The Pharcyde, 44.3

Dazzlers “Rein” On Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Parade

Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor

The Upper School community has seen some great performances by the Dazzlers during assemblies this year. Recently, five Dazzlers were givem the opportunity to perform on one of the biggest stages in the world: the streets of New York City.

Seniors Kate Grande and Chloe Krul joined their junior teammates Asia Cohen, Gianna Demerski, and Skyler Hoben on the trip to New York. They participated in a few days of rehearsal and performances; they also had time for some sightseeing and fun activities, including seeing the Rockettes perform.

Fine Arts Department Chair and Dazzler’s coach Mrs. Sara Salivar explained what makes this trip so special for the Dazzlers.

“It’s always a great opportunity to represent your school in an event like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the Dazzlers were thrilled to go again, this year,” said Salivar.

Mrs. Salivar explains how this is an amazing opportunity for the Dazzlers; “The experience of learning a dance to be performed with hundreds of other dancers and in front of thousands of people is challenging but very rewarding. They will get to work with professionals from choreogra-

phers, artistic directors, professional actors, singers and more. It is such an inspiring experience that I know they will give them great memories to share with their family, friends and younger teammates.”

Mrs. Salivar remarks that the dancers have earned the trip with their immeasurable commitment to the dance program and to the School as a whole.

“Before they board the plane to New York City, they will be well-prepared and ready to tackle any chal-

A Season Of Giving gifting

Reid Waxman Staff Writer

The Toy Drive has been an event that has been going on for decades. It started on Nov. 30 and ran until Dec. 9. From WOW to 12th grade, students and teachers bring in toys to bring joy and smiles to the families in the community.

“The purpose of the Toy Drive is to spread kindness and joy within our community during the holiday season,” said Upper School Counselor Dr. Renea Yates, “This year, TBS has partnered with The Headstrong Project, an organization whose mission includes creating a better path to well-being for our nation’s families. Our hope is that by donating toys, we can put smiles on the faces and warmth in the hearts of our local veterans and their families.”

Specifically, the Upper School Athletic Fellowship club will transport donations to The Wounded Veterans Relief Fund, a North Palm Beach group collaborating with the Headstrong Project and TBS on this year's drive.

Bringing toys for less fortunate families is not the only positive part of the Toy Drive, however. Dean of Students Mr. Kevin Jacobsen feels that it is very important to give back to the community.

“We are in a position to serve those in the community who need our help, so we should always strive to do that,” said Jacobsen, “Furthermore, it is our duty as Americans to pay back the sacrifice (both physically and mentally) veterans have made to our country as much as we can.”

Sophomore Darrow Becker believes that Benjamin and the Toy

Drive are very important to the community.

“The Toy Drive gives to people who need it most while promoting Benjamin students to do good for their community,” said Becker, “It also helps students find easier ways to donate, since if there was not a Toy Drive at school, most people would end up never donating toys.”

Junior Andrew Lappin sees the Toy Drive as a way to help less fortunate children have happy holidays.

“It is important because it provides the less fortunate children with toys and gifts for the holiday season that they would not otherwise have. It is a way to spread holiday cheer and help others,” said Lappin.

Senior Holland Poncy also sees that The School is helping ensure children have presents underneath their trees.

“The Toy Drive gives the kids a chance to have something to look forward to on Christmas morning,” said Poncy, “This brings them joy in which there is something for them under the tree to make them excited for the holiday!”

Ninth-grade Dean and science teacher Mrs. Amanda Pierman is an 1997 alumna of the Benjamin school. She remembers the toy drive being a big deal to the Benjamin School.

“We all brought in toys and dropped them off in Mr. Fitch’s physics room. Some of the AP Physics kids would then wrap them. We would have pickup trucks filled with wrapped toys to deliver to the charities. I want to say the cheerleaders or maybe some dancers, Student Council, and some other kids helped to deliver them.”

lenges that come their way. I know they will do a good job both as performers and as representatives of our School. They know they have a responsibility of doing a good job, being prepared for rehearsals and the parade, as well as enjoying the experience and having a good time,” said Salivar.

Mrs. Salivar explained what it means to her to be able to watch the Dazzlers perform in the parade. “Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is a tradition in my home,

which I am now passing along to my granddaughters. This year, they will watch the parade with me and I can’t wait to point out our Dazzlers when they perform. I know this will be the highlight of their Dazzler experience, and I wish them the very best in New York City and for the remainder of the year. They still have a lot of dancin’ to do here at TBS,” exclaimed Salivar.

Post-Parade Update

Senior Kate Grande appreciated all the bonding she did with her teammates.

“It was a really cool experience to perform in the parade. I felt very grateful for the opportunity. I also really enjoyed spending time together (with the other Dazzlers) because I think we all got a lot closer with each other,” said Grande.

Grande’s favorite part of the trip was not even the parade itself.

“It was getting to see so many different Broadway shows; my favorite was definitely MJ the Musical,” said Grande.

Junior Gianna Demerski, who also had a great experience, explained that the trip’s impact was wide-reaching.

“Our production company used our dancing as a way of donating to help kids around New York who aren’t as fortunate with education, as well as clothing and other necessities for their daily lives. For me personally, I felt like performing in the parade helped to introduce the holiday season to everyone in America,” said Demerski.

The Dazzlers were all smiles as they waited in New York’s early morning sunshine before dancing their way down to Herald Square in front of millions watching the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Pictured above (l. to r.) are Gianna Demerski, Chloe Krul, Kate Grande, Asia Cohen, and Skyler Hoben. (Photo from Gianna Demerski)

Junior Matt Marasco plays Kris Kringle, depositing a toy underneath the holiday tree in the Didsbury Learning Commons last week. Members of the Upper School community once again showed their compassion and humility by participating in the annual Toy Drive. (Photo by Reid Waxman)

A Legacy That Is Most Definitely Taylor-Made

Reflective Faculty Sends Regards As Director of Student Services Retires

The entire Benjamin School community sensed a shift last week as it was announced that Director of Student Services Dr. Amy Taylor would be retiring. Having spent the last several decades helping to shape The Benjamin School into the esteemed institution it is today, Dr. Amy Taylor leaves behind a legacy of empathy, experience, and excellence that can never be matched.

As the School still processes the news, The Pharcyde asked some of Dr. Taylor’s collegues and former students to share their initial feelings about her departure.

“I’d like to thank Dr. Taylor for the opportunity to work alongside her at the Benjamin School. Her work with DEI has had a tremendous impact in shaping and changing the culture of the school. She will be greatly missed, yet I’ll think of her in all my future endeavors and projects here.”

~Ms Mays

“Since day one, when I started in 2002, Dr. Taylor has been the go-to person for everything for me. It’s going to be very hard for me to imagine The Benjamin School without her.”

~Mrs. Donnelly

Dr. Taylor’s dedication to The Benjamin School community could be seen in her constant, loving presence here supporting students throughout the day in her role as guidance counselor and in the extracurricular hours as a fan at sporting events and performances. My son still talks about her two years after leaving Benjamin, crediting her with helping him learn to advocate for and believe in himself. These are gifts she gave to many students. She represents the values Mr. and Ms. Benjamin established here decades ago and has always been an integral part of keeping Benjamin traditions alive.

~Mrs. Steiner

Dr. Taylor greeted me with such enthusiasm when I came to interview for the math teacher position in 2019 and made me feel welcomed and appreciated. Her genuine and loving character is absolutely amazing! Dr. Taylor is a wonderful mentor, colleague, and friend whom I will cherish forever. THANK YOU, Dr. Taylor, for giving so much of your time assisting students and teachers and guiding us all with your spirit of care and compassion. I will miss your “morning wave” as I walk from Building One to my classroom.

~Mrs. Priola

I will miss her waving to me each morning since she got here before the sun came up and her.. oh wait... I have something to talk to you about. Our school will miss out on a great resource. She knew every student, their families and background.

~Mr. Ruggie

Senora Taylor was my first teacher at the Benjamin School. I so vividly remember my first period class Spanish 1A (“Una A”) with her - she not only taught the fundamentals of language but also how to be a great student. Then, as an adult, Dr. Taylor is the reason why I have been a teacher at Benjamin - I called her when I lived in New York City about a history position that was open, and she gave my resume to the new head of the Upper School - Jay Selvig. Then ten years later after graduate school and related work, she called me back to Benjamin when a teacher left before the end of the year. This is what I admire most about Amyshe always supported teachers and the students, and held everyone’s best interests at heart. I will always appreciate her unwaverable support, and I will miss her terribly. All the best to you, Dr. Amy Taylor!

~Ms. Misselhorn

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Amy Taylor on her many years of service to The Benjamin School. Dr. Taylor and I go back a long time so I smile as I reminisce over the many experiences and fun times we had together, dating back to the year she first came to TBS. Dr. Taylor began as a Spanish teacher and then moved into the Student Services sector where she made such a tremendous impact in our School. While working on her doctorate, Dr. Taylor developed what is now the Middle School. She implemented

many programs to help students succeed at TBS, while at the same time mentoring many of our student service counselors and specialists. Dr. Taylor will be missed and I wish her nothing but the best as she steps into retirement and into the next phase of her life. Thank you, Dr. Taylor, for your friendship, your professionalism and for being the advocate for many of our students. We are profoundly grateful for all of your hard work and for your love of The Benjamin School community.”

~Sara Salivar

Benjamin Adds Europe Trip Highlighting World War II to Spring Break Travel Options

Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief

For the first time in the school’s history, a spring break trip to Europe will be offered. Students will travel to four countries while learning about D-Day and the Holocaust.

The idea for this trip arose with the newly offered WWII History course this year, which will be cotaught by Social Studies teachers Mrs. Anne Franzen and Mr. Graham Wik in the second semester.

“I got the idea from Mr. Anderson’s trip,” Mrs. Franzen said. “He has a class about Florida and the Caribbean and offers a trip in conjunction with that class, so it occurred to me that if I was doing a World War II and Holocaust class that we’d be able to do a trip in conjunction with that class.”

Although the trip is in conjunction with the course, students who are enrolled in the course are not required to go on the trip, and it also is not just limited to those in the course.

The 20 students who will go on the trip from March 17 to March 27. Although the students will land in Paris, they will immediately drive north to Normandy, France. Following two days in Normandy, students will spend a day in Ypres, Belgium.

Three days will then be spent in Amsterdam, The Netherlands with the trip then capped off by two days in Krakow, Poland.

All of these places were strategically picked, according to Mr. Wik. They all reflect the WWII History course’s curriculum and will bring the students to exact places that they will be learning about.

“Planning started when we looked at what our course was,” Mr. Wik said. “The question was, ‘if we’re

going to do a trip to Europe, what makes the most sense?’ I think as we look at it, we need go to Normandy, where D-Day happens, and really the best place to go for the Holocaust is Auschwitz. And then the question is, ‘what do we fill in the middle?’, and Amsterdam makes sense because it has some really cool Holocaust and resistence era places to visit.”

In addition to tours of the Utah

and Omaha beaches of D-Day and Auschwitz, students will visit the Normandy American Cemetery, Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam, go on a canal dinner cruise in Amsterdam, visit countless museums, and more.

Senior Mei Visconti is one of the 20 students who will be going on the trip. At her previous high school, she went on a similar trip that went to Krakow, Berlin, and Prague. That ex-

perience drove her to go on this trip.

“I was especially drawn to many new experiences I would be able to have on this trip in places like Belgium and Amsterdam that I’ve never been to,” said Visconti, who is most looking forward to touring the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

For others, like senior Colby German, this trip will be their first experience in Europe, which is part of what makes it so intriguing for him.

“I have long wanted to visit Europe and other places around the world, and this trip gives me an excellent opportunity to do so while also being able to learn more about the history involved,” he said.

Although Mr. Wik and Mrs. Franzen have both been to multiple, if not all, of these places, they both look forward to seeing the trip through “the students’ eyes”, a phrase that they both said. This trip is the perfect opportunity for students to not only learn about the Holocaust, D-Day, different cultures, and more, but it also presents them with a different opportunity and way to spend their spring break.There's no doubt that a lot of learning will happen on this trip.

Upon arriving in Krakow, Poland, students and chaperones will stay in the Radisson Blu Hotel (pictured above).

(Photo from raddisonhotels.com)

Auschwitz is one of many emotional places that students on the Europe trip will visit during their tour. (Photo from krakow.wiki)

A Rememberance with Contradictions Community Reflects on Life of Queen Elizabeth II

Atticus Fasnakis-Nosal Staff Writer

On Sept. 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at the age of 96 in her Balmoral Castle estate in the Scottish Highlands. A stabilizing geopolitical force, Elizabeth reigned for over seventy years, becoming the longest-serving monarch in British history.

The unexpected death solicited responses from around the world, including at The Benjamin School, where a mixed response of grief, anger, and indifference was felt.

Recalling and understanding the Queen’s life as part of a historic and dutiful monarchy is easy for some.

Science teacher Mrs. Amanda Pierman was born in England and lived there until she was eleven years old and later returned for a period during university. Mrs. Pierman considers herself an “absolute royalist.”

Reflecting on the Queen’s life and her role, Mrs. Pierman believes that Elizabeth “did a phenomenal job for an incredible length of time,” and that “she was like the mum to our country; I feel very positively and strongly towards her.”

Contemplating her relationship with the Queen over the years, Mrs. Pierman’s “understanding of her became deeper and more appreciative” towards her role as an “authoritative figure who helped to control and rule and manage.” With the Queen’s death, Mrs. Pierman remains grateful

and devoted to the Queen’s life and impact, remembering her as a successful woman able to steady public whims.

