Inklings January 2023 Issue

Behind the Lens

Teen filmakers Ellie Macaluso ʼ23 and Ben Seideman ʼ23 depict an amnesiacʼs regret and sociopathic love in their respective short films (pg 8-9)

CONT ENTS

Staples High School, 70 North Avenue, Westport, CT 06880

News

4 Influenza cases recede

5 New English courses

Several English courses have been added to the Program of Studies for the 2023-24 school year.

6 AP Classroom policy

Paige Miller ’24 argues that teachers should adhere to the College Board’s multiple choice policy.

7 Surviving high school

Post-holiday season, cases of the flu have started to die down.

Opinions Features

Arts

10 A&E highlights

Check out the latest movies, music and more.

11 Grace Livecchi ’21 releases original magazine

Benjamin Buchalter ’25 presents his take on a successful academic career.

8-9 Ellie Macaluso ’23 and Ben Seideman ’23 share love for film

Macaluso and Seideman expanded their curricula by independently producing short films. Both were showcased at Westport’s Young Filmmakers Forum.

Inklings Staff

Editors-In-Chief

Lucy Dockter, Julia Herlyn Creative Directors

Maya Hruskar, Lily Klau, Lilly Weisz

Paper Managing Editors

Mishael Gill, Ella Shi Web Managing Editors

Hannah Conn, Toby Goldfarb

Associate Managing Editors

Kiswa Khan, Phoebe Miller Business Directors

Meg Enquist, Allie Gillman, Mia Kirkorsky

Photography Director

Camille Vynerib

Asst. Creative Director

Shivali Kanthan

Public Relations Director

Emily Goldstein

Social Media Manager

Alix Glickman

Audience Engagement Manager

Margot Richlin

Broadcast Directors

Anna Diorio, Abby Nevin

TV Show Producers

Zach Brody, Finnegan Courtney

Asst. Business Managers

Indie Ahl, Julia Leitner, Michael Pontoriero

Breaking News Editor

Audrey Kercher News Editors

Genevieve Frucht, Paige Miller, Mia Bomback, Henry Watson Opinions Editors

Addison Coughlin, Ava Coyle, Ava Cordella, Katherine Phelps Features Editors

Caitlin Jacob, Lily Hultgren, Nina Bowens, Paige Tighe Arts Editors

Ava Chun, Talia Varsano, Alexandra Gaines, Ruby Kantor Sports Editors

Gabi Gerig, Madison Mayr, Demi Sasson, Matthew Stashower Web News Editors

Jolie Gefen, Rachel Olefson Web Opinions Editors

Nina Jones, Aidan Sprouls Web Features Editors

Audrey Curtis, Samantha Sandrew Web Arts Editors

Liora Perkins, Matthew Saw Web Sports Editors

Talia Moskowitz, William Murray Web Photostory Editors

Karlie Saed Advisors

Joseph DelGobbo, Mary Elizabeth Fulco

Livecchi produces a magazine that emulates one’s inner child.

Sports

12 Staples welcomes new athletic director

VJ Sarullo, Staples’ new athletic director, will begin in March.

13 Modern sports culture

Ruby Kantor ’24 delves into the link between mental pressure and physical injury in sports.

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.

Advertisements

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.

@inklingsnews

@inklings.news

Cover photo by Camille Vynerib ’23 & design by Maya Hruskar ’23

Additional honors courses ultimately harm student experience

As teachers submit their recommendations for students’ courses for the 2023-24 school year, students are abuzz as they consult Staples’ Program of Studies. With classes such as Beginning Piano, Zoology and Mobile App Development, possibilities for constructing one’s schedule seem virtually endless. Even the English department, which has been criticized by some for not having enough honors-level courses for upperclassmen, has recently created more options by introducing new higher-level courses for next year, including Shakespeare Honors and a Literacy, Identity & Community Early College Experience (ECE).

But while there is validity in offering a variety of levels to encourage students to seek appropriate academic challenges, the Editorial Board ultimately decided that it is impractical and possibly detrimental to introduce additional humanities honors courses. For starters, offering honors courses will likely reduce resources for A-level humanities classes since: 1) there is not enough staff to account for a broader diversity of course levels; and 2) the impressively diverse offerings of A-level electives will be eliminated and replaced with honors classes.

