their creations. Cooking Around the World So far, seven cooking classes have has enabled members of the school comtaken place featuring dishes like Jewish munity to experience foreign cultures from Challah bread, German Christmas cook- the safety and comfort of their homes. ☐

President Biden

The Guardian

Alums Make Headlines cont. Cooking Program Delights Continued from the Front Page. and would head the U.S. Public Health Service. Previously, Dr. Levine served as the Pennsylvania Physician General from 2015 to 2017, and since 2017, she has served as the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health. In recent months, she has been commended by many, including Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, for her leadership in the state’s coronavirus response and for her advocacy of LGBTQ+ health equity.

Moving forward, a s President Biden noted in his state-

L: Dr. Rachel Levine ’75, R: Gen. Mark Milley ’76 ment, Dr. Levine will play an important role in the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

On January 12, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, headed by General Mark Milley ’76, sent an unprecedented memorandum to the armed forces, condemning the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Students may remember General Milley for his meetings with Second Formers during their trips to Washington D.C. and the Chapel talk he de-

Patriot and BH Communications

to the insurrection. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position he has held since 2019, General Milley will continue to shape US military policy under the new administration, serving as the main military advisor to President Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and the National Security Council. His advice will be especially important in the coming months and years as tensions mount between the US and countries such as Iran, Russia, and China. ☐

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff

Looking Back: One Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Charlie Wells ’21 Panel Staff Thirteen months ago, the World Health Organization discovered a new coronavirus strain in Wuhan, China. 11 months ago, the Belmont Hill Class of 2020 unknowingly set foot on campus for their last time. Since then, 25 million Americans have been infected with the virus, and more than four hundred thousand have died. Internationally, 100 million people have been infected, and over two million have died.

While the pandemic has been devastating, at Belmont Hill, we have done a terrific job of containing the virus. Through various programs such as pool testing, safety apps, and mandated masks outside of

lunchtime, not a single person has caught COVID-19 on the Belmont Hill campus.

From a Panel article published just around a year ago, Mrs. David’s advice seems prophetic as to the school’s ability to keep students safe: “Despite the hysteria, Mrs. David, our school’s nurse, says that the spread of the disease can be stopped with some standard sanitary practices: washing your hands after going to the bathroom and before lunch, coughing into your elbow instead of your hands, and not coming to school if you’re sick.” While the pandemic and its impacts nationally and internationally have been far greater than many expected, it is good to see that Belmont Hill students have been able to escape mostly unscathed, and even cobble together the

best school year of any school, certainly in Massachusetts, but perhaps even nationally. The Panel extends its thanks to the Belmont Hill Board, our teachers, adminis-

trators, and especially our Head of School, Mr. Schneider, for their hard work to keep us open for as long as we have been and to operate as close to normal as possible. ☐

Coronavirus Testing

Association of American Medical Colleges

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When Will Belmont Hill Get Vaccinated? cont.

Continued from the Front Page. ...of vaccination is not unique to the US and may not necessarily reflect mismanagement by an administration.

Considering recent developments, Belmont Hill may receive vaccines as early as spring but currently has no plan to do so. In Massachusetts, teachers are included in Phase 2 of vaccination, which is slated to begin sometime between February and March. Thus, teachers at Belmont Hill have

a high chance to be eligible for vaccination this spring. For students, the vaccine is set to be available for everyone starting in the spring or summer. Even then, most students could only take the Pfizer vaccine only if they are 16 or older. However, there is hope for younger students as Pfizer and Moderna have trials underway testing children as young as 12 years old. That said, Dr. Bourgeois stated, “It’s unclear, however, when this approval [for ages 12-15] will

occur, in part because the Emergency Use Authorization that was granted by the FDA for approval of the vaccine in adults, will not be an appropriate mechanism for kids.”

As trials will take time to complete, the vaccine will not arrive to students as soon as some wish, however, we can remain hopeful for sometime in the spring or the summer!

Although we face several challenges in vaccine distribution, shots in arms will increase in the ensuing months. The Biden

yourself as a student was critically important this year.” The reason for these historical percentages could be a range of factors, but in reality, it was the introduction of test-optional policies at almost all schools as it brought a “terrific opportunity for the student who works really hard in the classroom but, historically, does not test well.”

The largest impact for seniors, according to Mrs. Bobo, is the lack of opportunities for students to visit campuses physically.

She notes how important “that visceral reaction is to the way in which a student emotionally perceives a school.”

Though, as a positive, more higher education Riley Shafer ’21institutions are offering advanced technology to enable students to visit virtually and have more chances to learn more about the schools with virtual open houses and otherwise; however, “it’s just not the same as walking the actual campus.”

This year though, even with all the negatives, has brought some positives for the college counseling office. Mrs. Bobo states that the pandemic has instigated an “evolution of exciting programming.” Technology first of all has allowed “significant-

ly” more college representatives to visit the school with a noticeable increase in participation by students and especially parents at virtual meetings. Before, busy schedules prevented many parents from participating but now, with Zoom, parents can attend at work or from wherever they are. Also, 2020 marked the first year students were allowed to take standardized testing on campus.

Also, as aforementioned, the College Board has added another curveball to this ever-changing landscape of admissions as it announced the end of its decades-old SAT subject tests. When we asked Mrs. Bobo her opinion on this change, she pointed out that SAT Essay has become irrelevant to the college admission process; many colleges had stopped using it years ago, so she thinks this change won’t be too significant. However, she thought that canceling SAT subject tests is probably not the right move. She noted without SAT subject tests, the only way a student shows individual strength for a subject through testing will be the AP test.

For younger students reading this article and feeling nauseous about the whole college process, take heed of the following advice from Mrs. Bobo and “Don’t worry! You will have so much guidance, data to analyze, feedback on writing, and recommendations on strategy. Worrying is a distraction from your schoolwork and building relationships with peers and adults. Don’t let that worry and comparison be the thief of your joy!” ☐

and its effectiveness. However, some stuBy Luke Hogan ’22 and Jason Wong ’23 dents raised concerns about the untidiness Panel Staff with the wires on the floor along with the Can you imagine studying without Zoom room setups. To address this cona laptop, writing every essay on paper, and cern, Mr. Butler said: “Over the March scanning through hundreds of pages to break, I will be installing new cables for the find a source? This was the life in Belmont Promethean boards using new hardware Hill before the implementation of technol- to send and receive the information to and ogy by the school. Currently, our school from the faculty laptop. No more plugging has gone a step further with a number of into the front with cables on the floor.” technological tools to help us study more As for Instructure’s Canvas, the new efficiently. In order to give readers a gen- academic system the school implemented is eral image of the future uses of technology, to replace the previous use of Google ClassThe Panel interviewed Mr. Butler, Director room and Google Sites. Mr. Curran noted of Information Technology and Mr. Cur- that, “From where I am, I believe Canvas has ran, Director of Academic Technology. been perceived as a success by both students As most students have noticed, the and faculty.” Some praised the platform for use of Zoom’s Room technology around the its ease of access to class materials while othschool has allowed students to remotely log ers complained about the website for being in to class and participate as if they were there somewhat inconvenient. Mr. Curran also in person. When asked about the future of noted that “As with all technology shifts, this technology, Mr. Butler was not certain, change can be hard: learning a new system but he said it will depend on the feedback and fitting it to your individual approaches of students and teachers and ultimately will and needs is not easy. Yet, I believe Canvas, be up to the administration. While Zoom in particular, solves the Google Classroom is helping us thrive during the pandemic, and Google Sites issues we had the past two there are also long term technological ad- years.” When also asked about the longevity vancements on the campus like the recent- of Canvas, Mr. Curran noted that “Canvas is ly-installed Promethean boards and the use a long-term solution to our Learning Manof Instructure’s Canvas and Veracross to re- agement needs. In our opinion, Canvas ofplace Google Classroom and FileMaker Pro. fers the best learning management product Belmont Hill has sped up its invest- on the market. It’s ease of use, malleability, ment in Promethean boards for all class- and quality of service make it a good fit for rooms to replace the older, less reliable our school. As teachers and students grow Smart Board. So far, the Promethean board more comfortable and knowledgeable about has generally received positive feedback its features, Canvas will even better serve our from teachers and students for bringing school’s approach to teaching and learning.” energetic engagements into the classroom With benefits for teachers who will be able

to transfer classroom materials over by just using the Canvas platform, Canvas has a direct benefit for the long run. Also, students can now be sure that access to assignments and files will be available all on the same site ensuring clear communication of work.

