The Razor - June 2021

Hopkins School 986 Forest Road New Haven, CT

Vol LXVI, no. 2

www.therazoronline.com

June 4, 2021

McCord's Impact "Incalculable" Legendary Head Librarian Retires Craigin Maloney '21 Arts Editor Emeritus

David McCord, Math teacher tral philosophy changed from simply tryextraordinaire, is retiring after 27 years ing to convey information about math to of teaching at Hopkins. His tenure has students in a productive way to “making included being the head of the Math De- the classroom as much of a community as partment from 1997-2006, then again from possible… and allowing the students to do 2010-2014, and being the assistant coach most of the exploratory work,” though, as of the Girls Varsity Soccer Team from McCord admits with a small laugh, “some1995-2012, as well as coaching the Boys times I still talk too much.”

JV Lacrosse Team in 1995 and 1996.

McCord’s fellow faculty mem McCord first came to Hopkins bers speak highly about him in both a perin the 1994-1995 school year after being sonal and professional capacity. Science “very ungrounded Highpoint Pictures teacher Octavio Sofor a large portion telo, a close, personal of my life.” In fact, friend of McCord’s, McCord “was getbelieves that his stuting ready to quit dents’ love for him is teaching… when I multifaceted: “He is got this phone call an enthusiastic, enerfrom the Direcgetic and knowledgetor of Academics able teacher; sensitive at Hopkins.” After and thoughtful about tenuously moving the different learning to New Haven on a styles of his students, one-year lease, Mcand flexible and supCord was unsure portive when they about his future at struggle. His great Hopkins until one sense of humor and September morning playfulness are an in Assembly: “these important feature of eight girls…came David McCord retires after teaching at his personality inside out and sang ‘Danand outside of class. I Hopkins for 27 years. ny Boy’ and it was learned first-hand from so beautiful I fell in love with Hopkins.” one of his students that when he learned Then, the teaching took over. that it was her birthday during class, he did

McCord derives “so much joy” an interpretive dance to wish her a happy from teaching at Hopkins, though he did birthday!” not start out as the all-star of the Math De- As a colleague, Sotelo reports that partment that he is today. “I think I was a McCord is always friendly and approaches good teacher for the first half of my time conversations “with an open mind and is here but I think I get better every year now." willing to listen to others’ point of view.”

He continues, "That happened because of Beyond teaching math, McCord’s interests a terrible year where my classes were just include “science, music, literature and pohorrible. All of them. I felt like quitting but etry, [watching] movies, and cooking and instead I went to the woodshed and kind of baking.” Sotelo also emphasizes that “the retooled. I just felt like going on instinct eggnog that [McCord] makes for the winwasn’t good enough anymore.” His cenContinued on Page 2

Anushree Vashist '21 Lead News Editor Emeritus

After a laudable 23 years on The As independent schools and colleges beHill, Head Librarian Faye Prendergast is gan replacing all their print materials with electronic devices, Prendergast fought the retiring this Spring.

Originally from Louisiana, Pren- momentum for Hopkins to do the same. dergast earned an undergraduate degree in Roberts affirms, “They were really fierce Linguistics from SUNY Stony Brook and debates, and [Prendergast] was strong, and she was clear, and she really was the drivan MBA from the University of Connectiing force behind what this library is and cut. After becoming a full-time mother, what it can offer students and teachers.”

Prendergast discovered her love for the Roberts believes that “time has school library–eventually leading her to worn out that [Prendergast] was a genius,” pursue a Master Highpoint Pictures adding, “that [the] liof Library Science brary remains such a (MLS) from Southvital resource for the school is a testament ern Connecticut to the fact that she State University. Afnailed it.” Likewise, ter her supervising English teacher Reteacher recommendnee Harlow acknowled she consider edges Prendergast’s Hopkins, Prenderimpact on transformgast started working ing the library: “She on The Hill in 1998 wants people to be and subsequently comfortable in that became Head Lispace, and that’s brarian in 2000. what it has become.”

A m o n g Doug Wardlaw ’17, Prendergast’s most Prendergast’s former significant accomadvisee, agrees: “I plishments is over- Faye Prendergast retires after serving as think one thing that’s seeing the construcunique about her conHead Librarian since 2000. tion and renovation tribution [to Hopkins] of Calarco Library, which was completed is that she was in charge of a space that in 2008. Prior to the project, the library everyone ha[s] to spend a fair amount of was less glamorous than the workspace time in throughout their Hopkins experistudents know today, with Assistant Head ence. With her knowing this, she made sure of School John Roberts saying “it was the library was a welcoming space, but also moldy, it was stinky, [and] it was rotten,” somewhere...people felt comfortable to even going as far as to call it “the most study and prepare for their next test.”

God-awful library.” Prendergast was in- As Head Librarian, Prendergast is strumental in designing the library’s com- responsible for managing the library’s defortable and convenient layout, a process partmental operating budget, which Chief she describes as “incredibly exciting.” Financial and Operating Officer David She sat on committee meetings to discuss Baxter notes is one of the largest at Hopplans and visited other libraries for ideas kins. Prendergast explains that her “MBA regarding maximally efficient spatial use.

Continued on Page 3

Casanovas Depart After Over Two Decades At Hopkins

the community Casanova created in her classes, Spearman explains, “Being in Mrs. Casanova's class allowed me to be creative, as well as be proud of the things I created.”

After more than two decades of devoted Ranease Brown ’21 describes the personal enviHighpoint Pictures teaching and leadership in the Hopkins community, Highpoint Pictures ronment Catherine Casanova fostered in her classes: Gerard and Catherine Casanova are retiring.

“In order to make the classroom feel less awkward

Catherine Casanova achieved her B.A. and stiff, she offers small pieces of her life story. For from Guilford College, and a master’s from Radford example, she would tell us what religion she was University before moving to New Haven. In 1999, raised in and how that affected her beliefs while livCatherine first began at Hopkins as Carol Massott’s ing in the South.” Brown continues, “She was often assistant working in the Admissions Office. A year able to take a step back and recognize her privilege later, former Director of Admissions Dana Blanchard which allowed her to be such a great and comforting ’89 and Associate Director of Admissions Angela teacher!” History teacher Dan Levy, who taught the Wardlaw ’84 encouraged her to apply for a job as an Humanities Symposium with Catherine recalls, “My English teacher. Catherine recalls her elation, “After fondest recollection was seeing how joyful she was teaching in public schools for 17 years I was excitto share the music of a friend’s daughter- Rhiannon ed by the academic freedom to choose the books I Giddens- and explore how the themes related to the wanted to teach.” Catherine hopes that her students class content. I also enjoyed seeing her willingness to continue to “be curious and tolerant of others.” She get off-topic in order to let students explore ideas or continues, “As an English teacher I hope that they History teacher Gerard Casanova and English teacher Catherine Casa- issues they found important.” will continue to read for pleasure.”

Throughout Catherine’s time at Hopkins, she nova will be leaving The Hill this June.

Catherine’s students and colleagues admired made an impact on the English department and her the way she fostered an inclusive classroom environment. that didn't just include school or the class.” As a result of Kaila Spearman ’21 exclaimed that Casanova enjoyed getContinued on Page 2 Evie Doolittle '23 News Editor

Inside: News........1, 2, 3 Features....4, 5 Op/Ed.......6, 7 Arts...........8, 9 Sports.......10, 11 Seniors.....12

ting to know her students, “Mrs. Casanova loved making us feel welcome in her class-- from the first day all the way to the end. She loved to connect with us on different levels

Features Page 5: Students prepare for a post-Covid summer

Arts Page 8: HDA performs in-person for the first time in over a year

Sports Page 10: The relationship between sports and mental health

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The Casanovas Leave The Hill

The Razor: News

June 4, 2021

of my daughters wanted to come to Hopkins as a student, Mr. Casanova painted himself and curated for his students so I followed her!” He remarks, “She graduated after six to experience years, I stayed much longer.” Besides teaching a variety Per Annos different conof history classes from Atlantic Communities to Military flicts in history.”

History, Gerard also coached the Girls Varsity Soccer Gerard reteam. Assistant Head of School John Roberts describes calls his years at Gerard’s dedication to the team: “His many decades leadHopkins fondly, Continued from Page 1 ing our amazing girls’ soccer program, while also teaching commenting that his favorstudents. Catherine’s colleagues recall her willingness to a full load of upper-level History classes, put his talents ite Hopkins help others and her zeal for teaching. Levy recounts Cath- and stamina on full display. And in addition to working tradition was erine’s enthusiasm: “I believe that Catherine is genuinely at the highest levels in athletics and in the classroom, he the “Holiday interested in hearing her students’ ideas and opinions, and was [un]failingly positive, thoughtful, and supportive of Assembly and even after many years of teaching, still gets excited listen- his players, students, and colleagues.”

Gerard’s teaching style inspired his fellow colFriday morning to their thoughts and ideas…. I think the English De- ing assemblies partment will miss a colleague who was very caring about leagues. History teacher Zoe Resch describes first meetwith students’ members of her department and was always willing to help ing Gerard, “Right from the first time I met him, he has performances.” others.” Fellow English teacher Alexandra Kelly explains, shared very readily his vast historical knowledge, espeAs he prepares “Her depth of experience, her passion, and wisdom have cially of Europe, and his amassed collection of images to retire, Gerard always been a big part of the English 10 team, and of the and maps, documents, and battlefield miniatures that hopes that his Shakespeare team. I am going to miss her voice in the dis- are always accompanied by fascinating, scholarly aneccussions that we have because I think that her opinions al- dotes.” Resch concludes, “I am in good company in ap- Gerard Casanova teaching his History students will, students. preciating Mr. Casanova’s storytelling, wit, candor, and “Be ambitious, ways brought balance and wisdom to our conversations.”

