The Lion's Roar 38-5

Newton South High School · Newton, MA Est. 1984 · December 20, 2021

R AR

VOL. 38 ISSue 5

the LION'S

As the holiday gift-giving season arrives, the South community grapples with gift-related social anxiety page 12–13

The Holiday Nightmare

By Ahona Dam and Julian Phillips Graphics by Julie Wang

Rise and Shine

05

Period Pains

08

The Holiday Nightmare

12-13

Woodworking Wonders

15

Together in the Long Run

21

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December 20, 2021

NEWS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 38, Issue 5

Mayoral elections make history nationwide Following a wave of elections on Nov. 2, historic elections swept through the country and broke multiple municipal government norms. Here are a few notable new mayors to look out for.

Bella Ishanyan News Editor

photo courtesy of The New York Times

photo courtesy of Bloomberg

photo courtesy of Michigan House Democrats

Michelle Wu

Justin Bibb

Abdullah Hammoud

Boston, MA

Cleveland, OH

Dearborn, MI

Michelle Wu became the first woman, person of color and AsianAmerican elected to the office. Wu received support from elected officials including Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and former Acting Mayor Kim Janey, who said that Wu “is the candidate with the record and the values to not only protect the progress we have made, but build upon it to create a city that is more equitable, just, and resilient.”

Different from your typical mayoral candidate, Justin Bibb, who identifies first as a businessperson then a politician, was elected mayor of Cleveland, beating his opponent Kevin Kelley by 15,184 votes. His work with mayors, business leaders and community organizations across the country as the Chief Strategy Officer of Urbanova, a start-up that works to improve cities, led to his election to be Cleveland’s first new mayor in 16 years, succeeding Frank G. Jackson.

Abdullah Hammoud was elected as the first Arab-American and Muslim mayor of Dearborn, the eighth most populated city in Mich., known for its sizeable Middle-Eastern and Muslim population. Hammoud previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives, and helped to attain large funds for small business and public school funding in his district. After the election results were released, Hammoud said in a speech: “There is a new era in Dearborn.”

Students weigh in on Fuller's re-election Ella Hurwitz, Alex Zakuta & Bella Ishanyan News Reporters, News Editor

On Nov. 2, incumbent Mayor Ruthanne Fuller was re-elected for a second term, gaining 1,508 more votes than her opponent Amy Sangiolo. Opinions on her re-election are split within the Newton student community.

Fuller was the Ward 7 Councilor-AtLarge from 2010 until 2018, until she was elected as the first female mayor of Newton. During this past term, Fuller focused on various issues, most notably regarding the COVID-19

a school club, where she developed an opinion about Fuller and determined her support for Sangiolo. However, like many students at South, she said that she remains relatively indifferent to politics in Newton.

Self-described politically active eighth grader at Brown Middle School Shira Argov said that she sympathizes with Fuller’s challenges during the pandemic and believes Fuller has served Newton well.

“She’s a very good mayor.

During COVID-19, it was really hard to manage everything, and she was definitely very

graphic by Adrienne Lirio

pandemic, zoning and housing, environment and climate change, aid for older residents, economic development and schools.

Junior Wasan Rafat said that she didn’t know much about Newton politics until it was introduced to her by

busy,” she said. “There are other towns that did better, especially with schools, but she did the best that she could.”

However, senior Andrew Kupovich, who worked on Sangiolo’s campaign, said that Fuller’s handling of schools was a deterrent for him.

“COVID-19 was difficult, obviously it wasn't going to be an amazing year, but [most] of our surrounding communities managed to have actual, real hybrid programs in place,” he said. “In the fall, we were basically the only comparable community that didn't. There was a lot of mishandling.”

Now that schools have returned to full in-person learning, moderately viewed sophomore Stephanie Morin said that Fuller should continue to prioritize COVID-19 prevention policies in schools to ensure the safety of students and families.

Along with school reforms, the topic of housing development is hotly debated. Rafat said that there should be more living accommodations built in Newton.

“Something [Fuller] could do is make more apartment complexes like the one on Needham Street,” she said. “If we open it up to more people, we can increase the economic diversity within Newton and make it a place [where] everyone can feel like they belong and everyone has the opportunity to be a part of [the community].”

In Upper Falls, a construction project that would build a large apartment complex was approved after a city-wide vote. However, freshman Grace Dempsey, who lives in Upper Falls, said that she was upset that Fuller extended the vote to those outside of the Upper Falls community.

“The entire city shouldn't have even been able to vote on it because it's only our neighbor-

hood that has to actually live with it,” she said.

“Now, people who live in Upper Falls have this huge apartment complex that's going to make Needham Street traffic, which is already awful, a lot worse, and it's not practical because schools are already filled to the maximum.”

Kupovich said that more mayoral outreach should be done regarding zoning.

“With zoning redesign, the mayor's administration has done an attempt at outreach to communities, but I'm worried that it isn't enough,” he said. “Most citizens aren't out there completing village vision kits that take an hour to do because no one knows or really cares enough.”

Despite the qualms many had with her these past four years, Fuller has also amassed support among the student body.

“I have met Mayor Fuller, and I know that she is a very kind person who wants to take action,” Argov said. “Whether or not she's completely done that yet, she definitely seems to have good intentions, and I'd like to say now that she has more time, she will hopefully actually do something more.”

Kupovich said that Fuller’s administration has been strong but insufficient on varying issues, and with this new term, he hopes there will be a shift.

“Mayor Fuller has done an admirable job on some issues,” he said. “There have been a lot of little and not-so-little screw ups … it's up to the mayor and the mayor's administration to make sure that that doesn't keep happening.”

issuu.com/thelionsroar

news | page 3

Plumbing issues close boys' bathroom Grace Dempsey, Justin Liu & Lily Zarr News Reporters, News Editor

The 1200s boys’ bathroom has been closed since October due to a plumbing issue that may have been exacerbated by students.

Goldrick Dean Marc Banks said that the popularization of the viral “Devious Licks” TikTok trend may have been to blame.

“In my previous nine years of being a Goldrick dean, I've never had an issue like this,” he said.

The TikTok trend, in which high school students post videos of themselves stealing objects from their schools’ bathrooms, has

Closing the bathrooms is one way of sending a signal that if they're not going to be clean, they're not going to be convenient.

Alan Reinstein English teacher

sparked a recent wave of vandalism across the country with stolen items ranging from towels and soap dispensers to entire sinks.

However, English teacher Jeremiah Hill said that the condition of South’s bathrooms was far from perfect even before the trend.

“I've seen the faucet bent over and [at] about 45 degrees. I've seen the paper towel dispensers pulled off the walls … [and] graffiti,” he said.

While staff can access the 1200s bathroom with a key, the closure has taken a toll on male students, guidance counselor Christopher Hardiman said.

“Students currently have to go either up to the third floor or down to the first floor.

That's a big inconvenience,” he said.

With unexpected unrest in the bathrooms, it came as no surprise to students when a toilet from the girls’ 1200s bathroom was removed from the wall, Hardiman said. He said that although originally rumored to have been caused by a student, the janitorial staff had it removed because it was broken.

Many students are dissatisfied with the condition of the bathrooms, freshman Austin Su said.

Monica Walker* said that she has resorted to using the teachers’ bathroom in the 6200s to avoid inadequate supplies.

“There's never a lot of soap and there's constantly a lack of female hygiene products,” she said. “The only bathroom that I've been in that actually has all that stuff is the teachers’

bathroom.”

Junior Jennifer Liu said that some students will always try to cause problems.

“The trend is definitely part of [the vandalism], but there are always going to be people who want to cause a ruckus,” she said.

English teacher Alan Reinstein said that student disrespect to custodians and the environment around them are also issues.

“Students … are generally respectful to me. Sometimes that is because I have something that they need. I have some power over their grades,” he said. “If custodians don't have something that they can have over students, then there's a likelihood that students will not care about that and that upsets me.”

Banks said that it is important to keep South’s core values in mind and respect the facilities. “[South is] like a little city. We have to treat things with respect in order for them to last,” he said.

Reinstein said that it is important for students to be considerate of how they treat others and their surroundings, or they will face consequences.

“It's nice to be respectful to the custodians,” he said. “Closing the bathrooms is one way of sending a signal that if they're not going to be clean, they're not going to be convenient.”

TikTok has since discouraged the circulation of the challenge. When “Devious Licks” is typed into the platform’s search bar, users are led to a link on the TikTok app that explains

the harm of some online challenges and what to do if you see someone participating. *Name changed to protect interviewee’s privacy.

photo by Lily Zarr

Out of order: the 1200s boys' bathroom

Discord ban restricts communication Grace Lu, Belinda Yan & Lily Zarr

News Reporters, News Editor On Nov. 2, Newton Public Schools added Discord to the blocked list on middle and high school students’ district-administered Chromebooks.

South’s Instructional Technology (IT) Specialist Brian Hammel said that he received an email on Oct. 19 from Steven Rattendi, Newton’s Director of Information Technology and Library Services, who said that middle and high school administrators were searching for a way to stop students from using Discord at school, as it was a distraction and was being used for bullying. Hammel said they concluded that banning Discord was the most effective way to combat these issues.

Discord, a widely used online communication platform, allows users to create servers and chat channels. With the onset of the pandemic and schools moving online, Discord has become a major communication tool among students.

Freshman Lulu Jin, who has created a few school servers, said that she uses Discord every day to talk to her friends, connect with clubs and check for school updates.

Hammel said he acknowledges that banning Discord was not a perfect solution.

“It is unfortunate that those who use Discord for productive uses will no longer be able to use the site,” he said. “However … [banning] it is the only tool the IT department has at this time.”

Freshman Benjamin Nusinzon said that the ban made an instantaneous change in the

way students use technology, as students now use their phones to access Discord.

“Unlike last year, now I have seen less people on their computers and more people on their phones,” he said.

Access to Discord is prevented outside of school grounds as well, meaning that students are unable to use the platform on their schoolowned Chromebooks at home. Clara Howard* said that the ban causes difficulty for those who only have access to school devices.

“I know some of my friends use

Chromebook[s] mostly for communicating with us because they don’t have a computer at home, so it’s a bit sad,” she said.

The ban has also greatly affected clubs, freshman and science team member Shelley Wei said.

“The science team used to use Discord a lot, but now, it can't be affiliated with Discord officially. So we're searching for a new platform to communicate,” she said.

History team co-captain and junior William Locke said the team also uses Discord

and now struggles to keep in touch during school hours.

“With important updates about tournaments, it’s much more difficult to communicate with everyone immediately because of the ban,” he said.

A lot of [students] are increasingly fed up because the school is doing stuff they don't consider right.

Jessica Weinfeld class of '23

graphic by Emily Cheng

Beyond just Discord, history team cocaptain and junior Jessica Weinfeld said that many students are upset with the ban and don’t feel considered in South’s decisions.

“Kids are pretty annoyed and, in some cases, angry,” she said.“A lot of them are increasingly fed-up because the school is doing a lot of stuff that they don’t consider right, and they don’t have a voice in what happens.”

To find a solution to the ban, students have been trying out other communication platforms. Jin said she has downloaded the Discord app, and that other students will use similar means of getting around the ban.