Along with these changes in technology, we wondered if the school had any future ideas for technology implementation. Mr. Butler revealed a plan to install a new wireless network in the school with modern equipment and more bandwidth to satisfy the future and current needs of the school. He stated that the larger academic buildings would be the first to receive this new installation. The school currently uses Comcast Business (otherwise known as Xfinity for residential customers) for its broadband services.

As our society becomes more reliant on the use of technology, our campus has evolved with this social trend. Just twenty years ago, every student had to use physical notebooks to write down daily homework and use the library and physical books to conduct research. While having those technologies around us is a privilege for our generation, it’s also our responsibility to use those technologies in a beneficial way to aid our study. The school has made a deep investment in giving students the resources they need for effective use of technology for learning in the long term.

The benefits from these solutions will surely be felt on campus for years to come. The Panel thanks the technology department for its incredible work in ensuring the smooth rollout of these new technologies. ☐

Administration’s plan of 100 million vaccinations shows promise towards the galvanization of the current system. Everyday, we gain more experience distributing vaccines, which will eventually lead to students getting inoculated. As we wait, there is much we can do as Dr. McGrath, says, “For now, keep wearing masks, maintain distance, spend time with friends outdoors as much as possible, avoid needless travel and hang in there - there is light at the end of this tunnel.” ☐

College Admissions Adjust to Pandemic Pool Testing

By Luke Hogan ’22 and Jason Wong ’23 Panel Staff Even though our world has been ravaged by the pandemic, many parts of life still have to be continued including the arduous process of college admissions. The Class of 2021 has had to endure many changes to the college process including the introduction of test-optional policies in many schools and the lack of physical visits. Those changes, offered along with the remote learning for the second half of their junior year, added a lot of uncertainty to the process. For those who are in other grades, the College Board recently announced the end of the SAT Subject Tests effective immediately in the United States (with exceptions for international students) and the end of the SAT Essay after the June 2021 Examination. With the world of College Admissions changing, we spoke with Mrs. Bobo, Belmont Hill’s Director of College Counseling, to hear her opinions on these many revisions and her insights into this year’s application process.

While many theories were in place about what would affect college admissions the most, Mrs. Bobo made it clear that the introduction of test-optional policies had a large effect on college admissions this year. Mrs. Bobo stated that “Applicant pools at most schools where BH students applied increased by historical percentages, so finding ways to positively differentiate

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By David Cho ’23 Panel Staff On December 7th 2020, Belmont Hill switched from individual PCR COVID-19 testing to pooled testing. On January 11th 2021, the number of students per pool shrunk from ten to five. The school originally switched to pool testing to test the entire school body in “a far more cost-effective way than individual PCR testing.” Subsequently, the switch to a smaller pool size was prompted by the potential that negatively tested students could be swept into a pool with positive results. Though the smaller pools cost significantly more, the school decided to invest in more of these tests to minimize the number of remote students and make the learning experience better for the school.

In this new form of pool testing, there have been a number of inconclusive

results. When asked about why there have been inconclusive results, Head of School Mr. Schneider replied, “we are told the most common reason has to do with the amount of mucus on a particular sample. Generally, we need everyone to be blowing their noses twice to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future.” Though inconclusive tests are frustrating, some are unavoidable, and there are other schools also having inconclusive tests, especially during the winter season.

There has been a second wave of emergRiley Shafer ’21 ing coronavirus cases and a new variant of COVID-19 in Massachusetts.

While the emerging strains have not changed Belmont Hill’s protocols yet, the school is “monitoring the situation closely.” Since the new variant appears to be more contagious, the school’s focus is on the lunch periods as it is the one moment of the day when masks come off. There is no specific threshold of positive cases that would prompt the decision to make the school go back online.

But if for some reason that decision would have to be made, it would be in consultation with the Belmont Board of Health. When considering the decision to go online, the biggest concern is whether there is evidence of transmission of the disease on the campus, and so far, there have been no signs of transmission of the virus on campus.

Belmont Hill, with the help of the Board of Trustees, has been leading on the edge of testing technologies. Mr. Schneider also mentioned that the school looks forward to potentially having tests processed directly on campus instead of sending the tests to a lab. Though the emergence of vaccines is promising, testing will have the most significant impact on Belmont Hill’s program for the rest of the academic year.

While COVID 19 has presented many challenges to schools all across the nation for on-campus learning, the dedication and determination of Belmont Hill have enabled students to learn on campus safely. ☐

B elmont Hill Sp orts

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Athlete of the Issue: Hockey Captain Tyler Rubin ’21 Now in my second year on Var- fenseman, and now this year in an sity hockey, I was able to witness the even greater leadership position as a importance of Tyler’s crucial role on co-captain. Despite having no regular As one of a number of committed the team last year as a starting de- season, Tyler has always made sure to athletes at Belmont Hill, Tyler Rubin ’21 has made a name for himself on the ice. His strong academic record and athletic excellence have earned him a future spot on Princeton’s hockey team, while he currently continues to lead our Belmont Hill team as captain.

Rubin started skating when he was 3 years old, and for the past ten years has played for the Boston Junior Eagles on top of his three years of varsity hockey at Belmont Hill. He says he began the sport because his older brother played, but what started as a hobby for young Tyler has turned into a central part of his life. “It’s what I look forward to every day,” he says.

He loves the game because it “lets me be in control and dominant on the ice,” and allows him to feel like an entire- Tyler Rubin ’21 receiving a pass on the Belmont Hill ice.

Drew Dummer ’22 ly different person between the glass.

By Justin Pare ’21 Panel Staff

push the pace at practice, keep morale high, and get us ready for whatever scrimmages we have on the weekend.

Talking about the team, Tyler says that Belmont Hill has been an integral part of his growth as a hockey player.

“I love the boys and all my teammates.

They push me every day to get better.”

He also thanks Coaches McCarthy and Phinney for their influence on him over the past three years, citing that he “wouldn’t be where [he is] today without them.” Beyond his growth and success as a hockey player, Tyler tells me that he is grateful for his teammates and the memories they have shared together.

As the 2021 winter season comes to an end, Tyler will lace up his skates one last time for Belmont Hill, etching his final marks into the team’s long, storied history. While Belmont Hill will surely miss Tyler and his skilled presence on the ice, Princeton will be getting one hell of a hockey player and one hell of a kid. ☐

Belichick Denies the Presidential Medal of Freedom

By Daniel Bittner ’22 Panel Staff

It is not often that American sports, athletics and politics intersect with one another. However, throughout the past year, these two topics have influenced each other in a profound way, with movements such as Black Lives Matter finding public support in professional sports including football, basketball, baseball, and others. Furthermore, this past January, another major story concerning these two topics broke when it was announced that President Trump planned to deliver the Medal of Freedom, the highest American civilian honor, to New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. While presidents giving the honor to athletes and celebrities is quite common and typi-

cally accepted by the media, Belichick knowledge and commitment to the haps influencing Belichick’s decision. being awarded the honor garnered sport. Thus, while Trump’s desire to give Yet the main reason Belichick cited greater attention than usual as Belichick the award is not sur- for eventually not receiving the award the news of President Trump’s prising, the fact that Belichick was the efforts by the NFL and Patriots desire to give Belichick the would receive the award just players to support the BLM movement award was revealed just days after the insurrection this season. Belichick stated that the after the January 6th prompted both local and work by Patriots leaders such as capCapitol insurrection. national media criticism. tain Devin McCourty in attempting to Although Belichick Despite the great inspire racial change deeply influenced and Trump were known prestige associated him. This led him to reject receivto be friends from with the honor, Be- ing the award from President Trump. before Trump’s lichick announced Following Belichick’s decision, presidency, Belihis intention to not many former and current NFL players, chick has mostly proceed with receiv- including Tedy Bruschi, Adrian Clayabstained from ing the award. Although born, and Benjamin Watson, praised discussing politathletes from different the coach’s judgment. Furthermore, ical matters in public. Prior sports had accept- Belichick’s decision to reject the award to his plan to award Belichick ed the honor from likely further cemented the level of adwith the honor, President Trump in the days miration and respect held towards BeliChris Brusie ’23 Trump had expressed his great prior, those individ- chick by many players, coaches, and othadmiration for the coach’s football uals met great media criticism, per- er individuals throughout the NFL. ☐