A-level humanities courses should be preserved since they can offer more opportunities for wider ranges of thought-provoking discussions. For instance, when more students are taking A-level classes, it is inevitable that there are more students from different academic backgrounds, offering unique perspectives and contributions

to classroom conversations. Diversity of thought is crucial in humanities classes for more well-rounded and complete discussion. Furthermore, diversity and inclusivity are essential in developing interdisciplinary critical thinking skills that could be essential for future careers or academic endeavors. More important ly though, A-level classes also increase social opportunities and cov er a greater variety of student interests. An A-level class may cultivate greater collabo ration among students.

Furthermore, since the curricula in A-level courses are often less rig id than honors or AP, these A-lev el humanities courses (for ju niors and seniors) can also be more tailored to students’ interests: for example, Gothic & Horror Literature, Middle East Stud ies and Critical Analysis of Film & Literature, among other courses Ultimate ly, including more honors options will de stroy the prac

tice of taking humanity classes based on genuine interest.

Editorial Board members admit that the main reason they desire more honors classes is because they want more weight on their transcript. They confess that they select honors classes for the GPA boost,

Shakespeare A course did not run due to a lack of enrollment, but now that the course will be tied to honors credit next year, more students have expressed interest. Shakespeare did not suddenly become more of an interesting subject for kids; they are merely credit hunting. Therefore, the Editorial Board believes that having limited level options in humanities courses allows students to take classes they are actually interested in, as opposed to simply taking classes they feel are necessary in order to increase their appeal as college applicants.

More importantly though, A-level classes also increase social opportunities and cover a greater variety of student interests. An A-level class may cultivate greater collaboration among students.

Graphic by Lilly Weisz ’23

The Editorial Board voted 15-5 in favor of this opinion.

Influenza rampage dies down in recent weeks

Samantha Sandrew ‘25 Web Features Editor

Inuenza cases spiked in Connecticut around anksgiving and before break, peaking in the week of Nov. 27, 2022 with 6,232 cases, and then falling to 932 the week of Jan. 8 2023, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

“We had seen an increased number of u cases before the holiday break,” Sta-

ples Nurse Anna Fitzpatrick said. “It seems to have slowed down a bit.”

Symptoms of the u include coughing, sore throat and vomiting, leading many in-

fected students to take time o from school to rest.

“On the rst day [I was] throwing up and basically my whole body was hurting,” Mark Suarez ’25, who had the u in January, said. “I couldn’t really move and didn’t eat anything just drank a bunch of water and Gatorade. I’ve been out two days and might miss a third.”

While the number of illnesses subsided during the two weeks of midterm exams, according to Fitzpatrick, experts warn that more cases may be imminent.

“We anticipate that the 2022–23 u season will be a very active one,” Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said in a statement. “I strongly

Local Briefs

Feb. 4

Crossword Puzzle Contest

e Westport Public Library will host their 24th Annual Crossword Puzzle Contest on Feb. 4 from 1-4 p.m. e contest will be hosted by Will Shortz, New York Times crossword puzzle editor. Participants will solve three crosswords within a set time frame to advance to the nals.

recommend that persons 6 months of age and older get a u shot.”

COVID-19 and in uenza have similar symptoms as they are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but the in uenza vaccine does not provide aid against COVID-19 nor vice versa. It is also possible to be infected with COVID-19 and in uenza at the same time.

e only method of distinguishing between the two is taking a COVID-19 test.

“Students should get lots of rest, eat well and drink uids,” Fitzpatrick said. “If you do not feel well, stay home and go to the doctor.”

Mia Bomback ‘25 News Editor

Feb. 10

GALentine’s Day Workshop

Wakeman Town Farm will host a grazing board workshop in honor of GALentine’s Day led by caterer and food stylist, Elizabeth Drew. e event will take place on Feb. 10 from 7-9 p.m. Participants will learn how to thoughtfully curate and arrange charcuterie boards.

Feb. 18

Talisk Concert

Talisk – a Scottish folk band – will perform at MoCA on Feb. 18 from 7-9 p.m. Talisk’s music fuses concertina, guitar and ddle to create their signature sound. Tickets are available on MoCA’s website.

Graphic by Lilly Weisz ’23

Infographic by Finnegan Courtney ’23

We anticipate that the 2022–23 flu season will be a very active one.”

- Nurse Anna

Fitzpatrick

New English courses appeal to broader range of students

Lilly Weisz ‘23 Creative Director

The English department is adding two new semester English courses and shortening the Myth & Bible Honors course to a semester in the 2023-2024 academic year. Amid budget cuts to the department, they hope to attract a broader population to their electives and satisfy community requests for more honors-level coursework.

