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THE MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER October 27, 2017 February 10, 2022
A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School
Polls
Return From Covid Era by Alex Laidlaw ’25
As Belmont Hill tries to return to normal following two years of masks, social distancing, and Zoom bots, The Hill staff sent out a poll to see what students in the middle school thought of the changes in school life. However, since the poll was sent out in December, dramatic changes in school policy have occurred, fueled by the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. While certain questions, such as how many of your classes require you to wear a mask, may no longer be accurate, it should be said that the community hopes to return to the policies used in December soon. Considering this, the widespread support in favor of sit down lunches over boxed lunches (60.2% of respondents said that the sit-down lunches are much better) is an encouraging sign for the second half of the year, during which the community hopes to bring back the traditional family-style lunches yet again. Also, when asked about the curriculum this year compared to last, most respondents agreed that the workload is more difficult, although the majority (60%) of students said that it was only somewhat more difficult than last year (4 out of 5). Furthermore, most students felt that the DEI curriculum and advisory time is just right and that this year is better compared to the previous. While the final question, regarding if Belmont Hill is back to normal, may no longer be accurate, it is notable that many believed that life at Belmont Hill before break, although not the same as before COVID, was “normal”, a good sign for the second half of the year.
This Issue
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COMMUNITY COMMUNITY
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NHL Players Will Not Be Participating in 2022 Olympics by Teddy Stonestreet ’25 The NHL and NHLPA released a statement on December 22nd announcing that NHL players will not be representing their countries in the Winter Olympics this year in Beijing, due to COVID-19 concerns. League Commissioner Gary Bettman stated, “Unfortunately, given the profound disruption to the NHL’s regular-season schedule caused by recent COVID-related events -- 50 games already have been postponed through Dec. 23 -- Olympic participation is no longer feasible”. The NHL had previously created a break in teams’ schedules from February 6th to February 22nd to allow for players to participate in the Olympics, but now this time will be used to play postponed games. The Bruins, who have had a major Covid outbreak this December, need to make up 2 home games and 2 away games, and those will likely be played during this time. Cam Neely, the President of the Boston Bruins, said, "I think we have six or eight dates if I'm not mistaken that we could maybe plug some games in…I certainly hope they stick as many games in February as possible for all the teams, but for us specifically”. The Bruins were likely to send David Pastranak, Brad Marchand, and Charlie McAvoy to represent their home countries this February in Beijing.
Back-To-Normal Lunch Review by Jaiden Lee ‘26 As Belmont Hill shifts back to normal, recovering from the pandemic that’s been raging across the world, many aspects of our school from before the COVID-19 era have returned. In many classes masks have become optional, milk and cookies have returned to normal, and lunch is finally back to it’s “family style” in the dining hall, with assigned tables, waiters, and no boxed lunches. From last year’s remote boxed lunches, it’s a vast improvement for many of the students. It is certainly a new experience for Form I and II students alike, while it’s been a considerable amount of time since the Form III students have eaten together in the dining hall. The panini machines are also back, which have already become a popular choice for lunch for many of the students, with long lines in front of the sandwich bars and machines. For the benefit of gradual-
ly easing back into this new style of lunch for many of the middle school students, the waiters for our first lunches together were the more experienced third formers. The lunch meals each differ from the last each day, with much diversity in it’s daily choices too. We’ve had pasta, chicken (and other various meats), fries, pizza, and more served to us by the dining staff, with of course more choices at the salad bar and the panini machines every day at students’ disposal. Compared to last year, this year’s lunch meals have certainly become more diverse and offer many more choices, of which a great deal are very popular. A proctor is seated at each table to eat and connect with new students they might not have interacted with before, and give students permission to go to the salad bar or panini machines. A routine in switching up table assignments also allows students to meet many more different people, something that was impossible last year.
In the remote learning stage, announcements were made by consistent emails from Mrs. Hamilton, but this year we have a podium from which Mrs. Hamilton, other teachers, and students can make announcements to the entire middle school each day. As a whole, Belmont Hill’s traditional dining hall lunch system has seemed pretty popular among many students and teachers alike, and compared to last year’s distant, remote lunches separated from each other, we can all agree that this year’s dining hall lunches is certainly a great way of connecting with each other every day.
