The Belfield Banter, Issue 1 - Convocation

The Belfield Banter

A Community of Encouragement, From the Podium to the Bench

By: Lyra Stewart

If one were to summarize the message of Dr. Graves’ Convocation speech, the words “in spirational” and “uplifting” would most certain ly be used. She emphasized Nelson Mandela’s fight to end apartheid in South Africa, which led many to think about the abundance of passion and possibility that can been seen at our own school. From the classroom to the stage to the sports field, a hallmark of our St. Anne’s-Bel field School is how we cheer each other on and lift each other up. Nothing is impossible. We grow stronger by working together in all sectors of life.

Many of our school teams have been playing their first matches against opponents over these last few weeks. It’s easy to focus on the goals being scored or the aces being served, but the inspiring words and spirit of our Saints are the true root of our community’s inspiration and success. (Cont. Page 2)

A Cookie Enthusiast’s Review of Crumbl Cookies

By: Rose Ryan-Byrne

As a long-time cookie enthusiast I’ve often en joyed Crumbl Cookies. But for a long time I’ve wondered: how can I keep track of which ones are best? I resolved to do a series of critiques based on several factors, and to rank each one. For each ranking, I will include my favorite as well as my dad’s favorite from each week. If you question any of my rankings, I encourage you to challenge me to a cookie discussion/debate.

Since this is the first week, I only included a few of the cookies but I will be including all of them in the future. And since it’s the first week, this will be the only time I include the reoccurring chocolate chip cookie.

(Cont. Page 2)

The St. Anne’s-Belfield School Student Newspaper

Anyone watching the Saints play can’t help but notice the enthusiasm and boundless joy radi ated by the players on the bench or the students in the bleachers. With their synchronized cheers and endless encouragement, their energy fuels their team to believe that they can succeed and play their very best.

Dr. Graves’ words prompt the contemplation of this question: how can we help each other feel and know that we all belong here?

On a team, the cheering and encouragement connects one another and leads to accomplish ments-whether they are big or small. Even when losing, the volleyball team’s cheers for aces, kills, and digs brighten spirits as our team com munity grows with each word of encouragement. Many also observed the enthusiastic bench from the JV Field Hockey games. Dr. Graves’ ideas of connections, community, and possibilities can be applied in any aspect of our lives or our school community: the bench is just the begin ning.

Milk Chocolate Chip

Appearance: Light Brown with chocolate chips scattered all over the inside Scent: Vanilla flavoring Texture: Fairly dry Taste: Very sweet with a strong chocolate flavor Ranking: 8/10

Brownie Batter

Appearance: Looks like a brownie… exactly like a brownie

Scent: Intense chocolate scent

Texture: Surprisingly moist texture considering the amount of chocolate

Taste: The chocolate flavor is intense and over whelming that is only heightened by the choco late chips inside the cookie

Ranking: 7/10 (my dad’s favorite from this week)

Cookie Butter Lava

Appearance: Beige, with a light brown drizzle Texture: Outside has a dry texture, but the inside gets more moist Scent: Smells like vanilla flavoring Taste: Tastes like a slightly less sweet sugar cookie Ranking: 8/10

Faculty Feature -

Mr. Murray

By: Anthony Cai and Kay Tu

Anthony Cai and Kay Tu: What is your impres sion of the Charlottesville area so far?

Mr. Sean Murray: I love it! I’ve been visiting family here for over twenty years, so it’s great to finally call Charlottesville home.

Classic Pink Sugar

Appearance: Light brown cookie topped with pink frosting

Scent: Sugar and almonds

Texture: Frosting is pretty dry but the cookie is moist

Taste: Incredibly sweet. The sweet almond flavor of the frosting overwhelms the vanilla cookie Ranking: 9/10 (my personal favorite from this week)

Mystery Cookie (It was snickerdoodle)

Appearance: Classic light brown cookie with a generous helping of white frosting, bathed in cinnamon sugar

Scent: Very strong cinnamon scent

Texture: Very dry from a combination of the frosting and the cinnamon Taste: You can barely taste the cookie over the strong flavors of the cream cheese frosting and cinnamon

Ranking: 7/10, interestingly I’ve had this cookie before and liked it much better the first time but could not tell you why

AC & KT: You talked about teaching in Upstate New York. What’s it like teaching here compared to where you were before?

SM: The class sizes were definitely larger than they are here, so classroom management could sometimes be challenging. For fifteen years, I taught English Composition to first-year college students in Queens, New York. In terms of the students’ preparedness, there was a spectrum: some had been accepted to top NYC schools but couldn’t afford the tuition, so they ended up where I was teaching; other students fell through the cracks, missed classes, and didn’t turn in homework.

AC & KT: What’s your favorite pastime outside of school?

