Front and back cover by Maya Hruskar ’23 Cover photos by Camille Vynerib ’23
5 Q&A with election winners
6 Body Acceptance
7 Casual Comments
8-9 Swatting incidents
10 Schachter creates room decor
Schachter ’24 produces LED cloud lights for people to enjoy.
11 A&E Highlights
12-13 Fall fashion
14 New art classes
Inklings Staff
Editors-In-Chief
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
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Camille Vynerib
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Shivali Kanthan Public Relations Director
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Alix Glickman
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Margot Richlin
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Anna Diorio, Abby Nevin TV Show Producers
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Indie Ahl, Julia Leitner, Michael Pontoriero
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Audrey Kercher News Editors
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15 Olasewere makes splash
16 Neglected sports
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Seventeen high schools— including Staples—and two universities in Con necticut went into lockdown due to threats of gun vio lence on Oct. 21. The threats were eventually determined to be a “swatting incident:” a prank threat made to emer gency services with the inten tion of evoking an aggressive response from authorities.
According to CT Insid er, the Westport Police De partment Chief of Police Foti Koskinas reported that he would give “students and staff an 11 out of 10 for how they acted during the incident.” However, the members of our Editorial Board reported rampant inconsistencies they found regarding lockdown protocols and responses, all of which contributed to potential safety hazards and heightened feelings of stress and inse curity among some students.
It is important to note
that many teachers did react properly, and Editorial Board members praised the major ity of teachers for their com petence during the lockdown. However, far too many others reported a much more disturb ing and upsetting experience.
During a lockdown, the procedure is supposed to in clude: directing students and staff who are in the halls to nearby rooms, closing the blinds, lock ing windows and doors, turning off the lights, remaining silent, si lencing electronic devices and waiting for their room to be unlocked by the police, fire de partment or an administrator.
Yet, despite the fact that pro tocols are standardized for all emergency situations—wheth er they be lockdowns, “secure
“Yeah they went into lockdown very quickly, the school was very secure and I felt safe. I was on the third floor […] I never felt in danger.”
the schools,” shelter-in-plac es or evacuations—Editori al Board members reported vastly contradictory accounts of their classroom experiences.
Some members of the Board reported having access to their phones which aided com munication with their families. Others reported being restrict ed from using phones, and were instead relayed emails from adminis tration verbal ly or through posts on the classroom Smartboard. Some students reported barri cading their doors with desks and chairs, while others played chess through the commotion. Furthermore, Editorial Board members who were in classes with substitute teachers reported that their substitutes did not know the building pro
cedures, and said that students had to complete all the out lined responsibilities instead of the adult in the room. Other students had a substitute who encouraged them to continue with a timed assessment while the alarms continued to sound.
The inconsistency from classroom to classroom suggests an insufficiency of emergency training among staff—partic ularly substitutes—and raises significant concerns among members of our Editorial Board as to what would tran spire during a legitimate threat.
To combat these issues, the Editorial Board proposes that all teachers, including substi tutes, as well as students, receive more consistent and informative training throughout the school year so as to ensure that cor rect steps will be taken in case there is an actual emergency.
T he Editorial Board voted unanimously in favor of this opinion.
“I was in the College and Career Center for a college info session. [...] I heard other students experiences may have been worse or scarier than mine, but I think that depended on the teacher or the room.”
All students—and staff, too—deserve to feel as secure as possible during these excruciating circumstances.
“They made sure that we were safe and took precau tions. But I also heard stories that police officers were walking in with guns.”
Prices of food and gifts have soared due to in flation in the United States, leaving families worried about high expenditures during this holiday season, particularly for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cost-inflation occurs when the cost of producing materials increases, which, in turn, in
creases the prices of the prod ucts themselves. For instance, Investopedia analyzed that oil had risen from $3 to $12 per barrel due to the Organiza tion of the Petroleum Export ing Countries (OPEC) ban ning their exportation of oil in America. As a result, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices for food rose 11.2% from Septem ber 2021 to September 2022.
Jayme Stevenson, Repub lican candidate for Congress, discussed the impacts of the current inflation on resi dents at the Can didate Town Hall, which took place at Staples on Nov. 1.
“This is going to be a tough holiday,” Ste venson said. “To a person, the cost of living and affordability in Connecticut and across the country is really scaring people.’’
