Issue #1
Hamas Attack on Israel By Declan Carroll ‘27 and Will Sandor ‘27
On Saturday, the 7th of October, Hamas, a Sunni Islamist terrorist organization currently governing the Gaza Strip, unleashed a barrage of rockets on Southern Israel. They then launched an incursion into Israel, which overran dozens of towns and killed many civilians, including children. During the attacks by Hamas, terrorists were able to occupy part of Southern Israel but have now been pushed out. Unfortunately, while occupying this area, Hamas was able to kill and kidnap many Israelis. During the attack, armed parachutists raided a music festival. The Israeli government said the death toll had risen to 1,200, with only 169 being Israeli soldiers. They also estimate that 150 people have been kidnapped and are being held hostage in Gaza, some of whom are U.S. citizens. In exchange for these hostages, Hamas wants 5,200 prisoners allegedly in Israeli prisons released. It has been widely reported and confirmed that Hamas committed atrocities during the attack, including burning women and children and killing entire families. Israel has reacted by vowing to destroy Hamas; they have sent air strikes and are engaging ground forces. Israel has deployed 300,000 reservists and 170,000 current
military personnel, and has begun an invasion of Gaza itself. They have also cut resources going to Gaza, including food, water, fuel, and electricity, and they have stated that this will continue until the hostages are released. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has warned Gazans of upcoming airstrikes and has instructed citizens of Gaza City to flee south. Some Gazan citizens have been trying to flee, but many cannot leave Gaza City because of the ongoing conflict. Israel says they are making their best attempt at targeting Hamas and has accused Hamas of using Gazans as human shields, while Hamas blames Israel for the death of Gazans. So far, airstrikes have killed over 10,000 Palestinians, injuring and leaving homeless many thousands more. These strikes have included residential areas, schools, and hospitals. President Biden has asked for efforts to provide Gaza with food, water, electricity, and medical care while expressing his disgust for the Hamas attacks. He also reiterated that Hamas does not reflect the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. The attack on Israel was the deadliest in Israel’s history. Israel has one of the best intelligence agencies called the Mossad,
which has been able to gather intelligence on upcoming attacks. The Mossad was formed in 1949 due to concerns raised about neighboring countries, and since the Yom Kippur War, it has been formidable in the realm of intelligence. Although the Israelis have had an eye in the sky, the attacks by Hamas were unforeseen. Leading up to these attacks, Israel, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia were negotiating a deal to normalize relations. The agreement aims to create regional stability and alleviate tensions between Middle Eastern countries. The attacks on Israel raise serious questions about whether Iran may have played a part in organizing the assault. This, along with concerns that Hezbollah will attack the North of Israel, has led President Biden to order a carrier strike group, which includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Eastern Mediterranean as a deterrent. The escalating violence between Israel and Hamas has raised tensions in the Middle East exponentially and may affect the region's politics for years to come.
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India Groundwater Crisis by Teo Rivera-Wills ‘27
A record-breaking summer heat could drive India to use up its groundwater much more quickly than previously predicted in the coming decades. India already pumps up more groundwater than any other country in the world. Much of India’s water demand is due to its large agricultural field. Hotter temperatures are drying out fields and leaving less moisture to soak into the soil and replenish the aquifers below. Unless large steps are taken to promote water efficiency, underground supplies will shrink between 2040 and 2080 at three times the present rate.
er evaporation, increased rainfall during the summer monsoon season, and decreased rain in winter. The researchers found that the additional summertime rain could help refill aquifers, though not by enough to offset increased evaporation from warmer temperatures and increased irrigation needs during the drier winters.
To come to this conclusion, researchers first looked at the relationship between groundwater levels, climate, and crop water stress in India between 2004 and 2013. They then estimated how groundwater use might respond to three major effects of global warming: great-
This crisis will likely be replicated across many regions and nations over the following decades, as growing populations and dwindling resources conspire to create a challenge ahead for governments and scientists to provide for these growing human populations.