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Space, Sleepless Nights, and Subs Gigi Chu, EG Goel, Natalie Pan, Ella Pascucci, Winsor School Five plays for the (complimentary) price of one– this was the thrill of Belmont Hill’s fall play, Take Ten. Members of Banner and Theater Club attended the final performance on Saturday, November 20 and were privileged to interview the director Matthew Conway. Mr. Conway explained that the five plays were selected specifically for the cast of seven from an anthology of ten-minute plays. The chosen plays addressed a wide range of themes, including family relationships, friendships, violence, alternate realities, as well as beer, guns, and the male ego (no, this play is not from the Winsor Masculinity course). Below, we provide a comprehensive review of this performance.
nomics studies; the tables are turned when Eric is revealed to have a social instinct that Wendell covets. Jeremy Eaton (Eric) and Joshua Houston Davis (Wendell) bring fresh energy to the stereotypical “jock vs. nerd” conflict, ultimately leaving the question open: which side deserves our sympathy? “Space”: The third play was anything but straight-forward. After the show, Mr. Conway explained that “ending with a comedy is standard practice,” so the audience was lucky to experience this transcendent conversation between two friends right in the middle. The dark stage was lit by a single lamp, barely illuminating the faces of the young actors, simply named “A” and “B.” It was clear that the actors were fully committed to their all-too-relatable characters when “B” crunched real potato chips and “A” agitatedly alternated between lying on a beat-up couch and pacing back and forth. After watching this play, I was once again reminded of three important things: the brilliance of chips, the power of friendship, and the fact that the best conversations happen after midnight.
“The Grand Design”: Like an awkward Thanksgiving dinner chat with weird uncle #2, this play had no ice breaker. Diving right in, “The Grand Design” showcased the conversations between a poet-scientist and his nomadic father, a role originally written to be a mother. While the father walks across the United States “aimlessly,” his son tries to explain humanity to alien civilizations. The play follows their phone calls over time that discuss community, expectations, and what it means to be a human. “The Grand “Playwriting 101”: “Playwriting 101” feels like Design” provides thought-provoking dialogue my mind trying to choose between 20 different for those interested in the existential relationyet increasingly similar narratives for my Enship between individuals and the world beyond glish paper. The scene opens with three chaacEarth. ters: The Teacher, The Jumper, and The Good Samaritan. As the audience watches a man al“Men’s Intuition”: This second mini-play, “Men’s most jump off a building more than a few times, Intuition,” offers a pensive exploration of clash- The Teacher dabbles in critiques by pausing this ing forms of intuition, which the dictionary scene quite frequently with the soon-to-be fadefines as “the ability to understand something miliar click of his remote. As the clicks become immediately, without the need for conscious uncontrollable, the scene and its plots quickly reasoning.” Wendell relies on his natural intel- devolve, and the audience is dragged through ligence to mislead a bewildered Eric in his eco- a whirlwind of chaos when BOOM! Shots are
An Analysis of the Omicron Variant Ethan Xie ’26
Belmont Hill is back from winter break and ready to get back into school, but the year has started with some news. A new mutation of the coronavirus, “Omicron,” has emerged in South Africa. Omicron has the ability to spread very fast as well as a few new symptoms which differ from the original Covid virus. As Omicron spreads throughout America, in-person learning at Belmont Hill is in danger. How dangerous is the Omicron variant? Well, with more than 1 million cases recorded on Jan 3, 2022 in the US, the Omicron variant has set an astonishing spike of new Covid-19 cases this week. Omicron is a highly transmissible disease and can break through vaccine antibodies overtime. Therefore, it is important to wear a mask, wash hands, maintain socially distanced, and get vaccinated. The current vaccines remain protective against severe disease, and studies have shown that vaccine boosters offer increased protection over the primary mutations of Covid-19. It should also be mentioned that people who have received a booster shot are likely to have mild symptoms. Alongside that, Omicron and the flu share many common symptoms such as coughing, a runny nose, a sore throat, muscle aches, and fever. Although there are a lot of unknowns right now, some studies have shown
fired, and The Teacher spouts out blood like the rabbit from Zootopia. Unphased by this “accident”, The Jumper and The Good Samaritan conclude the scene by going out to get a beer. Now that’s how you write a play.