Catherine is also remembered for reminding her dedication to the open exchange of ideas. He is a beloved but be kind.” He continues, “As a history teacher, I hope colleagues of the traditions and quirks of her southern up- colleague.” Roberts explains how Gerard’s unique take that they will be engaged citizens of the world.” After on history improved the Military History spending 28 years at Hopkins, Gerard says, “It would be bringing. class: “I remember the excitement in the very difficult to summarize our experiences with a few Wardlaw department for someone with his highly words.” However, Gerard reflects on the way Hopkins has describes, specialized and original take on military changed, “The school has grown much since we came. In “Mrs. Cahistory, and the fun we all had when we first many ways for the better, but with increased numbers also sanova ‘played’ with his battle-boards. “ He contin- comes distance. That is too bad.” tried to ues, “What we immediately came to under- Head of School Kai Bynum describes the effect convince stand was that what we approached as fun that the Casanovas have had on the Hopkins community, me that and ‘play’ was instantly transformed into “Mr. and Mrs. Casanova always led with a genuine sense putting astounding and profound learning! By the of commitment and connection to the people of Hopkins. mayontime I completed the final day at the Battle Their collective impact was profound—whether on the naise on at Gettysburg, I understood it conceptually soccer field, in an English classroom, or teaching a History hot dogs more deeply than I had in a lifetime of read- lecture. They both will be truly missed and remembered.” was a ing books about it. His technique was the Gerard and Catherine Casanova agree that their thing that Alex Werrell most amazing kind of experiential learning, favorite memory of Hopkins is “finding our soulmates.” people Catherine and Gerard Casanova in Europe. and all disguised as fun!”

Indeed, they met each other on campus. Catherine condid. I veDebra DuBois, a librarian at Hopkins and an old tinues, “And of course there is no ‘least favorite memory’ hemently disagreed, but evidently, it’s something that they friend of the Casanova’s, explains that he “cares deeply whatsoever!” Gerard adds, “I have enjoyed my History do in the south.”

Gerard Casanova earned his License, as well as about [his] students and the craft of teaching.” DuBois colleagues at Hopkins. It has been fun to work with most his Maîtrise from Université de Rouen, and his DEA from continues to describe the collegial environment of Gerard’s of them over the years, to build courses together to exUniversité de Paris. Gerard discovered Hopkins when his class, “I got to observe Mr. Casanova’s Military History change ideas. I will miss their camaraderie and their good daughter showed interest in attending the school: “One class play war games with all the little soldiers and armies. humor.”

McCord Moves on From Hopkins

coaches, describes how McCord helped evolve his understanding of complex concepts. “During Mathcounts, [Mr. McCord] made math that seemed impossible at first easy to understand, fun, and engaging.”

While McCord has taught some of the most advanced courses and students at Hopkins, he is defined by his care for and belief in students at all levels, as represented by Hannah Szabo ’21. Szabo was “ready to drop down to a less accelerated math class the next semester. But Mr. McCord wrote in my comments that he saw

Continued from Page 1 -ter holiday season is delicious, and he tional goals, or the hopefulness that inshares it with many of his colleagues at fuses the work we do with young people.”

Hopkins.” According to Sotelo, all one has Not just McCord’s teaching style to do is walk by McCord’s classroom to get ,but also his general outlook towards his a sense of his effect on his students: “He students, was appreciated by none more keeps his doors open, and you can hear his than Kyle Shin ’20. Shin feels that “calling loud voice during a class discussion and Mr. McCord the best teacher ever does not sometimes his sincere and spontaneous laughter…McCord’s enthusiasm, energy and uncompromised commitment to good and fun teaching have been apparent.”

English teacher Benjamin Johnson describes McCord as a mountainclimber and Hopkins as a “mountain he enjoys climbing.” Johnson recalls two anecdotes that he feels sum up McCord.

The first is about McCord at the age of his students: “One Saturday night when David was a boy, he set all of the clocks in his house back one hour so the next day he and his family would miss church - which they did.” The second is a story of Johnson and McCord at a coffee shop. McCord “shot a balled up paper napkin at a trash can and hit a barista in the head. That was several years ago; I think he still feels bad about it!”

Fellow Math teacher Jill Wiesner emphasizes the way McCord “encourages @hopmathteam those around him to engage thoughtfully.”

McCord alongside members of the 2020-2021 Math Team.

Whether it be asking his fellow faculty members to do a summer reading of Dante do him justice because he meant so much ‘glimpses’ of me having the potential to rewith him, or creating a new unit based on more to me. He was someone I looked up ally thrive in math.” The genuine belief that one seminar on a new teaching technique, to because I want to put as much care, joy, McCord has in all his students, combined McCord “exudes a love of learning that and heart as he did into every aspect of his with his energetic teaching, allowed Szabo pervades all he does.” Wiesner notes that life, especially his teaching. I am blessed to turn her year around. In retrospect, Szafor McCord’s students, “the bell is just a that I had him for Calculus, as a coach on bo believes that McCord sees math probsuggestion - often his students remain seat- the Math Team, and someone I could talk lems as “poetry - he collects them, and, ed wanting more,” and even attend class to anytime on The Hill. Hopkins will miss when the time is right, presents them to his when it isn’t required. McCord’s attitude him dearly.” Shin finished by adding “they students, encouraging multiple perspectowards his job helps encourage a sense better name the Math Award after him.” tives and insisting there is no one way to of pride in what he and his colleagues Monish Kumar ’21, a member look at them. Mr. McCord has shown me do: “He never loses sight of our educa- of the “Mathcounts” team that McCord the beauty of math, and given me the con-

fidence to continue exploring the subject.”

Abigail Fossati ’21 loves that she had no idea what to expect every day when she walked into McCord’s classroom. She remembers from her seventh grade year that McCord’s “love for math was readily apparent and translated to a lively, dynamic classroom. Class was unpredictable, which helped make it so wonderful. The main constant was Mr. McCord’s support and encouragement: though he pushed his students, he matched their effort with a commitment to their understanding and an eagerness to see them succeed.” In fact, in Fossati’s freshman year, she “changed math levels in order to have him again.” She counts herself “lucky to have had Mr. McCord twice.”

Though McCord is leaving Hopkins, he hasn’t yet finished his work as a teacher. McCord plans to not only go into private tutoring but he would also like to “sell myself as a consultant and work with math departments. The one thing no teacher has is time, and we all have ways we’d like to change, Geometry, for instance, but we never have the time… I’d like to be that facilitator for departments that have things they’d like to do but don’t have the time or the focus to do them.”

McCord also hopes to further round out his academic interests and explore the world by taking history classes and biking around the Baltic Sea or across the country.

It is hard to nail down David McCord’s impact on Hopkins. He has taught and coached for nearly three decades, and in that time, helped further a culture of being energetic in teaching, learning, and life. He is continually reported as an inspiration for not only how to approach math, but how to attack every day with energy and passion. Johnson sums up McCord’s tenure at Hopkins best because, despite being renowned as a fantastic math teacher, “McCord’s impact on Hopkins, has been, ironically, incalculable.”

June 4, 2021

Prendergast Retires

The Razor: News

gast since 2000, explains that Prendergast is “always a friend” who is “very supportive and understanding” and “always promote[s] the love of learning and reading.”

Knowing Prendergast is “one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had at Hopkins,” states Spanish teacher Susan Bennitt. “She’s taught me countless lessons in strategic thinking, critical problem solving, but also in graciousness and kindness.” Harlow calls Prendergast “incredibly well-informed” and “amazingly gifted at what she does.” She “listens to both students and faculty about what they want to see on the shelves” and “knows what different people want to read.” Prairie Resch ’21 agrees: “There have been numerous occasions when she has recommended a book to me or asked me how [I thought] a particular book

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History Department, in particular. Tisha Hooks states that Prendergast “has been indispensable in fostering a strong relationship between the History Department and the Calarco Library, which at our school is the epicenter of research in the Humanities.” Hooks elaborates: “She has fashioned an institution that supports a curriculum that extends from the birth of human history to the presContinued from Page 1 ent day.” Zoe Resch concurs: “It’s hard to imagine doing came in very handy” in directing named endowed funds– the research project without the foundation that she has especially given that, despite the prevalence of unreprovided in terms of library skills and learning [...] how stricted gifts, some donors are “very specific about what to conduct research in a very sophisticated manner using they would like their money used [for].” Prendergast’s very sophisticated resources.” Prendergast’s adaptability– responsibility “does involve making sure that we spend especially through virtual and hybrid learning models this our money in an efficient way.” Baxter highlights “the year–was all the more impressive to Resch: “She’s always support donors have shown for hopkins.edu working on [...] how to let stu[Prendergast’s] work,” including the dents know about the resources Marilyn G. and Joseph B. Schwartz in a way that’s most familiar to Library Acquisition Fund to Supthem. During the pandemic, inport the Visual and Performing stead of relying on face-to-face Arts in Honor of Faye Prendergast. meetings, she made videos that

A key aspect of Prendercould introduce subjects before gast’s job is organizing Hopkins’ students came to class so that annual Celebration of Poetry–which we could be more efficient and features keynote speakers, such as that students could [...] replay Li-Young Lee, Tracy K. Smith, and, it easily. That really facilitated, just this past April, Claudia Rankine. for example, research during the Harlow, a member of the Poetry pandemic.” Roberts similarly Committee, notes that Prendergast emphasizes Prendergast’s crucial “is very organized, so she thinks of role in guiding students through details,” adding that she “does a lot research: “If you’re a student at of dealing with the agency we’ve Hopkins School and you haven’t used for years [which is] adept for made friends with [Prenderworking with high school students.” gast], I’d have to question how Physics teacher and Poetry Commitdeep your intelligence is.” tee member Octavio Sotelo elabo Praise for PrenderPrendergast at the annual Celebration of Poetry event with Li-Young Lee. rates: “She organizes everything, and gast is equally abundant among she always has this wonderful simple her advisees, both former and spreadsheet and all of us who are part of the committee know was.” Harlow concludes that “[it’s] a phenomenal thing current. Prendergast is “welcoming and approachable,” what to do [...] She was instrumental. She gets the books. for readers to know their scholarship is so appreciated.” says advisee Connor Davis ’21. “I always felt safe reachShe publicizes and markets [to] the entire community.”