“When the temperature is warming, this recharge is actually decreasing in monsoon season,” said Nishan Bhattarai, an assistant professor of geography and environmental sustainability at the University of OklaGroundwater is vital for farming in India, supplying homa, who led the new research. 60 percent of all irrigation. But growers in parts of the So far, India’s groundwater overuse has been most secountry are already starting to exhaust aquifers — lay- vere in the northwestern breadbasket states of Punjab ers of water-soaked dirt and rock — that could take and Haryana. But the researchers’ modeling suggests centuries to refill. And, at the moment, India doesn’t that problems could arise by 2050 in the country’s have the dams and other infrastructure needed to sig- southwest, where aquifers of hard rock can’t hold as nificantly increase its river-fed irrigation. much water as those in other areas.
WORLD
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The Hill
G20 Gives Permanent Membership to the African Union by Declan Carroll ’27 Panel Staff In an unfortunate turn of events, Eastern Libya found itself in the path of an unprecedented catastrophe as Storm Daniel, the deadliest Mediterranean cyclone on record, wrought havoc upon the region. Following its toll of over 20 lives in Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, the tempest assumed the characteristics of a rare “medicane,” akin to a hurricane. On September 11th, two dams, not subjected to updates in over two decades, succumbed to the deluge, releasing a billion cubic feet of water and generating waves of seven-meter amplitude that inundated Derna, obliterating a significant portion of the city. Tragically, the loss of life surpasses 5,000, with an additional 10,000 individuals remaining un-
accounted for. The absence of timely warnings compounded the toll. Experts underscore that contemporary infrastructure and efficacious alert systems could have facilitated the outcome. However, political conflicts in Libya led to the selective acceptance of aid, hampering relief efforts. This calamity is a poignant reminder of our susceptibility to the caprices of climate change. One thing that could help Libya and Morroco, who also just went through a deadly natural disaster, is the African Union, which recently joined the G20. The G20 (Group of 20, now 21) is a premier forum for international economic cooperation. The G20 represents roughly 85% of
worldwide GDP, three-quarters of global trade, and about 2/3 of the world’s population. The nations are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the USA, and the EU. This will help give the African continent a more substantial voice. According to the World Economic Forum, 19 out of the 20 lowest estimated GDP per capita in the world in 2023 are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa also suffers disproportionately from Climate Change and faced 80 extreme weather events last year, even though they are responsible for far fewer emissions than wealthier nations. As we have seen from the recent Morrocon Earthquake and the floods in Libya, the African continent has taken a hefty toll from climate change. Africa has been warming by .3 Celsius (.5 Fahrenheit) per decade since 1991, while the global average is .2 Celcius (.3 Fahrenheit), and now faces extreme weather events. The African Union joining the G20 could help with economic aid for current and future natural disasters. This permanent membership can further unify the continent and unite the nations to brace for future natural disasters.
Ukraine Faces Uphill Climb on World Stage by Brian Tang ’29 Panel Staff The situation in Ukraine has recently centered around a significant development that transpired on September 13, 2023. On that day, Russian media released footage depicting Kim Jong-un, dressed in a black suit, disembarking from his heavily fortified train on the outskirts of Vladivostok, Russia. This meeting marked his first overseas trip in four years. During this visit, he engaged in a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and it is suspected that weaponry was discussed during their meeting. This development has raised concerns among many countries, as it could result in North Korea supplying Russia with a substantial quantity of artillery shells, rockets, anti-aircraft missiles, and small arms ammunition, which could potentially be used against Ukraine. In response to this meeting, the United States has declared its readiness to impose sanctions on both countries. The precise details of the meeting and the nature of their discussions remain uncertain, leaving the international community eager to learn more about the implications of this diplomatic encounter. On September 19, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke in front of many countries at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) about the war. This
speech was his first time speaking in person. He discussed many topics, such as the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine and the need for international support. He states: “We have to stop it. We must act united to defeat the aggressor and focus all our capabilities and energy on addressing these challenges.” He further emphasized that it must be on Ukraine’s terms when the
fighting concludes. As Ukraine’s president works on complex global issues, his UNGA speech may become a pivotal moment in the conflict and peace efforts and a step towards peace. Still, as global patience wanes, Ukraine faces a long and difficult winter ahead, as it struggles to maintain resources and fighting spirit.