Shakespeare Honors

Shakespeare Honors will replace Shakespeare A, which the English department hopes will increase enrollment enough to allow more sections of the course to run next year.

“ ere’s room in every one of those electives to take on more depth, more breadth, more scholarship,” English teacher Meghan Scheck said. “I think Shakespeare probably lends itself to that be-

cause it’s already kind of hard.”

Scheck predicted from her own Shakespeare A teaching experience that the honors level curriculum will function similarly to A, sampling Shakespeare’s works through reading and watching performances. At a faster pace, the course could expand beyond the A-level requirement of a comedy, a tragedy and a history to include a romance.

Mythology & Bible Honors

While Myth & Bible A previously ran as a semester-long course, and Myth & Bible Honors a full year, both are slated to run as semester courses next year. e curriculum will maintain its honors-level pacing and di culty.

Having semester-length honors electives means interested students can take advantage of the English department’s exible course structure. Mili Green ’23 has

taken an AP English course and now takes semester English electives, enjoying how their shorter span allows her to explore more new subjects.

“I think it would’ve been really cool to be able to have the best of both worlds and have taken both Myth & Bible Honors and [another] elective,” Green said, “and I’d really appreciate the opportunity to go more in depth as opposed to just taking Myth & Bible A.”

Literacy, Identity, & Community

e Literacy, Identity & Community Early College Experience (ECE) course is a college-level class equivalent to UConn’s four-credit rst-year writing course: “Seminar in Academic Writing and Multimodal Composition.” e course is “multimodal,” bringing together various forms of media to explore the languages of di erent communities. e

5 MOST POPULAR ENGLISH CLASSES

NUMBER OF SECTIONS

9

class serves as an alternative to an AP English course, providing similar rigor and AP-level weighted grades without CollegeBoard’s rigid structure.

“We de nitely want students who feel like they can take on the independence and ambiguity part,” English teacher Brendan Giolitto said. “ e main thing is being condent in being able to guide

5

Infographic by Lily Klau ’23

yourself, work yourself on your own deadlines, which is really ultimately what a college student is able to do.”

Paige Miller ’24 News Editor

OPINIONS

controversy: teachers should not break College Board multiple choice policy

ments cannot be used to assign a corresponding letter grade to students. Students can only be assigned a completion grade.”

AP students are frequently faced with taking high stakes assessments. To offset those major grades, some AP teachers assign “grade boosters” by having students complete the AP Classroom multiple choice practice assessments for credit. Although these assignments do boost grades, the overall learning and understanding suffers because these assignments were never designed to be graded and they encourage cheating.

First and foremost, any teacher assigning a grade to an AP Classroom practice multiple choice assignment is either ignoring or unknowingly violating a stated College Board policy. According to the College Board website, “Because the topic questions are forma

So, while multiple choice questions might be useful as a checkpoint for a student’s progress, they should not and cannot count for a letter grade, unless it is for completion.

Secondly, the limited number of questions that are asked in multiple choice practices are so few that it is punitive to students when these assignments are graded. For instance, many assignments only have three multiple choice questions, so if a student gets one question wrong, they receive a D. That is not a fair assessment, which is exactly why the College Board does not intend teachers to use the assessments as a grade.

Thirdly, the very act of grading students on the answers to AP multiple choice questions lacks integrity because all an

when teachers assign these practices as homework, more often than not, students are looking up the answers in order to ensure a solid grade.

Not only that, but since the answers are so easy to look up, it makes cheating not only enticing but inevitable. AP students are often stressprone, which makes the appeal of looking up answers quickly and achieving a 100% homework grade hard to resist.

It is important for students to gain the most they can from every homework assignment and practice material they are assigned. The point of an AP class is not only to possibly receive college credit, but to develop important skills such as critical thinking, time management and study habits, which will be useful in college and beyond. But students do not develop these skills

multiple choice homework. The many assignments and practices provided in AP Classroom are essential to students’ success when they are administered correctly. So, it is important for teachers to steer away from assigning and grading the multiple choice and instead prioritize open-ended critical thinking assignments. Teachers should also utilize the daily videos which cover all the course content and skills that the College Board provides as supplemental support.

Doing so will not only preserve the integrity of the rigor of the AP class, but will also provide teachers with more accurate data on their students’ understandings. In addition, students will benefit because when a grade is not assigned, they can then practice without stress of failure, and instead focus on improving their individual understanding.