Varsity Alpine Skiing Dominates ISL Competitions

By Luke Hogan ’22 Panel Staff The Alpine Ski team worked hard during dry-land training and their dedication paid off considering their perfect record so far against Nobles, Rivers, Thayer Academy and Lawrence Academy. Led by captain Jack Theberge ’21, the team is thirty strong as it powers through, hoping to make this season a great one. This year also marks the addition of an Alpine Ski team alumnus to the coaching staff, Mr. Rohrer ’16. The coaching staff also includes Ms. Cush-

Thursdays and Fridays. so this was gether on Va r s i ty team member Anton to work.

Schmitt notes, “Dominance doesn’t come by easily. It takes countless hours of work and first-class coaching. But I’ll tell you, when you’re at the top of your game and at the point where no one else can even compete, there’s no other feeling like it. We’re at the top right now, and we’re not slowing down any time soon.”

The Panel wishes the Alpine Ski Adam Richins team a great season on the slopes! ☐

man and Mr. Trautz who have coached the team in previous years.

The Alpine Ski team has had to make adaptations to its training and racing schedule. The most substantial change is that the ISL has cut JV racing for the season to help mitigate contact and reduce the number of students racing.

Normally, most ISL schools would be racing with an average of twenty

students per team clearly not going Also, due to Nashoba Valley being closed on Monday and Tuesday, the team now has middle school and upper school practices to-

lenging sla- lom. To ensure the safety of both teams, the skiers were released in 15 second intervals, with the entire- ty of the Rivers school being sent off before Belmont Hill.

When the race was over, Bel- m o n t Hill had placed 5 skiers before the t o p Rivers Skier representing our first Lakes Region win of the season with a perfect 10-26 score.

Captain Christiaan Eikeboom ’21 remarks that, “Nordic has been off to a great start! So far we’ve swept every race we’ve entered. Be-

cause we probably won’t be able to race up north, our focus this year is working on the younger guys, getting them fast and excited about skiing. I’m really excited for the team next year and think they’ll embroider a bunch of years onto the championship banner we made two years ago.” Captain Charlie Wells ’21 says that, “Though we cannot compete as we normally do, the Nordic skiing team has found plenty of other ways to make this

Nordic Ski Team Thrives in the Pandemic Landscape

By Howard Huang ’22 and Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel staff

Nordic is one of the sports that COVID has affected minimally, with 4 or 5 practices being run weekly. The weekday practices also have not been broken up by the usual frequent trips up North for races against New Hampshire schools like Dublin or Proctor. Although only a 1 km loop is open for use and the snow conditions could be better, the Leo J. Martin Ski track has many turns and hills that are beneficial in preparation for more difficult courses.

The first race of the 2021 season was against the Rivers School’s Nordic team. The course was 5 km, a total of 5 laps, and included steep uphills, icy downhills, sharp u-turns, and a chal-

Adam Richins

season great! From a team wide capture the flag tournament, to skati n g on the weekends, we have been taking our extra time this year to bring the team closer together as skiers and as friends. While it obviously sucks to not have a shot at a third lakes region title in a row, I’m sure the team will be back and stronger than ever next year!”

Under the leadership of captains Eikeboom and Wells, the Nordic team hopes to continue on its path to a future Lakes Region and NEPSACs win the 2021-2022 season. ☐

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Varsity Hockey Perseveres through Challenging Season

By Abe Tolkoff ’21 Panel Staff Despite the myriad of challenges presented by the restrictive nature of COVID-19 protocols, the Varsity Hockey team has persevered, adapted, and succeeded in this different environment. In prior years, the team would play games on Wednesdays and Saturdays and hold practice on the other afternoons. Now, they practice Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday to accommodate the new sports schedule while playing games on Friday and Saturday. These contests are scheduled and confirmed within days of playing, but Coach Phinney says the team is “just excited that we get to be on the ice!” He adds that “we know we have today,” a sentiment which has reinforced the team’s

goal to “stay in the moment and make sure best memories.” He also notes that the “team [they] get the most out of each rep.” While has responded very well,” and appreciates new rules the “chance include to develmasks, and op more in smaller ice p r a c t i c e .” cohorts, Both perhaps the Tyler and biggest loss C o a c h for the team Phinney in the eyes add that of Capthe opportain Tyler tunity to Rubin are play games the lockagainst er rooms.

ISL rivals The Hockey team gathers before a game. Drew Dummer ’22 “The locker has been room,” he says “is where you do all of the a highlight of the season, especially givbonding with your team and have all the en the unusual nature of the fall and win-

ter. Coach Phinney adds that “The boys have been great,” and quoted famous coach Badger Bob Johnson, “It’s a great day for hockey!” He notes that the team’s captains, Tyler, Brendan Murphy and Tom Goguen, have been especially outstanding leaders given the additional logistical and motivational requirements of the unique season. For the school community at large, the restriction on spectators for games has been challenging too. Despite this obstacle, many have been able to support the team on game livestreams, leading to a new Loop success metric, the view count.

As the team nears the final month of its season, the Panel encourages all in the Belmont Hill community to watch some games and congratulate players on campus. Let’s go blue! ☐

Basketball Dunks on Local Rivals Squash Smashes Season of Change hit a bit of a bump in the road because of a few positive coronavirus tests after winter break. That week, the team was Because of COVID-19 and the scheduled to play against Rivers, while various safety measures, the Belmont missing three of their five starters and Hill basketball team has been playa couple from off the bench. Neving an improvised, week-by-week ertheless, they refused to make schedule. Games are scheduled usuexcuses and played a hard game ally within a couple of days before against a talented Rivers team, the weekend, with athletic directors losing by a couple of points sharing test results and other relewith the game having been vant news with each other. That decided within the fisaid, the team takes no opportunal minute. Self-pronity to play for grantclaimed “Sixth Man ed. The first of the Year” Luke two games Bobo ’21 had a against Saint strong shooting S e b a s t i a n ’s performance, were competitive, with along with Junior Belmont Hill securing a comHarry Lodge manding lead with around 10 ’22 proving minutes left in both games. t o be an immovAided by a strong defenable force in the paint. sive performance by CaWith a complete squad sey Rockett ’21 and an the following week, BH impressive shooting won by a convincing 30 points performance by Trent against Roxbury Latin. Captains Mosquera ’22, the team Josh Baldwin ’22 and Casey Rockett was able to claim domi’21 have led the team to a promising nance over the school rival. start, and the school is excited to After starting off the see what the rest of the seas e a s o n Martin Wilson ’22 dribbles. Drew Dummer ’22 son will bring. Congratwith two ulations and good luck wins against St. Sebastian’s, the team to the Belmont Hill Basketball Team! ☐

By Michael Bobo ’23 Panel Staff

Wrestling Tackles Training Regimen

By Daniel Bittner ’22 Panel Staff Perhaps the sport most impacted by the need to social distance and refrain from contact, wrestling has had to greatly adapt to COVID-19 restrictions. As no person-to-person contact is permitted, not only has interscholastic competition been impossible, but intramural wrestling and practicing has also been unfeasible, forcing wrestlers to seek new ways to improve. As opposed to the usual drilling of wrestling moves, practices have instead taken the form of strength training and conditioning workouts that incorporate wrestling-related activities.