Understanding the value of interdisciplinary ing out to her if I had any questions or concerns, and she

This past spring, Prendergast–along with the study, Prendergast made an active effort to work with each always gave me the support and advice that I needed. remainder of the library staff–completed a comprehen- academic department. Math teacher David McCord as- She has done so much to make these past four the best sive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Audit of the serts that she “has been tireless in promoting the library they could possibly be [and] I could not have asked for library’s fiction collection. Classics teacher Kate Horsley as a central resource for the entire academic community, a better advisor.” Sergio Olmedo-Ramirez ’13, who has called this work “groundbreaking” and “deserv[ing] of across all disciplines–even math!” Chemistry teacher Jen known Prendergast since the summer of 2008, salutes her incredible acclaim and attention,” especially given that Stauffer feels similarly, saying that she is “impressed with “advocacy, unconditional love, never-ending support, and the library was the first academic department to begin an how [Prendergast] advocate[s] for the library and work[s] contagious smile.” He is “one of many indebted with gratiaudit. Prendergast notes the importance of this concen- to foster connections with individual teachers to incor- tude.” Wardlaw agrees: “She was [...] an advisor in evtrated effort: “Our collection has improved over the 23 porate all that our library and librarians have to offer in ery sense of my life. She didn’t just care about my grades years that I’ve been here–we do have more voices in it– their classes.” Stauffer credits Prendergast with helping and school but asked about my family, came to games, but it’s different when you go looking to see and to mea- design “several science projects that incorporate effective and always tried to be as involved as possible.” Simisure.” Prendergast and her team have worked to become research skills.” Horsley adds that Prendergast helped her larly, Chloé Glass ’17 refers to Prendergast as “a forma“really cognizant of different voices and making sure that “as a teacher with [her] classes, but also as a department tive mentor” who made her “feel heard and understood” [we] have [...] authentic voices” in the library’s collection. chair to think about how to make more use of the library.” while also “creat[ing] a community in advisor group.”

Prendergast has–first and foremost–been a She continues, “She’s always been very clear in her convic- As Prendergast leaves behind an immeasurable knowledgeable teacher, adviser, and dedicated col- tion that the library really is an important center for learn- legacy, she is “looking forward to, for a while, just let[ting] league who made the library a welcoming resource. Li- ing, contemporary skills, digital literacy, [and] research.” life happen:” Her “plan is to not really have a detailed brarian Debbie DuBois, who has worked with Prender- Prendergast has worked extensively with the plan” but “to enjoy, to read, [and] to catch up with friends.”

Hopkins Staff Members Depart After Decades on The Hill Juan Lopez ’22 Editor-at-Large

Kallie Schmeisser ’22 Lead News Editor

After nearly 28 years on The Hill, Anthony Barbaro retired from his position in the Maintenance Department.

Over the years, Barbaro served in a critical role at Hopkins. He did nearly everything when it came to events, including “building repairs to set up for social events and school meetings.” Head of Maintenance Liz Climie says Barbaro always had “a friendly demeanor and helpful attitude.” She recalls, “He even got to know many of the people who walk their dogs through campus. He not only knew their name, but the name of the pooch too! He would always carry dog bones in his golf cart in hopes of making a new friend, or keeping the old friends happy and well fed.”

Barbaro has many hobbies and interests which he looks forward to pursuing and investing more time in during retirement. He looks forward to “having more free time to spend with family and friends and enjoy working on my antique car and boating.”

Barbaro states that his favorite memory of Hopkins is watching “students learn and grow through the years and go on to be young adults.” However, Barbaro departs promising, “I know I will miss Hopkins but will continue to support it in the future!”

Development Highpoint Pictures Services Associate Carol Brouillette will be retiring after 13 years on The Hill.

Working in the Development Office, Brouillette handled all processing pledges, acknowledgements, and donations. She hopes to keep her mind active in retirement and looks forward to volunteering, enjoying the summer, and hoping for post-pandemic normalcy.

Brouillette will miss working at reunions and finally getting to put faces with names, as well as the staff: “They are like family and we have shared many of life’s experiences together.” Recalling her time and memories at Hopkins, Brouillette says, “I will take with me the camaraderie and solutions that Hopkins teaches all of us...I have bonded with some great members of the staff and look forward to continuing our friendships.”

Highpoint Pictures

FEATURES

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June 4, 2021

Hopkins Students Prepare for an Action-Packed Summer

With free time to spare, students took on jobs at local stores and businesses. Prairie Resch ’21 will “be working as Last year, Covid-19 forced mil- a lifeguard for the second summer in a lions across the nation to reconsider their row.” She shares her outlook for the job: plans for the summer season as quarantine “Hopefully I’ll actually be able to have a shut down the country. With the school year more normal lifeguarding experience this coming to an end and vaccination rates on year—and avoid sunburn.” Benjamin Parthe rise, Hopkins students share their plans tridge ’26 is excited to “work at the Tenand expectations for this coming summer. nis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI. I will

Many Hopkins students plan to be doing grounds work; cleaning courts, getting balls, setting up for Abby Regan events, and maybe work in the pro shop.” Abby Regan ’22 says, “I work at Ashley’s. I’m really excited to be scooping ice cream this summer. I have wonderful coworkers, I love seeing people I know when I’m working, and it’s such a fun and positive environment to be in!”

With vaccine availability and easing of mask mandates and travel restrictions, students plan to spend muchneeded quality time with family and friends. Vittorio Montesoro ’24 will visit his family in Italy: “I will spend two weeks eating my grandma’s delicious Italian food and fattening up, before spending four weeks at the beach…I’ll be with my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and just having an amazing time!”

Orly Baum ’22 visits her friend Abby Regan’22 at AshOrly Baum ’22 explains, “... ley’s Ice Cream.

All of the people in my house will be fully vaccinated by use the warm weather to their advantage mid-July and I’ll be able to see my grandthis summer. After a cold spring, students parents for the first time in over a year!” look forward to spending time outdoors Yash DiMauro ’21 also plans to bond with and engaging in various forms of physical friends and family by going on numerous activity. Sylvia Franz ’23 mentions that, road trips: “First, I’m driving to Zion Naover the summer, she will be “sailing as tional Park with my family.

Me and the boys well as swimming and teaching sailing!” also have two road trips planned: one to Caitlin Fearon ’26 intends to “go to sleep Acadia National Park and one to Chicago.” away summer camp for four weeks,” and Travel, for many, is becoming an some of the activities she looks forward option as a result of the Covid vaccine. As to include: “boating, swimming, going to of May 20, 2021, 49% of Connecticut’s the beach, biking and [eating] s’mores.”

Aanya Panyadahundi ’23, Vivian Wang ’23 Co-Lead Features Editors

population has received at least one dose (USA Facts). Ava Littman ’23 believes that the nationally implemented immunization efforts will “make [her] less stressed about [Covid-19] and [introduce her to] a wider range of things to do.” Ripley Chance ’26, who will also be fully vaccinated by summertime, is “planning to stay masked around other people” but hopes she “will be able to be closer than six feet and go to sleep away camp without having to wear a mask/be socially distant.”

Widespread vaccination is beginning to allow for more travel across the nation, but the matter still remains controversial. Littman believes that travel is a realistic option, “since a lot of people will be vaccinated it’s going to be a lot less risky.”

She has faith that it will remain safe “as long as people continue to wear masks.”

a lot more freedom in summer trips.”

Luke Lu ’23 proposes additional limitations to be put in place; “I still think that international travel should be limited, especially to high-risk countries, however, I think it’s perfectly fine to stay within the US so long as large crowds are avoided.”

This year’s summer is already looking hopeful when compared to 2020’s, as lower Covid and higher vaccination rates are creating a safer environment for American people. Craigin Maloney ’21 notes there will ”be fewer restrictions on the ability to see bigger groups of people.” He adds that he, “will definitely be going over state lines with a few of my friends, which [I] couldn’t do last summer.” Regan, however, has a different approach; in correlation with positive lifestyle choices she made during last year’s quarantine period, she is hoping Lily Panagos

Lily Panagos ’23 catches some waves over the summer.

On the contrary, Sam Brock ’21 has more concerns about how people will react now that restrictions have been loosened. “I am concerned that people with only a single vaccine dose will assume immunity and end up spreading it” but “[I think] it is safe for [fully vaccinated people] to have

that some things will stay the same as last summer. She elaborates, “I want to spend time with my family and I want to prioritize exercising and baking as I did in [the] summer [of 2020]. But I also hope to be able to see more people and work more!”