Director of College Counseling Ms. Anna Wright, a dual-citizen, who lived in England for over fifteen years and who had often experienced the Queen’s close-presence at parties, schools, and other events, remembers her similarly to Pierman.

Although she differs in that, “because I was born and raised as an American, I tended to see her as a normal person with an extraordinary life. I never felt a personal allegiance to her, but I was fond of her.” However, “after living in England, I came to understand the enormous pressure and sense of duty that the Queen felt.” She “devoted herself to a life of service to her country and those ideals.”

As well, she further “respects that the Queen has given her life to her people. It is extraordinary to think that she was working on behalf of her people up to the day of her death at the age of 96.” So, in general, Wright remains “sad that an extraordinary person had died. And with her, an era of time has ended. We will not see her again.” Thus acknowledging the Queen’s great responsibility towards the British people, Wright’s perception and memory grew her admiration towards the Queen.

Some, however, do not share the same affections for the Queen. Junior Joshua Luiz, from South-African, contemplates the Queen’s life in a self-proclaimed apathetic manner. He states he feels rather “indifferent” towards the Queen’s presence both in life and death, unable to remember

Resolved: Speech and Debate Coach Receives National Recognition

“I think it is not necessarily an award for me, but an award for our students who have worked to grow debate at a school where debate is not part of its main culture,” said Dr. Peruggia.

Co-Captain of the Speech and Debate Team Zach Neidoff believes this award was very timely for his coach. He also wants to thank Dr. Peruggia for all he has been taught.

Clearly an incredible influence on the Speech and Debate team, Dr. Peruggia has helped the team grow to be very strong, and it’s obvious that the Benjamin community is not the only one who noticed this. Still, he deflects the spotlight, reminding The Pharcyde that he’s easily replaceable and that everyone on campus is responsible for the team’s success.

any major impacts of her life on him.

Other members of the Benjamin community hold even stronger positions against the Queen. For example, French teacher Ms. Beverly Gustafson, who herself has lived in Europe for many years, continues to “have a hard time with the [effects of] colonialism [that] the Queen represented and her position most notably in India.”

Ms. Gustafson further emphasizes that reparations will play an “important piece” in reconciling with the past and in holding England and Queen Elizabeth II accountable because of the amount of wealth that they accumulated “on the backs of people of Color.”

This stolen wealth, exemplified, for Ms. Gustafson, by the Queen’s crown jewels, is “serious damage that cannot be swept under the rug or shoved aside just because now the monarchy is so-called evolved.”

These harmful effects of the Queen are “difficult to reconcile with because there’s [a difference from] the image that is portrayed and what has actually happened,” so “there’s a part of me that realizes that it’s all wrong,” continues Ms. Gustafson.

For Ms. Gustafson, Queen Elizabeth II’s existence and role “is very bittersweet for me, more bitter than sweet. The sins of the past can just be left to stay; I don’t think we can just get away with calling it a historical moment,” for the effects, as seen with

Barbados’ recent independence from the Queen’s Empire, are still alive.

Ms. Gustafson’s critical position and memory towards the Queen is not alone. Self-proclaimed Anglophile and Social Studies teacher Mrs. Anne Franzen, whose godfather was the chief pastry baker for Queen Elizabeth II from 1960 to 1980, has felt “frustrated that the Queen was not able to end British policies of colonialism throughout the world.”

Mrs. Franzen further recognizes today the cut-throat and “flawed” nature of the Queen’s existence as “someone who did whatever it took ‘to keep the firm running.’” Examples that she conjures with ease include “not allowing her sister to marry and her intrusions on the lives of Charles and Diana.”

Mrs. Franzen expresses vexation at the public’s “misplaced nostalgia for ‘the way things were.’” Overall, she “would have preferred a monarch who used her influence for change instead of maintaining the status quo.” Mrs. Franzen, who believes in the importance of grasping an un-romanticized image of history, states she will continue to remember these darker moments of the Queen’s reign.

As the Benjamin community continues to remember the Queen, it is clear that any such reflection comes tinged with myriad personal experiences and judgements.

Musk Takes Over Top Perch at Twitter

Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor

Elon Musk is now officially the owner of Twitter. On Thurs. Oct. 27th, Twitter and Musk formally closed on the billionaire’s offer to take the company private by paying $54.20 per share, equal to about $44 billion.

ter so far. One of the biggest ones so far is “Twitter Blue,” Twitter’s monthly subscription that adds a blue checkmark to a user’s account and offers early access to select new features, like Edit Tweet. Users can now upgrade to Twitter Blue for $7.99 per month.

Matt Marasco Sports Editor

Award season in the Benjamin Upper School is in full swing with Speech and Debate Coach Dr. John Peruggia having been awarded the Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award. This award is presented to Dr. Peruggia for earning 10,000 merit points while coaching speech and debate. A merit point is awarded to a coach through competition, service, and leadership activities.

The Speech and Debate Association (NDSA) believes that giving recognition is important for all the incredible feats their coaches and debaters accomplish as well as encouraging improvement in schools and communities.

“Every day, the National Speech & Debate Association works to connect, support, and inspire a diverse community committed to empowering students through competitive speech and debate. A big part of our mission is centered on celebrating the incredible achievements of our members,” according to the NSDA.

Dr. Peruggia did not expect to get this award this year, but was pleasantly surprised. Although he is delighted to win this award, he attributes it to his students who he has coached over the years.

“I am really happy for Doc. He has been talking about it for a very large amount of time. Getting to 10,000 debate points is an impressive milestone for him, which makes the whole debate team very happy for him,” said Neidoff.

Dr. Peruggia has led a very successful team over the years, with students earning the opportunity to advance to the state and national national championships. He believes that his team is very student centered and student-organized, which helps them achieve their goals each year.

“I am very happy that a team our size has been able to go to states and nationals and continues to attract students from all grade levels. Over the years we have had some very strong student leadership on the debate team which has helped grow us from a small group that only participated in mainly one event to a team that has participated in many events each year,” said Dr. Peruggia.

Although Dr. Peruggia believes that his students do most of the heavy lifting, Neidoff thinks that his coach is the star of the show.

“I think Doc is a great leader, he always has the whole team prepared for upcoming events. I think that he always has insightful tips and he is fun to learn from. He truly gets the utmost potential out of every debater,” said Neidoff.

“The conversations and experiences students have in class and hanging around with each other are much more affecting than the coaching advice I offer during meetings, practices, or rides to tournaments. I’m very much the shepherd of a whole-school team,” shared Dr. Peruggia.

The Speech and Debate team head into the semester break with high expectations for the spring’s schedule of events.

Musk decided to close on the deal after spending months trying to back out of the original agreement. That same evening, Musk fired CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal, sources said. Chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde and general counsel Sean Edgett were also relieved of their duties.

Musk first agreed in late April to buy Twitter. By the start of May, he was privately expressing reservations about the deal he had signed and soon tweeted it was “on hold,” launching months of back and forth over seemingly pretextual claims about “bots” (inauthentic accounts on Twitter).

While Musk said in an initial statement on the acquisition that he wanted to control Twitter, in part, to “defeat the spam bots,” he proceeded to claim the problem was worse than Twitter had revealed, amounting to fraud and allowing him to walk away from the company. He sent a letter to Twitter in early July, requesting to terminate the acquisition. Twitter promptly sued Musk in what would prove to be a controversial and costly court battle.

After only less than a week of Twitter Blue, the company paused the new feature. Most people speculated that the influx of parody accounts (accounts that depict another person, group, or organization in their profile to discuss, satirize, or share information about them) may have been the reason for the sudden halt of the new subscription service.

Junior Zach Smith, an active Twitter user, has not really noticed much change on Twitter despite what the general public may say about platform’s changes.

“Twitter feels the same since Musk took over. Obviously there are small changes like Twitter Blue, but I don’t think that’s a negative or positive thing,” said Smith.

Smith also believes that people are overreacting to Twitter’s changes.

“I think just because Elon Musk is the person who bought Twitter, people are trying to persuade themselves that the app got worse. I’ve been using Twitter for the last few years and it’s pretty much the same,” added Smith.

With multi-billionaire Elon Musk at the helm, many people question whether or not he can keep Twitter afloat.

(Photo from flickr.com)

On Sun. Nov. 20th, Musk laid off a large portion of workers from the sales side of Twitter. The week prior, Musk had asked workers to commit to his more “hardocore” version of the company or leave. Musk’s goal in making these cuts was to balance out the remaining staff at Twitter.

It is difficult to keep up with all of the changes Musk has made at Twit-

Time will tell if Elon Musk can keep the people happy, as Twitter has been and still is one of the most popular social-networking services in the world. A widely controversial figure, people’s views on Musk vary in an extreme way. Some, like Smith, don’t notice major changes in Twitter since Musk bought it. Others, however, are incredibly unhappy with how Musk’s views have affected the platform.

Queen Elizabeth II’s death shook the world. A worldwide icon, she passed away peacefully after ruling over the United Kingdom for over seventy years. (Photo from flickr.com)

National Overview

Results From The Most Notable Midterm Elections

Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief

Political scientists love viewing and analyzing national election trends and results in order to further understand our society’s viewpoints and goals. The 2022 midterm elec tions provided yet another opportuni ty for this, consisting of 35 guberna torial races, 34 Senate races, and all 435 House races.

The Arizona gubernatorial race pitted two women against each other for the first time in the state’s history.

Democrat Katie Hobbs defeated Re publican Kari Lake by a slim margin of 0.6%, according to CNN. However, despite all major news outlets declaring Hobbs the winner, Lake has refused to concede her governor seat. Hobbs will become the fifth female governor of the state, the most in the country, and flipped the state from Republican to Democrat.

“I will accept the results of this election if we have a fair, honest and transparent election. Absolutely, 100%,” Lake told ABC News. She later told CNN that “I’m going to win the election, and I will accept that result.”

The Wisconsin gubernatorial race also received national attention due to its competitive atmosphere. Being a swing state, Wisconsin’s results are always intriguing and consist of close races. Democrat incumbent Tony Evers defeated Republican Tim Michels by a margin of 3.4%.

In the 35 governor elections, 18 Democrats won and 17 Republicans

AROUND THE COUNTRY

won — a near split. However, the Democrats picked up three states (Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts), while the Republicans only picked up one (Nevada). This places 26 of the states with Republican governors and 24 with Democrats.

Just as eyes were on Arizona for their gubernatorial race, their Senate race also received national attention.

Considering a very important election due to how contested the Senate is, Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly defeated Republican Blake Masters by a margin of 5%.

Pennsylvania’s Senate race was an open-seat race, pitting Democrat John Fetterman against Republican Mehmet Oz, widely known as Dr. Oz.

Fetterman defeated Oz by a margin of 4.8%, flipping the state from Republican to Democrat and guaranteeing that the Senate stay Democratic for the next two years.

The only Senate race that will be going to a runoff election is Georgia’s. Neither Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock nor Republican Herschel Walker received over 50% of the vote, resulting in the runoff to be held on Dec. 6. Warnock received 49.4% of the general election vote, while Walker received 48.5%.

Currently, the Senate is split 50 to the Democrats and 49 to the Republicans, as Georgia’s runoff race is to be determined. However, with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote, the Democrats have clinched the Senate’s control.

The Republicans took back control of the House of Representatives with these midterm elections. The Republicans have clinched 219 seats, passing the 218 needed to have the majority of the House. The Democrats currently sit at 212 seats. The GOP picked up 18 seats, while the

Democrats only picked up 6. There remains 2 seats with unannounced winners, per Politico.

Among the most important districts in the House this year were California’s 27th and Nebraska’s 2nd Districts. Despite the district voting for Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, Republican incumbent Mike Garcia defeated Democrat Christy Smith in California’s 27th District by a margin of 6.6%.

Nebraska’s 2nd District got attention for its increasing Democratic presence, challenging Republican incumbent Don Bacon. Regardless, Bacon defeated Democrat Tony Vargas by a margin of 3.1%.

These elections, particularly the Congressional ones, hold extreme

importance, according to Social Studies teacher Mr. Nick Cramer.

“It’s really important to vote on our representatives because the legislative branch is essentially more powerful, and we have a more direct say in them,” Mr. Cramer said. “We have more ability to change that branch directly as an individual than we do the president’s. That’s pretty impactful.”

National elections serve to exemplify overall national thoughts and beliefs in various facets of government: the governor, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. In two years, the 2024 election will add the presidential race to these races in what should be a highly contested race.

Republicans Galore: Statewide Offices All Go Red

Reid Waxman Staff Writer

On Nov. 7, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won his second term as Florida Gov. against Democrat Charlie Crist, improving upon the results of his last election four years ago when he prevailed by less than a percentage point.

With DeSantis’ win, it is another sign that Florida is changing its demographics and is firmly under Republican control, rather than being considered a swing state for many years. It has been 28 years since a Democrat has been elected governor in Florida.

According to NBC News, Ron DeSantis said “The people have delivered their verdict: Freedom is here to stay. Now, thanks to the overwhelming support of the people of Florida we not only won this election; we have rewritten the political map.”

This increasingly Democratic trend in Florida has not gone unno-

ticed by the Benjamin community.

“Florida definitely had more Democratic governors, but we have changed from being Democratic to Republican,” said English teacher Mrs. Mary Ditaranto.

Since DeSantis was governor as he campaigned, he could benefit from news publicity. DeSantis allegedly “dropped the political attacks as Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida. That put him at the top of the news throughout the state for weeks as he directed the response and aid for struggling communities,” according to npr.com.