NATION
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Presidential Election Preview by Adrian Chen ‘28
On April 25th, 2023, Joe Biden, the United State’s current sitting president, announced his bid to seek a second term as the President of the United States. Biden is currently the oldest president to sit in office in United States history, and as of November 2023, Biden’s approval rating is 39%. (In comparison, Trump’s approval rating was 40% at this time in his presidency, 48% in Clinton’s presidency, and 62% in Kennedy’s presidency). Biden announced in his video campaign that he “knows America”, and that he “believes that everyone should be given a fair shot to succeed”. According to an NPR article, “Half of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents said in a PBS NewsHour poll that they had a better chance [of winning] with Biden than someone else.” Former President Donald Trump declared his bid to run for the Republican presidential nominee in November of last year. He is seeking to become the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms in office. If Donald Trump wins the GOP nomination, then it could be the first presidential rematch since the 1950s. The three top GOP contenders are Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy. Despite not participating in the first three Republican presidential debates thus far, Donald Trump still holds around 60% of the potential GOP primary votes, according to a survey of 2,400 people conducted by Morn-
ing Consult. Donald Trump posted on his website, “Truth Social”, that he was skipping the debate because the public knows “what a successful presidency I had”–and according to the polls, Trump’s approval rating actually went up by 5% after the second GOP debate. Ron DeSantis, Florida governor since 2019, set a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in May of 2023. DeSantis encouraged the movement of the Parental Rights in Education bill, which banned the instruction and classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues in Florida Public Schools. DeSantis’s support, according to a poll by Morning Consult, seems to be down since January of this year. His ranking has fallen from 30% to around 15% in the past months. Vivek Ramaswamy is an investor and a former founder of a successful biotech company. Despite having no prior experience in politics, he is beginning to gain support–rising from around 3% of the voter’s support to around 10% now. Though he is still far behind Trump’s position in the GOP race, he might be able to catch up to DeSantis in the next few months. So far Donald Trump is the front runner of the GOP presidential nomination. Will Trump’s decision to not attend the republican debates affect this? Only time will tell.
Fugitive in Pennsylvania by Jackson Roy ‘29
In September, a 13-day search for convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante swept national news. Cavalcante was convicted for the gruesome murder of his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão. Cavalcante was sentenced to life and sent to a prison in Pennsylvania. However, Cavalcante found a weak spot in the prison’s security. Calvacante escaped from the prison by crab-walking up a wall, pushing his way through the razor wire installed, running across the prison roof, and scaling more razor wire, then jumping to a less guarded area to make his getaway. After that, Cavalcante fled to the suburbs of Pennsylvania. The police had Cavalcante cornered multiple times and had police and military searching the perimeter they had set up and taught him to be in. Calvacante was then spotted later when he was caught trying to steal some food and a gun from a house in the perimeter. Bearing a firearm, the homeowner fired multiple shots at Cavalcante, missing several times and leaving him uninjured. Cavalcante fled again, only moving at night and never during the day. Calvacante then found an unlocked car in the perimeter the police had set up. He
then fled north inside the vehicle. Cavalcante, who stands at a whopping 5 foot 120 pounds, laid low for the next few days before being spotted by a neighboring house’s ring doorbell during the night. The military and police then set up the final perimeter with Cavalcante. 2 days later, Cavalcante was caught trying to escape through a river in Chester County. The escaped fugitive chase lasted 13 days, and he is now headed back to prison.