“Students use Discord for school purposes, not just to chat,” she said. “Students will find other ways to talk to their friends.” *Name changed to protect interviewee’s privacy.

page 4 | news

the lion's roar

COVID-19 testing program implemented News Reporter, News Editor

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide and the spread of the new omicron variant, Newton Public Schools’ (NPS) COVID-19 precautions have increased in relevance. Since September, when NPS unveiled its tiered testing program, symptomatic and close-contact testing has been in effect in all grades, while pool testing has only been open to grades pre-K-6.

The testing program is part of the district’s COVID-19 safety plan for the complete reopening of schools and was recommended by

It is very important that the school provides [pool] testing for students and faculty, especially those who are not vaccinated, in order to ensure everyone’s comfort and safety at school.

Lily Paltrowitz class of '23

the NPS Testing Working Group, a collection of doctors and school administrators. Testing is offered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education through the Cambridge Innovation Center.

School Committee Chair Ruth Goldman said that the system has multiple levels of screening: symptomatic testing for all students grades pre-K-12, routine pool testing for grades pre-K-6 and a ‘Test to Stay’ program offered to unvaccinated close contacts.

According to a Sept. 9 School Committee presentation, symptomatic testing is intended for students who display symptoms in the building, while weekly pool testing serves as a precautionary measure with individual followup. The ‘Test to Stay’ program is administered after a person is in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

School Committee member Margaret Albright said that rapid antigen tests are used for‘Test to Stay’ to limit the number of students who must quarantine.

“Students who did not opt into ‘Test to Stay’ have to quarantine, which means they stay home,” she said. “We did not want that. That's why we went for as many [testing] options as we possibly could.”

Assistant Director of School Health Services Maureen Pursley wrote in a Nov. 17 email that the program has been effective at

keeping students in the building.

“With daily testing for at least seven days for those students considered as close contact to a case at school, we have been able to keep just over 800 students in school learning instead of remaining home for a quarantine period,” she said.

Currently, pool testing is provided only to students in grades K-6 due to a shortage of resources, Pursley wrote.

“There were some challenges with the implementation early on with regard to our vendor having difficulty providing enough testing staff,” she said.

Ruth Hoshino, the NPS director of School Health Services and a member of the Testing Working Group, said that the Medical Advisory Group prioritized students in grades K-6 for pool testing since many were not eligible for COVID-19 vaccines at the beginning of the school year.

With the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of vaccines for children between the ages of five to 12 on Oct. 29, Albright said that the tiered testing system may be adapted to accommodate for students in grades 7-12, who have just been FDA-approved to receive Pfizer booster shots.

“We will go back to our Medical Advisory Group to see what their input is once we have updated vaccine numbers,” she said.

“When the grades 5-11 group gets more heavily vaccinated, we're going to ask [the advisory group] to weigh in again.”

Students, like junior Audrey Wei, have called for expanded testing in the high schools.

Wei said that, especially with the rise of new variants, she hopes to receive weekly testing soon.

Junior and South senator Lily Paltrowitz said that the unavailability of pool testing at South has made her feel wary about coming to school. “ It is very important that the school provides [pool] testing for students and faculty, especially those who are not vaccinated, in order to ensure everyone’s comfort and safety at school. I feel this is just one instance of the administration not living up to its expectations surrounding the pandemic,” she said. “The administration needs to do its job to keep our community safe. Testing is just a start.” graphic by Emily Cheng

Preethika Vemula & Sarah Wei

Scenes from South's first Turkey Toss photos by Becky Dosortsev and Eva Shimkus

South held its first Turkey Toss on Nov. 25 as a send-off before Thanksgiving break.

Each of the four partnerships in the competition represented a grade.

Competitors brace themselves to catch their turkey

Students from all grades gathered to celebrate community and support their team

Senior class officers in blorange spirit

Senior Turkey Toss winners Jaidin Russell and Nicola Hensch

The dance team performed during the half-time break

issuu.com/thelionsroar

news | page 5

South Spots Despite the later start time, students are still sleep-deprived photo by Becky Dozortsev

Rise and Shine

By Ellie Jolly

T

he Newton School Committee introduced a new high school schedule this year that pushed back the start and end times of the school day. They had hoped to maximize the time students have to sleep, however, a recent survey from The Roar revealed that as of early December, students have been reporting hours of sleep below the recommended amount.

According to “Your Teen Needs More Sleep,” a Psychology Today article written by psychologist Michael J. Breus, adolescents should be getting eight to 10 hours of sleep every night. An anonymous online survey byThe Roar revealed that over half (56%) of 619 student responders reported receiving between five to seven hours of sleep on average. Not only this, but 60% of 619 students reported that they don't get to bed until midnight or later.

While the new schedule was supposed to give students additional time to sleep and eat breakfast in the mornings, sophomore Alon Mileguir said that he has not seen any noticeable changes in his habits.

“I start my day way later, I get to school later, I get home later and I do my work later.

Everything I would normally do still happens, just later,” he said.

Despite the district’s intentions to prioritize wellness, the schedule prompted backlash from students, junior Zach Decter said.

“Nothing was really done to change the schedule even though the people it would affect

spoke out,” he said.

A common complaint cited by students was a lack of time after school to participate in extracurriculars and complete their homework.

Senior Jessie Traxler said the schedule has contributed to a lack of motivation.

“I used to get home and still be able to do homework, but now I get home after school and after extracurriculars, look at the clock, see that it's 8:30, and I just don't want to do anything,” she said.

Similarly, Decter said the new schedule is ineffective in facilitating after-school productivity.

“Because it pushes sports practices back so far, we're doing homework until 12:00 a.m., and half the time, the sports practices are in the dark in the late fall because school gets out so late,” he said. “If schools started 45 minutes earlier at 8:15 a.m. … that would make a huge difference.”

History department chair and teacher Jennifer Morrill said that she prefers the new schedule, but she can see how it can harmfully affect students.

“I'm working from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and then I go home and walk the dog and have dinner and do some more work — it's a lovely day, not starting so early. But I'm not an athlete,” she said. “I don't have to do other things after school other than go home.”

Freshman Lauren Kelly said that the previous start time of 7:40 a.m. was far too

early to be alert for learning and said that she supports the updated start time of 9:00 a.m.

“My older siblings who have graduated or are upperclassmen would sometimes have to wake up before the sun rose to get to school, which I think is ridiculous,” she said.

“Your Teen Needs More Sleep” claims that teenagers are biologically programmed to sleep at later times, as the natural melatonin in their bodies is not released until around 11 p.m.

Additionally, Morrill said that the previous start time was demanding for students traveling from Boston, as they had to wake up in time to be able to get ready and arrive at class by 7:40 a.m.

Mileguir said that the new schedule is a step in the right direction, and he believes a potential middle ground can be reached.

“I don’t think the schedule should go back to the way it was before, but there could be an in-between. 8:30 a.m. might make more sense because no one likes getting out of school around 4:00 p.m.,” he said.

Sophomore Hailey Smith said that in addition to the committee’s efforts, there are still changes that can be made to ensure a balanced school life.

“The later start time was a good start to fixing student sleep schedules, but more needs to be done in order to fully correct them,” she said.

“A slightly earlier start time would allow after-school activities to start earlier and allow students to sleep at a reasonable time.”

619 students responded anonymously to an online survey about their sleep schedules The majority of responses indicate that most students get between six and eight hours of sleep per night

Vaccine Updates As of Nov. 2, everyone ages five and above is eligible to receive their first two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recently approved booster shots for fully vaccinated individuals ages 16 and above. According to CDC guidelines, individuals who initially received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine must wait six months to receive a booster, while those who received the J&J vaccine can be boosted after two months. People ages 16 and 17 can only get the Pfizer booster.

Overnight Parking Ban From Dec. 1 this year to March 31, 2022, vehicles are not allowed to park on any street, highway, road, parkway or private way dedicated or open to the use of the public for longer than one hour between the 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. in order to keep Newton’s narrow roads clear in case of a winter weather emergency.

Violators will be charged with a $25 fine.

NPS Principals Criticized for Response to Rittenhouse Verdict North Principal Henry Turner received backlash after tweeting a response about Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal. His response connected the verdict of the case to racial injustice in America and said that “If Kyle Rittenhouse were Black, the outcome would be significantly different.” Turner received racist emails and messages, which he tells The Boston Globe “were outwardly racist towards me and hate-filled.” Bigelow Principal Chassity Coston received hateful messages as well. The messages to both principals appear to come from out of state. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said that “as Mayor, [she] give[s] her full support to Henry Turner and Chassity Coston.”

page 6

December 20, 2021

EDITORIALS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 38, Issue 5

Shooting calls for preventative measures On Nov. 30, a 15-year-old student at Oxford High School in Michigan opened fire in his school, killing four and injuring seven, including a teacher. The tragedy was one of 28 school shootings that have taken place in the United States in 2021 and though it received widespread media coverage, it seemed to be in the back of South students’ minds.

After almost two years of turmoil in a world upended, we are used to hearing about tragedy. The lockdown drills and run-hide-fight scenarios that we have grown up participating in have become normal during a period of gun rights expansion and hyper politicization. It’s no surprise that we have become desensitized to gun violence tragedies to the point where shootings hardly shock us anymore.

Our staff balked at the prospect of teenagers — impulsive, acne-prone, hormonal kids — owning guns. It is irresponsible to allow teenagers a mechanism with which they could kill or do harm. But still, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on charges of possession of a weapon due to a loophole in Wisconsin state law originally created with the intent to allow 16 and 17 year olds to hunt.

Across the country, gun laws have become increasingly relaxed; in September, a Texas law went into effect, making it legal to

carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

Such laws hinge on the right provided by the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which states that “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

It is woven into the foundation of the country that the purpose of guns is to protect people, not to harm; however, research by the Harvard School of Public Health's Injury Control Research Center has repeatedly shown a link between a higher number of guns and higher levels of gun violence. That Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges further legitimizes the power of self defense. It is important to note that in some cases, carrying a gun provides a semblance of security, especially for those living in a dangerous environment or a warzone.

There are many reasons why people carry guns, but bringing one to school should never be a necessity for defense.

The majority of our staff have never heard the sound of a gun before, which makes it even more important for us to take preventative measures to be prepared for the unlikely possibility of a hostile events. If passing stricter gun legislation is out of our control, how can we, as students, stay safe? At South, faculty

and staff have turned to precautions that work: lockdown drills and run-hide-fight memorizations. In these drills, students are taught what to do in the event of a dangerous situation and are given a chance to practice these skills, even if that means carving out extra time from the school day.

Recently, all students practiced these skills as they hid in the corner of classrooms. We were told that if it came down to it, we should silence our phones, make sure our hands are visible and flee on foot. Every year that we are instructed to huddle in a dark corner takes us back to the memory of doing the same drills in Kindergarten, back when we thought it was the funniest thing to huddle together like a pack of penguins. We’ve grown up with these drills, and as we’ve gotten older, and there have been more school shootings across the country, our understanding of the issue has deepenpast just hide and seek drills. But still, with extensive preparation, we are becoming less focused on the safety task at hand and more on our desires to skip class.

That being said, no amount of time spent running drills will prepare us for the situation if it ever does arise. That’s why on top of learning how to react in an actual shooting, we need to focus on preventative measures. One form that

this comes in is mental health support.