“We have discussed skip ping the turkey on Thanksgiving and roasting a chicken in stead because the price of turkey is so ri diculously high,” Cuccaro said.
parent Meredith Anand empha sized how she will be care ful with her spendings on family members and friends for Christmas this year.
The annual holiday tree lighting cer emony at Westport Town Hall will be held on Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. The Staples Orphenians will sing carols at the event.
According to the Wis consin State Farmer (WSF), prices of food have risen dra matically in the last year. Tur key prices have increased by 112%, from $3.16 a pound last year to $6.70 a pound this year. Eggs are another standout ex ample, considering they are a key ingredient in so many holiday recipes. They have in creased by 27% from around $1.70 for a dozen grade-A eggs to $2.34 this past year.
In light of anticipated ex penditures, families are be ginning to reconsider their plans for this year’s holiday season. Math teacher Kev in Cuccaro reflects on how his family will manage their spendings for Thanksgiving.
Meg Enquist ‘23 Business Director“I will be more specific this season about my gift buying,” Anand said. “What I mean by that is I will make sure I know exactly what family members and close friends want and not buy superfluous items.”
While many were excited by the holidays finally being free of pandemic restrictions, it is clear that this holiday season will have other factors poten tially making it less than fes tive, especially for those who may have more limited funds.
“[Low income families] won’t be able to get as many gifts under the Christmas tree,” Taylor Brunetti ’25 said, “and families won’t be able to pur chase as many foods for Thanks giving like turkey and stuffing.”
The Westport Public Library is host ing the 12th annual SHORT CUTS Film Festival on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. Five narrative films will be shown, followed by a con versation with Director Harris Doran.
The annual Candlelight Concert will be held at Staples High School on Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 17 at 3 and 8 p.m. The concert will feature the Staples symphonic orchestra, sym phonic band and choir ensembles.
Julia Herlyn ’23 Lucy Dockter ’23 Editors-in-Chief
“Making sure we can keep schools open, even if a virus like COVID rears its ugly head this winter and [discour ages] dual learning protocols which may lead to too much remote teaching; and looking at ways to direct fund ing in disadvantaged districts which have the optimal impact on learning.”
“We must make classrooms safer and prevent gun violence. So many stu dents are worried about school safe ty and lock-down drills, affecting ev ery grade level, and every parent. This has to change. Rather than putting the burden on students we need to take strong action to increase gun control.”
“Find something you’re passionate about, do your research and then figure a way in which you can take action and, ideally, make a difference. Urgent issues like climate change mean that everyone has a role to play, no matter how small.”
“You won’t settle for a future marred by cli mate change, the horrors of gun violence or a future where we don’t protect basic free doms. Neither will I. You’re fighting for a better future, and I’ll fight alongside you. Using your voice and sharing your knowl edge will help create a stronger community.”
“I have heard from young people in our district that providing addition al mental health support is crucial. I also deeply believe you should be able to be your whole selves in school and celebrated for who you are so you can thrive. So equity and inclusion in education and the student-led ini tiatives to achieve this is something I want to be very supportive of as well.”
“Start anywhere where you have a passion for making our community better. No way is too small to make an impact. Every ac tion is part of a change we can make togeth er. [...] I want to use my role as an elected official to galvanize young voters like you to engage civically and politically because to win these fights we will need GenXYZ to mobilize together intergenerational ly as a movement focused on the future.”
Q: What are your most important goals around education in CT?
Q: Do you have advice for students who want to make a difference?On Nov. 8, Westport residents casted their ballots for the midterm elections. Ultimately, Dominique John son was elected as State Representative for the 143rd District, Ceci Maher was elected as State Sena tor for the 26th District and Jonathan Steinberg was elected as State Representative of the 136th District.
Over recent years, the extensive body posi tivity movement has swept modern social media and the minds of our gener ation. The movement presses that we should love our bod ies no matter what. Its rheto ric has provided comfort and security to many teenagers as they transition through their most transformative years— where their bodies are con stantly growing and changing.
I have found, however, in my own quest for body positivity, that it is not as simple as wak ing up one day and declaring that I love my body. It has been a long winded, often fluctuating
process which I have struggled to truly embrace. Part of this jour ney has been realizing that there isn’t anything inherently wrong with wanting to change how you look, as long as you do so in a healthy manner.