SusCo’s Recent Initiatives to Make Hopkins Greener

out the Climate Week campaign, including “Meatless Monday for animal lovers, and those interested in agricultural sustainability. Thrifting Thursday was aimed at those in our community interested in [combating This April, the Sustainability Committee Natalie Card the fast] fashion industry, and Stand Up Satur(SusCo) introduced a new way to celebrate Earth Day day was intended to mobilize our community’s at Hopkins: Climate Week. During Climate Week, political activists,” Slattery explains. She also which took place from April 12-23, SusCo generated speaks on SusCo’s efforts to garner school-wide a series of sustainability-related challenges for the participation during Climate Week and increase Hopkins community. awareness about sustainability. “We wanted to

Natalie Card ’23 brought the idea of Climake the issues approachable, so we cut our allmate Week to SusCo. “I am an intern at the Climate school emails down to a few words, and made Health Education Project, which works to bring clicolorful infographics that people could click mate education to schools around New Haven.” Card through, even an interactive map for Worldwide continues, “Climate Week was something the Climate Wednesday. Lastly, we included simple ways to Health Education Project (CHEP) was doing.” With take action for each day. Not only would this an existing program off of which to model, Card becreate small positive impacts on our environlieved it was possible to do something similar at Hopment, but it would show those who took on the kins, “I came...with the idea of a week where SusCo challenges that working towards sustainability leads initiatives around climate change to try to raise wasn’t all that hard.” awareness [at] Hopkins about the climate crisis. From

The Sustainability Committee has been there, the other people on the committee helped me working on other ways to make Hopkins a more come up with each daily activity.” Co-head of SusCo eco-friendly environment, including encouragJessica Hensel ’23 elaborates on this process: “We The Sustainability Committee broadcasts a documentary in Upper Heath. ing students and faculty to bring in tupperware started planning for Climate Week by thinking back eryone to find something they were interested in and felt to avoid excessive use of plastic and styrofoam to areas of sustainability that lots of people overlook or like they could do.” lunch containers. haven’t heard about before, and brainstorming ways to SusCo addressed a wide range of issues throughContinued on Page 5 remind and educate our students and faculty on these top- Zoe Sommer ’23 Assistant Features Editor

ics.” According to Ingrid Slattery ’23, member of the Sustainability Committee, “[SusCo’s] goal for Climate Week was to reach as many people as possible. We wanted ev-

The Razor: Features

June 4, 2021

Page 5

SusCo Brings Climate Week to Hopkins Community Continued from Page 4 When asked about the major sustainability issues Hopkins faces, Hensel responds, “This year, we think that the plastic waste generated by our new Covid-safe lunches is a major issue regarding sustainability at Hopkins. Partnered with SWENext (Society of Women Engineers), we helped spread the word about how students and faculty can bring their own reusable containers and utensils to lunch to use instead of styrofoam.”

Students have had a wide range of reactions to SusCo’s new initiatives. Kyle Holler, ’23 shares that he thinks that SusCo’s projects are “a good idea” but believes “not enough people care.”

Melody Cui ’23 agrees, observing that in the case of the Tupperware project, “many people do forget to bring in Tupperware or just can’t be bothered to pack one more item.” Cui also offers a potential solution to this lack of interest: “Providing a small incentive to bringing in Tupperware or sending out reminders once in a while might help encourage more people to bring in Tupperware.” Sofia Schaffer ’23 pro-

vides another point of view: “It’s really great that they’re working on it. Especially during Covid-19, we’ve really regressed in terms of sustainability, but I’m happy that we’re taking more steps towards being green in the future.” Schaffer also spoke to her hopes for future SusCo projects: “I love animals, so ideally, Sustainability Committee could work on making the campus more habitable” specifically by converting “land into a garden for… pollinators.”

According to Hensel, SusCo isn’t done with its efforts on campus this year. When asked about future and current projects Hensel responds, “We are currently working with the administration to plant rain gardens and potentially a bioswale on campus to naturally filter chemicals from fertilizer out of rainwater and runoff.”

Slattery, who is set to be a SusCo co-head for the 2021-2022 school year, shares insight into her future goals and project ideas: “I want to reduce the energy used in heating our many separate buildings, perhaps even incorporate green energy onto our campus.” SusCo’s impact on HopEveryday of Climate Week, members of SusCo sent out infographics to kins will undoubtedly grow as the club continues inform the Hopkins community on individual sustainability goals. to make the campus a more eco-friendly place.

Sustainability Committee

Small Businesses Thrive in the Wake of Quarantine Megan Davis ’23 Assistant Features Editor

In the many months spent at home throughout the past year, several members of the Hopkins community have tuned into their entrepreneurial instincts, starting their own small businesses and online shops, selling clothes, jewelry, and more.

Instagram accounts that sell clothes sourced from thrift shops have increased in popularity over the course of the pandemic, and continue to thrive. Grace Rhatigan ’21 “resell[s] thrifted/used clothing on [my]Instagram account @thriftwgrace.” While she originally sold her own clothes, now Rhatigan “sources most of [my] inventory from local Goodwills, but also do[es] commissions for friends.” @thriftwgrace When Rhatigan created her Instagram account at the beginning of quarantine last March, her goal was to sell her old clothes to “declutter my closet and make some money, but after speaking with other thrift accounts [owners on Instagram], I realized that there are many more benefits.” She continues: “The textile industry is one of the most wasteful, especially with the recent rise of fast fashion. Now, I thrift as a sustainable alternative, and I believe curating for others can help make thrifting more appealing and widespread.”

Rhatigan enjoys maintaining her online shop because it sits at the intersection of her many interests, but it does take a lot of dedication and energy. She shares, “I am interested in fashion and graphic design, so my small business acts as a creative outlet. I [also] love shopping, styling outfits, creating logos and graphics, and taking and editing photos.” However, her business is a timeconsuming pastime. Rhatigan must “manage every step of the process. I can spend up to five hours a week in thrift stores simply sourcing inventory. Then, once I find Grace Rhatigan ’21 displays thrifted clothing on her enough pieces, I have to wash public Instagram page, @thriftwgrace. everything, take and edit photos, communicate with customers, and package and ship the items out to their new homes. I also invest money into the business, but my time is the most valuable [investment].”

Other students have turned to Depop, a popular fashion marketplace app where anyone can buy and sell items. Amalia Tuchmann ’23 uses her Depop account in her spare time to make some extra money off of clothes she has outgrown. Instead of letting old clothing sit in her closet, Tuchmann “wanted [her clothes] to instead go to someone who would get use out of them. If something doesn’t sell on my Depop after a little while, I will donate it.” From the moment she downloaded the app, she unexpectedly encountered challenges that face every entrepreneur. Tuchmann reflects, “ I learned that in order to sell something, you have to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. For instance, when I’m writing the tags that go in the description under my item, I have to think about what someone would search if they were looking for this item, not just words I personally would use to

describe it.” The experience has been rewarding to Tuchmann in other ways as well. “My favorite part about running my account is the positive interactions I receive from people buying my clothes, who tell me about how they will wear the item or how much they love it!”

Other students have taken to Etsy to sell their wares. Sophia Neilson ’23 and JJ Drummond ’22 use it to create their handmade novelty earring shop, DreamEarrings. The two started the shop “in January 2021 after deciding to combine [Neilson’s] love for crafting and creating and [Drummond’s] interest in business. Also, we thought it would be a fun thing to do and that maybe we’d turn something fun for us into something successful!”

Aside from selling earrings on Etsy and mailing them to customers, Drummond and Neilson also set up booths at craft fairs to sell in person. Neilson shares that “selling at markets is when we do some of our best business! I think it really helps for people to be able to see what they’re going to purchase in person before buying it. There’s also a great sense of community between the vendors that you don’t really get when you’re selling online.” Drummond adds she enjoys seeing “the number of entrepreneurs starting a business in our towns. It really is like a small community of individuals who all want [to pursue] a hobby or interest for [their] work.” Neilson has acquired several important life skills from her entrepreneurial journey. She says there is “a lot [of] communication skills and problem-solving [involved]...I think owning a business has prepared me for the future while also helping me advance in the present.”

Some students’ small businesses grew out of existing passions and hobbies. Abby Regan ’22 makes a variety of baked goods and markets them on her Instagram @abbyregan_bakes. Regan also does commissions for friends and family who want to try her creations. She explains how she used baking to keep her spirits high during the worst of the pandemic. “I love baking for people because it is a way for me to connect with others.

During lockdown, when I began baking, I always delivered it to people in person, outside and socially distant, and it meant so much that I was able to see my friends and family @abbyregan_bakes

Abby Regan ’22 posts pictures of her most recent creations for her followers and potential customers to view. and still be safe during the pandemic.” With her homework load, however, it is “challenging sometimes to make time to bake. It’s time consuming and especially challenging when I mess up. But, my family loves to eat all the cupcakes that were poorly frosted!”

Drummond offers a piece of advice for other students who are interested in starting their own businesses: “Don’t start a business if you don’t have a passion for what you do. Take the time to really choose something you are excited to do. From there, your passion and love for your business will drive your success and planning.”

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Page 6

June 4, 2021

Prioritize Your Individual Well-Being: Reject Diet Culture Abby Regan ’22 Lead Op/Ed Editor

I follow a body positive creator, Brittani Lancaster, on Instagram and TikTok. Lancaster has been in recovery from two eating disorders for the past four years. Now she uses her social media platforms to inspire recovery for others. She normalizes accepting every part of your body.

I love following her page because she is honest and transparent, and it’s a beautifully positive corner of the Internet.

I tend to get wrapped up in comparing myself to others, especially on social media. I look at pictures of others and forget how grateful I am for what my own body does for me.

Through Lancaster, I learned the term ‘intuitive eating.’ Because every body is different, every body needs different amounts of exercise, different portions of food, and different nutrients. Brittani Lancaster and I could eat the exact same meals and do the exact same workouts, and we would still be different sizes.

Healthline defines intuitive eating as “an eating style that promotes a healthy attitude toward food and body image. The idea that you should eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Though this should be an intuitive process, for many people it’s not.” Dieticians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch created the intuitive eating model in 1995, defining it as “a self-care eating framework, which integrates instinct, emotion, and rational thought.” Through this framework, Resch and Tribole reject diet culture, which can be extremely detrimental to peoples’ health. The goals of intuitive eating are to recognize and honor your hunger signals and cravings, stop eating when you’re full and satisfied, mend your relationship with food, eating, and exercise, and honor your health.

Having that freedom in how you eat can be overwhelming for a lot of people. As the Healthline article says, eating is not an easy process for everyone. It’s also not necessarily that easy to just switch up eating habits.

But overtime, with help and practice, Tribole and Resch’s Kids Helpline

A mind consumed with anxiety over food, weight, and exercise. ideas work to “cultivate attunement to the physical sensations that arise from within your body to get both your biological and psychological needs met and removing the obstacles and disruptors to attunement, which usually come from the mind in the form of rules, beliefs, or thoughts.”