Time and time again, there has been a proven correlation between mental health issues and instances of school shootings. A study from the American Counseling Association found that while 78% of school shooters had a history of suicide attempts or suicidal ideations prior to their attack, less than one-fifth (17%) were diagnosed with a mental disorder.

When schools see that students are displaying signs of violence or struggling with mental health issues, there should be a more systematic approach to helping them out of their situation, not only to protect the student, but to ensure that no other students are harmed.

As a country, we so often see the solution oversimplified; to defend ourselves and feel safe, we resort quickly to the purchase of weapons before looking for other less dangerous options.

While resources are now being put towards expanding access to guns, those funds could be allocated to true preventative measures like mental health assistance. When we hear about instances of gun violence in schools across our country, we must take on a more active role in inspiring preventative measures.

Once the gun has been shot, it is already too late. We must be proactive to ensure the safety of ourselves and our peers before it's too late.

Got a story idea?

Let us know!

Volume XXXVIII The Lion’s Roar

DM us on Instagram: @nshslionsroar Come to a meeting any Blue Lion Block in Rm 1201

Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper 140 Brandeis Road Newton, MA 02459 srstaff@thelionsroar.com

Editor-in-Chief Ellyssa Jeong

Managing Editors

Editorial Policy

The Lion’s Roar, founded in 1984, is the student newspaper of Newton South High School, acting as a public forum for student views and attitudes.

The Lion’s Roar’s right to freedom of expression is protected by the Massachusetts Student Free Expression Law (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 71, Section 82). All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of The Lion’s Roar in no way reflects the official policy of Newton South, its faculty, or its administration.

Editorials are the official opinion of The Lion’s Roar, while opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Lion’s Roar. The Lion’s Roar reserves the right to edit all submitted content, to reject advertising copy for resubmission of new copy that is deemed acceptable by student editors, and to make decisions regarding the submission of letters to the editors, which are welcomed.

The Lion’s Roar is printed by Seacoast Newspapers and published every four weeks by Newton South students. All funding comes from advertisers and subscriptions.

In-school distribution of The Lion’s Roar is free, but each copy of the paper shall cost one dollar for each copy more than ten (10) that is taken by any individual or by many individuals on behalf of a single individual. Violation of this policy shall constitute theft.

Siya Patel

Emily Schwartz

Eva Shimkus

Section Editors News

Bella Ishanyan Jaesuh Lee Sarah Wei Lily Zarr

Features

Opinions

Centerfold

Ahona Dam Julian Phillips

Danielle Berdichevsky Matan Josephy Melinda Yung

Sports Joyce Lee Rebecca Stotsky Clare Tourtelotte

Sanjana Deshpande Sarah Feinberg Emma Zhang

Photo Managers

Podcast

Maureen Caulfield Becky Dozortsev

Ari Gordon Aidan Lieberman

Faculty Advisor Ashley Chapman

Graphics Managers Emily Cheng Amanda Fu Julie Wang

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editorials | page 7

LETTER from the EDITOR Siya Patel

Managing Editor

“Happiness is not a goal … It’s a byproduct of a life well-lived.”

The vibrant interface depicting a scenic mountain view accompanies this quote every morning I open my phone, greeting me with a reminder every time. I’m a big fan of cheesy quotes, and sometimes that extra boost of motivation is all you need to try and start the day well. I’m not saying they work 100% of the time, but I believe there is some value in the reminders that we often tend to overlook when we live too quickly.

Most school mornings, though, I wake up exhausted and sit on my bed contemplating how long it will be until I’m back under my covers. The first thing I do is look over at my schedule, yet to no surprise, I will see the same old boring day ahead. Next comes looking out the window and contemplating excuses that will justify my bad mood. I’ll tell myself things like, “oh, the weather is gross today,” or “I have so much homework to do.” Before the day even begins, I’ve already mentally categorized each aspect of my day, sifting the tasks on my to-do list into two colorless categories: good or bad.

In my so-called “bad” classes — classes that I had so carefully selected and looked forward to during my junior year — I let my

How to have an open mind

negative outlook seize control. I’ll spend days frequently glancing at the clock, wishing with all my might for the slow ticks to inch quicker.

The countdown starts right as I slide into my seat, and my mind stays in a constant feeling of anticipation until the bell rings. I am so focused on the clock that I end up unable to thoroughly appreciate the actual good parts of class. I spend the whole day waiting for what's coming next and dreading the inevitable bad moments. It has become scarily easy to slip into this mindset.

On the flip side, forcing happiness by

Why can I only have fun at certain times of the day? What is it that makes me try so hard to hold on to any free time I get? Have I somehow convinced my brain that there is no way I could ever enjoy doing work, or is it because I've become so used to associating school with “bad”?

Some days, I’ll actually enjoy school work, that is, until I come back to reality and recognize that I'm doing work. I have started seeing every activity as something to check off my to-do list. No matter how hard I try to convince myself, I’ve come to realize that

I think I’ve come a little closer to defining it; for now, to be happy is what you make of it, and it ultimately stems from our mentality. cramming everything “fun” into one portion of my day creates additional restraints. I’ve found that I end up enjoying myself less. For example, every day after school, I’ll take one or two hours to simply lay in bed, watch a TV show and eat a snack before I take on the dreaded pile of homework that awaits me from my desk. Through these strict time slots, I only get more stressed as I panic over all the non-school related things I didn't fit.

work can bring me a feeling of satisfaction, but only if I let it.

In the end, I’ve boiled it down to one big question: what is happiness? Is it when I do well on a test and get that burst of academic validation, or is it when I get to eat that pumpkin donut I’ve been saving?

I think I’ve come a little closer to defining it; for now, to be happy is what you make of it, and it ultimately stems from our mentality. Our

brains have the ability to go beyond the labels we so carefully create, and all that's needed is a slight shift in our fixed mindset.

I'm not saying that it's not okay to have bad days when you're not feeling your best.

Of course, these feelings are valid and healthy.

I definitely have moments when I hyperfocus on everything that's going wrong; no one can be happy all the time because that's just not how life works. What can be improved upon, however, is how we handle these thoughts.

Whether I’m studying for a test or relaxing on a snowy day should not be the ultimate deciding factor whether I'm having fun or not.

It's how I look at these moments and the feelings I attach to them that should determine my happiness. Instead of predetermining what will enhance and what will ruin my day, I should keep an open mind. By telling myself “this will be terrible,” or “this will be amazing,” I’m only convincing myself of this fact.

As I’m getting closer to graduating from South and the stress of everything seems blown out of proportion, I’ve learned to take a second and think about whether all the overthinking is truly worth it.

Life fluctuates like your mind, and it's important to give yourself the freedom to feel what you want. By avoiding labels, we can allow ourselves to truly understand our desires and keep an open mind, giving ourselves the flexibility to think how we want to think and to live how we want to live in the moment.

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December 20, 2021

OPINIONS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 38, Issue 5

Period Pains Four students detail their experiences with stigma surrounding menstruation

By Marisa MacDonald, Noa Razin, Clare Tourtelotte and Mads Traxler

W

e’ve all heard the phrase “it must be her time of the month,” and I can confirm that this statement is the last thing a woman wants to hear while literally bleeding out of her uterus. I remember during the “Growing and Changing” unit in fifth grade, someone in my class saw period blood on a toilet seat and rushed to tell everyone about how disgusted they were, not thinking about the person they were shaming. I was also on my period at the time and was nervous that it was my fault, even though it couldn’t have been anyone’s fault, let alone my own.

The fear of being exposed like this has made friends of mine feel uncomfortable excusing themselves from class to change their tampon or tend to their cramps. I have also heard people make jokes about a woman being on her period just because she’s upset about something, which completely disregards actual premenstrual syndrome (more broadly known as PMS) and whatever is making the woman angry.

This further feeds into stereotypes about women being “too emotional” without considering the fact that women have plenty to be upset about. When someone makes a comment blaming periods for how a woman carries herself, I tend to become even angrier. All in all, we must stop shaming women for things they can’t control.

O

graphic by Denise

Chan

ne of the worst feelings in the world is to be belittled.

For someone to look at me and toss aside what I do, think and say breaks me to my core. It is a horrible experience, one that, unfortunately, many can relate to.

Whenever I express anger, sadness or any vulnerability, someone (usually a male) will speak up and ask in jokingly insulting terms if I’m “menstruating” or if it’s my “time of the month.”

In a group setting, what follows is usually laughs from the rest of the group, which escalate when I get irritated.

When I question their motivation for being so insensitive and ignorant, I’m met with a chorus of “you’re overreacting” and a quieter, “maybe they’re right.”

What frustrates me the most, though, is the way people dance around the word “period.” They can picture what I may be going through enough to insult me about it, but not enough to confront the uncomfortable truths about what is really happening to my body.

Even if I am on my period, no one has the right to invalidate my emotions or to look down upon my feelings and actions with a smirk. It sometimes feels like they’re on the outside looking in, as if they’re in on some inside joke I don’t get about my period.

This experience is humiliating, disrespectful and everything in between.

Even if you think someone’s being “hormonal,” I urge you not to mention it. The week-long hell that half of the population experiences every month should not be made worse by degrading comments.

I

couldn’t help but gawk at the screen in front of me. The fifth-grade puberty video detailed that my body would gush blood for days; this was my future.

After the video finished, my guy friend teased me about what awaited me.

It was my first taste of the stigma associated with menstruation. I wasn’t sure how to react. Was I supposed to be ashamed?

I had managed to forget it by the time I reached sixth grade. But then my Bat Mitzvah came along, and I got my very first period midway through the service.

I started freaking out, distantly hoping I wouldn’t stain my white dress. I had never felt more embarrassed.

Shame chased me throughout middle school. I’d begun to learn of the stereotypes associated with people who menstruate, which only heightened my discomfort. Women on their periods were portrayed as hormonal and irrational. Such depictions made me feel stained during my periods: I would walk to the bathroom with my entire backpack, hoping no one could tell a pad was hidden inside. Once I finally got there, I would get embarrassed of people hearing me open it.

Later I found solace in friends who had similar experiences, and I learned that the best way to combat stigma is to be proud of it. It is important to be comfortable with your body, and accepting that is how change happens.

T

here have been countless times where I have heard boys say, “Why are you so mad?

Is it your time of the month?” Women constantly face derogatory comments like these, and it is about time we figure out why.

The idea that girls have to be on their period to feel annoyed, relates to centuries-old expectations for women to be calm at all times. People feel like they need an explanation if we are mad, but I hate to break it to you, there is such a thing as being upset, and it has nothing to do with our menstrual cycle.

Such sexist and false ideas emerge because of a lack of education, especially among men. No, we are not ticking bombs ready to explode if someone annoys us; if anything, we have to act tough and emotionally bullet-proof to disprove the illusion of weakness.

But why is having a period seen as a weakness? Why is it something we should hide?

The answer is simple: we are living in a patriarchal society without proper education on female anatomy. Boys make no effort to fully understand what we go through, so when we are upset, we do not fit into the “feminine” mold — a lie that echoes the power dynamics of our patriarchal society.

In the face of these lies, women are powerful, beautiful and confident.

