The Panel Volume 69 Issue 1

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Volume 69, Issue 1

A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School

May 1, 2020

Governor Baker cancels MA schools for the remainder of the school year

By Charlie Wells ’21 and Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 Panel Staff

On April 21st, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that students will not be returning to school through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Though unsurprising, this statement was certainly a sad one, as it spelled the definite end of any hopes of normalcy to end the school year.

Shortly following this announcement, Mr. Bradley announced that final exams would be canceled, the one bright light of a dark spring. The cancellation leaves many questions unanswered about the future of school life, including ones about graduation, prize day, and classes next fall.

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow in Massachusetts, the United States, and the world, Baker’s decision was a necessary step to ensure the health and safety of many in our communities. Though it is a shame that we have to miss out on so much that school life has to offer, it is for the greater good of everyone around us, and we strongly encourage you to continue to adhere to social distancing protocols. It is vital to remember: Belmont Hill will persevere. ☐

Graphic depicting COVID-19 infections and deaths as of April 30th.

Meet The New Staff Juniors Elect Timmy McCormack ’21 All School President

By Abe Tolkoff ’21, Sreetej Digumarthi ’21, and Charlie Wells ’21 Executive Staff Welcome to Volume 69 of The Panel!

While it seems bizarre to embark on the next chapter of this publication given the current upheaval of normalcy we experience daily, it is precisely for that reason that we are compelled to continue its legacy and history.

This issue is the first published solely online, and we urge you to visit our website bhpanel.org to find more articles, videos, and media than you see here. This year’s staff is perhaps the largest in recent memory, but its ranks are filled by talented artists, committed staff writers, and meticulous editors.

Some are beginning their first volume, others their second or third, and we are excited about the potential this staff holds. Leading the charge are two Editors-In-Chief, Abe Tolkoff ’21, and Sreetej Digumarthi ’21, as well as a diligent Executive Editor, Charlie Wells ’21. These three, the so-called “Trifecta,” have worked hard in the past six weeks to build this issue without the use of our computer lab or weekend layout sessions. That said, we are extremely proud of the dedication already shown by everyone involved in the publication process.

Continued on Page 3

By Abe Tolkoff ’21 Panel Staff In mid-April, Timmy McCormack ’21 ran unopposed for Form VI and School President. With five years of experience in the Student Senate and a host of other positions across the school community, Timmy is well prepared to lead the school well in his new role. Since the First Form, Timmy has served the Class of 2021 with the goal of “making life easier and more enjoyable for the kids in our grade.” He held the role of Vice President through the Middle School before his election as President for Form IV and Form V. Under his leadership, the class has enjoyed 3v3 Basketball tournaments during Mud Week, a Paintballing trip, community service events with our sister schools, and a variety of other fun experiences.

Reflectively, Timmy attributes the impetus for his running for a class leadership position to his older brother Will ‘18 who also served as All-School President during his senior year. Timmy also noted his admiration for other recent school presidents over the years, including Shane Rocket ’19, and Jack McHugh ’20. Looking ahead to next year, Timmy is excited to utilize the new chapel space to its fullest, and hopefully, incorporate more student-driven

Look Inside The Panel

Sports pg. 11 Athlete of the Issue: Luca Foschi-Walko ’20

Opinions pg. 9 COVID-19’s effects on US Politics Sammy Jomaa ’21 analyzes how China’s role in the spread of COVID-19 will impact US politics for years to come.

Opinions pg. 8 How will COVID-19 change standardized testing?

Henry Moses ’21 discusses if the 4-month-old

virus could change the 100-year-old practice.

Timmy McCormack ’21 in front of the Chapel Jalen Walker ’21 events and speakers. Beyond that, he also can enjoy a more typical Senior Spring wants to reinvigorate the Lending Library on campus. The Panel wishes Timmy a textbook donation program. And finally, well deserved congratulations and cannot he remains hopeful that the Class of 2021 wait for the next school year to come! ☐

Luca went from pulling his first strokes in 9th grade to earning the 2nd fastest 2k time in BH Crew History.

News pg. 2 Biogen conference aids the spread of COVID-19 at home and abroad Mac Bobo ’23 details how two Biogen

meetings could have aided the spread of Coronavirus, and potentially saved lives by doing so.

Arts pg. 5 Playlist of the Issue

Playlist of the Issue returns for a 5th year, this time headed by Henry Moses ’21 and Jalen Wallker ’21.

B elmont hill News

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T he Panel

Biogen Conference Teaches Us an Important Lesson we talked more about her work, I asked whether or not she and her company often feel pressure from investors. “There clearly is huge pressure by investors to produce,” On the 26th and 27th of February, she says. If Anna’s small company feels Biogen executives gathered in Cambridge pressure, a large organization like Biogen to discuss a new treatment for Alzheimer’s must have felt like they were thousands of disease. As we began to set our sights on spring break, 175 conference attendees unknowingly transmitted the novel coronavirus rapidly via hugs and handshakes.

Employees from the United States and abroad, including Italy, mingled with others who then traveled home to their families in Boston and its suburbs. On March 2nd, multiple Biogen executives, including CEO Michel Vounatsos, attended a second meeting with the investment bank Cowen and Co. At the time of the gathering, COVID-19 was not the misunderstood, underestimated threat that it was in January. Several other planned gatherings had been canceled or delayed. Why did these executives, who had dedicated their careers to healthcare and the health of the community, refuse to acknowledge the Biogen Office in Boston, MA inherent risk in holding their meeting? miles under the ocean. Their most adverA couple of weeks ago, my dog Roxy tised, recent treatment for Alzheimer’s had became acquainted with Zach, a big yellow already failed to show effectiveness once belab, at the dog park. Zach’s owner, Anna, fore. However, after conducting even more works at a small Biotech company downclinical trials with their investors looking town. One particularly sunny day, as we over their shoulders, they were finally able watched our dogs play and roll around in to demonstrate the drug’s efficacy through the grass, I asked about her work. Biotech, higher doses. Who knows where they she explains, differs from the pharmaceuwould be currently if they had delayed the tical industry mainly in size. A large phartwo meetings, one of which was held by a maceutical organization may employ tens huge investment firm. As I leashed up Roxy of thousands and develop multiple drugs and prepared to leave, she added one more and treatments at a time. Biotech compathing. “Perhaps the fact that it happened,” nies, on the other hand, may employ only she says, “prompted Massachusetts officials hundreds and focus on one treatment. As to take serious action faster than they othBy Mac Bobo ’23 Panel Staff

erwise might have. My tiny company sent us home to work the week before Mr. Baker issued the statewide order…” Could the decision to hold the meeting have saved lives by alerting officials to the threat?

On one Saturday afternoon, I signed onto one more Zoom meeting than the pre-

Google Images vious week. This time with Belmont Hill’s school nurse, Mrs. David. Along with her duties as a registered nurse, Mrs. David has served on Belmont’s Board of Health, an elected position, for thirty years. After first inquiring caringly about the health and safety of my family, she began to discuss how crazy it was that Florida had opened its beaches. “We have to put the safety of people ahead of goals,” she says adamantly. The conversation soon shifted to Biogen.

“These are people in the science world!” she exclaims. Mrs. David clearly disapproves of their “really bad, poor decisions,” again emphasizing the need to prioritize safety. She

and the Health Department, she adds, have uncovered two cases of the novel coronavirus tied to the conference. The Biogen situation seems to have a clear and tangible lesson: it proves the virus’s prodigious ability to spread from person to person. If we as a school can learn anything from the Biogen conference, it is that if we try to resume our normal lives too quickly, we are endangering ourselves and those around us. With that in mind, I asked Mrs. David what the environment will be like when we inevitably return. “We’ll do what we have to do, [but] I don’t have [specific] answers,” she says. She soon pointed out the example of the dining room. With students packed together and often sharing food, the norm will have to be altered. Nonetheless, she said, “I don’t know how we’ll manage.”

One instance in the Belmont Hill community comes to her mind, in which around 60-70 kids were out sick each day this past winter. Some of these cases, she explained, displayed pneumonia-like symptoms. The conversation soon turned to the nursing home in Belmont, which has received national attention. Similar to most nursing homes around the globe, Belmont Manor’s residents have been extremely vulnerable to the virus. More than 30 residents have died, and more than 116 have tested positive. Compounding the problem is the shortage of personal protective equipment.

Nevertheless, Governor Baker announced on April 21st that schools will not reopen before summer vacation. We, as a larger school community, need to keep in mind the lessons of the Biogen conference; putting our desires ahead of safety precautions is counterproductive in the long term. ☐

Harvey Rupp ’21 Sent Home

By Charlie Wells ’21 Panel Staff Harvey Rupp joined Form V as an ASSIST scholar for this year but had to go home in March to Australia due to COVID-19.

