Inklings September 2024 Issue by inklingsnewsonline

"Create Something Beautiful"

The reoccuring theme in speeches at Max's Celebration of Life.

A collection of thoughts, memories and wishes from the community A note from Marcus Harper, Max's father

Ijust wanted to send a note of enormous thanks to everyone at Staples for coming to support Max’s family.

I have so much love for the Westport community, you are an enormous source of strength to us all.

I was so incredibly happy that Max’s mum Sarah and his sister Georgie heard some of your wonderful stories about Max. I was extremely proud at his Celebration of Life ceremony.

Max’s priority in life and his greatest passion was his friends. He loved you all so much and therefore, by extension, I have a great deal of love and affection for all of you.

When I start to sink, I can grab onto what Max stood for which was to help the people who are alone or those who are struggling with life. Max was the person who could bring groups together and make life a little better.

Max saw the light in everyone and helped them see their own qualities. I heard from a lot of you that Max enriched your lives. What a beautiful legacy.

Max was one of those rare people in life that lived how he truly wanted to live it. Not catering to the influences and opinions of other people, not dressing, acting or talking a certain way because anyone said he should, instead living the life that he wanted to live. That's one of the biggest things I’ve learned from him: live your life, not the life you think you should live.

We’ve all started to emulate how he lived his life and carry the qualities that he always did. That shows how impactful of a person he really was. I’ll always be grateful for that.

- Ethan Engwert ʼ25

We have never been able to form such a strong bond with someone so quickly. Every time we spent time with Max we could feel our love only growing more for each other. He inspired us with so many different ideas for all of our futures knowing that he wanted the absolute best for us, and we plan to live a way he would want us to sharing his moral's and his ambition.

We loved when he would show up to our house every single morning this summer, and we would be left with less Cinnamon Toast Crunch, although he always made sue his bowl was spotless. We trusted Max with our lives because we knew how much he cared about us. He had our backs whenever we needed him the most. It's going to be hard not hearing his car with his music pulling into our driveway, and this is going to leave a huge absence in our lives, but it feels relieving knowing our love for him will be everlasting.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE Friends and family of Max Harper '25 gathered by the cannons on Compo Beach for his Celebration of Life on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The day consisted of sprinkling flower petals into the ocean and sharing memories of Max. The event was organized by Max's family and friend Josh Kitt and also consisted of a service and barbeque.

As I said to you all yesterday, I have just learned that we created and shaped Max for the benefit of his community. This is a wonderful comfort to me.

Let’s please all think about how we can create something beautiful that will allow Max to keep helping us all. In the meantime, for Max, please be a little kinder to yourselves and one another.

- Marcus Harper

Max was the kind of friend to always be excited. He never had a negative attitude. One thing he loved was to talk about cars, and sharing this passion, we talked a lot about cars; specifically the one I was about to purchase. He asked me to be the first person that got a ride, and of course I agreed. This car was the last thing we talked about. Two days after his passing, I finally got the car we had talked about for months. I would do anything to pick Max up and go for one last ride with him. Everytime I drive my car, all I can think about is the excitement Max would’ve brought, and the love that he shared.

- Max Kim ʼ25

- Logan and Carter Hall ʼ25

Irememberthat on Wednesday I talked to Max in the halls. I asked him how his classes were going. He said good and that he was enjoying them. I remember he asked about how French Honors was going. That was a class I had with him last year, and I said "Good, but not the same without you," and we both laughed. I still think about how everyday I would see him in the halls. He would always make sure to talk to me and check up on me. You knew he cared about everyone.

- Kaya Halper ʼ27

Ihad the pleasure of having Max in photo class last year. He was such a fun clown. He used to show me photos he took of sports cars, motorcycles and so on. Every time I walk in the hallways, I'll remember Max's sweet voice yelling my name out to say hello.

- Tiffany Choi

Contents TABLE OF 6-7

Cover design by Alex Gaines '25 & Olivia Signorile '25

Cover photos by Luca Caniato '25

In the Big Leagues

Ben Casparius '17 is now playing in the MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

8-9

Editorial

Share the Hour

Brooke Saporta '25 discusses the success of helping young students read.

The editorial board presents their opinions on the potential new cell phone policy.

14

Red Staff

Editors-in-chief

Nina Bowens & Lily Hultgren

Managing editor

Editors

Katherine Phelps Storey Ahl, Zander Bauer, Sage Cohen, Camilla Garfield, Sophia Jaramillio, Anna Petrosino, Sophia Reeves, Nash Teran

Advisers

Mary Elizabeth Fulco & Joseph DelGobbo

Ben Casparius '17 was a core member of the Staples varsity baseball team all four years of high school. Casparius pitches for the Los Angeles Dodgers and recently earned his first win.