We are fierce in the face of ingrained misogyny and strong in the face of seemingly harmless comments like, “it’s her time of the month.”

So boys, the moral of the story is, educate yourselves. It is not my (nor any other woman’s) job to educate you, and frankly we are tired of it.

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opinions | page 9

College: a choice, not a personality

By Annika Engelbrecht As soon as I open YouTube, my recommended list is flooded with college decision reaction videos whose titles boast the user’s nearly-perfect Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, dozens of honors classes and numerous 5s on Advanced Placement exams. All of this, of course, got the user admission to elite universities; I didn’t have to watch the video to know. Simply seeing the titles made me feel that I would only be worthy of these same schools if I had similar scores.

I find myself spending hours fretting over the number of hours I spend studying for the SAT because of this expectation and constantly worrying about whether or not I’ll ever be good enough. Especially now that the waves of college decisions have started to trickle in during the coming months, it is important to remind myself that these videos are not at all the norm. Each student brings a special quality, and I’ve come to realize that every student has a college best fit for them.

In reality, college isn’t the most important thing in life, and might not be for everyone. I know of many people who didn’t go to college or don’t plan to, and some who didn’t get into an Ivy League school but go on to be successful. My mom was the first person in her family to earn a college degree, but despite my grandfather’s lack of a college experience, he still owned and ran two prosperous businesses. My uncle didn’t go to college either and obtained a high position in a large insurance company.

In the past, society made it seem like college was the only option, but members of

my own family prove that this isn’t the case. If college doesn’t work financially or individually, students can still accomplish great things in their lives regardless of whether or not they pursue higher education.

Getting into a top university or college is a massive accomplishment to be celebrated, but there are so many more achievements that don’t receive the same recognition. Overstating the importance of college can make students ignore and nullify their other achievements.

Instead of being known by their name, they’re dubbed “the Harvard kid,” essentially deleting every other aspect of their identity and reducing them to this nearly almighty figure.

Those who don’t get into Harvard face a similar but different fate. Instead of fellow students lauding over them and giving them prodigious titles, the high schoolers who don’t attend prestigious universities get brushed aside.

These students are known as the ones who are “just going to some state school,” receiving none of the admiration of their fellow students but are still reduced to the name of their future college.

It is important to remember that personal values and experiences are more salient to self-identity, unlike the name of a university that someone will attend.

During high school, it feels like we live and breathe college and attending a top university is the ultimate prize. In the past few years, this pressure has turned competitive between students, with high schoolers going to great

lengths to get into college. A case in point is the publicized 2019 college admission scandals.

There is so much value in where someone goes to school that the parents of high schoolers have no qualms in bribing and committing fraud solely so that their child can go to a distinguished school. Looking at the bigger picture, though, this constant competition is futile — in 20 years or even 10, no one will care about whether or not you or a classmate got into Harvard. Instead, they’ll ponder what you’ve achieved since the end of college and how you have spent your life since then.

While society makes it seem as though

college defines someone’s self-identity, in the end, it doesn’t. Instead of equating the prestige of a school with someone’s entire identity, society should focus on the numerous important aspects of a teenager’s identity.

I, alongside so many other students, can’t wait to get out of school and finally be able to do whatever I want, so why should I feel as though my entire identity falls on an institution that I can’t wait to rid myself of? High schoolers’ identities are made up of so much more than the college they end up going to; they have personal victories, stories, moments and qualities that define them outside of school.

graphic by Abby Kutin

Self-gaslighting: more than a trend

By Ella Hou, Aden Tom and Grace Sousa have learned to recognize self-gaslighting in different aspects of my life, including my social interactions, academic achievement and levels of self-esteem.

Once I became aware of what selfgaslighting was, I realized that I am susceptible to it in my social life. For example, a while ago, a friend said something hurtful to me.

Instead

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South’s competitive academic environment is partly to blame for this as it causes many students to fall into a vicious cycle of comparing grades.

I feel pressured to strive for perfection, so I feel upset if others get higher grades than me, even if my score was good. At the same time, when

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of confronting them about it, I shrugged it off and told myself that I was being too sensitive. I tried to convince myself that my friend was simply having a bad day and that they did not mean it like that. Looking back now, I realize that self-gaslighting manifested itself in this situation, as I had invalidated my feelings and excused my friend’s actions by shifting the blame onto myself.

Self-gaslighting can also come in the

form of questioning your own judgment, leading to self-doubt. Before my biology test, I spent hours stressing and doubting myself, even though I knew I had studied profusely.

Despite my tiresome efforts and hard work, I felt hopeless and underprepared during the test. When my teacher asked the class to rate how the test went, I immediately gave a thumbs down. Even though I ended up scoring well, my self-esteem was nonexistent due to my habit of self-gaslighting.

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In 1944, American film director George Cukor released a riveting psychological thriller titled “Gaslight,” in which a man gradually lowers the gaslights each night to make his wife think she is going crazy. This portrayal established an important concept known as “gaslighting,” a form of emotional abuse where someone is manipulated into questioning their sanity. Even today, this concept remains prevalent, especially after its popularization on social media.

As with all things “trending,” the term’s gravity has been lost. Just the other day, one of my friends jokingly said, “You’re gaslighting me” in a completely random situation, to which another joked back, “You’re gaslighting me for trying to gaslight me!” Because gaslighting can be as subtle as “You can’t take a joke” and “You’re overreacting,” it is easy to see why it is overlooked and dismissed as a joking matter.

Yet, its severe effects on one’s mental health is not to be understated.

A similar term,“self-gaslighting,” is when one internalizes this abuse by undermining their own emotions and judgment. It begins with a comment or event, and you slowly manipulate yourself into feeling incompetent or unimportant. Self-gaslighting can be even more subtle than gaslighting, as it is internalized and can be chalked up to being “humble.”

This, along with the damage it can do to one’s mental health, makes it incredibly important to recognize when it happens. Recently, I

I compare my grades, I convince myself that because others did worse than I did, I should not feel bad about my own score.

Often, I find myself disregarding the hard work I spent studying because of the grade I received on a test, again doubting myself and my abilities. Through these situations, I have learned that it is easier to invalidate our accomplishments and focus on the negative circumstances when self-gaslighting.

Seeing how detrimental self-gaslighting was to my mental health, I decided to make the effort to unlearn it. It seemed like a challenging task, but by acknowledging that I was selfgaslighting, I had already taken an important first step. Understanding the reason behind my self-gaslighting was my next goal.

I recognized that my own actions were coming from repeating the words of those who had previously gaslit me, and realizing that those phrases were only intended to hurt and manipulate helped me accept that they were in no way true.

This strategy of taking a step back to reassess the situation and change mentalities became my go-to whenever I found myself self-gaslighting.

Finally, I found that having a strong support system can be incredibly helpful when overcoming these self-gaslighting habits because they can remind you of this very important fact: your feelings are valid, and no matter what, you are worthy and loved.

page 10 | opinions

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CAMPUS

The Lion's Roar asked...

What is your favorite holiday drink and why?

CHATTER

Maya Jha class of '23

Shiv Sawhney class of '22

Phoebe Anthony class of '24

Alex Friedman class of '25

I’d go with chai because of my My favorite holiday drink is pep- I like peppermint mocha because My favorite holiday drink is eggfamily. It reminds me of my grand- permint hot chocolate because it it has the vibe of Christmas, even nog because it tastes great. It has parents. It reminds me of my home tastes good. It’s warm and fuzzy though I'm Jewish. It smells good, a great flavor. It reminds me of and makes me feel cozy.

in India.

and it tastes like Christmas trees.

Christmas memories.

Holiday movie recommendations

By Daniel Diamond and Jacob Lewis

“Home Alone” was released in 1990 and is the perfect holiday movie for remembering those nostalgic simpler times. It stars a young Macaulay Culkin, who perfectly portrays eight-year-old Kevin McCalister. The story begins when Kevin’s large family travels for the holidays and accidentally forgets him at home.

Kevin is over the moon about being home alone, as he is finally allowed to do whatever he wants, unsupervised by his parents. However, in the adult world he must defend his house from burglars Harry and Marv, played by Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci respectively. The movie follows Kevin’s hilarious adventures living alone as he pulls elaborate pranks and traps for Harry and Marv, giving the audience an extra laugh during the holidays.

The movie illustrates the importance of family, especially during the holiday season, and its poignant scenes trigger a feeling of nostalgia.

“Home Alone” is known to be one of the best family friendly holiday movies ever made, and it lives up to such a reputation as a timeless and enjoyable movie.

After “Elf ” was released in 2003, actor James Caan revealed that he had sincere doubts about the movie, which he thought would struggle in the box office due to Will Ferrell’s over-the-top goofiness portraying the leading role.

But Caan was wrong: the film’s success was, and continues to be, largely attributed to Ferrell’s performance. “Elf ” follows the life of Buddy (Ferrell), a human raised by elves in the North Pole. When Buddy grows up, he learns of his human heritage and that his father, Walter Hobbs (Caan), lives in New York. With this new, life changing knowledge, Buddy immediately sets out on a journey into the human world to find his father.

The movie is a delightful fish out of water story, played hilariously by the charismatic Ferrell and the appropriately confused Caan, who deftly balances incredulousness with remorse.

“Elf ” culminates in a heartwarming climax that leaves the audience satisfied, and its hilarity makes it well worth watching for anybody — not just fans of Christmas movies.

“Die Hard” was released in 1988, and while some consider it a Christmas movie because it takes place in December, in reality, the movie has little relation to the holiday. The action film follows police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) as he visits his wife and daughters for the holidays.

When John accompanies his wife to her office’s Christmas party, a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) take the attendees hostage. The audience is taken on a journey, discovering that heroic actions have consequences.

Unlike other action movies, “Die Hard” does not rely on typical cliches like quippy lines and cheesy 1980s rudimentary “special effects,” leaving audiences better entertained with its great production, stellar set pieces, stunts and editing.

With its increased popularity and reception, Willis and Rickman have earned their spots as A-list actors in the movie industry. A classic holiday movie that transcends genre,“Die Hard” is a must watch for the holiday season.

“A Christmas Story,” released in 1983, is a startlingly realistic comedy. The main character 10-year-old Ralphie, played by Peter Billingsley, wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. But a harsh community of adults stands in his way, forcing Ralphie to think outside of the box in order to convince his parents.

The bulk of the film is told in short vignettes as Ralphie interacts with his friends and family in the days leading up to Christmas.

Each of these stories is memorable in its own way, from funny and ridiculous scenarios to iconic quotes that have become ingrained in American culture.

In addition, the characters in the movie are all unique with their own special quirks that make them whole-heartedly entertaining. By the end of the movie, the audience is left feeling as though they have joined Ralphie through the Christmas season, having witnessed both his excitement and frustrations. “A Christmas Story” is a joy to watch, and worth your time this holiday season.

photo courtesy of Amazon

A Christmas Story

photo courtesy of IMDb

Die Hard

photo courtesy of Amazon

Elf

photo courtesy of IMDb

Home Alone

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opinions | page 11

Trending At South From makeup to shoes, South is buzzing with new style

By Risha Sinha and Irene Gonzalez de Las Casas

I

still don’t know what to do to make my hair look good. My current routine is a multi-step process of washing, air-drying, brushing and just hoping for the best. But sometimes, my hair just doesn't want to work with me. On one of those days, I turn to the love of my life, claw clips, to bail me out.