Though we only knew Harvey for a short seven months, he made a huge impact on the community and will be dearly missed.

In the fall, Harvey lived with Gabe Klug ’22, participating on the cross country team and rowing in the 8+ in the Head of the Charles Regatta. He also cemented himself as a fixture in the art building, often spending more than two blocks there a day. Then, for the winter season, he lived with Archie Perry ’20 and joined the Nordic Skiing Team. In the spring, he was planning on staying with John Curtin ’20 and joining the crew team once again.

Harvey cites his highlights as Nordic Skiing, participating in the Head of the Charles, ceramics, and sticking through BC Calculus. Though he initially planned on trying out for hockey, Harvey switched to Nordic, and he never looked back. He had an incredible first season, consistently finishing in 5th and 6th place on the team and winning the Most Improved Award. At the

Harvey Rupp ’21

BH Communications

Head of the Charles, he rowed in the 1v8, which achieved the best time in Belmont Hill history. In ceramics, he won first place both in ceramics and the show at the art gallery. When speaking about BC Calculus, he said: “Sticking through BC was the best, it was so tough, and I had no idea what was going on for half of it, but getting to know the guys from both D and E block was awesome and I never felt like I was alone.”

There were also a few challenges Harvey had to deal with during his time at Belmont Hill, including BC calculus, culture shock, and homesickness. Australian and American school cultures are fairly different, and the transition proved to be somewhat of a challenge for Harvey.

At Harvey’s school, teachers do not assign homework, and there are two weeks of optional review before every quarterly exam.

Harvey quickly adapted to the abundance of homework he got here, but our paltry three days of exam review paled in comparison to his expected 10. There was the benefit of only taking one exam in his time with us as opposed to three, however. As well, homesickness, a problem that plagues any exchange student, set in rather quickly. All of Harvey’s lifelong friends and his family were still at home nearly 12,000 miles and 12 hours away. Nonetheless, Harvey overcame his challenges and thoroughly enjoyed his time at Belmont Hill. We miss you Harvey, and good luck back at home! ☐

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Community Service Opportunities Arise for Students

By Daniel Rashes ’22 Staff Writer Mr. George and the extremely committed participants of the many community service groups are determined to provide as many opportunities for members of our community to do some good as possible.

Our partnership with Pine Street Inn continues this year. Headed by Timmy McCormack and Brooks Rayment, this initiative to provide supplies to the shelter is already in full swing. Information on how you can help has been sent out, so check your inbox. Make sure to check out Pine Street’s Amazon wish list and consider chipping in for this great cause.

Mr. George and Mrs. David have been in contact with local medical facilities to find out what ways our community can best help their staff and patients. It has become clear that there is a call for some fun and positive entertainment that can be enjoyed by hospital residents and staff. All classically trained musicians, poets, and

performers, if you are interested, please answer the call! Mr. George is working on putting together a video compilation of our school’s talented artists to bring light in these dark times. Intertwined with these performances will be messages of hope and support on behalf of the Belmont Hill community. Hopefully, this video would be able to reach all who need some necessary enjoyment, including hospital patients and residents at assisted living centers.

In addition, a card writing initiative is in its beginning stages. Similar to the video, these handwritten messages are meant to inspire hope and demonstrate encouragement for both residents and staff. While writing letters to show support may seem cliché, contacts at these facilities have assured the community service team that these small acts go a long way. Similarly, appreciation posters are needed to show hospital staff how grateful we are for their work.

Another student conceptualized initiative that is coming up soon is the “Brown Paper Bag Drive.” Led by Nick

Ascione of Form II, the drive is meant to provide shopping bags for the Belmont Food Pantry. Due to the virus, the pantry is no longer allowing people to come in to receive their much-needed food and areinstead doing only deliveries. A bin will be set up in the Alumni House parking lot where people can safely drop-off shopping bags for the pantry to use for packaging.

Additionally, there is a video game tournament for charity in the works. While only in its developmental stages, this tournament would have a small entry fee to serve as a fundraiser for an undetermined cause.

Community service looks to offer additional services to hospitals and other healthcare facilities during these times. A Belmont Hill alumnus working at Boston Medical Center stated that they were undersupplied with an influx of at-risk homeless residents, who need basic necessities like socks and hygiene supplies. Efforts to support local hospitals will be funded by money saved from No Dessert Fridays.

The community service website is ripe

with resources if you want some inspiration for local acts of kindness you can perform in your neighborhood. Activities like FaceTiming a young child to read them a book can be infinitely helpful during this time.

While we talked, Mr. George stated to me: “Through all this, the emphasis is really on putting control in the hands of the students at Belmont Hill. There is so much talent and so much interest in doing this, and I see my role and the role of other faculty who are connected to this as being: ‘how can we help these students take charge, formulate ideas… and make it happen.’” Community service is student-driven; if you want to make a difference, there is a community of support. As our biggest student-driven event, Party With a Purpose has been canceled this year; it would be extremely helpful for everyone to chip-in and fill the massive void left by the cancelation. Mr. George adds, “Here’s an opportunity. Step-up, take it. The reigns are yours.” Please consider participating in whatever capacity you wish to contribute. ☐

writers, Ryan Griffin ’22, Daniel Cho ’23, and Daniel Rashes ’22, to the team.

As previously mentioned, this year’s staff has seen many firsts and modernizations. On the online front, Howard Huang ’22 will lead the implementation of a host of goals for

to revitalize their positions and bring careful editing to each article before print. Photo Editor Jalen Walker ’21 leads an impressive team of photography staff including Drew Dummer ’22, Alex Sousa ’22, Jack Dyer ’23, and Jake Kornmehl ’24. Graphics Editor Kevin

ics and photos in the coming issues.

The year 2020 provides a fantastic opportunity for news as the nation runs headlong into a decidedly tumultuous election process, continues to respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and ponders questions about scientific and journalistic integrity. In our community at Belmont Hill, there is much on the horizon too. The school continues to surge closer to its centennial celebration, we eagerly await the first school meeting in our newly renovated Hamilton Chapel, and many questions remain about the lasting effects of spending Marking Period 4 online. It is certainly an interesting time for our global community, and we hope to begin to answer some of these questions with you all in the coming weeks and months.

With so many members of the staff, communication has become the most frequent buzz word heard in our virtual meetings, and we extend the same expectation to all of you. This publication remains at its heart an extension of the minds of all in our community, and we hope to continue to provide opportunities for all to participate. Please be vocal about your interests and suggestions to any member of our staff. And so, with great excitement, we extend virtually to you all The Panel Volume 69 Issue 1. ☐

Introduction to The Panel’s New Staff for Volume 69

Continued from the Front Page While the staff looks forward to expanding the online influence of the publication, they have also taken a significant pause to review the history of our storied newspaper. Instrumental in this process have been the editors of Volume 68, as well as the Editors-In-Chief from Volume 66, Will McCormack ‘18, and Ishaan Prasaad ‘18. While neither is still on campus, it became evident to us that they still hold Belmont Hill and specifically The Panel near to their hearts. They certainly serve as an inspiration to us all and have passed along a trove of ideas and suggestions for how to usher in a new age of The Panel. In the next year, we hope to begin a process of gathering and digitally publishing recent volumes of The Panel, invite alumni-editors back to campus, and cement our purpose and mission.

Our sections are staffed by talented writers and designers; in News: Henry Moses ’21 and assistant David Cho ’23; in Opinions: Sammy Jomaa ’21 and assistant Mac Bobo ’23; in Sports: Daniel Bittner ’22 and assistant Cooper Nelson ’23; and in Arts: Tyler Forg ’21 and assistant RC Keomurjian ’22. Backpage editors Paul Vander Vort ’21, Justin Pare ’21, and Adam Alto ’21 are prepared to deliver some fantastic content. We are also excited to welcome three staff

Volume 69 Trifecta the website assisted by Luke Wagner ’22. Of note, Luke Hogan ’22 has been assigned a new position, the ‘Digital Media Editor.’ He looks forward to maintaining The Panel Social Media presence, as well as producing video content. Copy Editor Alex Lo ’23 and assistant Lawrence Tang ’22 hope

BH Communications Jiang ’22 also heads a significantly expanded team of artists working with a variety of media, including Daniel Xie ’24, Luke Trevisan ’24, Chris Brusie ’23, and Riley Shafer ’22. With such a talented list of artists joining our ranks, The Panel is certainly well poised to offer more high-quality graph-

B elmont Hill Arts

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The Artist of the Issue May 2020: Tim Brown ’20

By Adam Alto ’21 Panel Staff When I informed Tim Brown that he was chosen for the artist of the issue and asked him to provide a summary of his artistic career at Belmont Hill, he quickly responded with “Uhh… ok.” He then answered with exactly one sentence, and I thanked him for his time. I saw this interaction as the embodiment of Tim’s personality as an artist and a person; his humble and straight-to-the-point nature doesn’t come anywhere close to doing him justice.