Therefore, in order to ensure students are being fairly and accurately assessed, it is essential for teachers to adhere to the College Board’s multiple choice policy. Only then can students achieve the most success in their future academ

It is essential for teachers to adhere to the College Board’s multiple choice policy. ”

- Paige Miller '24

Inklings humor & satire

Study more, snowflake: advice on surviving school

Benjamin Buchalter ’25 Staff Writer

“What did you do with your midterm half-days?”

I was once asked this ques tion by my last friend before I ditched him to study for an aquatics test. How naïve and foolish of him to assume that over midterms I took breaks at all. From the week before they started until the moment they ended, I shut myself in my room with only a chamber pot and an oil lamp. I proceeded to study for 22 hours a day, go ing to bed at 1 a.m. and wak ing up at 3 a.m. to study early.

The point I’m trying to make here is: my life is abso lutely meaningless without homework and the only time I’m ever happy is when I have PowerSchool open. So it infuriates me when I see stu

dents complaining about having too much work, only to find that they just have five tests the next day. How trivial.

If you’re not devoting all of your time to school, you are worthless. You should crawl back into the caves and go back

going to scrutinize on your record. Why bother with paltry distractions like “breakfast” and “lunch” and “taking a shower”?

If the prospect of the upcoming February break doesn’t chill you to your core—what,

gy eyes drift lazily across your application, all he is looking for is three-figure grades, not achievements in brainless activities like sports, or such petty, useless fields as programming or the arts.

I take great pride watching the busses pull away in the afternoon as I sit in detention after socking a kid in the nose so I could intentionally stay at school longer, in knowing that I will rise above all the other plebians of Staples High School with my devotion to academics and will be a successful student in my future endeavors. I have embraced the fact that my life holds great meaning in school and school alone, for in its absence, I would be lost. It gives me great pleasure to know that while they lead pathetic careers of bold new endeavors, my pale carapace will be a shoe-in candidate at every university across America. Gaze upon my mastery of Freshman Mind and Body, you rabble, and weep.

Photo by Siena Petrosinelli ’25 Graphics by Lily Klau ’23

FEATURES

Macaluso, Seideman make a scene: Teen directors debut films at Westport Library

Ella Shi ’23 Managing Editor

The screen turns black and the final credits roll. The audience remains in their seats stunned and reflecting. The featured films were a sophisticated mix of love, betrayal, violence and psychosis. Yet the most riveting plot-twist of the night was that the artists behind the masterpieces were high schoolers, not professional film directors.

Ben Seideman ’23 and Ellie Macaluso ’23 cultivated their love of film with the help of the Independent Learning Experience (ILE) program at Staples. Their short films were displayed at the first Westport Young Filmmakers Forum, which took place at the Westport Public Library on Dec. 20.

Seideman’s interest in filmmaking came from his previous experience as an actor in other films and from watching movies.

“I had come to realize after acting for three years that I wanted to start creating the scripts that I would receive,” Seideman said. “I took a couple filmmaking courses, both in-

side and outside of school, but mostly, I just watched movies. I learned what I did like, and more importantly, what I didn’t like.”

Prior to his 18-minute film “The Edges of Love,” which portrays the downfall of a serial killer couple, Seideman gained insight from previous projects, allowing him to gain confidence with creative experimentation.

“I really began creating films through a trial and error process,” Seideman said. “I made many mistakes and created many failures which soon turned into future successes. Prior to [‘The Edges of Love’], most of the film content I had made tended to be more dramatic and sad, so I wanted to use this opportunity to experiment with something more fun and weird.”

Like Seideman, Macaluso drew inspiration from films and directors that she enjoyed. As seen in her film “Sincerely, Nadia,” the main character struggles with mental health issues after a car crash. She often communicates to the audience in the form of letters, as the character Charlie does in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

“I’ve always admired the artistic outlook on the cinematography and editing of films such as ‘Beautiful Boy’, ‘The Florida Project,’” Macaluso said. “For my film ‘Sincerely, Nadia,’ I adapted the structure of ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ into [my project]. I wanted the viewer to be able to empathize with the main character Nadia.”

Macaluso’s interest in film is rooted in her life-long passion for art, but she didn’t explore the

craft until entering high school.

“[Art] was always the thing I was most drawn to,” Macaluso said. “As I grew older that passion ended up developing into a passion within film. I started editing here and there for fun but never really had an outlet to make my own real projects.”