Such workouts led by Coach Leonardis have included band-related exercises, jump ropes, and Bulgarian Bags, weighted leather bags that are intended to improve strength, explosiveness, and stamina. Meanwhile, other outdoor and occasionally indoor activities led by Coach Sullivan have focused on improving cardio and flexibility.

The combination of both of these aspects of wrestling have provided complete and intense workouts each practice. The prospect of full contact practices still seems far away but these workouts have provided an optimal substitute for all wrestlers who hope to have a normal competitive season next winter. ☐

By Austin Curtis ’23 Panel Staff

Belmont Hill’s squash team has been lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the seven courts located in the Jordan Athletic Center. While this season looks much different from normal years due to the COVID restrictions put on the coaches and players, there is hope that the team will get to use their skill in interscholastic competitions.

So far, the team led by Douglas Conigliaro and Sam Freed have only been practicing Players on the BH courts practicing this winter. Austin Curtis ’23 amongst themselves, hopeful that opportunities for prove and get a chance at competitive competition will open up soon, giving matches at some point in the future. the chance for Belmont Hill to establish At this time, the team is focusing themselves as a formidable opponent. on their practicing while they wait to This year has forced the team to adapt to see what the future holds in terms of the new restrictions quickly, which they potential matches. As everyone holds are doing well, allowing for more prac- their breath in anticipation of the futices and quality playing time. Masks ture, the Belmont Hill Squash team are required at all times and there is a is working hard and preparing to limit of two people per court, making it have a great season ahead of them. ☐

Alex Lo ’23

Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 Abe Tolkoff ’21

Online Editor

Executive Editor

Howard Huang ’22 Digital Media Editor Luke Hogan ’22

Arts Editor Tyler Forg ’21

Daniel Bittner ’22

Graphics Editor Kevin Jiang ’22

Alex Sousa ’22

Editors-In-Chief

Copy Editor

Sports Editor

Wrestlers workout together utilizing new training methods.

difficult to run certain types of drills.

The team has had to adapt to a partner system where each player is assigned to another player for the duration of the practice in hopes to minimize the exposure that each player is subject to.

The squad currently has lots of younger athletes who have displayed high levels of play all year and are looking to im-

Faculty Advisors David Hegarty Juliette Zener

News Editor

Charlie Wells ’21

Henry Moses ’21

Assistant Editors

Opinion Editor

Mac Bobo ’23 David Cho ’23 Drew Dummer ’22 RC Keomurjian ’22 Cooper Nelson ’23 Alex Sousa ’22 Lawrence Tang ’22 Luke Wagner ’22 Jason Wong ’23 Daniel Xie ’24

Sammy Jomaa ’21

Photo Editor Jalen Walker ’21

Back Page Editors Adam Alto ’21 Justin Pare ’21 Paul Vander Vort ’21

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 © 2020 The Panel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Published by the Belmont Printing Co., Belmont, MA 02478.

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T he Panel

Is Impeachment a Viable Option for Congress?

Service report found that a majority of verdict will not distinguish his departure scholars believe that Congress has the au- as a “removal from office.” As such, he will thority to impeach and convict a former maintain his presidential pension, stipends president, but others, like retired feder- for travel, and Secret Service detail for the On January 13th, the House of Rep- al judge Michael Luttig, disagree. While rest of his life. Besides the clear political resentatives impeached former President the constitutionality of the proceedings statement an impeachment will make (as Trump for the second time, by a vote of 232197 with ten Republicans voting yes. This vote occurred less than thirteen months after Trump was impeached the first time on December 18th, 2019. The former president’s historic second impeachment came only a week before he was scheduled to leave office, and one week after the Capitol Building was stormed by his supporters.

Citing Trump’s tweets, public speeches and those of his surrogates in the weeks, days, and minutes leading up to the Capitol Riot, three House Democrats introduced a single article of impeachment charging the former President with “incitement of insurrection.”

Though former President Trump has left office, the impeachment proceedings are continuing, with his trial in the Senate expected to begin on February 8th, a date agreed upon by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Schumer originally pushed to hold the trial sooner, however he struck a deal with McConnell to delay the proceedings so the former President would have time to assemble a more formidable defense team.

The constitutionality of the post-presidential trial is currently being debated by The Guardian Republican lawmakers, some of whom ar- Nancy Pelosi Displays The Signed Articles of Impeachment gue it is a vindictive move by their Demo- will be debated by the nation’s leading le- the first president to be found guilty by cratic opponents, while others, like Sena- gal scholars, it is important to understand the Senate), it will open the opportunity tor Mitt Romney (R-UT), believe that “it’s the consequences of a Senate conviction. for Congress to vote by simple majority to pretty clear that the effort is constitutionSince President Trump left office bar him from seeking federal office again. al.” A January 15 Congressional Research when President Biden was sworn in, a guilty According to a Reuters poll, a majority of

By Sammy Jomaa ’21 and Abe Tolfoff ’21 Panel Staff

Americans (51%) support impeachment, while 37% oppose, and 11% are unsure.

Aside from the debate over the constitutionality of the proceedings, it is evident that former President Trump must be formally repudiated and punished for his involvement in the storming of the Capitol. Although he said, “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” the tone of the remaining part of his speech - such as his declarations that “if we don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore” and “we’re going to the Capitol” - make it clear that he was inciting his supporters to violence, not to mention Trump-surrogate Rudy Giullani’s demand of a “trial by combat” at the same rally.

For this reason, the Senate should also bar Trump from holding federal office in the future, as he has demonstrated that he has failed to uphold the Constitution, particularly the peaceful transfer of power, faithfully. Moreover, as Senator Romney asserted on Fox News on Sunday, the 24th, if the country “is going to have unity,” there must be “accountability.” In the coming weeks, arguments over the legality of the proceedings paired with declarations by Senators on both sides of the aisle will dominate national news cycles. It is important to remember the founders’ intent to create a system of checks and balances to preserve the integrity of our democratic process, and maintain the highest level of scrutiny for those holding public office. It is with these thoughts in mind that we wholeheartedly support the effort to convict the former president and remove him permanently from the American political landscape. ☐

Where Does Belmont Hill Stand on the Capitol Events? anything other than white, many may have been killed. Those that survived would be facing calls for the death penalty from the same people who now so fervently defend The events on January 6th have been the white attackers. People who attemptcalled a riot, a protest, an insurrection, a vi- ed a coup on our country and desecrated cious mob, and the list goes on. Although as a community we cannot all agree about what happened to the Capitol on that catalytic day, we do know that the deep divide in our country has only grown. For this reason, we decided to gauge the thoughts of the Belmont Hill community after this event. In this article, we as writers will first share our opinions, then relay the diverse thoughts of the Belmont Hill student body.

Personally, we are outraged that this happened and that people, including the President, still defended the attackers.

These people who attacked the cornerstone of our democracy, bringing their violence and even bombs to the Capitol, have been called patriots and freedom fighters by politicians and civilians alike. They are nothing less than terrorists. Furthermore, the police response was angering. Some policemen let the attackers through, others took selfies with them, and overall it took far too long for these insurrectionists to be removed from the capital. The National Guard was Protesters In The Capitol nowhere to be found and was not deployed our democracy are only just recently being in sufficient numbers until late in the day. rounded up, while large numbers of peoDuring BLM protests, when people had no ple were arrested during the BLM protests.

It is encouraging that both Demointention of undermining the government, the National Guard stood ready, guarding crats and Republicans have condemned the city and engaging protestors at every the riots, but it is disheartening that anyjunction. The irony is that the protests against one could view attacking our national seat police brutality were met with police brutal- of government as patriotic. When asked ity, while those with treasonous intentions about the most serious problem facing our faced little resistance. We are aware that it is country, many students responded with not an apples to apples comparison and that the ideas of political divides and false inthe deployment was much more difficult for formation, two definite causes of the riots. the unexpected riot, but, all the same, the As a community our separate ends cannot discrepancy is noticeable. It is a sad reality converse reasonably, unless we forgo prethat if the attackers on January 6th had been conceived notions of the other side. We

By Alex Lo ’23 and Cooper Nelson ’23 Panel Staff

must find ways to settle our differences and look at each other as peers and fellow Americans. That said, Belmont Hill has done an adequate job attempting to bring the student body together. However, to fully address the overarching problem, prog-

ABC News ress needs to continue through DEI work, and changes need to be implemented that come from the volition of the student body.