I know this from personal experience. My first interaction with Tim as an artist came at some point during my time with the Middle School Rock Band. I first saw Tim when he walked in on one of the rock band’s practices toting his big, beautiful saxophone; all I knew at that moment

was that he was recruited from the Jazz Ensemble to bring some life to our lackluster band and that my instrument was looking rather small in comparison. Contrary to my initial beliefs, Tim proved to be incredibly friendly and cooperative; although he was in two music groups at the school,

“I first saw Tim when he walked in on one of the rock band’s practices toting his big, beuatiful saxophone; all I knew at that moment was that he was recruited from the Jazz Ensemble to bring some life to our lackluster band” he was never late to a meeting and quietly ended up being the driving force of the band. In accordance with my initial beliefs, Tim was an incredible saxophonist. Even in middle school, he handled that piece

of brass with a certain skill and precision that rivals the more recent performances of legendary Headmaster Schnieder.

Tim was destined for greater things.

After Middle School Rock Band had run its course, he left for the theater. Tim was involved in four plays; for two, Tim acted as stage manager, again displaying his quiet leadership as an artist. In the other two, Tim was an actor, and I had the privilege to see him go to work in early 2018 when I sat in on Belmont Hill and Winsor’s production of A Raisin in the Sun. I was not expecting Tim to be there, and when he came out later in the play sporting a fedora and a dapper checkered suit, I was astonished. His acting skills were on par with his saxophone skills, and he made the production incredibly memorable, which contributed to A Raisin in the Sun becoming my favorite Belmont Hill play. If all this isn’t enough, Tim was also

a star in digital where he develop well-esv i d e skills. We to recognize formally all of Tim’s contribut i ons to the arts

video classes, continued to his already tablished ography hope

over his six years at Belmont Hill.☐

Virtual Music Performance A Review of Tiger King

By Daniel Bittner ’22 Panel Staff As Mrs. Hamilton promptly reminded the Belmont Hill community in her virtual chapel talk on April 13th, music can have a nostalgic and sentimental effect that can bring communities of all shapes and sizes together even in the most strange times.

Moreover, it is extremely fitting that in the absence of sports games, classes, and other events where individuals can convene and socialize, the Belmont Hill community has come closer together through music of various forms. Beginning with Ms. Hamilton’s stunning rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” the Belmont Hill community witnessed how such a creative and intimate performance can truly bring a community together despite being physically distant.

Just over a week after Mrs. Hamilton’s speech and performance, the Belmont Hill community witnessed another compilation of live musical performances in the virtual coffee house on April 21st. Despite being performed via a Zoom meeting instead of in the Kraft Theatre, which has traditionally

hosted the semiannual Coffee Houses, the show was still a rousing success, with both stunning and passionate renditions of classic and novel songs filling the program. The audio and visual aspects of the Zoom meeting ran smoothly and professionally, and a large audience witnessed intricate piano performances from Mr. Fiori and Adrian Tan; passionate vocal performances from Ryan Cannistraro, Mr. Sherman, Andrew, and Aiden Lee, James Markis, Will Kelly, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Patterson, Ben Reyes, Mr. DiResta, and Ben Gunther; a guitar solo from Adam Alto; and even a bass performance from TJ Cannistraro. The sheer number of both performers and audience members who wished to spend their Tuesday evening listening to each others’ music gave this event a sense of community often absent in these difficult times. Despite the fact Belmont Hill is closed for the remainder of this school year, knowing that music can restore the sense of community and friendship that everyone at Belmont Hill misses will certainly help the school persevere through these challenging weeks. ☐ Virtual Coffee House Link

By Daniel Rashes ’22 staff writer Prior to its release, I had no knowledge of Tiger King. In fact, the only exposure I ever had to the docuseries’ now-infamous titular character, Joe Exotic, was his brief appearance on an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in late 2016. It wasn’t until a week or so after the show’s March 20th launch that I was introduced. It didn’t disappoint.

The show follows the life of Joe Exotic, the self-professing “gay, gun-carrying redneck with a mullet.” Joe is quite aptly referred to as the “Tiger King” due to his impressive collection of tigers, and other exotic animals, all of which he kept at his Greater Wynnewood Zoo. We learn of his rivalry with animal rights activist Carole Baskin, who may or may not have killed her husband. While this concept alone is tantalizing, combined with a presidential campaign, polygamist cultists, and a murderer-for-hire plot, the insanity that is Tiger King begins to form.

Where Tiger King succeeds is its ability to present a multitude of information,

storylines, and bombshells while maintaining its rapid pace. The show continually cycles through various interviewees depending on their relevance to the narrative at the given time. Every time a new name shows up on the screen, you understand why they are there. What’s astounding is that every participant in the show is instantly iconic. If someone is in front of the camera, they have almost certainly done something idiotic or despicable enough to deserve a title card.

The joy of Tiger King comes from getting to know the inhabitants of an unfamiliar corner of the world. The “big cat” community boasts several colorful and deplorable characters. While it is concerning that people like the cast of Tiger King exist, I’m glad their actions warranted this delightful series.

Tiger King’s winding plot and unexpected revelations were more than enough to keep me entertained during these uncertain times. Despite its seemingly silly premise, the show shocked, humored, and frankly, enlightened me. Tiger King’s entertaining antics and clean presentation certify the show as an extraordinarily bingeable and lavishly fun watch. ☐

What Are Art Classes Doing during Quarantine?

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff As a result of the school shutdown and quarantine, art classes, much like almost every other class, have had to drastically alter their plans. However, unlike Math, English,

Charcoal Sketch

or Science classes, the art curriculum is not based upon group discussion or problems from a textbook. Painting and drawing, ceramics, woodworking, photography, and digital video exercises are facilitated by the number of available resources or weather conditions; they maintain a bit of spontaneity as a result. As outlined by Mrs. Kaplan, “Not everyone has copious amounts of art supplies at their d i s p o s a l .”

Thus, planning a curriculum over spring break that would accomplish the goals of teaching art students proper skills and techniques and challenging their creativity while also being engaging presentElias Hyde ’20 ed a chal-

lenge

to the art department.

Ceramic and woodworking students were first assigned to create a creature using found and recycled items from around their homes. “Students seemed to find this challenging and fun,” Mrs. Kaplan said. Few guidelines were set in place, and each artist was limited only by the variety of materials in their homes. The students met the challenge and designed unique, personal creatures constructed with materials ranging from food and chip bags to aluminum foil and toilet paper. The students were then asked to utilize positive or negative space in their art in an assignment inspired by Scottish installation artist Andy Goldsworthy, who creates sculptures without tools, utilizing only what surrounds him. They were encouraged to go outside and use only natural items. The students created temporary sculptures with the materials in their respective surrounding environments like Goldsworthy, resulting in the use of a wide range of forms in a predominantly natural setting. The students’ current assignment is as follows: “you have just been invited to submit plans for a new play park in your neighborhood/town. You must design a playground with a minimum of seven structures, three of which being original designs.” The size is limited to no more than one football field, which is significantly larger than traditional playgrounds and parks and allows for more creativity.

In Drawing and Painting, students

were sent home with a range of pencils, charcoal, colored pencils and other drawing utensils, a sketchbook, and several types of paper. They have been assigned both shortterm and long-term assignments and are primarily focusing on exercises that can be completed efficiently and conveniently, such as drawing still life the students themselves arrange or sketching the view from their window, an egg, or their hand and foot.

The Photography and Digital Video curriculums were much easier to coordinate. Mr. Duarte noted, “My classes lend themselves to remote learning. Photography and Digital Video are mediums that take place in the real world and so my students are able to work on assignments as they normally would. What’s more important now is how we, as artists, react and experience this monumental period in history.” The art will serve as documentation of the time and provide the artists with the ability to reminisce on different periods in their lives.

The photographers and videographers were assigned projects that would uncover and transmit a sense of isolation as a result of being apart from school and their classmates.

New emotions are explored through each project, which Mr. Duarte says has been an “interesting and rewarding experience.”