“The Philadelphia”: As someone who takes Opposite Day (January 25) very seriously, “The Philadelphia” was my cup of tea. The day is simply not going as planned for Mark as he cannot seem to get what he wants. After explaining this dire situation to his pal Al, his friend tells him that he is stuck in “a Philadelphia,” an alternate reality where everything is the opposite (BTW, Al is stuck in a Los Angeles). He encourages Mark to accept this reality, and soon Mark masters the art of ordering eggnog to get what he truly desires: a Bud. Just as Mark is in the clear, it seems that he has passed on his Philadelphia to Al, and poor Al finally acknowledges the fact that he has lost his job. that vaccine boosters offer increased protection over the primary mutations of Covid-19. It should also be mentioned that people who have received a booster shot are likely to have mild symptoms. Alongside that, Omicron and the flu share many common symptoms such as coughing, a runny nose, a sore throat, muscle aches, and fever. Although there are a lot of unknowns right now, some studies have shown that Omicron might be less severe compared to previous variants. As Winter Break came to an end, Belmont Hill decided to start in person school instead of first giving its students and faculty Covid-19 tests. They instead decided to implement a new set of rules making it mandatory for students to wear masks. Masks have been proven time and time again to reduce chances of getting Covid-19. In order to further reduce the spread of Covid on campus, Belmont Hill has started doing individual tests to get more accurate results. Because of how fast Omicron is able to spread from one person to another, it could most definitely infect a large number of students at Belmont Hill and perhaps force the school to switch to remote learning.
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NFL Playoff Outlook by Jack Hurley ’27 and Tyler Grossman ’27
So far this season, the AFC playoff outlook is a tight race with 4 division leaders and three wild card teams. The Titans are in first place with an 11-4 record. They started the season hot, but with devastating injuries such as Derrick Henry, AJ Brown, and Julio Jones out for significant parts of the season. The Titans have held onto their division tight, being the best by far. The Kansas City
Chiefs hold the 2nd seed so far with their 11-4 record, and if they keep up their eightgame win streak, they will have the bye week going into the wild card round. The Chiefs did not start the season well, starting with a 3-4 record, but have turned it around since. Some may say the Chiefs have not faced many challenging opponents during the season, but you can’t argue with an eight-game win streak. The Cincinnati Bengals lead the AFC North, with a surprising season so far. With Joe Burrow making a return from a devastating season-ending knee injury last year, Joe Mixon making his return, and rookie receiver Jamaar Chase having a record-shattering rookie season, the Bengals are the 3rd seed with a 9-6 record. The Buffalo Bills, are coming in at the four seed with a 9-6 record. The Bills have been decent despite being in a tough division fighting for the top spot, with the New England Patriots and the Dolphins coming in hot behind. Although they started the season with a 4-1 record, and since then, they have won 5 games and lost five games. But with an offense that will drive defenses crazy and a stifling defense, this team could go as far as they did last year. The New England Patriots are also in the playoffs this season.
The New England Patriots have been great this year, spending excessive money in free
agency, picking up players such as Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, and Matthew Judon. They were boiling going into their bye week in Week 14, but they have lost 3 of their last 4 games since then. Hopefully they can hop back on the horse, as their next game is in the wild card against their division rivals the Buffalo Bills. The Steelers have had an up and down season, but the highlights have been Rookie running back Najee Harris, and linebacker TJ Watt. Najee Harris having a great season overall, and TJ Watt tying the single season sack record originally set by Giants edge rusher Michael Strahan. But they have a tough matchup to start off the post-season, the Kansas City Chiefs. Hopefully they can pull it together for their tough game on the road. The Raiders also snuck into the playoffs, beating the Chargers on Monday night football of Week 18, kicking a field goal in overtime. Derek Carr has held the team together, and has been the only particular bright spot on the team other than Raiders Defensive Lineman Maxx Crosby.