Transitioning from our own opinions to those of the student body, we will spotlight some results and responses from a survey sent after the riots. “Belmont Hill is primarily democratic, and so as a conservative, I feel separated from the crowd and I feel like my opinions are technically allowed to be voiced but are frowned upon and the other side of the story is neglect,” a student responded. After reading several other similar responses we began to observe the dichotomy between the liberal and con-

servative sides on campus. As evident in the quote above and others, conservatives feel isolated and sometimes scared to share their opinions. They fear that they may receive backlash from other students and faculty and that voicing their thoughts could leave them ostracized in our community.

Another quote proposed a solution to this problem: “During our discussions we only focus on one side of the events. We need to look at both sides and actually find out what was bad and what was good.” This is an interesting question for Belmont Hill that we look to dig deeper on in the future.

The Capitol Riots did influence political views at Belmont Hill in an understandable way. The November survey that gauged political support among students found that 64% supported the Biden/Harris campaign while 30% supported the Trump campaign. In our more recent survey conducted after the attacks found that 15% expressed some support for Trump.

Additionally, the percentage of students that would have supported Trump in the election dropped from 30% in November to 15% after the events at the Capitol. The community was more split on the decision to suspend Trump’s social media accounts, with 37% neutral or dissatisfied. Overall, trends for Trump’s approval decreased after the January 6th Events, which was expressed by the Belmont Hill community.

The riot on January 6th has had a profound effect on the nation as whole and on our school community. Support for the former president has cratered as many politicians distance themselves from the administration. This was similarly mirrored in our student body. In this age of unprecedented disunity, contempt for the attacks is one thing that we all share. Hopefully, the next few months will bring healing and reconciliation, as well as the beginning of a discussion that will lead to meaningful change. ☐

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belmont hill C ommun it y

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B elmont Hill Opinions

Pa g e 8

T he Panel

What Belmont Hill Might Look Like Post-Pandemic

By Daniel Bittner ’22 Panel Staff The COVID-19 pandemic has altered numerous aspects of everyday Belmont Hill life, from sports practices to the academic schedule to meals, and has allowed students and faculty alike to reconsider longheld school traditions. While many of these changes will likely be discontinued after the pandemic, such as the necessity to wear masks or the inability to compete in normal ISL games, it may prove beneficial to consider continuing a few of these modifications even after the pandemic. By forcing Belmont Hill to dramatically restructure school life, the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed students and faculty alike to reconsider long-held school traditions. Thus, as more people continue to get vaccinated, some individuals may even advocate for a few of these modifications to remain even when a return to normalcy is eventually permitted.

One potential modification that Belmont Hill could keep is the new structure of lunches. By allowing advisories to eat lunch together every day of the week, students have been able to strengthen bonds with their classmates and advisors in a way that had not occurred prior to the pandemic.

Additionally, this extra time in the middle

of the day has allowed advisories to discuss Chapel talks, DEI initiatives, and current events in a more intimate and interactive manner. Advisors have been able to stimulate conversation among students surrounding these topics in ways that were previously impossible, as prior to the pandemic, students would often leave Chapel directly to their next class without the ability to discuss the content of the speech that they had just heard. Although students do miss ‘family-style’ Dining Hall lunches, the pandemic has shown that an alternative way of gathering for lunch can have its own benefits as well.

Another aspect of school life that could remain even after the pandemic is the potential for remote learning. In the past, if students were sick, away from the school, or unable to attend class, those students would miss an entire day of classes and classwork,

often leaving them behind in their understanding of academic topics and with much more work to catch up on. However, due to the new ability to learn remotely, students can still attend classes despite the inability to be physically present at school. While most students have expressed their feeling that in-person classes are much more engaging than remote learning, keeping the option of remote learning available for students who are unable to attend a given class will allow them to Riley Shafer ’21 more easily adjust.

Parts of the structure for the new academic structure could also continue in a modified way after the pandemic. While allowing classes to meet less frequently, the new class schedule implemented this year has minimized wasted time in between classes, allowed classes to engage in longer and more thorough discussions and projects, and reduced the number of classes that each student

has to prepare for on a nightly basis. Due to the reduced wasted time throughout the day, classes have been able to start half an hour later and there has been extra room for DEI time in the middle of the day. Also, by aligning the Middle School schedule with the Upper School schedule, and by having lunch in separate advisory classrooms, school-wide events such as Chapel talks can occur in the middle of the day, when the entire school can listen. Upper School students perhaps appreciate this change the most, since, as opposed to a later lunch, students can eat together at a more optimal time.

Lastly, having adjusted to the 75-minute blocks, students and faculty may feel that the 40-minute blocks are extremely condensed when school does return to normal.

While many of the modifications made to school life during the pandemic will likely revert back to normal, students and faculty may also advocate for some of the changes to stay. Overall, while the pandemic has caused many unfavorable modifications to school life, such as the necessity to wear masks, it has also highlighted some areas of the school’s structure that could be changed for the better. As the days left in the pandemic dwindle, reconsidering whether to modify or keep Belmont Hill’s structure the same will be vital. ☐

President Biden’s First Days Marked with Action

promised that his cabinet would look like the presidency. Some have called for im- ing unity and bipartisanship to government.

America, and so far he has more or less kept mediate action on issues like the climate, Add in Senate deliberations on Trump’s imthat promise. According to the most recent healthcare, and racial justice, but the Biden peachment and cabinet hearings, and any United States Census, the cabinet is missing administration still faces obstacles in its legislative undertakings may be delayed.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, about one woman in order to match Amer- path to progressive legislation. Our system Efforts like progressive climate legislation newly-elected President Joe Biden has more ica’s demographics. It also seems that Biden of checks and balances is designed to pre- including the Green New Deal, raising the to accomplish in his first 10 days in office has gone above and beyond these demo- vent tyranny of the majority and promote Federal minimum wage, and taking acthan most other presidents would in 100. graphics for race, with about half of the cab- the balance of power. The price of these tion on months of racial turmoil could all Starting almost immediately after his inau- inet being constituted of ethnic minorities. guration, Biden signed a slew of executive Antony Blinken, the former Deputy Secreorders pertaining to stimulus checks, the tary of State in the Obama Administration minimum wage, and the revocation of Don- and Biden confidant, was nominated for the ald Trump’s restriction of immigration from position of Secretary of State and confirmed many countries that are majority Muslim. by the Senate. The Senate also confirmed By the end of his first day, Biden fulfilled former Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet multiple campaign promises, including re- Yellen as the Treasury Secretary. Yellen is the joining the Paris Climate Agreement and first woman to serve in this position. Forthe World Health Organization. On his fifth mer Army General and commander of the day in office President Biden signed an ex- U.S. Central Command Lloyd Austin was ecutive order that repealed Donald Trump’s nominated as the Secretary of Defense and ban on transgender members of the U.S. confirmed by the Senate. General Austin is military. Biden also took other actions to the first Black American to serve in his posirespond to the climate crisis during his first tion. Merrick Garland, the Federal Judge on 10 days in office, blocking the construction the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Cirof the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would cuit, was nominated for Attorney General, have carried tens of thousands of barrels and US Representative Deb Haaland (NM) of crude oil from Canada into the U.S., on was nominated to become Secretary of the President Biden signs an Executive Order on his first day in office.