If you ever see me wearing a claw clip, there is a 90% chance that my hair was not working with me that morning. But even claw clips can’t always calm the temperamental beasts that are my curtain bangs. On some days, my bangs perfectly frame my face, while on others, they end up looking more like shades.

I trace it all back to a fateful Pinterest

board showing off how cool and easy curtain bangs are supposed to be! Lies. All lies. Every day, I wake up thinking, please let this be a good day, please let this be a good day, but it almost never is. Yet somehow, so many people at South have the audacity to never seem to have a bad hair day! I’m so, so jealous.

Something else I’ve seen people do is dye their curtain bangs a different color. After Squid Game aired, haircuts like a classic shag or a wolf cut have gained popularity. They are so effortlessly chic, beautiful and, of course, all over South. Every time I see a cool style, people start doing their own neat twists on the trend — I swear the students at South are wizards!

Ethics and Hair-ness photo by Marty Basaria

J

eans are the quintessential American pants.

Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, you most certainly own a pair. Each of the many styles I have seen has its unique personality.

High-Waisted jeans are the mom of the denim family. She hugs you just right and makes you feel comfortable. She’s the OG, the one that consistently and selflessly serves.

If High-Waisted is the mom, LowWaisted is her younger sister, the cool aunt from the 2000s. Auntie Low Waisted is always channeling her inner Britney. She is hip, extroverted and lives on the edge. She can dance like the devil and needs no support.

Then comes Wide Leg. She is Mom’s middle child. She is intelligent, career-oriented

Jean-etics and Jean-eaology

and unbelievably put-together. Future doctor Wide Leg can be seen studying with her friends, Trousers and Chinos. Her older sisters, Skinny Jeans and Straight Leg, just went off to college.

Skinny and Straight are athletic, smart, practical and nearly identical twins. While they love a party, they equally enjoy a good night’s sleep.

The youngest child is Bootcut, affectionately called Flare. Flare is the life of the party. She is fun, stylish and a little sassy. She is inspired by her predecessors of the 70s and 90s but isn’t afraid to put her own spin on things.

Together, the denim family’s impact at South is profound, for every day, students choose: who am I going to be today?

photo by Niamh O'Rourke

P

eople who do their own eyeliner regularly are either incredibly skilled or aliens who will take over the world.

They must have the steadiest hands. Honestly, they should all become surgeons.

The process of doing eyeliner for me, a regular human, generally goes something like this: (1) Draw a beautiful wing on one side.

(2) Try to replicate on the other side. (3) Fail miserably, and aggressively rub it all off. (4) Look like a raccoon. (5) Get frustrated and swear off eyeliner forever.

After completing this 5 step process, I’ll go to school and look at people with perfect eyeliner and get insanely jealous. In the halls of South, I am constantly impressed by people’s

Public Speaking and Converseation

innovative makeup looks, with bold graphic eyeliner, colors and glitter. One time, I saw someone wearing an incredible ombre effect that started off as yellow and turned into flames, which made me think of the dumpster fire that is the human race.

Over lockdown, it seems that everyone’s makeup skills increased by ten-fold! Or maybe I just didn’t see anyone but my parents and my dog for a year and a half, so anything even a little different seems awesome. Despite the eyeliner getting bolder, I think it will shrink into the background as more people start to go with a more ~natural~ look. Either way, the ability to do makeup is a skill I wish I had because I’d like to blend in when all the aliens take over.

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by M

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aria

The Fine Line Between Aliens and Humans photo courtesy of Jane Shen

n the first day of school, everyone dressed to impress. We carefully picked out our favorite shirt and those new jeans we just got in anticipation of this day. We topped it all off with some jewelry and our coolest shoes. At least, that’s what I did, because our clothing and shoe choices say so much about us.

But the second I took my first steps through the halls at South, I was shocked to see that my beloved, worn-in vans were insanely outnumbered by … Converse! Red, green, sparkly, flower pattern, army print, tie-dye, cow print — every print you could imagine!

And every day since the first, I spot new colors and designs. Just the other day, I saw a pair of

rainbow Converse, another red and blue mismatched and one with a face decorating its sides.

Converse are helping people say something to the world without ever opening their mouths, which I think is an incredible thing, considering they are just shoes. Although these eye-catching shoes are designed to stand out in the halls of South, they ironically blend into one sea of ankle-length shoes with an iconic patch right on the ankle.

For that reason, I think that the prominence of Converse at South will fade next year.

Like most shoe trends, I don’t think this one will last for more than a year. I will miss Converse when they are not as popular because they were truly one of my favorite shoes.

The Holiday

As the holiday gift-giving season arrives, the South c

By Ahona Dam a Graphic by

A

s the December cold carries light flurries in the wind, and people sit by a fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa, stores begin to stock their shelves with glittery snow globes, tinsel-wrapped trees and fruit-flavored candy canes — elements that symbolize one thing: the arrival of the holiday season.

While some find boundless joy sifting through store racks filled with these items, others dread searching for the perfect gift.

First-year biology teacher Ashley Vollaro said she panicked last winter when every teacher in the science department was expecting a gift from her, but she could barely cover rent with the low wage from the Pennsylvania high school where she worked.

“There was this dread, like ‘what do I get them?’ or ‘how much do I spend?’ or ‘what are they going to get me?’” she said.

“There’s the guilt, the ‘okay, after Dec. 31, my bank account is pretty empty’ [aspect] and the stress associated with [gift-giving] that could lead us to not feel the joy of the season. Giving gifts can be powerful, and a lot of people like to make someone's day, but it can get daunting at this time of year.”

With the holiday season in full swing, increased commercialization of shopping for gifts and heightened social anxiety — parts of which can be attributed to the pandemic — have marred the tradition of gift-giving. While giving gifts remains a valuable way of expressing appreciation, gift-givers like Vollaro find that social and economic values rooted in the United States’ capitalist society lead to an obligation to buy an excessive number of gifts.

In a way, the gifts we exchange come with a price tag that may be heavier than affection, psychology teacher Paul Estin said.

“With gift-giving, it's a mix, because yes, it's fun, but it's an obligation, it’s a duty, and what if you get it wrong? What if you forget someone?” he said. “There's always some sense of what's expected and what's your obligation, and the greatest hope is that you can exceed that, the next best is to meet it and the worst is that you fall short.”

Pressure Cooker The recent surges in COVID-19 infections and the spread of a new variant have disrupted many people's plans to see family and friends to celebrate the holidays; however, it has not stopped people from buying gifts. The National Retail Federation anticipates an 8.5%-10.5% increase in holiday sales from 2020 to 2021 as compared to an 8.2% increase from 2019 to 2020.

This growth could be attributed to more family gatherings and heightened expectations for gift-giving, especially when considering the isolation of last year. For years, the American Psychological Association (APA) has observed an increase in fatigue, stress and irritability during the holidays, all driven by a pressure to spend substantial money on gifts and a desire to sustain and strengthen relationships. According to the APA, the stress of gift-giving can have long-term effects when combined with preexisting stressors.

Wellness teacher Patrick Jordan-Quern said he worries about choosing the right gift. He said there is a fine line between perception and intention.

“I always worry about giving a ‘bad gift’ or something that someone's not going to use or something that just takes up space,” he said. “It really makes you think about your relationship with the person you're giving a gift. How is someone going to perceive this gift?”

In light of the demand for gift-giving, Amy Shih, the owner of Just Next Door, an Auburndale gift shop, said that her job can conflict with her personal values; while her business is dependent on the social expectation of gift giving, it can occasionally be problematic, she said.

“I’m contributing to societal pressure of ‘you've got to get grandma a gift, and your next-door neighbor has to bring you a plate of cookies,’” she said. “It's tough, and I'm a part of it all.”

A Commercialized Nation As the clock strikes midnight, marking the official end of Thanksgiving, stores rush to decorate elaborate displays, blast holiday music and lure consumers inside with sales. While these marketing tactics may seem modern, advertising holidays as a means to increase revenue for stores isn’t new; stores began to market popular holidays starting as early as the 1840s.

As the American Industrial Revolution ended, German and Dutch immigrants brought with them the concept of Christmas as a time for children and giving, according to Jagwire, Augusta University’s online newsletter. Meanwhile, in England, the popularity of the Santa-like Ghost of Christmas present in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” stirred up a cult following of Santa which also migrated to the United States.

Retail businesses in industrial cities seized this to capitalize on the newfound cultural fervors and began mass producing goods across the country.

Similarly, Hanukkah became popular in the United States at the start of the 20th century with an influx of Jewish immigrants.

According to Time, gift-giving during Hanukkah soon became a traditional American phenomenon. This practice gained traction and a shift towards commercialization was seen in the 1920s, when Yiddish-language newspapers advertised giving gifts in honor of Hanukkah. The Time article said that while some see gift-giving during Hanukkah as a symbol of joy, others see it as assimilation into the American culture of consumerism.

On the other hand, Kwanzaa is a more contemporary example of holiday commercialization. While the holiday was established in 1966 by Black power activists, mainstream corporations grew to use Kwanzaa in marketing products to a largely white audience. By forcing the idea that white people could use

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community grapples with gift-related social anxiety

and Julian Phillips Julie Wang

Kwanzaa to show their cultural tolerance, businesses diluted the holiday’s original meaning.

In an interview with NPR, University of Minnesota’s African American History Professor Keith Mayes said that while this display of tolerance is not entirely negative,“we should also remain aware of a cautionary tale so often associated with holidays. Too much variation and too many usages will cause Kwanzaa to lose its original purpose.”

Around the same time in the 1990s, the invention of the internet revolutionized gift-giving with e-commerce giving gifts an air of convenience and efficiency. As many traditional holidays have become commercialized, individuals like Estin feel a disconnect between the purpose of holidays and the commercialization of the holiday season.

While attending church in 2009, Estin said after listening to a sermon about gift-giving, in which his minister wanted church members to donate half of their gift money to charity, he noticed the power of consumer culture. “[The meaning of the holiday] gets lost in all the commercialism, family expectations and things like that,” he said. “ It is one of the things that adds to the stress because as people get monetary expectations, that makes it harder, but at the same time, you don't have to give in to that.”

Perfect Presents Facing the pressure of holiday gifts, sophomore Kevin Yang said he was unsure if money would be well-received; he thought that a cheap gift would be meaningless, but that an expensive gift would be unreasonable. Dilemmas like Yang’s have become representative of the commercialistic attitude toward gift-giving as givers attempt to find the “perfect gift” to appease the recipient.

Yang said that while he ended up purchasing a book, the gift still felt unsatisfactory because it could only serve as a materialistic representation of his appreciation.

“Gift-giving is a materialistic concept. It's rooted in giving material, and that's the reason why society often places more value on it.”

Yang said that he feels a disconnect between his role as a gift-giver and gift-receiver, a feeling that senior Jenny He said she experiences as well.

“I personally don't feel like when I give something, I expect something in return,” she said. “I assume that my friends are the same way, but I always think that because they give me something, I should return it.”