My main two goals at the mo ment include en hancing a healthier diet that cuts out excessive snacking and binge eating, and incorporating simple daily exer cise through 30-minute walks outside. I am actively making these changes in order to bring a healthy balance to my life that I feel I lack. Like many, I also have cosmetic-based goals such as wanting to grow out my hair, allow my nails to grow healthi
ly or even changing how I dress. When I mention any of these goals to my friends, I notice that their immediate reaction is to say “No, oh my gosh, you’re beau tiful!” They emphasize that my body is “per fect,” or say, “I love the way your hair looks; don’t change it!”
Well-in tentioned com ments such as these attempt to comfort some perceived insecurity. How ever, they can sometimes do more harm than good: these com ments can make me feel guilty for wanting to make changes
But I shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting to change, im prove or experiment with
my body. No one should.
Wanting to make changes to how you look, both physi cally—such as losing weight— or more aesthetically—like altering jewelry or cloth ing styles—are healthy goals.
In all honesty, as someone who isn’t as skinny as many of the girls next to me in class, I find comfort in healthily adjusting my lifestyle.
Nobody told me I had to change. I was the one who made the decision to change my lifestyle. I chose to make this effort personally, so I can progress towards truly loving myself. Healthy change, such as weight loss—or weight gain— is not always a toxic thing, and it looks different for every body. I am simply on a person al quest for acceptance and love of my own physical appearance.
I shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting to change, improve or experiment with my body.
who may actually be struggling with these issues. They send a message that you are con templating hurting yourself.
After a stressful test, I al ways need to mentally prepare myself for what will come next. Unlike many of my peers, I do not fear the possibility of a big “F” in the gradebook — I’m usually confi dent in my studies and proud of my academic accomplishments. My concern lies more in hav ing to listen to the disturb ing comments my classmates make as we exit the room.
“I did so badly; I just want to kill myself,” one friend said upon completing a chemistry quiz.
I laughed along, but something inside of me just didn’t feel right.
Suicide is the second-lead ing cause of death among peo ple aged 15 to 24 in the U.S. Nearly 20% of high school stu dents report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
So, why are comments about the topic of suicide so casually tossed around by our generation?
Whenever a situation doesn’t go someone’s way, an instant reflex is to follow up with an insensitive comment like “I want to kill myself.”
Most often, the phrase is accepted as a benign, hyper bolic comment, with no true intention attached. But, as someone who struggles with mental health and has friends who have also struggled, I be come deeply disturbed and saddened by these remarks.
Even if the intention be hind them is harmless, the mes sage they send is not only dan gerous, but degrading to those
According to HelpGuide, almost everyone who attempts suicide leaves some sort of hint or warning. No matter how casually or jokingly ex pressed, statements like “I wish I hadn’t been born,” or “I can’t see any way out,” may sig nal severe suicidal intentions.
If you’re struggling with your mental health in any way, you deserve to get help. But how will our community know who actually needs help if everyone is casually throw ing around comments sug gesting that they want to die?
The subject of suicide de serves more respect. It is not a punchline and not something to joke about, especially given the real conse quences many endure.
Over 550 people attended West port’s recent ly-held Out of the Dark ness walk that raised funds for combating sui cide. The walk ended up rais ing $131,000 for suicide prevention.
This was an as tonishing improve ment for addressing suicide in Westport. However, we need to dig deeper and discover how to improve our every day casual comments when it comes to suicide.
So, the next time you feel the need to blurt out the line “I want to kill myself,” stop and think. You are doing more harm than simply expressing your bad grade on a chemistry quiz.
If you or a friend have been having suicidal thoughts, call.
“Lockdown procedures ac tivated. Lockdown proce dures activated. An emer gency has been reported in the building. Please follow the building lockdown procedures.”
Snapping out of their early morning stupor, students and teachers race into the corners of the classroom, shielding their faces from doors and win dows. Confusion and unspo ken fear quickly take over the class: is this a drill or is it real?
Similar scenes played out at 17 high schools and two univer sities throughout Connecticut after calls were received warn ing of potential gun violence on Friday, Oct. 21. Among them was Staples, forcing the school into lockdown around 9 a.m. As police officers poured onto campus, students and teachers waited: some terrified, some
confused. As minutes drew into seemingly endless hours, normal school operations were eventually deemed safe to re turn to at around 11 a.m, in what would later be charac terized as a swatting incident. However, the morning’s un expected turn left the entire community, administrators included, shaken.
“This one in particu lar really bothered me be cause the response warranted an armed response,” Westport Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice said. “Last May, we had a shelter in place, which was disturbing, but this one warranted cops going [...] room by room with their guns shown.”