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SPORTS
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College Football Realignment by Tyler Grossman ‘27
The Power Four of college football has officially been born as the chase for higher TV revenue money by way of conference realignment has led to the painful death of the Pac-12 conference. With so much conference realignment, here is a look at which conference each of the 69 Power Four conference football teams will be playing in for the 2024 college football season and beyond. ACC:
The ACC was the last conference to add teams to their league in their conference, with the additions of SMU, Cal, and Stanford being the teams to put the final nail in the coffin of the Pac-12. The ACC will eliminate divisions for the 2024 season, with the top two teams in the standings playing for the conference title. However, the league will stick with their 8-game conference schedule for the foreseeable future. The league also inked a TV deal with ESPN through 2036, which was an appealing factor for teams such as Clemson, Florida State, and Miami to remain in the ACC and not explore the SEC and Big 10.
Big 10:
Entering the 2024 season, the Big 10 will expand from the already large number of 14 teams to 18. The conference will add perennial PAC 12 and national powers USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington, with the latter two having reached the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014. The conference will move from the east-west division format to a schedule where every team will play nine conference games. Included in that, each team will have one or two protected rivalry matchups to maintain traditions, with all other teams playing each other bi-yearly. SEC:
For 2024, the SEC will add two teams to its conference in Texas and Oklahoma. The conference will move away from the division format and instead have each team play an eight-game conference schedule and one nonconference game against either a team from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, or a major independent league team, which the SEC committee will decide on. Also, every team will play each other a minimum of twice every four years.
Big 12
From 2022 to 2024, the Big 12 has added six teams, jumping from 10 to 16 teams during that period. In 2023, the conference added Cincinnati, BYU, UCF, and Houston, and will also add Utah, Arizona, Arizona St, and the Dieon Snaders led Colorado. However, following the 2023 season, the conference will lose its two most prestigious and recognizable schools to the SEC in Texas and Oklahoma. The conference will stick to its no-division format, with each team playing nine conference games, with the top two teams in the standings at the end of the season playing for the conference title in the Championship game at Jerry World.
Saudi Arabia Sports by Jack Hurley ‘27
Saudi Arabia is slowly taking over the world of sports, especially in soccer and golf. Saudi Arabia’s desire to become a sports powerhouse comes as the oil-rich nation looks to diversify its economy from fossil fuels. As a part of their strategy to do such, they are willing to spend big money on big names in sports. In soccer, the new Saudi Pro League spent over a billion dollars on their league, mainly on players to whom they offer huge contracts. Several big names in the sport have been signed, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, and many more. Players like Neymar and Kante are getting paid around 100 million dollars annually, but other players like Ronaldo and Benzema make approximately 200 million annually. Despite these very high numbers, however, there are still crazy salary numbers that sit atop the high double-digits. Despite all their signings, big names such as Messi, Mbappe, Silva, and Modric have rejected them. When it comes to golf, the LIV golf league is something that has been talked about on a significant scale over the past year. Its uprising has split the game of sport and its community into two. LIV golf offers a rejuvenation of golf, with team matches, big names, and extensive checks. Not only that, but they also provide a more casual approach to the sport, with blaring music at each venue, looser dress codes, and a 3-day tournament instead of 4-day tournaments in the PGA tour. Individual first place in one of the tournaments would earn 4 million dollars, with the last place still earning 120,000. In comparison, the winner of the Masters in 2022, Scottie Sheffler, took home 2.7 million dollars. The league has many big names, including Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and many more. The craziest thing about these big names being acquired is their massive contracts. Phil Mickelson signed a contract guaranteeing him roughly 200 million dollars. Dustin Johnson was guaranteed 150 million, Bryson DeChambeau was guaranteed approximately 125 million, and Brooks Koepka was guaranteed 100 million. With all the money that Saudi Arabia is making through petro-
leum and natural gas, they are spending their money trying to put themselves on the map by trying to connect to the world through sports. It is undoubtedly working, as it completely changes the entire field of play for both sports. The creation of LIV has split the sport of golf in half, and some of the players who remained on the PGA tour resent LIV and its players. However, a surprising change was made recently as the PGA felt so pressured by this league that they needed to merge. Although they are represented in Fifa, the Champions League also plans to wait to let the Saudi Pro League in. Overall, Saudi Arabia has undoubtedly accomplished their goal of obtaining the eyes of the public and making the name of Saudi Arabia more well known.