Junior Stephanie Saloum said the expectation to give gifts can vary depending on the giver’s relation to the receiver. “[Gift-giving] can be a chore when you're buying gifts for someone that you're not necessarily best friends with or someone that you only go to see once or twice a year,” she said, “However, if you're giving it to a friend or a family member, it’s a more enjoyable thing in that you want to give something to them.”

With different perceptions of these roles, choosing the right gift can be anxiety-provoking. Shih said as a salesperson she counsels customers with gift-giving anxieties toward finding the perfect gift.

“We throw out lots of suggestions, and we know some of them will be totally off for this person,” she said. “Maybe people are afraid that their gift won't be accepted well, so that provides anxiety, or maybe they feel like they're not going to have enough money to spend to get the proper gift, which is definitely not true in my eyes.”

Consumers are also subject to the larger-scale techniques of chain retailers that are unlike Just Next Door. Estin said that when opportunities arise to trick consumers into spending more

money, large businesses seize on them.

“The most transparent example ever was when I was growing up with the idea of getting a diamond for something, and somehow it became that two-months salary is how [expensive] the diamonds are,” he said. “It's like, wait a minute, the people making this up are the diamond industry.”

Gifts that Keep on Giving Amid the pressures of consumer culture, Yang said that there are alternative methods that can reduce the stress.

“Potlucks are great examples of an efficient form of giftgiving because you have a collection of people who are giving gifts to everyone in that group,” he said.

To preserve the holidays as a time of relaxation, Estin said that his family is taking a different approach this year. “[We’ve decided to] do a really minimal Christmas this year, no pressure, just being together, a few minor gifts [and] getting a meal, and that takes the pressure off,” he said.

Although the thought of giving gifts may result in stress, Shih said that shopping for gifts can be a collaborative effort.

“If there is someone who's close enough to you that you feel obligated to buy a gift [for], you could invite them to come with you and shop with you, or show you how you can be more comfortable at shopping,” she said.

Estin said that the central message of appreciation that giving gifts send still holds strong, which is why gift-giving continues to play a central part in many cultures today.

“In the end, it does feel good to exchange gifts, and it's easy to see why cultures have developed all kinds of different rituals around that, even with people who are not in their family,” he said.

“On the very simplest level, it feels good to give.”

the lion's roar

page 14 |jump

Join Ari Gordon and Aidan Lieberman on the Lion's Roar Pawdcast!

To celebrate this holiday season in true South spirit, the Pawdcast has written a special song!

FOLLOW THE ROAR @nshslionsroar

The Lion's Roar

Lunch bells ring are you listening?

Don’t pack up 'cuz I do the dismissing The bell’s a relief, But you cannot leave, Welcome to our lovely Newton South If during the week, you have a question Well then here is our suggestion Win block’s your chance — Sign up a week in advance Welcome to our lovely Newton South!

Look around we have so many lunches Or overpriced snacks to nourish you We have expired nachos and tiny bagels Come to Newton South, we love the food!

Every student is hardworking But we all know what’s lurking...

Every kid that we see Has nice bathroom feet Welcome to our lovely Newton South!

Scan this link to hear them perform!

Happy Holidays! from The Lion's Roar

page 15

December 20, 2021

FEATURES issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 38, Issue 5

Woodworking Wonders Students in the woodworking program reflect on their experiences in an one-of-a-kind environment

By Molly Johnson and Feiya Wang Photos by Eva Shimkus

D

uring a Tuesday morning A Block, the muted sounds of sanding, sawing and productive chatter fill the hallway, seeping out of the woodworking room in the well-tucked corner of the 9000s. Students crowd around tables with their friends as they collaborate on their creations, working diligently to finish their pieces in time for the winter holiday break. Woodworking teacher Matt Briggs said that the organized chaos of the class is part of the reason behind its unique atmosphere.

“Whether it's first block or last block, the fact that students are just moving around and doing stuff is better than sitting in a chair listening to some teacher drone on and on,” he said. “[Students] want to work and get going, and they're always helping each other out. That's the way it's really a team oriented approach.”

This term, the class is working on cabinets, about a month-and-a-half long project.

Sophomore Anna Wright-Lee said that the project challenges her to think outside the box.

“The door is really new and different for us because it includes hinges and a lot of intricate detail,” she said. “This project is super difficult because we're learning about not only notching, but different plugs that we're using, and how sanding affects the wood that you're using.”

In the early stages of each project, students plan their pieces, a process that includes anticipating materials and designing the basis of their projects. Wright-Lee said that students receive a sheet with directions similar to buildit-yourself furniture instructions, but they decide on measurements and materials on their own, which is the hardest part.

After planning, students get to actually begin building their projects. Junior Daniel Gelbert said that although the tools that they use to build can be challenging to master and sometimes dangerous, Briggs’ careful instruction has made the experience enjoyable. Briggs

said he teaches his beginner students how to use the power tools through simpler projects, so that they can apply the skills to the later, more advanced projects.

“As they get better at it and gain a better understanding, they get the ability to have more independence and we build trust especially with some of the bigger power tools. Those are super dangerous … so, if you're not going to be safe, I can't have you use them,” Briggs said.

“That's a sense of pride, being able to use some pretty significant machinery that your parents might not appreciate [you] using, but you use it the right way.”

Although woodworking requires patience, as long periods of standing time while working are common and the process of building is often repetitive, Briggs said that the program teaches students necessary skills without the pressure of a normal class.

“These are lifelong skills,” he said. “During the pandemic, where woodworking was really difficult over Zoom, I got messages from parents saying that their kids are going around the house, fixing things and repairing things that they never knew how to do before.”

Gelbert said that being able to learn in a nontraditional environment has been a rewarding experience.

“It's not a traditional class, and that's really what makes it unique,” he said. “We get a finished product that we can take home and be proud of.”

Wright-Lee said that the creative aspect of the woodworking curriculum stands out the most to her.

“Woodworking provides an outlet for creativity and allows students to express their artistic side,” Wright-Lee said.“My favorite part is the ability to do hands-on activities … I feel like it’s something that I can put my energy into.”

Sophomore Misha Goldfarb said that watching the entire building process has given

Freshman Johnathan Bereket puts cabinet shelf together

her a sense of accomplishment.

“We had a bunch of people coming for Thanksgiving. We’re redecorating all of our rooms, and my parents are using my table that I made as part of the decoration. When I'm walking to the room, I'm like, ‘guys, look at my table that I made,’” she said. “It's really exciting to see that it comes from random wood, and now it’s a table.”

During a time when teenagers have limited building experience, Briggs said that South’s woodworking program has been able to continue to foster that knowledge in students.

“Back in the 90s, there were plenty of schools that ripped out their shops because they thought that they could just use computers and simulate how to build and how to do things until industry came back to us and said, ‘these kids don't know how to build anything. They don't know how to do anything.’ And so luckily, in Newton ... we never ripped out our shop,” he said. “We get people from all over eastern Massachusetts who come and visit, and they say, ‘your shop is fantastic. You guys were so

lucky to do what you did.’”

Wright-Lee said that the well-established program at South has had lasting effects on students, as it is a source of diligence and pride.

“It's great to look at my physical work and be proud of it, which sometimes is hard to do when you don't see something that you've done, like when you finish a big paper or an essay,” she said. “Usually it's like, ‘well, that's just a sheet of paper,’ but this is like you really see your improvement.”

Briggs said that this sense of pride is common for his students, whose pieces will be around for a long time.

“The phrase I love to use all the time is, ‘this project is going to be yours until either you give it away, or it's taken away, because that's the beauty about making wood or making furniture.’ It will be with you forever,” he said. “There's stuff that's 100 years old kicking around your house, [and] it'll always be around our students, [since they are] able to use tools and skills taught during class.”

Junior Jason Papa screws his cabinet side to its base

Junior John Timko uses an orbital sander to add finishing touches to his piece Juniors Clare Tourtelotte (left) and Kat Connor (right) fix a stool

page 16 | features

the lion's roar

A Penny for Your Thoughts

COMING FULL CIRCLE

Alan Reinstein

Teachers who attended South as students share their high school experiences

Paul Belenky

Then

Then

Deborah Bernhard

T

his is 2010 graduate Paul Belenky’s second year teaching three-dimensional art. Having been a part of the school community for so long, Belenky said he is reminded of his own high school experiences through his students.

“It’s exciting to hear kids having the same situations, like being excited about the same things I used to be excited about and dreading the same things I used to dread,” he said. “It's funny how some of those things haven’t changed, and it’s gratifying to support kids and share my knowledge and sentiment.”

Having noticed similarities between himself and his students, Belenky said that he wonders if the cycle of students returning to South as teachers will also continue.

“I see students who are doing the same things I was doing and thinking about where it would take them,” he said. “It’s funny to think that perhaps in 30 years when I’m old and retired, someone I teach will take over.”

Then

Marcia Okun

arcia Okun graduated in 1979 and has been teaching various grade levels and history courses at South for the past 25 years. She said that among her many high school memories, the one that stood out the most was the snowstorm and its aftermath in her junior year.

“We had so many snow storms and snow days that we had to have six weeks of extended days where school started at 7:30 a.m. and ended around 3:45 p.m.,” she said.

Okun said that she is grateful for the relaxed and nurturing academic environment she had as a high schooler, one she said has become noticeably more competitive in the past years.

“When I was at South, there wasn’t the pressure I see now as a teacher to do everything. It was more that people found their passions and dived deep into them,” she said.“At the time, I was allowed to deep-dive into my passions and follow them, which I continued to do until I came back.”

Jeremiah Hill

E

nglish teacher Deborah Bernhard graduated in 2007 and has been teaching for the past eight years. She said that although her teaching aspirations seemed far-fetched at first, all the pieces fell into place eventually.

“Even as a student, I thought it would be nice to teach at South," she said. "I didn't know it would actually end up happening."

Bernhard said that in addition to a changed schedule and improved lunch since her time as a student, technology has also become a integral part of the school.

“We didn’t have smartphones, and it was extremely rare for a student to have their own computer in class,” she said.

She said that coming back years later, she has noticed a shift in the academic environment.

“I see different things as a teacher,” she said. “When I was younger, I wasn't so fixated on grades, but as a teacher, I see an extremely competitive culture.”

Then

A

fter graduating in 1992, Jeremiah Hill came back to teach English at South, a job that he said is both meaningful and a culmination of his passions.

“I wanted to do work that had value. I didn’t want to sit in a cubicle and move papers from one side of the desk to the other,” he said. “I love literature and I love language, so I put those two things together.”

He said his passion for English stemmed from his high school teachers.

“I had a lot of great English teachers here,” he said. “I loved AP Literature, [so now] I love and teach English.”

As high school is a time for self-discovery, Hill said the best part about being a teacher is helping students with that journey. “[I enjoy] seeing students go out and develop their own identities and do something they think is important,” he said.

“I’m very proud to be involved in some sort of way.”

Then

Now

Now

M

Now

D

photos contributed by Regulus

Then

Now

photos contributed by Tim Te

Now

photos contributed by Regulus

As I was driving home on my road trip from Maryland during this recent Thanksgiving weekend, I saw a decal on the rear windshield of a family SUV that read,“screw your stick figure family,” and had a picture of a sun-glassed stick figure of its own, smiling with their middle finger defiantly positioned toward me. Now, the car owner was not angry with me, I knew because our car didn’t have a stick-figure family decal, but the driver must have been angry enough at someone who had engaged in this rear-windowstick-figure-family practice to have gone online to buy this reply sticker for $4.95.