Upon taking the course, Narrative Film Production, Macaluso finally had the opportunity to seriously produce films.

“The second I started Narrative Film Production, I was immediately inspired to adapt my love, skill and knowledge of photography into something bigger,” Macaluso said, “and something that can convey a variety of emotions, meanings and storylines.”

ILE advisor Lauren Bullock is hoping to display student films each year at the Westport Library, as it provides an opportunity for students to have an audience.

“It was really great to see the general public and their response to the films,” Bullock said. “[The library] is looking for ways to develop more of a connection with Staples High School.”

I was immediately inspired to adapt my love, skill and knowledge of photography into something bigger,”

- Ellie Macaluso '23

Photos contributed by Ellie Macaluso ’23 & Ben Seideman ’23

“The Edges of Love”

“The Edges of Love”

“Sincerely, Nadia”

For his film, Seideman cast professional actors Leon Mcintosh (left) and Candy Fox (right).

Macaluso’s film stars Zoe Webster ’23 as Nadia, a teenage girl recovering from a traumatic accident.

Seideman’s film features a young who bond over killing people.

Ellie Macaluso ’23

MENTAL HEALTH Macaluso’s film, “Sincerely, Nadia,” embodies the mental recovery from a traumatic event. Macaluso took inspiration from the film “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” in which the main character often narrates the story through letters. She adopted a similar format for her film with the main character’s journal entries providing the narration.

Photos by Camille Vynerib ’ 23

Ben Seideman ’23

BETRAYAL “The Edges of Love,” Seideman’s film, explores the twisted story of a serial killer couple who face their downfall.

Love”

married couple

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Highlights of January

Paige Tighe ’24 Features Editor

C

heck out new music and movies featured this January, along with details on the paw-sitively jarring information about Taylor Swift’s cat.

movie highlights

Meet M3GAN: theres a new doll in town

e movie “M3GAN’’ released on Jan 6. M3GAN is an arti cially intelligent doll

designed to be a child’s friend and erce protector. When a young girl, Cady, is paired with

a M3GAN, the AI protects Cady by killing anyone that she constitutes as a threat to her.

“ is movie was so crazy,” Eli Rosenkranz ’24 said. “ e concept of it was good stu , I would say it is de nitely worth the watch. Megan was a cold-hearted killa.”

music spotlight

SCAN HERE TO LISTEN TO ‘FLOWERs’ ON SPOTIFY

Singer Miley Cyrus released her new single “Flowers” on Jan. 13. “Flowers” is the rst single released from her eighth

SadieLowe ’ 26

the latest beats

Kill Bill

Creepin’

Metro boomin

Nonsense

Sabrina carpenter

studio album, “Endless Summer Vacation,” available on Spotify and Apple Music on March 10. “Flowers” accumu-

lated over 83.5 million streams in less than a week of its release.

“I think Miley Cyrus’ new song ‘Flower’ is an interesting take on what love means,” Sadie Lowe ’26 said. “Most modern songs are about loving other people and how to best do that but it is important to also romanticize having self respect and priorities for oneself.”

celebri‘tea

Graphic by Shivali Kanthan ’24

Karma is a cat

Olivia Benson Swift, Taylor Swift’s Scottish Fold cat, is allegedly worth $97 million due to her numerous appearances in extravagant commercials and music videos, according to

DaisyFording ’ 24

a Rolling Stone article. e feline even had her own merchandise line, further contributing to her nancial success as the third-richest pet in the world.

“Although I think Taylor Swift is the best artist of all time, it’s actually insane that her cat is worth more than me,” Daisy Fording ’24 said.

“I can buy myself flowers”

Graphic by Lilly Weisz ’23

Graphic by Mishael Gill ’23

Grace Livecchi ’21 unlocks inner child through magazine

Genevieve Frucht

News Editor

Pastel colors, large photos, unique fonts and colorful shapes emulate the inner child theme of Grace Livecchi’s ’21 original magazine, Really Magazine. Livecchi released the rst issue of Really Mag on Jan. 1 after working on it for about two months.

“I started playing with the idea of creating a magazine in early October,” Livecchi said. “I wanted to sit on the concept for about a month before I committed myself to something so massive, but as my ideas began to develop, I honestly became obsessed with turning my vision into a reality.”

While contemplating the idea of making her own magazine, Livecchi worked on the one at her college; however, it wasn’t ful lling her eagerness to produce something more.