SM: Music! For quite a while, I drummed in a rock band, though I wouldn’t consider myself to be one of those virtuoso drummers who plays complex time signatures and owns a massive kit. More recently, I’ve been teaching myself how to make electronic music with my laptop, and I’m really enjoying the creative process!

AC & KT: On a scale of one to ten, how has your day been?

SM: I’d say an eight and a half, but I’m aspiring to hit ten by day’s end!

AC & KT: If you were invited to start a column in the Banter, what would it be about?

SM: Definitely music! Like many kids in middle and high school, I became infatuated with a num ber of bands, and their messages really resonated with me. Back then it was 80s New Wave, but I’ve broadened my horizons through the years to include metal, jazz, hip-hop, reggae, and more.

On the Bench Under the Japanese Maple Tree

By: Sasha Rinkevich

One of my favorite things to do is to sit still in a bustling place. Corner seats in fast-moving subways call my name; when in a museum, I of ten find myself perched on chilly stone seating. There’s something about being stationary in a space of such motion that feels like being in an other dimension; observing other people go about their daily lives and catching a few fibers of so many threads of complexity prompts a type of reflection that is hard to replicate anywhere else.

And so, on the third day of classes, as I was look ing for somewhere to read a few more pages of my book before morning Calculus, my eyes were drawn to the little wooden bench in front of the Dining Hall. Well-shaded by a Japanese maple and out of the way, yet perfectly placed to ob serve the happenings of campus, the bench was exactly what I was looking for. I could manage the trail of ants at my feet, and the slightly humid air didn’t bother me too much.

I walked up to the bench and sat in the center, setting my backpack down beside me as to not get it mulch-y. And I pulled out my book, excited to uncover the next details of the quickly-devel oping murder plot.

I intended to read, but I only ended up geting through two pages. I found myself much more engrossed in what I was watching: familiar and new faces alike hustling up the hill to class in the SCAS or making a beeline for a cup of the Din ing Hall coffee. I noticed the vast range of foot wear, from well worn-in Converse to brand new espadrille platforms. Despite the fact that I was a mere ten feet from everyone entering school, I felt almost walled-off; I felt as if I was getting a rare and precious insight into the world of our school.

Putting the Genius in boygenius: A Review

By: Izzy Sanok

The rivetingly raw masterpiece that is Boygenius (stylized as boygenius) dominated my stream ing hours this summer. The EP was intricately crafted as a collaborative project between sing er-songwriters and lifetime friends Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. These women have been in the industry for nearly a decade and each have thriving solo careers today, especially Phoebe Bridgers, who has taken the indie world by storm since her most recent album Punisher’s release in 2020. I discovered Bridgers’ catalogue, as well as boygenius, while I was going through a period of change in my personal life. Despite being late to the game (boygenius was released in 2018), I fell quickly for their unmatchable, poetic lyricism.

After noticing maybe thirty distinct backpacks and saying hello to a handful of friends, I realized that it was time to venture to the ever-frigid math wing. But as I walked up the stairs of Randolph and took a few last glances out the sprawling win dows, I was filled with a sense of affection: there is such a range in the body language we exhibit walking up the tan pavers and the way we inter pret dress code, yet we are tied together by such a strong sense of community.

I put my phone in the caddy that hangs on the classroom wall and sat down at my desk, ready to start my warm-up problems. And as I pulled out my graphing calculator, I resolved to return to the bench for lunch.

Being the New Kid

By: Alaja Gough

Seeing the acceptance letter in the mail was like seeing a new beginning. I never thought I would have to choose between two private schools. It was stressful at first, but my decision ended up being St. Anne’s-Belfield.

Walking through those dark brown double doors, my heart pounding, my stomach in a twist, and my head spinning in circles on the first day of school, I knew there was a chance, a chance to meet people, make new friends, and find myself and what I’m good at.

Primarily written by Dacus, the first track of the EP, “Bite the Hand,” dives straight into the deep end of trauma. I’m a sucker for light and dark symbolism and buttery harmonies, and this song has both. The intricate vocal layering paired with confessional songwriting immediately struck me and took my breath away.

When listening in order, “Me & My Dog” fol lows “Bite the Hand.” I could dissect Phoebe Bridgers’ lyricism in a 200 page dissertation; however, for the sake of space and time I’ll keep it short and sweet: this song is an absolute work of art. Touching on love, etherealism, and envy of those who can escape reality, it’s breathtaking. The lyrics “just me and my dog and an impos sible view” symbolize the want to grab the only good in the world and escape a reality of horrors. Their symbolism and toying with diction paints a deeply upsetting image, yet one that is steeped in truth that will inevitably strike anyone that lives in modern society. (Cont. Page 5)

I ended up meeting so many fantastic people. I found out that it’s okay to ask for help and it’s okay to be stuck, to not be good at something. It’s ok to be by yourself, and to make mistakes or to get quiz questions wrong. I used to hear stories about new kids being outcasts. But I’m proud to be a new kid, and pushing past my fear and choosing to come here is probably the best decision that I’ve ever made. I found what I was meant to do, I found interest in things that I would have never thought about doing. I stood up on stage during Chapel and did something I had never done before, even if it was only for a brief moment.

