The Panel (Vol. 70 Iss. 8)

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TENSION RISES AFTER OLYMPICS Volume 70, Issue 8

A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill and Winsor Schools

March 11, 2022

What is Happ ening in Ukraine? The Nationalities of 2022 Olympians

By Luke Hogan ’22 and Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff As the horrific events continue to unfold in Ukraine, it is important to contextualise and discuss the implications this war has on the world, especially within our respective school communities.

On the 24th of February, the Russian Federation began its attack on Ukraine, escalating the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War and negating the peace agreement between the two nations. Russia currently refuses to use the terms “war” and “invasion” to describe their actions; rather, Putin described the invasion as an attempt at protecting victims of bullying and genocide and catalyzing the “demilitarization and de-Nazification” of Ukraine. He also mentioned that he did not feel “safe” and was unsure if Russia could “develop and exist” because of the supposed constant Ukranian threat.

Additionally, Russia has resisted Ukraine’s attempts at moving toward the European Union and NATO, with Putin’s announcement of the Russian invasion including accusations of NATO threatening Russia’s “historic future as a

Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy

nation.” The current invasion ties back to the Russo-Ukrainian war that began in 2014. Putin has claimed Ukraine to be overrun by extremists ever since the ousting of pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

The Russians retaliated by annexing Crimea, supporting anti-Ukrainian separatists and initiating a war that has claimed over 14,000 lives. Russia’s escalation of the conflict began with their recognition of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, areas under the control of Russian rebels, as independent states. The nation subsequently deployed large numbers of troops near the Russian-Ukrainian border at the end of 2021, later invading Ukraine in early 2022.

In response to the unjust attacks, several western countries such as the United States and the European Union bloc have initiated economic warfare against Russia via an unprecedented range of sanctions. Nations have notably resisted sending troops into this conflict to prevent further escalation; however, NATO-member countries have stated that if Russia attempts to push their invasion past Ukrainian borders into NATO territory, a response through warfare will ensue.

Continued on Page 13.

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By Gigi Chu ’23, Ella Pascucci ’23, and Cooper Nelson ’23 Banner and Panel Staff The 2022 Beijing Olympics brought new faces to this highly anticipated competition and to the Chinese team. Eileen Gu, an 18-year-old freestyle skier born and raised in California, is part of a group of American-born Olympians who competed for China this year.

She is of both Chinese and American descent, and, as a result, her mixed heritage was a talking point for the media as well as the public. Gu’s exceptional success in these Olympics, winning two gold medals and one silver medal, prompted mixed reactions from viewers in both the United States and China.

Much of the conflict comes from the belief that because she was born in the US and used US resources to train, it is unfair that

Zhu Yi competing

Eileen Gu on the Podium

she is now competing for a different country.

In 2019, Gu appeared in Beijing with China’s leader, Xi Jinping. She stood in a crowd of China’s Olympians in a red and white Team China uniform while Xi announced that China’s success in the Olympics would help with “the nation’s great rejuvenation.” In June 2019, Gu announced her official decision on Twitter: she would be representing China in the 2022 Olympics. Although Gu spends some of her summers in China, she was born and raised in California by her Chinese mother and grandmother; her American father is absent. Her choice is shocking and raises the question: Why? America and China’s current trade war and battle of political ideologies make Gu’s decision even more significant. According to The Economist, Gu hopes “the pursuit of extreme sports can be a means through which people in China and the United States can enhance their Continued on Page 16.

NYT

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Summary of Recent Winsor Fundraisers Winsor’s Tobin Fine Arts Project

By Emma Santry ’25 Banner Contributing Writer

This month, the Party With A Purpose (PWAP) committee, Food Bank club, and Boston Outreach club, held fundraisers and volunteer opportunities for Winsor students.

On February 12, Upper School students volunteered at the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), alongside Food Bank heads, Aleksaundra Handrinos ’22, Claire Ackerman ’22, Delaney Holland ’22, and Leila Martin ’22.

The GBFB is committed to ensuring all of Eastern Massachusetts

Look Inside the Issue Winsor News Language Corner Suzanne Pogorelec ’24 reports on a young chessmaster’s recent accomplishments. Available in Spanish and English!

eats three nutritious meals each day.

When asked how COVID has affected the GBFB and its donations, the heads of the Food Bank club responded, “The GBFB wasn’t able to have volunteers for a while and had to rely more on staff.” This was a huge adjustment, especially while grappling with the growing rate of food insecurity. Fortunately, the GBFB is now allowing volunteers, however not as many as before.

The Winsor group was limited to only 15, but they were still very productive. The heads reported that they had “made meal boxes for families” and after completing that, moved onto “Prep[ping] for afternoon group set-up boxes”.

Continued on Page 4.

In November of 2020, Ella Pascucci ’23 and I conceived of a project that ultimately culminated in our founding of the Tobin Fine Arts club. In this club, we teach kindergarten to fifth grade students from The Tobin School in Roxbury about the fundamentals of drawing and painting. Our goal is to ignite their interest in visual art and to give them a new way of expressing themselves. Art frees one from the need to communicate through words; it enables visual self-expression.

Article and full-size in-color images are Continued Online at winsorbanner.org.

Club participants

Belmont Hill and Winsor Arts Women’s History Month Meredith Tangney ’23 and Arec Keomurjian ’22 share the historical value of Women’s History Month.

Center Spread Winsor and Belmont Hill Switch Day Follow along as members of the executive staff from each school experience the other school’s classes for a day. Get the inside scoop on your sibling school!

Belmont Hill and Winsor Sports Spring Sports Preview Read to learn more about what each spring sports team is looking forward to.

Belmont Hill and Winsor Ops Debate of the Issue Belmont Hill Arts Batman Review Winsor and Belmont Hill writers share their Join Daniel Rashes ’22 in reviewopinions on the uping Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Is it lifted mask mandate. worth the hype? Read to find out!

By Katya Agrawal ’23 Banner Staff

Ms. Waring

Winsor Arts The Winsor Yoga Club Anna Halfman ’23 and Jessica Wei ’22 speak with the Yoga Club founders and faculty advisor to learn more about the mission and impact of Yoga Club!

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Belmont Hill and Winsor Unmask This Spring

By Austin Forrester ’23, Aaron Stanger ’24, and Davis Woolbert ’25 Banner and Panel Staff On February 9, Governor Baker announced that Massachusetts’ statewide mask mandate in schools would expire at the end of the month. This news comes as other New England states, like Connecticut and New Jersey, announced the end of their own mask mandates come March. Education Secretary James Peyser stated, “During the past two years, the impact of COVID on children has caused a strain on their mental health, emotional well-being, and academic success. We are relieved to now be in a place where we can provide young people additional relief from COVID-19 restrictions.” As universal restrictions are lifted, it is up to individual private schools to decide how they want to proceed with masking.

Many private schools, like Dexter-Southfield, made the decision to go mask-optional right as the state deadline expired on February 28. Other schools, like Nobles and Greenough, are already mask-optional. Belmont Hill and Winsor took slightly different approaches to the changing guidelines.

In an email to the Winsor community, Head of School Sarah Pelmas cited Winsor’s vaccination rate, ongoing testing program, and decreased transmission rates as reasons behind her decision to allow Winsor students and staff to go mask-optional. She also mentioned that, after spring break, repopulation testing, similar to that conducted after winter break, will be conducted to ensure the safety of the Winsor school community before the start of the new masking pol-

icy that is currently scheduled for early April. However, masks will still be required for school buses, the nurses’ office, and potentially community gatherings.

Responding to this decision, Win-

lasting longer than that of other schools.

Lindsay Whelan ’23 said, “Every single time Winsor has made a COVID decision, they have been cautious and safe. So when they say we are ready to go mask-

Governer Charlie Baker removes mask before giving speech sor Institutional Researcher Ms. Labieniec said, “Throughout the pandemic, Winsor took a fairly conservative approach to our COVID safety protocols, choosing to err on the side of caution when there was ambiguity, and that approach did a really good job keeping our community safe and healthy. I believe we thought about the mask-optional decision in the same way.”

Student reactions were fairly positive even though their mask mandate is

WBUR News

optional, I will feel ready to go maskless.”

Throughout the pandemic, Belmont Hill’s masking policy has aligned with state and local requirements while accounting for the school’s own community testing. During an all-school gathering on February 18, Belmont Hill’s Headmaster Greg Schneider announced that the school would move to a maskoptional policy on February 24, as long as the number of positive COVID cases

remained low. The weekly testing program continues to render minimal positive cases, and an email was sent out to the Belmont Hill community on February 24 announcing the school’s new guidelines.

The new regulations allow students to be maskless during classes, lunch, school meetings, and while competing in sporting events. The only time students are still required to wear masks is while spectating at indoor sporting contests, which is because the town of Belmont maintains its indoor mask mandate.

Sporting events are open to the general public, and masks thus must be worn in order to abide by the town’s requirements.

When Brady Paquette ’25 was asked his opinion on the updated policy, he stated, “As I am not much of a mask-wearer myself, having this option makes a huge difference in my daily life at Belmont Hill.”

Ezra Lee ’25 commented, “The return to an optional mask policy at Belmont Hill was long-awaited and anticipated by many students. This change gives many students and teachers a sense of reassurance, as the decision brings us closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. Head of the Upper School, Mr. Bradley, shared “There are the skeptics, and there are the ones who are all in, but I think we’ve been good about it [COVID-19 precautions] and stayed healthy…[I’m] hopeful we’ve seen the last of masks this year. But I could imagine them coming back if a new strain appears.”

Overall, students and faculty at both Winsor and Belmont Hill are ready to move away from wearing masks. While the does future remains uncertain, there is hope in the air as both schools move towards spring.

Most students are excited to see each other’s unmasked smiles once again. ☐

Winsor and Belmont Hill Host Dr. Noubar Afeyan

By David Cho ’23 and Sophia Lichterfeld ’24 Panel and Banner Staff On February 10, Winsor and Belmont Hill hosted a webinar with Dr. Noubar Afeyan. Moderated by Dr. Goldberg, the Science Department Head at Belmont Hill, the webinar answered student questions while providing insight into the world of medicine and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Afeyan is the founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, an investment firm that hopes to make advances in health and take strides toward more sustainable technological development. He is also the cofounder and chairman of Moderna, which has helped combat the pandemic with its revolutionary mRNA vaccines. Dr. Afeyan has more than 100 patents across his 70plus companies. Mr. Schneider, the Head of School at Belmont Hill, noted that, “Dr. Afeyan is a truly remarkable scientist and entrepreneur, and he is a parent of former students at both Winsor and Belmont Hill.

Thus, his talk was an ideal opportunity for partnership with Winsor, and we know both communities benefited from his insight and expertise in the context of the pandemic.”

Dr. Goldberg began the webinar by asking three fundamental questions: “Do you feel having to endure difficult times is a necessary ingredient for success? Would you tell us about some of the setbacks you’ve had and what you have learned from these experiences? Would you comment on the importance of wonder, a growth mindset, and, specifically, taking academic risks for a successful career?” In response, Dr. Afeyan described the challenges he faced, such as fleeing the Lebanese civil war at thirteen and overseeing projects

and companies that did not go as planned.

“Rather than speak to a preselected topic, Dr. Afeyan wanted to feature preselected student questions from both schools,” reported Ms. McMahon from Winsor’s Advancement Team. Dr. Goldberg divided these submissions into three main categories: the biological basis of viral infection, future

trated the concept of evolution, relating it to scientific discovery, and called on the need to foster “a fertile place for imagination.”

Over 700 people registered for the webinar; students, faculty, and parents all jumped at the opportunity to listen to a pioneer in so many different fields. One such teacher who attended the webinar was Ms.

Dr. Noubar Afeyan speaks to a crowd about his initiative goals and expectations, and entrepreneurship. Throughout this portion of the webinar, Dr. Afeyan answered several questions: “Given the incredible demands on your time, how do you maintain a focus on creating and pursuing other opportunities? Why can’t the vaccine be administered as an inhalant or as a tablet? How can I, as a student, convince others that science is not a tool of convenience, rather it is a way to [envision] the future?” While answering, Dr. Afeyan frequently mentioned broader themes of science, innovation, and learning. He illus-

The Future Armenian

Labieniec, a physics teacher and the Institutional Researcher at Winsor. Reflecting on the webinar, she said, “Dr. Afeyan did an exceptionally communicative job discussing science, strategies for innovation, and his own experiences. I really appreciated how he was able to explain viruses in general (and COVID specifically) in an accessible yet rigorous way.” Winsor student Karla Sahin ’24 commented, “Not only did I learn about scientific innovation, but I also learned about the importance of using your voice and power to advocate for the scientific community.”

Much thought was put into organizing such an extraordinary event. When asked about the process of arranging the webinar, Ms. McMahon said, “The advancement teams at both Winsor and Belmont Hill had discussed the idea of hosting Dr. Afeyan as a speaker. This winter, Belmont Hill secured a date with Dr. Afeyan, and together, we decided to collaborate for a second year in a row on a dual community event, this time to virtually host Dr. Afeyan.”

Mr. Schneider also commented on the remarkable job Dr. Goldberg did in facilitating the interview with Dr. Afeyan. When reflecting on the webinar, Dr. Goldberg said, “Interviewing Dr. Afeyan was like chatting with an old friend; he made the interview interesting, engaging, and informative. It was clear from the outset that Dr. Afeyan brought something very special to the conversation, and I felt honored to be part of it.”

As Dr. Goldberg spent more time preparing for the interview, he became more interested in Dr. Afeyan “as a person rather than as a CEO.” When asked about his experience moderating the webinar, Dr. Goldberg said, “I’ve always stressed the importance of finding a career that you are passionate about over one that looks good on your resume. Clearly, Dr. Afeyan is an example of someone who pursues his interests.”

The Winsor and Belmont Hill communities are thankful to Dr. Afeyan for imparting such insightful knowledge and advice in medicine and entrepreneurship. He touched on many crucial themes in great detail. However, the most important thing Dr. Afeyan spoke about during the webinar was his reflection on the courage to venture into the seemingly impossible. He stated, “The only failure worth avoiding is the failure to try.” ☐

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A P R O M - i n e n t S p r i n g Ev e n t Is B a c k !

By Sophia Lin-David ’22 and Luke Hogan ’22 Banner and Panel Staff With last year’s prom being limited strictly to the Class of 2021, current seniors and juniors are excited by the prospect of a “normal” prom. Once again, the Belmont Hill and Winsor joint prom will be held on The Spirit of Boston Cruise. While the juniors and seniors missed out on this iconic high school event last year, prom has returned and will take place on Saturday, April 23.

Prior to the main event, families can partake in “pre-prom photos and fun at Belmont Hill,” according to Belmont Hill’s Director of Parent Engagement, Mrs. Farkas. Photos begin at 5:30 pm, and the dance kicks off at 7:00 pm.

Students will be required to use provided transportation to get to Boston Harbor from either of the two schools.

Once on the boat, students will be treated to dinner, DJs, dancing, games, a

photo booth, an ice cream bar, and skyline views. The buses will depart the Spirit of Boston Cruise at 10:00 pm, and students will return to the same school from which they arrived. Students are not required to

An example of a prom-posal bring a guest to the event; however, they will be allowed to bring dates from other schools if they choose to do so. Lauren Hogan ’23 is “especially excited that students from outside Winsor and Belmont Hill will be in attendance.” She contin-

ued, “It will be a great way to interact with people that we don’t see all the time!”

Sometimes, students engage in “prom-posals” when finding a date for prom. A “prom-posal” is when a student

Franchesca Vilmenay asks another student to prom in a quirky, fun, and meaningful way. In the past, a Belmont Hill student even prom-posed by setting up water bottles on the Chapel lawn and spelling out “PROM?” His date reportedly accepted the invitation before students

were given the chance to take the water bottles and drink them throughout the day.

Other important details to know about prom are proper attire and ticket cost. Prom is a black-tie event, and boutonnieres and corsages can be purchased from Winston Flowers or any local flower shop. Furthermore, the cost of prom tickets will be shared with students and their families in the near future.

The planning for this event was a significant undertaking for class representatives Luke Carroll ’22, MaryKate Hart ’22, and Miracle Hodge ’22. With COVID-19 taking the helm for the past two years, Carroll stated, “Even in the early stages in the fall, the virus sometimes felt like an afterthought. Sharing the tradition with our sister school makes it especially action-packed.”

Hodge added that “this year’s prom will be the snippet of normalcy that we all need.”

A huge thank you to all of the students, parents, teachers, and staff who helped organize this year’s prom. The 2022 Belmont Hill and Winsor prom will surely be a night to remember! ☐

Party with a Purpose Event Returns after Two Years ment and would assist the hospital as a

By Mac Bobo ’23 and Ryan Fantasia ’24 whole, allowing some of these patients to Panel and Banner Staff attend in person and making it “for the kids” is in many cases the most memoAfter two long years without the an- rable part of each annual party. As early nual Party with a Purpose (PWAP), the as this December, it looked like patients event leaders, Daniel Drucker ’23, Quinn would not be able to attend as they usually Healey ’23, and Leo Montoya ’23 have confirmed that PWAP will take place April 9th, 2022. According to Drucker, the event will be nearly identical to those held in previous years. Familiar games and attractions such as the DJ, bouncy houses, and ping pong tables will be available for attendees, as well as new games, like the dunk tank.

While the pandemic has caused many companies and local stores to be more cautious about assisting with the event, the event leaders are certain that popular food choices will be available.

The organizers are hopeful considering the recent decline in COVID cases.

As in typical years, other schools have been invited to attend. Both Winsor and Dana Hall are confirmed, and Roxbury Latin and Nobles might attend as well.

Of course, what makes Party with a Purpose special is its support of the Boston Children’s Hospital and its patients.

While solely raising money would itself benefit countless patients receiving treat- PWAP Logo

would because of the pandemic. However, over the past month it seems as if that may change. According to PWAP leader Drucker , there is still a “possibility for patients attending” because of the recent decline in COVID cases this month. If this COVID trend continues, all signs point to having

several patients attend the night in person.

Additionally, many students are looking forward to their first PWAP in years. Aiko Dable ‘24 remarked that she was “excited to see what the event will look like this year.” Dable also noted that “[she] doesn’t have to leave the dance early this year,” like she had to at her last PWAP, in seventh grade.

PWAP merchandise will soon be available to attending schools and their students. Students will be able to purchase Party with a Purpose merchandise online and of course in person at the event. Drucker says that the “Hoodie Weeks”, during which Belmont Hill students will be allowed to wear Party with a Purpose hoodies instead of their blazer, will be coming soon. Be sure to be on the lookout for emails concerning the incoming PWAP merchandise.

Only because of the hard work of the planning committee and the consistent adherence of both Belmont Hill and Winsor to COVID guidelines are we going to be able to hold this event after two years. Both Belmont Hill and Winsor are excited to experience this tradition again, especially considering what a tremendous impact it has for Boston Belmont Hill Communications Children’s Hospital and its patients. ☐

Acting Class Holds Chapel Drone Club Begins Lift Off

By Cooper Nelson ’23 Panel Staff

This performance was an entertaining way to start an otherwise mundane morning. Additionally, it provided the actors with a chance to show off the skills they have developed in their acting class while advertising the course itself to the school. The improv game, other acting performances, and musical performances should become a staple of Belmont Hill Chapels. Not only are they enjoyable for audience members, but they allow students to showcase their talents and contribute to the community’s celebration of art. ☐

On the morning of Friday, February 18, the Belmont Hill community convened in the Chapel for a live improvisational performance from the freshman and sophomore acting class.

For this impromptu show, the actors set up a classic improv game where one student plays as the “host.” This student left the Chapel for the first few minutes while Mr. DiResta crowdsourced individual character “quirks” for each remaining actor. The audience yelled out amusing traits like “speaks like Yoda” or “ is overly flirtatious.” Once the host returned, each character came on stage in their respective characters, and it was the host’s job to guess every actor’s secret trait. The host asked them a series of questions, and once he correctly identified a quirk, the actor had to find a way to leave the stage without breaking character. Chapel Stage

Bruner/Cott Architects

By Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff The Belmont Hill Drone Club’s inaugural meeting took place on February 15th. The club, started by Chris Brusie ’23, seeks makers to build and fly drones on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:15 in the new Makerspace. The drones will be made using 3D-printing CAD software and students’ knowledge of physics and chemistry.