More About Us

Inklings News is uncensored, unedited by administration, and does not allow for prior review.

Opinions

The Editorial Board determines editorial opinions that are authored by the Editors-in-Chief. Inklings News serves as an open forum for the public and welcomes letters to the editor and other submissions. Send signed letters to inklingsnews@westportps.org. Submissions will not be edited prior to publication.

Inklings News reserves the right to not publish advertisements that promote products that could be harmful to student health.

Membership

Inklings News is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association and supports the Student Press Law Center.

The decisions of Inklings News and Westport Public Schools are made without regard to race, color, age, sex,religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or any other discriminating basis prohibited by local, state or federal law.

Photo contributed by Ben Casparius '17

Zara Saliba ’26 Paper Editor

The ground rumbles as the plane hits the tarmac and begins to slow to the gate. The red light above your head blinks, signifying your arrival in Mexico. Here you are: new country, new school, new language.

This is exactly what Freddie Fielding ’25 did last year, spending 10 months of high school in Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico City, only coming back to America for school breaks.

“I went [to the] American

School Foundation for school,” Fielding said. “I lived with a host family who I knew because they were family friends.”

The American School Foundation (ASF), found in countries like Mexico and the United Kingdom, provides international students with the opportunity to get the very best out of the American education system.

Students who attend ASF learn an American curriculum while being immersed in a different country’s culture. They strive to create an interconnected world by speaking the host country’s language (in Fielding’s case, Spanish) while learning

about life in the United States.

Fielding’s experience was very personalized, meaning he could pick the places he wanted to go and social events he would experience, not necessarily following a specific curriculum created by the school.

“I went to a lot of museums and social events like the museum of modern art [and other] exhibitions,” Fielding said, “I also went to Valle de Bravo with my friends and San Miguel de Allende with my dad.”

ferent and the city had a lot of old buildings that made the whole city look better than American cities,” Fielding said.

In addition to this, there were some aspects of student life that differed from what students have at Staples.

“The school had [so much] school spirit and monthly gatherings [with your grade level],” Fielding said.

MIn Mex

This parrot was found in Licoln Par

Fielding recognized the cultural differences between the two countries and the benefits of having this experience.

“The school was very dif-

Overall, the experience allowed Fielding to broaden his scope on the world and even take up a new language.

“The school was fun,” Fielding said. “I am semi-fluent in Spanish because of my year there.”

FREDDIE’S FINDS: In Mexico

"I visited the San Miguel de Allende Church with my family and we saw the whole town "

"The owner of the aviary where I found this bird was super nice and it was a warm welcome "

Photos contributed by Freddie Fielding ’25 | 5 features page design by Sophia Reeves ’25

"I visited the San Miguel de Allende Church with my family and we saw the whole town "

"The owner of the aviary where I found this bird was super nice and it was a warm welcome "

"I found this statue cool when I was touring the National Museum of Anthropology "

Graphics by Sophia Reeves ’25

SHOWTIME Ben Casparius debuted for the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Aug. 31 2024, pitching a scoreless eighth inning in their 8-6 win over the Arizona

Pitch perfect: Ben Casparius '17 makes MLB dreams come true with Los Angeles Dodgers

Matthew Stashower '25

Inklings Ambassador

It’s the eighth inning of a tie game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, and both teams are in the playoff hunt. A walk from the bullpen to the pitching mound — a mere few hundred feet — is the only thing separating him from his dream. It's a dream he has wanted to pursue since the day he first picked up a baseball bat. He makes the slow walk to the mound, with his heart pounding and butterflies in his stomach, and with one throw, his dreams are complete.

Ben Casparius ’17 made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 31, becoming the first Staples alumni to play Major League Baseball.

“I told myself I belong here,” Casparius

said of his debut. “I definitely think I earned my way to get activated on the big league roster and from then on I told myself, 'you have nothing to lose right now. Just go out there and attack, enjoy the moment, take the atmosphere in and have fun.'”

Casparius pitched a scoreless inning of relief against the Arizona Diamondbacks, picking up a win, before being sent back down to the minors.

“He worked very hard with us,” Staples baseball head coach Jack McFarland said. "When he wasn’t pitching, he was playing another position, doing damage at the plate, scoring us runs. So he was working and wasn’t just a one trick pony. He could pretty much do it all.”

Casparius was a state champion with the Wreckers in 2017 and also won CT Gatorade Player of the Year while with Staples. He then went on to play at the University of North Carolina, where he focused

on pitching. He then transferred to UConn before being drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

“I definitely had opportunities to go to private schools and play,” Casparius said, “but I was pretty adamant about staying in Westport and staying in the public school system. Staples has had a really good track record with baseball, and I kind of had the ability to go out there and play with my friends but also compete for state championships. I think it was a great experience, and I had a lot of fun doing it.”