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Natural Disasters Define the Summer by Will Sandor ‘27
Two disasters struck Morocco and Hawaii this summer, leaving communities in much distress. Morocco was hit by its most devastating earthquake since 1960 destroying many homes and buildings. A fire spread across Maui in Hawaii creating chaos, yet a sense of community at the same time. September 8, 2023, a massive earthquake 45 miles from Marrakech struck Morocco. Morocco is a beautiful country, filled with culture and stunning monuments; one of the BH trips was to Morocco and those who had the chance to experience this trip said it was amazing. Sadly, Morocco was recently disturbed by an earthquake of a magnitude 6.8 on the Richter scale, destroying much of the city of Marrakech and other smaller towns. The Richter scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake; since this scale is not linear a magnitude of 6.0 is 32 times the power of an earthquake measured at 5.0, but an earthquake at a magnitude of 7.0 is 1,000 times the power of one at 5.0. The center of the earthquake in Morocco was measured at 6.8 and the aftershock which came shortly after was measured at 4.9; this had devastating effects.
Another disaster took place on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Usually a place for family vacations and honeymoons, a fire has destroyed the beautiful and tropical Maui. 2,170 acres of the island was burnt by the fire which left many residents deciding whether to stay in their homes to defend it against the fire, or leave and hope that their home wouldn’t go up in flames. Unfortunately, 97 were killed by the fire and 31 are still missing; the original death count was 115, but decreased after many missing were found.
Not only were many people displaced from their caved-in homes and several historic monuments and buildings destroyed; 5,500 people were injured and 3,000 were also killed. Earthquakes are not common in Morocco, the last devastating one being in 1960 with a magnitude of 5.7, causing 15,000 casualties. Although the last earthquake was also extremely powerful, it was 60 years ago, and this may not have prepared the community for the earthquake that just hit. Other countries like Japan that have frequent yet small earthquakes are prepared Maui has had problems with fires, but hasn’t experienced one and construct buildings with stronger foundations. This was quite like this in a while. Despite initial claims, the fire was not the case in Morocco and sadly took a part in making the not started due to climate change, but was caused by powerearthquake even worse. lines. Hawaiian electric has admitted to this. Another factor that played a role in spreading the fire is the grass; Maui has 18 types of invasive of invasive grasses, which spread fire more easily when compared to everyday grass. Efforts have been made to help Maui during this sad time, and it will hopefully get back its beauty and what has appealed to its thousands of tourists. These two disasters have affected thousands and will continue to hurt many. Yet the strong communities of these two places are coming together and finding ways to make a fast recovery by helping each other. Hopefully these beautiful places will make a quick recovery.
ARTS
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CLUE: Fall Play by Patrick Snail ’28
The highly anticipated Middle School Play hit the stage on November 10th at 7:00 P.M. and November 11th at 3:30 P.M. at the Kraft Theater. Clue: On Stage is a comedy based on the popular board game. The play consists of all the classic characters: Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Mrs. Peacock. In addition to these characters, some other roles include the British butler, Wadsworth, the French assistant, Yvette, and many different comic minor parts. The cast this year has broken school records with participation: “This was the first time in my twelve years that we have done cuts,” said Mr. DiResta, the director of the show, “But we have twelve amazing Belmont Hill actors, and then a whole equally fantastic group of Winsor actors as well for
this show, and we are very excited.” This turnout is a great sign for the Belmont Hill theater department as more and more boys participate in shows and plays. One of the critical features of the classic board game is the many unique rooms that are each different from the next. The complicated set design may seem like a roadblock, but Mr. DiResta explained their solution and has high hopes. “This is the first year that we are going to have our own cast members be part of a set design crew that’s going to build a pretty detailed stage of each of the rooms from the original board game.” Mr. DiResta announced. He also stated that Ms. Bradley and Mr. Cappelli were at the helm of the innovative crew, leading them to immense success.