Swatting, the practice of calling emergency services on the premise of a false threat, is a growing nationwide epidemic, with a 2019 Anti-Defamation League article citing a 600-case increase from 2011 to 2019. This tactic of harassment wastes resources and instills terror within a community. Some feel that these threats are eerily reminicent of the old er trend of bomb threats. “Bomb threats had the same results,” Scarice said. “Some one would call in a bomb threat and we would have to leave the building. So the disruption is the same, but because of the modern world, it’s more gunand school-violence related.”
[false] calls made in Newtown on or around the anniversary,” Staples Principal Stafford W. Thomas Jr. said. “So unfortu nately, we know all too well that [swatting is] here until they find a way to crack down on that.”
As the school year contin ues to progress, many Staples students have become accus tomed to frequent lockdowns.
'23According to a WIRED article, there were 90 swat
“It is concerning but in all honesty, I feel as though, to some extent, those lockdowns have simply be come a part of being a stu dent,” Jaime Paul ’23 said. “Which in some ways is more con cerning as lock downs should not be the norm for [students].”
Police de partments— Westport’s included—are struggling to de termine whether these threats are real or
Graphic by Shivali Kanthan ’24It is concerning but, in all honesty, [...] those lockdowns have simply become a part of being a student.”
- Jaime Paul
“
fake. Westport Police De partment Lieutenant Dave Wolf noted certain indica tors may help in determining this, but all calls are treated as real until proven otherwise.
“We always take swatting calls very seriously until we can
conclusively determine that the call was, in fact, a prank,” Wolf said. “We can never know for sure that the call is fake until we get to the school and make sure that there are no issues.”
Meanwhile, for the com munity most affected by the
two-hour lockdown, it is a different feeling of sorts, al beit one becoming all too familiar and frightening.
“Since the last swatting incident, I have found my self worried about possibilities of other attacks [...] and it’s
nerve-racking and scary to have thoughts like these constantly on my mind,” Lily Rimm ’25 said. “I was very distraught after the incident a few weeks ago, and am always alert during the school day in case another in cident will occur like this one.”
It seems the sudden onset of the pandemic had teen agers feeling one impulse: to cover their walls in LED strip lights. Teenagers on Tik tok flocked to this trend in the height of quarantine, and it has since become even more popu lar. In all the frenzy around these products, Aiden Schachter ’24 seized the opportunity to take the strip lights to new levels, creating the LED cloud light.
The product is a soft poly ester cloud containing re mote-controlled LED lights. When he was just 14 years old, Schachter created his first LED cloud light model, sole ly from an old stuffed animal. Hot-gluing the stuffing to an LED strip light, Schachter created the first prototype for his product. Ultimately, he was inspired by his love for flying.
“There’s the tie-in with flying, [and] I’m a pi lot as well, so I’m always up in the clouds, which I think is kinda cool,” he said.
In addition to local events, like the Westport Craft Fair, he also sells on online plat forms like Etsy and the Ama zon business program, which allows him to buy his materials in bulk at a seller discount. As Schachter strives to increase profits, he values sustainabili ty in his business practices. In 2021, Schachter decided to use the Nextdoor app to source
recycled aluminum from the Westport community to build the framework of the clouds.
“I donate 5% of my profits to charity at the end of the year,” Schachter said. “Last year I do nated to climate change to offset my carbon emission, this year I’m doing a local based charity.”
To aspiring entrepreneurs, Schachter highlights the im portance of developing a unique product to experience success.
“It can’t be something you saw on TikTok; it can’t be something you saw online; you can’t try and copy some one else,” Schachter said. “Ul timately, it’s really got to be a unique idea that you have to be passionate about. You got to know how to expand it, you gotta start slow, and it’s going to take a lot of time.”
Schachter’s business isn’t his only passion or priority. While an entrepreneur, he’s also a pilot, wrestler and full-time student.
“It’s really challenging just balancing my time. You get home at 3 p.m., not in cluding wrestling season when I’m getting home at 6 p.m.,” Schachter said. “There’s a lot of time management. That’s the biggest challenge.”
Observing his son balance his passions, Aiden’s father, Seth Schachter, expressed how his son has not only grown his business over the past few years, but has grown as a young adult.
“It’s quite an accomplish ment from the day he start ed,” Seth Schachter said. “We’re very proud and excit ed for this whole experience.”