Brusie’s passion for drones formed during his childhood when he built and flew them with his dad. He took an independent study about drones, where he is researching the science behind the machines. He planned for his study to “culminate in the creation of a drone club” so that he could “demonstrate what [he] had learned.” Additionally, he felt that the multifaceted nature of drone building would be a perfect topic to explore in the club.

As the club holds its first meetings,

Brusie will be implementing the many ideas he has for its future. So far, he has formed a group of interested students who are looking forward to building drones and competing in a program called “Drones in School.”

This event allows schools to enter into virtual contests that culminate in a national race, a competition between the top thirty-two drone-building teams in the nation. Brusie is ready to lead the team through designing and building various types of drones and can’t wait for the “exciting and engaging experience” the competition will provide.

The “Drones in School” program typically seeks smaller and quicker drones more conducive to racing. Brusie recognizes that “there seems to be a general attraction to bigger drones,” so he is ready to branch out after the racing season. He aspires to create a large autonomous drone that can fly without the help of human guidance. Brusie is excited to get his club off the ground so that club members can start preparing for the racing season and achieve their goals. ☐

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Robotics Team Qualifies for States Competition

By Ella Pascucci ’23 Banner Staff Recently, the Winsor Robotics team qualified for states in the FIRST Tech Robotics Challenge! The FIRST competition is a national high school robotics competition with about 4,000 teams competing from all over the country. The qualifier took place at Andover High School and hosted 19 high school teams from around Massachusetts.

Due to high interest in the robotics team this year, Winsor Robotics split into two sub-teams: the Wirecats and the Wildbots. Though each team has its own robot, the teams still meet and collaborate together at weekly Friday and Saturday meetings.

At the competition, both teams first had to present their building, coding, and business methods to a panel of judges. The judges also looked at each team’s engineering notebook, a Google Sheet containing a summary of what the team worked on at each meeting. After a quick inspection period to make sure all of the robots were safe, the opening ceremony began! During this time, members from each team were able to “scout,” or talk to other teams and gain information on their robots’ capabilities as well as their strategies for outreach and engineering.

Next, the robots were finally put to the test in the match round! In each match,

Robotics Team at Qualifiers

Tarini Dasari

two high schools competed against two as possible onto a tiered platform in the other high schools. The goal of each robot time given. The square pen contained a was to intake and deposit as much freight spinning carousel, rubber ducks, and ob-

stacles in place to challenge the robots.

There was an initial 30-second autonomous period, which allowed the robot to perform its precoded tasks. For the remaining two minutes, drivers from each team manually guided the robots using their controllers. Kenna Schneider ’25, Anaya Raikar ’25, and Karla Sahin ’24 made up the driving team for Wirecats, while Liza Kuntz ’23, Karina Peak ’22, and Sophia Lichterfeld ’24 coach drove for the Wildbots.

The competition ended with an awards ceremony, during which six awards were given out. The Wildbots took home the Motivator award given to the team that embodies the FIRST values of organization, innovation, team spirit, and gracious professionalism. The Wirecats took home the Connect Award given to the team that most connects with their local STEM community by outreaching to other FIRST teams and STEM organizations.

Robotics head Abby Bohl ’22 and robotics member Karina Peak ’22 said that they “are excited to meet new people and see new robots at states” where they will compete against 32 high schools from all around Massachusetts. They are looking forward to the rest of the robotics season and encourage anyone who is interested in engineering, computer science, or business to join next year! ☐

Sophomores Finally Receive Off-Campus Privileges

By Julia Bae ’25 and Emily Lutzker ’25 Contributing Writers Among the many rites of passage that come with being in Upper School, obtaining off-campus privileges is definitely a favorite.

Bags from Bruegger’s Bagels, Dunkin’, and Sweetgreen can often be spotted in the halls.

You may have noticed an influx in such bags recently, as Class VI received their offcampus privileges on Wednesday, February 16, and have been frequenting the Longwood stores ever since. Additionally, after completing a successful book drive, Class V also earned their off-campus privileges, and they will be able to officially go off-campus when they return from Spring Break.

Typically, freshmen earn off-campus privileges in mid-January after completing a project that serves either the Winsor community or the Greater Boston community. This project demonstrates that the class will be responsible enough to gain off-campus privileges; however, privileges can be revoked if a student fails to complete homework, is consistently late to class, or ventures out of the approved bounds. For

their project, Class V held a grade-wide for Class V; however, the COVID-19 protobook drive for Cradles to Crayons. They col has had an especially large impact on the collected and donated over 400 books–​​ Class VI students, who did not receive their double their original goal! Anaya Raikar, off-campus privileges until this past Februwho is a Class V co-president along with ary, about a year later than the normal time.

Nora Furlong, said, “We’re excited for these Many sophomores are excited that they are books that were part of our childhood to now able to leave school grounds, and Class be enjoyed by kids all around Boston!” VI student Caroline Bae said, “It feels amazThe next step for Class V is to have ing to finally be able to go off campus. It’s a homeroom dedicated to understand- definitely something everyone in my grade ing how to sign out and where they are al- has been looking forward to for a really long lowed to go; this homeroom is followed by time…To me, off-campus privileges reprean advisory meeting where the class will practice the process. Before gaining privileges, students must also have a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has had a ripple effect on off-campus privileges. Last year, students were not allowed to leave campus, and they had to report to designated study halls so the school could contact trace if necessary. Although Class VII had their privileges returned right at the start of the current school year, the privilegeearning process was delayed for Class VI, which then delayed the process for Class V. The process is getting back on track Longwood Galleria

sent a lot of the freedom and responsibility of being in high school, and it’s also a great way to have fun and hang out with your friends.”

This excitement can also be seen in Class V students, who are eagerly anticipating their return from Spring Break so they can join the rest of the Upper School in their adventures off-campus. Receiving off-campus privileges is certainly one of the highlights of the Upper School, and their return reflects Winsor’s gradual restoration of pre-COVID normalcy. ☐

The Bushari Team

C ont . Su m m a r y of R e c e nt Wi nt e r Fu n d r a i s e r s

By Emma Santry ’25 Contributing Writer Continued from the front page.

Also this February, the Boston Outreach club invited Upper School students to participate in the Winter Walk. The Boston Outreach club is geared towards giving back to the Greater Boston community in any way, whether it be volunteering at the Boston Area Gleaners, a non-profit that rescues extra crops for those in need, or walking two miles in the coldest month of the year for the Winter Walk. The Winter Walk is an opportunity to show the homeless population just how much the city of Boston hears their struggles and is dedicated to helping the fight against homelessness. When asked how the pandemic has affected homelessness in Boston, Holland and Ackerman responded, “The pandemic caused unhoused people to not want to go to shelters.” Club

heads also mentioned meeting Mayor Wu who “spoke before the walk, and talked about her work and some of the city counselors that helped.” The Winter Walk is an event that shows a tremendous amount of support for Boston’s homeless population.

In the wake of Valentine’s Day, the PWAP committee held its flower drive fundraiser. Party with a Purpose is an annual event that gives money to Boston Children’s Hospital. This flower drive, students were given the option of buying either a single rose or a dozen bunch from Winston Flowers. The flower drive is a cherished tradition at Winsor, and an excellent way to raise money for a great event.

All of these clubs deserve a huge congratulations for benefiting the Greater Boston community. Remember to look out for future volunteer opportunities sent out by these clubs, and to reach out to any of the heads with questions! ☐ Winter Walk

Franchesca Vilmenay

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Winsor News

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Winsor Celebrates Giving Day This February

By Ryan Fantasia ’24 Contributing Writer Winsor students across all grade levels are familiar with the #LoveWinsor campaign that takes over our Instagram feeds during the second week of February; however, many students are not aware what exactly constitutes “Giving Day.” On February 10, Winsor hosted its fourth annual “Giving Day.” Families and alumnae were encouraged to show their support to the school via monetary donations. This year, out of the 857 total donors who were able to raise over $454,700 for the school, an outstanding 430 were alumnae.

To motivate more alumnae to donate, Winsor also hosts a competition. The banner of

#LoveWinsor Poster

the graduated class with the most donors is hung in the cafeteria for the rest of the school year. This year, the Class of 1987’s banner, which features puzzle pieces among other childhood symbols, will be hung in the cafeteria. Additionally, reaching the increasing goals for the amount of donors leads to more money being raised. This year, the original goal was 500 donors, which would unlock $100,000 in pledges for the Winsor Fund, but that was soon surpassed, with 340 donors in just the first few hours of the day. The goal was then raised to 750 donors, who would pledge an additional $75,000.

The families of both Aoife Beswick ’24 and Vanessa Paige ’24 donated this Giving Day. Paige, who has been a student at Winsor since Class II, remarked that her

family donated to “thank Winsor for providing so many great opportunities for [her].” Beswick’s family shared the same sentiment; she has been at Winsor since Class III, and her family has donated every year to show support for the school that has “given [her] so many opportunities, athletically, academically, and artistically.”

Iris Shen ’26 was appreciative of the donors and their contributions in helping to keep Winsor a positive learning environment. Shen took the time to write a note to the donors in the #LoveWinsor letters; she thanked them for their monetary donations that directly improved her learning experience at Winsor. She remarked “it was really cool to have a chance to thank the people who are helping my

time at Winsor go as smoothly as possible.”

The Winsor Fund, to which the donations go, supports many essential facets of the Winsor experience. From helping cover financial aid and operating expenses to supporting student athletes, the Winsor Fund is the cornerstone of philanthropy at the School.

While donating money is certainly not the only way to show support for Winsor, Paige, Shen, and Beswick remarked that seeing the community come together to help improve the Winsor experience was inspiring and motivating. On behalf of the Winsor student body, The Banner newspaper members would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the generous donors who have helped make our community be as successful as possible! ☐

Franchesca Vilmenay

Language Corner: ¡Niño Prodigio Logra lo Imposible!

By Suzanne Pogorelec ‘24 Contributing Writer

Español: Según el sitio web de ciencia, How Stuff Works, entre cinco y diez millones de niños, sólo uno de ellos será un niño prodigio o un niño con talento insondable. A pesar de esta estadística tan deslumbrante, los niños prodigios sí existen y muchas veces terminan destacados en las noticias por sus éxitos en su campo de estudio.

Este escenario fue exactamente lo que ocurrió con Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, un niño de dieciséis años que acaba de derrotar al genio Magnus Carlsen en el ajedrez.

La victoria impresionante sucedió el 22 de febrero en un torneo dentro de una serie llamado Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2022.

Para Praggnanandhaa, la victoria no solo es increíble porque ganó al mejor jugador de ajedrez en el mundo sino también porque el triunfo ocurrió a las 2:30am ya que vive en India y la competición era virtual (NPR).

Aunque criticos puedan socavar el logro de Praggnanandhaa con el hecho de que Carlsen tuvo Covid y estaba recuperándose mientras el torneo progresaba, el niño de 16 años también tuvo que vencer sus propios obstáculos. Praggnanandhaa no había ganado un partido en tres juegos y tuvo que enfrentarse a Carlsen, quien ganó sus juegos anteriores a pesar de su enfermedad (NPR).

En general, la mayoría de los fanáticos del ajedrez están muy entusiasmados por Praggnanandhaa. Despues de oir las noticias, Sophie Lim ’24, dijo: “Es increíble como un adolescente tan joven de dieciséis años pudo vencer a Magnus Carlsen que tiene mas de veinticinco años de experiencia. Muestra lo que puedes lograr a través de la práctica y dedicación a algo que amas.”

Aunque es verdad que Praggnanandhaa es un prodigio, su hazaña no fue ac-

cidental. El niño tuvo que tomar tiempo que tengamos confianza y que nos esforcThis scenario was exactly what happracticando como avanzar a diferentes emos a tratar de alcanzar nuestras metas. pened to Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, niveles y navegar como competir con los a 16-year-old boy who had just defeated mejores del juego. Como Lim mencionó, English: the Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen. The impressive victory happened on February 22 in a tournament within the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2022. For Praggnanandhaa, the victory is incredible not only because he beat the best chess player in the world, but also because the victory happened at 2:30 in the morning, as he lives in India and the competition was virtual (NPR).

Although critics could undermine Praggnanandhaa’s achievement with the fact that Carlsen had COVID and was recovering as the tournament progressed, the 16-year-old also had his own hurdles to overcome. Praggnanandhaa had not won a match in three rounds and then had to face Carlsen, who had won his previous games despite contracting the illness (NPR).

Overall, most chess fanatics are very enthusiastic about Praggnanandhaa. After hearing the news, Sophie Lim ’24, said: “It is incredible how a teen as young as 16 was able to beat Magnus Carlsen who has more than 25 years of experience. It goes to show what you can accomplish through practice and dedication to something you love.”

Although it is true that Praggnanandhaa is a prodigy, his feat was not accidental.

The 16- year-old had spent time practicing to advance to different levels and navigate competing with the best in the game. As Lim Chessboard Ella Pascucci mentioned, this boy’s story is an example of la historia de este niño es un ejemplo de According to the science website How Stuff how hard work can take the most passioncómo el trabajo duro puede llevar a los más Works, out of more than five million chilate a long way and allow them to achieve apasionados muy lejos y ayudarles a lograr dren, only one of them will end up being a seemingly impossible feats. In addition, his victorias que parecen imposibles. Además, child prodigy or a child with unfathomable story shows how age should not stop us. su historia exhibe como la edad no se debe talent. Despite that astounding statistic, At Winsor, although we are a group detenernos. En Winsor, aunque somos child prodigies do exist and often end up of young students, we have many abilities un grupo de estudiantes jóvenes, tenemos featured in the news for their successes in and it is imperative that we have confidence muchas capacidades y es imprescindible their field of study. and work hard to try to achieve our goals. ☐

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Belmont Hill Artist of the Issue: David Carter ’22

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff For the past three years, David Carter ’22 has worked diligently to develop his skills as a woodworker. Carter first started woodworking because “it seemed like the most fun art offered at Belmont Hill,” continuing to take classes because he loved its hands-on nature and the break it provided from the tedium of his academic day.

Carter has created several pieces including dovetail boxes and a coffee table, but his favorite is the desk he is currently completing. His designs have been “inspired by math,” more specifically “geometry and angles,” and he strives to achieve beauty through simplicity. David Carter engaging in his other passion-trumpet

In the future, Carter plans on continuing his work and hopes to take more woodworking classes. Carter’s dedication to his craft is commendable, and his designs highlight his creativity and reflect his passion for the art form.

He stated, mentioning the time commitment that woodworking requires, “The arts at Belmont Hill have been super fun for me [although they] require a lot of thought and planning. I find woodworking to be much more gratifying than schoolwork because when I finish, I have a tangible piece of art.”

The Panel wishes David Carter the best in his future artistic endeavors, whether visual or performing. His creativity and genuine passion are truly inspirational BH Communications for all aspiring artists at Belmont Hill. ☐

Landau Gallery: Visual Artist Abigail Kaplan

By Kevin Weldon’24 and Lev Tolkoff ’24 Panel Staff Each year, the Landau Gallery displays the creations of students, alumni, and even professional artists. The latest installation highlights the work of Abigail Kaplan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan. Her collection, entitled “Hooves, Paws, and Claws,” is an array of watercolor paintings of Kaplan’s and her friends’ pets.

“I love printmaking and silkscreen but don’t practice it myself. I prefer to work in watercolor, which is the medium you will see in the show!”

Art has always been significant to Kaplan. She started painting when she was three years old, and, throughout her life, she “always thought of art as an outlet.” She stated, “It’s a very consistent part of my life, and painting is extremely therapeutic for me.”

At 15, Kaplan started painting her family’s and friends’ pets. Her lifelong love of pets largely drove her artistic visions. Her inspiration has always come from her love of animals, specifically, dogs, cats, and horses.

As a college student, Kaplan began taking art more seriously. She started working on her painting business and found a regular clientele in the process; her paintings in the gallery accurately represent the kind of work for which she is commissioned.

When asked about her favorite piece,

Coinbase’s SB Advertisement

By Daniel Xie ’24 Panel Staff The Super Bowl, one of the largest and most-watched sporting events in the world, is truly a spectacle to behold. People from all over the world watch it for many reasons, one of which being the advertisements.

Super Bowl ads have made a name for themselves as companies have attempted to start memes and create lasting impacts on their viewers by taking advantage of relevant trends, using humor, and having higher production value. Some feature celebrities, such as Squarespace’s ad starring Zendaya; others play on past successes like The Prince of Bel-Air. Several use connections to football to try to propel their brands to fame.

Though all companies pay the same amount for an ad (this year, the cost of running a 30-second ad was $6.5 million), the value they get out of them can vary significantly. This year, one ad stood out from the rest, one so bizarre and different that it became popular enough to crash a website—Coinbase’s ad.

The bouncing QR code was simple, modern, and unique, distinguishing itself from other celebrity cameos and nostalgia-

Coinbase’s Ad

Google Images

driven advertisements. The black screen was a stark contrast from the vibrant and overly-saturated productions of most companies. The advertisement’s simplicity and distinctiveness helped contribute to its memorability and effectiveness.

The ad also used meme culture and suspense to its benefit, as the QR code was directly based on the bouncing DVD logos present on old CRTs. It has become a topic in memes for the logo to hit a corner of the screen, and this ad was punctuated by having the two collide as the ad approached its end.

In addition, the mystery of the ad helped further generate clicks, or scans in this case, as the initial lack of branding (or anything else, for that matter) encouraged viewers to seek out more information about the ad. Overall, the ad had many factors that contributed to its incredible popularity.

Unfortunately, the ad was so successful that it crashed the Coinbase app as millions of people across the United States flipped out their phones to scan the bouncing code. The Coinbase website read, “Well, that was more popular than we thought,” and, “We need a quick time out, but don’t worry. We’ll email you when things are back to normal.” with a picture of the Doge meme at the bottom of the screen with the word “wow” directly above it.

Without diving into the hot debate that is cryptocurrencies and NFTs, the Coinbase ad made an impressionable impact on the commercial market; companies in the future will, without a doubt, look towards more unique advertising options. Meta, among other companies, was quick to hop on the Coinbase train, posting their own bouncing QR codes. Just as Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl ad set a precedent for the future of Super Bowl advertising, the success of Coinbase’s unique and clever ad strategy will undoubtedly shift the way companies approach commercial design. ☐

Kaplan replied that, while she is proud of all her work, “My favorite piece would be Petunia! I am probably biased because she is one of my horses!” Kaplan beautifully combines her many interests with her artwork.

Kaplan’s contributions to the Landau Gallery furthers Belmont Hill’s celebration of the creativity of its students and the artists in our community. Her work demonstrates her immense skill, and she serves as an example of a successful painter for the school’s aspiring artists.

The Belmont Hill community is incredibly grateful for her installation; the art brings joy and inspiration to all who view it in the hallway.