At the moment, the final spots in the NFL playoffs will come down to the last weekend of games. The Packers sit atop the NFC with a 13-4 with losses against the Vikings, Lions, Chiefs, and a week one blowout loss to the Saints. That blowout loss to the Saints seems like seasons ago as Aaron Rogers has them well-positioned to make a deep push toward the Super Bowl. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Los Angeles Rams all have a record of 12-5, but because of tiebreakers, this is the current order of the standings. The Dallas Cowboys have been firing all season with star quarterback Dak Prescott returning from the gruesome leg injury he suffered last season. They won the NFC North for the season, which is the first time they have won since 2018. The Buccaneers have been hit with the injury plague over the last few weeks, with star wide receiver Chris Godwin going down for the season, Lavonte David and Leonord Fournette due to miss time, and star receiver Antonio Brown quitting mid-game against the Jest week 17. The Rams have improved tremendously this season after the addition of quarterback Matthew Stafford in the offseason. Star receiver Cooper Kupp leads the league in all Wide Receiver statistics.
The Rams beat the Cardinals in Week 14, and then the following two weeks, the Cardinals lost to the Lions and Colts. These Cardinal’s losses allowed the Rams to pass the Cardinals and become leaders of the NFC West.
The 49ers and Eagles are the last two teams to get into the playoffs, both at 10-7, holding the six and seven seed in the NFC. Unfortunately for the 49ers, starting quarterback, Jimmy Garrapolo suffered a thumb injury in their week 16 loss to the Titans and was unable to play week 17 but returned week 18 to lead them to a win which clinched them a spot in the playoffs. In the first game between the Buccaneers and the Eagles, I think the Buccaneers will win in convincing form as the Eagles have already lost to the Buccaneers once this season Buccaneers are the more well-rounded team. The second matchup will be Jimmy Garappolo and the San Fransisco 49ers visiting the Dallas Cowboys. My prediction is that this will be a high scoring game because the Cowboys averaging the most points per game in the NFL and the 49ers 13th in the NFL in scoring and last weeks scored 27 points against one of the best deffenses in the league the LA Rams. Thus I believe that the Cowboys will pull it out in a close game. Finally the Rams versus the Cardinals in a divisional matchup. Currently the season series between the two is one to one both winning on the road. The game will take place at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles California where I believe that Mathew Stafford and the Ramas will win because of their better deffense and fewer injuries.
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World Cup Qualifiers by Benjamin Gong ’26 UEFA (Europe) In Europe, 13 teams will qualify for the group stage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Of those 13 spots, 10 have already been taken by: Serbia (Group A), Spain (Group B), Switzerland (Group C), France (Group D), Belgium (Group E), Denmark (Group F), Netherlands (Group G), Croatia (Group H), England (Group I), and Germany (Group J). The second place team of each group (in addition to Austria and the Czech Republic) will play in a four-team bracket, and the winner of each four-team bracket advances to Qatar. UEFA Euro 2020 (which took place in the summer of 2021) winners Italy dropped to second place in their group, as Switzerland took the spot. The Euro winners had many opportunities to secure their qualification, most notably being Jorginho’s two penalty misses in both games against Switzerland. Serbia stunned Portugal with a last minute goal to steal the qualification spot in the final game. Because they both failed to advance in first, Italy and Portugal are now both in the same bracket of four teams, meaning that only one of the two previous Euro winners will advance. Cristiano Ronaldo, age 36, is also most likely playing the last World Cup of his career, and such an early end to the journey would be a major disappointment. Belgium, #1 in the FIFA rankings, passed through easily. As did Spain, the reigning champion, France, and Denmark, Netherlands, England, and Germany. Croatia barely qualified over Russia. CONMEBOL (South America) Top four South American countries will advance to the World Cup group stage. 5th place will play 5th from AFC (Asia) for a spot in the group stage. Brazil and Argentina have already qualified. Brazil are currently #2 in FIFA rankings. Neymar Jr. and in-form youngster Vinicius Jr. will be a great offensive threat.