Art continues to be a significant part of the Belmont Hill student life in quarantine, and through these unfortunate circumstances, new forms of artistic expression have arisen. ☐

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Belmont Hill Orchestra Prepares Virtual Compositions

By Arec Keomurjian ’22 Panel Staff This past month, the orchestra, comprised of student musicians from all forms, has been preparing pieces virtually. The group was looking forward to performing on the new stage of the renovated chapel; however, due to the school shutdown and quarantine, the members have instead been working hard to provide the rest of the student body, faculty, and staff with fun, enjoyable, light-hearted music to brighten their days from their homes. Led by Mr. Fiori, the orchestra has prepared a virtual collaborative arrangement of the Game of Thrones theme song, which can be viewed by clicking the audio logo at the end of the article. The soundtrack from the widely popular tele-

vision series was previously performed last rise to countless possibilities where perFebruary at the winter concert and featured formers can synthesize different genres to in the Friday Forum on the 24th of April. create novel and innovative performances.

The inherent latency in video platTo create the orchestra’s performance, forms such as Zoom each member reor FaceTime procorded themselves hibits live rehearsals playing their parts and concerts, but while listening to a through virtual colpre-recorded backlaborative videos, ing track produced ensembles are proby Mr. Fiori on Logvided with the ability ic Pro to maintain a to “perform.” Virtual consistent tempo. He performances allowBH Orchestra (Click for Video) then edited the video for fine-tuning and each student provided editing to provide the best sound and video in Final Cut Pro to make sure the piece was quality, which cannot be done in live per- top quality. The most difficult task was linformances. Virtual performances also have ing up the timing of each player’s entrance more potential for experimentation, giving and creating a grid of musicians that would

properly highlight each player. He separately edited and compiled the audio from the recordings in Logic Pro, and worked on the audio mix, which included applying EQ to enhance each track, adjusting the “pan” of each instrument in the stereo field, and adding reverb to establish a more concrete sense of space and unity in the track.

Music is meant to unite people, and through the orchestra’s performance and upcoming collaborative “virtual” performance videos from the Upper and Middle School Jazz ensembles, the Belmont Hill music groups hope to provide the community with a sense of unity. Even if it’s not the way they originally planned, the orchestra and the other ensembles are excited to keep performing for the Belmont Hill community through quarantine. ☐

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How Does Belmont Hill’s OLP Compare to Other ISL Schools?

By Abe tolkoff ’21, Charlie Wells’21, Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 Executive Staff Introduction: It is difficult to list what has not changed. In this tumultuous, dynamic period of human history, normal has gone out the window and been replaced with well wishing guesses as to how to maintain some semblance of the lives we all lived so easily just months ago. Schools are faced with many difficult decisions, the most frequent among them, when will we return and what will that look like? Once past this superficial query, more wonderings follow...how many times per week will we meet? Should students stay connected on Zoom for an entire day? How do we limit screentime? How can we maintain a community? What should we do with tuition not spent? Belmont Hill is one institution in a sea of thousands, but how does our OLP compare to our ISL peer schools? How does our mission shape our response?

Class Meetings: As all students know, Belmont Hill classes are given four designated meeting blocks per week, but many teachers only use two or three of those times. While this rhythm is somewhat familiar, many other ISL peer schools have made more significant changes to their potential class meeting times. At Brooks School, classes meet only once per week, while St. Sebastian’s School c o nt i nu e s t o

hold classes every day. Schools with larger in with students, and then set them free day-student populations like BB&N give to work on other work. In the middle of daily opportunities for class meetings; how- the two are schools like Groton, BBN and ever, schools with greater boarding-student Gov’s, all with around 1.5 hours of synchronumbers like Groton or St. George’s only nous learning per class per week. The closhave classes twice per week. Each institu- est another school comes to Belmont Hill’s tion faces various constraints such as stu“The spirit of collaboration between dent time zone differences, student and faculty family commitments, and access to [ISL] schools has been so helpful durtechnology. The individualism displayed ing these challenging times. One of in their schedules reflects those factors. the things that we are committed to No ISL school is a carbon copy of another, as a group of Heads is that there is no and as such, no one school has an identical singular way to do remote learning well, Online Learning Plan. Given that informaas our schools all have different cultures tion, Belmont Hill certainly provides more and challenges.” -Mr. Schneider opportunities for class meetings than the average among the league’s sixteen schools.

3 hours is Middlesex’s 2.5, but they are not Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: Another integral part of online allowed to assign any asynchronous work. learning is the debate between synchronous School-wide Meetings: While discussions about maintainand asynchronous learning. Synchronous is when everyone in the class is together on ing classroom instruction often dominate a Zoom meeting or even in a slideshow at distance learning conversations, questions the same time, and the teacher is present- about student well being and community ing something or facilitating discussion. development have also remained constant.

In effect, it is the same as classes at regular With the announcement of its online learnschool. Asynchronous work is simply work ing plan, Belmont Hill included sections that the teacher assigns at one point, and focused on maintaining the community so is due at another point. It’s the equivalent vital to the life of the school. Bi-weekly virof homework. While many teachers do not tual school meetings, a Monday Chapel and take advantage of all of it, Belmont Hill’s 3 Friday Forum provide avenues for speeches hours of synchronous learning per class and student announcements respectively.

In this regard, Belmont Hill per week is the most allowed in the ISL. St. does provide more opMarks on the other hand, allows only 20 portunity for such minutes of synchronous class per class per week, in which time interaction than teachers are many of its peers. supposed Of the fourteen schools that reported their schoolt o wide meetings on their websites, three do not curcheck rently have any such gatherings, and five only hold them

once per week. On the other hand, both Tabor and St. Sebastian’s claim to hold daily meetings before all classes. There is no trend based on boarding versus day schools in this category, and the decisions to continue such gatherings are rooted in the individual community culture. St. Marks on the other hand, allows only 20 minutes of synchronous class per class per week, in which time teachers are supposed to check in with students, and then set them free to work on other work. In the middle of the two are schools like Groton, BBN and Gov’s, all with around 1.5 hours of synchronous learning per class per week.

The closest another school comes to Belmont Hill’s 3 hours is Middlesex’s 2.5, but they are not allowed to assign any asynchronous work.

Refunds: Governor Baker’s announcement that schools will remain online for the remainder of the spring semester raises the question of whether or not Belmont Hill should issue partial tuition refunds to all its students as online classes have reduced operating costs for the school, with Belmont Hill now saving on electricity, heating, water, food and more. Two ISL schools, Groton School and St. George’s School, have responded to the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 with partial refunds to all their students.

Groton has announced that they will give an amount proportional to how much financial aid a family receives with a full-tuition day-family receiving $1,100 and a boardingfamily receiving $5,070. St. George’s has enacted the same policy but will provide fractions of $800 to its day students and $2,500 to its boarding students, with the families of seniors receiving direct refunds and those of younger students receiving credit for the future. Belmont Hill will not be charging its boarding fees, and will refund bussing costs.

Finally, the school will also create a fund to financially support those families in our community who are in need.

Conclusion: Belmont Hill has certainly created an Online Learning Plan centered on its core values and mission. Boys and teachers alike are certainly challenged on many fronts during this bizare time.

What will differentiate Belmont Hill m o s t f r o m other

schools come fall, however, is our ability to process, adapt, and overcome these difficulties and obstacles. As students worldwide experience major learning disruptions, it becomes increas-

ingly i mp o r t a nt for us to develop an intention surrounding our school work. ☐

May 1 , 2 0 2 0

Center Spread

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Evaluating the Belmont Hill Online Learning Plan The Timeline

By Tyler Forg ’21, Charlie Wells ’21, Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 Panel Staff Grading: Ever since the closure of schools due to COVID-19, the question as to how a school’s curriculum should be conducted has been hotly debated. Many Massachusetts public and private schools, including Lexington Public and Nobles, have moved to pass-fail. These students study asynchronously and are typically assigned homework each Monday that is due at the end of the week. Other schools, such as Belmont Hill, run synchronous classes around four times a week, and students continue to receive letter grades for the fourth marking period. While some argue that pass-fail grading places less pressure on students, letter grades encourage students to focus on their studies and can only help out in the college process.

Evaluation by letter grades motivates students to maintain a consistent, daily study routine and discourages slacking off. If students know that they can pass a class with only minimal effort, then they would most likely sleep late and play video games all day. Instead, Belmont Hill students wake up before nine and participate in classes until three in the afternoon.

These strict rules might actually improve students’ mental health because their quarantine life can still share a similar routine as their regular school life. Furthermore, because the school day ends at three in the afternoon, students still have enough time to still do other activities they want to.