’24
Check out some of November’s pop culture highlights, from new Marvel films and trending music to jarring celebrity controversy.
To continue the “Black Panther” franchise and honor the late Chadwick Boseman, director Ryan Coogler spearheaded the sequel, “Black Panther: Wakan da Forever,” which appeared
in theaters Nov. 11. Princess Shuri and Queen Ramonda of Wakanda must continue to lead their devastated nation after the death of T’Challa from an undisclosed illness.
With the United Nations growing more hostile to wards Wakanda and a new threat emerging from the ocean’s depths, the Black Panther must rise again.
“I really liked how they handled Chadwick Boseman’s death, and I think Shuri’s character was really well thought-out,” Mili Green ’23 said.
Singer Louis Tomlin son released his second studio album, “Faith In The Future,” on Nov. 11. Tomlinson
pre-released two tracks from the album—“Out Of My System” and “Bigger Than Me”—and is set to tour across the UK and Europe.
“Overall [Tomlinson] has stuck to his original style and continues to prove is a true artist,” Hailey Johnson ’24 said. “His music makes me feel relaxed and I enjoy listening to it while I do homework.”
Ye made a series of offensive remarks in the past month, which led to multiple compa nies dropping their partner ships with him. On top of a slew of anti-Black statements
over the years, Ye donned a “White Lives Matter” shirt in early October. He then re peated several antisemitic con spiracy theories on a national podcast later in the month.
“When someone like Kanye is praised as a genius by so many people for so many years, his words could do good or incredible harm,” Oscar Scher ’23 said. “With [Ye’s] racist and antisemetic remarks recently, he has given the sign that these beliefs are okay and acceptable to have, when that is in no way true.”
If you’ve been on Tik Tok lately, it’s likely you’ve heard of ‘Stockholm style,’ the classy, cool girl aesthetic stealing the hearts of Gen-Z. To nail the ‘Stockholm style,’ opt for a creamy knit sweater, swap your bell-bottom jeans for a slouchier, relaxed fit and
throw on a fun, chunky scarf. This fall season, you won’t have to trade style for comfort with the Ultra-Mini Ugg Boots. For a sleek look, throw on a neutral sweatshirt and some light-wash, baggy jeans, com plete with a fresh pair of Nikes.
No matter the season, ath leisure is always trending, and this fall, it comes in the form of a Lululemon Scuba Jacket and the City Sweat Joggers. Both the jacket and joggers are comfortable, casual
and available in a vari ety of colors and styles. After trending all summer, platform shoes remain in the spotlight this fall. For guys, a pair of Nikes are the per fect finish to a sporty look.
For a sleek, stylish outfit, go for the ever-trendy corset top. The Urban Outfitters Modern Love Corset remains on-trend this fall. Pair with a simple pleated skirt, black tights and rockin’ black leather boots to
achieve the “punk prep” look as seen in Vogue. You can also class it up in a quarter-zip, styled over a button-down with gray athletic pants. Go for trend ing colors such as dark grays, cobalts and autumnal crimson.
Looking to add some fall flair to your wardrobe? Elevate any outfit with a bold, gold chain or pair of pearl earrings. Have fun mixing metals and experimenting with the differ
ent jewelry trends, from cutesy charms, like the Gold Pave Evil Eye Necklace, to classic hoops, like the Tube Hoop Earrings in ‘Gold.’ Both pieces are from Westport’s own Middlemarch.
From visual and per forming arts to graph ic design, ceramics and pottery, Staples is home to an extensive art department that caters to those who have a pas sion for expressing themselves. Printmaking is a new class that allows for a much more nuanced way of expression.
Implemented at the begin ning of this year, the class is an introductory course for students who want to explore printmak ing media. Prior to this, all that was taught was silkscreen and advanced silkscreen, which is now merely a unit within a much larger curriculum.
Through out the se mester-long course, stu dents will produce fine art prints, cards, t-shirt designs and more while working with silkscreen and other printmaking media.
New to Staples this year, art teacher Stephanie Sileo was a primary factor in the expan sion of this course. Earning her Bachelor and Masters of Fine Arts in printmaking, the art department has utilized her ex pertise to provide an easy tran sition between the two classes.
“In printmaking we do a lot of creative thinking, a lot of problem solving and a lot of process-based things,” Sileo said. “In a way it’s almost its own science lab that teaches better problem solving skills. Students will have a vision, and then we
figure out how to make that happen in this type of imagery.”