In the 1980s, when “Baby on Board” car stickers were affixed to rear windows of the cars of parents with infants, parodies popped up, among them, “No Baby on Board. Feel Free to Drive into Me,” to mock the voice of entitlement that some saw as implicit in the original sticker. When “My kid is an Honor Roll student at Tuckerman Middle School” arrived, we saw “My kid beat up your Honor Roll student” stickers (currently $3.48 online for one of these) that channeled resentment toward public expressions of family pride in academic achievement. Those criticisms I get: people like to take down the privileged and the braggarts. But a car sticker that happily displays the people in your family — why so infuriating? What’s the big deal? Which is what I wanted to ask the family-stick-figure hater in our imaginary meeting.

As it happened, we crossed paths again in the parking lot at the next rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. After his two teenage daughters climbed out of the backseat, he opened his door, and I caught up with him, and I said right away, “Hey, what’s with the ‘Screw your stick figure family’ car sticker?”

He seemed ready for me and said,“I hate those stick-figure families, telling me how happy I should be with my family. Those big grins on each family member, the kids, the pets, even the parents — especially the parents. Tell me, when have you grinned like that? And in the car? Give me a break.”

“I don’t think the sticker-family is ordering you to smile,” I said.“They’re just celebrating the joy of their family. Who knows, maybe they do grin like that sometimes. Why not let them have this happiness? Times are tough enough.”

“Let ‘em celebrate all they want,” he said.

“Just keep it out of my face,” and he went off to the restroom. That was it. No great philosophical awakening for either of us. We got gas and went on ahead.

To be clear, this was not a veiled COVID-19 conflict, an angry anti-vaxxer Plandemicist warring with a rule-following Pollyanna mask-wearer, but I still couldn’t help but feel that the higher level of acrimony and distrust that has been a virus of its own during this past almost two years now had somehow lent this man the $4.95 to get that “Screw your stick-figure family” sticker and whisked him along as he put it on his car’s back windshield.

Anger is always looking for a home, and it will force its way in if it has to. During this time of heavy angst over an invisible virus, we are constantly looking for enemies that can absorb and host our anger. The pandemic seems everlasting; it’s not surprising that there are so many middle-fingers around ready for an audience, even if the audience is a happy, innocent, grinning stick-figure family.

photos contributed by Dan Rubin

The Plight of the Stick Figure Family

photos contributed by Deborah Bernhard and Regulus

By Lynn Kim, Chloe Yu and Emma Zhang

photos contributed by Paul Belenky

English Teacher

Dan Rubin

an Rubin from the graduating class of 1996 has been the director of guidance for the past seven years.

He said that upon coming back as a staff member, the change in dynamic took some getting used to.

“At the time, my perspective of South was colored by the fact that I had been a student here,” he said. “I came back and worked here in a context where I didn't necessarily identify as well with the faculty because I was a young kid when I [interacted with them last]”.

Rubin said that the school not only changed his outlook on life, but it also played a fundamental role in who he is today.

“I am not necessarily proud of all of my behaviors from high school, but South gave me the foundation to grow and become the person I am today,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable community with all of its gifts and quirks, and we need to do a better job of shining a spotlight on all of it.”

Now

T

Tim Te

im Te graduated in 2007 and joined South this year as a chemistry teacher. He said that one of the most notable experiences from his high school experience was participating in the Beijing Jingshan student exchange in his senior year.

“I took Chinese when I was here at South and hosted a student from China, so that impacted my life a lot,” he said.

Te said some of his teachers, including his Chinese teacher, are now his colleagues — he had Joseph Golding, Rachael McNally and Lan Lan Chen for English, history and Chinese, respectively. In the same way his teachers supported him, Te said he hopes to pay it forward with his current students.

“I had a couple of teachers who really helped me through some difficult circumstances when I was in high school, and that made a big impression on me,” he said.“One of my hopes is that I can help a few students and support them in the same way.”

issuu.com/thelionsroar

features | page 17

1 in 2000: Maggie Heberlein, "your best friend in five minutes" Alyssa Chen

Features Reporter Although working at a farmer’s market may seem like a mundane job to most, for junior Maggie Heberlein, working at Volante Farms in Needham is like working at home. “[My dad became] the head chef there when I was younger, probably like 10 years ago, and then my mom started working there,” she said. “My brother works there, too, over the summers, so it's kind of a family thing.”

Volante Farms is a family-owned farmer’s market in Needham, complete with a deli, an ice-cream parlor, an alcohol cave, a grocery and a bakery, which is where Maggie works.

Although the work picks up around the winter holidays with themed drinks and snowman shaped cookies, Heberlein said that the busier times are still one of her favorite parts of working at Volante’s, as it is packed with traditions. “[Every year,] we make a giant replica of Volante Farms out of gingerbread. My mom and I even put stuff on the inside, [including] little crates of fake vegetable candies,” she said.“There are a bunch of little hidden Santa chocolates, and you're supposed to see if you can find them all.

We put it in the middle of the store for people to look at, and it's pretty cool.”

She said that these traditions line up

with another critical part of working at Volante Farms: sharing the joy with others.

“I love when people eat the food I make and you can see their reactions and how happy it makes them,” she said. “Sometimes people come up to me at school, and they’ll say that they love the English muffins or one specific thing, and it's really satisfying to know that they like something that I helped with.”

Todd Heberlein, Maggie’s father and long-time executive chef of Volante’s bakery, said that he has noticed a change in Maggie’s mindset ever since she started working.

“Working at Volante’s has given her a really strong work ethic,” Todd said. “I know your first job you ever have is tough, but she came in and brought a lot of enthusiasm, and that resonates with a lot of other things she does now as well.”

Despite having some difficult customers, Maggie said that the community has never failed to support one another.

“They make sure that you always feel safe,” she said. “Everyone stands up for each other and tries to have their backs.”

Volante’s café manager Courtney Smith said she admires Maggie's caring qualities, especially how much she encourages the people around her.

“When she works, she always brings such a positive, fun attitude, and it's contagious to the other people who are working with her,”

Smith said. “If someone's upset, she's so caring and sweet, and she's able to help turn their day around.”

Her friendly personality serves her well, especially when working with coworkers of different ages.

"The people there are really good about accepting anyone,” she said. “Even though I'm younger than pretty much everyone, it's still nice to become friends with them.”

Maggie’s willingness to help anyone, whether she’s familiar with them or not, has struck a close friend and coworker junior Annika Engelbrecht as one of her most admirable traits.

“I know no matter how well she knows you, she'll always be willing to help you and try to make your life better,” Engelbrecht said.

“She's been there for me when I've struggled through things, and we’ve had so many fun adventures together.”

This compassion has struck Smith as well — she said that Maggie’s empathy has encouraged her to reflect and improve upon herself.

“She inspires me to be better and more caring and compassionate towards others, especially if I'm feeling frustrated at work,” Smith said. “It’s her sweet characteristics that remind me that I need to have more compassion for others.”

Junior Meejee Sarvey said that Maggie’s amiable presence is one of her most overlooked

qualities that has impacted both coworkers and friends.

“Everybody who works with her knows that she has a very positive mindset, but I don't think everybody feels that she's as approachable as she is,” she said. “You really just have to go up to her and start a conversation, and you'll be one of her best friends in five minutes.”

graphic by Emily Cheng, photo contributed by Maggie Heberlein

The English teacher who started the Instagram @NSHS_Kicks

photo by Sarah Feinberg

Bernhard poses in her sneakers and coordinating outfit

With this Instagram page, you start to ... show this common interest and this common bond which can be sneakers.

ku s

David Foster football coach

hi m

other types of fashion might feel more gendered or might feel more like for a specific group of people, there’s more accessibility with sneakers.”

Junior Mark Liu, who was initially attracted to sneakers' individual designs, said that his involvement in the sneaker industry has opened his eyes to the possibilities of the fashion world.

“It’s really been a gateway to actual fashion clothing for me. I used to just wear whatever my parents got me in middle school, and then I got a pair of sneakers that I actually picked out myself,” he said. “I started doing that more and more, and then I started looking into a higher level of fashion … and now, everything I wear is very personal to me in meaning now.”

Beyond self-expression and aspects of unity, sneakers have served a new purpose for some; at the forefront of South’s sneaker subculture is junior Jake Cheong, who began buying and selling sneakers as he became further involved in the sneaker industry.

“I always really liked shoes, but I mainly went for running shoes back in middle school.

But by freshman year I downloaded a sneakers app to buy shoes from Nike,” he said.“I managed to get this one release … It was a Jordan 1 Royal Toe and I got that in my size, but I decided not to wear it and I sold it instead. Since then, I’ve been really into reselling.”

Bernhard said that she hopes to expand the Instagram account with the help of interested students and teachers through new forms of content and page designs.

“I really want to do more, like a ‘heat check’. I also want to look at sneaker culture itself and not just the high end or expensive sneakers or the ‘hype’ shoes. I want to highlight the sneakers [that] people wear everyday,” she said.

“I would love to have some people, like students who know more about sneakers, bring ideas for different kinds of content or people who are really good at graphics and social media or do a [Instagram] take over.

Ev aS

After delving deeper into her passion for basketball, English teacher Deborah Bernhard quickly found inspiration in an icon of NBA culture: sneakers. A recent addition to the sneaker-collecting community, Bernhard has expanded her interests by sharing it with her students. Since this October, her Instagram account, @NSHS_kicks, featuring sneakers of fellow “sneakerheads,” has become a hit.

“I like to share parts of my personality with the class. That's good for everyone to feel comfortable, and for all of us to get to know each other, so it's definitely a part of myself that I share or talk about,” she said. “It's something to connect with students that's not related to homework or college, and if it's fun for any students, or teachers or staff or faculty, that's the goal.”

Freshman Renee Lu, one of Bernhard’s

students, said that the unique shoe conversations liven up the classroom, achieving an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their passions.

“It helps create a closer class community,” she said. “She always wears really cool shoes, and she sometimes takes pictures of our shoes if we want for the Instagram account, which is really cool.”

Football coach David Foster said the Instagram account has created an opportunity for students interested in sneakers to share their insight.

“I always thought that some kids always had some heat walking through the halls but that people never really knew about it until this Instagram came about,” he said. “It's another world that the school hasn't tapped into yet, but with this Instagram page, you start to tap into that and show kids and teachers of all types of colors and cultures coming together to show this common interest in this common bond which can be sneakers.”

Junior Sandro Benmayor, one of Bernhard’s students and follower of the Instagram account, said that sneakers provide a unique mode of expression. Among many features of sneakers, he said that he is drawn to their aesthetic appeal. Growing up in Turkey, Sandro said that “sneakerheads” are an international phenomenon.

“It's a really great way to bring a lot of people together because more and more people from all over the world are super interested in it, " he said. “I love colorful shoes and shoes that stand out. Being able to match them with what you're wearing or wear cool pairs of shoes is super nice."

Bernhard said that unlike other fashion pieces, sneakers offer a flexible way to express oneself.

