The Belfield Banter

January 30, 2023

Musical Musings

by Anthony Cai

I remember the first musical I saw in elementary school, Hairspray, and I remember the main character singing “Good morning Baltimore!” The power of the music and the lyrics struck me immediately. How could someone be so outgoing, so open?

The Saints Come Marching In: A Basketball Recap

by Liam Robertson

The St. Anne’s-Belfield basketball teams have had an incredible season so far, demonstrating their commitment to success through a series of impressive wins. The varsity girls’ team boasts a record of 16-1, and they have outscored their opponents with a whopping 1,149 to 613 ratio. The boys’ varsity team has dominated as well with a record of 16-3.

I think there are two sides to people, just like I like to write and sing. When I pick up a pen or hit the keyboard and write, what I understand is another form of self-reflection; that’s why most of what I write is not for others to read, because they exist more as a wakeup call to myself than a record or a message. Singing is different, this lively, bold and confident way of expressing emotions does not seem to match me in essence, but why do I like it? Is it a signal that I want to show a piece of myself to the outside world?

On January 18th, the Saints reminded us of their strength with two triumphant victories. The girls crushed St. Gertrude 68-43, and the boys buried Benedictine 95-69. McDonald’s All-American Mo Johnson led her team with 24 points and 11 rebounds and almost secured a triple-double with 7 assists. And one underclassman couldn’t miss: with 11 three-pointers, Chance Mallory broke the single-game school record with 42 points. Since these wins, the Saints have continued to be unstoppable: the boys defeated St. Christopher’s and Blue Ridge, and the girls came out on top of Trinity and Collegiate.

Be sure to come to cheer on the Saints and witness their athleticism before the season wraps up!

I have never regretted the connections I made with the outside world. Even though I’m relatively introverted, it is undeniable that many of the behaviors I display when I am around friends may give them the opposite perception of me. I like to get to know everybody. There are so many people in the world, and I can learn more about the world by getting to know new people.

Maybe musicals are a way to get to know other people. To externalize the internal, to transform into a louder and more vocal version of ourselves. Maybe musicals are a way to make thoughts that are hard to articulate through speaking more communicable.

Lyra Likes: Recent Reads

by Lyra Stewart

As an avid reader, I love expanding my literary horizons and seeing what bookstores have to offer. I recently enjoyed three books in particular, so without further ado, here are three book reviews!

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

This was the second book by Sally Rooney that I have read, Normal People being the first, and I really enjoy her straightforward, honest style of writing. It’s easy to become engrossed in the stories she creates because the writing is accessible and allows for focus on the plot and characters. She doesn’t include quotation marks for dialogue, which took some getting used to, but once I did, I didn’t mind it at all. Her novels emphasize the beauty in the imperfection of everyday life, and she doesn’t glamorize love stories to an unrealistic extent. Conversations with Friends tells the stories of two young women, Frances and Bobbi, who become friends with an older married couple. I really enjoyed this book because it wasn’t as predictable as most romance books. Even though the book is written in the third person, you get to know the main character, Frances, very well. This book may not be everybody’s cup of tea because of its slightly untraditional nature, but I really enjoyed it!