Sileo went on to explain the art department’s decision be hind the shift from silkscreen to printmaking and the benefit behind a broader curriculum.
“[The art department] felt that just one class of just silk screen or silk printing was limiting because you can only make a certain type of imag ery,” Sileo said. “So, if a student doesn’t like screen printing maybe they’ll like a different unit in printmaking more.”
Annika Reddy ’24, who took silkscreen last year prior to the course changes, says she had no idea any changes to the course were being made.
“The classroom experience in silkscreen was very pos itive and I learned a lot,” Reddy said, “but I would definitely be interest ed in see ing what changes were to expand the curriculum.”
Sophie Spheeris ’23, who is currently enrolled in the only section of printmaking this semester, says she is thankful that the addition to the cur riculum was made for this year.
“Without the change, we wouldn’t be doing a lot of my favorite units,” Spheeris said. “Right now, we are printing using linoleum. I’ve never done a process like this before, and I believe most people in the class haven’t either. It’s a very cool medium because it allows people to express themselves through their unique designs.”
“
Students will have a vision, and then we figure out how to make that happen in this type of imagery.”
- Stephanie Sileo Art Teacher
Lily Klau ’23 Creative Director
With her Staples girls’ Swim and Dive backpack draped over her shoulders, Annam Olasewere ’25 strolled into the Colorado Olym pic and Paralympic Training Center to participate in the USA Swimming Nation al Select Camp. Starstruck as she watched Olympians and Paralympians from various sports pass by, Olasewere and 50 other elite teenage swim mers made their way to the pool. Their flip flops squeaked on the pool deck as they tim idly sat down on the bleach ers, ready to embark on one of the most impactful experienc es of their swimming careers.
The camp is designed for the top USA swimmers in the nation to have a once-in-alifetime experience and learn about post-race recovery, drug and supplement rules, psycho logical training skills, nutri tion, race strategy and more.
Olasewere was invited to attend the camp due to her various successes in the pool.
“Last season, I was the fastest in the nation for the 50 meter (M) and 100 M Freestyle for the 13-14 year old age group. As of Aug. 31, 2022, I was also the fastest swimmer in the nation in the 50 M Free style for the 15-16 age group that was eligi ble for this camp,” Olas were said.
“As a re sult, since I was in the top three eligible athletes in the 14-17 age group category in the 50 M Freestyle, I was invited to attend the camp.”
The swimmers were told that a large percentage of the camp attendees make it to the national teams, and that around one to three olympi ans come out of each camp session. Being some of the
nation’s top, these athletes are not foreign to the pressure to succeed in the sport, but the best swimmers are the ones who are able to overcome these mental blocks. Attending the USA Swimming National Se lect Camp is not only an amaz ing swim training experience, but it also paves a path for the swimmers to learn how to im prove outside of the pool.
“At the camp, I was able to listen to speakers who spoke about sports psychology and how to prepare yourself for races,” Olasewere said. “They also covered mental health, and how to keep a growth mindset and seek help to keep yourself both mentally and physically healthy, and much much more.”
In addition to the great speakers the swimmers heard, the camp was also led by some of the top coaches in the Unit
ed States which was extreme ly influential to the training process of the swimmers.
“They gave constant and di rect feedback, introduced new techniques, helpful equipment and led by example,” Olasew ere said. “They were truly passionate about the sport.”
After coming home and starting the Staples swim season, Olasewere is building off of the lessons she learned from the coaches and speakers at the camp, and she has es tablished herself as an import ant and impressive teammate.
“It is a privilege to watch Annam swim her races, and even swim against her some times. It is undeniable that she is the fastest in the pool at her speed, and I always look up to her as a person and to her abil ities,” Staples girls’ Swim and Dive captain, Emma Maddoff ’23, said. “She is humble, kind and puts everyone on the team first. Just like she is now, I know that she will continue to do great things in the world of swimming.”
I know that she will continue to do great things in the world of swimming.”
- Emma Maddoff '23
“Photo contributed by Annam Olasewere ’25
Running out onto the litup football field during Homecoming halftime, I couldn’t stop beaming as my co-captains and I took our plac es among all the Staples varsity captains. But, as I soaked in the Friday night lights, I re membered how hard it was to make it there in the first place.