The Panel would like to wish Kaplan the best in her future artistic endeavors. ☐ Painting of a horse

Executive Editors Arec Keomurjian ’22 Angelina Li ’22 Natalie Pan ’23

Copy Editor

Editors-In-Chief Luke Hogan ’22 Howard Huang ’22 Jessica Wei ’22

Online Editors

Andrew Bittner ’24 Isabelle Fan ’23

Alex Lo ’23 Lidia Rodriguez ’23 Meredith Tangney ’23

Digital Media Editor Cooper Nelson ’23

Assistant Editors

Arts Editors

Anna Halfman ’23 Daniel Rashes ’22

Sports Editors

Daniel Bittner ’22 Sophia Lin-David ’22

Graphics Editors

Annie Fisher ’24 Kevin Jiang ’22 Luke Trevisan ’24 Franchesca Vilmenay ’22

Daniel Cho ’23 Gigi Chu ’23 Noah Farb ’24 Merhawi Ghebrelul ’23 Lauren Hogan ’23 Aidan Lee ’24 Brian Lee ’24 Christina Monroe ’23 Daniel Moran ’23 Luke Trevisan ’24 Kevin Weldon ’24 Davis Woolbert ’25 Daniel Xie ’24 Ashley Xu ’23

Abigail Kaplan

Faculty Advisors David Hegarty Veronica Plata Samantha Simpson Tom Wensink Juliette Zener

News Editors

Katya Agrawal ’23 David Cho ’23

Opinion Editors Anika Banerjee ’22 Mac Bobo ’23

Photo Editors Tarini Dasari ’23 Alex Sousa ’22

Back Page Editors Jacob Czarnecki ’22 Ivy Eastland ’23 Abby Groom ’22 Jackson Kendall ’22 Charlie March ’22 Tommy Madden ’22

The Panel, founded in 1953, is the official school newspaper of the Belmont Hill School. The Banner, renamed in 2019, is the official school newspaper of the Winsor School. The Panel and The Banner are 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 and The Banner 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 and The Banner encourage responsible opinion in the form of Letters to the Editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length and content. Copyright © 2021 The Panel and The Banner. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the Editors-in-Chief. Published by the Belmont Printing Co., Belmont, MA 02478.

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Belmont Hill Action Movie Review: The Batman of the puzzle that Riddler has left behind.

It’s fun to watch him solve the clues, often going down the wrong path to arrive Batman has been done many times, at the right one. The Riddler’s….uh….ridbut Matt Reeves’s The Batman proves the dles are cleverly constructed and rewardcaped crusader hasn’t yet been done to ing to see solved. On the way, Batman has death. With a brand new take on the character, the film starts during the second year of Bruce Wayne’s campaign as Batman. He navigates Gotham’s underbelly of crime as he tries to solve an ongoing progression of politically-motivated assassinations. The murderer leaves puzzling clues in his wake; all addressed to the Batman.

The film has a fantastic opening set of sequences that launch the viewer right into the world of Gotham. We first meet the villain of the piece, an eerie and violent rendition of The Riddler (Paul Dano), and then our Batman (Robert Pattinson).

We get the sense that this Batman has experience but is still very much coming into his own. He grapples with his own trauma and violent quest through surprisingly effective use of voiceover. Batman tells us how, despite his efforts, crime has only gotten worse in Gotham as we watch him stalk criminals in the night. Reeves The Batman instantly establishes our crime fighter’s te- plenty of encounters with the low-lives of nets and launches into the story, an effec- Gotham. The movie is action-packed, and tive jump-start to a rollercoaster of a film. all of it is thrilling. All such set pieces are Reeves forgoes Batman’s origin, mean- in service of the story, and there wasn’t a ing we don’t have to sit through little Bruce sequence that didn’t have me engaged. Evwatching his parents get gunned down for erything plays out in relentless succession. the millionth time. The choice is wise; we Unfortunately, The Batman doesn’t know who Batman is and where he came always let its revelations breathe, often alfrom, we don’t need to see it all over again. lowing its spectacular action to overshadow Reeves, however, does not skimp on a rich its emotional components. Bruce’s dynamic exploration of Bruce’s psyche and the toll with Alfred (Andy Serkis) is both fun and of his parents’ murder. Early on in the film, dramatically interesting. However, the Batman locks eyes with a boy whose father famed butler is sidelined relatively early on, was recently murdered. A testament to Pat- leaving their rich relationship, and the actinson’s acting, even while behind a mask, it tors’ chemistry, with only a few scenes to is clear what Bruce is thinking about in the shine. The Batman is an overtly dramatic midst of the dialogue-less moment. His ori- film, but it rarely finds the emotion to make gin flashes through the audience’s mind with- the stakes feel consequential. There is a out the film having to tread familiar ground. point where the film goes on a bit of a tanThe central story and unraveling gent concerning the intersection of Bruce’s mystery work well, though they’re not parents’ murder and Zoë Kravitz’s Catwomwithout their flaws. For the first time on an character. It’s not that this story beat is screen, Batman does some real detective ill-conceived, but it doesn’t have the time to work. We see him put together the pieces play out in a satisfying or compelling way.

By Daniel Rashes ’22 Panel Staff

It all eventually leads back into the central Riddler arc, but while it was all going down, I felt like we got off-topic. Again, towards the very end of the film, there’s a very outof-place scene that’s clearly there to set up a sequel. It would have been much more natu-

Warner Bros. Pictures ral as a credit scene and only served to make what felt like a very unique and singular film feel more like standard franchise fare.

Even more so than the Nolan films, Reeves grounds his Batman in reality.

His tactical suit has the traditional utility belt but also creative concepts like a builtin wing-suit and his emblem detaching for use as a tool. His version of the Batmobile isn’t much more than a supedup civilian car. These choices make Pattinson’s Batman an individualistic and original take on an oft-adapted character.

Pattinson is quite good in the role. In fact, he might be my favorite Batman yet.

In his internal struggle, he reckons with the consequences of his actions with intensity and vulnerability. He is not, however, my favorite Bruce Wayne. While he’s not bad as Batman’s billionaire alter-ego, the few scenes where he’s not wearing the suit showcase a melodramatic kid with a bad haircut.

It’s understandable, as this is very much a Batman coming-of-age story, but I much

preferred to see him underneath the cowl.

Every great Batman must have a great villain, and Dano’s Riddler lives up to the task. While he remains behind a mask until the latter half of the film, Dano plays the delusional psychopath tremendously well. Dano captures a certain giddy joy in the Riddler as well as a frightening childlike outrage when things don’t go his way.

Screenwriters Reeves and Peter Craig craft a Riddler for the modern era. His use of technology and gripes with social-political strife prove a surprising and effective reflection of real-life domestic terrorism.

Reeves has assembled a stellar cast, one with a greater spread of talent than any previous Batman film. A clear standout is Colin Farrell (who is unrecognizable beneath prosthetics) as the Penguin. The shady nightclub owner plays a supporting role as a valuable yet uncooperative source of information for Batman. Farrell’s rambunctious gangster steals every scene he’s in. Jeffery Wright is also great as Lieutenant Gordon, one of Batman’s few allies. His scenes with Pattinson are dynamic and fun.

If I had to pick an odd one out, I wasn’t crazy about Kravitz’s Catwoman. She’s not bad by any means, but I found some of her line delivery to be a little clunky. The character as a whole, who plays a rather large part in the film, felt superfluous for some stretches.

Despite its flaws, The Batman is a gritty, sprawling odyssey that’s replete with fun characters and tells an engrossing story. It plays like a graphic novel come to life, equally interested in exploring the rich visuals of a noir landscape and the psychological complexities of grief and vigilantism. The movie is technically marvelous, with a haunting score by Michael Giacchino and masterful cinematography

by Greig Fraser. Every frame is as intricately thought out as that of a comic book.

The Batman has a noticeably higher level of polish, craft, and care than typical superhero fare, and it bares a film more artistically stimulating than most modern blockbusters. It’s certainly one of the best renditions of the titular character and exists firmly in the upperechelon of his cinematic outings. ☐

B e l m o n t H i l l 2 0 2 2 Wi n t e r C o n c e r t R e v i e w

By Brian Lee ’24 Panel Staff On Sunday, February 27, Belmont Hill’s various musical groups showcased their talents to the community. The school’s Winter Concert involved a plethora of musical genres and instruments, providing a diverse listening experience. Moreover, the newly renovated Chapel’s excellent acoustics aided in bringing out the best in the performers.

To kick off the concert, the Upper School Jazz Ensemble performed a fantastic rendition of “Pick Up the Pieces,” a funk classic by Michael League. A riveting performance of Mr. Fiori’s own arrangement of a fusion composition called “Thing Of Gold” followed. Featured soloists included Davi Ribeiro ’23 and William Lloyd ’23 on the alto and tenor saxophones, respectively, and Cameron Connell ’23 on the synthesizer. The solos certainly elevated the overall performance, and the ensemble’s execution of the pieces attested to their many hours of rehearsal.

Afterward, the Middle School Jazz Ensemble took the stage to deliver an exciting performance of “Killer Joe” by Benny Golson. Like the Upper School Jazz Ensemble, there were solos throughout the piece, with Brandon Li ’26 on the alto saxophone, John Pena ’26 on the bass guitar, and Henry

Amenhauser ’26 on the drums. Although its members are still in middle school, the ensemble was well prepared. The future of the Upper School Jazz ensemble appears bright.

The B-Flats, Belmont Hill’s premier singing group, performed next. All seven songs were full of spirit and heart as the enthusiasm of the B-Flats uplifted the overall atmosphere of the concert. Various solos, sung by Leonardo Montoya ’23, Alexandre White ’24, Jacob Czarnecki ’22, Gabriel Klug ’22, and William Kelly ’23, were interspersed through the seven songs.

Finally, the school orchestra capped off a great night of music, beginning with the upbeat final movement of “Ballet Parisien”

by Jacques Offenbach. The orchestra subsequently performed an exhilarating arrangement from the motion picture Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl– a stark contrast to the group’s opening classical composition. Each member was integral to the success of the overall performance.

If you weren’t able to attend the Winter Concert, we encourage you to show your support at the upcoming Spring Coffee House, which is scheduled for Friday, April 8, at 6:30 PM in the Kraft Theater.

Belmont Hill’s talented student mucisians, whether vocalists or instrumentalists, never fail to amaze and to inspire their audience members. ☐ B-Flats and the Orchestra

Belmont Hill Communications

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Belmont Hill and Winsor: Oscar Nominees Breakdown

By Daniel Rashes ’22 and Camille Eckert ’24 Panel and Banner Staff Announced in early February, the 94th Academy Award nominees boast a diverse lineup across the categories. We reviewed the nominees for best picture, directing, original and adapted screenplay, and all acting categories. The nominees discussed can be found on oscars.org.

Winners will be announced on March 27.

Best Picture Daniel: This year, I see a couple of strong standouts in a pretty middling lineup. Don’t Look Up and Drive My Car have no business being here. The former is a notso-funny comedy that squanders one of the greatest casts ever assembled while the latter is a three-hour bore that is pretty to look at but lacks story. Dune was a stunning technical and directorial achievement but not a particularly riveting achievement in storytelling. I enjoyed Nightmare Alley, Belfast, and Licorice Pizza, while I found King Richard to be a serviceable sports film elevated by a fantastic central performance. Films like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut tick, tick…BOOM! or even the heavily campaigned crowd-pleasers Spider-Man: No Way Home and No Time To Die are far more deserving of spots. If the Academy aimed to nominate a foreign film like Drive My Car for best picture, the elsewhere-nominated The Worst Person in the World is a far more impressive and enthralling piece of cinema. I would be thrilled if either West Side Story or CODA took the trophy. WSS is yet another dazzling masterpiece from Spielberg while CODA is an endearing and heart-felt joy.

Camille: With this extensive line up, it was difficult for me to rank them. I agree with Daniel; Don’t Look Up and Drive My Car were easily overshadowed by the other nominees. If I’m being honest, I hated Nightmare Alley for the first 30 minutes, but over time, I appreciated the interesting story and intense dialogue. After watching King Richard and Dune, I left feeling like I had watched something momentous, but can understand the criticism. The tennis scenes in King Richard were a bit repetitive and would be boring for those who don’t know much about tennis, and Dune was mostly a build up for a bigger story. My absolute favorites were the vibrant and fun West Side Story, the touching and dramatic Belfast, and the ever-endearing CODA.

Daniel: I’ve already addressed my lack of enthusiasm for Drive My Car and its slow and unaffecting story. I felt similarly about Dune, which mostly serves as groundwork for a sequel. The Power of the Dog tells a slow yet pensive tale, and I wouldn’t be unhappy to see it take the gold.

The Lost Daughter provides a captivating and off-putting character study with unpredictable progression. My vote, however, would have to be for CODA, a script that quickly makes you love its characters and tells a simple, beautiful story. West Side Story and Passing could have easily slipped in.

Camille: Drive My Car may not be a movie for everyone, since I believe it takes more than one watch to fully appreciate its well-crafted theme. The Power of the Dog did not include an important part of the backstory between Phil Burband and Rose’s former husband, but was still able to convey the tension in the story. Same with The Lost Daughter: the ending was changed and rendered the whole story feeling incomplete. Conversely, CODA was a simple story, but beautifully made and it is easy to empathize with all of the characters, making it the most enjoyable out of the choices.

Daniel: For reasons I’ve discussed, Don’t Look Up shouldn’t be here. Once again, King Richard is a pretty-good movie with a very-good performance, I can’t see it walking away with this trophy. Licorice Pizza has great characters but little plot. I would happily accept Belfast as the winner as it concisely tells a straightforward story with intrigue and heart. I desperately want to see The Worst Person in the World take this category. Its script is original, fun, and deeply insightful. I’m surprised that the thrice-nominated, Being the Ricardos didn’t get a deserving nomination and would have loved to see The Mitchells vs the Machines and The French Dispatch get nods.

Camille: For the category of original writing, The Worst Person in the World,

by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier is my first choice. The idea of a female-centered, lifedeciding movie is by no means new, but Vogt and Trier create a story that stands alone. The main character is easy to empathize with and the conversations are so authentic that anyone from any walk of life can relate. King Richard and Licorice Pizza were interesting stories, but the dialogue felt basic at times. Don’t Look Up had a fantastic premise, but was squandered by sub-par jokes and shallow societal commentary. Belfast’s story was also beautiful with mixes of humor, romance, and tension; all well done.

Adapted Screenplay

Daniel: I wasn’t a fan of Dune, but even I’ll admit that Denis Villenuve’s absence is a snub. I contend that Drive My Car isn’t really that great of a movie. I don’t know how Hamaguchi claimed a spot over Villeneuve or other contenders like Lin-Manuel Miranda and his fantastic debut efforts in tick, tick…BOOM!. I liked Belfast but didn’t find it particularly directionally impressive. Licorice Pizza is a film only PTA could make and, while I wouldn’t give him the award, I’m happy to see his name on here. Campion, who I suspect will win, crafts a stunning achievement in The Power of the Dog. While I found it a bit dull, her evident skill is on full display.

For me, there’s no competition in this catIMDb egory. Spielberg, the GOAT, should walk away with this award. West Side Story is a breathtaking, visionary delight, and perhaps the best example of a musical put to screen.

Kotsur but they both deserve the win. My alt nominees would be Anders Danielsen Lie of The Worst Person in the World and (perhaps to some raised eyebrows) Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Camille: Troy Kotsur is easily the best in this category. It is incredible that he speaks only one word, and yet his fluid signing and movements project a range of palpable emotions and bring important humor to the film. Kodi Smit-McPhee has to be second with his performance equally captivating and unnerving to the point where you can’t look away. I would love for Mike Faist to make this list for his captivating role as Riff in West Side Story, since Ciarán Hinds, Jesse Plemons, and J.K. Simmons’ performances were nothing noteworthy.

Actress in a Leading Role

Original Screenplay

Achievement in Directing

Don’t Look Up

Camille: While The Power of the Dog was far from my favorite movie, the cinematography alone was breathtaking, with gorgeous establishing shots of New Zealand. Belfast, directed by Kenneth Branagh, was a stunning example of black and white production, with every shot deliberately thought out. Drive My Car prefered to communicate the story with words, and that showed in the blander directing style. Dune had a lot of plot and world-building to cover in its directing, and while it did it well, it felt a little repetitive with some of its shots. Steven Spierberg’s West Side Story was beautifully crafted in every aspect and astonishing both in and between the musical numbers.

Dune

IMDb

Actor in a Leading Role Daniel: I take no issue with any of these nominees, though the competition is really down to two. Will Smith and Andrew Garfield both shine in their respective vehicles. I bet Smith will take this one home as the seasoned veteran has been in the business for decades and is long overdue for a trophy. In spite of that, my vote is Garfield, who not only gives a powerhouse performance but had to learn to sing and play piano for his role as Rent scribe Jonathan Larson.

Camille: I watched The Power of the Dog first, and I could not find another actor who came close to Benedict Cumberbatch.

Best known for his acting as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series, Cumberbatch brilliantly handled the rough and dominating character of Phil Burbank. While less notable, Will Smith had a very moving performance in King Richard. Richard Williams is far from a perfect person, but Smith is not afraid to lean into his actions while neither demonizing him nor depicting him as angelic.

Garfield’s performance was funny and emotion-packed and leaps ahead of Bardem’s. I was surprised Timothée Chalamet did not make the list, for his portrayal of Paul Atreides in Dune was compelling and kept me engaged for the entirety of the 155 minutes.

Actor in a Supporting Role Daniel: In my eyes, this category has three weak nominees. I don’t know why Simmons is here. He wryly delivers Sorkin’s dialogue to great effect, but it’s not an Oscar-worthy performance. Plemons does understated work that’s good but nothing to write home about. Hinds is a pleasant, wise-cracking grandpa in Belfast, and I can’t say much else. On to the positives, Kotsur is both hilarious and heartbreaking in CODA. Smit-McPhee is crazy-good in The Power of the Dog and is easily the highlight of the film. If I had to choose, my love of CODA would compel me to pick

Daniel: Kidman is great, as always, but knowing her talents proved this performance to be relatively unremarkable.

Colman carries The Lost Daughter and is deserving of the statue. I’m not particularly enthusiastic about Cruz, whose performance is more understated than others on the list. Chastain’s showy turn as Tammy Faye greatly elevates an otherwise middling film, but Stewart’s revelatory turn in Spencer is my favorite of the bunch. Stewart expertly captures the desperation of the trapped princess, humanizing her while displaying her struggles and motherhood. I would have loved to have seen Renate Reinsve from The Worst Person in the World or Emilia Jones of CODA crack the list.

Camille: Colman’s performance in The Lost Daughter was very good, but felt incomplete compared to the other nominees. My favorite was Nicole Kidman, whose portrayal of Lucille Ball was magnetic and fiery, overshadowing every other actor. A close second is Penélope Cruz, who is able to display fragility and fortitude facing the new challenge of motherhood. I was very disappointed that Emilia Jones, playing Ruby in CODA, did not make the list for her engaging performance.

Actress in a Supporting Role Daniel: Dame Judi Dench’s inclusion baffles me as Caitroina Balfe provides a much more substantial and outstanding supporting performance in that same film.

If not Balfe, Ruth Negga of Passing should have made the cut. Buckley does great work as a younger version of Olivia Colman’s character. Ellis was good but did not particularly stand out. Dunst does her best work as a concerned mother who devolves into alcoholism and despair. DeBose is the winner in my mind. Not only does she sing and dance in the show stopping number “America,” but her performance perfectly paints Anita’s subtle and devastating character arc, making much of relatively little screen time.

Camille: Playing a mother and aspiring-professor who can not catch a break, Jessie Buckley’s performance is so tangible that everyone in the audience can relate to her expressions of stress, anger, and occasional happiness. Ariana DeBose is a close second because she was able to switch between emotional and snark-filled moments on a dime, and every delivery is deliberate and strong. While Aunjanue Ellis had little screen time, her emotional scenes were wonderful and they certainly drew your attention throughout. Kirsten Dunst plays the fear and insecurity of Rose Gorden very well, but unfortunately was overshadowed by the rest of the cast. The one nominee that did not hold up was Judi Dench, for her character only had a few lines at the end and overall felt unnecessary. ☐

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Winsor Arts

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Club Spotlight: Yoga Club’s Wellness Practices

By Jessica Wei ’22 and Anna Halfman ’23 Banner Staff

just to provide a space to focus on calming down and letting your feelings out,” said Wang. Piecyk added, “I think there can be a misconception that yoga is about perfecting some kind of pose or looking a certain way, but what I find really powerful about yoga is that it’s just about being in the moment and practicing yoga for the sole purpose of practicing yoga, without any expectation in mind. And I think that’s

Have you been feeling stressed out lately? With March break just around the corner, tests and essays are starting to pile up across different subjects.