Social media and societal expectations warp the realities of food and eating. “Good vs Bad” foods populate our minds. But food has no moral value. By assign-

ing it a moral value, we feel either proud or guilty eating those foods. Intuitive eating is designed to remind us that all food is fuel. Sure, some foods are less nutritious than others, but that does not mean they’re bad or that we can’t have them. Lancaster’s favorite phrase is “balance is key.” It reminds me of what my mom always tells me: “everything in moderation.” Nothing is inherently bad for you if you don’t eat it excessively.

One of the biggest parts of intuitive eating is letting go of the anxiety and enjoying your food. There is so much stigma around weight, weight gain, bloating, and portion sizes. But when you shut all that out, you can choose foods that make you feel good, stop punishing yourself for eating carbs or dessert, and fuel your body with healthy portion sizes.

Social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, has popularized intuitive eating in the past several years. Perhaps because people are starting to realize that the diet industry is toxic. Perhaps because people realize they need more energy than they can get from eating too few calories. People like Lancaster have taken to social media to fight against diet culture and push for body positivity and intuitive eating became more prevalent through their efforts. The most important thing about intuitive eating is that obsession with food and body image does not take over our lives. As novelist Jessica Knoll wrote in a New York Times Op/Ed, “Women, can two or more of us get together without mentioning our bodies and diets? It would be a small act of resistance and a kindness to ourselves.” We all have uniquely beautiful bodies with different nutritional needs; it is time we shut out the diet industry and all its fallacies to celebrate our bodies and fuel them with foods we both want and need.

Razor’s Edge: AP Courses Have Got to Go Zach Williamson ’22 Editor-in-Chief

Advanced Placement (AP) courses administered by the College Board have run since the 1950s, and allow students to place out of entry-level college courses if they score well enough on their final exam. As the pandemic changes education and the ways in which students and teachers cover material, the College Board has consistently failed in reevaluating course material and adapting the exams. It’s time for high schools and colleges to look away from APs and into alternatives.

AP courses are notoriously rigorous, moving at a fast pace and covering a wide range of content. Because they’re designed to teach at a “standard” college level, all AP courses must cover a set curriculum so that students are prepared to take their AP exams at year’s end. Scores on the AP range from 1-5, and colleges can elect to exempt students from entry-level college courses based on their exam score.

In 2020, the typical three-hour AP format wasn’t sustainable. The College Board pivoted to 45-minute, open-note exams to compensate for the classroom time lost with

school closures. The educational system in 2021 has been just as, if not more, disrupted. High schools have been forced to pivot to virtual and hybrid learning models, and many adapted their schedules. Hopkins, specifically, lost one class per two week cycle due to the pandemic. These changes forced teachers to adapt their typical lesson plans to fit in less time, and with a standard curriculum like that which the College Board requires for their Advanced Placement courses, teachers spent less time on each topic, disadvantaging their students.

The College Board offered two different options for the administration of their AP Exams in 2021, in order to ensure that students across the country would be able to safely take them, no matter the degree to which the pandemic affected their schooling. Digital exams allow students to take exams from home, using a lockdown browser developed by the College Board and with a few modifications to the exam format. Paper exams resemble typical APs, administered and proctored in-school.

In order to “preserve the integrity of the exam,” the College Board made several modifications for students taking digital exams. Most significantly, the software eliminates a common test-taking strategy: checking over work. Digital AP exams eliminated students’ ability to move back and forth between questions, forcing them to tackle every question in the order they’re presented. By forcing students to answer questions in this way, the College Board made it impossible to take the time to think and circle back to questions.

There are several issues at play here. Firstly, students taking exams at home are not monitored. The AP software uses anti-plagiarism software on student writing, but no camera or microphone monitoring is used. This allows students to essentially take the exams without the threat of being caught using their notes. Exams offered in person had proctors as they normally would, preventing cheating. The AP’s employment of unequal levels of monitoring for the two groups of students taking tests of comparable difficulty does exactly what they claim they want to avoid, producing inaccurate scores.

As high schools adapted their curricula and schedules for the pandemic school year, so did colleges. College simply doesn’t look the same as it did pre-pandemic; many students weren’t given a choice as to whether or not they would learn virtually for part of the 2020-2021 school year and others faced shortened schedules and strict quarantine policies. The College Board, in their AP FAQ section, addresses the reasonable follow-up question: “With the disruption to teaching and learning due to the pandemic, why didn’t you shorten the exams or remove content coverage requirements?”

Their answer? To paraphrase - colleges are expecting AP scores to line up with those from years prior, so AP exams need to cover the same content to keep up with colleges.

Last year, the majority of the school year for colleges and high schools was normal.

Two to three months of their year was affected by the pandemic. This year, the entire school year has been impacted in every sense. The College Board is positioning their AP exams as if nothing has changed, when everything has. Seeing as colleges have had such abnormal years, why should high school students, who had equally less time in the classroom, be expected to cover the same amount of content as if the past school year has been like any other?

The College Board’s response to the pandemic with their Advanced Placement exams shows that it’s time for schools to reevaluate their participation in the program.

A handful of top colleges no longer accept AP credit, and there are other ways to deliver more strenuous curriculum to students without AP designation. It’s time for schools to shift their focus to higher-level courses that are more exploratory, allowing students and teachers to design programs that fit the needs of their institutions and let students delve deeper into what interests them.

June 4, 2021

The Razor: Opinions/Editorials

Page 7

The Shave: Defund the Police

Anjali Subramanian ’22 Managing Editor

When I was two years old, I choked on a chip.

My parents, in a moment of panic, dialed 911 and a police officer arrived to help.

In 2010, when my family in India tried, and failed, to call my dad to tell him that my grandpa died— the police showed up at our door to inform us.

As I reflect on these memories, one question persists: why did the police show up? When I think of a police officer’s job, I think of de-escalating violent conflicts and stopping robberies, not showing up to a stranger’s door Talia Chang

New Haven residents at a Black Lives Matter protest in the summer of 2020. to help a choking toddler. But in truth, this could not be further from reality.

Responding to violence is a miniscule fraction of a police officer’s job. In New Haven, only 4.4% of all calls to police officers involve violence. If this is the case, do we truly need an armed force to deal with the majority of conflicts police officers handle?

That key question is at the core of the police abolition movement. Reformers and activists propose that we defund police departments currently responsible for a wide array of problems, and invest in professionals specifically trained to handle certain situations.

“Defund the Police” is central to the wide-scale protests against police brutality that have taken place since George Floyd’s murder last year. However, this tenet is notably absent from the George Floyd Policing Act that the US House of Representatives is proposing to pass. In fact, the legislation goes directly against what the police abolition movement stands for.

One of the bill’s proposals calls for anti-bias training to combat implicit racism and racial profiling—a

reform that abolitionists know will fail to prompt change because of the all-encompassing nature of a police officer’s job. When forced to tackle a wide range of problems, generic training will not prevent racist actions of police officers. Rather, splitting up police officers’ jobs and reallocatting certain responsibilities to smaller groups of trained professionals, such as mental health workers and social workers, allows the person best-suited for specific conflicts to be the first responders.

Research conducted by the New York Police Department (NYPD) proves the ineffectual results of increased training, showing that while anti/implicit-bias training makes officers more aware of their biases, it has no effect on their actual behaviors while on duty. In the survey, police officers were asked to react to a sentence using one of five options: strongly agree, somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree. When asked to respond to the phrase, “Implicit biases may lead officers to be over vigilant—that is, to act aggressively when someone is not a threat,” prior to training, 36% of officers either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed. Posttraining, 54% of officers strongly or somewhat agreed.

This uptick confirms that anti-bias training does enhance police officers’ understanding of implicit biases and their effect. But this greater understanding did not correlate to a decrease in racial profiling while on duty. In the same survey, the NYPD collected data on racial disparities in various enforcement behaviors before and after training.

Of all Stop-and-Frisks in New York, prior to training, 58% stopped were Black and another 31% were Hispanic. After training, 60% stopped were Black and 31% were Hispanic.

This is in stark contrast to the demographics of New York, which is 24% Black and 29% Hispanic, proving that, regardless of training, implicit bias persists.

In addition, the bill fails to recognize that the police force is historically rooted in racism towards people of color and white supremacy—another reason abolitionists cite for defunding the police. A root cause of this racism is ambiguity in policing-related legislation, which can often be exploited to uphold oppression. In the George Floyd Policing Act, one such ambiguous provision involves the creation of a public database on police misconduct. While the goal of this database is to more efficiently and publicly keep track of misconduct, the lack of clear central oversight will likely lead to an incomplete database. The database’s success hinges on state and local governments cooperating with the federal government to actually report instances of misconduct. We have seen throughout history, with policies like Stop-and-Frisk, that police departments exploit the lack of federal oversight to uphold white supremacy. Assuming that local police departments will in fact report misconduct is a fatal flaw within the George Floyd Policing Act and one that will continue to let white supremacy fly under the radar.

To me, this legislation does not symbolize change.

Rather, it reflects our politicians’ inability to commit to the long-term change that many of the people they represent are calling for. Over and over again, our politicians take a Talia Chang

Talia Chang ‘22 at a Black Lives Matter protest. stance that hovers around neutrality—a straddle between the status quo and reform—putting our policing system in an eternal deadlock. This apolitical approach of wanting to bring about change, but not too much change, is futile.

There are a lot of uncertainties moving forward regarding policing, many of which I don’t know how to answer. What I do know is that the current system is not working, and attempting to solve these systemic issues with pandering, evasive reforms will not do anything.

Mitigating the issues will take rethinking and dismantling our entire policing system, and listening to the police abolitionists leading the fight against police brutality.

We still have a long way to go. Right now, the fear many hold towards the police is so deeply rooted that it hinders our ability to stand up for reform. The crusade against police brutality and racism does not end here. The George Floyd Policing Act is barely a start. Taking a passive stance against racism in policing can no longer be tolerated—something I hope our politicians will soon understand.