However, they were defeated by Argentina in the 2021 Copa América final, led by Lionel Messi, as he won his first major international trophy. Argentina look promising in this World Cup, as accompanying Messi they have Lautaro Martinez (striker), Emi Martinez (top-five keeper in the world), and Ángel Di María (scored the winning goal in 1-0 win vs Brazil in Copa America final). This is also most likely Lionel Messi’s last chance to win the World Cup and end the G.O.A.T. debate once and for all. CONCACAF (North America) The top three North American countries will advance to the World Cup group stage. About half way through the qualification process, Canada leads the table in first, followed by the U.S. in second and Mexico in third. Canada really only has one good player: Alphonso Davies. The U.S. have a young squad that could compete in the World Cup, with Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Christan Pulisic, and Sergiño Dest. The U.S. have moved up to 11th in FIFA rankings, surpassing Germany (although it basically doesn’t mean anything, since Germany is still obviously better than the U.S.). AFC (Asia) In Asia, the top two groups from groups A and B qualify for the World Cup group stage. The third place of each group plays each other, and the winner will play the fifth place of the CONMEBOL (South American) qualifiers. The winner of that match-up will qualify for the World Cup.
Winter Olympics Preview by Alex Tosi ’25
This February, the 2022 Olympics will begin. Many people have never seen much of the Winter Olympics before or don’t know what to expect this year. And so, I’ve put together an official 2022 Olympic preview answering the most common questions and giving you a heads up to have the most knowledge heading into this year’s 2022 Winter Olympics. Where and when are the Olympics? The 2022 winter Olympics will be held in Beijing starting on Friday, February 4th, and ending on Sunday, February 20th. The best places to stream this year’s Olympics will be NBC, USA, the Olympic Channel, and Peacock. What are the best games to watch this year? Here are the top 5 winter sports to watch this Olympics: 5: Speed Skating. One of the original Olympic sports and is very popular. A group of skaters race around the boundaries in a circle-style lane reaching speeds up to 50 MPH. 4: Alpine Skiing. In the alpine event, skiers go one at a time and dash across the slopes to avoid the barriers reaching speeds up to 95 MPH. 3: Luge. Don’t let its dull name deceive you because this event is anything but boring. Racers must lie back down on a sled and dash across the course using their calves and shoulders to steer as they head down the path at speeds of up to 80 MPH. 2: Curling. If you need a break from the high-speed matches, turn to curling and watch as a seemingly simple game becomes one of the most entertaining nails biting event. These master curlers slide their curling stones across the ice and move others away from the target with force and precision. 1: Hockey. One of the oldest and continuously most-viewed sports in winter Olympic history. With Russia and Canada usually dominating, it’s fun to look at the teams and see where they go. Who should I look out for this year? For each of the mustwatch sports, here are the must-watch players and teams for the U.S. Brittany Bowe is 33 years old for speed skating and performed in 2014 and 2018, competing in 1000m and 1500m speed skating. For alpine skiing Bryce Bennett he’s 29 years old and performed in 2018, competing in 2018 alpine skiing. For luge: Jonny Gustafson. He’s 24 years old. This will be his first time competing in the Olympics, but he is someone to watch. John Shuster, 39 years old, won a gold medal in 2018 and began his Olympic curling career in 2006. And finally, for hockey, be sure to watch U.S. hockey as they start their gold medal journey on February 10th playing China. Tune into the 2022 winter Olympics from February 4th to February 20th. Go U.S.A.!