It’s important that we all take a break to just breathe. Fortunately, Winsor has a great outlet for stress: Yoga Club.

Yoga Club was founded this past year

by Nadia Piecyk ’22 and Zoe Wang ’22, and it meets Fridays during community time in the Yoga studio. A club meeting typically consists of guided meditation and yoga and provides students with a space to calm and center themselves. When asked what prompted them to start Yoga Club, Wang responded, “Sometimes things can get a little stressful or overwhelming. You might be a bit nervous about a test or have a big game coming up, and the goal of Yoga Club is just to allow a safe space to relax.”

You don’t need to be a yoga expert to attend; participants of all skill levels and abilities are welcome to join. “We’re not perfecting yoga; we’re really here Ms. Mauge Leads Yoga Practice

important at Winsor because this mindset is not really present in other spaces.”

Why else should you start doing yoga? According to Ms. Mauge, a Spanish and French teacher at Winsor as well as Yoga Club’s advisor, “you get a lot of benefits through yoga: physical activity, relaxation and an opportunity to try new poses and get out of your comfort zone. This all helps to focus and settle the

mind.” She further shared, “I love being part of Winsor’s Yoga Club because yoga is a big part of my life, and I think that everyone can use a little bit of it in theirs.”

Yoga Club planned an exciting event in collaboration with Wellness Club to honor Winsor’s Wellness Week. On February 28, Yoga Club held an hour-long after-school yoga practice for Wellness Week. Uche Ogbue ’22, a co-head of the Wellness Club, said, “Yoga and wellness go hand-in-hand, and it’s so great to do yoga with the community!”

Led by Ms. Mauge, this practice helped students stretch, relax, and deepen their understanding of yoga. Ms. Mauge is certified in 200HR alignment-based vinyasa and is on track to complete a certification in 200HR yoga teacher training. So if you’re looking for a yoga expert, Ms. Mauge is the person to find!

Now, if you’re looking for a welcoming space at school to practice meditation, grounding yourself, or cooling down, you know exactly where to go.

As Piecyk and Ms. Mauge excitedly expressed, “All you need to bring to Yoga Club is your enthusiasm–and something Jessica Wei comfortable that you can move in!” ☐

March Break Activities: Cooking, Reading, and More!

By Serena Toscani ’25 and Abby Whelan ’25 Contributing Writers The long nine weeks after winter break can be quite overwhelming with the piles of homework and tests. However, spring break is finally rolling around, which means it is time to figure out what to do with two weeks of free time. Read this article and discover some great ways to enjoy your break, from spending time in the kitchen to exploring Boston!

Into the Kitchen: Cooking and Baking: Although we will be missing the delicious cafeteria food at Winsor, spring break

is the perfect time to brush up on your cook- Winsor is gifting every student a copy. ing skills. There are plenty of online recipes Make sure to support her and check it out! and tutorials, such as the NYT cooking website or tasty.co. Kate Drachman ’25 told us that she “really wants to try out making homemade sourdough bread over break.”

Try something new and even start perfecting your summer recipes. You can never go wrong trying to make homemade ice cream!

Catch up on some Spring Reading: Take some time to sit back and enjoy a good book. You can check out books from Winsor’s Virginia Wing Library before break or take a visit to Boston Public Library. Ms. Stringfellow also just released her debut novel “A Comb of Wishes,” and March Break Chloe Chao

Go Outside in the Warmer Weather Despite the fact that Boston is known for having snowstorms in March and April, you can certainly take advantage of the weather when it starts getting warmer. For example, you can go on a bicycle ride with your family or kayak and paddleboard on the Charles River. Newbury Street also has many shopping and dining options, like Eataly or Ben & Jerry’s. Another fun idea is to walk around the Boston Public Garden and even take a ride on a swan boat.

Or, you can hop on the Old Town Trolley and learn about Boston’s fascinating history with a guide. We hope you use these reccomendation to enjoy your break! ☐

Throughout the process, we rehearsed with incredible director John Ambrosino, musical director Rob Opdycke, and choreographer John Crampton. This diligence continued into tech week, in particular, in which rehearsals lasted for as much as five hours every day. Throughout these tech week rehearsals, the cast experienced bonding truly like no other as we came together (with the help of fantastic lights, costumes,

makeup and more!) to perfect this beautifully amusing show. When the long-awaited weekend of the show finally arrived, the cast did not disappoint (I say very humbly!).

Bigelow notes that, “Many spectators claimed that this musical was their favorite RL had ever produced, and many among the cast shared this sentiment.” Catch Me If You Can certainly was and will be a show to remember! ☐

Winsor Play Winsor and Roxbury Latin Joint Musical

By EG Goel ’23 Contributing Writer Winsor Theater Department’s recent festival of three one-act plays offered up a smorgasbord of theatrical delights. As the “Director’s Note” on the playbill explains, student directors Katya Agrawal ’23, Ava Bub ’23, Ellie Carney ’23, Chloe Chao ’23, Liza Kuntz ’23, and Olivia Sarkis ’23 were enticed by the unique challenges and opportunities of staging three separate productions, each with its own directors, cast, and set. In this regard, the directors may have been inspired by Winsor’s Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind as well as Belmont Hill’s Take Ten last semester, both of which explored the short-format, serial play structure to great success. Winsor’s winter thespian festival, which grouped put on fewer but more substantial plays to achieve a crowd-pleasing and varied night of theater.

Continued online at winsorbanner.org.

By Christina Monroe ’23 Banner Staff

This year’s Winsor and Roxbury Latin winter musical, Catch Me If You Can, was a whirlwind of emotion for cast, crew and audience members. This story recounts the life of a young teenage boy who runs away from his family and essentially begins a life of fraud, and takes up jobs as a pilot, as well as as doctor, all the while running desperately from the FBI. Given the timing of the Omicron outbreak during winter break, rehearsals were unable to begin again until mid-to late January, severely shortening the rehearsal time frame as a whole. As recounted by cast member Nika Bigelow ’25, “we faced hardships in the beginning of the process when our old director dropped out. [However], as a cast, we stepped up to the challenge and worked hard to learn our parts in a much smaller time frame.” Winsor-Roxbury Latin Play

Roxbury Latin

March Mov ie and T V Show Recommendations

By Christina Gabrieli ’25 and Caitlin Wang ’25 Contributing Writers March break is coming up soon, which means there is more time to catch up on your favorite TV shows, discover new movies, or even watch a classic with your family and friends. If you are having some trouble deciding what to watch, fear not, because we have a few recommendations that you will enjoy no matter what you are looking for!

Throwback: The chances that you’ve watched the classic Gilmore Girls are high, but it never hurts to watch the show again! The early 2000s TV show stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, and is about mother and daughter duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore and their life in the small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

With seven seasons, each including about 22 40-minute episodes all available on Netflix, you will definitely not get bored!

Comedy: A new comedy series

about the struggles that teachers face in an underfunded school in Philadelphia, Abbott Elementary is the perfect show to watch over break! Available on streaming services such as Hulu and Apple TV, the show is a mockumentary that is similar to The Office and has been especially popular with teachers. With a diverse cast featuring Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, and Chris Perfetti, Abbott Elementary tastefully touches on the hard work and dedication it takes to be a teacher while incorporating

many hilarious moments. It’s a must-watch!

Animated: About a magical family and the adventures that surround it, the new Disney movie musical Encanto is filled with lots of music that will be stuck in your head for days to come.

The voice actors include Stephanie Beatriz, Jessica Darrow, and Maluma, among others. This is a movie that is perfect to watch with family and friends of all ages, and is available to stream on Disney+. We hope you enjoy these reccomendations! ☐

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Cont. What is Happening between Ukraine and Russia?

By Luke Hogan ’22 and Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff Continued from the front page.

In an attempt at preventing the Russian population from seeking outside sources of information on the war, Putin recently implemented a new policy threatening to punish any person or news agency who spreads “fake” news about the “special military operation” with a fifteen-year prison sentence. This censorship law has thus led news agencies such as BBC, Bloomberg, and CNN to end reporting within Russia prior to their websites being blocked within the state. The Russian government has also notably blocked social media sites such as Facebook, preventing citizens from reading and sharing facts about the war.

Several questions remain: Is this war truly justified? Will countries band together to create a new strategy to retain world peace without violence? How will Russia’s actions affect Europe and the rest of the world?

We deeply encourage everyone to continue reading the most current news on this conflict. The war between Ukraine and Russia is a global concern. The Belmont Hill and Winsor communities will continue to keep the citizens of Ukraine in our thoughts during this difficult time. ☐ Ukrainian protesters

March

Joint

Issue

Newsweek

Crossword

Puzzle

CLUES Across 6. The month that prom is held in.

9. What is the play that a Winsor student reviewed?

11. How many awards did Winsor’s Robotic team win?

13. BH students wrote _____ for Women’s History Month.

15. What type of cuisine did the BH execs enjoy for lunch at Winsor?

16. Two members of the BH community who share a last name.

18. Which Winsor class got a retreat?

19. What is the last name of the teacher who recently published a book?

Down 1. Winsor Yoga Club held a celebration for ______ week 2. What secondary language is used in the Language Corner?

3. What movie did Belmont Hill review?

4. What did Evie and Sophia previously taste test?

5. A Winsor back-page editor thought this ensemble was a faculty workout group.

7. Jack thought the Winsor ILE was an International ____ Exam.

8. The Belmont Hill club feature of this issue.

10. The joint arts article looked at nominees for what?

12. What sports team does Winsor not have but Belmont Hill does?

14. What instrument does the featured BH artist of the issue play?

17. According to the hot take of the issue, what the world is getting.

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Switch Day 2022: Belmont Hill Goes to Winsor

By Luke Hogan ’22, RC Keomurjian ’22, similarly to Belmont Hill, which likely results from both classes being mandatand Howard Huang ’22 ed by the AP curriculum. Both schools Panel Staff are currently learning one of the final Switch Day is an annual tradition units for BC Calc: sequences and series. for the executive staff of The Banner and The Panel. Belmont Hill’s editors head to Honors Physics (Howard) Winsor’s campus for a day of shadowing I had the opportunity to shadow in and vice versa. There were many similari- an Honors Physics class learning about ties and differences observed between the standing waves on a string. Specifically, schools. We are excited to share them below. they performed a lab regarding the pitch of a guitar string at a specific tension. The Scheduling class began with a concise and clear exThe Winsor and Belmont Hill sched- planation of how standing waves, visually ules differ significantly. The school day be- represented as displacement on a string, gins at 8:10 am and ends at 2:40 pm, with had harmonics subdividing the length by

The Panel Executives checking in with Ms. Marshall lunch at 12:45 pm before the last class.

Winsor also has fewer classes a day than Belmont Hill as they recently implemented a new schedule similar to BH’s COVID schedule, with four 75-minute blocks a day.

Although long blocks every day may seem monotonous to Belmont Hill students, time really flew once a class got moving, and there was ample opportunity for class discussion. Additionally, unlike Belmont Hill, which follows the same weekly schedule, Winsor has a six-day system; classes are held on three of the six days. Considering we were unfamiliar with their system, their schedule was initially harder for us to follow. However, having a six-day system ensures that classes will be held at different times during the day. This way, teachers will take turns teaching classes after lunch or Friday afternoon, times when students may be slightly less inclined to focus.

Winsor also has the equivalent to Milk and Cookies during their school day, with snacks like bagels, yogurt, and fruit provided by kitchen staff. Additionally, Winsor students have lunch earlier. We find that being hungry can sometimes be a distraction during the last classes of the Belmont Hill school day, so having lunch earlier enabled us to focus fully on our classes after lunch.

Another difference we noticed was Winsor’s lack of bells. It did not impact the school day significantly, if at all, as all Winsor students and faculty knew when each period ended.

Classes AP Calculus BC (Howard and Luke) The two of us attended the same BC Calculus class taught by Ms. Cohen, the Head of Winsor’s Math Department. Howard was in another section taught by Ms. Cohen as well, so our experiences were similar.

Winsor’s math class was structured

of view. After reading both works, students discussed what makes something monstrous, deciding that inferiority to humanity and an inhuman appearance are some of the defining characteristics of a monster.

Currently, the class is watching the 2006 film Pan’s Labyrinth, a movie set in Falangist Spain.

I was unable to take Gothic Literature, so I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to expose myself to various works of literature that I would most likely not have read otherwise. Pan’s Labyrinth was eerie but powerful, and I even felt comfortable enough to participate in the subsequent class discussion.

who sit near the sides of the lower level.

The Winsor assembly was centered around the book A Comb of Wishes

by Lisa Stringfellow, a Winsor English teacher for the 5th and 6th graders. Ms. Stringfellow spoke about the inspiration behind her novel and the challenges and triumphs of her writing process, noting the people who helped her along the way.

She also discussed making a collage or Pinterest board to help develop her ideas.

Lunch/Club Meeting Time The Winsor lunch system was similar to Belmont Hill walkthrough in that students would get their lunches from designated areas then choose where to sit. The major difference is that Winsor uses the “walkthrough” system every day, whereas most of Belmont Hill lunches are “family-style.” The food quality at the two schools is comparable: Belmont Hill’s salad/hot bar is a lot bigger than Winsor’s, but Winsor seems to offer more variety. Both schools send out their lunch menus to the student body ahead of time.

Another difference is that Winsor cooks food from other cultures much more than Belmont Hill, and there are days for different countries’ cuisine almost weekly.

When we were at Winsor, the menu was Brazilian cuisine food, specifically feijoada, a black bean and pork stew, farofa, seasoned yucca flour, and Couve a Mineira, which were sautéed collard greens. The dessert was passion fruit mousse with pineapples. Overall, lunch was very enjoyable.

AT1-Spanish (Luke) In AT1-Spanish, seniors are offered a chance to continue their Spanish studies without being on the AP track. A sweet surprise ensued when my day started with multiple Hershey’s kisses to enjoy after school; students are currently learning about chocolate. They presented slideshows relating to chocolate companies, including Taza, Nestle, and Mars. Students went into detail about the issues surrounding child slavery and the retrieval of cocoa beans. The teacher Ms. Bravo discussed how showing photos about the African-American experience and Black experience could be faulty in the presentations and brought up the speaker’s speech from a few weeks back. I appreciated the weaving of the two topics into the language class. Lastly, we watched the movie From Water to Chocolate, and with me having next to no Spanish experience, I watched intently to try and follow along. Overall, this was a riveting class in- Commons Spaces

Natalie Pan

wavelength. The discussion included sound waves resonating within pipes as well. Afterward, we grouped up to calculate the frequency of a guitar string when put under a specific tension by a weight. Although Model UN the curriculum was slightly different from the physics classes at Belmont Hill, I was just as interested in what there was to learn (Physics C at Belmont Hill omits standing waves as it doesn’t appear on the AP test).

English—Quest for Identity (Howard) Similar to Belmont Hill’s “IdenCollect tity and Meaning” and “Inner Voyages” electives, “Quest for Identity” at Winsor involves readings and discussions of works revolving around discovering identity through literature. Winsor students are currently reading short stories from “Gordo: Stories” by Jaime Cortez. The class I shadowed consisted of posing discussion questions on the first two stories and holding an open discussion. Although it was a bit difficult to follow what was going on as I had not done the reading ahead of time, I realized that the circular arrangement of desks (in a similar size and shape as Belmont Hill’s Harkness tables) was conducive to sharing ideas.

The class inspired me to look more into the book afterward, and I would Robotics the text to anyone as a serecommend ries of short but thought-provoking vignettes of a life very different from ours.

English—Monstrosity (RC) “Monstrosity” is a Winsor English elective similar to Belmont Hill’s “Gothic Literature.” At the beginning of the year, the class read “Beowulf,” one of the oldest poems in the English literature canon. The class subsequently analyzed “Grendel” by John Gardner, a novel that discusses the story of the “Beowulf Mock Trial ” monster from Grendel’s point

Photo courtesy of Ms. Holland

Yearbook Club

Howard Huang eating lunch in the Winsor cafeteria

Natalie Pan

spiring students to think further than just Winsor’s Senior homeroom was the topic of studying the Spanish language. much smaller than the Goodband Commons; however, it felt a lot more personal, AP Statistics (Luke and RC) especially because the Winsor students have AP Statistics, our last class, was a a tradition where they paint the walls of fun end to our day. Luke and I don’t have their homeroom in the first weeks of school. much experience with stats, but the teacher, The room’s layout was similar to Goodband, Ms. Plata, made sure to include us in the with both couches and tables for seniors classwork and explained topics when nec- to use. The overall vibe was also the same. essary. The class was working on a project inspired by MythBusters. In one episode, Off-Campus Experience (Howard) the MythBusters tested whether yawning Natalie and I headed off campus during was contagious, ultimately concluding that her free block. We went to Caffé Nero to get it is. The class wasPhoto tasked with ofreevaluatsomething to drink during the day. I believe Courtesty Robotics ing the MythBusters’ data and determin- the convenience of being able to access food ing whether yawning truly is contagious. so close to campus is really helpful during the day before lunch is available in school.

School Assembly Like Belmont Hill, Winsor holds Gym (RC) weekly assemblies. Similarities include Winsor’s weight room is quite nice. the tight-knit atmosphere of the two spac- They had equipment similar to BHs weight es and the fact that there are designated room; however, the room was a lot largspots for each grade. However, at Win- er and could fit more treadmills, elliptisor, lower schoolers sit on the lower level, cals, and other cardiovascular machines. and older students mainly watch from The three of us are deeply grateful to the balcony. An exception is the seniors, Winsor for hosting us on Switch Day! ☐

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Switch Day Part 2: Winsor Attends Belmont Hill

By Angelina Li ’22, Natalie Pan ’22, and Jessica Wei ’22 Banner Staff Natalie’s Perspective I had the pleasure of shadowing Arec “RC” Keomurjian, a universally-liked senior at Belmont Hill. I found RC’s first and second period classes very interesting because I am also currently taking BC Calc and Physics. I noticed many parallels between our curriculums, and it is clear that both Winsor and Belmont Hill encourage their students to ask lots of questions. Due to this encouragement, class discussions felt more like conversations than lectures. Another impressive aspect was that each classroom was outfitted with a Promethean board.

Easily the most enjoyable part of my day was attending the senior panel carving class. Many seniors were kind enough to share the very personal stories behind their individualized panel with me. For example, RC is carving the first character of his Armenian name in the shape of two birds as an homage to his two cultures. Another student is working on a self-portrait of himself running since he is an avid cross-country athlete. Each panel is beautiful on its own but infinitely more powerful when displayed with others of its year; in fact, the panels from previous years were the very first thing I noticed when I entered the school.

After panel carving and Greek, RC had to attend an interview, but in the true brotherly spirit of Belmont Hill, his peer escorted me to the library on his behalf.

There, I was reunited with Jessica and Angelina for The Panel’s meeting. It is great that the students get a special X-block for the sole purpose of attending club meetings so that they have more time to engage with their extracurriculars. We used the time to finalize a plan for the joint March layout which was very helpful, and their advisor Mr. Hegarty generously let me explore his collection of Irish candy and snacks.

RC’s last class of the day was Advanced Science Research (ASR), which is an elective for students doing independent research in STEM. Every student displayed obvious passion and deep knowledge in their project, so I really enjoyed learning about their work through their short presentations. I was proud when Jessica shared her work from the Winsor science internship with the group as well.

After ASR, RC had a free block. I will admit that at this point, I was starving because Belmont Hill students eat lunch at 1:40 pm--almost an hour after Winsor students do! To distract my “hangry” stomach, RC suggested that we go sledding, which turned out to be super fun.

Their campus conveniently includes a steep, snowy hill with communal sleds that can fly fast. While I chose a conservative sitting position on my way down, I enjoyed cheering on other students that snowboarded or slid down on their stomachs.

Finally, lunch arrived! The scrumptious combination of chicken marsala and linguini pasta did not disappoint. Belmont Hill’s strong sense of community was very apparent as students sat at tables with faculty members and ate from dishes family style. Overall, I really enjoyed my Switch Day experience, and I am grateful to RC and all of the other students, faculty, and staff for making me feel welcome at Belmont Hill.