Vaccinations: New Hope for The Hopkins Community Shriya Sakalkale ’24 Assistant Op/Ed Editor

The news we’ve all been waiting for has finally come — vaccines have been approved for those over the age of 12. Everyone on the Hopkins campus is now eligible to receive the vaccine, putting us back on the path to normalcy.

But what will this new normal look like?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 mRNA vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 15 in May; in April, people ages 16 and up became eligible to receive the vaccine in Connecticut. This announcement from the FDA is monumental, as vaccinating teenagers and children is key to achieving sufficient levels of immunity within the population that we need to finally curb the spread of this long-lasting pandemic.

The news is also very encouraging for the Hopkins community, as now everyone on campus is eligible to receive the vaccine. I can’t express how relieved this makes me feel. I was fortunate enough to receive my first dose of the vaccine this past month, and I definitely feel a burden lifted off my shoulders. When Head of School Kai Bynum announced Hopkins would be returning to school in-person after Spring

Break, I was terrified. For so long, going to school has been like walking on eggshells, all of us just waiting for someone to test positive for the virus, waiting to get contact traced, waiting to get the horrible news ourselves. Because of these fears, we changed so many things about our lives. Whether it be mask wearing or school over Zoom, we all implemented these adjustments in order to protect ourselves from the virus.

But in the process, we lost so much. The senior classes of 2020 and 2021 didn’t get the fun-filled last years at Hopkins they deserved, while the rest of us mourn hours spent on Zoom and time lost with friends.

Now, with more and more people getting vaccinated, I can slowly start to feel the world around me return to normal. Restrictions on mask wearing and social distancing are starting to ease, and more businesses and restaurants are starting to open. It really feels like the end of this pandemic is near. We can finally hang out with friends! We can get back to sports!

We can even watch Hopkins Drama Association productions in person! But even so, we continue to see remnants of how our lives have been forever changed by this pandemic. The comfy couches in Heath have been replaced with staggered, isolated tables. The Dining Hall, once loud and lively, is now quiet and lonely. The truth is,

this pandemic has changed our definition of normal, and we have yet to see what this post pandemic new normal is going to look like. Will mask wearing during the flu season become a norm? Will Zoom school become a replacement for snow days?

I n spite of the uncertainty I choose to stay optimistic, and I’m hopeful that, with the help of vaccines, we’ll get back to the normal that once was.

Ayelet Kaminski

ARTS

Page 8

June 4, 2021

Hopkins’ Homegrown “Killer” Spring Musical

On May 20-24, the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) put on its first original musical, Killing Time, in the Thompson atrium.

Hopkins’ very own English and Arts department faculty Ian Melchinger and Director of Choral Music

agreed to meet for one block each week to work on the show. From there, Schroth said they would “play with an idea, then one of [them] would go home and sit with it a little bit, and then come back the next day and work it out.”

Melchinger added that the two “started playing tunes, and the story grew from there!” Schroth and Melchinger developed a system for teamwork where they both could bounce ideas off of each other and the other would give feedback.

Melchinger said that he’s “very good at Drew Slager throwing ideas out. It’s not a natural ability, it’s a trained ability,” but Schroth said that “getting over the hurdle of collaborating was difficult.” Eventually, the two found a balance and were able to make the show a reality.

Melchinger wrote the script in December of 2019 while he was home with the flu.

Schroth said that “the script was Mr. Mel’s domain. He had to find the right words for the characters.” Melchinger added that he “generated a lot of material, and Ms. Schroth nurtured the things she thought were worthy.” This process was not entirely new to Melchinger; he said, “I wrote and directed a musical for my thesis in college” howThe cast of Killing Time performs “Goodbyes,” the final number. ever the collaborative element was new.

Unlike Melchinger, the writing process Erika Schroth “decided in the ‘before times’ that [they] was a completely new experience for Schroth. “I’ve only wanted to make a show,” according to Melchinger. The written tiny tiny things, like a song here or there, but I’ve two began working on the show in late summer of 2019 never written a whole big piece,” she said. The project took after being inspired by a small, off-Broadway musical an unexpected turn when Drama faculty member Michael called “Octet.” Schroth recalled that, shortly after they Calderone suggested they put on the show at Hopkins. both saw the show, they were “talking about it and nerd- Calderone said, “Ms. Schroth and Mr. Mel gingerly mening out on it, and I don’t remember who said it first but tioned that they had been working on a show for the past we both were like ‘I want to write a musical like that!’” couple of months and thought it might be good for us. It was

In the fall of 2019, the duo “decided to carve out written by our very own, we would be the world premiere, some time to talk about ideas. We started with who the and it’s really good! Ms. Schroth and Mr. Mel knew it was characters were and what their relationships and charac- ready to leave their nest and see if it could fly and I was honteristics would be,” said Schroth. They had a unique de- ored that they trusted me to see it through to production.” velopment process for creating their characters. Melch- Calderone admitted that at first he had his doubts, inger admitted that “Ms. Schroth brought over a bunch of even saying that it “took [him] a couple of tries to get LEGO figures, and we moved them around on the table through the first act! Originally, the audience is launched to talk about relationships.” They were very adamant immediately into the world of ‘Bears’ and news and muabout creating characters that “have no gender identity, sic and tech and corporation; but the music was so good sexuality, culture, or racial identity, so it could be put on I stuck it out and made one quick realization: the show by any group and still function,” said Melchinger, who seemed to be missing an opening song.” Melchinger realso“loved the idea of not naming the characters,” so that called that “Mike commissioned a second opening numthere truly were no restrictions on who could play them. ber, and now it’s more like a traditional musical than

After they developed a general idea, the two we had ever planned. His need to serve HDA [Hopkins Sophia Neilson ’23 Arts Editor

Drama Association] and the community drove a bunch of decisions that are super fun to the point where no one in the show could imagine not being there.” The whole show started to grow and change after the three began to work together in ways none of them ever expected.

Schroth adds that “when [they] were reading and getting to know the show, Mike said he thought it would be great if there was an upbeat opening number, where you saw the company at work. Mr. Mel and I pondered that, and the idea led to “Works For Me”, and the whole idea of the Feed, which then led to “What I Saw,” and the opening of Act II where the Feed interjects as the workers are settling in for “So Do We.” That aspect of collaboration has not only been enjoyable, it’s also really helped to shape the show as it is now, which is pretty cool.”

The community is excited to be able to return to live theater. Prior to opening night, Calderone said, “For many people, this is going to be the first live, fullyproduced theatrical experience in over a year. For theater people, the most beautiful and thrilling words you can hear are what a stage manager says on the headset, Haniya Farooq

Ranease Brown ’21 as Truth.

‘House to half; house out; Light Cue 1 - Go.’ For those of us who missed those words, Killing Time is going to be a satisfying, cathartic, emotional, and joyous experience. I’m nervously excited thinking about that moment.”

Arts Faculty Welcomes the Revival of In-Person Performances and Connecticut state guidelines to hold spending a majority of the year in the hythe concert outdoors, allowing for an audi- brid learning model, most rehearsals were ence presence in the safest possible way. half-capacity: “Practicing under the hybrid

As restrictions ease in Connecti- John Galayda cut, Hopkins has returned to its tradition of in-person performance this spring.

The winter and spring concerts have been a longstanding tradition at Hopkins, attracting large audiences and displaying wide repertoires from the Orchestra and Concert Choir. However, the music and arts community was hit hard by Covid-19, forcing them to turn to recordings and Zoom performances.

This year’s Spring Concert took place under the graduation tent on May 29, with performances from Concert Choir, the Junior School Choir, the Orchestra, and multiple chamber groups. Arts Department Chair and Director of Instrumental Music Robert Smith described the change in concert venue: “The choir and orches2019’s Winter Concert at Yale’s Battell Chapel. tra have been performing at Battell Chapel and various other churches for years.

Our Battell winter concerts attracted the In preparation for the concert, the orches- model means that not all of the students can most people and had a beautiful setting. tra and choirs have had to prepare in un- hear each other. Certainly, when you have All of that was closed off to us.” Smith, usual ways. Like most activities this year, students over Zoom, you can’t ask them to along with other members of the adminis- rehearsals were affected by Covid-19, unmute themselves and play at the same tration, made an informed decision in ac- demanding more effort and time from di- time because there’s a lag and the sound cordance with the direction of the school rectors and performers. With Hopkins won’t line up. So, we’ve been rehearsing Anand Choudhary ’22 Lead Arts Editor

in smaller groups and letting the students at home listen to the in-person students and play along with their microphones muted.

The following week we would switch those roles,” said Smith. Director of Choral Music Erika Schroth found that singers have had to work twice as hard to create music this year: “We’ve all had to have a lot of faith. Knowing that if we laid the groundwork, put in the time, learned the notes, and tried to build community as best we could, that in the end, we’d come up with something that feels real and meaningful.”

Schroth said the biggest change for the choir and herself was “proximity. It’s all the moments when people are crammed together in a room and you laugh, cry, and sing together. It’s the actual physical closeness.” Schroth credited staying at home for the immense personal growth she’s seen in her singers this year, and said it “wouldn’t have happened otherwise.” The concert, she hoped, would bring back “that really intense person-to-person connection we crave.”

Both Smith and Schroth found that the repertoire they selected for the concert is reflective of the past year.

Continued on Page 9...

June 4, 2021

Live Performance Returns to The Hill Continued from Page 8.

Smith spoke about the importance of creating music: “As a musician, performing and communicating a story through music is in my soul.

The orchestra has been working so hard during class to determine what each season [from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons] means. Vivaldi wrote sonnets to go along with each of the four seasons, so it’s the first real example of programmatic music that we have. Vivaldi wrote this music to reflect a story, quite literally. You’ll hear bird calls, you’ll feel ice on you, you’ll hear thunderstorms and gusts of wind. It’s been bottled up now for so long.”