In contrast to some other “lettergrading” schools, Belmont Hill supports everyone regardless of their economic background. The school provides computers to anyone that doesn’t have access to one otherwise. Teachers primarily grade students based on their effort, and students do not receive worse grades than they did in previous marking periods. For example, my math teacher does not test students and instead is merely grading students on homework completion. He has made it clear that students will receive a good grade as long as they put effort into their school work. Unlike students at pass-fail schools, whose grades will not be valued by colleges, Belmont Hill students have an opportunity to improve their GPA and will be respected for putting in the effort during these difficult times.

Thankfully, all Belmont Hill students have access to computers and can access apps such as Zoom, through which they can participate in discussions with their classmates. In communities where

students don’t have this same access to technology, schools cannot maintain a similar learning environment like ours.

In sum, we should continue to be graded with letters at Belmont Hill to encourage students to remain motivated, productive, and to set themselves up better for college.

Online Tools: We are now almost 5 weeks into the Belmont Hill Online Learning Experience and in that time, we have learned some of the strengths and weaknesses of the program.

The most obvious, and perhaps infamous, feature of the OLE has been Zoom calls, which now punctuate much of our days. The incessant calls can result in “Zoom fatigue,” a condition which leaves boys feeling tired and headache ridden, despite being seated for nearly 5 hours straight every day. Furthermore, Zoom itself is suspect, with frequent security problems, including “Zoombombing,” and nearly 500,000 Zoom accounts for sale on the Dark Web. Zoom fatigue and Zoom itself are clearly not the perfect options for our OLE, but are they the best?

Zoom has proven itself to be a less-than-secure program over the last few weeks. As the country moved into quarantine, and schools and corporations moved online, Zoombombing arose as a real problem. Zoombombing is when the login information for a Zoom call is somehow leaked online, enabling an unintended visitor to join the call. Though the problem was supposedly quelled by the rollout of waiting rooms, even afterward, one Congressional House Oversight Committee Meeting was invaded thrice, with Rep. Jim Jordan R-Ohio commenting, “it is clear Zoom is not an appropriate platform for Committee business, which may be particularly sensitive during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Furthermore, many Zoom accounts themselves, not just the meeting IDs, have been stolen and are for sale for as little as one-fifth of a cent on the Dark Web. These accounts contain victims’ emails, passwords, and personal meeting data.

There is a much safer, and more secure, alternative to Zoom made by a much more well-known company: Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams recently made their much more secure program free for public use. At this point, the only argument against shifting to Teams would be the effort of it, though it doesn’t take more than ~5 minutes to download and install.

The second, and more important, problem facing the OLE

is that of Zoom fatigue. Zoom fatigue has proven to be a real problem for many boys, including myself. For the first week or two, it wasn’t awful, but by the third and especially fourth weeks of sitting in the same place, day after day, hour after hour, it has really started to mount. The best counterbalance to Zoom fatigue is, obviously, less Zoom. For instance, in my English class, my teacher has been sending out the work for the whole week and having us meet to discuss only once or twice. Furthermore, the class is split in two, so our discussions last only 20 minutes each. While it is saddening to miss out on half the voices in the class, I, and my classmates, really appreciate the lessened amount of screen time. While I know it is difficult for many classes to lower the amount of Zoom, it will certainly prove necessary for the student body’s sanity since now we’re in this for the long haul.

Student Wellbeing: Although online learning has increased students’ free time and has allowed them to get an additional 38 minutes of sleep per night on average, Belmont Hill’s OLP also has its drawbacks. The increase in free time seems to be the result of not having to commute to school or participate in sports rather than not having to do as much school work. The average student has just 3 fewer minutes of work per day than they had before virtual learning despite the administration’s attempts to decrease the workload. Furthermore, student screen time has increased by 76% to seven hours and sixteen minutes per day, with 47.2% of the student body spending over eight hours on screens and 15% spending ten hours or more behind their computers. Much of this increase in screen time can be attributed to the OLP, which 83.2% of students do not like more than on-campus learning. In a virtual learning environment, increased screen time is unavoidable, but, in the coming weeks, the school should make every attempt it can to bring the student body’s exposure to screens down to healthier levels by either reducing the number of synchronous classes per week and promoting or even assigning additional ways to spend time away from their screens. ☐

B elmont Hill Opinions

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T he Panel

What If the Pandemic Continues into the Fall?

By Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 Panel Staff With the remainder of the spring semester officially canceled, many have started to wonder what the 20202021 school year will look like at Belmont Hill. US healthcare experts have warned of resurgences of the virus in the fall and in the future, with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, saying, “There will be coronavirus in the fall.” Furthermore, some experts, including Dr. Fauci, do not believe that American society can return

to its pre-coronavirus state without the development of an effective vaccine, a process many believe may take twelve to eighteen months at a minimum.

Even if a fall resurgence of COVID-19 does not reach current levels in terms of cases, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that it could be as, if not more, dangerous than the current wave as it would coincide with flu season.

Although Belmont Hill should remain hopeful that its students, faculty, and staff will be together on-campus next year, the school should also be prepared for the very real scenario in which students will have to learn online

Will Our Campus Remain Empty Through Next Year?

for the fall semester if a second cycle of coronavirus does happen. California State University, Fullerton has already announced that it will begin next school year online and will judge whether or not they will return to campus based on conditions at the time. Closer to home, Boston University has been preparing for a situation in which students do not

“Students would be unable to maintain six feet between one another... making it virtually impossible to have classes on campus.”

return to campus until January 2021 The most commonly proposed solution for school during a COVID-resurgence is to have a mix of on-campus and online learning. In this solution, students would learn at home with the same online tools we are currently using when there are spikes or increases in the number of coronavirus cases and would go to school otherwise. While on campus, students would still have to adhere to social-distancing protocols so that they do not aid the spread of the virus to their communities. These protocols, however, would be nearly impossible to implement at a school such as Belmont Hill unless there are drastic changes in the daily lives of students, faculty, and staff. For example, students Abe Tolkoff ’21 would not be able to maintain six feet

between one another in the Hamilton Chapel so schoolwide meetings would either have to be held virtually or not held at all. Some classrooms, especially those with Harkness tables and smaller ones such as the ones in the Morse and Eliot buildings, would be unusable unless class sizes are significantly reduced. Another proposed solution is that students could only come to campus on certain days of the week with their peers coming in on the other days.

Furthermore, students would be unable to maintain six feet between one another in morning homerooms, hallways, milk and cookies, lunch, sports, club meetings, bus rides to and from campus, and more, making it virtually impossible to have classes on campus.

The potential of a second cycle also brings up other questions. For example, will students’ families receive a full or partial tuition refund if online classes continue, especially as the country is in the midst of an economic crisis? There’s also much uncertainty regarding the college process for current Fifth Formers, many of whom have not yet been able either to take the SAT or ACT or to visit college campuses.

While we should remain hopeful that we will be able to gather as a school come this fall, we should also be aware of the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 and its potential effects on the Belmont Hill community. ☐

SAT? ACT? APs? Standardized Testing in the Pandemic calendar year, beginning in August.”

However, they are still cognizant of the possibility that this may not be feasiWhat hasn’t been put at the mercy ble, telling students that they are develof the pandemic? Seemingly everything oping an online test similar to the AP has been, including a system known exams. Mrs. Bobo notes that regardless all too well by members of the upper school, standardized testing. Since the early 20th century, standardized testing has played an important role in the college admissions process, but what kind of changes will the ongoing situation cause to this century-old practice?

The outbreak has forced cancellations of a number of SAT and ACT test dates as well as changes to the AP tests this year. The reasons are obvious: the environments in which these tests are taken are not compatible with social distancing guidelines, and face to

By Henry Moses ’21 Panel Staff

including Williams, Amherst, Tufts, Northeastern, and Tulane. I suspect that the number of colleges adopting this policy will rise as the unpredictable reality of COVID-19 continues.

The standardized testing topic is a

“Belmont Hill will run a school day SAT and ACT test in early fall...for our boys” - Mrs. Bobo face school closures alter the prospects of AP student preparedness. While a number of SAT and ACT tests have been cancelled, the College Board is conscious of completely erasing the work done by students and teachers, and thus AP exams have shifted to 45 minute, open note, online tests that will only assess a portion of the material outlined in the AP syllabi.

These changes put millions of high schoolers in a tricky situation.