Although Casparius has crossed paths with a lot of people while on his journey to the Major Leagues, he said he owes the most gratitude to his parents.

“At the end of the day, my parents are the ones I’m talking to the most about my journey,” Casparius said. “The good days, bad days they’ve been with me and supported me every step of the way.”

Casparius began playing baseball at the age of 4, and from early childhood, he dreamed of one day reaching the Major Leagues.

2005

2017

Casparius led Staples to a state championship in 2017 and earned the title of CT Gatorade Player of the Year.

Casparius made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 31, fulfilling his lifelong dream and contributing to the team's 8-6 victory.

2024

All photos contributed by Ben Casparius '17

Share the Hour:

New literacy club promotes lifelong readers

Caroline Zajac '25 Business Manager

Practice makes perfect—a mindset that students at Kendall Elementary school in Norwalk have applied to reading. Literacy test scores were low so, members of Share the Hour club stepped up to do read-alouds to students.

Share the Hour is a 501(c3) non-profit organization run by Brooke Saporta ’25 that focuses on enhancing children’s reading abilities at Kendall Elementary School.

Saporta started this club at the end of 2023 after volunteering and noticing how behind Norwalk children were in reading.

“They didn’t have access to the proper resources to help them catch up,” Saporta said.

In order for Saporta to get these children the proper resources, she partnered up with the Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools to support further program development.

“We were awarded a $6400 grant from the City of Norwalk,” Saporta said. “ As well as a $1,000 grant from The First Presbyterian Church of Stamford.”

The club uses the grant money to provide free literacy lessons and create engaging projects. For each session, they focus on learning about a different career by first reading a book and then completing a related activity.

“For example, we read a book about being a photographer, and then gave kids polaroid cameras to go take pictures with,” Saporta said.

Dylan Lebowitz ’25, one of the vice presidents, helps run and lead the program alongside Saporta and the club’s literacy coach Fatima Toor. These leadership positions help manage the 20 other volunteers who make up the club.

“I think underclassmen should join this club because it is so rewarding to see how happy the kids are when they are able to read a book after you helped them,” Lebowitz said.

During the Involvement Fair, Share the Hour will be advertising their bi-monthly meetings of working towards their goal. The first meeting will be held on Oct 11 at Kendall.

“I want to expand no-cost, barrier free literacy growth opportunities," Saporta said, "To struggling underprivileged kids at the age when the biggest impact can be made."

RAISING THE BILL Share the Honor was awarded a $6400 grant from the City of Norwalk as well as a $1,000 grant from The First Presbyterian Church of Stamford.

SCHOOL OF FISH

Photos contributed by Brooke Saporta '25

SharetheHourstressestheimportanceofteachingthestudentsthe5Ws(who,what, when,where,why)inadditiontofosteringacommunityforthekidstoenjoy.DylanLebowitz’25 (left),BrookeSaporta'25andIslaGoldberg’25(right)arefeaturedatthismeeting.

WE WANT STAPLES TO VOTE

campaigning and countless controversial moments. However the political division has left many first-time voters (especially teens) feeling mixed emotions: on one

HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE

YOU CAN REGISTER TO VOTE IF YOU WILL BE 18 YEARS OF AGE ON OR BEFORE THE ELECTION DATE ON NOVEMBER 5.

REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT VOTERREGISTRATION.CT.GOV

YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER IN PERSON AT THE WESTPORT REGISTRARS’ OFFICE AT TOWN HALL, ROOM 107

STAPLES STUDENTS CAN REGISTER TO VOTE IN PERSON AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, DATES AND TIMES TO BE ANNOUNCED

YOU CAN REGISTER TO VOTE AT THE DMV

page design by Nash Teran '25

tor of polling at the Harvard Institute of Infographic by Olivia Signorile '25 Politics said (via The New York Times).

RAory Gilmore is rarely seen without a book in her hand (or two-a biography AND a novel, IYKYK). But no study out t is complete without cream-colored trousers, a striped OR o -the-shoulder shirt, and a pair of classic Mary Janes. Rory Gilmore once asked, “Who cares if I’m pretty if I fail my nal?” Well, I say, why do the two have to be mutually exclusive?!

s of late, fall has become synonymous with the hit 2000s television show "Gilmore Girls" starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. e show centers around the lives and loves of an iconic mother-daughter duo in a small Connecticut town, not too di erent from our own. So, if you’re looking to nail the cozy New England fall aesthetic, look no further than Stars Hollow’s favorite co ee-drinking golden girl, Rory Gilmore. Cue the Carole King. the ing upon).