I don’t mean in the inspir ing sports movie sense, where we all worked our way up to be ing captains. We almost didn’t make it onto the field for the Captain’s Parade because the Staples athletic department forgot that the girls’ squash team existed. While the de partment emailed all other cap tains, we had to contact them ourselves and let them know we needed to be included, too.
Throughout my four years on the squash team, I’ve come to expect and joke about a certain ignorance from the student body on what my sport is—yes, we are a varsity team; yes, it’s kind of similar to tennis; no, it’s not relat ed to the vegetable. However, when the athletic department itself ignored our team, it wasn’t so funny anymore.
Squash is not an FCI AC sport, and both the boys’ and girls’ teams formed at Staples only in 2016. Yet, we have the same pasta dinners, banquets and block awards as other varsity teams, so we deserve the same treatment from the athletic department.
Squash practice takes place off-campus in Norwalk, yet Sta ples’ athletics denies us bussing to practice. During my fresh man year on varsity, we received transportation, but this system
was halted during COVID-19.
Subsequently, when the boys’ and girls’ squash coach recently requested bussing to after-school practice, Sta ples athletics told us we would not receive it due to not having bus sing for two years.
This would be understandable in context of recent bus driver short ages and higher transportation costs across Con necticut schools, as reported by CTInsider. However, Staples’ ski team received bussing to their off-campus prac tices throughout COVID and will con tinue to do so in the present.
Squash is not isolated in being sidelined by the Sta ples community. Other teams, like girls’ swim and dive, also practice off-campus at near by locations and don’t receive bussing to practices. Conse quently, these athletes also have difficulties arriving to prac tice on time and must devote time during captain’s practic es to figure out logistics that should be the responsibility of the athletic department.
Furthermore, Staples is more likely to advertise the most popular sports, feeding into a cycle where only some sports’ games are attended. I distinctly remember when Staples released a calendar of winter sports games last year which failed to include sports like squash
4 Jan. 9 Jan. 20
vs. Greenwich vs. City Squash vs. New Canaan
Lucy Dockter ’23 Editor-in-Chief
Jessica Walsh ’25 has been riding horses for around 10 years. She got into it because her cous in rode, so she and her sister grew up around horses and fell in love. Walsh talks about what people commonly misconceive about horseback riding and what makes the sport so special.
A: I ride at a barn called West Lane, and it’s managed by our head trainer. She’s the one that finds all the shows and enters the kids that want to go. She enters us in the class that is our level for what we’re currently practicing. […] We spend a few weeks prior practicing and making sure that we’re ready. And then we go to the show, and we spend a day or two, depending on when the class you’re competing in, practicing at the show. And then you just go and do your class.
A: I feel like when people say that it’s not a sport, most of those people think that the person riding isn’t actually doing much. But what they don’t think about is that horses have a mind of their own, and they’re a conscious animal and they have other things that they want to do. […] Riders make it look like they’re not doing much, but they’re actually doing so much more than people would think to get the horse to actually move how it’s supposed to and to jump over jumps.
A: I got reserve champion in my second show on my current horse [Zippy], [which is] second best out of the entire division. I wasn’t expecting that because it was only my second show on the horse, and it was a new environment.
of equestrian.
A: All horses are different, and it really depends on the day. My horse, Zippy, he’ll have one really good day, and then the next day he’ll throw me off. […] There was this one time where he had jumped this particular jump the day before, and then the next day I rode and I got to this particular jump and he stopped at it. So I go back around, and he stops at it again, and I fly over his head and land on the other side. It’s not always so much fun when that happens, but you have to get back on and keep riding.
Q:
A: I think that there’s somewhat of a team aspect be cause it’s never just you riding from your barn. You make friends at your barn, and it’s not just you going to the show, it’s your entire barn going. You’re not necessarily competing with the same people from your barn […] but you’ll have other people there that are cheering you on.
Vigor
Small Whirlpool
U.S. Public health Org.
Stiff-tailed beach crawler, or forms of [4 across], [46 down], and [34 across]
"This can't be good"
Place for a Parisian picnic
Preposition in the Star Wars preambles
Mater preceder
"Cya!" in text
Ridges on a guitar
__ Vegas
Qty.
June honoree
National numeric contest recently offered for Staples Mathletes
"The Tell-Tale Heart" poet
Half and half?
Whispered attention getter
Golden ending?
Prone to prying
Michael Phelps's is greater than his height
Tax org.
Tramp's love
King usurper?
How the Weasel went
18 Across and 40 Across, for examples
of these
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