Seniors participate in new basketball league

By Fiona Ryan

Presentations Managing Editor Leo Saperstein ’23 organized a senior basketball season in Taper Gymnasium during Community Time. e regular season games took place from Feb. 24 to March 16, and the postseason tournament began on March 20.

Saperstein said he organized the league to create a more formal platform for his friends and classmates to play basketball against each other during their free time.

“My peripheral friends and core friends were often in the gym playing basketball during common free times,” Saperstein said. “I thought that if we organized this into something more concrete, it could be more competitive and a lot of fun for all of us.”

“ e Shelter” team member Nick Guagliano ’23 said seniors kept both strategy and cama- raderie in mind while forming their teams.

“As far as teams go, it was sort of on a volunteer basis, at least for our team, but there was some strategy involved in the players who were picked,” Guagliano said. “For example, Andrew Arkow ’23 has really incredible dribbling skills and a great shot, so it was obvious that he would be on the team.”

Miles Toliver ’25 said the tournament is a popular event among the school community, even non-seniors, and he enjoys experiencing the electric energy in the gym rst-hand.

“It’s cool to watch the seniors play competitively and see people who play di erent sports play the sport I love,” Toliver said. “ ey obviously enjoy playing the sport, and it’s a great way to bring our student body together in a fun and unique way.”

Regardless of the outcomes of each game, Guagliano said he appreciates the opportunity to nize signups for the drive, said he was amazed by the community’s eagerness for the drive.

“I think the amazing part of our school is that we really didn’t have to motivate people,” Levy said. “Plenty of people came up and asked if they could donate blood. ere were plenty of people who told us that they did it last year and were excited to do it again, and we just helped them sign up. I mainly helped people through the process of signing up without di culties, and it didn’t take much to motivate the community. I think this really speaks to our community.”

Levy said he hopes to include more queer people in future blood drives. e FDA released an updated draft guidance on blood donation eligibility requirements that pertain specifically to gay and bisexual men. Previously, gay and bisexual men were prohibited from donating blood, but the FDA is moving to ease regulations on this policy. While the guidance has not yet been nalized, the American Red Cross announced in a statement that they will continue to provide data to the FDA in support of further progress.

“Most people that went haven’t shed more than two times before, so anyone can join if they have interest,” Whiteman said. “Hopefully in either a month or two, we intend on renting a party boat and doing a trip out in the same area for sea shing instead of just shing o of a pier.”

FisHW member Mark Ma ’24 said shing is a great activity for making friends and relaxing.

Whiteman said while he had limited shing experience before FisHW Faculty Advisor Aaron Martin approached him about the club, Martin’s excitement about shing inspired Whiteman to relaunch FisHW and open up the shing trip to a larger group.

“I was working the lights and sound for a show with [Martin],” Whiteman said. “If you speak with him you’ll see he’s super enthusiastic about shing. We came together with the idea of booting it back up.”

Martin said he has shed his whole life, beginning in Wisconsin with his dad. He said shing is more enjoyable when it is done with other people as opposed to doing it alone.

“We mainly focused on halibut, mackerel and lobsters, but fishermen have said that catching small sharks may also be probable,” Ma said. “We’re currently looking towards another trip in Newport Beach, where we will go on fishing boats into the deep ocean and hopefully reel in some beautiful fish.” Martin said they were very excited to catch lobster, as the season is just about nearing its end.

“ e season closes March 22, which is why we got in the trip now or we’d probably wait out the weather a little,” Martin said. “ e spiny lobsters are found all over the rocky shores at night when the water warms, so whoever pulled up the tank with the lobsters in them got to take their findings home in the cooler.”

Whiteman said although he is not the most experienced sherman, he hopes that outings like this one will improve his abilities.

“I don’t have the biggest background in shing,” Whiteman said. “I’ve been a few times, but I am not an avid sherman by any means. Martin is really passionate about it, though, and inspired me to work with him to organize this trip.” bond with his peers and friends by playing an entertaining sport that they are all fond of.

“Unfortunately, [my team and I have] done a bit more losing than we would have liked, but it was still a lot of fun to get to play with my friends,”

Guagliano said. “I de nitely don’t regret participating in the slightest, and I’m really glad we got to have this opportunity.”

Saperstein said he hopes to organize another tournament in the future with a newly added component to creating and balancing teams.

“I have received requests from di erent members of the league to do another version [of the tournament] later in the year that includes a draft now that we understand each other’s talents and weaknesses,” Saperstein said.