Although DeSantis is reelected to four more years in office, it appears hazy that he will serve the entire term. Rumors abound that he will run for president in 2024, against former President Donald Trump. In a recent debate, Crist asked DeSantis to commit to a full four-year term and came out with no answer from DeSantis.

“I think DeSantis should com-

mit to a full term for governor since Florida needs a good governor,” said freshman Avery Grande. “We don’t know if he is going to be a good president, but we know that he is a good governor.”

While some students believe that DeSantis should not opt out of office in order to run for presidency, others believe that DeSantis taking the next step to become the leader of the country could be beneficial.

“DeSantis is a well spoken republican and I think him running for president against Trump will benefit the Republican Party,” said sophomore Lizzy Davies.

There were other elections in the state notably including the Attorney General. This position legally represents the legislature and state agencies and acts as the people’s lawyer for the citizens. The candidates were the incumbent, Republican Ashley Moody, and Democrat Aramis Ayala. Moody was reelected, with “more

than 10 times the amount of campaign cash as Ayala” (according to wesh.com).

Another important election in the state was for Chief Financial Officer. This position handles finances for the state and oversees the office and insurance regulations. The candidates were Republican Jimmy Patronis and the incumbent, Democrat Adam Hattersley. Patronis surprisingly won 4,528,391 (59%) to 3,084,892 (41%).

“It is very important for a company to have a chief financial officer. The CFO manages all aspects of a company’s financial operations including revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities,” said Chief Operating Officer for The Benjamin School Mrs. Leslie Downs. “He or she leads the short and long range financial planning of the company, so that it may meet its stated mission and goals. CFO’s are ultimately responsible for all of a company’s finances, its accounting, and its audits. The CFO works closely with the CEO on long range financial planning and forecasting to make sure that the company will be able to meet all of its future obligations and any stated future goals.”

Another important state election was for the Commissioner of Agriculture. The position oversees farming and food production for their state and regulates forestry, pest control, food safety, and even state agricultural events. The candidates were the incumbent, Republican Wilton Simpson, and Democrat Naomi Blemur. Simpson won this election, making him the third Republican chosen for these three elections.

This election proved to lean heavily Republican, and it may mark a turning point in Florida state politics. This trend is something that politi-

cal scientists will undoubtedly keep their eyes on because of Florida’s importance on a national scale. The next opportunity to examine if this trend continues will be in the 2024 election, where the newly reeelected DeSantis could be on the presidential ballot.

Although close, the midterm elections shifted power of the House to Republicans; outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been credited with keeping Dem. loses to a minimum.

(top to bottom): Attorney General Ashley Moody, CFO Jimmy Patronis, and Ag. Commisioner Wilton Simpson.

Three In a Row

Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor

Early in the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 9, Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio won a third term, defeating U.S. Rep. Val Demings. In winning the election, Rubio also held a key seat as the GOP (Grand Old Party) tried to regain control of a closely divided Senate.

Rubio is the first Florida Republican to win three terms in the Senate. He appears to have won it handily, receiving nearly 4.4 million votes, or 58%, while Demings had slightly more than 3.1 million, or 41%.

Rubio, 51, faced maybe his toughest battle since he was first elected in 2010 after serving as the Florida House Speaker. Once a presidential candidate in 2016, Rubio’s name is less often mentioned as a potential 2024 candidate.

Freshmen Drew Sterling approves of Rubio being reelected.

“I think he’s done a great job and deserves to serve a third term. I especially like him since he is from Miami,” said Sterling.

Rubio was helped by shifting voter registration numbers in Florida. The last time Rubio ran for reelection, Democrats had about 370,000 more registered voters than Republicans. That has since flipped, with the

GOP now having a nearly 300,000 advantage over Democrats.

In Florida’s biggest county, Miami-Dade, Republicans had an advantage of almost 4,000 more early votes than Democrats.

“Because he’s the Hispanic Florida senator, the Cuban community really views him as a leader and trusts him,” said Social Studies Department Chair Ms. Sara Misselhorn.

Democrats retained control of the Senate after Sen. Catherine Masto won reelection in Nevada. This clinched a narrow majority for Democrats as they showed strength in battleground races in a daunting midterm year, handing President Joe Biden a major victory as he looks to his next two years in office.

Now, the Senate, which oversees the confirmation of executive branch personnel and federal judges, will stay in President Biden and the Democrats’ corner. A Senate majority will also give the president and his party more say over legislative debates on domestic and foreign spending and any other major issues.

Rubio Defeats Demmings, Retains Senate Seat For Another Term

“It definitely helps that he is an incumbent. For him to be familiar with the Florida Senate and for a majority of Floridians to really like him, I feel like from the start his chances were really good to be reelected,” said Ms. Misselhorn.

Rubio eventually left the legislature and began a fellowship at Florida International University as an adjunct professor. But the call of politics would be too strong for Rubio to resist.

In 2009, Rubio decided to run for Senate and received support from the Republican Party, who had gradually started to turn on then-Gov. Charlie Crist. The former Governor would run without party affiliation, which helped split the vote with Kendrick Meek; Rubio was the beneficiary.

Rubio first took office on Jan. 3, 2011, and has held the seat ever since.

Historically, Democrats vote in higher numbers than Republicans in Miami-Dade, and rely heavily on a large margin of victory in South Florida’s biggest counties–Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach–to win statewide contests. Republicans tend to obtain large margins in the state’s smaller and rural counties.

Rubio’s background in politics dates back to the 1990s when he went from a city commissioner in West Miami to the Florida House. By the time he was 34, Rubio had ascended to Speaker of the House in the Florida Legislature.

Ms. Misselhorn thinks that Rubio’s incumbency was a big factor in him winning the election.

While many in the media and politi-sphere contend that Florida is a divided, purple state, the repeated success found by Republicans during the last few election cycles has bolstered calls to reclassify the Sunshine State as distinctly Red. Results of this year’s Senate race between incumbent Marco Rubio and challenger Val Demmings seem to support the thesis that Florida’s shifting further towards the GOP.

Mast, Cherfilus-McCormick Win Local House Elections

Jackson Zentner Staff Writer

The elections have been decided and the Representatives in the House around Benjamin’s Districts 20 and 21 were selected.

The U.S. House of Representatives is designed to make and pass laws. The House is the lowest chamber of Congress with the Senate being the highest chamber. To run for a seat in the house, one must be 25 years of age or older, a citizen of the United States for at least seven years, and a resident of the state they are going to represent.

Republican Brian Mast was voted for District 21 which is the fourth term on his seat in the House. Mast is 42 years old and will be the representative of the cities Martin County, Port St. Lucie, and Jupiter.

Mast beat out everyone who was running against him with about 63.6% of the votes. The leading runner up was Corinna Balderramos Robinson. His goals for his campaign are to increase education and oppor-

tunities for young men and women. Also, he is promoting the ability for human rights that gives citizens more things to do and ways to do them.

Freshman Tatum Little lives in the Jupiter area and has his own opinion on Brian Mast.

“I think he is a very knowledgeable political leader because he makes his decisions for the people. My parents speak very highly of him and they say he is a good political figure to be on the House,” says Little.

In District 20, Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won her district for the first time after former representative of the House, Albee Hastings, was in the seat from 2013 until his death. Cherfilus-McCormick is native to Haiti, but has taken her seat in the house in Broward.

The District has been mainly Democratic, and Cherfilus-McCormick’s goals are to help the prices of housing. She plans to keep the price of rent at an affordable price for everyone. She has been in an ongoing feud with opposing Republican Holiness. There have been allegations against both sides of the party and a defamation lawsuit was issued against Holiness. Cherfilus-McCormick issued a campaign aide for over $1 million from Holiness due to cash fraud allegations.

Holiness’ campaign started a cash fraud against Cherfilus-McCormick by texting supporters. The texts would consist of accusing McCormick of stealing money to win the seat. Cherfilus-McCormick won Flor-

Sophomore Vaibhav Kartik feels the House of Representatives is a key part in the United States’ government.

“I just moved to America and I learned about what the House is, and I was following the elections in Florida to learn about it. I like what Brian Mast can do in his seat on the House and his goals are very reachable,”

adds Kartik.

Freshman Piper Touhey did not follow the elections closely before they occured, but she researched the results in order to become more familiar with the local representatives.

“I feel that Sheila [Cherfilus McCormick] is a good representative in the house because she does not stop against adversity. Even when she had the conflict with Holiness, she still continued to stay politically strong” mentions Touhey.

The House of Representatives will take office in January of 2023, marking a new Congressional term in the federal government. These political leaders will not only impact the country as a whole, but they will act upon their original intention from the Founding Fathers: they are to represent their district and local population who voted them into office. Representatives Mast and Cherfilus-McCormick will likely make voters happy, representing those in the Benjamin community.

A Glimpse Into The Future: Previewing the 2024 Elections

Matt Marasco Sports Editor

As 2024 approaches ever so quickly, many students at Benjamin will have the chance to vote for the next president of the United States.

President Joe Biden plans to run for reelection, yet former president Donald Trump also just announced his campaign for the 2024 election. As the news starts to trickle in about the presidential election, there are many things to look at.

Although President Trump hopes to win the Republican Party’s nomination, many other GOP candidates believe he does not have the public backing needed to win the election. This could cause turmoil in the GOP as it hopes to get one its own back into the Oval Office.

It is also speculated that many more Republicans will announce their bids including Texas Governor George Abbot. These candidates include “Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and New Hampshire

Gov. Chris Sununu,” according to Vox.com.

On the Democratic side of things, President Biden plans to run for reelection. Yet, with his approval rating at an all-time low currently, many news sites believe there are several members of their party who may challenge him. These candidates could include vice president Kamala Harris, California governor Gavin Newsome, and Bernie Sanders, according to thehill.com

Another speculation for the 2024 election involves Florida Governor Ron DeSanitis, who many believe could run for the presidency even though he was just recently reelected as governor in the midterm elections. DeSantis won resoundingly in Florida, which has many believing he could possess the liking needed to become president.

“I think that it would be a good idea for Governor DeSantis to run for president. I think he has handled the recent two hurricanes well which could help our whole country

if he keeps it up,” said freshman Lila Brodner.

While some students believe that DeSantis will be better off serving the country as a whole, some want him to remain the Governor of Florida.

“I don’t want DeSantis to run for president. I think it would not be good if he left his position of governor halfway through. I think he has served Florida well, but it’s better that he stays governor,” said junior Brendan Matz.

Other than the presidential election, 33 Senate seats are up for reelection. These seats are currently held in majority by the Democrats (23 of the 33). As the senate remains close to a 50-50 split after the 2022 midterm elections, the Democrats could be facing an uphill battle to retain control of the Senate.

Lastly, all 435 seats of the house will be back up for election in 2024. After the midterms in 2022, the Democrats believe they have a much better chance of making the 2024 house race a closer race than expected ac-

cording to CNN.com. Although many believed the Republicans were going to have a “red wave” in 2022, they only hold the majority by seven seats.

As the election approaches, all eligible students should register to vote as the future is in their hands.

The majority of the current Upper School population will be eligible to vote in the 2024 elections, which will include the preidenal Senate, and House eletions. Even those who attend college out of the state will be able to vote by mail.

ida’s 20th district seat in the house against Holiness by just 5 votes.

“It definitely helps that he is an incumbent. For him to be familiar with the Florida senate and for a majority of Floridians to really like him, I feel like from the start his chances were really good to be reelected.”

-Ms. Misselhorn

Congressman Brian Mast easily won reelection to his District-21 House seat.

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick will return to Washington with a renewed zeal to get things done on behalf of her constituents in District 20.

We Have Discovered The Reason Our Holiday Season Is Always So . . . Warm

South Florida during the holiday season is known for its temperate climate. While most of us have simply accepted our lack of snow, chilly winter nights, or foggy glasses as sacrifices we make to live in Paradise, the staff of The Pharcyde instead went on a quest to find out why our weather is so unseasonal.

What we discovered is a powerful source of warmth, of the existential, metaphorical, figurative kind: the Upper School faculty.

What follows is a listing of a select few characteristics of each of our empathetic sources of support, kindness, and love.

* Mrs. Kirkland Austin: She has seamlessly stepped into the Upper School, quickly providing energy to the band and music programs on the Grandiflora campus.

* Mrs. Shannon Anderson: Despite the stress that comes with being pregnant, she has not lacked in her teaching and has continued to be a great influence on her students.

* Mr. Steve Anderson: Students who go on the trip to the Grenadines create a life-long memory, and this trip would not be possible without him.

* Mr. Ken Archer: BTV is surely one of the best traditions here at the Upper School, and it would absolutely not be nearly as enjoyable without him.

*Mrs. Katie Ballard: Mother to one of the luckiest kids on the earth, she inspires us to leave our environments better than we found them just as she leaves us better than we were before knowing her.

*Ms. Sierra Clark: She always brightens up the classroom with her super positive attitude. There's a reason she won accolades from UChicago.

* Ms. Lei Cohen: Everybody at the Upper School appreciates her calm nature. Her ability to demonstrate great patience with students is truly commendable. Namaste!

* Mr. Nick Cramer: He is one of the most beloved teachers in the Upper School, and for good reason. His quirky jokes and laid-back demeanor help him relate to students with ease.

* Mr. Juan Carlos Diaz David: He always has a comedic outlook on class, as many of his jokes brighten the classroom and nurture a productive learning environment. His positive attitude helps students learn to the best of their ability.