For juniors who haven’t taken the SAT or ACT yet, or aren’t happy with their scores to date, there are not many options right now. Both the College Board and a number of colleges are aware of this situation. The College Board outlined their plan in an email sent to students on April 15th, saying, “If it’s safe from a public health standpoint, we’ll provide weekend SAT administrations every month through the end of the

of national testing schedules, “Belmont Hill will run a school day SAT and ACT test in early fall to guarantee at least one testing opportunity for our boys.” A number of colleges have taken steps to alleviate the stress of millions of rising seniors by waiving testing requirements for admission next year.

These include a number of schools that Belmont Hill frequently sends boys to,

Illustration by Riley Shafer ’21

tricky one. On the one hand, it’s deeply flawed, for those with the means can purchase tutors and practice materials that have been proven to boost scores, thus leaving students whose families can’t afford these materials in the dust.

The College Board knows there is a market for test prep and testing in general and is smart enough to know that there is a lot of money to be made. One

only has to look at the cost to take one of the company’s tests, as well as the prep materials they offer to realize this.

On the other hand, students whose schools don’t offer rigorous curriculums or ample extracurricular opportunities can take advantage of testing to strengthen their applications. However, I’m hesitant to call the system a net neutral one just because both of these aspects are conditional on things outside of the students’ hands; they can’t control how much available money their families have to invest in test prep or the opportunities of their school.

To repeat what we hear daily on the news, the changes that will come as a result of the pandemic will be significant. But looking at its effect on the college admissions process will be interesting for the high schoolers like us, who are on the verge of joining the admissions game. Whether or not all colleges will shift towards a test-optional process for next year is yet to be determined, but it’s no secret that whatever happens will have lasting effects on the future of standardized testing.

If the majority of schools are forced to go test-optional, what kind of changes will take place in the type of student they admit? Will they permanently change their admissions policies? Each year, more and more colleges decide to drop their testing requirements, but will this pandemic be the final force that will push all colleges to this decision? I think at times like these, where a definite change is imminent, it’s important to look at the privilege we are afforded as students of Belmont Hill. We not only are provided with SAT and ACT prep with the school, as well as extraordinary college counseling support, but are also given ample extracurricular choices and opportunities. Specific to this situation, we shouldn’t forget the privilege provided to us by attending Belmont Hill. ☐

B elmont HIll opinions

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Is

There

a

By Sammy Jomaa ’21 Panel Staff The Coronavirus pandemic has brought many heroes into the public eye, none more so than Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci is a public health veteran, having served as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. He’s played an integral role in the U.S.’s response to HIV, SARS, the Swine Flu, Ebola, and now, COVID-19. Despite his evident expertise, there have been reports of a feud between him and President Trump.

But they’re just that: reports - inexplicable attempts by some in the media to jeopardize our country’s response to one of the worst crises in its history.

With scant evidence, many articles have been written on a supposed “split” between Trump and Fauci. For example, one New York Daily News article opened by declaring that “Dr. Anthony Fauci is losing patience with President Trump.” Similarly, a CNN article claimed that Fauci had contradicted Trump during a briefing. In fact, Fauci had merely clarified that while Trump had the right timeframe for the development of a vaccine, it would take longer for it to be deployed. Even if

Feud

there is a divide, which little evidence of, publicizing it can only exacerbate it.

All of these articles also argue, explicitly or implicitly, that Trump is too incompetent to

between

Trump

there is ing things about the President. Maybe they want the consequences and hope that a poor r e -

Trump and Fauci

Illustration by Daniel Xie ’24

handle this crisis without Fauci’s help, so why are they trying to create a rift between them? Maybe they don’t care about the consequences, and all they want is more clicks on their articles.

As one columnist gleefully tweeted, they may want Trump to fire Fauci so that he will be free to say damag-

sponse to the virus will hurt Trump’s chance of reelection. Whatever the reason, their irresponsible “reporting” runs the risk of creating an actual divide between Trump and Fauci.

Thankfully, this media-created dispute hasn’t yet materialized into a real one. In late March, Trump told Fox

This institutionalized rejection of reality led the WHO to ignore Taiwan when they warned them in December and again in mid-January that COVID-19 could spread through human-to-human transmission. It took until January 20th, the day the CCP acknowledged it, for the WHO to finally inform the world of this risk.

By c o n cealing

would’ve prevented 95% of infections; instead, the CCP chose to try to coverup the virus. Although Wuhan doctors had found evidence of human-to-human transmission in early December, the CCP denied this possibility six times until it finally conceded it in late January. The CCP also arrested eight people for warning t h e public o f

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and

Fauci?

News that he was “cool” with Fauci and that they “get along very well.” While he later retweeted a tweet containing the hashtag “FireFauci”, it appears that nothing has changed: the next day, a White House spokesperson clarified

“Their irresponsible ‘reporting’ runs the risk of creating an actual divivde between Trump and Fauci.” that the intention of the retweet was to call out the media for their negative reporting on his China travel ban and that Fauci is a “trusted advisor” to the President. On April 13th, Fauci indignantly replied to a reporter who asked if Trump had forced him to apologize for accidentally suggesting that the President had opposed ordering social distancing in late February, telling her to “not even imply that.” Earlier, he told an interviewer that “on substantive issues, [Trump] does listen to what I say” and that the attempts to create a rift between him and the President were “not helpful.” Both Dr. Fauci and President Trump, at least for now, understand that when our country is in the midst of a crisis, we can’t afford to divide ourselves; it’s about time that some in the media learn this lesson as well. ☐

Should the U.S. Defund the World Health Organization?

By Sammy Jomaa ’21 Panel Staff Since its emergence in 2019, COVID-19 has metamorphosed into a global pandemic. As of April 16th, the virus has claimed the lives of more than 140,000 people and has infected over two million more. Although this is exactly the type of crisis the World Health Organization was founded to combat, it appears that their true priority is pleasing the Chinese Communist Party. In pursuing this objective, they enabled the spread of the disease by ignoring Taiwanese warnings and further eroded their credibility by praising the CCP’s attempted coverup of the virus. Because of this, President Trump is right to suspend funding to the WHO, but he should also give the once-great organization the chance to reform itself.

One of the central dogmas of the CCP is the illegitimacy of Taiwan, and the WHO wholeheartedly agrees - even if it means jeopardizing the world’s health. Some WHO officials, like Dr. Bruce Aylward, the head of the WHO-China joint mission on COVID-19, won’t even acknowledge the existence of Taiwan. When Dr. Aylward was asked about the nation during

the danger of COVID-19 in an attempt to appease the CCP, the WHO severely delayed the world’s preparation.

“While it’s clear that the WHO has fall The WHO has further deen from grace, the U.S. shouldn’t aban- stroyed its credibility by continuing to don the organization without giving it praise the CCP’s disastrous and delayed the chance to reform itself.” response to the virus. According to a study from the University of Southan interview, he ignored the question ampton, if the CCP had begun impleand then hung up the call after the menting measures to contain the virus interviewer pressed him on the topic. three weeks earlier than they did, they

t h e disease. One of them, Dr. Li Wenliang, who later died from the disease at the age of 34, was forced to sign a statement apologizing for his “unlawful acts,” but the fate of the other seven whistleblowers remains unknown. If the CCP had tackled COVID-19 with the same determination that they had in misinforming the world and their own people, tens of thousands of lives would have been saved. Despite this, the WHO has commended China’s actions. On January

28th, the organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised the “seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership, and the transparency they have demonstrated.” Exactly a month later, WHO Executive Director Michael Ryan declared that, “as China has shown, this does not need to be a pandemic if we take action”; in fact, COVID-19 became a pandemic because of the CCP’s inaction. It’s a shame that the same organization that reprimanded China for trying to coverup the SARS outbreak of 2003, is now ignoring another, more devastating, attempted coverup.

While it’s clear that the WHO has fallen from grace, the U.S. shouldn’t abandon the organization without giving it the chance to reform itself. The U.S. should help them along this path by making specific demands, most importantly the immediate removal and disavowal of the WHO’s current leadership, a public apology to Taiwan, and formal acklowedgent of the CCP’s attempted coverup of COVID-19.

The Trump Administration should also redirect the funding earmarked for the WHO to other, more honest health organizations like Doctors Without Borders to show that the U.S. is still serious about global health.

By giving the WHO a taste of what they’ll miss out on if they continue to be the CCP’s toady, President Trump’s decision to suspend their funding is the first step of this process, but he hasn’t yet gone all the way. If the Trump Administration acts decisively and makes clear and reasonable demands, it can help reform the WHO, scoring a much-needed foreign policy win in the process. ☐ Illustration by Riley Shafer ’21

B elmont Hill opinions

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T he Panel

In the Age of COVID-19...Are Movie Theaters Dead?