Jessica’s Perspective Natalie, Angelina, and I started the day with a conversation with the Head of School, Mr. Schneider, in the senior homeroom. Mr. Schneider explained that BH is currently engaged in cross-classes with Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, and Dana Hall to enrich students with a diverse range of

people and academics. He also shared that BH is focused on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) conversations. Finally, pointing at the walls covered in panels, Mr. Schneider explained that the Panels are a long-lasting tradition at BH, and is what the student newspaper is named after! BH is currently working to show more context in the students’ panels, especially in historical ones.

I shadowed Howard Huang ’22.

Since it was a Tuesday, students had all of their classes, each being 40 minutes. I felt engaged during classes and appreciated moving around campus more often.

Winsor’s 75-minute classes allow for more

Ms. McLaurin Executives eating lunch class time per session, but there are certainly benefits to the 40-minute schedule.

Howard’s first class was Panel Carving, which meets twice a week and fulfills the seniors’ graduation requirements.

The teacher, Mr. Kaplan, graduated from BH and returned to teach art for over 20 years. It was nice to see how engaged BH alumni are, even years after graduating.

The class reminded me of the Winsor seniors’ Hemmenway speeches--although in different art forms, both the panels and speeches allow seniors to reflect on what matters to them and share it with the community before graduating. I do wish Winsor had an arts-related tradition for students, in addition to the banner, as well.

Next, we had Physics. The teacher, Mr. Schneider, greeted the class with an ungraded quiz. The class discussion focused on simple harmonic motion and built off of an experiment with dampening string.

The class was quite large, and I was surprised by the student initiative. Unlike a lecture, the content was largely guided by student discussion and inquiry. I’m taking biology, but the class made me miss physics!

Milk and cookies deserve all the hype and more; they were the perfect balance of crunchy and sweet. Truly sublime. I wish I ate more. I miss them.

Afterwards, we went to Music Composition. In a class of about 5 students, we talked about Charles Mingus, an American jazz pianist. We explored his piece “Self-Portrait in 3 Colors.” Afterwards, we learned about consonance and dissonance; contrary motion vs parallel motion vs oblique motion; and tri-tones. The students are creating their own compositions in MuseScore. In class, the teacher emphasized how although musical rules are important to understand, students’ creativity in composition should always be prioritized. I was especially interested in this class because I have been playing piano for several years. I was inspired by both the students’ and the teacher’s musical knowledge.

After tagging along to Greek with RC

and Natalie (Howard and I both do not know Greek so this class was very… interesting), we headed to a Panel meeting. It was really rejuvenating having a dedicated time for clubs block- the staff was focused on discussing joint articles and pod updates without the distraction of lunch or crunched time.

The last class of the day was Linear Algebra. Do not be fooled by the name like I was--linear “algebra” was not algebra. Despite not knowing the mathematical content (matrices, orthogonal, nonzero diagonals, etc.), I found the class entertaining. Students made jeopardy questions from their past several units and hosted games. The games

The Winsor School

Natalie Pan became very competitive, and the first round ended in a tie. The teacher even canceled homework because of how pleased he was with the class- how wholesome is that?

We ended the day with lunch. Lunch emphasized responsibility because there were assigned student waiters who brought food and cleaned tables. I ate quite a bitbut only because I was sampling foods to review for this very article, of course. I ate chicken marsala, a panini, pasta, vegetable noodles, a banana, salad, and oatmeal raisin biscuits. I love meat, and I know good meat when I see it. This chicken was not just good meat--it was great meat. Tender and well-seasoned. A panini press - convenient, healthy, and efficient- is arguably the best investment for any institution. Winsor should take notes. The biscuit was unexpectedly good as well. Can we do another switch day so I can eat more of these foods?

Thank you to everyone at Belmont Hill for a fruitful switch day experience!

Angelina’s Perspective To start off the day, we visited the Belmont Hill Seniors’ common room, which was an open, lounging area located in the center of an academic building. After a couple of announcements from Senior Class President Luke Carroll ’22, students were assigned to write letters to female faculty members at Belmont Hill, in honor of Women’s History Month. Off to shadow Luke Hogan ’22 for the day!

Luke’s first-period class was AP Calculus BC, which was very interesting for me because I am taking this class as well.

I noticed how although both the Winsor and BH classes are following the same curriculum, our teachers made adjustments as needed in order to cover all of the material.

Another difference was that the BH students were encouraged to get up and write on the board, where they could assist each other in doing practice problems. At Winsor, math classes feel more lecture-based, with the majority of the practice being done at home.

Snack time! A mass of students

rushed to an outdoor area, where they could help themselves to a table of cookies and milk. Unfortunately, due to my strong preference for chewy cookies, I did not taste one. Overall, based on how quickly the food left the tables, it seems like milk and cookies are much appreciated at the school.

After a quick snack break, I accompanied Luke to AP Computer Science Principles, which was nothing like I expected. This class was about different computer systems and how technology has developed over the past decades. I found it very interesting that students in this class shared a document to which they could all contribute notes; I have never been in a class in which students took collective notes, rather than individual ones.

During X-block, The Panel held a meeting during which pod (section) editors were asked to give a brief update on how everything was going for the March issue. The meeting was held in a nice, cozy room in the back of the library, a spot that reminded me of Winsor’s small library room on the first floor! The meeting with the entire club (or those that were able to attend) took about 20 minutes, so the executive staff and Mr. Hegarty stayed behind to sort out some logistics for this issue. This room reminded me of the computer lab at Winsor that is right next door to the art labs.

The journey continues! Since the BH execs all had Advanced Science Research (ASR), a science-based inquiry course next, we walked over together. Right before we arrived, the BH editors led us to a quick pit stop at the robotics building. I was amazed at the intricate design of this space; I found the coolest detail of the room to be the wall that I was told could open up and reveal a robot battling ground. ASR took place inside a hut that was sectioned off from the rest of the buildings at the school. Students were given a short amount of time to put together a slide that represented the gist of an article they had just read. The class was fully engaged and was clearly having fun learning about each other’s passions in STEM. Jessica even shared a little bit about her own research experience! This was the final class I attended.

Luke and RC both had the last period free, so Natalie and I got to experience the joy and exhilaration of sledding down a steep slope right in the middle of campus. Though my run was lengths away from Olympic-level, I slid down the course in quite an impressively straight line, if I do say so myself. After participating in this key Belmont Hill experience, I was given a tour of the campus! Thanks to Luke, I learned so much about each building and its purpose, though if you asked me how to get to the cafeteria from the parking lot, I would not be of use. Though this period was as long as the other ones, it felt longer simply because I was not used to the late lunchtime. However, the four of us were able to get situated in the cafeteria a bit earlier than the rest of the Upper School, as we meticulously utilized the last few minutes of the free period.

Lunchtime! The hot menu consisted of herb chicken and pasta, with a salad bar, sandwich bar, and panini presses available as alternative options. The kitchen staff was very busy today, so I skipped out on the chicken and tested out the vegetarian options at the salad bar. The spicy tofu was delectable! I was very intrigued by how formal lunch seemed, with assigned tables and designated “waiters” who were tasked with bringing big batches of food to their respective tables. However, I enjoyed this change of pace and had a great time seeing how pleased my co-editors were with the chicken.

Overall, I had a very pleasant Switch Day experience. A big shoutout to all of the faculty and staff who made us feel welcome and included, as well as Luke, Howard, and RC, for letting us tag along for the day. ☐

Winsor Opinions

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T he B anner / Panel

R e v i e w on t h e S oph om ore R e t re at i n B o s ton

By Audrey Wang ’24 Banner Staff

different games, including The Institute, The Retreat, Crush Depth, and The Hustler.

Each of the two large groups was split into groups of five to ten people that went to

different escape rooms. I was in a group of five people, and we participated in The Institute. It had a very interesting premise; we were put into a “clinical trial” that

On February 15, 2022, the sophomores (Class VI) went on a retreat to an escape room center called Trapology Boston and went ice skating at Frog Pond!

We were separated into two large groups; one group went to the escape room first, then to Frog Pond, whereas the other group went to Frog Pond first.

While the weather was below freezing, both activities were great bonding experiences, and we had a lot of fun!

At Frog Pond, we rented ice skates and grabbed food at the on-site café, so people who didn’t want to skate were able to still have a good time. The rink was outdoors and relatively small, but luckily there were no injuries; only a few minor falls occurred. Alyssa Quarles ’24 said, “I loved ice skating. We got to take a break from studying to bond with our classmates over our struggles on the ice.” There was also a Starbucks a short walk away, so some people in my group went over to warm up.

At Trapology Boston, there were several escape rooms with completely Sophomores skating at the Frog Pond in Boston

involved syncing our brains to artificial intelligence, and our goal was to prevent that from happening by flipping a switch at the end. Additionally, there were three rooms within each puzzle, and we had to figure out how to open each door to the next room. As for the other games, The Retreat was about a campsite with a reputation for people going missing; Crush Depth had its players try to bring a supposedly sinking submarine back to sea level; The Hustler was about trying to escape an underground gambling ring.

Though it was stressful and scary at times, I think all of us can agree that being forced to work together and use critical thinking helped us bond. Although my group lost the game, some other groups succeeded, and one group even made the leaderboard for how quickly they solved it!

According to Callie Nelson ’24, “​​ Trapology definitely proved to be a bonding experience, but it also pointed out the fortés in my fellow VIs. As I was trapped in a room with them, the experience allowed me to work with classmates that I don’t know well and combine our strengths.”

Overall, I think this retreat was a great bonding experience and a perfect way Winsor Communications to take advantage of the winter season! ☐

A F l a m i n g Ho t Ta k e O n O u r Ho t t e r P l a n e t disasters, disease, scarcity of food and water, and many more factors (Time).

Clearly, the question is not whether humankind will be killed by climate change, but rather, when. In fact, climate change already caused the End-Ordovician mass extinction 450 million years ago (Green Matters). This realization has led to many promising technological developments. Tesla’s electric cars may be the most famous example.

Additionally, one farmer has started a seaweed farm movement, in which cows would be fed seaweed supplements to make them less gassy. This improvement would cut back methane emissions, which contribute to 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions (CBS News). Other notable inventions include green cement, hydrogen ships, electric planes, and floating solar installations (Rolling Stone).

Unfortunately, despite these impressive technological advancements,

the imminence of climate change has not changed. The largest obstacle is the lack of full mobilization. Very few countries have legally committed to reach net zero emissions by 2050 as outlined in the 2016 Paris Agreement, the most significant pact for international cooperation on tackling climate change (Imperial College London).

Earth is running out of time, yet governments seem to believe they can drag their feet.

It is imperative to note that many parties simply do not have the resources to allocate towards addressing climate change.

Countries like South Sudan need to focus on uplifting their citizens out of extreme poverty before tackling climate change (World Population Review). Additionally, people facing war, poor health conditions, inaccessible education, or hunger do not have the privilege to focus on climate change as the primary concern in their lives.

However, Anissa Patel ’23 offered a contrasting opinion: “Although I do

think it is important to tackle issues like hunger and poverty throughout the world, addressing climate change is the single most important action for humans to take. We see disproportionate effects of climate on communities that have [fewer] resources.

It’s so crucial that we recognize how these salient issues are inextricably intertwined, and in order to solve any one of them, we must first address climate change.”

Ultimately, the end of technological civilization is not only inevitable, but fastapproaching. Therefore, the 7.75 billion people currently on this Earth must work together to make the quality of life as high as possible for all of the existing humans; they should be prioritized over posterity.

Everyone should devote their time, energy, and money to eliminating food insecurity, poverty, disease, gender inequality, and other pressing matters. Only when these issues are fixed will the world truly be able to solve our climate crisis. ☐

seeing him on the other side of the field. Football fans across the nation fear both his insane pass completion percentage and his Viking-like haircut.

While Superbowl LVI missed our #2: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs beloved New England Patriots, the 2021-2022 NFL season was still filled with exciting twists and turns from our favorite players.

Even if they weren’t playing for our team, we can still admire the rookie and veteran quarterbacks that brought us plays that will go down in history. Here are some of our extremely qualified thoughts on the top five quarterbacks this year– and Mac NFL Quarterbacks Jones for those of Described as “the love of my life” you that won’t recognize any other names.

by Sophie Diop ’22, Patrick Mahomes is #1: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers certainly a fan favorite, not only for his While we love hearing him pitch skilled game play inside and outside of State Farm insurance, we don’t love the pocket, but also for his winning smile.

#3: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Give us a few years, it’s too raw.

At least we won’t have to see him in a different uniform again next year… #4: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

#5: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals This first round draft pick in 2020 had one of the craziest seasons of a second-year quarterback in history. What drew even more notice, though, even from the Rock, were Shiesty’s gameday fits with the black turtlenecks, rimless sunglasses, and diamond studded necklace.

By Natalie Pan ’23 Banner Staff How much longer will technological civilization survive? This controversial question was recently posed by Mr. Brooks Hedstrom to his astronomy students. The answers he received were surprising–and pessimistic. His nine students, Winsor seniors and juniors, believed that technological civilization would terminate within a few generations.

The pressing issue of climate change certainly factors into this staggering opinion. If humankind fails to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses by half, Earth will be three degrees warmer by 2100. Moreover, adverse effects will be experienced on a global level as early as 2050.

In the next hundred years, most of the planet will become completely uninhabitable to humans due to severe air pollution, extreme natural

Reviewing The Top Quarterbacks and Mac Jones

By Josie Mastandrea ’22 and Anika Banerjee ’22 Contributing Writer, Banner Staff

While we have to respect his stats– 3rd highest passing touchdowns in the league coming in at 30 touchdowns– we just couldn’t imagine having a jersey that says “Herbert” in our closet.

#14: Mac Jones, the New England Patriots Sadly, Big Mac wasn’t big enough to make it into the top five.

No shade, though. He gave New England hope like we hadn’t had for a couple years and led the team to the playoffs.

How much more could we expect from a rookie?

We have so much to Google Images look forward to next season with these great players: more Joe Brrrr fits, a haircut from Rodgers, and who knows… maybe Herbert can legally change his last name.

Thank you for tuning in to our opinions on all of these quarterbacks! ☐

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Winsor Opinions

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Evie and Sophia Evaluate: “Evie and Sophia Evaluate”

By Evie Wells ’22 and Sophia Lin-David ’22 Banner Staff Dearest readers of The Banner and The Panel, For those of you who live fully unaware of the literary masterpiece that is “Evie and Sophia Evaluate,” let us introduce ourselves. We are two tired and weary seniors who have decided to use our last year as Banner writers to share our unfiltered and undeniably correct opinions with the broader world.

As you may know, this joint installment of The Banner and The Panel is in fact our last opportunity to share these opinions with our loyal readers. Therefore, we thought that it would only be fitting to evaluate our past works. While they may be few in number, they are mighty in quality and rich in data analysis. Let’s begin.

You know how people say that in trilogies, the second installment is the worst? Our second installment (but first installment to be published– more on that later) of this column was our worst. In this holiday-themed evaluation of Trader Joe’s snacks, the quality of our commentary was limited by a poor selection of snacks. Even the best of the snacks got a poor score from us, and after a while, our negative feedback got a little tired.

Additionally, several of our editors let us know that our ratings were rather misleading. Assistant Sports Editor, Lauren Hogan ’23 texted Sophia, “I can’t believe you and Evie gave the pomegranate

drink a 6.8/10, I’m still not over this,” in reference to how bad it actually was.

Banner faculty advisor Ms. Plata even stopped us in the halls to tell us that “the almonds should’ve been ranked first.”

Our response to our critics was the same given to Editor in Chief of The Panel, Howard Huang, who also criticized our ratings in a separate article (more on this later!), “All scores are final.” However, this article gave us the confidence to face other foods, and we learned the importance of a more variable data set on both ends of the spectrum.

Our third installment of the column was our second-most-successful. In this witty review of crackers and their pairability with Cabot cheddar cheese, we struck gold.

Not only did we find the best cracker for our springtime cheese boards (shoutout Simple Mills Rosemary and Olive Oil), but also we got a broader set of feedback by including various seniors in the taste-testing process.

Popular quotations from this article include: “I’d rather eat no crackers than eat these,” “These crackers are the love child of Ritz and Simple Mills,” and “A good cracker tastes good with and without cheese.”

We really hit our stride with this one, and if we had more time for more evaluations, we could only strive to reach this level of excellence. Huge shoutout to the many members of the Winsor community who stopped us in the hallway to applaud our work. Specifically, thank you to Mr. Henningsen, who strode up to Sophia at seven in the morning and said, “Loved the crackers.” We couldn’t have

said it better ourselves, Mr. Henningsen.

While the previous two installments were wonderful in their own ways, nothing can top our first rodeo, “Evie and Sophia Evaluate: Belmont Hill Fall Sports Uniforms.”

While this article never made it to print (for personal reasons we will not publicly disclose why this was the case), we gotta say, it’s a winner. Our critical tone was balanced with objectivity, truthfulness, and humor.

We truly have the eyes of fashionistas, and our feedback on the uniforms was top notch.

Unfortunately, not everyone saw it this way. Howard even asked us to change our ratings (gasp!) during the editing stage. But, you know what they say, receipts or it didn’t happen. So, just for you, Howard, we insert this screenshot.

field,” “While we appreciate the fact that the coxswain need not wear the uni, we cannot understand why he is dressed so differently from the rest of the boat, ruining what little consistency existed among the rowers,” and “Why do the front and the back [of the cross country uniforms] look like two distinct uniforms sewn together?” We said what we said.

We’d like to acknowledge that Belmont Hill used this idea in not one, but two of their issues. Thank you to the Belmont Hill Backpage Editors for clowning us by writing, “Winsor writers rate BH Sports Uniforms. The article was cut by Winsor Editors last issue” in their rendition of “Look Inside the Issue.”

Additionally, we’d like to personally shout out Aidan Lee and Daniel Xie for carrying on our segment in what they called “bh fashion column: a comprehensive review of belmont hill winter sports uniforms” (capitalization of the title written as published) in the back page of The Panel.

In writing this article, Sophia had to ask, “Is this hazing?” to which Evie thinks that no article is complete without a little good natured teasing.

Big thank you to our devoted readers for sticking with us. Unfortunately, this is the final “Evie and Sophia Evaluate.” We will be moving on from our respective positions on The Banner so that the new Banner ducklings can spread their newspaper Comment Reciepts Google Drive wings. Namaste, and stay safe out there!

Popular moments from this article include: “Not even a better uniform Permanently signing off, could save Belmont Hill on the football Evie & Sophia ☐

Debate of the Issue: Should Masks Be Optional?

Wi n s o r : A g a i n s t O p t i o n a l M a s k s B e l m ont Hi l l : For O pt i on a l Ma s k s

By Natalie Cooper ’24 Banner Contributing Writer As mask-mandates lift and the rate of new COVID-19 infections decrease across the United States, there has been a lot of confusion regarding whether or not to wear a mask. “This is the hardest thing of all, because it’s not just about the risks and benefits to you,” said Dr. Robert Wachter, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. “It’s about the risks and benefits to the people around you.”.

A school’s first priority should be the safety of their students. A premature mask-optional policy in schools may not only put students at further risk, but also delay the coveted “return to normalcy”! Therefore, it is crucial that schools implement their maskoptional policies later in the year.

In areas where the mask mandate was removed, increases of in-school transmission were seen. In New Jersey, for example, when mask-optional policies were introduced to schools, the amount of infections increased from 28 cases the week prior to over 419!

“If people are really eager for [mask mandates] to end, I recommend they not end them, that they put in place a data-driven approach that turns on the mask policies when we need them when there are big surges,” said Dr. Julia Raifman, an assistant professor of health law at Boston University.

As of February 28th, 2022, Suffolk and Middlesex counties have the highest transmission rate in Massachusetts, making up 40% of all cases in Massachusetts. As seen in New Jersey, introducing a mask-optional policy now will only increase risks and transmission rates. If Winsor and Belmont Hill

want to keep their school communities as safe as possible, then they must wait until later to implement this policy.