* Ms. Mary Ditaranto: She is always making sure her students are prepared for their writing assignments. Her honest feedback always inspires us to consider the bigger picture and encourages us to be better thinkers.

the PHARCYDE

Founded in 1980 as The Spectator

12 December 2022 Volume 44, Issue 3

The Benjamin School 4875 Grandiflora Road Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418

Contact Information Phone: 561-472-5998, ext. 2119 Fax: 561-691-8823

Advisor Dr. John Peruggia john.peruggia@thebenjaminschool.org

Advisor Emeritus Mr. Kendall Didsbury Media Consultants

* Ms. Colleen Donnelly: She is always thoughtful of her students when she says “Hi” or “Hello” when walking past them. Her friendly nature brings forth joy when walking through the hallways.

* Ms. Caroline Duran: She has helped kids find a passion for drawing and painting. She is always there for her students in times of need, and is a beneficial factor to the Benjamin community.

* Ms. Melissa Grillo: She always makes class exciting with fun projects and her bright smile. It is evident that she always puts her students before herself.

* Mrs. Anne Franzen: Her willingness to tackle subjects and activities and learn alongside of us inspires us to never be afraid to try new things and to not give up on ourselves.

* Mrs. Caroline Guzman: Aside from making World History interesting, she's always willing to help make our schedules fit our needs and desires.

* Mrs. Maria Gonzalez-Lopez: She brings a unique enthusiasm to the classroom each and every day. Her goal is to keep her students engaged, and she is very successful in doing so.

* Mrs. Beverly Gustafson: Always willing to adapt to our stresses, she is empathetic to our busy schedules and hectic lives. She inspires us to want to take more language courses so that we might learn French and Spanish.

* Dr. James Haley: When walking into chemistry class and hearing “Greetings,” we all feel a sense of joy, knowing we're about to encounter a class full of learning.

* Mrs. Kristen Hewitt: The incredible yearbook would not be the same without her. Her efforts year round produce an everlasting set of memories that we all cherish.

* Dr. Clinton Hough: Now a doctor, he brings an interesting new perspective to the Social Studies department. We are lucky to have someone with a great historical mind as our teacher.

* Mr. Joel Hunt: Although new to the Upper School, he gives his students interesting stories from his past, and creates a special bond with them. He always pushes us to be the best we can be.

* Mr. Ron Kane: He has such a great bond with his English students, and does more than just teach. As the middle school boys basketball coach and JV boy’s golf coach, he creates a special connection between our two campuses.

* Mr. Eric Kresser: He is always pushing his students and players to their potential. His coaching and teaching styles truly get the best out of us.

* Ms. Rachelle Mays: She always shows her kindness not only to her math students, but to everybody she sees. She loves encouraging students to smile and is always willing to help them.

* Mrs. Suzanne McCambridge: She is the source of morality here at the Upper School, as her selfless efforts in being the advisor for the Honor Council make Benjamin a better place.

* Ms. Carol McGrath: She always prepares her students to the utmost extent for whatever assessment is looming. Ms. McGrath shows how much she cares about her students day in and day out as she always offers extra help and encouragement.

* Ms. Sara Misselhorn: NHS is one of the most active clubs on campus, and its incredible leadership and ability to have little conflict is largely in part due to Ms. Misselhorn.

* Mr. Jason Peck: A great English teacher, the school plays would not be as entertaining without Mr. Peck's dedication and direction.

* Ms. Debra Perretta: The Benjineers have had incredible success over the past few years, including an appearance at World’s last year. None of this would be possible without her support and leadership.

* Mrs. Amanda Pierman: Without her constant reminders of student IDs, chewing gum, and uniform reminders, our school would lack the high standards that make us Nulli Secundus.

* Mrs. Denise Polidori: She always finds a way to make her classes enjoyable with activities, especially in AP Statistics. Using real-life examples of different scenarios to understand probabilities and other statistics allows us to better understand the material.

* Mr. Ken Posner: Although he was in Scotland to start off the year, Mr. Posner came in as a new teacher late and shows enthusiasm for the material he teaches.

* Ms. Laura Priola: Everyone on campus adores her “brain breaks.”

We appreciate her ability to understand that it's difficult to sit through a block class without any distractions.

* Mr. Ron Ream: He brings forth incredible energy as the face of our Friday assemblies with “TGIF.” He always finds a way to be creative and exciting.

* Mr. Michael Ruggie: All of Mr. Ruggie’s students want to get on the Wall of Shame, but -- thankfully -- his tests are hard enough that this doesn't happen often. Thanks for keeping us always wanting more.

* Mrs. Sara Salivar: Along with being a great Spanish teacher, Mrs. Salivar is the teacher for the Dazzlers. They would not be the same without her.

* Dr. Jade-Elizabeth Smith: She is very easy to talk to and always looking to help her students. She always makes a positive impact in the classroom.

* Mrs. Emilie Solomon: She students enjoy her science classes as she gives them an interesting view on biology. In her classes, she tells stories about her adventures in marine biology, which makes her the perfect science teacher for Benjamin.

* Mr. Rich Soviero: Mr. Soviero’s extensive knowledge of computer science allows his students to have an interactive learning experience. He makes working with computers a lot simpler than it looks, which is really appreciated by students.

* Mrs. Meghan Steiner: She treats her students like they are her friends. She is always cracking jokes with her students while also teaching them how to write essays and analyze novels. She is always a bright spot on a students schedule as she is always there for her students.

* Ms. Renee Szeliga: Ms. Szeliga’s teaching styles are unlike any other teacher. She uses a combination of songs, projects, jingles to help her students understand the material to the best of their ability.

* Mrs. Mirasol Tejera-Mede: Though students dread detentions, Mrs. Tejera-Mede makes a punishment feel like an opportunity. She makes us all feel watched, even when she isn't our teacher.

* Mrs. Sharon Wendler: She is one of the most selfless teachers at the school, exemplified not only by her kind-hearted nature whether she’s teaching freshman or AP Lang, but also through her leadership in the Red Cross Club.

* Mr. Graham Wik: He focuses everyday on helping his students achieve their goals. Mr. Wik offers Zoom reviews every night before a test, showing his pure dedication to teaching economics. Mr Wik also offers helpful insight to the very successful students of the Fiance Club.

* Mr. Fletcher Carr: Not only is he an incredible leader at the Upper School, but The Pharcyde is also grateful for him being our most active reader. He spends countless school hours at his desk, in meetings, and doing everything possible to make this the best high school it can be.

* Mr. Kevin Jacobsen: Although he is viewed by many as the “menacing” Dean of Students, Mr. Jacobsen is one of the coolest guys on campus.

* Mrs. Anna Wright, Mrs. Bekka Goldberg, Mr. Juan Alvarez, and Mrs. Adria Carr: Many other schools in the area do not have the privilege to have the support in the college process that we have here. You help us cross the finish line with confidence and pride.

* Dr. Renea Yates and Mrs. Melissa Rizzitano: They provide support for students whenever they may need it. We are incredibly lucky to have two such supporting people in Building One.

* Mrs. Marybeth Donaldson: If you’re ever feeling sick or get hurt during the day, she is the one to go to. She will take care of you and get you back on your feet in no time at all.

* Mrs. Lisa Badolati and Mrs. Lola Arbuzow

The US always has something going on, and seemingly behind the scenes, they are there for it all and are key for the school to run smoothly.

* Mr. Ryan Smith, Mr. Dave Bailey, Mrs. Alex Clark and Mr. Fred German

All of the athletic teams around the school are incredibly productive; they wouldn’t be without the incredible work of these four beacons of support.

* The World's Best Facilities Team: Seemingly behind the scenes, the facilities team is incredibly important for all of the ins-and-outs of the school. Performances could not happen without them.

* Our Heroic Security Team: We are so incredibly thankful for the security team, as they undoubtedly give us a sense of security upon driving in and out of school everyday.

* Mr. Dave Faus

When he joined Benjamin a few years ago, he immediately made an impact on the community. He has been a great Head of School these last few years and Benjamin is lucky to have him.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Charlie Spungin, Editor-in-Chief

Joey Tomassetti, Managing Editor

Eclaire Solano, Photography Editor

Matt Marasco, Sports Editor

STAFF WRITERS

Cameron Bitove

Atticus Fasanakis-Nosal

Ella Thomas Reid Waxman

Jackson Zentner

MISSION STATEMENT

GENERAL

The Pharcyde, the Upper School newspaper of The Benjamin School, is published seven times a year. 500 copies of The Pharcyde are distributed to 472 students and 70 faculty members and are available in the Upper School office.

The Pharcyde encourages submission of Letters to the Editor. Send your feedback, criticism, or outside opinions in 150 words or fewer to charles.spungin23@thebenjaminschool.org.

The Pharcyde reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar, and clarity.

ADVERTISEMENTS

The price of a quarter-page advertisement is $30/issue. The price of a business card advertisement is $15/issue.

If you or anyone you know would like to place an advertisement in The Pharcyde, please contact Joey Tomassetti, joseph. tomassetti24@thebenjaminschool.org.

OPINION

The opinion articles in this paper are the opinion of the writer or the majority opinion of The Pharcyde Editorial Board. They are not the opinion of The Benjamin School or our advertisers.

QUOTATION POLICY

Anyone interviewed by The Pharcyde will have the chance to correct and edit their quotations before the paper goes to press. If they would like to change their interview before the quote confirmations get sent out, they can contact the student who interviewed them and ask to redo the interview.

MEMBERSHIP

The Pharcyde is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, American Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

The Pharcyde is a student newspaper produced to foster an open dialogue about topics that relate to The Benjamin School. The issues that appear throughout our pages may be light-hearted or serious, but regardless we aim to reflect the diversity of opinion within our school that we value so deeply.

Too Much is Too Much: The Glaring Club Issues at Benjamin

By Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief

Everyone knows that clubs are an incredibly important part of college applications. When looking up the importance of clubs to colleges via their common data set, extracurriculars are almost always a very important or important part of the admissions process. Given this, only good can come from clubs, right? Unfortunately, it seems like that’s not the case. Benjamin is running into this issue head-on: there are too many clubs here, as it appears students become obsessed with strengthening their college applications.

Benjamin currently has 62 clubs distributed among its 4 Community Block periods. Upper School Dean of Students Mr. Kevin Jacobsen admitted “it’s too many.” With 473 Upper School students, Benjamin has a 7.6:1 student to club ratio. Essentially, if every student joined one club, each club would have a population of 7. To put this number into perspective, the University of Florida has 34,881 students for its 950 clubs and organizations, putting its ratio at 36.7:1, nearly a 5 times difference.

Of course, students do not join merely one club here. According to a survey sent out by The Pharcyde with 35 respondents, 19 students responded that they are active in three or four clubs, oftentimes ones that are similar. Three to four clubs seems to be a manageable number of clubs to join. Anything at five or above does not give the student sufficient time to devote to their clubs. The Princeton Review suggests that students pick quality over quantity in terms of clubs.

“Attend your school’s club fair at the beginning of the year, choose two to three clubs that you truly enjoy, and focus on those. You don’t want to be a dilettante who does a little bit of a lot of things. Instead, think about what really piques your interest, and pursue just a few things,” the renowned educational services company wrote in their article titled “How Important Are High School Clubs?”

The Princeton Review suggests keying in on a particular subject or two that a student has a passion for. This is undoubtedly the case, but there are certainly clubs here at Benjamin that could be combined into one. There are many community service clubs here on campus, and while that’s great, there should be a limit.

Students Against Lupus and Students Against Melanoma are both incredible clubs in their own right, bringing about awareness for very important issues and diseases. But why couldn’t these clubs come together and promote additional diseases? Place of Hope and Speak Up for Kids both are separate in their own ways and goals, but that doesn’t mean that there cannot be just one club that brings together this idea of helping children in Palm Beach County.

Yet another issue with Benjamin’s clubs is that students seek to abuse their potential strength for their college applications. In the same The Pharcyde poll as the one listed above, 28 of 32 students answered “Yes” to “Have you personally joined a club in hopes that it will make your college application stronger?” While students should be joining clubs for their true passions, it seems like people do it as an obligation in order to increase their chances of getting into their dream school. Luckily, or perhaps un-

luckily for some, colleges are aware that students are doing this, hence their desire to find a true commitment rather than a list of clubs under the Activities section on the Common Application.

“Being involved in ten clubs that don’t do anything does nothing for you in the application process, other than just show that you’re going to a lot of meetings,” Director of College Counseling Mrs. Anna Wright said. “Being involved in one club that has an impact can be a big, big change maker in the application process.”

With 62 different clubs, there are seemingly infinite options for students to join a club and become an officer to try to make it seem like they’re making a difference. Fun fact, it likely doesn’t. “Even there are kids who have leadership titles that don’t do anything. ‘I’m vice president of this club. The club doesn’t do anything.’ Well, that doesn’t mean anything,” Mrs. Wright explained. Her point is valid, too. With all due respect, does the Vice President of Classics Club actually do a lot? So many clubs here at Benjamin have a Treasurer seemingly unnecessarily. Clubs cannot collect monetary funds through fundraisers due to school policy, and most clubs don’t have club fees; why even have a Treasurer?

The Community Block period also seems unnecessary for clubs. 68% of 34 students responded that the clubs of which you are a member are active outside of mandatory Community Block hours. According to this data, the supermajority of clubs meet outside of the Community Block period, meaning that a large portion of the clubs do not need the Community Block period. While the period adds structure, clubs should be

able to schedule their own meetings on their own terms because that’s how it is in college. There’s no University Dean saying that clubs need to meet at this time. The clubs that don’t meet outside of this Community Block could either be merged with another, eliminated, or encouraged to begin meeting outside of this period.