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The Rise of Electric Vehicles by Gabriel Umlas ’25 Arguably the biggest topic in the car world is the rise of electric cars. The market of electric cars, EVs for short, has expanded drastically in the past year. Almost every major car brand as well as dozens of new ones have revealed plans for an electric future. However, some of these ideas are closer to becoming a reality than others. Here is a preview of some of the best EVs on the current market as well as those in the near future. The biggest name in the EV market is Tesla. As the first major electric car brand, they commanded the market for almost a full decade. Tesla’s Model 3 is the most affordable of their lineup, starting at around $45,000. That price increases as the trim and other options are updated. Tesla’s Model S has also been a major hit. Starting at a recently increased $95,000, it goes 0-60 MPH in about 3.1 seconds. For upgraded performance, the Model S Plaid goes 0-60 in under two seconds; a truly astonishing number. Electric cars are undoubtedly fast. This is a result of the instant torque coming from the battery. However, Tesla has had major issues with their reliability, quality, and customer service. If you are looking for an EV that offers speed, luxury, and reliability, there are plenty of superior choices. Porsche’s Taycan offers stunning looks and mind-bending acceleration. Its range is slightly less-than-ideal at just 199 miles for the lowest trim level, and 212 miles for higher trim levels. No need to fret about the range though. When tested, the Taycan has actually travelled longer distances
on a single charge than advertised. Car and Driver magazine tested the most popular EVs’ range, and it was found that the Taycan drove 97% of its advertised range; the best of any EV. On the other hand, the Tesla Model S Long Range Plus traveled just 80% of its advertised range. (The Model 3 Performance only traveled 71% of its advertised range.) The Taycan boasts a luxurious interior, as well as impeccable quality; a Porsche standard. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a mid-sized SUV, competing with the Tesla Model Y. With the first year of the Mach-E in the rear-view mirror, this high-selling SUV is arguably the best EV on the market. Touting an excellent interior, great reliability and customer service from Ford, and an affordable price tag, there isn’t anything to dislike about this car. Many muscle car enthusiasts are complaining about Ford using the Mustang name for an electric SUV, but it doesn’t seem to affect Ford. Starting from around $44,000 and driving around 300 miles on a charge, this car is giving Tesla a run on a charge, this car is giving Tesla a run for the money. Finally, an upcoming electric pickup truck set to hit the streets in a few weeks is the Rivian R1T. This futuristic truck has all of the car reviewers jumping for joy. With its characteristic gear tunnel meant for skis and baggage, this truck is also great for camping and offroading. With a sticker price at around $68,000, this is one of the all-around coolest EVs coming out. This next year is going to be a great year for the EV market.
Metaverse- A Step in the Right Direction? by Brandon Li ’26 and Ethan Xie ’26 On October 28, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would be chang- than an actual metaverse. So, how exactly will the metaverse impact society? ing its name to “Meta.” This change, Zuckerberg stated, was to reflect the company’s Meta (Facebook) claims that the metaverse will discover the full potential of ambitious plans to create a metaverse - a virtual universe. Each of its users would the Internet, turning video calls with friends or work meetings into gathinteract with the metaverse using virtual reality immersion technology, which would erings with a shared sense of space, allowing video games to be even more allow them to feel more “present” while interacting with the Internet. immersive, and opening the doors to the possibilities of education in virtual However, this isn’t the first time that someone has had the idea of creating a reality. However, there are many concerns about what the successful implemetaverse. In fact, many already exist, such as the 2003 multiplayer game Second mentation of the metaverse could bring. Life, a virtual world that mirrors daily life, offering all of the experiences of real sociOne concern is security and privacy. In the metaverse, Facebook ety and its separate monetary system. Second Life appeals to its audience either as an would be able to gain access to information far more revealing than data escape from problems they encounter in the real world or simply a fun second world that can be collected using AI over the internet. In addition to interests that allows them to exist in two different worlds. However, Second Life is very limit- and hobbies, Facebook would be able to see facial features, body language, ed in its ability to imitate the real world, appearing more like a video game personality, and speech patterns. Many people feel uncomfortable about this intrusion into their life. In addition, Facebook’s vision of online conferences and work in the metaverse could leak private company information. Facebook has previously been criticized for being negligent about its users’ well-being, a major setback for the company’s reputation. Another concern is how the metaverse will change human relationships and psychology. While Facebook claims that the metaverse will bolster social connection by allowing people to connect online more realistically, its critics claim that it will do the exact opposite, and encourage people to EDITOR-IN-CHIEF spend time in the virtual world instead of creating close connections with Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 others in the real one. Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, has stated: EDITORS “The promise of the metaverse is powerful but could pose problems when Henry Moses ’21, Yazeed Dahleh ’21, Tyler Forg ’21, Connor Monahan ‘21 people forgo real life for the virtual world.” In addition, psychologists have ASSISTANT EDITOR warned that the metaverse can cause psychosis - detachment from reality. In Jack Kendall ’22, Ryan Griffin ‘22 an article on psychologytoday.com, psychologist Phil Reed writes: “At best, such an environment may serve as a temporary ‘safe haven’ for those with CONTRIBUTING WRITERS schizophrenic-like symptoms... At worst, it may be that immersion in this Adam Alto, Jack Barry, Aaron Belluck, Julian Dalziel, Jeremy Eaton, Henry Harrison, digital world would increase the likelihood of being divorced from reality Jack Henderson, Howard Huang, Michael John, Thomas Madden, Kevin McCallum, Chris and thus generate delusional or psychotic symptoms.” O’Connell, Abraham Tolkoff, Paul Vander Vort, Stephen Warming Facebook is already taking the first steps in creating the metaverse. They have released Oculus, a VR platform, and Horizon Worlds, a game that FACULTY ADVISORS allows users to create worlds for others to interact with. Facebook has adDr. Tift, Ms. Cushman mitted that they are far from having the technology necessary to create and maintain the metaverse. But, Zuckerberg is optimistic about the metaverse: “The future is going to be beyond anything we can imagine.”