“At the time, I was writing and styling for a fashion and lifestyle magazine at my school, but it was low commitment and nearly impossible to acquire an active role as an underclassman,” Livecchi said. “I started Really because

I had a burning desire to create something at a larger scale than what I was doing. And for it to be more meaningful.”

Livecchi chose the theme of inner child because it is a concept that she has found intriguing and she believes that various aspects of childhood are important to integrate into adulthood.

“It’s easy to let risk of embarrassment or defeat inhibit you from doing what you truly want to do,” Livecchi said. “By tuning into your inner child, you prevent yourself from becoming a victim of comparison.”

Soon a er the release of Really Mag’s rst issue, Livecchi saw a lot of success, with various people wanting to join the team.

“Most of the writers are people I know from the school magazine I used to be a part of, a couple are friends of friends who heard about the mag from word of mouth,” Livecchi said. “But a er the release of the rst issue, I’ve gotten some emails from people I’ve never met who are looking to join our team, which de nitely feels surreal.”

Going forward, Livecchi hopes to keep Really Mag on a steady content schedule, including magazine issues and blog posts.

“My most immediate goal is to get our blog running so that we are putting out consistent content in-between issues,” Livecchi said. “As far as long term goals, I’d like to put out a collection of some sorts, but I need to focus on growing the magazine before that can happen.”

’24

By tuning into your inner child, you prevent yourself from becoming a victim of comparison.”

- Grace Livecchi ’21

Scan here to read the extended version of this article.

Photos contributed by Grace Livecchi ’21 & graphic by Ava Coyle ’25

NEWEST “it” PUBLISHER Grace Livecchi ’21 (bottom right) is the founder of Really Mag, a NYC-based quarterly fashion and lifestyle digital magazine. Its first issue was released on Jan. 1.

Staples welcomes new Athletic Director VJ Sarullo

Lily Klau ’23 Creative Director

ment and resources provided to each team.

Students, don’t you love the pep rally and the spirited homecoming football game? Getting rowdy in the bleachers surrounded by all your friends and peers? Athletes, don’t you love all those party buses you’ve been getting for your away games? Coaches, all the new equipment you get each year? is may seem miraculously organized, but there is someone coordinating all this magic. In fact, we have the

athletic director to thank for everything behind the scenes of Staples Sports, from the schedules and bussing, to the purchasing of equip-

Following the retirement of Marty Lisevick, Staples will welcome a new athletic director starting in March 2023, VJ Sarullo.

“I always knew I wanted to be involved with sports. I had come from a big sports family and always loved watching sports, and then playing sports growing up,” Sarullo said.

Sarullo began his education career as a history teacher and assistant baseball coach at Notre Dame High School in Fair eld. He always knew that working with kids was a passion of his, so becoming a teacher was an obvious rst step for him.

But when the Notre Dame High School athletic director left, Sarullo felt it was time for a slight career change.

“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, you know?”

Sarullo said.

“I went through the interview process there, and now I’ve been doing it for 17 years and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

With a background fueled by a mutual love for sports and kids, he attempts to attend practices for

every sports team and as many games as possible. He does this not only because it is a responsibility of the athletic director position, but simply because he enjoys being involved and supportive of the sports programs.

“It’s great that I have a positive influence over the team and the student athletes that are on the teams,” Sarullo said. “But I could have an even bigger in uence over a larger group of student athletes, coaches and community members.”

Although Sarullo has not started his new position at Staples yet, he has already made many e orts to forge relationships with many in the Staples community, including sending

an email to all the coaches and attending several games already.

Ultimately, Sarullo is ecstatic about being a part of the Staples Athletics team and joining the school community. “ ey say that if you love your job, you won’t ever work a day in your life. And I—I feel very, very fortunate,” Sarullo said. “I feel exactly that way. Every day I go to work, I love it.”

Photos by Phoebe Miller ’23

They say that if you love your job, you won’t ever work a day in your life. And I—I feel very, very fortunate.”

- VJ Sarullo, Athletic Director

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR VJ Sarullo (left) will replace Marty Lisevick as Staples’ athletic director on March 3. Sarullo worked as an A.D. in Connecticut for 17 years.

Scan the QR code to view the full article.

Modern sports culture emphasizes mental pressure, physical risk

Ruby Kantor ’24 Arts Editor

Booth’s injury was due to overexertion, and she returned to practice the next day.