During the 2020-21 school year, Community Block -- or then referred to as Activity period -- found itself in the schedule at the end of the day. This allowed students to leave school in place of attending their clubs, resulting in the administration moving it to the middle of the school day (along with the waning impact of COVID-19). The bigger issue here is that students didn’t have the motivation to attend their club’s meetings. Students should feel the compulsion to go to their meetings regardless of when it meets. Since they should have joined their clubs because it’s something that they enjoy, there should be no need to push students to go to their clubs, whether the meetings be before school, after school, during lunch, or at another point.

Colleges want to see leadership in their students. A large part of being a leader and the head of a club should be scheduling meetings, and Community Block takes away this opportunity. Sure, it creates structure, but it also limits the ability in which a club can spread its wings. Seemingly, the entire purpose of clubs should be to encourage students to indulge in their passions and grow as leaders. Community Block unfortunately limits this.

The culture of clubs here at Benjamin has seemingly become a toxic yet limiting one. The sheer quantity of clubs results in selfishness and unfair desire, as students compete to climb to strengthen their college applications. In the midst of this, they are seemingly restricting their ability to become the best version of themselves and truly immersing themselves in their passions and leadership ability. To some students here, consider what’s best: being you or trying to impress the college. There’s a better option, but the choice is yours.

Why Aren’t Students Comfortable Around Their Teachers?

By Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor

Are you scared of your teachers? There’s truly no reason to be. A teacher’s top priority is to help you achieve whatever goals you have, and to make it easy for you to do so. It feels like most students view their teachers as tyrannical figures that are standing in the way of their dreams. You shouldn’t be afraid of your teachers, as you can only get as much out of them as you allow yourself to.

A student’s high school years are their last four years of organized school. After graduation, students will never experience scheduled advisory periods, assemblies, or club periods again. At The Benjamin Upper School, club periods are frequently used by students to go catch up on work, go see their teachers, or hang out with friends.

Visiting teachers during these free periods will be one of the parts of high school that is most missed by upcoming college students. Most professors at universities do not offer extra help before or after classes.

Instead, professors often propose office hours. According to Cornell University’s Learning Strategies Center, office hours are times in which students can meet with their professors and teaching assistants to discuss the material being presented in class or other related interests they have.

Though the idea of office hours sounds like a golden opportunity for students, they are often not as great as they seem. It does not exactly give students the opportunity to see their professors at any time they want. Rather, office hours are scheduled for a particular day in advance. For ex-

ample, if a student has an essay due before the designated office hours day, they may not be able to get extra help from their professor, depending on that professor’s schedule.

Here at the Upper School, only about 15% of students go see their teachers two to four times a week. Though that may not seem like an alarming number at first glance, you would expect more from students who go to Benjamin. For a school that offers challenging, college preparatory classes, it is not sustainable to not go see your teachers.

For example, if you have an upcoming test and you do not have a great understanding of the material, would it not make sense to go see your teacher? Why risk getting a bad grade on that test, especially when you have the chance to prevent yourself from getting a bad grade in the first place? Teachers are here to help you, so there is no reason to not feel comfortable visiting them.

It is not only visiting teachers that students are scared of. There is also a significant lack of communication. We all know the feeling of forgetting to do your homework. Sitting in the classroom, everyone pulling out their homework while you sit there embarrassed that you did not remember the assignment, anxiety setting in. Your teacher is sitting at their desk, about to come around and make sure everyone did their work.

Students in this scenario have a few different options. They can do anything from copying someone else’s, hiding in the bathroom while she comes around, or just telling their teacher the truth. Here at the Upper School, about 51% of students tell their teacher the truth. This is a number that is way too low. Only good things come with telling the truth. Depending on the teacher, you may

even be able to turn it in a day late for partial credit. Remember, points are better than no points.

It is one thing to be scared of your teacher being mad at you for not doing your homework, but the fact that it is completely in your control makes it even more ridiculous. If you copy someone else’s work, you are breaking the Honor Code. If you hide in the bathroom, it makes it even more humiliating for you. Instead, just own up to your mistake and tell your teacher the truth. An important part of becoming an adult is admitting when you are wrong. Teachers will not punish you more than you will punish yourself for not doing your homework and lying about it.

Another common presumption of teachers by students is that they are “unfair.” Any time a teacher assigns a lot of homework, grades harshly, etc., students immediately think they are making it harder for them on purpose. Though this may be partially true, it is never out of spite or pure tyranny. They are only trying to push you to be the best student you can possibly be.

In an Op-Ed by edweek.org, treating students “equally” can only be fair if all students begin at the same starting point and can achieve success with the exact same opportunity, treatment, access, and resources. Unfortunately, not every student can start from the place or be given the same opportunity.

Instead of just accepting the fact that every student’s situation is different, students will blame teachers for not treating them fairly in comparison to their classmates. Again, teachers do not want you to fail. They will do everything in their power to help you succeed. But every student’s path to success is different, with some being easier than others. Trusting your teachers is an important part of

achieving this success.

Some people may argue that certain teachers have favorite students and tend to treat them with more respect. Though some teachers may have stronger relationships with some of their students, it does not mean that they treat them more fairly than their other students. Teachers want all of their students to be great and are willing to help their students achieve whatever goals they have.

All in all, there is no reason to be afraid of your teachers. As long as you utilize them and their time correctly, be honest with them, and give them the trust and respect they deserve, there should be no rift in your student-teacher relationship. Keep this in your thoughts whenever a problem arises: teaching is not necessarily easier than learning, and teachers do their best, just as we do.

Top Gun: Maverick Claims the Title of “Movie of the Year”

No one expected much from the Top Gun sequel–and so its soaring global success came as a complete surprise. It was an emotional experience and a one of a kind film. Overall, it made about $1.5 billion in the world box office, including about $720 million in the U.S.

Depp v. Heard Takes Over the Internet

In one of the most talked-about trials of the decade, actor Johnny Depp sued his ex Amber Heard in a Virgina Court for defamation after Heard accused Depp of abusing her. What came next was an absolute media circus, complete with around-the-clock coverage of the trial and countless TikTok memes. Depp ultimately won the case, but time will tell how the trial will impact the actor’s career.

Los Angeles Rams Win Their Second Super Bowl in Franchise History, First Since 2000

In March of 2021, the Rams agreed to what would become one of their biggest trades in franchise history: acquiring quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Lions. Stafford and superstar wide receiver Cooper Kupp would go on to lead the Rams to a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56.

Russia Invades Ukraine

On Feb. 24th, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. In the morning of the 24th, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” aiming for the “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine.

The Wordle Craze

Who knew a spelling game could become so popular? That is, of course, until Wordle came on to the scene. The game, which was eventually acquired by The New York Times, is a guessing game that involves picking the right five-letter word and was arguably the most talked-about mobile game of the year.

The World Says Farewell to Queen Elizabeth

On Sept. 8, the world mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II. The longest reigning monarch in British history, the Queen’s story has been immortalized in countless pieces of pop culture, from film to music.

Season Four of Stranger Things Is Big Summer Hit

‘80s nostalgia was all the rage in 2022, thanks in no small part to Netflix’s Stranger Things.

The fan-favorite series aired its fourth season this summer, and it is must-watch television for anyone who loves vintage pop culture or the spookily supernatural.

Team USA Gives Americans a Wild Ride in FIFA World Cup Soccer, or futból, is the most popular sport in the world, and for good reason. People from across the globe tuned into the Fifa World Cup in Qatar, with America’s very own Team USA giving people some great moments to remember. Team USA advanced to the Knockout Stage (round of sixteen) for the first time since 2010.

You

Elon Musk Makes Big Splash, Buys Twitter

When Elon Musk announced in April that he planned to pay $44 billion for Twitter, many were skeptical that the deal would even be completed. But once that officially happened in October, chaos ensued.

Bulldogs Take Home 2022 National Championship

With fifth-year junior and quarterback Stetson Bennet IV at the helm, the number three ranked Georgia Bulldogs defeated the number one-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18. Alabama had had Georgia’s number for the last decade or so, but Georgia had plans to rewrite that script and greatly succeeded.

Jayhawks Survive March

Though they were a one seed, sas when making their brackets. other schools like Gonzaga, Baylor, diately counted out the Jayhawks. proved wrong when Kansas beat national championship game,

Marvel Produces a Trio Doctor Strange in the Multiverse and Thunder, and Black Panther: came to theaters this year. They most popular Marvel movies Marvel nonetheless.

Boston Celtics Legend Bill er-Lasting Effect on Basketball Bill Russell, the cornerstone that won nine straight titles and career, passed away on July 31.

African American player to be Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.

Colorado Avalanche Dethrone TwoTime Reigning Champion Lightning

Many people quickly picked the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup, based on their recent dominance. Stellar play from Cale Makar helped the Avalanche upset the Lightning in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.

Minions: The Rise of Gru Comes With Interesting Trend

In the sequel to Minions (2015), Minions: The Rise of Gru brings the minions back to theaters. But with this film came one of the strangest trends you’ll ever see: people arriving to watch the movie in suits. The trend started as a way for Gen Z’ers to express their appreciation for the Minions franchise, which many of them grew up with.

Roe v. Wade Overturned

Golden State Warriors

Win Their Fourth

Cham-

Things Missed 2022

March Madness Gauntlet

seed, most people overlooked Kanbrackets. They looked at the talent of Baylor, and Arizona and immeJayhawks. Well, these people were beat eighth-seeded UNC in the game, their first title since 2008.

Trio of Successful Movies

Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love Panther: Wakanda Forever all They may not have been the ever released, but they are

Bill Russell Leaves EvBasketball World of the Boston Celtics dynasty and eleven overall during his 31. Russell became the first be inducted into the Naismith 1975.

For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade guaranteed the legal right to terminate a pregnancy within the first two trimesters, or up to fetal viability. Then, this year, the Supreme Court decided 5-4 to overturn this ruling, with immediate consequences. As of today, abortion is banned in eight states while 36 states have restrictions depending on the point in pregnancy.

Houston Astros Win Their First World Series Since Cheating

Scandal

After quickly becoming one of the most-hated teams in all of sports, the Houston Astros did something that not a lot of people thought they were capable of doing: winning without cheating. The Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games in the World Series, ending the Phillies’ historic Cinderella run.

Will Smith “Claps” Back at Chris Rock During Oscars

Before accepting the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film King Richard, Will Smith suddenly rushed on stage and slapped host Chris Rock in the face after he made a rude joke about Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The “slap heard around the world” was a topic of endless debate and earned Smith a ten-year ban from the Oscars.

NFL “GOAT” Tom Brady and Supermodel Gisele Bundchen Divorce

After 13 Years of Marriage

On Oct. 28, Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen officially filed for divorce. The pair filed similar messages on Instagram saying that “co-parenting” would be their top priority. They had two children together, Benjamin (12) and Vivian (9). They also parent Brady’s first child Jack (15), who he had with former girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.

pionship in Eight Years

After missing the playoffs the last two seasons, the Golden State Warriors proved to the world that they are still one of the best teams in basketball.

Led by two-time MVP Stephen Curry, the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals. Curry received his first career Finals MVP in the winning effort.

Robb Elementary School Shooting

The events that took place in Uvalde, Texas on May 24 made headlines for months afterwards. This was largely due to the ages of those involved, the delayed response by the police, and the number of lives lost. In the aftermath, those in favor of stricter gun laws pointed out that few other countries have such high rates of gun violence, while opponents focused instead on mental health issues.

Andor Represents Lucasfilm’s Latest Project

With the Star Wars saga (three trilogies) no longer extending its storyline, Disney has turned to short series to keep their viewers engaged. Almost everyone loves Star Wars, so Andor has received some very high ratings thus far. People do love their Star Wars!

Vibraphones, Violins, and Vocals: Winter Music Festival a Success

Matt Marasco Sports Editor

As the winter season begins, the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools music ensembles put on a performance in Benjamin Hall that put everyone in a jolly mood on Fri. Dec. 2. With many members from the Benjamin community in attendance, none of the performances disappointed.

As the night progressed, more and more audience members became impressed with the sheer level of talent the students showed. Upper School Music Director Mrs. Kirkland Austin believes that the performance was a success, but they can always improve as a group.

“I think the Winter Music Festival went extremely well. Looking at where our students were at the beginning of semester and where they are now, I am really proud of their growth and progression. For me, I was extremely nervous as this was my first showing of my work at Benjamin. There were many takeaways from this performance that I would like to do better upon next semester,” said Mrs. Austin.

The Upper School Performance Ensemble performed many holiday themed songs including

“Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire,” “Silent Night,” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Many students in the band value performing in the Winter Music Festival, as it gives them a chance to learn how to play songs that they

have heard on the radio many times.

“My favorite piece was ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ by Mariah Carey. I liked that piece since it was fun to learn and know how to play. I think the Winter Music Festival was a success as the band performed all the songs very well. It is always a blast to play with my friends and watch the other performances when I could,” said junior Tristan Mack.

The Upper School Strings Ensemble also performed some holiday themed songs, which featured ‘Something in My Memory’ (Home Alone) and ‘Carol in the Bells.’ Although a small group, the strings ensemble packs a punch when they play on stage.

“We were all very prepared since we practiced hard in school and out of school. We did well as a small group as we talk a lot which permits us to know each other's strengths. I think the Winter Music Festival was

very fun to perform in,” said junior Keane Adam.