Getty Images Wednesday.Biden was also quick to repeal Interior. If confirmed, Secretary Haaland and replace many of the Trump-era policies would be the first Native American cabinet protections is that legislating is a tedious be held hostage by an indecisive Senate. process and with a razor-thin majority in Additionally, former President the Senate (including independent senators Trump filled the Federal judicial circuit that caucus with the Democrats, there is a and the Supreme Court with conservative 50-50 split, and VP Harris breaks the tie in judges. For example, a Federal judge in the Democrat’s favor), ramming a progres- Texas overruled Biden’s deportation freeze. sive agenda into law is far from a done deal. Conservative groups have the right to chalThe most noteworthy hindrance to lenge Biden’s policies and the lawmaking any law would be the Senate cloture rule, authority of executive branch agencies, which requires a 60-vote majority to lim- and Trump-appointed judges may serve as it debate on the floor and move to a vote. an obstacle to any progressive initiatives.

Without this vote, the opposition can fili- These hurdles represent some of the ratiobuster, which is when they refuse to give up nale behind Biden’s calls for unity; without the floor and talk continuously so that a vote at least a sliver of Republican support, passnever comes to fruition. The so-called nucle- ing even moderate bills will be a challenge. ar option, which would allow the Senate to President Biden has had a busy first override a rule such as the cloture rule with few days in office, and it goes without saying a simple majority, does not have expressed that the challenges he is facing are unprecPresident Biden’s Cabinet-Level Officials (nominated, some confirmed).

RNS support from the entire party. With such a edented. Between a worldwide pandemic, a regarding immigration. Within days of his secretary. Additionally, Dr. Rachel Levine, a fine majority, only one vote against the party climate in crisis, a country embroiled in turinauguration, he proposed a bill that would proud Belmont Hill alumnus of the class of and the filibuster stands. The Senate can still moil, and calls for racial justice, the next few create a pathway to citizenship for thou- 1975, was nominated as Assistant Secretary pass laws using a loophole known as bud- months will not be easy. Joe Biden will have to sands if not millions of undocumented im- of Health and Human Services. Dr. Levine get reconciliation to pass certain laws with find a way to pass legislation with a slim mamigrants. Nevertheless, President Biden has would be the first openly transgender of- 50 votes plus Vice President Harris as the jority in the Senate and countless obstacles a long path ahead of him if he wishes to ful- ficial to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. tie-breaker, albeit to a limited extent (only before an idea is written into law. President fill his promises of uniting the country and Many progressives across the nation one bill can be passed this way each year). Biden has inherited a nation more divided solving many of its most pressing issues. are rejoicing now that the Democrats have Passing laws this way could be abused, but than ever, and history will be the ultimate On the campaign trail, Joe Biden control of both bodies of the legislature and this would subvert Biden’s promise of bring- judge of his actions in his first 100 days. ☐

By Mac Bobo ’23 and Cooper Nelson ’23 Panel Staff

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Be lmont HIll Opinions and a rts

Pa g e 9

Letter to the Editors: Traumatic Traffic Stop The new year uncorked a culture of emergency in our country that I always thought was the symptom of failed states in distant lands. Never did I imagine rioting mobs would strike at the heart of American democracy and its enduring symbol: the Capitol Building, home of Congress.

FBI investigations may reveal the smoking gun of individual Capitol cops and some House Representatives who might have aided and guided the storming of our democratic landmark. Such acts by rogue police officers, whether they turn out to be true or not, reminded me of an incident that I experienced this past summer.

Since early childhood my perception of the police has been shaped by Hollywood movies and images of heroism. My confidence in cops has been shaken by police brutality and recent protests. But it was shattered by an incident that involved my eighteen year old brother, my fourteen year old cousin, my aunt, two police officers, and me.

This past summer we were returning to Boston from Cape Cod after a few days of relief from the pandemic - swimming, playing tennis, and having fun with our grandparents. My aunt, Suzi, was driving.

My brother, Alex, was sitting next to her in the passenger’s seat. My cousin, Leo, was

thumbing through his phone in the backseat to my right, and I was dozing off listening to R&B music on my headphones. Then out of nowhere Suzi said that there was a police car following us. We all turned our heads to the rear window to see a police car with its blue and red lights flashing. She said everything would be fine. We all reached for our masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19. A headlong momentum of nervous silence settled upon us as we waited for someone to emerge at Suzi’s window.

Suddenly two officers appeared at Leo’s door in the back, one attempting to open it without warning, while his partner stood right behind him.

They aggressively attempted to open the door only to realize that it was locked.

“Open this door,” he yelled repeatedly. Fright and confusion reigned inside. Leo tried to open the door as instructed. The officer kept pulling on the handle, “Stop fidgeting and open it.” My cousin tried again to no avail. Through the closed window, Leo told the officer that it wouldn’t open, but the policeman kept on barking. Finally, Suzi realized that the child safety locks were on, and she pushed the button in catharsis. The policeman flung the door open, and a cloud of tyrannical hysteria took the car by storm.

Both cops yelled at us to put up our hands on the seats in front. We were shocked, but compliant. Upon asking why, they harshly replied that we were suspiciously moving in the backseat. I reached for my phone, but they yelled at me to put my hands in the air. I said I wanted to record what was happening, but they wouldn’t allow me to do so. Suzi told them that I had been asleep, and that Leo was just playing on his phone. The officer then grabbed Leo’s arm with extreme force to pull him out of the car but couldn’t because Leo’s seatbelt was still buckled. They ordered him to get out. Leo calmly said okay as he took his seatbelt off. He stepped out of the car with the officer’s hand still gripping his arm. Suzi asked over and over why they were pulling Leo out of the car. The policemen said they needed to search him for suspicious movement, patting him down and searching his pockets. They found nothing. They pointed to two bags near me. At this point, one of the officers was fully inside the car, his face maskless. He rifled through my personal belongings and searched near my feet: headphones, shoes, phone. Eventually the officers hastily told Suzi she had been speeding. Three minutes later they handed her a warning and let us breathe

a sigh of relief. But the rest of our car ride home was suffused with anger and shock.

It baffles me why armed policemen needed to terrorize two teenagers on the unfounded assumption of carrying drugs or guns! Reading about the treatment of African Americans is nothing like actually experiencing it first-hand. I know that my incident pales in comparison, but things could have gone south with any wrong movement in the car.

Civilians shouldn’t have to face brutality and emotional terror at the hands of some clueless police officers. Although I support law and order, police officers must be reacquainted with this basic contract: valuable trust bestowed by the public upon the police to act responsibly; trust inspired by the police to serve and protect the public.

They depend on taxpayer money and cooperation. Their soft skills must replace bullyism and the appearance of racist behavior exhibited by the few bad cops that cast blue hats in a bad light. Restoring the shaken image of confidence and heroism is a must.

er man go against Mr. Kaplan’s advice and make it out alive. Grant ended up winning a prize for making the best box in the class despite its ironically small size. I wanted the prize at the time, and it took many painful weeks for me to accept that his box was simply more creative and better executed than mine.

This year, Litch and I have taken on higher caliber projects as part of our woodworking independent study.

I’ve witnessed a lot more of how he works over the past semester, seeing as it is only Mr. Simpson and us in the woodshop. For one thing, I’ve noticed that Litch is alMr. Simpson ways

in the woodshop before I am. It doesn’t matter how early in the morning or how soon after classes I get there, he is always hunched over some part of his chest of drawers or another project, working with a quiet intensity. I don’t know how he does it; it seems like he’s in there all day. I’ve always thought he just gets fed up with book learning during the day and decides to hit wood instead of reading textbooks in typical Litch fashion.

Much has changed since the Third Form, but Litch’s supremacy in the woodshop certainly has not. A combination of his natural creativity and highly developed skills, gained

through years of woodworking at Belmont Hill, makes him fluent in the woodshop. His talents don’t go unnoticed; as Mr. Simpson put it, “Grant is a very talented woodworking student, owing in part to his creative puzzle-solving skills. One such example is how he employed his knowledge of thermodynamics to heat his breakfast sandwiches in the steam generator that is used for bending wood.” This is high praise coming from a professional woodworker.

Grant seems to relate to the wood, and at times it’s like he is one with the wood.