By Cooper Nelson ’23 Panel Staff As I write this article, I have to think back to the last time that I went to a movie theater. And, I am slightly embarrassed to admit, it was almost one year ago for the premiere of Avengers: Endgame. I remember thoroughly enjoying the movie, as well as the experience. As usual, I ran out of popcorn in the first half-hour, but I had candy and a very comfortable recliner to last me the rest of the three-hour ordeal.

I had an amazing time, and I could not stop thinking about the movie for days. So why haven’t I been back? Was it about the time? Or that there were not any films I felt inclined to see. If I’m honest, it’s because there were no movies I felt inclined to see immediately. Because, after all, every movie will eventually be available on a streaming service or On-Demand right in my living room. In the case of Endgame, it made sense to see it in theaters because otherwise, someone at a lunch table would undoubtedly have blown the plot. Additionally, the hype surrounding the film would wear off after everyone had seen it, making the watching experience less enjoyable. For most films, however, when you watch it doesn’t matter nearly as much. In fact, many people would rather watch in the comfort of their own home. Now, I am aware that I may not represent the average moviegoer, but the question begs to be asked: in this online age of Netflix and Hulu, are movie theaters dead?

At home, you get to watch movies where you want, when you want, and with whom you want. At one time or another, everyone has likely experienced sitting through a movie while distracted by a particularly chatty patron or a whining baby. Sometimes you don’t find a seat with the best view, or the person behind you is kicking your chair. None of these are issues when watching in your own house. Then

there’s the commute. The movie theater might be a long drive or train ride, parking is challenging and time-consuming, and oftentimes there are lines for tickets and popcorn. On the other hand, if I wanted to watch a movie right now, it would take less than 30 seconds for me to make the trip to my couch and fire up Netflix. The decision to stay at home is a no-brainer and one to which cinemas have yet to provide an alternative.

As the world moves to digital, it seems likely that Americans will very soon be able to watch new movies at home. CNBC estimated that, in 2018, more than half of American households had a Netflix subscription, and that figure has undoubtedly only grown. The COVID-19 pandemic alone has added

In this new age of online learning, teachers have had to find a way to effectively engage students in discussions and to keep classes as “normal” as possible, and students have lost much-needed communication with peers. Zoom and Google Meet are the two most popular platforms, but which is actually better? Both are free and are easily accessible, but there are a couple of distinguishing factors that have led most teachers at Belmont Hill to favor Zoom.

An important benefit of Zoom is the Waiting Room feature. The Waiting Room feature allows the host of the video call to control when a participant joins the meeting. This effectively secures t h e call from any potent i a l “zoom bombings,” or unwanted intrusions into the c on fe re n c e call.

This

Furthermore, movie theaters are still the only way to see many of the bigname feature films that get produced.

However, the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting quarantine are putting movie theaters that have thrived for decades at risk of going out of busi-

“The Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting quarantine are putting movie theaters that have thrived for decades at risk of going out of business.” over 15 million subscriptions. In addition, many cable subscriptions come with an On-Demand feature or payper-view service, so people than ever are connected to a streaming platform.

However, People go to the cinema to see a new movie that they are not otherwise able to watch. Otherwise, consumers would have to wait a few months before the movie makes it into their homes. However, the theater industry is struggling. According to Business Insider, in 2017 nationwide ticket sales were at the lowest they had been since 1995. Ticket prices have risen to make up for the decline in sales, which leads only to a further decrease. It makes sense that in the coming years we may see movies premiering digitally on streaming services in addition to in the cinemas. Furthermore, some production companies are making their own streaming platforms where they can premiere movies. In addition to acting as a streaming service, Netflix is also

Zoom vs. Google Meet

By Lawrence Tang ’22 Panel Staff

producing its own shows and movies.

Disney has already started premiering movies on Disney+ ,such as the live-action Lady and the Tramp. The bottom line is that online streaming provides an opportunity for movie producers to make more money over traditional re-

feature reflects the fact that Zoom was developed for business meetings.

Zoom also features Breakout Rooms, which enable the host to divide the Zoom participants into smaller groups. Teachers often use this feature to simulate group work and to foster collaboration and discussion. In fact, teachers can also choose either

“Both are free and are easily accessible, but... most teachers at Belmont Hill favor Zoom.”

to randomly make groups or to make the groups themselves. This flexibility gives Zoom an edge over Google Meet.

Zoom also allows participants and the host to record the meeting. This factor allows students to rewatch class discussions and to catch what they missed in class. Often students become so caught up in diligent note-taking that they do not actually understand the material. This feature of Zoom allows students to listen and comprehend the material without losing the ability to take notes, as they can rewatch the conference afterward.

In a learning environment, Zoom is the better option. The Waiting Room, Breakout Rooms, and the ability to record meetings give teachers a way to better simulate in-person classes and Graphic by Kevin Jiang ’22 give students better tools for learning. ☐

leases. They can bring films to a broader audience and use movies to sell subscriptions. Moving digital makes sense for both consumers and corporations.

However, movie theaters still have their place. For blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame, an in-person premiere still seems like the best option.

There is something special about the atmosphere of a packed theater on the weekend of a long-awaited movie release. Something about going to the theater on a Friday night with a few of your closest friends and fifty other die-hard fans to see a new release adds to the theater’s allure. It keeps people coming back again and again.

The experience just can’t be beaten.

This is the mindset of many people in this country that love going to the cinema and still see movies regularly.

Copy Editor Alex Lo ’23

Online Editor

Howard Huang ’22 Digital Media Editor Luke Hogan ’22

Arts Editor Tyler Forg ’21

Sports Editor Daniel Bittner ’22

Graphics Editor Kevin Jiang ’22

Illustration by Luke Trevisan ’24

ness. This crisis is only speeding up the process that may ultimately kill the industry. Once this is all over, we will have to save our theaters. So next time you find yourself on a Friday night about to curl up and watch a movie on Netflix, maybe consider going to a theater.

In conclusion, movie theaters are not dying, but they are reeling in their old age. They have been a staple of American society since the early twentieth century and are still going strong.

While there may come a day when we watch the next Avengers film online, when a film’s box-office gross is measured not in ticket sales but pay-per-view sales, or the amount that Netflix paid for the rights to the film, that day is not here yet. For now, though still closed, movie theaters are alive and well. ☐

Editors-In-Chief

Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 Abe Tolkoff ’21

Executive Editor Charlie Wells ’21

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

Faculty Advisors David Hegarty Juliette Zener

News Editor

Henry Moses ’21

Opinion Editor Sammy Jomaa ’21

Photo Editor Jalen Walker ’21

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

The Panel, founded in 1953, is the official school newspaper of the Belmont Hill and Winsor schools. The Panel is the voice of the student body. We publish articles that are of consequence to the students, as well as the school communities. The views expressed in The Panel belong solely to the authors and editors and do not necessarily represent the student body, faculty or administration of either school. Any comment about the content should be addressed directly to the editors. The Panel encourages responsible opinion in the form of Letters to the Editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length and content.

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

B elmont HIll Sp orts

May 1 , 2 0 2 0

Athlete

of

By Nick Hebard ’21 Contributing Writer

the

Issue:

Hill in 8th grade but hesitated about attending an all-boys school. However, he found his way back to Belmont Hill a couple of years later as a sophomore. After his visit day with Andrew Berg ‘18, Luca realized the closeness of the Belmont Hill crew team. Speaking with Coach Richards in March closed the deal for Luca: “Just the fact

Luca

Future

By Daniel Bittner ’22 and Luke Wagner ’22 Panel Staff ISL Sports: Following the news that schools in Massachusetts would not reopen for the remainder of the school year, any hope for a spring sports season to conclude the Belmont Hill school year was erased. For many athletes, coaches, alumni, and fans, this news was deeply saddening, especially for many members of the senior class who had hoped for one final sports season to enjoy their final days as a Belmont Hill athlete. The entire Belmont Hill community knows the success that many of these teams would have experienced, recognizes the hard work that each athlete undertook in order to achieve that success, and understands the disappointment that every athlete is feeling. While it is still difficult to fathom a Belmont Hill spring without athletic events, the entire community wishes the senior athletes well in the years to come.

However, despite this preemptive conclusion to this athletic year, it is certainly exciting to look forward to Belmont Hill athletics next year, beginning with the fall season. The ISL has made no official decision regard-

of

ISL

Foschi-Walko

that you guys were training in Florida for your season, made it clear that it was a very legit program.” Additionally, Belmont Hill logistically made the most sense for Luca because he did not want to go to a boarding school, but needed the five-day boarding option.