Head of Upper School Mr. Fletcher Carr was one of the many fans of the Winter Music Festival, and one of his favorite parts is that the whole school can come together to watch a wide range of students perform.

“The one-school initiative is where we want to have all the performers from both campuses come together as many times as possible throughout the school year. These performances show how kids are doing from all three divisions of the school. I also think it's important that we celebrate the holidays together,” said Mr. Carr.

The whole school coming together to put on the Winter Music Festival was a delightful spectacle. As the one-school initiative comes more and more into effect, Benjamin students hope to see more performances like this one in the future.

It’s The Holiday Season Again: Nutcracker Returns to the Upper School

Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor

For the second year in a row, the Nutcracker will be coming to Benjamin Hall. On Fri., Dec. 9 from 10:50 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the Dazzlers, the middle school Sparklers, and a select group of Lower School students will be joining the Vero Beach Ballet company to present The Nutcracker on the Indian River.

The Nutcracker ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Although what is seen on stage today is different from the original story, the basic plot remains the same; The story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

Unlike last year, this will be the first act of The Nutcracker instead of the second act. If students or faculty would like to watch the entire performance, there will be another showing Friday evening.

“It is a very different twist on the traditional Nutcracker, including a theme of South Florida flora and fauna,” said Head of the Fine Arts Department Mrs. Sara Salivar, who is overseeing the performance. “We are so thrilled to bring it to our beautiful Benjamin Hall.”

Mrs. Salivar discusses the importance of bringing the Nutcracker to Benjamin.

“Performing The Nutcracker was

Annual Holiday Assembly Brings Holiday Spirit to Benjamin As Semester Closes

Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief

On Dec. 6, the School’s annual Holiday Assembly took place with a bevy of speakers and performers to honor the holiday season, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

The Assembly opened with a performance by the Dazzlers, performing ‘Run, Run, Reindeer’, followed by senior Arianna Ferry, who spoke about her Christmas traditions with her Colombian family. Then, science teacher Mrs. Emilie Solomon talked about the importance of family. Ms. Sara Misselhorn also spoke about the importance of family, mentioning the role that her grandmother played in her holiday traditions.

“I reflected on my past Christmases and what they mean to me,” she said. “Family means a lot during the holiday times, and knowing that there’s loved ones around you, wherever it may be, and however it may be, is a key part to the holiday season.”

Members of the Honor Council, sophomore Victoria Powell, junior

Zariah Hands, and freshman Chancellor Reddick spoke up Kwanzaa traditions, followed by the chorus singing ‘White Winter Hymnal’. The later ensemble performances, including the ones by the Chamber Ensemble’s ‘Somewhere in My Memory’ and the Ensemble Band’s of ‘Mariah Carey Medley’, had already been prepared for the Winter Musical Festival.

“Each one of the ensembles that performed we were doing songs from our winter repertoire, meaning it’s the songs that we were working on for our Winter Concert,” Music Director Mrs. Kirkland Austin said. “Mainly, we were preparing for that concert and then we just pulled out the best out of each ensembles.”

Sophomore Jonathan Vidal spoke about Hanukkah and traditions he celebrates with his family. Vidal spoke on behalf of the Jewish Student Union.

“I wanted to talk about Judaism because I think it’s a really big part of the school, and many kids in this school are Jewish, so I really think it’s a part we have to address and cel-

ebrate,” Vidal said.

Science Department Chair Dr. James Haley is the main organizer of the annual assembly, responsible for finding students and teachers to speak during the assembly. He has been at the head of the assembly since the beginning of the tradition since 2017.

Head of Upper School Mr. Fletcher Carr was also a catalyst for the start of the Holiday Assembly. When he first arrived at the Upper School, there was no Assembly, but he and other faculty members found the motivation to help create one.

“I think some of the teachers who either had come relatively recently to Benjamin had also been at schools who had [the Holiday Assembly]. It seemed like a nice thing to recognize the various faiths and try to put something together that recognizes the important part of the annual calendar.”

Dr. Haley felt that the Assembly was a success for 2022. In its 6th

BTV) year, Dr. Haley always finds the fin ished product of the Assembly to be incredible.

“I thought it went well,” Dr. Ha ley said. “I really always enjoy the speeches, and this year was no excep tion. I continue to be impressed with the student performances, so I was really happy with that.”

Senior Owen Nutter, who emceed the event, feels like the Holiday As sembly should keep its place in the annual schedule because of its festive spirit towards the end of the semester. He was not alone, either. His teach er, Mrs. Austin, agreed because it’s a good break during a time “when ev eryone is so stressed.”

“I think it’s a good way to get in the good spirits,” Nutter said. “In school, you don’t normally think of excitement or holiday or anything, but it’s a good way to bring the school and family close together and get ev eryone in the spirit for the break.”

always a tradition for me. Like most dancers, I started as a little mouse and every year moved up to bigger and more challenging roles. I have always wanted our TBS dancers to experience the excitement of performing in this ballet, and to bring The Nutcracker to our TBS students and community,” said Mrs. Salivar.

“When the opportunity came, I was so happy to be able to partner with Ballet Vero Beach. This is the first year we will bring the full ballet to Benjamin Hall and I am hopeful that our TBS community will enjoy this timeless story. The music is amazing. Who doesn’t get swept up with the music of Tchaikovsky from the introduction to the last curtain call?’ added Mrs. Salivar.

In regards to practice, Mrs. Salivar explains that they have been rehearsing for almost two months.

“The ballet master, Adam Schnell from Vero Beach, has come to our campus and to the Lower School campus to set the parts for each group. The main dancing will be performed by the professional dancers of Ballet Vero Beach, but the Dazzlers, the Sparklers and the Lower School students will add the charm that only children and younger students can bring to The Nutcracker,” said Mrs. Salivar.

Is there a better way to kick off the holiday season than a performance of one of the most iconic Christmas stories?

The Dazzlers performed 'Run, Run, Rudolph' at the beginning of the Winter Music Festival. Their festive reindeer costumes made their performance all that much better.

(Photo by Charlie Spungin)

Head of Upper School Mr. Carr delivered a warming speech about the upcoming Holiday Break as well as motivating students to do well on their midterm exams.

(Photo courtesy from

Music Director Mrs. Kirkland Austin conducts the Upper School performance ensemble performed many holiday-themed songs. (Photo by Eclaire Solano)

Art Basel Trip Exposes AP Classes to New Works, Creators

Ella Thomas Staff Writer

No, it is not pronounced Art Basil, like the herb, unfortunately. The title has more of a snobbish Boston accent to it: baaaahsil. Started in the 1970s as a new, up and coming art fair, Art Basel remains to be one of the largest and most profiting modern art fairs in the world with locations in Basel, Switzerland, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and, now this year, Paris.

The show originated in Basel, Switzerland, hence the name, and now attracts visitors from over 20 countries each year. A collection of students from art classes received the opportunity to attend Art Basel in Miami for free! Navigating the enormous and intertwining maze of the galleries in South Beach, Miami was quite an experience, especially for me as an aspiring artist.

I appreciated the space filled with like-minded people I often brushed

up against. My bag would accidentally hit someone as they walked past talking about the influences of Jean-Michael Basquiat on a new and coming artist based out of Mexico. I would occasionally turn a corner on a couple talking in French or Portuguese (who knows about what). The geographical range of people in one room felt very natural since they were all in one place for one thing: the art.

Although my class immediately scrambled to find food after our three-hour-long bus ride, Art Basel is not known for its food, it is known for its immense and valuable display of modern and contemporary art. This means that the collection of art is recent, within the last five to ten years, where people put together “pop-up shops” of their best work. People from all over the area, and world, come to visit artists, negotiate deals, and view for personal pleasure (as I found myself doing). I would step into a room, and hear a deal of over $80,000 being settled for a chandelier comprised of five glass balls.

I know what you’re thinking. . .

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Modern art is notoriously known for its “I could have done that” remark.

The famous banana taped to a wall at the MoMA or the blank canvas by Yves Klein that sold for $1 million is known as the question to the line of what makes something rise to the level of what we consider Art.

In this gallery, however, I found myself blown away by the uniqueness and originality of each piece. I felt that each piece had a reason to be displayed and conversed about.

I encountered a very large bowl of eggs and was deliberately warned to not get too close as if I could even lift one of the huge eggs in the bowl.

ing in a space with like-minded people who can take the abstractness and appreciate it made me feel like I belonged in this gallery and also made the art seem more valuable. Walking alongside my friends, I was able to spark interesting conversations as to their thoughts and what they think the purpose is of a large bowl of eggs.

As my class, AP Art History, strolled through the gallery, we pointed out characteristics of artists we have learned about such as Jean-Michael Basquiat and Edward Hopper. As we drove past the design district of Miami, we saw the One Thousand Museum on Biscayne Boulevard designed by a futurist architect, Zaha Hadid, also in our curriculum.

now able to trace modern art back to and see the influences.

In fact, what was very interesting to see was the works from our 250-works of art in class manipulated and warped. For example, a copy of the famous work by Edward Hopper called Nighthawks was burnt and bent to look three-dimensional. Artists took the concept of Picasso’s ‘cubism’ and made sculptures rather than paintings. Having this knowledge from one of my favorite classes, it made the trip much more valuable and educational.

Walking through a sea of the most interesting people in a conglomeration of the most interesting artists was revolutionary in my path as an aspiring artist. The diversity of the pieces in one space was inspiring and the most unique experience I’ve had with art. Even if you are not affiliated with an art class or art passion, this collection of contemporary art is enough to speak to even the most unimaginitve people. This sculpture struck my eye as I had never seen such ordinary objects turned into sculptures. This sculpture illuminated the entire bay in which it sat.

We found a wall covered in balled-up paint which looked like a bunch of intestines thrown on a wall. I turned the corner to uncover a series of posters painted of Gumby.

In fact, being surrounded by people who appreciate this abstract art just as much as I do was refreshing; I didn’t have to hear the frequent demeaning questions and critiques about each work. Sculptures built from materials such as chizzeled wood, lampshades, and string demonstrate the ability to take something ordinary and spin it into a visual pleasure. Be-

Dr. Haley’s Hot Take

Swift’s New Album Excellent, Singer "genius"

verted back to pop.

On the whole, this new album is outstanding. At the top of the pack has to be “Karma,” which packs a punch in terms of its zippy melodies and great lyrics. Karma as a concept has a bad reputation. “That’s karma,” normally refers to when people are punished by fate for their poor choices. But Swift’s conception of karma is all positive – “breeze in my hair on the weekend” or “cat purring in my lap.” Another favorite is “Anti-hero,” featuring Swift at her most introspective, and her observations are hardly charitable: “I’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.”

Having this knowledge of the basis of art is a unique and philosophical experience as we walked around the room. Although our curriculum has not reached contemporary art yet, our knowledge of the Renaissance, Gothic era, and Egyptian period are examples of time periods that I am

What Makes Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Marvel’s Premier 2022 Film?

Dr. James Haley Reniassance Man

The awesome responsibility of reviewing a Taylor Swift album is not lost on me. Her legions of fans (of which I am one) are passionate about her music and not afraid to share their opinions. On the continuum of Swift fans, I should share my perceived location. I would not consider myself a “Swiftie.” I do not follow Swift on any social media and have not been to any of her concerts. I didn’t even know her new album was coming out until my students informed me. That said, I love her music. She is definitely my favorite artist. So read on knowing that I am hardly an impartial reviewer. However, I think it is always fair to be critical when warranted, even (and perhaps especially) with someone you adore.

Taylor Swift is a musical genius whose style continues to evolve in interesting ways. Her early songs

are still the only country music that I will tolerate. From there, she moved to pop, most notably in 1989, which may, in addition to Lover, still be my favorite album. I was highly skeptical when she then transitioned to the airy and wistful folk music exhibited in Folklore and Evermore, which belies the emphatic and unyielding

Over the years we’ve been privy to Swift’s extensive observations about relationships but no song has ever felt as personal or vulnerable as this one. Capping my favorites is “Vigilante Shit,” a delicious fantasy about exacting revenge, reminiscent of her excellent “No Body, No Crime” from Evermore.

Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made its theatrical debut on Nov. 11.

The sequel to 2018’s Black Panther, this film follows Wakanda following the death of T’Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman.

With the Black Panther gone from Wakanda, global powers are pressuring the technologically-advanced nation to share their vibranium. They are actively seeking vibranium in the Atlantic Ocean, infringing upon Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and the Talokanil people’s underwater territory.

Namor blames the Wakandans for global powers seeking Wakanda, establishing the conflict of the film.

Shuri’s (Letitia Wright) character growth is at the center of the film and is what makes the film so enjoyable. The protagonist of the film, she must learn to accept Wakandan tradition and become forgiving following Namor’s brutal attack on Wakanda.

to the rise of the conflict with Namor.

“I thought the tribute to Chadwick Boseman was tasteful and emotional. In the opening Marvel scene, they changed it to a Chadwick Boseman tribute,” senior Cal Pirozzi mentioned.

With so much of the film focused on the emotional aspect of the story, however, there is limited action for an action film. It felt like the action was seemingly bland, disregarding the ones with Namor that actually bring forth true excitement with his unique strengths and abilities.

In fact, it is Namor who probably deserved more spotlight in the film. He certainly stole the show at some points during the film. His unique background, motivation, and strength makes him a character that works incredibly well on the big screen. His complexities as a character made him a joy to watch during the film.

tone set in Reputation. I still don’t love those albums (with the exception of the beautiful “Exile” with Bon Iver). So I must say I was more than relieved when in Midnights Swift re-

I do have a problem with this album, and it is not negligible. Swift’s profanity, used sparingly in her earlier work, seems to take front and center stage in Midnights, to the point where I find it distracting and detrimental. Perhaps it reflects her completed transition to adulthood from the innocence of her youth, but it is jarring nonetheless. It also effectively precludes playing this album whenever there are young children in the vicinity, which is a shame, because many of Swift’s fans are parents.