In many ways, Litch is like the trees that he molds. He’s built like a tree trunk in the best way possible; he is solid and rooted in the ground. Litch is quietly intense, steady, and careful--all qualities reminiscent of a tree. It seems like Grant Litchfield was born to work with wood. It’s easy to envision him as a lumberjack and a woodworker in the future, felling, and milling and sculpting as he brings his ideas to life. ☐

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creating and viewing films, and the class is largely unaffected by the pandemic. The students have been introduced to seminal directors such as Stanley Kubrick and Robert Bresson; they also have studied the more contemporary work of Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson. Through in-class critiquing and the use of several videographic techniques, the students continue to perfect

with the Belmont Hill community soon.

Several students were recognized by the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards for their work. Nate Voss ’24 and James Mullowney ’24 won a Gold Key and a Silver Key, respectively, in Ceramics. Cord Vallis ’24 also won Honorable Mention in Ceramics. In Drawing and Illustration, Daniel Xie ’24 won a Silver Key and Honorable Mention. For Photography, Brian Lee ’24 won both a Gold Key and Silver Key, Cole Sparks ’24 won a Silver Key and Honorable Mention, and Abe Tolkoff ’21 won two Honorable Mentions. Jake Kornmehl ’24 also won Honorable Mention in Photography.

The pandemic has resulted in the requirement of additional preparations for the arts program, but maintaining the best experience for students is of utmost importance to the faculty. Mr. Kaplan said, “From a teacher’s perspective, it’s great to see students in our art classes working in-person and with their hands. Even more exciting is that we recently heard from the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards, and eight boys were selected as award winners!” The faculty strive to continue providing art students with enjoyable projects and impactful learning opportunities through the modified arts curriculum. ☐

-Sam Atalla Form IV

February Artist of the Issue: Grant Litchfield ’21

By Adam Alto ’21 Panel Staff I didn’t know much about Grant Litchfield when I saw him in the woodshop at the start of the Third Form. What I did know was that he was big and liked to hit things, so I didn’t really think much of his woodworking skills. As the days passed and we began the process of creating dovetail boxes, I started to realize that I was completely right in perceiving Grant as a kid who likes to hit things. However, what I didn’t expect was how well his personality fit the process of sculpting wood. After all, woodworking is just very organized and precise hitting, so he was a natural from the start. It was nothing less than shocking to see the biggest kid in school chisel away at a dovetail joint with laser focus and graceful daintiness. Even more jarring was his choice to ignore Mr. Kaplan’s suggestions and make his box undersized; I have never seen anoth-

News from the Arts: Updates, Awards, and Panel Carving

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff Throughout the COVID era, art classes have continued to expand their realm of expression through their end-of-semester creative endeavors.

To start the new semester, Mr. Tahan’s senior inquiry class will be constructing canoes in the gallery and boat room. The woodworking class finished the semester with a kite project. Students designed and built kites individually, testing them out in the athletic fields on their last day of class.

Grant Litchfield ’21 and Adam Alto ’21 are continuing their work in the woodshop for their independent study with Mr. Simpson. The seniors have also begun carving their panels, generating ideas and images throughout the fall. Once the images are finalized, they begin transferring the pictures onto the wood; carving demonstrations and initial student carving ensue. The seniors are currently still working on their panels, which will be on display around campus by the end of the school year.

The ceramics class created bobbleheads and continued their work on the pottery wheel to end the semester.

Their creations are displayed through-

the Melvoin Academic Center.

The photography classes have further expanded and developed their skills digitally through broadening their work conceptually. They continue to critique each other’s work to improve their skills of photography interpretation and analysis. Photo 1 has transitioned from working in the darkroom to a digital workflow.

They

Daniel Xie ’24 have been using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for post-production. The Advanced Photography class culminated with students perfecting their personalized, hand-stitched photo books. Digital Video has continued

their skills and expand their creative and conceptual boundaries.

The theatre program has been creating a short screenplay, written by Will Achtmeyer ’26. Jeremy Eaton ’23 and Daniel Rashes ’22 have also been working on their monologues that will be filmed and shared

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News from Prenatt: Music Program Remains Strong

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff Because of the pandemic, not all of the Belmont Hill music programs are currently running. Several challenges, such as the inability to sing together in-person or play wind instruments and the lack of X-blocks or other free periods, have arisen. However, through Mr. Fiori and the rest of the music department’s hard work, several ensembles have been able to meet at least semi-regularly.

The orchestra runs two nightly sectional rehearsals over zoom. They started the year with a rendition of “Viva la Vida”

by Coldplay and are now working on movements from “Peer Gynt.” Aside from orchestra, the cellos also formed their own ensemble, recording “Canción de Suenos” from Suite Hispaniola. One of the cellists, Brian Lee ’24 was accepted into the Senior Districts and has auditioned for the AllState Festival. The Panel congratulates him on his musical accomplishments. Multiple new students also joined the orchestra this year, which now has around 20 musicians. The larger size contributes to the overall richness of the recorded pieces; it also allows for the incorporation of more added nuances or countermelodies.

Both jazz ensembles have been running this year. The Middle School Jazz band meets at 4:00 on Mondays. The ten students

recently recorded “Cissy Strut” by The Me- demic prohibits the group from singing toters, a tune that encompasses the groove and gether in-person, it has also resulted in novfunk of 70s jazz. They are currently working el solo opportunities. In their respective solo on “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Joe Zawinul, a projects, each B-flat records multiple takes piece with a bluesy feel. The Upper School of their song, which allows for layering, Jazz Ensemble meets at school to discuss self-dueting, and the addition of harmonies. future projects and edit their rough draft There have also been virtual concerts takes, and their final recordings are done at that featured the work of the B-flats, Orcheshome. For the first time in the group’s histo- tra, jazz ensembles, and other soloists. The ry, Third first took Formers place last were alspring, lowed to with the join the most reensewmcent ocble. With curring its new this past members, Novemthe group ber. There recordare likely ed “St. to be subThomas” sequent

by Sam- The Upper School Jazz Ensemble plays virtually.

Mr. Fiori c o n c e r t s my Rollins s o m e and “Povo” by Freddie Hubbard. Both pieces time in February and more towards the allowed students to show off their skills solo. end of the school year. The “Coffee HousThe B-flats have been performing es” have also taken place live over Zoom, both as a group and as solo acts. They some- featuring performances from Ryan Cantimes record downstairs in the Prenatt Mu- nistraro ’21, T.J. Cannistraro ’24, and Mr. sic Building one at a time. They also record Schneider. There was also a virtual recital their song using the “Acapella” app, which in the spring for those taking private lesinvolves each singer layering his track over sons, which have continued over Zoom. the other members’ takes. Though the panMusic classes have been largely un-

affected by the pandemic. Music Tech recently began this semester; rather than using the school computers for their productions, they installed “Reaper,” a Macbook-compatible recording program, on their personal laptops. Two sections of Music Appreciation are running in the spring, with one having just finished at the end of the semester. The class has been able to follow its typical curriculum. Music Composition and Jazz Theory are not running this year, not because of the pandemic but because there are not enough students.

Though right now the circumstances may be trying, hope still remains. Mr. Fiori stated, “Certainly this pandemic has been incredibly challenging for performing arts around the world, and that’s definitely true within schools as well. None of us really know when it will return back to how it was before, and it’s challenging to not do what we’ve previously done. But at the same time, there have been highlights. We’ve learned new skills and new techniques. The output of projects to be shared with the community is super important, and it feels like we have this vital role to fill even if it’s not in front of an audience. It has a lot of negatives, but also a lot of interesting positives.”

Music instigates happiness, and the Belmont Hill ensembles strive to brighten the days of the school community in the coming months with their future projects. ☐

Croods: A New Age Is a Good Sequel to a Good Movie

By Luke Hogan ’22 and Howard Huang ’22 Panel Staff As we prepared to view the sequel to the highly popular animated movie, Croods, we expected a standard comedic movie with childish animations and a hidden deeper meaning for adults.

We knew from our research that the movie had good reviews, with a 77% rating from Rotten Tomatoes. The movie contained the expected comedy with surprising variety in the humor along with a lot of head-hitting and being punched by monkeys. The first Croods movie had a very limited set of characters, but the sequel includes a second family that is more “evolved,” leading to novel interactions that make the movie marginally more interesting.