Furthermore, by keeping maskoptional policies until case numbers are even lower, we can reduce the probability of returning to online school.

Audrey Wang ’24 comments, “It was really difficult to keep myself focused on Zoom.” In addition, we can continue to be able to host engaging school-wide events and to participate in joint events with other schools. “Although school events end up being kinda awkward, I [still] always get e xc ite d for them,” Wang cont i nu e d . It

By Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff

Maintaining the current mask optional mandate would allow for a sense of flexibility while also keeping the students and faculty safe. It is important to remember that a return to optional masking means that each student and faculty member has the option to wear a mask. And so, if a teacher does not feel comfortable with this new mandate they have the power to implement a mask mandate in their classroom.

This return to normalcy also benefits those teachers who wish to have optional masking in their classrooms, since in many cases, it creates a more intimate conn e c - tion with their students. is our Teach- ers, after two strenur e o u s years, are finally able to put a face to the name of the students whom they have taught for the last six months. sponsiData from both the town of Belbility to mont and the city of Boston show that do our part i n Mask graphic Google Images cases are on the decline after the Omicron surge. Additionally, within the helping the greater community as private in- Belmont Hill school testing program, stitutions. We should strive to keep very few, if any, COVID cases have been not only our students and faculty safe reported in the last weeks of testing.

Recently in Belmont, COVID and healthy, but keep the communities around us safe and healthy. Re- cases have dropped drastically over the turning to a normal society efficiently past month. Four weeks ago the averdepends on each individual doing age number of new weekly cases per their part, and it begins with wear- 100k people was up to 87. Since then ing masks until COVID-19 case num- it has been cut in half each week and bers have dropped to a safer level. last week reported just 14 new casIt is better to be safe than to be es. Similarly in Boston, albeit with a sorry! Whether it is wearing a seat- much larger population, this trend belt or wearing a mask, individuals has been the same. During the week in our community should prioritize of January 24, an average of 940 castheir health and others’ health even es were reported and now, in the last when there is a lower risk of harm. ☐ week, the average is down to 218.

Furthermore, testing at Belmont Hill has allowed for cases to be tracked, contained and isolated. With the results from this weeks testing, only one pool tested positive and as per the guidelines, all the students and teachers in that pool have been alerted. This method of testing has proven to be very effective.

Even when the need arises for individual testing, we have seen the potency of single person PCR tests. These would continue to be instituted after long weekends or breaks, as done in the past. Plus, since each test is a rapid test, results come back within the next one to two days, allowing for any potential cases to be quickly caught and dealt with. Finally, vaccination rates in both schools are in nimiety with Belmont Hill and Winsor bearing 99% and 97% vaccination rates respectively.

While the school has returned to allowing a mask to be optional for its students and faculty, there will still be a requirement for visitors. The visitor mandate also extends to spectators, who will still be required to wear masks while watching our sporting events. Belmont Hill students will also comply with other school’s mandates during away games. Mandating masks for visitors and spectators helps to maintain our bubble, such that the negative results we get on Monday will stay negative throughout the week.

In conclusion, the right time for a mask optional mandate is now, not in an ambiguous number of months.

Because of the benefits of returning to normal, teacher’s holding the power to create a mandate in their classroom, the downward trend in cases, weekly testing, and mandating visitors to wear masks, it is abundantly clear that it is now safe to take off our masks. ☐

B elmont Hill Opinions

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Cont.

2022

By Gigi Chu ’23, Ella Pascucci ’23, and Cooper Nelson ’23 Banner and Panel Staff Continued from the front page.

However, Gu’s rise in popularity since her decision to represent China signifies that her reasoning may be more self-interested than she claims. In the time that Gu has been a part of China’s team, she has appeared on the cover of Chinese Vogue, Elle, GQ, and Marie Claire. She has also signed with Adidas, Tiffany & Co., and Louis Vuitton.

Gu has transformed herself from simply an athlete into a fashion model, businesswoman, and influencer with a prominent position in global politics.

These accomplishments, in addition to her stellar Olympic success, have propelled Gu to international stardom.

Chinese media has painted her as the nation’s darling. In the eyes of the public, she has been labeled the “pride of China.” As CNN put it, her success was

Olympians’

“emblematic of a perceived victory over America.” She is regarded as the epitome of Chinese achievement. Evidently, for Gu, flipping nationalities was a means to fame, fortune, and influence.

She owes some of her fame to the Chinese government, which has promoted her as a part of their “naturalization project.” This program is designed to recruit the top foreign athletes of Chinese heritage to improve China’s success at the international level.

Another California-born athlete, 19-year-old Zhu Yi renounced her citizenship in 2018 to compete in figure skating for China. However, unlike Gu, Zhu’s decision to change nationalities brought unwanted criticism. Her nonfluency in Mandarin and poor performance at the Olympics prompted a remarkably different response from the Chinese people and media. She has been denounced by the public, with critics stating that she brought shame on the country and

T he B anner / Panel

Nationalities

even that she was “not Chinese enough.”

Evidently, Zhu has had quite the opposite experience from Gu, and it reflects how easily China can create a star or turn against one. The disparity between these two athletes’ treatments demonstrates how switching nationalities does not always end well for athletes.

Gu and Zhu are not the only American-born Olympians who represented China. 17 out of 22 members of the Chinese National Hockey team were either born or raised in North America, and many have no Chinese ancestry at all.

According to Reuters, “The large number of foreign-born players in China’s Olympic ice hockey teams has split opinion in the country, with some on social media decrying the lack of home-grown talent while others argue it is necessary to grow the sport domestically.” Goalkeeper Jeremy Smith has no Chinese ancestry and remains a US citizen, but he competes for the team alongside several naturalized teammates.

China seems to be less stringent with its dual citizenship rules now when it comes to sports, but they are more meticulous with whom they choose to promote and whom they do not. The popular Chinese opinion to promote Eileen Gu while criticizing Zhu Yi is a testament to China’s high standards for its athletes.

The split between the country’s opinions on the hockey team shows the need for balance between national pride and international recognition of talent.

Although Yi and the hockey team did not win any medals, this “upset” should not be a reason for backlash. Rather, it should serve as motivation for the next Olympics, with the country supporting its athletes along the way.

Ally Kennedy ’23 said “I understand that players are trying to grow the sport, but I think there are other ways to do that. I think the Olympics is an event where people should represent the country in which they identify with the most, not a country where they think they can benefit from the most.” ☐

Cooper Kupp’s Gives His Superbowl MVP Speech

By Daniel Cho ’23 Panel Staff Ask any question to Ozamataz Buckshank, and he’ll have an answer, albeit the same one. When asked to walk through the last play of the game, Buckshank said, “Yeah, we knew we had to go out there, give 100%, and we executed. It just went our way today.” The interviewer proceeds, inquiring how Ozamataz intercepted the ball.

“We wanted to have some fun, you know, execute. Play one quarter at a time, give 100%.” Realizing that Ozamataz isn’t really answering him, the interviewer throws out unrelated questions about the previous game, Ozamataz’s new role as a father of twins, his transportation to the game, and what he had for dinner the previous night. No change, as Ozamataz answers each question in the lines of “gave it 100%, executed well against a great team”. Out of frustration, the interviewer directly confronts Ozamataz: “You know what, can you just do me a favor and tell me one specific thing? Like, just one actual, original observation that you had about today’s game? The game that you won almost single-handedly.

Ozamataz Buckshank Skit Do you think that you could do that, Oz?” “Oh, 100%!”

Like every other Key and Peele skit, there is an aspect of truth in the video: postgame sports interviews are predictable. Like the interviewer, I refuse to believe athletes are incapable of reporting specific observations, yet they still repeat themselves. It’s almost as if athletes are preprogrammed

with the same boring response, but it’s the predictability that we seek. When we hear athletes speak, we don’t want insight; rather, we share feelings as fans and are reminded of the important things in our lives.

For many people, filler words are irresistible; an athlete’s favorite filler phrase is “you know.” If you Listen to any sports interview and you’re likely to hear that phrase.

It’s so frequently used that there’s even a Youtube video counting the number of times Jay Cutler says the phrase “you know.” In less than six minutes, Cutler said it 57 times. The absurd amount of occurrences of the phrase confirms that even sports players recognize their predictability. But that predictability is not a bad thing. In our everyday lives, we establish routines to counter the uncertainty of challenges. As We find comfort in meeting with friends and going to the same places. Similarly, when we hear athletes speaking the same ubiquitous narratives, we can relate and enjoy the same underdog stories of hard work paying off, fighting till the end, and never writing underdogs off.

We know what the athlete is going to Cooper Kupp after Super Bowl say, but hearing those words beside tired exhales, from a quivering voice, with eyes that every other athlete would have said looking beyond the brim of the stadium, that. But, as Mason Mount says, “it’s impossible” to put it into words. Seeing him shaking his head and hearing his voice crack, fans share with him exhilarating disbelief.

Because post-game interviews happen at the moment, we experience their raw emotions that connect to us. Through an authentic environment, not in press conferences or suits but on the pitch surrounded by the fans, athletes speak with an unfiltered sentiment.

Prior to Cooper Kupps’ MVP interview and the interviews of the other Rams players, Sean McVay was asked how it feels to be Super Bowl Champions. “Feels outstanding.” For the rest of his speech, he talks about his praise for the resiliency of his team, his pride to be with the organization, and, most importantly, the team’s vital “competitive greatness”. In Tom Brady’s Super bowl MVP speech the year before, he describes the pride of his team pushing through difficulties; the question was “how Comedy Central special is this night for you, of all the great things you’ve accomplished?” In the closwe understand something beyond words. “I ing ceremony of the Super Bowl 52, Nick can’t put it into words– everyone said that– Foles, instead of describing his thoughts I know– but they keep talking about it”. A and pressures of the game, appreciated his peculiar incident occurred after the 2021 teammates, reminisced his early days of Champions League Final. Mason Mount playing football, and sent a message to the was asked to describe how he felt after win- kids watching. None really answered their ning the most prestigious club soccer tour- question because those questions were nament. His classic “I can’t put it into words” secondary to the emotions they felt. And reply didn’t satisfy the reporter who noted they’re all the same– gratification. Victory

The Independent does not bring out glorification, but rather reflection. Perhaps it is virtually impossible for them to describe and portray how they feel, but it is also not virtually impossible to describe what helped them reach the trophy. To struggle through tears and speak about everyone but themselves, to speak of their teammates, family, and memories, as Sean McVay said, “it’s poetic, man”.

“Tell me about the last drive, how you and Matthew connected so well when it mattered the most?” Like Ozamataz Buckshank and many other athletes, Cooper Kupp talked about everything except for the question. He stated, “Man, just comes down to this team, the way we prepared and love on each other and trusted each other. I just– I don’t know. I just don’t feel deserving of this. God is so good.

You’ll are just so good. I’m so thankful for the guys I get to be around. The coaches and my family. Just– I don’t what to say.”

Sports brings to athletes and fans alike, against tentative times like the pandemic, comforting predictability. It provides inspiration and every feeling that makes us. It’s a reminder to everyone that, through individual effort and collective strength, great things happen; teams are the linchpin to all successes. After winning his first Super Bowl, Cooper Kupp ends his interview by saying “I’m so thankful.” Although he never specifies what he’s thankful for, I think we all know. ☐

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Be l mont H Ill and Winsor Opinions

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A S u p e r B o w l Ha l f t i m e S h o w t o R e m e m b e r

By Andrew Bittner ’24 and Clara Eikeboom’23 Panel Staff and Banner Writer Garnering 103.4 million concurrent viewers compared to last year’s 96.7 million, the unique performances at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show garnered a positive reception among most viewers. The show ran for around 15 minutes and featured Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem performing in and around a bright white set representing houses and buildings.

Lebron James described the show as the “greatest halftime show” and many share his sentiment. While the show was undeniably one of the better halftime shows in recent years based on the talent of the performers alone; unfortunately, its production quality fell short.

A review of the halftime show would not be complete without mentioning the sheer talent the performers and the quality of the songs. However, despite the individual skill of each performer, there was almost a feeling that each performer did not get a chance to truly share the extent of their talents in their limited time.

That is not to say that having multiple performers cannot work. For example, in 2020 Shakira and Jennifer Lopez performed together and their show worked well, as they each had multiple solo songs and ended with a strong duet where each voice could be distinctly heard. However, in our opinion, having fewer performers would have been just as effective, if not more so, than the six that were featured.

With that being said, it would be wrong to say that hearing so many amazing songs in a row was not entertaining, and that watching so many talented performers was anything less than spectacular.

The choreography of the halftime show was not exciting or interesting to watch, and left much to be desired.

Notably, however, Mary Blige did have interesting choreography as she interacted

with the camera, moved to the music, and used her backup dancers to enhance her song, not to distract viewers. As for other performers, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar’s performances stood out as being visually engaging despite their unchoreographed dancing due 50 Cent starting upside down, Kendrick Lamar and his backup dancers beginning in boxes, and the performances of the backup dancers during the song.

50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar serve as examples that elaborate choreography

big hoops. This outfit caught the viewers eyes as it was so shiny and bold. However, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem wore black pants and tops. While having relatively unengaging attire is not a huge criticism and had little effect on the quality of the performance, the plain outfits came off as a missed opportunity for the performance to be greater than it was.

Lastly, the trailer as the primarily set piece, although a unique and interesting design choice for home viewers, may have

climbed a 16 foot aluminum lion that moved.

Hopefully, future performances will build on the creativity of this year’s performance to create an even more engaging performance.

Although we think the execution of this halftime show was slightly disappointing, the caliber of the performers made the show incredibly engaging and entertaining, and the creative aspects of this show will hopefully improve the quality of future performances. In the past, halftime shows have not included

SuperBowl Halftime Show 2022 for the singers is not necessary to have a visually engaging performance, but the other performances seemed to lack the same creativity and effort that went into the performances of Mary Blige, 50 cent, and Kendrick Lamar.

The outfits of most of the performers were also lackluster, with the exception of Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige. Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige did have interesting outfits. Snoop Dogg wore a royal blue and yellow bandana tracksuit, accessorized with gold sunglasses, gold jewelry, and white sneakers. Mary J. Blige wore a blingy one-piece with thigh high shiny boots and

Sporting News been upsetting for those watching in person.

The trailer, based on Compton according to Dr. Dre, had a closed structure which limited the visibility of the audience: The houses had walls on most sides, so when performers were inside or slightly in front of the set piece, over half of the live fans were unable to see them. The set was an interesting concept, but the execution was not adequate.

Moreover, perhaps the trailers could have had color and been more open for movement. More engaging set pieces have proven to be successful in the past, like Katy Perry’s 2015 halftime show. She sang on a platform that floated above viewers and

many Black rap artists. For reference, this halftime show was just the second time featuring Black rap artists, the first time being the Black Eyed Peas in 2011. In light of the recent controversy surrounding racism in the NFL, the inclusion of multiple Black performers in the show was at least an effort towards a better representation of the Black community in football.

Thus, while we certainly enjoyed the 2022 halftime show and all of its creativity and progress, we can hope that future shows will build upon the positive foundation of both creativity and racial diversity laid by this year’s show. ☐

want to call are the perpetrators of the where Lay’s chips are thrown in the air. madness. The irony and light-heartedness of the entire situation was a great way to McDonald’s - “Can I Get Uhhhhh ft. Ye” promote two Boston-based companies and ignite pride in every Bostonian watching.

We all know how hard it is to decide what to order when you are suddenly first Amazon - “Mind Reader” in line to order. In the McDonald’s ad, they show several people–a few kids, a Amazon’s Alexa speaker can play your racecar driver, a cartoon, and a goldfish– favorite songs, answer trivia questions, and saying “uhhh” when asked for their order. even control your smart home. But what The second to last person is Ye (formerly if the household AI system could read known as Kanye West), who steps out of a users’ minds? In this comercial, newlyweds huge black car, and his “uhhh” is hilariously Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost experience autotuned. If even Ye gets stumped by the social repercussions of this transcendent the McDonald’s menu, average folks can technology. For example, Alexa exposes feel better about taking forever to order Jost’s intention to fake his own death to get their usual ten-piece chicken nuggets. out of seeing his wife’s show and reveals that Johansson enjoys making out with hot FTX - “Don’t Miss Out on Crypto” actors on screen. Overall, the humorous scenarios and the sweet chemistry between Fans of comedian Larry David or his the Hollywood couple effectively sold Alexa show Curb Your Enthusiasm will be pleased while simultaneously entertaining viewers. to know that for two minutes, he reprises his most well-known role–himself. Through Lay’s - “Golden Memories” fake historical flashbacks, we see David reject many of the most famous inventions In the Lay’s ad, Paul Rudd and Seth of all time, such as the wheel, coffee, and Rogen share a bag of chips, triggering electricity. Finally, he rejects the notion of memories of their ‘97 road trip. The ad cryptocurrency. The commercial ended by shifts to the two guys blasting Shania warning, “Don’t be like Larry.” But after Twain’s “Still the One” as they drive a watching this commercial, viewers surely convertible across sunny grasslands. Then, wanted to emulate Larry David’s humor! they reminisce how Lay’s was there for them throughout their lives: during a Disney+ - “GOATS” turbulent plane ride, a kidnapping, a fight scene, and when Rogen bought his first Disney Plus started their ad out house. The ad ends at Rogen’s wedding, strong, with a saleswoman saying, “Disney

Plus has the greatest movies and shows of all time.” As she walks through the office, the ad shows goats dressed as many fanfavorite characters, such as Mufasa, all of the Avengers, Chewbacca, Buzz Lightyear, and many more. At the end of the ad, all of the goats are waiting for the elevator, and the saleswoman waits for the next one. It closes with the same opening statement: that Disney Plus has the GOAT movies and shows.

Best Super Bowl Commercial Rankings

By Noah Farb ’24, Natalie Pan ’23, and Lily Levitzky ’23 Banner and Panel Staff Over a hundred million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl LVI--but how many actually watched it for the game of football? Let’s be honest: Bengals v.

Rams was not the most exciting match-up, considering the Patriots were not one of the two teams. All jokes aside, the annual sporting event brings many other exciting opportunities like celebrity sightings, the half-time show, and most importantly, the best TV commercials of the year. Below, we have analyzed our nine favorites.

Boston Dynamics/Samuel Adams “Robots Partying with Security” In one of the most unexpected collaborations of the Super Bowl, Samuel Adams, Boston Dynamics, and the “Your cousin from Boston” guy teamed up.

The commercial takes place in Boston Dynamics where Gregory Hoyt (“Your cousin from Boston” actor) and his friend are security guards and decide to open up some Samuel Adams after a long day of work. One of the Boston Dynamics robots comes up to them, so naturally they give it a beer. This interaction leads to a party of the security guards and the robots inside an engineering lab. The commercial ends with two workers wanting to stop the party, but unable to, as the security guards they

Pringles - “Stuck In” Ever had the feeling that if you reach far enough into a Pringles can that you won’t be able to pull it out? That’s the reality for a man in the Pringles commercial who, while trying to get some Pringles during a party, gets his hand stuck inside the can and has to live with it through his entire life including getting married and having a baby. The commercial ended with “Pringle Man’s” funeral, at which a new victim gets their hand stuck inside a different Pringles can.

Uber - “Don’t Eats” Uber is expanding their service UberEats to deliver “Don’t Eats;” in other words, nonedible household items like dishwasher soap or toilet paper. Lazy people everywhere can rejoice! To drive (pun intended) the point home, viewers watched celebrities mistakenly eat these items. The best moment was Gwyneth Paltrow munching on her controversial candle and pronouncing it “not bad.” ☐

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From Underdog to GOAT: Honoring Tom Brady’s Legacy

By Daniel Cho ’23 and Jessica Wei ’22 Panel and Banner Staff On February 1, 2022, after much speculation, Tom Brady officially announced his retirement from the National Football League. In an Instagram post that was “difficult for [him] to write,” Brady explained that “football is an ‘all-in’ proposition” and although he loves the sport, “it is time to focus [his] time and energy on other things.” His decision to retire marks the culmination of a stellar 22 seasons in the NFL. Throughout Brady’s historic football career, he spent 20 years with the New England Patriots and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His NFL journey started 22 years ago when he was the 199th overall NFL pick in the sixth round. But his underdog story did not start there. Having been the “one [kid] no one ever picked,” Brady had to live through hardships early in his career. Prior to being back up to superstar quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Brady was also the backup quarterback for his winless freshman high school team and was the seventh-ranked quarterback at Michigan. When Drew Bledsoe got injured early in the 2001 season, Brady grasped his first and potentially only chance to shine in the NFL. He nailed it.