Despite that shortcoming, Swift has produced another winning album, one that I will be listening to for years to come.

With the ability to kill Namor and obtain revenge, will she elect resolution? The answer serves as the film’s tense climax, and the Princess’ choice reshapes the larger Marvel Universe moving forward.

The film presented itself as an incredibly sad, grief-driven film, and understandably so. It took on a very serious tone with multiple deaths being mourned throughout the film.

Within this, Chadwick Boseman was clearly honored throughout the film, as his death ultimately drives the plot of the film. With no Black Panther, Wakanda finds themselves in a difficult international situation, leading

Compared to the other two 2022 Marvel films (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ranks at the top of them. While the previous two films probably find themselves at a rating of around 6/10 or 7/10, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is closer to an 8/10.

The touching, sorrowful nature of the film differed from the two Marvel films from earlier this year, too. This different sense was perhaps more successful than Doctor Strange’s wonkiness and Thor’s (attempted) humor. Not only did it add depth and new aspects to the MCU in various ways, but it also re-established Wakanda as the global superpower of Earth.

“Taylor Swift is a musical genius whose style continues to evolve in interesting ways.”

-Dr. Haley

Although this piece may look large, they were very small, about the size of a computer. The perspective at which I captured the sculpture shows the immense amount of detail and abstraction in the coiling stairs. (Photo by Ella Thomas)

(Photo by Ella Thomas)

Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief

Matt Marasco Sports Editor

TThe NFL season is officially approaching Saturday regular season games, meaning the postseason is rapidly approaching. As any NFL season does, the 2022 season has only brought entertainment. Whether it’s teams going from Super Bowl to bottomfeeders or a team going from a borderline playoff team to being top contenders.

Each team finds itself in a unique situation, one that molds how they approach their team-building. The contenders will seek to add talent now, looking to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The middling teams are looking to sneak into the playoffs and make a run to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, all hope has been lost for the teams at the bottom of the standings. With no chance to make the playoffs, they are geared towards the future and look to build the next NFL dynasty.

These three sections of the NFL categorize the league, as it shapes team’s identities. The Pharcyde examined some of the notable teams who sit within these molds

Contenders

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are currently the AFC favorite to make it to the Super Bowl, as they are currently seeded at the two spot, just below the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs are led by MVP favorite Patrick Mahomes, who is having an outstanding season after losing his top wide receiver Tyreek Hill via trade last offseason. Mahomes currently leads all NFL quarterbacks in passing yards and passing touchdowns. With Tra-

vis Kelce on pace to have his seventh straight 1,000-yard season, the Chiefs are in the driver's seat to make their fifth straight AFC Championship appearance.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills currently hold the one seed in the AFC with the tiebreaker over the Chiefs. Led by quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills look to get their revenge in the postseason this year after losing in a heartbreaker to Kansas City in last year's divisional round. Although their defense is having a solid year, they will take a step back after losing star veteran pass rusher Von Miller, who got injured on Thanksgiving day and is out for the season. With a star-studded receiving core with the likes of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, the Bills should have no problem making a run in the postseason.

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles are having one of the most surprising starts of the year. After acquiring star wide receiver A.J. Brown via trade this offseason, the Eagles were hoping for a spark in their offense. The spark was more of an explosion, as duel-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts has led his offense to be one of the most efficient offenses in the league this year. The mixture of the running game and the nerve-racking passing attack has made the Eagles one of the biggest matchup nightmares of the season. Not only is the offense scary good, but the Eagle's defense also has a very good pass rush as well as having a great passing defense led by star corners Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Hopefully, the Eagles will have better luck in the postseason this year after getting crushed by the Buccaneers last year.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are having an impressive first season

under new coach Kevin O’Connell. With arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, Justin Jefferson, the Vikings have shifted their focus to their passing attack this season, adding tight end T.J. Hockenson via trade in the middle of the season. On the defensive side, the Vikings added pass rusher Za'Darius Smith who has been a presence in the opposing team's backfield almost every game. Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson has also been having a good season with a walk-off interception in a great game against the Bills in Week 10 The Vikings hope to make a postseason push in the desolate NFC side of the playoffs.

Bubble Teams

Los Angeles Chargers: Expectations were incredibly high for the Chargers entering the season, as they were projected to be contenders this season. However, with about 75% of the season complete, it’s clear that they fit more into this bubble team section. Plagued with injuries offensively (particularly to the wide receiver room) and a miserable defense, the Chargers find themselves unfortunately mediocre. Despite adding talents defensively this past offseason like edge Khalil Mack, that side of the ball has struggled to be effective, currently sitting with a bottom five defense on the season.

On the other side of the ball, quarterback Justin Herbert is undeniably an elite talent, but truthfully, he cannot do it all for this team, especially when star wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams catch the injury bug.

Seattle Seahawks: There were many questions about the Seattle Seahawks going into this season. Many fans thought the Seahawks were in a

2022-2023 Winter Art Gallery

clear rebuilding year, but with a great draft class and quarterback Geno Smith having the best season of his career, the Seahawks are looking like they have a strong chance to make it to the postseason. Wide receivers D.K Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have both been having great success this season making for a great 1-2 punch. The Seahawks definitely have some questions on the defensive side of things as they currently are top five in points given up this year, but as long as the offense keeps producing at a high level, Pete Caroll and the Seahawks could see themselves in the playoffs yet again.

Washington Commanders: After starting off the season very slow, the Commanders are on a winning streak as of later after changing quarterbacks from Carson Wentz to Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke, a former XFL quarterback, brings a level of passion to this Commanders team, which resides well with star receiver Terry McLaurin and up-and-coming rookie running back Brian Robinson. After returning pass rusher Chase Young from injury, the Commander's defense has also had some spark as of late, holding the Eagle's offense to just 21 points. Although the Commanders are in a tough division with the likes of the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys, they still are looking like they have a serious chance to contend for an NFC wildcard spot.

Bottomfeeders

Houston Texans: The Texans have been the league’s worst team over the past three seasons. After finishing 4-12 and 4-13 over the past two seasons, the Texans have one win with just a few weeks left in the season. After showing promise in his

first NFL season, Davis Mills has been the worst starting quarterback in the league. The Texans are surely set up to draft a quarterback in this year’s draft, whether it be Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s CJ Stroud. For such a bad team, the hope is that they can strike gold in this year’s draft and get a franchise quarterback.

Los Angeles Rams: After winning last year’s Super Bowl in quarterback Matthew Stafford’s first season in LA, the Rams find themselves at the bottom of the standings without their first round pick, which is projected to place in the top five. Stafford has struggled immensely this season, resulting in the offense taking a clear step back. However, it wasn’t only the offense that faced regression: the defense also took a step back, which can partially be credited to losing players like Von Miller. Regardless, going from Super Bowl to bottomfeeder in one season while maintaining the majority of the team’s core is a very bad look.

Chicago Bears: Although the Bears have been terrible, they have a much brighter future than the Rams do. The Bears have their pick, which is slated to be in the top five (possibly top three), and they have Justin Fields. Over the course of the season, Fields has shown major development and flashed the ability to become a legitimate franchise quarterback for the Bears, something that they have longed for. While the offense has its bright outlook, the defense is certainly in rough shape. After trading star linebacker Roquan Smith, the Bears have blown it up defensively and are looking to start from scratch. With a young roster and a top draft pick, this defense could certainly turn it around.

Let the Awards Fall: Fall Sports Awards Honors Varsity Athletes

Jackson Zentner Staff Writer

The Upper School Fall Sports Awards Ceremony took place on Thurs., Dec. 8. The teams included football, cheerleading, boys’ and girls’ golf, boys’ and girls’ bowling, boys’ and girls’ cross country, boys’ and girls’ swimming, and volleyball.

Head Coach Alexandria Clarke coaches the volleyball team that had a successful season.

MVP: Reese McMillan

MIP: Savannah Thompson

Coach’s Award: Catherine Mulvaney Leadership Award: Kai Haydon

Boys Golf MVP: Pavel Tsar

Coach’s Award: Tyler Bruneau

Boys Bowling MVP: Parker McGraw

Coach’s Award: Jasper Wright

The Pharcyde thanks the faculty and students of the fine arts for their contributions to this semester's art gallery.

Throughout the year you can find more student artwork on our web galleries and as part of our arts coverage on The Pharcyte, located at www.thepharcyte.com.

“The Fall Sports Awards [was] a great celebration of all of our teams’ successes this fall,” says Clarke.

Football Head Coach Eric Kresser led his team back from a rocky start to the season and almost beat the undefeated team, Cardinal Newman, in the regional semi-finals.

“I think the Sports Awards are an important piece to the Athletic Department and the athletes at the school. It gives closure to the season and recaps the season,” Kresser said.

There are two remaining ceremonies this school year for teams with winter and spring seasons.

Cheerleading Captain Award

Olivia Martinez

Izzy Casher

Victoria Powell

Chloe York

Football Captain Award

Micah Mays

Darrell Sweeting

Trakwon Harris

Jacob Cosby-Mosley

Chase Malamala

Jackson Hamilton

Sedrick Clarke

Chauncey Bowens

Girls Bowling

MVP: Abby Spunar MIP: Katia Orsic

Boys Cross Country

MVP: Gavin Venoff

MIP: Cabo Kujawa

Coach’s Award: Caleb Miller

Futures Award: Andrew Schiff, Max Wendler, Paddy Irish

Girls Cross Country

MVP: Ingrid Corpus, Isabelle

Downey, Gracie Greaton, Keira Hodum, Sydney Schiff

Coach’s Award: Ella Greaton MIP: Samantha Hill

Volleyball

MVP: Payton Bryan and Grace Havlicek

Coach’s Award: Sophia Buller and Riley McCaughey

Boys Swimming

MVP: Alex Fleming-Lake MIP: Colby Mack

Girls Swimming

MVP: Allison Kelly and Sarah Napier

Coach’s Award: Sophie Marx, Ella Bailey, Feagin Kaminski, and Melea Morgan

Leaving It All On The Floor Basketball Season Tips Off As Seniors Think Legacies

Reid Waxman Staff Writer

The 2023 Boys Basketball Season is just starting to get underway, with significant expectations to overcome after winning the district championship last year. They look to get back on track to go on and win the district championship again.

Although this year's boys' basketball team has eight seniors, they look to lead this team on their last dance. The seniors this year on the team are Gavin Aydelotte, Walker Buchanan, Leo Byrne, Nico Frezin, Micah Mays, Sanjae Moncrieffe, Julian Provenzano, and Carter Smith.

“I have done a lot of workouts, training, practicing to get myself to the best player I can be,” said Aydelotte. “I feel like I have the confidence to go on the court and win games easier than ever. We could make a run for districts again easily.”

One of the leaders of this team, senior Leo Byrne, sees the leaders of their team try to achieve the best goals possible and better team chemistry than other teams.

“We all generally love each other. We have been together for the past two years, and have all grown close,” said Byrne, “I am trying my hardest in practice, with being a leader on and off the court and playing my role on the team.

Another senior who believes in the leadership that the seniors have is Julian Provenzano.

“The season will go well because we're a very talented team that shoots the ball at a high percentage,” said Provenzano, “We have outstanding senior leadership, with over half of the team being seniors. That experi-

ence gives us an advantage over some of the younger teams we play.”

Senior Nico Frezin sees potential in the team, but it all comes down to execution.

“I think we can do pretty well this season, but it all depends on how we execute and how hard we work as a team. We have the chance to get to states, and have to believe in ourselves,” said Frezin.

Senior Micah Mays sees this team as different from other teams, they simply will not quit in any game, and always keep trying.

“Our team is different because we're a team that will fight in the game no matter how much we're behind, we're a team who believe will always have a shot,” said Mays.

A junior on the team, Christian Balistreri, sees a difference between Benjamin and other schools which is the hard work that the players put in.

On Wed. Dec. 7, Senior Taylor Blackshear scored her 1,000 point during the girls' varsity basketball game against Centennial. Blackshear reached her milestone in front of a home crowd that reacted with elation and excitement for their captain.

I joined the varsity team as a ninth grader. Considering the players who have scored 1,000+ points before me, and knowing how few baskets I hit in 8th grade, I never thought this day would have come. But with the support of coaches, peers, and teachers, I made it to 1,000 points over the years.

Reaching 1,000 points has given me a major uplift in my life right now. As DJ Khalid says, 'For anyone who didn't believe in me God did.'

Special shout outs to Coach Willie and my former coach Pervis for always pushing me from when I first started playing basketball, to my mom and dad for pushing me to do better on and off the court, and to Darrell and Kwon for always urging me to do better when I felt like I should be giving up.

Congratulations, Tay on your accomplishment and for giving us all a reason to cheer every season.

“I think our team is different from other teams because we have hard workers,” said Balistreri, “We have guys in the gym before and after practice who are putting in extra work to have a great season.”

Another junior on the team, D.J. Reyes, differentiates the Benjamin basketball and other school teams based on experience.

“Our team is different from other teams because our team is mostly upperclassmen so we have a lot of experience on the team. We also never put each other down and always pick each other up instead.”