To all the other new kids at St. Anne’s, I hope you’re doing as well as I am, and I hope you’re making your high school experience the best that it can be.

Then, post-existential daydreaming, comes the acoustic bliss that is “Souvenir.” Depression, the power of memory, and the desire for purpose in terweave in this track. The dichotomy of the lyr ical message and sonic landscape pulled me in, ready to absorb every last note of the boygenius listening experience.

Despite the storytelling that caught my eye, “Stay Down”, takes final place on my ranking of the EP’s six tracks. This song has vivid lyrics, cen tered around failed relationships with both others and with oneself. I deal with derealization and dissociation on the daily, which is a common thread through the verses, chorus, and bridge, but as I am less of an avid listener of Julien Baker (who takes the vocal lead on this one), I’m not as emotionally connected to it. Furthermore, my favorite song on the EP follows “Stay Down,” so the skip button quickly became by best friend in anticipation.

“Salt in the Wound,” my personal top pick, is the spine-tingling, grunge, alternative angry-girl song of the millenia. The track begins slowly, opening with Dacus’ strong, alto voice and a gritty gui tar, but it quickly builds into a full on harmonic symphony of bitterness, indignance, and outrage. Calm verses turn into full-on belting about so ciety’s emotional constructs, lies, and denial. If you’re looking for a good car-scream song, look no further.

The final track of the EP, “Ketchum ID,” sounds like a fireside performance that, with closer lis tening, shocks you to your core. It focuses on the realities of derealization after suffering life’s re curring turbulence. The song’s narrative revolves around returning from a trip, whether literally or metaphorically, and feeling lost in your own body and mind. Lines like “I am never anywhere, any where I go, when I’m home I’m never there” hit me right in the chest and articulated something I’ve often experienced but struggled to put into words.

Thanks to the storytelling and unapologetic hon esty of Dacus, Bridgers, and Baker, I’ve been able to better come to terms with my own dereal ization and experiences with mental turbulence. They’ve inspired me deeply to not only embrace my insecurities and pitfalls, but also to be out spoken about them: people need to know that it’s okay not to feel okay all the time. We deserve to let ourselves experience our emotions instead of repressing them. This sentiment permeates all six boygenius songs, and I highly recommend giving the EP a listen.

artwork by Izzy Sanok

Editor’s Note

By: Sasha Rinkevich

Wonderful Banter readers,

It’s hard to believe that we’ve already hit the half way point of the first quarter! The first stint of the school year is always incredibly busy. Our sports teams have faced off opponents and students have written their first papers. Play rehearsals have begun, and Common Apps have been opened. We’ve already been so lucky to hear the wisdom of Mr. Clark, Ms. Miller, and Mr. Taylor at Chap el, and we’ve gotten a few cooler days that hint at the impending weather of fall.

And we’ve had Convocation.

After two years of COVID-impacted Convocation (perhaps it could be called COVIDcation?), we were fortunate enough to return to the Conway Convocation Center and gather for remarks from Dr. Graves and student leaders, and to enjoy mu sical arrangements of orchestra and choir. It was so wonderful to gather as a school community and recognize the official start of the academic year, as well as to see our seniors walk with their family, and teachers.

Convocation always infuses a sense of excitement for all that’s to come during the school year, and it’s done the same for us at The Belfield Banter: we are absolutely ecstatic that we get to write and publish regularly this year. We really hope that you enjoy our first full-length issue, made possi ble by our wonderful staff members, Banter Pub lications, and student contributors.

If you’re interested in getting involved at The Bel field Banter, we are always accepting submissions from guest contributors! And if you’re a freshman interested in learning more about student journal ism at our school, Banter Fellows is a wonderful way to do so.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact srinkevich23@students.stab.org or newsletter@ students.stab.org if you have any questions or ideas!

With much gratitude, Sasha Rinkevich, Senior Editor

2022-23

Staff of The Belfield Banter

Sasha Rinkevich--- Senior Editor

Izzy Sanok------------ Managing Editor

Rose Ryan-Byrne-- Asst. Managing Editor

Kay Tu------------------- Columns Editor

Anthony Cai--------- Features Editor

Liam Robertson----- Sports Editor

Lyra Stewart------- Associate Editor

Sonia Kamath------- Associate Editor

Banter Publications

Jack Dozier and Emma Finley-Gillis Editors in Chief