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Hawkeye Show Review by William Achtmeyer ‘26 and Benjamin Gong ‘26
Hawkeye has gotten some mixed reviews since it has been released. Some think it’s too light hearted and childish (even though there are many instances that contradict these statements includingl a full on revenge murder scene). While Hawkeye is one of Marvel’s more light hearted productions, it is still very entertaining. Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld both give fantastic performances and the script is well written. The only huge criticism I have is that the special effects are sub-par and are nothing like the effects shown in the recent marvel productions. If you’ve seen the show, you’ll remember the scene where Hawkeye shoots an arrow at a car window and it spews out a purple slimy substance. The CGI for this scene is utterly disgusting, making me question who hired the special effects artists. There are a couple more small instances like this that set me off a bit, but it was always overshadowed by the acting and fight sequences. Speaking of which, as is the norm in marvel movies, the action sequences in Hawkeye are very well choreographed and wildly entertaining, except for one scene when we hear Hawkeye hit someone in the middle of a fight but don’t actually see it happen. Other than that, Hawkeye is a series that is definitely worth your while if you enjoy Marvel or just want a fun action series to watch.
Top 10 Marvel Movies by Tommy Folan ‘25
Marvel is behind some of the best superhero movies in the entire world. They have created what is called the MCU or Marvel Cinematic Universe which has combined some of their different movies such as The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more recently the Eternals. If you have not watched any of these movies I will give you a brief overview of the best ones without spoiling the movie. #3- Avengers Infinity War (2018) This movie was crazy. Hard to say what I would #7SHANG-CHI and The Legend of The Ten like without spoiling it but it took a turn that no #10- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Rings (2021) one saw coming. This movie was funny and thrilling at the same This new movie climbed the ladder so quickly time. It also had connections in other MCU and I can’t wait to see what comes next. movies that would come later making the story so much better. This put it above movies like Thor, Iron Man 2, and Eternals. But the downside was it was quite irrelevant and the particular story its self just set up what would follow and didn’t really do anything else. #6- Black Panther (2018) This movie is incredible. It has the highest rat#2- Marvels The Avengers (2012) ings in the MCU and is just great. I just personClassic Avengers. Nothing else to say. ally think the next movies are better.
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#9- Iron Man (2008) This movie was the first time we saw Iron Man #5- Thor Ragnarok (2017) enter the MCU. It really showed how well RobThis was 100% the best Thor movie of all time. ert Downy Jr. could play Iron Man. The CGI and EDITOR-IN-CHIEF the movie its self just doesn’t compare to now in It was exciting, hilarious, and raised the bar so Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 high for future productions. days though. EDITORS Henry Moses ’21, Yazeed Dahleh ’21, Tyler Forg ’21, Connor Monahan ‘21 ASSISTANT EDITOR Jack Kendall ’22, Ryan Griffin ‘22 #4- Spiderman No Way Home (2021) CONTRIBUTING WRITERS #8- Spiderman Homecoming (2017) This movie was Eaton, a masterpiece and Sony/MarAlto, Barry, Aaron Julian Dalziel, Jeremy Henry Harrison, ThisAdam was the firstJack Spiderman MovieBelluck, out of the vel proved when you give the audience what it JackTom Henderson, Huang, John, Thomas Madden, Kevin McCallum, Chris three Holland Howard has starred in. It Michael fits perfectwants you will be successful. O’Connell, Abrahamtoo Tolkoff, Paul Vander Vort, Stephen Warming ly into the MCU without leeching much off of the other movies. The only reason its this low is because the other movies are justFACULTY incredible. ADVISORS Dr. Tift, Ms. Cushman
#1- Avengers Endgame (2019) This was such a great ending to the Marvel movies. It was tough besting Infinity war but they did it and it was all we wanted and more.