Luca’s fondest crew memory was winning the 2v New England Champi-

From November to February, the humming of the fans of the rowing machines echoes throughout the Jordan Athletic Center. Luca Foschi-Walko has rowed millions of meters in the cramped hallway above the squash courts, staining the ground with his sweat. Luca’s path to rowing was different from most Belmont Hill students. A family friend who owns the only rowing program on Cape Cod helped convince him to try the sport over the summer.

Luca’s first strokes were with the twoweek Cape Cod Youth Rowing learn to row program. A natural athlete, in his 9th-grade year, Luca played varsity soccer, hockey, and crew in the spring.

As a sophomore, Luca became more serious with his rowing. He would erg until one am after his winter hockey practices, building his aerobic base. Realizing that Cape Cod Youth rowing was limiting his development, Luca looked into taking his talent to a private school. He first toured Belmont Luca rowing at the Head of the Charles Regatta

The

Pa g e 1 1

and

’20

onship last year. The 2v event is special for Belmont Hill with an impressive winning streak of 14 years. After the season, Luca went to the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center to try out for the United States Junior National Team. Although he was not selected to compete at Junior Worlds in Tokyo, Japan, the tryout experience helped Luca set goals for his 2020 season campaign.

He trained to beat and achieve better results this year than those that made the team. Despite the cancellation of his senior season, Luca reflected that “More than anything this year, I wanted to be in the minds of the coaches as one of the best captains ever on the team.” As a proud team member, I believe that Luca has achieved this goal. He took the initiative to create a training plan for the winter training group, helped organize a meter challenge for the spring, and is a friend to all. On paper, Luca may be remembered for his blistering 2k time of 6:12.4, placing him second in Belmont Hill history, but to me and others, he Crew Parent will be revered for his leadership. ☐

Professional

Sports

ing next year’s season, as according to Mr. Tahan, “we are hoping for and planning for the fall season to be a full return to athletics.” While this news is definitely encouraging, due to the uncertainty of t h e c o r o navirus, the possibility for limited or no interschol a s tic competit i o n remains present.

Although an official announcement regarding the future of ISL sports is still likely weeks away, an amended version of athletics may be facilitated if we can return to school sometime next fall, but have no ISL competition. If such a scenario were to occur, Mr. Tahan proposes a variety of potential options: “One such modification might include competitions between our various teams, intramurals, or a more traditional physical education experience, or some combination thereof.” While

still not a traditional athletic season, these options would provide ample chances for competition and fitness, alternatives that all members of the community would certainly enjoy and be deeply grateful for. Although the future of Belmont Hill sports is promising, it is definitely reassuring to know that the athletics department is already p r e p a r i n g to ensure the best athletics experiences possible, in order to eventually return to Belmont Hill athletics as we know them.

Though the spring season ended earlier than everyone throughout Belmont Hill would have imagined, these plans provide hope for the future of Belmont Hill athletics.

Professional Sports: As coronavirus has swept through the country, some professional leagues are trying to make up for their lost time through a variety of other means. The NFL broadcasted the first round of the NFL Draft from

Roger Goodell’s basement on Thursday night. There have also been a few professional players including Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans and Pittsburgh’s Juju Smith-Schuster who have been seen on Twitch playing Fortnite with a pro player, Turner “Tfue” Tenney. The NFL’s season will most likely be postponed to a later date, but it will probably, and hopefully, not be canceled entirely.

The NBA suspended their season on March 11 due to the pandemic and in its place held a recently completed NBA 2K20 tournament. Devin Booker won the 16-man tournament defeating teammate Deandre Ayton in the finals of the tournament. On a sadder note, a few NBA players have tested positive for COVID-19, including the Celtics’ Marcus Smart. Smart has made a full recovery however and donated his plasma to help researchers find a cure to this disease. Since the NBA season was underway, the winner of the final may be declared outright. If the season were to continue, however, the Celtics would be in a good position to make a playoff run sitting at the 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The MLB canceled their spring training games and has pushed back their season by two weeks, but that suspension is probably going to increase as the number of cases for COVID-19 is still increasing in the United States. ☐ Illustration by Daniel Xie ’24

One facet of this new medium for yoga teaching has allowed her to record and analyze classes she has taught. She says she reviews virtual sessions and besides getting a good laugh out of them, she asks “Is this working?

Are they with me? Do they understand the instructions?” The pandemic has certainly changed her teaching style, but the core content of the sessions remain similar. She focuses intently upon mindfulness and grounding boys in a feeling of presence. For those who have not taken one of her classes, she encourages you to engage in self-reflection. These moments do not have to be excessively long or deep, rather they can b e short observations of your surroundings.

She says to “extend gratitude for the big and small things t h rou g h out the day. Be curious a b o u t everything. And then c o m e back to your breath.”

Many boys have expressed disinterest with these mindfuln e s s prac t ices in the past; however, they r e main even more vital now as we begin to understand the circumstances we now all find ourselves in.

Interestingly, many of these suggestions and tenets tie directly into the miss i o n of Belmont Hill. Kelly says that she hopes her sessions help boys

“to create space in the body, to bring clarity to the mind, and to lift the spirits.” These three buzz words, mind, body, and spirit, are not foreign to the school community and it is telling that they can be derived from the practice of yoga. As the school finds ways for boys to engage athletically and mentally away from their schoolwork, yoga provides an excellent opportunity to utilize technology in a beneficial way.

Boys who have not yet tried a class should be encouraged to join one, to take a breath out of the churning of a school week, and enjoy the feeling of being present, if only for a moment. ☐

Season Update: Kelly Mara’s Virtual Yoga Sessions

By Abe Tolkoff ’21 Panel Staff While much has been lost as our world adjusts to the new normal of quarantine, masks, and social distancing, a few new bright spots in the days of many in our community have emerged. Kelly Mara’s yoga program is one of those bright spots. Kelly has taught yoga to Belmont Hill teams for fifteen years. However, more recently, her focus has been more on the Cross Country and Crew teams.

That changed when Belmont Hill announced its online learning plan. Now Kelly works weekly with most of our Varsity spring teams, albeit virtually.

She maintains that her “favorite type of class to teach is live and in-person,” but she has been adjusting to the new format along with her students.

Kelly Mara

@breatheitsfree

The Back Page

Pag e : Th e Ba c k

T he Pan e l

Paul Vander Vort ’21, Justin Paré ’21, Adam Alto ’21

Faculty News

Glowup of The Issue April, 2020 - Sammy Jomaa

Before Our cronies recently caught Mr. Butler on a zoom call looking a little nerdier than normal, and now we’re posing the question that’s on everybody’s mind: Is Buts a nerd?

We’ve all heard stories of Mr. Butler coaching football and gaming, but how much of that is a sham?

After

Student Awards Kate Chase Award The Kate Chase Award goes to that boy, who, in the eyes of his peers, has the greatest chance of going on a date with Kate Chase. This year’s winner, Harrison DeWitt.

Quinn Peck ’21 Award The Quinn Peck award goes to that boy, who, in the eyes of his peers, is Quinn Peck. This year’s winner, Quinn Peck.

Police finally arrested Belmont Hill legend Ted Martellini after weeks of unannounced break-ins prompted the terrified Schnieder family to take legal action. Martellini was reportedly heard shuffling around the Morse building in the wee hours of the morning, and when asked what his motive was, he stated, “Gah! Hah! I can’t FREAKIN’ use Zoom and these numbnuts won’t let me take my freakin SmartBoard home! Ginguh! HUH!”

Very nice, quinn

~Coronavirus Stock Market~

Belmont Hill Stocks - See what the boys are investing in this quarter

Dana Hall Stocks - See what the girls are investing in this quarter

Checking In With Peter Jones ’21

By Justin Paré ’21

I went over to the Jones’ Farm to report on Peter and

what he’s been up to lately. His response, “Nothing much.” He forced me to dig a little deeper, with biting questions like “How’s it going churning butter every single morning?”

“Oh you know, it’s going.”

“And the Field of Dreams out in the corn field?”

“Yeah.”

This concludes this issue’s check in with Peter “Farm

Boy Churnin Butter Milkin Cows Playin in the Dirt” Jones. Peter proceeded to don his straw hat and go roll in the mud.

*Editor Adam Alto of the Back Page literally pooped himself when we were making this. This is not a joke. He had to change his “poopy undies.” I know, I am just as disgusted as you are. But also, it’s kinda cool. Also, check out this cool link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBOGu-bR638

Spring Sports Highlights