To many, Monday night football has a sense of comfort. It is a time to root for your favorite team and wind down after a long day of work and the start of a new week. However, this was not the case for many on Jan. 2 during the Bu alo Bills game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fans in the stadium stood in utter disbelief after Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, su ered a cardiac arrest after getting hit in his upper chest. It wasn’t long until the ambulance rushed onto the eld after CPR and oxygen failed to bring him to consciousness.

Although he is now in recovery, Hamlin’s injury raises the question about whether the culture of sports is pushing athletes past their limits, which is relevant on both the professional and high school level.

At a 2022 girls’ spring lacrosse practice, Emma Booth ’24 faced an unexpected health issue. After feeling sudden dizziness, Booth fainted and threw up.

“I was pushing myself so hard to keep up with my teammates because I want them to think I’m putting in 100% always,” Booth said. “I didn’t sit out because I didn’t want my coaches and teammates to think that I couldn’t handle it.”

It was later con rmed by doctors and trainers that

Staples nurse Anna Fitzpatrick sees overexertion cases often. In these situations, she has the athlete take a break, have some water and take deep breaths. Fitzpatrick recommends that students stay hydrated, warm up properly and take breaks as needed.

e link between mental pressure and physical injury is clear. According to Frontiers in Psychology, studies have shown that a strong stress responsivity has the strongest association with sports injuries. When athletes push themselves too hard, whether that’s due to internal pressure or pressure from others, they may go beyond their limits and potentially harm their physical health.

Statistics show the immense impact that physical injury has on the wider sports community. In 2021, 3.2 million people were treated in emergency facilities for injuries involving sports and recreational equipment, according to NSC Injury Facts. is number is only expected to increase as sports become more competitive and intense.

Weston Hochauser ’25, however, has a more optimistic outlook. After breaking his wrist playing goalie during a soccer game, he has persevered and continued with the sport.

“Injuries are a part of sports and I haven’t had a problem with my wrist since,” Hochauser said. “An injury shouldn’t be a reason to quit.”

It has been proven that taking simple steps such as staying

hydrated, stretching before and after a game, wearing protective equipment and exercising di erent muscle groups can all signi cantly help prevent injury, according to Hopkins Medicine.

“It took me time but Inally realized that sports should never cause someone stress,” Hochauser said. “ e more you can enjoy yourself and block out what other people say, the happier and safer you will be.”

Hamlin’s injury raises the question about whether the culture of sports is pushing athletes past their limits.

WESTON HOCHAUSER Hochauser ’25 is just one of many athletes who have pushed through injuries while playing sports.

Photosby Lily Klau ’23

Photo dramatizationby Lilly Weisz ’23

Seeing double (part 2)

Seeing Double

By Jeffrey Pogue and Tavan Bhatia - Published on crosshare.org

Contributed by Tavan Bhatia '23 & Jeffrey Pogue '23

1. Boundless

5. Best selling book?

6. One from down under

7. Word with zone or imaginary

8. ____ Us

9. Go off on a tirade

1. Staples club based around 5A

2. How senior skip day goes down on your record

3. Cast (in two ways!)

4. Readied a golf ball

5. Myanmar, formerly

6. Way off yonder

Seeing

ACROSS

1Boundless

5Best selling book?

1. Tot’s “pops”

6One from down under

5. Luck of the _____

7. Avenger’s droid with “density control”

7Word with zone or imaginary

9. House on the Hill

1. Collegiate sports levels

2. Oceanic princess

3. Royal family including

2D

10. Lines along the musical staff, alternatively

8____ Us

9Go off on a tirade

DOWN

11. Catchphrase exclaimed before a decidedly terrible decision

1Staples club based around 11A

2How senior skip day goes down on your record

3Cast (in two ways!)

4Readied a golf ball

4. Italian bagel flavoring

6. What might follow a house, if you ask Rich Uncle Pennybags

8. Infamous Roman emperor

Scan

ACROSS

Answers to last month’s crossword:

1Tot's "pops"

5Luck of the _____

7Avenger's droid with "density control"

9House on the Hill

10Lines along the musical staff, alternatively

11Catchphrase exclaimed before a decidedly terrible decision

“My name is Emma Morris and I enjoy running, baking, listening to music and of course making art! The pieces I have created in Advanced Drawing are currently my most favorite because this class has provided me with the opportunity to experiment with my artistic abilities by allowing me to express my personality through my art.“

Art by Emma Morris ’24