The team hopes to build on what they did last year, being the one seed in regionals and winning districts for the first time in ten years. With losing one senior, the boy’s basketball team is ready to get their momentum back.

Crusaders Over Bucs Football Team Heads Into Off-Season Early As Playoff Dreams Are Spoiled In First Round

Matt Marasco Sports Editor

After a season of ups and downs, the Varsity football team faced off against Cardinal Newman on Fri., Nov. 18. This was a revenge game for the team as they lost to Newman in the regular season by a score of 36-14. The regular season game was rained out at first, followed by the game getting postponed multiple times. The team believes that this game will be more normal, weather-wise, which will make the game closer than their previous matchup.

The team entered the game with high expectations after a week of hard work going up to game day. Head Coach Eric Kresser felt the team was prepared going into the playoffs, but a few calls by the refs and some missed plays hurt their chances of winning. The team ended up coming up short with a loss of 14-6.

“We were expecting to win the game and go into the next week. We fell just a little short, I thought we did everything to win the game but we had some unfortunate calls go their [Newman’s] way, but you cannot leave it up for the refs. We needed to score more points,” said Coach Kresser.

The missed calls by the refs were a key part of the loss to the Crusaders. The refs called a defensive penalty that negated a touchdown for the defense. Junior Adam Mahmoud thinks that the refs were a key part of the loss.

“The refs definitely hurt our chances of winning. Every time we gathered some momentum or had a key play, there was always a flag on the field. I feel like we played a good game, but we need to do better go-

ing forward and not leave it up to the refs,” said Mahmoud.

Team Captain and star offensive lineman Chase Malamala believes the team will be back for revenge next year. He thinks the team will use this game as motivation going forward.

“Of course, a loss like this is heartbreaking especially when we were in the game the entire time, but it provides a lot of motivation for next season and makes us work harder on the field and in the gym and will make us come back with a chip on our shoulder next season,” said Malamala.

Malamala is entering his senior year next season and has high hopes for the team finally achieving its goal of winning a state championship.

“Our expectations are to win a state championship, like it is every year, and to win all of our games. Next season we will have a really talented group of players and I’m really looking forward to what we are going to be able to do,” said Malamala

Although the team is losing some key seniors going into next year, the team is still going to be loaded with talent. The whole Benjamin community hopes the football team will achieve all its goals next year and bring home a state championship.

Queens of the Court Girls Basketball Ready To Reign Buckets

very significant milestone both for her, her peers, and the School (see left).

“Our goal for this season is to get further going into states because we lost to Holy Trinity last year. We are also trying to keep a good record and keep our wins high and losses low to get a better seeding in the playoff bracket. To be a captain is a dream come true because I remember in Freshman year watching the upperclassmen lead the team how they want to and enforce things to make the team better”

Other Senior Captain Ingrid Corpus has been on the girls varsity basketball team since her Freshman year.

Jackson Zentner Staff Writer

The Benjamin Varsity Girls Basketball season is underway and the girls have started the season with six wins and two losses. The team has a young core of players, but they have worked hard to have a winning record.

Coach Willie Shelton has been coaching the team for many years and won the district championship, but took a loss in the regional semi-finals last season. It is a new season which

gives the team another chance for a state championship run.

Star Freshman Karolina Ramirez made six threes in Benjamin’s 68-6 win against Lake Worth Christian.

“I am really excited to see where this season goes and I am just trying to play my game and get the win. My goals for this season are to maintain my starting spot and win the regional championship,” says Ramirez.

Senior Captain Taylor Blackshear just recently hit the 1000-point mark in her high school career, which is a

“I’m very excited to be a captain with Tay this season as we have played together since middle school. We just came off a big win against Cardinal Newman, and with the season getting underway, it was great to see everyone step up and bring a lot of energy to the court. As a captain, I make sure to give my best effort in both practices and games to show that hard work will pay off” exclaims Corpus.

The Benjamin Varsity Girls Basketball team is off to a great start this season and has a very promising future for years to come. The quality young players on the roster should continue to develop, and depite Blackshear's departure shortly, the team will undoubtedly be left in good hands.

Humans of

The Benjamin Upper School

Junior Hannah Beam jumps for the ball during the opening tip against Gulliver Prep on Nov. 15. It was the team's opening game of the season, and the Bucs won 49-36. This was the first win of a 6-3 start for the Bucs, as they show serious promise to be contenders in the district, regional postseason, and possibly beyond.

(Photo by Mr. Franzen)

Senior Gavin Aydelotte dribbles the basketball toward the basket. He is a captain this season, as he hopes to help bring the Benjamin basketball team far into the postseason.

(Photo by Mr. Franzen)

Girls Soccer Kicks Off To Hot Start, Seek Return to State Championship Game

Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief

The girls’ soccer team is off to an incredible start to this season, piggybacking off of last year’s historical season where the team were the state finalists.

The Bucs finished their season with a 16-2-1 record last season, as they fell to Lakeland Christian in the State Championship. This included an 8-0 start with their first loss coming in the 9th game of the season. This season, the team seems to be on a similar track to last year’s campaign, as the Bucs are currently 6-0 and have not allowed a single goal all season.

Because of the level that the team reached last season, opposing teams are going to bring their best every single game this season. Given this, senior and captain Maddie Popilek feels that the team needs to bring it every game.

“A lot of teams are going to want to beat us this year due to our record

last year, but if we play together as a team as best as we can, we can definitely make it far,” she said.

The team chemistry is largely what has made this team so formidable. Freshman Chase Zur, who’s playing varsity for her second straight season, praises the upperclassmen’s leadership ability, as they have helped build a friendly, strong, and unified atmosphere.

“Before every game, the upperclassmen on the team always organize fun games in the locker room where they play music, and we all just talk as a team,” Zur said. “This pregame time has really helped me get acquainted with everyone on the team and has helped my performance on the field because I can really trust my teammates.”

Because of this chemistry and the team’s unwavering talent and commitment, expectations are sky high for the remainder of this season.

“Last year’s success motivated the team to work harder so that the team can have another chance at

being state champions,” junior Zoe Cooper said. “I am really hoping we are able to make it far into the postseason and possibly go all the way to the state finals.”

Losing only a few seniors last season has also been why the team has remained so elite. The team is still relatively young with merely 5 upperclassmen on the entire roster. With the progression of the roster and losing very few players, it’s understandable that Popilek hopes to reach the state final again.

“We still have the talent on our team this year as we did last year, so we should perform just as well,” she said. “I hope we are able to go as far as last year so that I am able to have a good senior season.”

Given this team’s youth and sheer talent, there’s no reason that they cannot find themselves back in the state championship. With the development and chemistry of the unit, there’s certainly a chance that the Bucs bring home a state title within the next few months.

Boys’ Soccer Has Productive Start to Season Despite Losing 12 Seniors

Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief

Coming off one of the best seasons in school history, the boys’ soccer team is looking to repeat their success from last season when they reached the state semi-final.

12 total seniors from last year’s team departed, though, leaving a void that must be filled by the current members of the team. After entering the postseason at 6-5 last season, the team won five straight en route to the state semi-final. Head Coach Kris Steeves credits the quality 3-3-3 this season due to the culture that last years’ seniors built.

“The seniors last year were challenged to leave a legacy and a standard for subsequent years to follow,”

Coach Steeves said. “We could not have asked for a better example. The goals remain the same. While it is going to be difficult to maintain, that is the new standard for boys soccer at

Benjamin."

Junior and captain Zach Neidoff has noticed that despite the team’s relative youth, especially compared to last season, everybody has really stepped up in their roles and played high-level soccer.

“Everyone that needed to step up and take those roles from the seniors, they’ve really done it,” he said. “They haven’t shied away from the difficult position that they’ve been put in. They’ve really persevered.”

Part of what makes the team so strong and productive is the team’s athletic profile, according to Neidoff.

“As a team, I think some of our positives are high intensity. We’re very athletic. We got a lot of speed, a lot of physicality,” he said. He acknowledged that perhaps the team’s biggest weakness may be their inexperience and youth, something that should wane as the season progresses and chemistry grows.

8 Student-Athletes

Sign Letters of Intent

On Tues., Nov. 8, the Upper School community gathered in Healey Gymnasium to celebrate the high school careers of ten senior student-athletes who have decided to continue playing their sports at the collegiate level.

Extending a legacy of excellence on the courts and fields that rivals their achievements in the classroom, the group represent the values Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin envisioned when beginning the school decades ago.

With football players and athletes in several other sports scheduled to sign their national letters of intent later in the year, their athletic department promises another multi-ceremony spring semester.

The fall signees, in alphabetical order are:

Payton Bryan Volleyball, Yale University

Walker Buchanan Baseball, Univ. of Virginia

Rocco Gaeta Baseball, Wagner College

Tristan Head Baseball, Univ. of Virginia

Keira Hodum Cross-Country, Amherst College

Brady Quinn Lacrosse, Loyola University Maryland

Brett Salach Lacrosse, Flagler College

Carter Smith Lacrosse, Providence College

Senior and captain Luke Egizio notices that the team’s chemistry is truly developing as the season progresses, something that will be important to reach his goal of returning to the state semifinals later this sea-

son.

“Sometimes, although we have good chemistry, we can get flustered with each other, and there seems to be a lack of communication at times and pointing fingers.”

Although this proves to potentially be a problem, once solved, it sets the team up to be successful. In order to reach the state semifinals once again, this problem will need to be solved, and the talent needs to continue to flourish. Luckily, Coach Steeves sees this team grow every day of the season, which grants him hope that this team could later find themselves in the state semifinal.

“If the boys continue to improve in the areas they need to, the coaching staff see no reason they cannot emulate the success of last year despite losing so many players,” Coach Steeves said. “We are seeing new leaders emerge, and there is a confidence and commitment coming off them like all successful teams have. They are making winning a habit. The hardest part about getting to the top is staying there, but this group has that potential.”

A group of varsity soccer players celebrate after scoring a goal. The team is coming off of a state finals appearance, and they are looking to return to that game later this season.

(Photo by Mr. Franzen)

Senior Luke Egizio passes the ball to one of his teammates. In his own words, Egizio's expectations are to "keep winning, keep getting better as a team,and make it possibly to the state semifinals again." (Photo courtesy of Zach Neidoff)

Eight members of the Class of 2023

signed National Letters of Intent during a ceremony held in Healey Gymnasium in early November. Several other seniors are expected to commit to various universities over the next few months. Pictured above: front, l. to r.: Keira Hodum, Brady Quinn, Brett Salach, Rocco Gaeta; back, l. to r. Payton Bryan, Carter Smith, Walker Buchanan, Tristan Head.

I coach to fulfill a passion deep within my soul. A -pas sion to help young athletes achieve greatness, a -pas sion for competition, and a passion for growing future leaders. I coach for the team camaraderie, the unique bonds built with each player. I coach to see the -over whelming emotions that accompany the firsts along with the lasts. My why is truly something more than words can describe.

Coach

1710 Belvedere Rd, West Palm Beach, FL 33406 (561) 771-5354 www.driveshack.com

groups bond together and enjoy the fun it has to offer.

During the weekend, students like to have fun with friends and not do schoolwork. The perfect place for that is Drive Shack, located in West Palm Beach. Similar to TopGolf, it has golf games that appear on the TV, along with drinks, food, and most importantly, fun. From opening to 1PM, a bay costs $27 per hour, 1PM to 5PM a bay costs $37 per hour, and after 5PM a bay costs $47 per hour. Drive Shack is more than just a regular -golf ing range since it provides a high-tech golfing range that extends 200 yards long and also tracks the distances of the balls with a radar-based Trackman. Drive Shack is an enjoyable place where sports teams, families, and more

Drive Shack

ing me a better player, but also a better person off the field.

I believe football has changed me for the better by not only -mak

Football has become one of the most important aspects of my life and has also created bonds and friendships that will last a lifetime.

I’m different from most other kids who play football in high school. I never played Pop Warner or anything like that. Even though my Dad played in the NFL, I was never interested in play ing when I was younger. My Dad never pushed me to play and let me decide for myself, since it takes a lot of commitment and -dedi cation to play at a high level. There’s definitely a learning curve to adjust to coming into football later without that prior experience. I think I’ve successfully made the adjustment, and now my goal is to play at a Division-1 university, which is something that I don’t think I would’ve seen myself doing in the past. Over the -sum mer, I had the opportunity to visit several D-1 programs, and the experience of visiting and touring these schools and learning about their programs has made me want to work even harder in football in order to reach my goals.

I never played football before 8th grade.

Chase Malamala

Earlier this fall, McDonald’s -re leased an“adult” version of a kid’s happy meal. It is called the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box, which consists of a Big Mac or ten-piece chicken nuggets. Both options come with medium or large fries and a medium or large drink. The food was ready quickly, and it was fresh and costs between $9 and $13. The sauce on the big mac had a very flavorful taste that was tangy and sweet. There are about 563 calories in the big mac alone. The special part of this new “adult” happy meal is that they come with little toys that are from many years ago. The toys include The Hamburgler, Grimace, Birdie, and Cactus Buddy. It is interesting because it is something that gives a little surprise.

Alex Clarke

Humans of

The Tony-award winning Broadway musical comes to streamers this holiday season, as Netflix brings a star-studded adaptation out just in time for viewing over the semester break.

“The songs are infectious, and the message important,” says editor Charlie Spungin.

Matilda premiers on Netflix and

in select theaters on Christmas Day, Dec. 25th.

Come support the Boys and Girls Basketball Teams as they play in...

Holiday Basketball Classic of the Palm

Beaches Presented By Baptist Health

Dec. 27-30