And later in the year ... The All School Winter Show: The Firecracker Incident Directors: Mr. DiResta & Mr. Ojeni Auditions on November 20-21 @ Belmont Hill and November 29 @ Winsor. Performance on February 2nd and 9th The Middle School Spring Play: Honk! Jr. Directors: Mr. Conway, Mr. Ojeni, & Mr. Patterson Auditions on February 21 @ Belmont Hill and February 22 @ Winsor Performance on May 3 and 4 The Upper School Spring Play: Newsies Directors: Mr. Morris Auditions are to be determined Performance May 17 and 18 at Dana Hall
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The Iron Dome
As rockets launched from Gaza rained down Iron Dome system kicked into action, causing harm to Israeli cities and towns. The Israel’s most vital defense mechanisms and ets over two decades of operation.
by Alex Chen ‘27 and Connor Lynch ‘27
on Israel on October 7, the country’s stopping thousands of missiles from multi-billion dollar system is one of has stopped tens of thousands of rock-
The idea of the Iron Dome emerged in the early 2000s, gaining popularity with officials in the IDF, Israel’s defense forces, around 2004. In 2006, when Israel was at war with Lebanon, over 4,000 rockets were fired into Northern Israel, killing dozens of civilians and forcing 250,000 to evacuate to other areas. In addition, between 2000 and 2008, over 8,000 missiles were fired into Southern Israel from Gaza. These events made it clear that Israel needed a stronger missile defense system. In 2007, Defense Minister Amir Peretz approved the creation of the Iron Dome, and development began. Finally, in 2011, the first batteries of the Iron Dome were rolled out. The Iron Dome is made up of 10 batteries, each with three or four missile launchers. The batteries were initially placed to protect the major cities and their outskirts from rockets but have since expanded to cover most of the country. The system works in three steps: first, radars identify rockets within a 2.5 to 43-mile range. Next, the system predicts where the missile will land and decides whether or not to intercept it. If the missile is expected to strike a populated area, the system will block it, but if it is not predicted to land in a populated place, the system will let the missile go. Finally, if the system decides to intercept a missile, one or more Israeli missiles are launched from the missile launcher to intercept and neutralize the incoming one. By only intercepting crucial missiles, the Iron Dome saves tons of money, which is essential considering the price tag of $40,000 per interception. Although the success rate for the Iron Dome’s interceptions is over 90%, the high cost per interceptor and an extensive amount of incoming Qassam rockets leads to opportunities for rockets to get through the defense system. The Qassam rockets are cheap, only costing a few hundred dollars. Using a $40,000 interceptor for the cheap rockets is not cost-effective, especially when over 6,000 (fact check) Qassam rockets have been fired in only six days. In addition, the Qassam rockets only weigh up to 100 pounds and can be set up and fired by only two men. The easy launch allows the rockets to be fired in salvos, a high volume of rockets fired simultaneously. The incoming Qassam barrages overwhelm the Iron Dome, with the defense system unable to intercept them all. From all 6,000 Qassam rockets fired at Gaza, the death toll reached 1,400. Despite extensive development and funding from the United States, the defense system still has flaws. The success of the Iron Dome has decreased over the years with the advancements of enemy attack strategy and the rockets themselves. The high-volume attack highlighted a flaw with the Iron Dome’s interceptions. The Iron Dome must adapt to these new high-volume attacks, which is not easy. The future of the Iron Dome or potential replacements is left in the hands of engineers. Still, solutions must surface quickly, or else the highly praised defense system will eventually be a useless and expensive method of defense.
Clue 1 - The history I teacher that always wins field day Clue 2 - Dr. Melvoin’s first Name Clue 3 - The name of the middle school play Clue 4 - The buidling where all the MS Form Spaces are Clue 5 - The name of the film shown in Chapel Clue 6 - Who Founded Belmont Hill Clue 7 - The oldest building on campus Clue 8 - What the art bulding once was Clue 9 - The name of the Art Building Clue 10 - Longest last name for MS teacher