The limited number of characters has the benefit of allowing the directors

and writers to fully develop each one the Croods a different lifestyle on their be sacrificed to the “spiny mandrilof them, rather than skim over some la”. We will refrain from going into or create virtual clones of characters further detail to avoid spoiling the Croods: A New Age still has an ending for those who plan to watch. all-star cast, with Emma Stone, However, though the movie had Ryan Reynolds, and its merits, much of its humor was unNicolas Cage voicing creative and really obvious, which the main takes away from its charm. Because of this and the plot, the film is not particularly memorable and is definitely not worth a rewatch. At the current rate of depreciation, any third Croods characters. The film is search for a film created would likely not even be still about the lovable new home. The worth the time, as it would just be family that audience climax shows the DreamWorks trying to milk the franmembers met strength of chise for profits as much as possible. in the previw o m a n h o o d We would recommend watching this ous film, but as the fe- movie only if you are looking for a with a twist. male char- quick laugh. We also wrote this review The Croods acters band from a teenager’s standpoint, but we meet another together to save believe younger children would defifamily called the “Bettheir families who nitely enjoy this film. We give Croods: Dreamworks (CNS) were kidnapped to A New Age four out of ten stars. ☐ termans,” who show

Wonder Woman 1984 Underwhelms Home Box Office

By Luke Hogan ’22 and Sammy Jomaa ’21 Panel Staff

The long-awaited sequel to the highly acclaimed DC Comics’ Wonder Woman was released on December 25th, 2020, starring Gal Gadot and Kristen Wiig. Rather than just being released in theaters, Wonder Woman 1984 was also released on HBO’s streaming service, HBO Max, which has become more typical during the pandemic. Because of its 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I went into the streaming experience skeptical of what I was about to view. I had really enjoyed the previous Wonder Woman film, which had brought a new dynamic to superhero movies by rewinding the past and setting the film during World War I; however, evidently, WW84 disappointingly missed the bar, as it attempted to set the film in 1984 as a representation of a new modern world.

When the movie starts, viewers find that Diana (Gal Gadot) has been living her eternal life more or less in

solitude ever since her long-lost love to understand if you had not watched had passed away (a reference from the the first movie recently. Also, many previous film). Working as an arti- parts of the plot were hard to follow, fact specialist at the considering the riSmithsonian, a spediculousness of a cial artifact called mystifying artifact the Dreamstone that bringing dead peogrants one wish to ple back to life and anyone who holds other nonsensical it is found, and it events. With an allwreaks havoc on star cast, I expected the world. The film the film to live up even portrays an allto its name. Disapout nuclear war bepointingly, it did not. tween the USA and However, Gal Gadthe Soviet Union ot still remains the because of this arperfect actress for tifact. Diana has to the role of Wonder help stop the mayWoman as she enhem as she battles compasses the many the villainess The different aspects Cheetah (Kristen of her character.

Wiig) and the wishPlot issues ing artifact itself. aside, the movie did Warner Bros. Studios I noticed contain several imthroughout the movie there were many portant and interesting political mesreferences to its predecessor, which sages, ranging from the feminist to the actually made parts of the film hard small-c conservative. Like its prequel,

it continued to prove that a female superhero - a superheroine - could lead an action film just as well as a male one could. More interestingly, however, was how the fundamental villain of the movie was unrestrained desire - and it wasn’t defeated with an action fight, but with the immortal lesson of the need to live within one’s means. Both key conservative beliefs. Furthermore, Wonder Woman wields the Lasso of Truth, an implicit rejection of the view that there is no objective truth - a belief, rampant in academia, that conservative writer Alan Bloom excoriated in his book, The Closing of the American Mind.

As DC Comics tries to re-establish its name in the superhero movie franchise, WW84 does not help its case; in my opinion, it represents a rushed attempt at creating a sequel.

Even taking my criticism into consideration, I still found the movie enjoyable to watch, and I would recommend it to anyone who has watched the first Wonder Woman film. If you do plan on watching WW84, make sure to watch the first film in the series. 7/10 stars. ☐

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Greasy GameStop™ Scandal

Ronald M. Druker ’62 Head of School and investment genius Greg J. Schneider is reportedly facing charges for having invested the entirety of Belmont Hill’s trust fund into GameStop™ last week. Despite this heinous act, I’m sure many of you can agree with me when I say I’m not surprised. The whole GameStop stock scheme started on Reddit, after all, and Headmaster Schneider is most likely the biggest Reddit guy on campus. In defense of his blatant embezzlement, G. Schneider reportedly said, “Bro I can make bank bro, just let me handle the money bro, I’ll double it overnight bro. These Wall Street buffoons won’t know what hit them.” No matter how convincing an argument this may be, Schneider’s decision to convert all of Belmont Hill’s money into GameStop stock is certainly an interesting one that is frowned upon by some members of our community. I, for one, am fully supportive of our brave leader’s decision. After all, we’ve all done our fair share of embezzlement over the years. Let the man invest!

The Back Page Sandwich Submission

Henry Harrison Totally Blew It! You should’ve seen it. I first realized something was wrong when Henry Harrison starting screaming profanities during a panel carving class. A horde of seniors made their way over to his desk to see a ruined panel carved by a ruined man. He had blown it, totally and completely, shearing off half of the already indescernible image with a chisel. I mean seriously, there’s no way it was an accident. One would have to try real hard to screw up that bad. Mr. Kaplan even got involved, and it was made official last week that Henry Harrison will be the first student in Belmont Hill history to not carve a panel as a result of his subsequent ban from the woodshop. This bung-up is going in the history books, folks.

Pulled straight from the mind of Belmont Hill’s finest culinary expert, Jerry Austen ’23, this single-slice cheese and wheat bread panini is a guaranteed stunnah!

TREY BROWN SPOTTED IN CLASS

A Call for Action Justin Paré ’25

For six years I have enjoyed my life at Belmont Hill, happily taking part in the banter and freedom of expression that makes our school’s atmosphere so special, but I fear what our beautiful and free school is turning towards.

In my senior year especially I have seen an extraordinary clamp down on freedom of speech on this campus, with censoring of my back page ideas, yearbook page, and Boo Chapel video filling me with incredible frustration. Not only does this totalitarian-esque mindset rob the good citizens of Belmont Hill of my immaculate fart jokes on the back page and my baby costume for Boo Chapel, but I also fear that Jack Ma may not be the only one “laying low” in the near future. I am writing now in fear of my life, but I am appealing to you, the Back Page viewers, to support me in my struggle for freedom. Hopefully by exposing these tyrants we can bring them to justice.

Tyrant #1 Ms. Cushman (speaking on my proposed yearbook page) “After a review by Mr. Hegarty, Mr. Bradley, and myself, you need to change photos on your yearbook pages due to the inappropriate nature. Most specifically, it’s the photos above the text on the second page and basically the bottom half of the second page. Please no photos in a locker room, bathroom, with people in diapers, and just general tomfoolery. These pages will be in our school’s history forever, blah blah blah etc etc.”

Tyrant #2 Mr. Bradley (speaking on my group’s proposed video for Boo Chapel) “There is much to laugh at here, but it is just not appropriate to be shown in school. It is just not something the school can support.”

Tyrant #3 Ms. Zener (speaking on the Back Page rough draft) “This Back Page will not publish as is. Please get Alto et al [Justin and Paul.

We have names Ms. Zener.] to rewrite so no penile references in the electoral material.”

I am sure you can all see the dangerous trends of our once beautiful and historic institution. Soon enough, where the Chinese are banned from comparing their leader Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh, despite the uncanny resemblance, we will be restricted from comparing Mr. Leo to a cauliflower (despite the uncanny resemblance). The liberals have gone too far this time. That’s right Mr. Bradley, I am calling you a liberal. Please, everyone, hear my call for action and join my cause, defending our great nation, I mean school, against these self-righteous SJW’s.