By the time Bledsoe recovered from his injury, Brady had already established himself as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots as a result of his

outstanding talent and dedication. Brady stood out from other quarterbacks because he consistently threw quick, short, precise shots. But his hard work both on and off the field made the difference: Brady appeared in ten Super Bowls, won seven of them, and was awarded Super Bowl MVP five times. Brady alone owns more Super Bowl rings than any other NFL franchise. He won three league MVPs, won more championships, started in more NFL games, and set more records than almost all of his colleagues. Yet he never seemed satisfied. Brady said that he would consider retirement once his performances declined, but until this year, that never happened.

Tom Brady worked tirelessly to get recognition from the frustrations of being a backup quarterback, but he never wanted to

Tom Brady

be compared with others. Super Bowl rings speak for his talent; Brady does not care whether we compare him to another quarterback, he still has seven rings. During the 2000 NFL Combine scouting report on his performance, Brady wanted to prove that he has great arm strength, throws a tight spiral, and can stay upright against strong pass rush defenses. At the end of his career, Brady was not the skinny, weak prospect whom countless teams passed by– he was an NFL legend.

Despite being the oldest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, Brady said, “the only thing I ever wanted to be was a professional football player” because “football is unconditional love.” The combination of Brady’s devotion to football and his steadfast commitment led him to success and continue to inspire his fans. He believed

Franchesca Vilmenay

that “if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed…there are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.”

Following his retirement announcement, the football community honored his long-lasting impact. Former teammate Julian Edelman tweeted jokingly, “Thanks for the memories, babe.” The NFL posted on Twitter, “All the moments. All the memories.

Nobody did it better. GOAT.” Even Brady’s competitors celebrated his achievement. “[Brady] is the best that ever played football at any position,” commented Mike Tannenbaum, who played for the Jets and competed against Brady twice a year. “He was competitive, he made the people around him better, he was consistent, he was durable.”

Brady’s story can speak to anyone in any career path. He showed the world that an underdog can win. Despite the frigid New England weather, Gillette Stadium was always warm with the support, passion, and spirit of the community. Sitting on the edge of their seats, football enthusiasts were wide-eyed with awe and hope to know that Brady was on the field. New Englanders always knew that no matter how many points the Patriots were behind, we could still make a comeback. Remember Super Bowl LI? As Karina Peak ’22 said, “Brady made me love football and realize that it’s more than just a sport.” Fans at Winsor, Belmont Hill, and beyond will forever remember Brady as the spirit of New England. ☐

2022 NFL Coaching Hires Russian Ice Skating Scandal

By Noah Farb ’24 and Meg Madison ’24 Panel Staff and Contributing Writer

deep into the playoffs in the next few years.

Doug Pederson - Jacksonville Jaguars Here we have another team who Nine NFL head coaching jobs opened up during this year’s NFL head coaching cy- failed to hire their top option. The Jagcle, leading to lots of chaos among hopeful uars originally wanted Buccaneers ofcandidates and teams trying to fill the role. fensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who opted to stay with the Bucs. Pederson is about as decorated as a “second option” Josh McDaniels - Las Vegas Raiders The former Broncos head coach could be, considering that he won a Suand longtime Patriots offensive coordi- per Bowl as the Eagles head coach just five nator is heading to Las Vegas to coach years ago. Similar to a few others who were Derek Carr and the rest of the Raiders af- hired in this coaching cycle, Pederson’s ter their rollercoaster of a season in 2021. job depends on his ability to work with Given that McDaniels is smart offensively, his young quarterback, Trevor Lawrence. he will likely create the right environment for Carr to have a productive season. Mike McDaniel - Miami Dolphins The former 49ers passing game coordinator seems like a great coach; however, Brian Daboll - New York Giants Daboll, the Bills former offensive co- just going with the odds, McDaniel is probordinator, is coming to the Giants after Joe ably a worse coach than Brian Flores. McSchoen was hired out of Buffalo to be the Daniel has the Kyle Shanahan and Sean McGM. Daboll is a gifted offensive mind and Vay type of swagger. By accepting the job, he will be tasked with making Daniel Jones a has to commit to Tua Tagovailoa who might franchise-caliber quarterback, something be able to make this offense successful. that is probably not possible at this point.

Lovie Smith - Houston Texans The Texans are a complete joke.

Matt Eberflus - Chicago Bears Eberflus is going to the Bears af- Brian Flores would have gotten this job if ter an extremely successful tenure in his he did not sue the NFL. But that does not role as the Colts defensive coordinator. mean you hire the second “fall man” coach His employment status over the next few after hiring David Culley last year and firyears will depend almost exclusively on ing him after a season where he exceeded quarterback Justin Fields’ development. expectations. Smith was in charge of one Nathaniel Hackett - Denver Broncos of the worst defenses in the NFL last year, It has been reported that Hackett and has not been good in any coaching role has a great relationship with both Aar- since 2012. The Texans likely will be one of on Rodgers and Davante Adams, both the worst teams in the NFL for a long time. of whom have been heavily linked with the Broncos throughout the offseason Dennis Allen - New Orleans Saints Replacing his former boss Sean Payso far. If Hackett is the reason that one or both of the Packers superstars go to ton, Allen will try to keep the Saints afloat Denver, this hire will likely be a success. in 2022 regardless of whoever the starting quarterback is. The Saints are not going to be as bad as most think they will Kevin O’Connell - Minnesota Vikings After all the Jim Harbaugh rumors, the be, simply because even though the ofVikings ended up hiring the former Rams fense will probably suck, the defense is offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. The elite. In an unusually eventful head coachVikings can go in any direction they want at ing cycle, the majority of teams got their this point, as they are stuck in the no-man’s guy that they feel can lead them to a Suland of contending and tanking, but they be- per Bowl at some point in the near future!

Thank you for reading! ☐ lieve O’Connell is the guy who can lead them

By Alex Lo ’23 and Emily Zhang ’25 Panel Staff and Banner Writer

individual skate, the medal ceremony would be postponed pending further investigation.

Following a stellar short program, Valieva took the ice for the free skate portion of the individual competition on February 17. She would go on to skate one of the worst free skates of her season, falling to the ice on almost every jump.

After she left the ice with her face in her hands, Valieva finished in fourth place.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said that there will be further investigation into Valieva’s entourage– the adults responsible for her skating and welfare– and their involvement in the positive drug test. This group of adults includes Russian coach Eteri Tutberidze, who is known for training, as well as quickly burning out, some of the world’s best figure skaters. Tutberidze told Russian TV that she is “absolutely sure that Kamila is innocent and clean.”

That being said, critics have also accused the 47-year-old coach of prioritizing medals over her athletes’ health and well-being.

RUSADA must now determine what, if any, sanctions will be placed on Kamila Valieva. Until her case is resolved, medals cannot be awarded for the team skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Sophia Lin-David ’22 watched Valieva’s free skate and reflected, “Valieva had a lot of pressure on her to begin with, and I’m sure the added news coverage about her positive drug test didn’t help to calm her nerves. I have no doubt that she’s disappointed in her results, and it will be interesting to see how the trial surrounding the alleged doping unfolds in the coming weeks and months.”

There’s no real telling what the final verdict will be, and only time will reveal whether Valieva will be permitted to continue skating at a professional level down the road. ☐

Fifteen-year-old Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva tumbled to the ice as her free skate performance crumbled in stunning fashion.

After a whirlwind of events, Valieva buckled under the pressure, leaving the individual skating event in tears. Going into the games, Valieva was favored to win gold after excelling at the European Championships. During the team skate event, Valieva landed two quadruple jumps, making her the first and only woman to land a quad in the history of the Olympic Games. Valieva held nine world records for figure skating. However, events would soon take a sharp turn for the worst.

On February 9, Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance that aids the heart in oxygen efficiency.

The testing was delayed because the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) did not mark the sample as a priority when sending it to the Swedish lab, meaning that the results did not come out until Valieva had already competed in the team skate event. The results of Valieva’s test were made public and the International Olympic Commision (IOC) canceled the team skate medal ceremony pending further investigation into the positive test.

Valieva’s lawyers blamed the test on a mix-up with her grandfather’s drug, as he was prescribed trimetazidine for his heart condition. However, other tests indicated that she had two other heart aiding substances in her system. Although the other two substances are legal, they were not related to her grandfather’s medications, signifying that their presence was not merely a coincidence. These three substances are also proven to increase endurance and reduce fatigue.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed Valieva to skate in the individual competition. The Court stated that not letting her skate would cause “irreparable harm” due to the years that she had dedicated to training. Thus, Valieva was permitted to continue competing under one condition: If she placed within the top three during the Kamila Valieva

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Should Winsor Have a Ski Team for the Winter Season?

By Lauren Hogan ’23 Banner Staff Skiing might often be seen as just a recreational sport that people practice over the weekend or for the winter holidays. What some may not know is that skiing is actually an official Independent School League (ISL) sport with both state and national competitions, such as the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSACs).

Belmont Hill, for example, offers both Nordic Cross-Country skiing as well as Alpine skiing. However, Winsor does not offer skiing as a winter sport. So, this raises the question, should Winsor have a ski team?

Several students actually officially compete in ski racing outside of school at various mountain clubs and resorts. Coco FitzMaurice ’23 remarked, “I think the addition of a ski team at Winsor would be a fun opportunity. I used to race outside of

school at Stowe Mountain in Vermont, but it would be really nice to race against other schools [like Nobles or Milton] in the ISL/ EIL league.” FitzMaurice is just one of many students at Winsor who ski race outside of school but do not get any form of fitness credit. Students who compete in skiing still must fulfill their fitness requirements by either participating in another winter sport offered by Winsor or working out twice a week in the gym. Amory Gordon ’23, who skis recreationally, stated, “Although I don’t professionally ski myself, [skiing] is one winter sport that I think would be really popular among Winsor students.”

While skiing may be extremely popular, there are still many downsides and limitations to offering a high school ski team.

Not only are skiing venues very far away from Winsor’s Boston campus, but also equipment, transportation, and coaching are very costly for such a unique sport. Each

individual would have to be able to afford ter Olympics, perhaps Winsor will conskis, poles, goggles, racing helmets, racing sider adding such a team to its program. ☐ suits, shin guards, and ski boots– all for a three-month season. What is more, this equipment is by no means easily accessible, especially given that there are only four ski stores located within the whole city of Boston. Luke Hogan ’22, a JV Alpine skier at Belmont Hill, said “I am part of the BH Alpine team, and it is still very difficulta to not only find the proper equipment but also get efficient transportation to and from the mountain. Many parents drive up to an hour just to watch five seconds of a race.”

There are many downsides and benefits to Winsor having a ski team. One of Winsor’s main reasons for not offering such a sport may be due to the immense cost as well as presumed lack of support among its students. However, as skiing continues to grow in popularity as a professional Google Images sport, especially following the 2022 Win- Skiing

WVSquash Takes Nationals March Athlete of the Issue

By Lily Levitzky ’23 and Sora Karanja ’23 Banner Staff & Contributing Writer

Each match was incredibly close, with parents and spectators on the edge of their seats cheering as the majority of matches went to tie-breaking fifth games. Fellow teammates and friends also cheered through their screens as each court had live streaming. In between matches, the team watched some of the best high school players in the nation compete. Tia Sheth ’22 was “inspired by the level of squash that took place at this event.” Mina Subramanian ’24 says that she “had a lot of fun competing” at this annual event, and that she is “already looking forward to next year’s Nationals.” The team has made great progress this season and have impressed the Winsor community with their dedication to and accomplishments at this sport. We can not wait to see Varisty Squash play next year! ☐

This winter, Winsor Varsity Squash has competed in two top-tier competitions: New England and National Championships.

The team traveled to Phillips Academy for the NEPSAC Class A Tournament, competing among the top eight varsity squash teams in New England. Winsor took home an impressive third place trophy, beating out Deerfield by one point, and setting a new record for the Winsor team– the best result Varsity has ever achieved to date! The top two teams, Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich, are both from Connecticut, officially making Winsor the best girls squash team in Massachusetts.

Just two weeks after New Englands, Winsor Squash landed in Philadelphia for the High School National Championship, held at the Arlen Specter Center. Teams from all over the country competed in five divisions with 16 teams in each. Because of their strong season, Winsor was seeded in the first division and competed to play for the Patterson Cup. In the first round, the team impressively beat Hotchkiss 4-3, and then faced a tough loss against Sacred Heart, losing 5-2. Winsor went on to compete for fifth through eighth place, beating Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 4-3 and then eventually taking sixth place with a tight loss to Episcopal Academy 3-4.

WVS

By Meredith Tangney ’23 Banner Staff

together, which means that we won every class in the division, so we were the champions for that competition.

This issue, The Banner is excited to Do you have any advice for younger players highlight Winsor Varsity Softball player and and riders? horseback rider Louisa Gennari ’‘22! Below is an interview with her!

For softball, I feel like it’s a type of sport where it’s easy to join and get into it, When did you start horseback riding and so don’t be afraid to join the team, try new playing softball? positions, and put yourself out there. I’ve made some really great friends from softI started horseback riding when I was ball. It’s a great sport to play because it reseven, and I started softball when I was five. ally is a team sport in the sense that everyI started horseback riding because I used to one has to do their equal part in the game. do it at summer camp, and then I started Horseback riding is a little bit of a more diftaking lessons. I began playing softball in ficult sport to get into, so make sure to ask my town just for fun and then came to stick your trainer for tips, other opportunities with the sport. and get to know as many people as you can within the equestrian community.

What is your favorite memory from the softball team?

Do you think you will continue with your In general, I really like when we’re all out on the field and talking before practices.

I also really enjoyed the year we won EILs, which was the year before COVID. It’s always a good time; I love all of our memories!

What is your favorite memory from horseback riding?

sports when you graduate?

That’s a tough one. I think I’ll definitely continue riding because I have a horse, so I can’t just get rid of him. For softball, we’ll see. I’d definitely be interested in playing Division Three somewhere, but it will depend on the school.

Best of luck to Louisa in her upcoming season!

Last year, I went to a horse show in Saratoga, New York, and it was the first time The responses in this interview have been edthat Noodle and I won a whole division ited for brevity and clarity. ☐ Silvi Szombati

From Dennis to Deuce: 2021-2022 Boston Celtics Update

By Katina Handrinos ’25 Contributing Wrtier The Boston Celtics basketball team has been a long-standing landmark of Boston since its establishment in 1946. So many Bostonians and people outside of the state tune in to watch the games and sit by the TV in desperate pursuit of a championship win. So, what has been going on with the Celtics this past season?

The team has 17 championships under its belt, and the most recent title, won in 2008, included the “Big Three” star players: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.

Larry Bird, championship winner in 1981,

Tatum and Brown

’86, and ’84, is also another of the franchise’s big names. Brad Stevens was the head coach for the last eight seasons, but this season, Ime Udoka took the head coaching position after Stevens became the general manager.

This season, the Celtics also acquired Dennis Schröder, a German guard who previously played for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before joining the Celtics, he turned down a four-year contract extension worth up to $84 million with the Lakers. His contract with the Celtics was for one year at $5.89 million, a serious downgrade compared to his offer from the Lakers. When Schröder ended up with the Celtics, the team dynamic noticeably dipped. Arguments broke

Google Images Tatum and Deuce

out on the court, and many other factors impacted the team as a whole and brought 14 losses in the months of December and January. On February 10th, the Celtics announced the trade of Schröder and Enes Freedom to the Houston Rockets for Daniel Theis, a player who has previously been on the team. Additionally, over the summer of 2021, Al Horford rejoined the team in a trade for Kemba Walker. On top of all of this, San Antonio Spurs’ guard Derrick White was traded to the Celtics for Romeo Langford and Josh Richardson. With this new roster of players and Ime Udoka’s coaching, the wins have started to return!

Izzy Slater ’22 says, “Something clicked for the team in January and they began to gel, citing a fully healthy roster and minor lineup adjustments as contributing to their success. Since January 1st, the Celtics have had the best defensive record in the league, propelling them towards a 9-2 record in February. The Celtics are now poised to make a deep playoff run and have the potential to be a serious threat in the East for years to come.”

Google Images Now the main players consist of Jay-

son Tatum (voted All-Star for the third time this season), Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, Derrick White, Al Horford, and Daniel Theis. With only one close loss in February, the team has regained their chemistry and drive. Color commentator and former Celtics basketball player Brian Scalabrine said, “Ime Udoka and his defensive adjustment to moving Rob Williams off the ball has absolutely lapped the field on the defensive end in the NBA. Typically in the NBA, when a small adjustment is made, people take a week or two to figure it out. This small adjustment has continued to baffle the NBA. They’re on their heels, and they have no idea how to handle this minor adjustment.”

Oh, and let’s not forget about the real MVP: Jayson Tatum’s four-yearold son, Jayson Tatum Jr., affectionately known as “Deuce.” From the Celtics’ and Tatum’s own personal Instagram accounts to courtside at games, we have seen the adorable father-son bond between these two on and off the court. Overall, the Celtics continue to make their fans proud as they push on towards the playoffs. ☐

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Brian Flores’ Lawsuits Incite Scandal for the NFL claimed that owner John Elway “arrived [at] nated in January when Flores claimed that

By Aidan Lee ’24 and Luke Trevisian ’24 the interview an hour late and hungover.” the Giants interviewed him only because Panel Staff The team has denied that allegation, cit- of the Rooney Rule. He found out that he ing documents from the interview. Then, had not gotten the job after Bill Belichick Brian Flores recently shocked the while head coach of the Dolphins, Flores mistakenly had texted him instead of Brian NFL by suing the New York Giants, Denver was bribed by the Dolphins owner Stephen Daboll, another former Patriots assistant Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and the league Ross to purposely lose in order to acquire coach whom the Giants had hired. Flores’ itself for racial discrimination. Flores “was fired January 10th despite recording the Dolphins’ first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003,” per ESPN. Additionally, he was in consideration for the coaching positions under the Giants and Broncos during this year’s coaching cycle, whom he claims only offered him an interview to satisfy the requirements of the Rooney Rule.