Bootcut jeans and a lacy longsleeve top are staples in the Gilmore household. Add a pair of mini Uggs and you’ve got the perfect look for any fall activity-whether it be Friday night dinner with your grandparents or a run-in with the cute new kid at the supermarket (or, more realistically, hanging around the soda aisle waiting for the cute new kid to happen

Urban Out ttersKimchi Blue Lace Top

Brandy MelvilleLeah Striped V-Neck

Mia Bomback '25 Managing Editor

Staples says hello to fresh wave of teachers for the 24-25 school year

Jack Robinson '26 Web Opinions Editor

If she wasn't an English teacher, she would want to teach history.

Dr. Jessica DiBuono 6-12 ELA Coordinator

As the English Coordinator for middle and high school, Dr. Jessica DiBuono’s job is to listen to the needs of English teachers and try her best to accommodate them.

“What teachers need is really important to me,” DiBuono said. “[For example,] are there different professional development opportunities that you want support in, or do you want me to observe and give feedback? So things like that that I can help to organize.”

Her goal is to give students an environment in which they are always comfortable to ask questions, working with the teachers to make students engaged.

“My favorite thing is being able to get to know students as individuals," DiBuono said, "and try to create lifelong readers.”

David Harvey Latin

Even though he’s technically a new teacher this school year, this isn’t David Harvey’s first time at Staples. Since he retired in 2020, he taught in the '20-'21 and '22-'23 school years. Even though officially retired, he’s taking one or two classes to keep the Latin program thriving. In addition to Latin, he’s dabbled in teaching a variety of subjects, from technology to running a theater program. Across the schools he’s taught at, he views Staples as unique.

“Staples is much more of a junior college,” Harvey said. “[In the sense that there is] a greater variety of electives and most students have a chance to be more self directed in their choices.”

If he wasn't a science teacher, he would want to teach history.

John Vellardito Science

Although new to Staples, science teacher John Vellardito certainly isn’t new to teaching, having taught at Greenwich High School for 21 years.

“From the people that I know that [have worked] at Staples, it is focused on students first, and I think that priority brings all sorts of wonderful work experiences,” Vellardito said.

Vellardito is teaching A.P. Environmental Science and Biology. His approach this year is to find new and improved ways of doing things and continue to grow his career, with help from his new environment.

If he wasn't a Latin teacher, he would want to teach Environmental Science.

“The staff here has been incredibly supportive,” Vellardito said. “[They’ve] given me a lot of resources to experiment with and to discover improved ways of getting students excited about science.”

Photos by Jack Robinson '26

Graphics by Lila Boroujerdi '26

Graphic by Camilla Garfield '27

Implementation of a cell phone ban harms students

We are living in an era where teenagers are phone-obsessed. This has raised concern nationwide, with some parents advocating for stricter phone policies or even bans during school. With such conversations arising in the Westport Public School system, the Editorial Board wanted to share their thoughts on cell phone protocols at Staples.

In elementary and middle schools, phones are of little-to-no value, so a ban would make sense. But high school is different.

It may be hard to believe, but phones can be an indispensable tool in high school. They can be used to keep track of important information, scan QR codes, upload assignments, take photos of notes, participate in classroom games and so much more. As student journalists, we need phones to record interviews, take high-quality photos and swiftly communicate information during the school day. Inklings would not be able to function efficiently without phones.

Phones are also a critical communication device in emergency situations. This is a fact that cannot be ignored. The tragic reality is we live in a world where school shootings are occurring all over the country, and we must have a cell phone policy that addresses this. In such events, students should always be able to communicate

with their families, lowering anxiety for both parties. Amid the recent threats the school has received, members of the Board were thankful they could communicate at all times with family and friends on their phones.

In contrast, at Masuk High School in Monroe, students are required to put their phones in a portable phone locker. The school experienced a security threat earlier this month, prompting students afterward to use social media to criticize this system, expressing fear and frustration at not being able to contact their families. Now, Masuk is looking to revise its phone policy.

Currently, Staples’ phone policy requires students to leave their devices in phone holders on the wall upon entering the classroom. This policy gives teachers the opportunity to allow students to use their phones when an educational purpose presents itself. The Board supports the phone holders and attests to the fact that, when teachers consistently enforce their use, they are an effective way to decrease distraction.

If our phones were outright banned, students could still use their computers to do every-

thing they do on their phones. Snapchat? Still accessible on computers. Online shopping? Also on the computers. Gaming? Probably even easier to use on the computer. A phone ban would not eliminate distractions.

We know better than anyone: teenage phone-addiction is an issue. But the reality is phones are here to stay. There are no restrictions at college, the workplace or anywhere else in the real world. So why ban them from high school?

The Editorial Board voted unanimously in favor of this opinion.

Graphic by Olivia Signorile ʼ25

Graphic by Alex Gaines '25