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Sports Trivia By Benjamin Gong ’26, Jaiden Lee ’26
Who is currently the world’s highest paid athlete?
How many Ballon d’Or awards (the world’s most prestigious individual soccer award) has Lionel Messi (most awards ever given) won?
Age: Sport: a.) Lebron James (36, Basketball) b.) Lionel Messi (34, Soccer) c.) Ronald McDonald (age not known*, the McDonalds clown) d.) Roger Federer (39, Tennis) e.) Cristiano Ronaldo (36, Soccer) f.) Conor McGregor (32, MMA) g.) Athletes don’t get paid
a.) 4 b.) 5 c.) 6 d.) 7 e.) 8 f.) 34 g.) Jesse Lingard has the most, not Messi
Who is the highest paid athlete of all time, in inflation adjusted earnings? Sport: Became pro in: a.) Tiger Woods (Golf, 1996) b.) Floyd Mayweather (Boxing, 1996) c.) Michael Jordan (Basketball, 1984) d.) Mr. Burns (The Simpsons, 2001) e.) Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer, 2002) f.) Tom Brady (Football, 2001) g.)Benjamin Gong (Soccer, 2015)
Which NFL team completed a perfect season without a single loss or tie (and won the superbowl)?
*yet
By
a.) New England Patriots b.) Miami Dolphins c.) Pittsburgh Steelers d.) Green Bay Packers e.) San Francisco 49ers f.) No team has ever done this g.) Jacksonville Jaguars (2021, under Urban Meyers) Who has missed the most shots ever in the NBA?
Meme of the Issue:
a.) LeBron James b.) John Havlicek c.) Kobe Bryant d.) Karl Malone e.) Dirk Nowitzki f.) Shaquille O’ Neal g.) Herman McJiggles
Tommy Folan
What was Jackie Robinson’s career batting average? a.) 0.311 b.) 3.141592653589793238462643383279 c.) 0.321 d.) 0.341 e.) 0.351 f.) 0.361 g.) He didn’t play baseball
The Bell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Alex Laidlaw ’25 and Thomas Folan ’25 EDITORS
Stephen Agular ’25, Adam Shaff ’25, Chris McEvoy ’25, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jaiden Lee ’26,Digumarthi Benjamin’21 Gong ’26 Sreetej
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adam Alto, Jack Barry, Aaron Belluck, Julian Dalziel, Jeremy Eaton, Henry Harrison, Jack Henderson, Howard Huang, Michael John, Thomas Madden, Kevin McCallum, Chris O’Connell, Abraham Tolkoff, Paul Vander Vort, Stephen Warming FACULTY ADVISORS Dr.Mr. Tift,Conway Ms. Cushman
Answer key:
Gabe Umlas ’25, William Achtmeyer ’26, Ethan Xie ’26, ASSISTANT EDITOR Brandon LiJack ’26,Kendall Tyler Grossman ’27, Jack ’22, Ryan Griffin ‘22 Hurley ’27, and EG Goel, Gigi Chu, EG Goel, Natalie Pan, Ella Pascucci from Winsor School
1: d (or g) 2: b (or g) 3: c (or g) 4: a (or g) 5: e (or g) 6: c (or g)
STAFF WRITERS EDITORS Teddy’21, Stonestreet ’25, Alex TosiForg ’25,’21, CJConnor CollinsMonahan ’25, ‘21 Henry Moses Yazeed Dahleh ’21, Tyler