The Rooney Rule was instituted in 2003 by Dan Rooney, the previous owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and chairman of the league’s diversity committee. The rule requires that when holding interviews for a head coaching or general manager position, a team must interview one ethnicminority candidate. It was established to foster a more equitable hiring environment for minority head coach and general manager candidates after the firings of minority Brian Flores as the Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins Google Images coaches Tony Dungy and Dennis Green, who had previously been successful coach- a better position for the next season’s draft. lawsuit against the teams and the league es. Additionally, the report Black Coaches Starting shortly after his hiring in 2019, he was first reported by ESPN on February 1st. in the NFL found that “despite winning a was offered $100k per game to lose. Then, Since then, he has been hired as a defenhigher percentage of games, [minorities] he was pressured to recruit a “prominent sive assistant and linebacker coach under were less likely to be hired and more likely quarterback” but declined to do so in com- Mike Tomlin, Head Coach of the Steelers. to be fired than their white counterparts.” pliance with the NFL’s rules against tamperWhen asking Coach Bryson Rosser, As for Flores’ lawsuit, his claims go ing. Both refusals left the owner dissatisfied Head Coach of the varsity football team and back to 2019, when he sought an inter- with Flores and may have been part of the a leader of DEI at Belmont Hill, about his view for a position with the Broncos. He decision of his firing. His frustration culmi- opinions on the Rooney Rule, he said that

“I think it’s unfortunate that the Rooney Rule has to exist, but I think in its origin, it was really impactful and successful because it had the support and the commitment of Dan Rooney.” Coach Rosser also stated that “I think there’s definitely a cohort of coaches who have done incredible work…who likely have been a byproduct of that plan being in place.” Coach Rosser noted that the rule should never have had to be made in the first place and that its existence is clear evidence of the racial injustice in the NFL. However, although it stems from a harrowing issue, Coach Rosser believes that the Rooney Rule was a step in the right direction and has helped many coaches of color have the opportunity to succeed and thrive in the NFL. In conclusion, although the Rooney Rule was implemented to help improve the racially unjust system of the NFL and has provided many people with more opportunities, it is evident that the NFL must continue to strive for a higher level of equality for minority coaches within the NFL and pro-American sports as a whole. When asked about what the NFL should improve, Coach Rosser stated that “I think anything that is going to be successful must have the same origin story and energy of the Rooney Rule. Dan Rooney was an NFL owner. [He] was in a position and willing to take a stand, and that’s what it’s going to take moving forward.” If the NFL is going to make further improvements to their coaching system, they need owners and people in leadership positions to step up and continue the principles that Dan Rooney established. ☐

A t h l e t e o f t h e I s s u e : To m G o g u e n ’ 2 2 whether playing for the Belmont Hill varsity team or his club, the Fighting Clams, Tom has shown consistency in his athletic successes.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his season, with games canceled or spectatorship limited since the spring of 2020, Tom has still managed to thrive among his teammates. He notes that “some of my most memorable moments as an athlete at Belmont Hill have been beating Sebs three times last lacrosse season and this hockey season as a whole. Being a part of these teams has been an honor.” In addition Dan Hickling to his teammates, Tom thanks his father.

By Howard Huang ’22 Panel Staff

Tom Goguen

Tom Goguen ’22, captain of both the Hockey and Lacrosse teams, is coming off a successful senior hockey season and preparing for his final spring lacrosse season at Belmont Hill before heading off to Dartmouth to continue playing lacrosse. On the field,

“My dad is the one who influenced my athletic career the most. He has pushed me to be the best version of myself not only as a player but as a leader and teammate.”

Tom is looking forward to returning to the lax field this spring. He “believes in the team and [is] excited to learn, grow, and compete alongside them.” The team is poised to challenge for an ISL title again under the leadership of Coach Sullivan and Captain Tom Goguen.

In addition to his upcoming season playing for Belmont Hill, Tom has committed to Dartmouth for lacrosse and anticipates playing in college. He stated, “I’m looking forward to forging my own path as a college athlete and taking on a new challenge.” With his many years of dominating the ISL with Belmont Hill, he is as prepared as he can be for the increased competition in the Ivy League.

As a final note, Tom said that “I would like to thank all my teammates, coaches, and my family for molding me into the man I am today. I’d also like to

shout out the hockey team this year. Love you boys.” The Panel wishes Tom the best for his final spring season and his future lacrosse career as a player at Dartmouth. ☐

scoreless drives. After a risky attempt on a fourth and one at the Rams’ 49yard line, the Rams defense stepped up and got a big stop with great field position. Fast forward to six minutes and change left in the first quarter when Stafford lofted a spiral into Beckham Jr.’s hands, giving them a 7-0 lead. After a 46-yard deep ball from Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase to put the Bengals at the Rams’ 11-yard line, Cincinnati simply stalled out. To end the first quarter, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson kicked a 29-yard field goal through the uprights to make the score 7-3. With no time wasted, the Rams answered back with another touchdown pass, this time to the league’s MVP, Cooper Kupp. The Bengals, however, did not shy away.

With about five minutes left in the first half of Super Bowl LVI, Joe Mixon unexpectedly lofted a six-yard touchdown pass to second-year wide receiver Tee Higgins. The Bengals’ creativy shined through this unconventional play call,

leading to their second touchdown. After the halftime show, which featured some of the past two decade’s most popular artists, the Bengals received the second-half kickoff. On the first play of the drive, Burrow launched a 75-yard touchdown pass to Higgins. Following the exhilarating start to the second half, the rest of the game leading up to its final few minutes was uneventful, with Cincinnati and LA exchanging field goals. With one minute and twenty-four seconds left on the clock, Matt Stafford threw his third touchdown pass of the game to Cooper Kupp to take a 23-20 lead. After a last-minute effort to lead the Bengals down the field, Joe Burrow failed, and the LA Rams earned their first Vince Lombardi Trophy in decades. With Cooper Kupp’s astounding performance, he was awarded the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player.

In hindsight, Super Bowl LVI most certainly lived up to its hype and will be remembered for years to come. ☐

Tom Goguen

BH Communications

A C o mp r e h e n s i v e R e c ap o f S u p e r B o w l LV I

By Matthew Flaherty ’24 Panel Staff Super Bowl LVI was nothing short of sports entertainment at its finest.

Leading up to it, football fans across the country were keen for this matchup. Many picked the Cincinnati Bengals to finish towards the bottom of the entire league going into the season. Last year, the Bengals finished third to last with a substandard record of 4-11-1. However, to everyone’s amazement, the Bengals finished with a solid record of 10-7 and blew through the AFC Playoffs on their way to a Super Bowl berth. Many referred to this Bengals squad as “America’s team” as they were the clear underdogs.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Rams came into Super Bowl LVI with one of the league’s best records, sitting at 12-5. Many had the Rams as their NFC Champion pick, and some

even had them as their Super Bowl Champion. Furthermore, the on-paper overall talent difference between these two teams was staggering. The Cincinnati Bengals boasted a powerful offense led by the electrifying trio of quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, and running back Joe Mixon. To counter, the LA Rams have arguably three of the best defensive players in the NFL: Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Von Miller. Their offense was just as powerful with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford finally escaping Detroit and searching for his first Super Bowl appearance in his entire career, and Cooper Kupp, the NFL’s offensive player of the year after a truly historic season at wide receiver.

With all of this hype surrounding the stories and the sheer talent of the two teams leading up to America’s game, Super Bowl Sunday finally arrived.

The Rams started the game with the ball, and both teams exchanged

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Wrestling Team Successes

By Kevin Weldon ’24 and Aaron Stanger ’24 Panel Staff The Belmont Hill Varsity Wrestling team went into the postseason with an undefeated 21-0 record and the ISL Dual Meet Championship. At Graves-Kelsey, the ISL League tournament, Belmont Hill once again dominated, with all competing wrestlers placing in the top 4 and qualifying for New Englands. The team scored 315.5 points and won, beating the second-place team, Nobles, by over 100 points. Eight wrestlers, Andrew Pimental ’25, Freddy Pimental ’23, Adam Figler ’22, Kailen Richards ’22, Alex Gavronsky ’23, Will Stewart ’24, Josh Houston-Davis ’23, and Daniel Bittner ’22 all placed first in their respective weight classes, with Jimmy Harrington ’22 and Turner Rayment ’23 also making the finals against

Belmont Hill Wrestling Team

another Belmont Hill wrestler. The coaches voted for Jimmy Harrington to win the Globe All-Scholastic Award, which is given to the outstanding wrestler in the ISL. The following weekend at New Englands, the team placed 3rd overall, with three champions, Andrew Pimental, Freddy Pimental, and Kailen Richards, winning the 113-, 132, and 145-pound weight classes, respectively. Eight other wrestlers placed in the top six and qualified for Nationals. This list includes Adam Figler (2nd), Aaron Stanger ’24 (6th), Daniel Bittner (3rd), Turner Rayment (3rd), Will Stewart (4th). The following weekend, the team drove down to Marlboro, Maryland, where they concluded their season on February 26th with seven wrestlers competing at Prep Nationals. Five wrestlers Belmont Hill Wrestling Team finished in the top 12, and two wrestlers, Kailen Richards and Andrew Pimental, placed 8th, earning All-American status. ☐

BH Communications

BH Communications Belmont Hill Wrestling Team

BH Communications

Nordic Skiing Season Recap Update on the Boston Bruins

By Lev Tolkoff ’24 Panel Staff With only glimpses of the winter snow remaining, the Nordic season comes to an end. A hard fought season with many triumphs was one to remember, with five different racing formats, Belmont Hill found success in each one.

Nearing the end of the season, the team competed in the Lakes Region Championships, the first of two culminating championships. The format of the race differed from previous races in that skiers had to switch from classic skis to skate skis in the middle of the race, effectively skiing a 6k skiathlon that consisted of 3k classic and 3k skate. With a dangerous S turn, the team was unable to make the podium, placing fourth in a brutal race.

Following this race, on the next Saturday, the team competed at New England’s at Gould Academy in Bethel Maine.

Nordic Team

Due to a storm delay, the team ventured

By Ben Hack ’24 up early Saturday morning with their goal Panel Staff in mind. The race had a unique format with a 5k individual skate race at 12:15 and a 2.5k classic relay race. With one of the hilliest courses in New England for the skate race, the team placed sixth overall.

Nordic captain Howard Huang ‘22 says, “It was the toughest course I’ve ever skied and I am proud of our whole team for showing up and trying their best”. However, in the shorter classic race, the team placed third taking a spot on the podium.

With one of the most memorable seasons in recent memory, while not able to achieve the number one spot in New England, the season nonetheless, was a huge success.

With his final season in the books captain Howard Huang says,” It was a true pleasure to captain the team this year and Bruins celebrating after a goal was the most fun I’ve had in a season, we had many sophomores and freshman The Bruins have had a very rocky step up this year in a huge way and I am season so far. The recent injury of Patrice proud of how the season turned out.” ☐ Bergeron and Brad Marchand’s six-game suspension have not helped the Bruins in their recent stretch. However, defenseman Charlie McAvoy has had a very underrated season, with 32 points and an average ice time of around 25 minutes per night. In their last ten games, the Bruins are 5-4-1 and currently are on a three-game winning streak. They are in 4th place in their division and are in a wild card position for the playoffs. The great play of goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark allows the team to not worry about goalkeeping.

The Bruins lack depth for scoring, and with the trade deadline approaching in the next few weeks, it would be wise to address this area of need. Two players that it may be smart to trade for would be Phil Kessel and Rickard Rakell, both of whom would be rentals for the Bruins and would help them BH Communications prepare for a deep playoff push. Kessel, a

former Bruin himself, would be a great fit on the 3rd line because of his shooting ability

Google Images and two-way game. Rakell would be perfect on the 2nd line because of his playmaking abilities and knack for scoring. If the Bruins effectively address their flaws, they will make the playoffs and have a deep playoff run. ☐

Patrice Bergeron

Google Images

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Be l mont H ill and Winsor Sp orts

T he B anner / Panel

Spring Into Sports at Winsor and Belmont Hill!

By Nick Andersen ’24, Cameron Carey ’24, Abby Groom ’22 & Angelina Li ’22 Banner and Panel Staff The spring season is just around the corner, and teams from both Winsor and Belmont Hill are ready to practice and compete. Read on to learn more about what the next couple of months will entail for each athletic team!

to continue their dominance over their rivals. The team will face the top teams from across New England and the country; they will play Brunswick, Deerfield and other top prep schools from outside of the ISL.

year’s captains are Evie Wells ’22 and Imogen Cabot ’22. Wells expressed how she is “so excited for spring crew because the team has been inside all winter working hard.” She looks forward to “seeing the results of the winter pay off and…[getting] Golf off the erg! [They] all miss the water and As the snow begins to melt, and the the prospect of warm weather and getting courses open back up, Belmont Hill Golf to be in boats and race is so, so exciting.” looks to have a successful season. The team is led by captain and Vanderbilt-committed Lacrosse athlete John Broderick. Broderick stated, “I The lacrosse team has already started

Belmont Hill Baseball Belmont Hill baseball hopes to take back the ISL title. The team is led by senior captains Jack Winnay and Drew Blackwell, along with junior captain Anthony Pellagrini. This year’s team has lots of good players and depth at each position. Last year, the team struggled with a lack of varsity experience, but this year, many returning players have seen what ISL baseball looks like and can take advantage of it. Junior infielder Brennan Barlage said, “We’re really excited to see what we’ve got this year. The competition is the strongest it’s been, and we feel we are ready for the test.” New additions to Varsity Baseball look to be valuable assets to the team, and they all believe that this team will rally Winsor Spring Sports each other with one common goal: to win. think we are looking very strong this year, having depth 1-11. We look to win anothTrack and Field er championship.” Belmont Hill Golf has Belmont Hill Track and Field looks won 15 league titles since 1989 and hopes to have another solid year. The ISL is al- to make that number 16 later this spring! ways tough competition, and the team, led by a solid group of returners and some new Tennis faces, are looking to cement their place atop Once the hockey rink is taken down the ISL. The team should have a deep lineup inside the Jordan Athletic Center, the tennis of strong runners and athletes who look to courts lay beneath the ice and are ready to compete at a high level in all of their meets. be used by the Belmont Hill Tennis team.

Belmont Hill Tennis looks to win another Crew league championship, most recently winning The Belmont Hill Crew team looks to in 2016. The team is not only ready for fierce build on the program’s previous success. Led competition this upcoming season, but also by veteran coaches and seniors, the team is in feels that they are ready for any school that prime position to take the ISL. The team has comes looking to defeat them this season. been working hard during the offseason to prepare for the spring and looks to continue Winsor their training this March break in Florida. Crew After an arduous few months of Lax winter training indoors, the crew team Belmont Hill Lacrosse is looking to will soon arrive back on the Charles Rivrepeat as ISL champions after an amazing er. The team had a successful fall season year last season. After a season sweep of and is excited to see both their returning St. Sebastian’s last season, the team wants rowers and new rowers in the boat! This

Franchesca Vilmenay their season with pre-season practices on the turf field. There will, once again, be a JV and Varsity team this year. The Varsity team is led by Sarah Jane-Gavin ’22 and Abbie Peterson ’22. The team participates in many scrimmages and games that are slated to happen both on our home turf and at a variety of schools. Peterson is “amped up to have a super fun and competitive lacrosse season this year. It is going to be amazing, and I can’t wait for it to start!”

I’m so excited to witness it again this year.”

Softball Varsity Softball is enthusiastic about returning to the field in the spring, which will hopefully be filled with sunny and warm days. Captains Josie Mastandrea ’22 and Louisa Gennari ’22 are excited about the large amount of interest from eager, new athletes and experienced, returning players.

Mastandrea reflected that “WVS took a big hit with some of our star players graduating last year, but the team is ready to build back better than ever. I’m looking forward to getting back on the field with a great group of players to prepare for the upcoming season!”

Tennis The tennis team is looking forward to returning to a relatively normal season after a year of working around many COVID regulations. With an influx of demonstrated interest, there will be both a JV and Varsity team, which will encourage players of all levels to join the sport. The captains this year are Abby Groom ’22 and Angelina Li ’22, both of whom started playing tennis for Winsor as freshmen. There are already many scheduled matches for the team, both within the EIL league as well as extra ISL matches for additional playing opportunities. As they have no official home court, both teams will be playing “home” often at Simmon’s Daly courts or the MIT courts.

Track & Field After a successful season last year, Winsor T&F has already begun to make a return with their pre-season workouts.

If you look out of the LOC window, you might even see them running in a pack around the turf! The captains are Sophia Lin-David ’22, Anni Goldstein ’22, Claire Ackerman ’22, and Haley Weninger ’22.

Track is a Varsity sport available to all levels of athletes ranging from classes III to VIII. The team operates without cuts, and thus encourages a wide variety of students to join. Goldstein said, “I am excited to meet all the new members of Winsor Track and to be a part of an incredible, positive, motivating, and hard-working team!”

Sailing Winsor Varsity Sailing will be led by captains Grace Abbott ’22 and Caroline Friendly ’23 in the spring. They are excited to be back on the water and racing. Abbott said, “Because of COVID, sailing has looked different all three years that I have been on the team. The one thing that has stayed steady is our ability to take in members who have never sailed before and increase their confidence and skill level to the point where We encourage you all to supthey are able to race solo! Seeing people port your spring sports teams as develop their love for sailing is my favorite they begin their exciting seasons! ☐ part of the Winsor sailing experience, and

MIA from Your Home TV: Underrated Olympic Sports sleds will then use slight steering and braking motions to guide the bobsled at incredibly high speeds safely– normally exceeding 90 miles per hour to the finish. One slipWith the Winter Olympics and Para- up in the movements of the sled can lead lympics in full swing, The Panel and The Banner thought it would be beneficial to give the Belmont Hill and Winsor communities easy introductions to the wide variety of underrated Olympics sports. Now, you can aim to impress your family and friends with a little knowledge of the following sports.

Bobsledding, the Formula One on ice of the Olympics, should be at the forefront of events with the extreme agility and care Google Images needed to achieve gold– all while prevent- Curling ing great injury. A high-speed winter racing to devastating injuries or even death. I n sport, bobsledding can include teams of two order to gain the fastest time, riders need to or four people who jump aboard specially preserve momentum through their turning. designed sleds in order to travel down a To help prevent unfair advantages, there track of sheet ice. The history of the sport are currently limitations to the amount is found to have originated in Switzerland of weight that can be within one bobsled, in the 1860s as a recreational activity turned as heavier sleds will lead to increased mointo an internationally competitive race in mentum (p = mv anybody?). With the 1924. To start the race, competitors have danger and excitement surrounding bobto push their sled in a running start which sledding, you will be glad you watched! will count against their finishing time. They Curling is one of the most nail biting wear spiked shoes and skin-tight suits for sports to watch in the Olympics. Scraping increased force and alleviation of air re- ice at record speeds of five miles per hour sistance. The two to four people inside the and launching a granite rock 14.5 feet on

By Lauren Hogan ’23, Luke Hogan ’22, and Sophia Lin-David ’22 Banner and Panel Staff

colored ice are just two of the many reasons why curling is a terribly dangerous sport.

All joking aside, curling requires ultimate precision, accuracy, and patience. The purpose of the game is to score points by getting stones closer to the house center, or the “button,” than the other team’s stones.

Players from either team alternate in taking shots from the far side of the sheet. An end is complete when all eight rocks from each team have been delivered, a total of 16 stones. Not only do the players have merely five seconds to make game-defining decisions but they also have to be cleverly strategic in the way they toss the “rock.” As a player, the goal is not to just hit the target but also obstruct the opponent’s rocks as well. Finding the perfect balance between sabotaging the opponent and at the same time accumulating points for oneself takes a lot of skill and practice, something that is not always recognized and appreciated by those who watch the Olympics.

Snowboard cross, a.k.a. the superior snowboarding event, perfectly tests athletes’ speed, balance, and control as they attempt to race down an inclined course as fast as they can. But, this isn’t just your normal race rodeo. Unlike other snowboarding events at the Olympics, snowboard

cross has all the competitors race at once.

A race without some sort of collision between competitors is few and far between; a collision is an unfortunate byproduct of the fastest snowboarders in the world navigating steep slopes, sharp turns, jump ramps, and nontrivial drop offs within close proximity to each other. Snowboard cross is as if someone said, “Snowboard racing is already hard enough, but what if we had a heat of five people who all had to race down a mountain while navigating a tricky obstacle course at the same time!” Pure genius.

Although watching snowboard cross can sometimes feel like watching a dumpster fire (e.g. when they all run into each other and you want to look away, but you have to see if the fallen snowboarders can make an epic comeback and hunt down the rest of the field like Tom Brady & Co. v. Atlanta Falcons circa 2017), it is still good, clean fun.

Criss cross applesauce into the good life.

Give snowboard cross the attention it deserves at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.

We urge you to give these sports a try the next time you watch the Olympics.

Perhaps you will discover passion for one or more! Best of luck to the Team USA Paralympic athletes. The next Winter Olympics will take place in 2024 across Italy. ☐

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Page 12

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ABBY AND IVY'S HIT LIST ABBY AND IVY'S HITOF LIST 1. BACK PAGE EDITORS ABBY AND IVY'S HIT LIST ABBY AND IVY'S HIT LIST

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BACK PAGE EDITORS OF 1.

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