Smith was excited to reconnect with a live audience: “It’s been so artificial and so synthetic to do this on a microphone and mixing, and it really hasn’t felt the same since March of 2020.” Smith continued, “There’s a lot of energy there that we need[ed] to get out [to] celebrate the joy of being a performing ensemble again.”

When choosing music for the second term, Schroth looked for something sustainable. “The things we are singing right now should reflect our aspirations. Composers set text to melody because the text is heightened and enforced. Thinking about the meaning of words and how they

can be elevated with melody, harmony, and rhythm was essential this year,” Schroth said.

To send off the seniors after an unusual year, Smith said the orchestra would perform “the ‘Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1.’ Being able to play the seniors’ live music, finally, because we weren’t able to do that last year, is a huge tradition and an honor of the orchestra. Also, there are four seniors in the orchestra and we get to give back to them. That has special meaning for us, and whenever we play that in class we give it an extra special boost because we know that this is a personal gift that we’re giving to other students. For students to want to give back to each other is a pretty big deal.” Per tradition, Concert Choir will be sending off their seniors with the “Irish Blessing,” a song about hope and looking forward to what’s to come.

After a year that encompassed many struggles in the performing arts world, the Hopkins community looked forward to its first live concert in over a year. Schroth encapsulated the importance of this return to live performance:, “Performers showed up, learned the music, and contributed to something that’s way bigger than them.”

The Razor: Arts

Page 9

Artistic Adieus: Senior Projects 2021

The World of Bread. Essentially, it’s an and I started releasing music in 2019.” online cookbook, with one part detailing On the other hand, the choice the science, history, and societal impact to venture into the artistic world took of bread. I tested and developed around a Gruen by surprise this year. He shared: dozen recipes, and variations. The main “I never really envisioned my projart aspect of my project is photograph- ect as art-focused, but art has become ing the bread I bake, and designing my a huge part of my process. From phowebsite.” The goal for Gruen’s project tography, to web design, and even font was “for [his] website to appear both as a design, I’ve tried to make my projcredible source and celebration of bread!” ect as visually appealing as possible.”

For Zane Franz’s project, he During the pandemic, creative decided to create a “Punk(ish)” album. outlets have become a form of expresHe described how this will be his “fourth sion for many, adding a new layer of album, and I actually started working on consideration to artistic pursuits. While it in September. I used a software called the pandemic didn’t explicitly affect Waveform [a digital audio workstation].” Priest’s work process, possible obZane Franz Franz uses the platform stacles did cross her mind: “I was certo play bass guitar, drum, tainly worried that Covid restrictions and sing. “What I started would impact my ability to do the work doing is playing a basic at school, but it ended up working out.” beat on drums by myself, The period of quarantine gave and then I would go on Franz more time to devote to his music, the computer and edit it which fueled his Senior Project motivato make it way more in- tion. “I got kind of used to having that tricate and interesting.” free time, and I wanted it back! And I Franz added his hopes for mean, free time is not what it is because his music to come: “In you’re working on the Senior Project, but the future I would defi- it’s nice to have that time to work on your nitely love to have a live music specifically set aside, which I really drummer, but it didn’t like.” Although Gruen never intended to work out, obviously!” participate in a TikTok trend, an integral Many students chose element coincidentally lined up with the to create art-oriented popular quarantine activity: “My project projects due to their past does involve sourdough and bread, and Zane Franz’s album cover for Forsaken Sounds of Violence. experiAddie Priest ences. template onto. After cutting out the tem- Priest stated, “I desperplates, we screwed and glued them to- ately wanted my Senior gether. We then cut out the shape of the Project to be hands-on, surfboard and spent lots of time sanding considering the internetand shaping the rails of the board. Last heavy year we had just week we started taking it apart again so we had. I also knew that I can chamber it, which essentially means wanted to have a tangible hollowing out the inside so it’s lighter.” product at the end of the

As for the final steps, Priest semester, thus the artisand Collier have yet to “re-glue it, re- tic project approach.”

Addie Priest ’21 with her surfboard. sand it, put on the fins, and seal it up”. Franz expressed a simiThe journey to finish their projects has lar sentiment: “For me, that kind of felt I was always planning to do something been busy but rewarding: “It’s been a like the only thing that I would choose. along those lines. If anything, the panLOT of work so far: at least 2-3 hours I’ve been doing art and music for my en- demic convinced me even more to pursue a day every day since we got back from tire life, and I love it so much and that’s a bread project, because a ton of people spring break, but it’s been fun work.” what I’m planning to go to school for. I’ve began baking bread for the first time!”

Aaron Gruen’s project fits a been writing music for a while, doing muContinued on Page 10 digitized world: “My project is called sic production since I was in fifth grade,

As this academic year comes to a close and several Seniors have presented their work in the final virtual Assembly, twenty-nine Seniors at Hopkins have created Senior Projects that are connected to different facets of art.

Addie Priest and her partner for the project, Kate Collier, used their Senior Project to construct their own surfboards. Priest explained: “I started with rough planks of bass wood which we then smoothed out and traced a stringer Rose Robertson ’24 Assistant Arts Editor

Artist of the Issue: Maya Junkins ’21 Amalia Tuchmann ’23 Assistant Arts Editor

Maya Junkins ’21, who describes her artistic style as “dark and existential,” has been profoundly influenced by the art classes she has taken at Hopkins, including Studio Art and Fine Art I, II, and III.

Throughout her time at Hopkins, Junkins has also forged close Highpoint Pictures

Maya Junkins ’21

bonds with the Hopkins Art faculty, and was most impacted by Visual Art teacher Jacqueline Labelle-Young.

Junkins has just completed AP Art History, which she says she “really, really loves and will possibly be continuing in the future.” She said the classes “definitely in-

spired [her] to do more outside of school and definitely gave [her] more materials to work with.” Junkins said she would show her Advanced Studio Arts teacher, Labelle-Young “a lot of [her] personal work in addition to just what we were doing in school.” Junkins said that Labelle-Young “really encouraged me to pursue [her personal work]. I had an Instagram account and I would show her what I was posting and she would talk to me about advice and the themes in my work.” As a result of her AP Art History class, Junkins said “I feel like I have a lot more inspiration.

I especially like Baroque art and Caravaggio; a lot of stuff with high contrast that’s extremely dark.” She is also inspired by “a lot of surrealist art and some Polish artists, like Beksiński, who does a lot of really creepy and terrifying war-era art.”

At the moment, Junkins’ medium of choice is collage, an art form composed of various materials glued onto a surface.

For this, she “normally uses National Geographic or other magazine cutouts, and then draws on top of them with a Sharpie.”

She also enjoys working with “oils and just normal pencil sketches,” and has experimented with watercolor in the past. Her creative process for constructing collages

consists of “picking one magazine and then going through and trying to find themes.”

Normally she begins “with one image and then [focuses] mainly on the composition. Then I start trying to find images that will match it and kind of go with the theme and eventually build.”

Junkins said that she does “struggle a lot with motivation and inspiration.” She specifies that “It’s hard for me to actually sit down and start creating things, especially with school and the amount of work I have.” However, when faced with this challenge, Junkins said, “the inspiration that comes from taking Art History and having teachers to guide me and actually give me motivation definitely has helped me a lot.”

In addition to individual pieces, Junkins is also one of the students who collaborated on the Class of 2021 Banner this year. Of the brainstorming process for the banner, she said, “First [the seniors working on the banner] just did our own thing separately and came up with as many ideas as possible.

Then we came together and we chose one idea of one person’s sketch.” Junkins said the group of students are all “taking that design and then doing our own

sketch of that specific idea. And soon we’ll come together again and finalize it.”

Maya Junkins

One of Junkins’ collages.

After graduation, Junkins says she will “definitely continue taking arts classes.” She will be attending Bard College in the fall, and is “leaning towards mainly studying Art History and taking some Studio Art classes on the side,” in addition to “getting involved in any clubs that involve visual arts.” She adds that she has “a very wide range of interests so I’m still undecided about what exactly I’ll end up doing” but will “always continue doing art in my free time.

The Razor: Arts

Page 10

Hopkins Artists Take On Senior Projects Continued

These artists drew upon personal influences for inspiration throughout their projects. Priest explained the stimulus behind her surfboard creation: “I grew up in Northern California, right outside of San Francisco. A lot of people around me surfed, and now, when I go back to visit, I surf with my friends there. I really wanted to have my own board on the east coast, and I was super interested in the process behind it.”

Gruen was interested in achieving the expertise of websites he admired.

He said, “I wanted to create a website as refined as sources like NYT Cooking and Cook’s Illustrated.” Franz’s early exposure to music impacted his work significantly. He said, “I’ve been listening to punk rock since I was a little kid, so that’s been a huge inspiration for my music. My favorite bands are Ultra Q, which are an alt rock indie rock mix, and Waterparks, which is a pop punk pop rock band. And then other bands like Swimmers, they’re a punk band, Green Day, Weezer, and then some more classic punk, like Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash.”

Franz strived to pull from the influence of his idols, while simultaneously carving out his own unique musical identity. He said, “I want [my music] to have this punk sensibility, but I also want to have a lot more than just angst and anger. I’m trying to take the type of

music they make, make it my own, and then put my emotions to it obviously.”

The seniors all expressed gratitude for the assistance of Hopkins faculty in realizing their projects. “My senior project advisor is [English teacher Alexandra] Kelly, and I’ve had so many inspifrom Page 9 rations from too many sources to count!

I learned most of Aaron Gruen my photography and web design skills from [Arts teacher Jonathan] Nast,” said Gruen.

Priest stated, “An opportunity to work with the Wood Arts teachers, [R.C.] Sayler and [Derek] Byron, seemed way too fun to turn down.”

Franz also appreciated teachers’ support: “My project guide was [English teacher Brad] Czepiel, because he and I both have pretty similar tastes in music and he was my English teacher last year, and we really connected over that, and he’s been super supportive of my music.”

Franz summed Aaron Gruen ’21 takes a photo of his bread for his cookbook. up the benefits of having some-

June 4. 2021

one to share your aspirations with, and how Hopkins has played a role in that important aspect of art creation: “It’s really nice to sit down with someone and just play the music for them, someone you trust and you really value their opinion, and that’s where I got my guidance.”

English Teacher Ian Melchinger, who serves as the head of the Senior Project Committee, enjoyed witnessing “individual passions emerge through the art projects.” He said, “So much of art is built in solitude, or with very particular collaborative moments; the project program allows seniors to find their own rhythm for deep work.” Melchinger also remarked on the advantages of the variety of projects each year: “There’s no consistent genre or approach: what comes out is the individual character and approach of each senior.”

Melchinger shared the skills that Senior Projects pass on to participants: “My hope is that seniors with project experience will go to new environments, in and out of college, and be able to say, ‘Here’s what I can contribute’ with accuracy. They can choose challenges more safely, without burning out or selling themselves short, because of this small but significant experience.”

Melchinger also detailed his perspective on the long-lasting value of the eight-week process: “The world needs more art, and most artists have complex lives and lots of side-hustles. The project program is a safe platform for seniors to figure out their strengths and struggles, to run out of juice and then get up and try again. That’s essential. I love to see the projects, but I’m more interested in how they carry their experience into a future I might never see.”

The Razor: Sports

The Impact of Sports on Mental Health

with friends while doing something I like.”

Hanna Jennings ’24

School Psychologist and Hopkins Var- @hopscorect Assistant Sports Editor

sity Soccer coach Joshua Brant reinforced the Eli Ratner ’24

benefits sports have on mental health: “FunAssistant Sports Editor

damentally, the more active sports help allevi In recent years, mental health awareness has in- ate stress, anxiety, depression...which has been creased both at Hopkins and around the world. For many proven over and over [by scientists].” As an students, Hopkins’ Athletics program helps them cope athlete himself, Brant agreed that “team sports with stress from school. For others, the school’s athlet- especially can lead to social support, social conics requirement negatively impacts their mental health. nection, friendship, and an amazing way to have

Many Hopkins athletes are thankful to play a community that you feel connected to, that sports, as they serve as a distraction from their academic stands by you, and that you stand by. ” He also obligations. Emma Maldon ’22 said, “I think having a stated that some athletes can use sports as “an area competitive outlet to release tension and collaborate with where [their] self-confidence and self-esteem can a team has helped me over the years.” Charlie Wich ’22 shine in ways they can’t in other [fields]. Sports thinks that “[Sports] are a nice way to not focus on the can also be a place where people can express stress of school.” Egan Turner ’23 shared these sentiments: [themselves] in a way they don’t usually get to.” “[Sports] also serve as a great stress reliever if you’ve had However, some athletes find that para tough day or feel like you have work piling up. You can ticipating in sports heightens their stress levels. just take a couple hours off and forget about all that.” Sierra Walters ’24 said, “I feel a lot of pressure Junior School students play tennis for Junior School Play Day.

The social aspect of Hopkins’ athletics has also from my teammates to do well and I don’t want to proved perience on sports teams, Walters “would like to have Jonathon Henninger disappoint anyone useful if I miss a ball or don’t do more of an option to compete [in Hopkins’ sports] or not.” for athmy best in a game.” Addi- Brant agreed that the time commitment for letes. tionally, some students find competitive sports is a “downside [to] being a Varsity Spenit difficult to juggle their or JV athlete here.” He continued, “Because of the inc e r respective sports with Hop- tense academics [at Hopkins] and the commute many Cipriakins’ demanding academic people have, some people aren’t able to go to bed by no ’21 workload. Kaitlyn Miller eleven-thirty or twelve minimum.” Brant stated that this said, ’25 stated, “To be really results in an “impossible situation” for many people.

“Sports good and get better at [your However, Brant believes that there are ways a r e sport] takes a lot of time people can decrease this extra stress caused by sports. benand practice, which leaves He encouraged students to “manage your time well, do eficial me really exhausted most as much schoolwork as you can during school time and to my days.” Mira Krichavsky free periods.” Additionally, “long-term planning of asmental ’24 agreed: “[Sports] defi- signments is really important, because you already have health nitely detract from the your games scheduled and the due dates of your longb e amount of time I have to term assignments, so planning this all out ahead of time cause spend on homework, and is a good way to relieve stress.” Finally, for those who get of the Girls Varsity Tennis Players Sofia Tomayo ’24 and Alison Fehmel ’22 take on therefore [they] worsen extremely stressed from sports, Brant offered “dropping brothmy sleep schedule.” Sofia a class, which many people around here see as a weakKingswood-Oxford School. erhood Karatzas ’22 explained how ness,” but is a viable option for Hopkins students. Further, I feel the time commitment for “you could consider playing a lower level of that sport with my team. I always feel like I can rely on them away games in particular contributes to her stress: “Away or playing an independent [sport].” Brant concluded, “It with anything and I’ve found that, when you rely games can take up a whole Saturday, and most of the time all comes down to finding more time, whether that’s by on and trust other people, life becomes a lot more Sundays aren’t enough time to do all our [homework], reducing schedule conflicts and commitments or by manstress-free.” Ava Littman ’23 enjoys “[hanging out] which can be super stressful.” While grateful for her ex- aging your time better and doing longer term planning.”

June 4, 2021

Page 11

The Razor: Sports

Hopkins Predicts the NBA Finals

Sam Cherry ‘23 Assistant Sports Editor

With the 2021 NBA playoffs underway, the top sixteen teams are looking to secure a championship.

The reigning champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, are trying to repeat a championship after injuries left both of their superstar players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, out for multiple weeks.

At the beginning of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers had the best odds of winning the championship. FiveThirtyEight, a website dedicated to opinion poll analysis in politics, economics, and sports, had the Lakers with a 34% chance of making the Finals, and a 21% chance of winning the tournament. If that happens, the Lakers will win their eighteenth championship, breaking their tie with the Boston Celtics for the most titles in NBA history.

Unfortunately, the Lakers’ season has not gone as predicted. Perhaps as a result, as of May 14, FiveThirtyEight had the Lakers with only a 7% chance of win-

ning the playoffs, behind five other teams.

FiveThirtyEight’s preseason number-two seed, the Celtics, also disappointed, despite not having any ma-

jor injuries like the Lakers. By May, FiveThirtyEight gave the Celtics the eighth best odds of winning it all, at only 3%.

Surprisingly, the Brooklyn Nets, Sam Cherry

More than 100 Hopkins students share their predictions for the 2021 NBA Champions.

whom many see as the title contenders, had only a 1% chance of winning the championship according to FiveThirtyEight at the beginning of the season. By the end of the season, FiveThirtyEight ranked the Nets as fourth overall, with a 28% chance of making the Finals and a 13% chance of winning.

A poll of over 100 members of the Hopkins community showed that 38% of the respondents believed that the Brooklyn Nets have the best chance of making it to the NBA finals. Out of the Western Conference teams, respondents chose the Lakers as the team with the highest chance of getting to the finals with 34%. Opinion on the likely winner of the finals was divided, with the Nets strongly outpacing other choices but 40% of respondents choosing “Other.”

When asked about his opinion on who was going to win the Finals, Juan Lopez ’22 said, “I think the Nets will win because they have so much star talent. No one will be able to guard them.”

With so many solid contenders, this year’s playoffs are sure to be exciting.

Scenes From the Spring Sports Season

Peter Mahakian

Teddy Glover

Peter Mahakian

“It’s been awesome to be back on the hill playing baseball after a year without any competition against other schools, and, on top of that, we’ve put together some great wins against high-level teams.” - Luke O’Connell ’23

“It’s been great to compete and be with the team again, but I just wish I had more time.” - Hudson Berk ’23

Peter Mahakian

“I loved the spring sports season and tennis so much. People think of tennis as less of a team sport, but the girls tennis team really bonded this year; and playing matches against other schools felt like things were getting back to normal.” - Ava Littman ’23

Peter Mahakian

@hopscorect

“It’s been great to finally get to run on the track and our team has performed well at meets, which is an added bonus.” - Riley Foushee ’23

Peter Mahakian

Interviews with spring athletes conducted

by Co-lead Sports Editor Tanner Lee ’23

Page 12

June 4, 2021

Congratulations Hopkins Class of 2021!

From the 2021-2022 Razor Staff

Jemma Williams

Class of 2021 College Matriculation List Babson College

Georgetown University (7)

St Lawrence University

University of Michigan (2)

Bard College

Hamilton College

Swarthmore College

University of Pennsylvania (2)

Barnard College (2)

Harvard University (2)

Syracuse University

University of Rochester (2)

Bates College (2)

Indiana University (Bloomington)

The University of Alabama

University of Vermont (2)

Boston College (2)

Macalester College

Trinity College

University of Virginia

Boston University (2)

Marist College

Trinity College Dublin

Vassar College

Bowdoin College

Maryland Institute College of Art

Tufts University (4)

Wake Forest University (3)

Brown University (4)

McGill University (2)

Union College

Washington University in St Louis (3)

Bucknell University (2)

Mount Holyoke College

United States Naval Academy

Wesleyan University (6)

Case Western Reserve University

New York University (3)

University of California (Berkeley)

Williams College

Colby College (2)

Northeastern University (6)

University of California (Irvine)

Yale University (8)

Colgate University (3)

Northwestern University

University of Chicago (4)

Columbia University (5)

Occidental College

University of Cincinnati

Connecticut College

Oxford College of Emory University

University of Colorado Boulder (2)

Cornell University (4)

Pomona College

University of Connecticut (9)

Dartmouth College (2)

Princeton University (2)

University of Delaware

Emerson College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2)

University of Illinois

Fordham University

Southern Methodist University

University of Miami (4)

Numbers listed after colleges indicate that multiple Hopkins students will be attending those institutions next year.