“Anyone can just wear the sneakers that mean something to them, so they can be like a clean slate for expression,” she said. “Whereas

by

Features Reporters

ph ot o

Olivia Middien & Michael Sun

Mark Liu poses in his Nike Air Jordan 1s sneakers

page 18 | features

the lion's roar

THE COMMON APPLICATION The Roar follows four seniors with different interests as they navigate the college application process and will reveal their identities and college plans as they make their decisions

By Sarah Feinberg

A

fter passing pre-screens for more than 10 schools including her top three choices — Carnegie Mellon, Pennsylvania State and Syracuse Universities — Zoe* said she is ready to take on the next step: January auditions. She said her mock audition in New York with professionals helped her feel prepared.

“I hadn't done an in-person audition for two years, so to do my full package and get strong feedback to work on before [college] auditions was a lifesaver.”

Although impromptu dancing and reciting pieces can be intimidating, Zoe said that maintaining a positive mindset is crucial.

“Trusting yourself is very important.

It's really just going in the room, knowing that you've put the work in and that you're ready to go,” she said.

As early decisions start coming out, Zoe said that she hopes students will be respectful.

“It’s really frustrating when you see kids brag about their acceptances, and other kids don’t get what they’d hoped, so I hope to see more of that camaraderie we have here.”

W

ith his portfolio finished, Evan* is working on his remaining essays for his January regular decision applications to Carnegie Mellon University, Occidental College, Rhode Island School of Design, Rochester Institute of Technology and Syracuse University. Hoping to attend a school with a strong industrial design program, Ryan said he tried to showcase this interest in his portfolio.

“Industrial design is a way to use art, and it can be used to make products that can impact the world in ways that not all art can,” he said.

Evan said that he hopes colleges will gain a sense of his identity through his applications.

“I hope they are able to see my whole personality and all my interests because I am very passionate about art, music and running.”

It’s important to focus on colleges’ specific qualities when searching for the best fit, Evan said.

“Have an open mind with the schools, and respect them for what they are by being more objective and informing yourself on what each school has to offer.”

P

reviously known as Heidi*, Lily Bulczynski has committed to Middlebury College, where she plans to study environmental science.

After receiving her acceptance letter, Bulczynski said that she was immediately overcome with relief. As she is already connecting with other rising freshmen, Bulczynski said that she is looking forward to Middlebury’s welcoming atmosphere and exciting possibilities.

“It’s nice to just have it all behind me.

I'm really excited that I got in. I’ve been finding people on Instagram who also are going to the same school as me, which is so fun.” she said. “I love being in nature and it's right in the middle of the mountains with a beautiful campus, and the fact that I can run there is so great.”

While the application process can be intimidating, Bulczynski said that everyone is capable of achieving great things.

“There's not one right school for anyone, [so] choose wherever you can envision yourself being at home and wherever you would feel happy,” she said.“I'm sure everyone can accomplish amazing things no matter where they go.”

H

graphics by Emily Zhang

aving submitted five early action applications and a regular decision application to Rochester Institute of Technology, Jared* said that he is working on his last two regular decision applications to Carnegie Mellon and Cornell Universities.

With Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Michigan as his top choice schools, Jared said proximity to home and engineering opportunities played into his decision.

“The engineering programs and surrounding areas are all really great,” he said.

“There are very different atmospheres in each campus, so if I get accepted into a few schools, I’ll have to [compare] their differences more.”

As seniors wait to hear back from colleges, Jared said that it is important to take time to enjoy the present.

“It’s hard to tell what school you’ll get into, especially with the pandemic. There’s nothing you can do but wait and see,” he said.

“Take that free time to relax and enjoy what we have left in our senior year.” *Names changed to protect students' identities

Helping others during the holiday season Sarah Feinberg & Lyanna Tran Features Editor, Features Contributer

The holiday season tends to bring out the best in people, as loved ones gather together for meals, to give and receive gifts, and spread the holiday spirit. While volunteering may not immediately come to mind during the holidays, giving to those in need is essential to local and global communities.

Year-round, the Newton Food Pantry provides food-insecure individuals and families with necessary supplemental resources, including fresh food, personal care items and cleaning products. As a special holiday tradition, the Food Pantry also gives their clients gift cards to promote dignity and respect, president of the Newton Food Pantry Regina Wu said.

“The grocery gift cards are a way for us to acknowledge that what a plate of food or a meal looks like for one family isn’t the same

photo contributed by the Newton Food Pantry

Newton Food Pantry Volunteers prepare fresh food

across every family,” she said.“It’s an opportunity for people to purchase what makes a holiday meal for them based on their family traditions, culture and background.”

Our Lady’s Christian Partisan Church in Newton also steps up during the holidays. Dan Foley, a member of the church, volunteers for the church’s annual holiday drives, which provide holiday meals, holiday gifts and food gift cards to families in need in the Newton area. He said that difficulties caused by financial insecurities can be exacerbated during the holiday season.

“There is a lot of wealth in Newton, but not everybody in Newton is wealthy,” he said.

“It can be particularly difficult for people who are struggling either financially or with food insecurity in any community, but in particular when they're in a community where others have such an abundance. During the holidays, sometimes that difference is felt even more.”

UNICEF club co-leader and senior Kara Wong said that she hopes by fundraising and advocating for refugees and children in need, she can help give them the chance to experience the holiday joy.

“It's important to recognize that not every child gets to receive that luxury [of gifts],” she said.“It's important to give back so that they can have at least a little experience of that during the season when we get to experience that.”

Junior Soleil McAneny, a volunteer for Community Serves, an organization that makes and delivers meals to people who cannot physically leave their homes to purchase groceries, said that they started giving back after they found their combined passion for

cooking and desire to use their privilege for good — regardless of the season.

“I started to realize that not everyone around me had the same access or the privilege to the things I have every day,” they said.

Kind Club co-leader junior Maya Berdichevsky said that using one’s passions to give back to the community can be influential in making the act of giving a sustainable habit.

She said that since Kind Club’s mission is to support and bring joy to local children in need, they are organizing a drive for bracelets to donate to the Boston Children’s Hospital.

“Give back to the community in ways that bring you joy that is unique to you,” she said.

“There are so many ways to use your passion and pick a cause you believe in and get involved.”

As the holiday season is known for its festivities and giving gifts to loved ones, UNICEF club co-leader and senior Victoria Rivard said that it can be easy to forget to continue giving back during the non-winter months.

She said that it’s important to make an effort to help others during the rest of the year as well.

“Fighting for humanitarian rights is not just a November to December thing,” she said.

“There are people in need in the world at all times. It's not just a holiday problem,” she said.

Senior Maggie Jia, who helped coordinate HelpPIN’ club’s Thanksgiving drive for the Allston Food Bank, said giving physical gifts is not the only way to help others.

“Even if you can't support yourself by material means, being kind mentally to people is definitely really important,” she said.

Rivard said that taking opportunities to

As human beings, we should try to give help where we can. Part of being human is having compassion and [caring] for our community and neighbors.

Regina Wu Newton Food Pantry President help others can ultimately be mutually beneficial for the giver in addition to the receiver.

“It keeps you honest, it keeps you on track and it keeps you working towards becoming a better activist and a more conscientious person by giving back as a lifelong commitment.”

Wu said that there are endless ways to create a lasting impact on the community, and every action counts, whether it is raking a neighbor’s leaves or donating groceries.

“As human beings, we should try to give help where we can. Part of being human is having compassion and [caring] for our community and neighbors,” she said.“I would really love to see us all think about each other every day and try to think about some little act that we can do that makes an impact on someone else, and it doesn’t have to be a big one, but try to aim for that every day. The world would be such a better place.”

page 19 December 20, 2021

SPORTS issuu.com/thelionsroar

Volume 38, Issue 5

Stronger United The football team reflects on the Oct. 23 firing of the team's assistant coach and its impact on team unity

By Rebecca Stotsky and John Timko

photo by Olivia Wong

The football team runs through their game plan in a huddle before their Sept. 24 game against Waltham

A

s South’s football team departed their Oct. 22 game against Boston Latin, with a 24-6 win, nothing was out of the ordinary. The team settled into their seats with excitement, playing music to celebrate the win. However, the environment suddenly changed when the music became too loud and distracting for the bus driver, and the assistant coach responded to the bus driver’s request for the players to turn off the music. When referring to the music, the coach used a racial slur.

Principal Stras sent an email to students and families the next day, stating that the assistant coach’s language was “unacceptable, inexcusable and will not be tolerated at Newton South.” Stras added that any language that racially targets and threatens the emotional safety of anyone in the South community violates the school’s core values. The assistant coach was fired on Oct. 23.

The incident adds to a growing list of similar incidents involving racist language on high school football teams around Massachusetts, including Georgetown High School, Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood and St. John Paul II School in Hyannis.

Senior football co-captain Roberto Figuereo said that he was taken aback by the assistant coach’s racially charged language.

“I was shocked, and it was like,‘did he really just say that?’

It was like, ‘woah what just happened,’ and I was angry,” he said.

Similarly, junior and football player John Toyias, said that the coach’s use of the hurtful language shocked him given the relationship the team had been building with the assistant coach.

“We were building that trust with him and then when he said that, it was just very confusing,” Toyias said.

His teammate junior Zezo Beshir said that when asking

for the music to be turned down, the language the assistant coach used was unnecessary.

“After a win, you should be celebrating that rather than focusing on the music,” he said. “If he didn't want it playing, saying, ‘would you turn down the music?’ is just as adequate.”

Junior and South senator Wasan Rafat said that there are lasting impacts to racially charged language.

“Once the words have already been said, it's already hurt people. You can't take the word back,” she said.

Rafat is a member of South Senate’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee, which works to address instances of racism and implicit bias in the community and the school curriculum. She said that the concept of DEI goes beyond sports, and that making South’s curriculum more diverse is a good first step in the right direction.

On Oct. 27, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Board of Directors implemented the National Federation of State High School Associations Implicit Bias course, a program that educates people on implicit biases in sports, school and beyond and how to be aware of them.

The board also instated the MIAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Pledge, which prohibits hurtful or discriminatory language or actions towards others. Henceforth, all studentathletes, coaches and athletic directors must take the Implicit Bias course and the DEI Pledge every year.

Senior football co-captain Patrick Sullivan said that these measures are a solid step forward towards preventing similar incidents in the future.

“Whatever prevents things like this from happening to other people, I'm all for it, because this is just a terrible situation,” Sullivan said. “I don't want anyone else to ever have to go

through that again.”

Despite the incident, the next week, the team displayed their camaraderie and strength in a 20-14 win over Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Toyias said.

“We were battling through adversity with our coaching staff, and we still managed to become unified as a team through the trouble and ended up winning,” he said.

Beshir said the team’s increased unity helped raise the team’s competition level and confidence as they continued through the season.

“Right before those games, you can see the mood of everybody switch from feeling like ‘this is a game that we just have to go out and play’ to ‘this is an opportunity for us to win and prove that we earned this, and it wasn’t the coach,’” he said.

“It was us that made the team.”

Beshir said that the community element of the team was a key factor in overcoming the emotional challenges.

“In football, especially, having that bond with your teammates is crucial to being a good team. Having that to begin with is what helped us get through,” he said.

Figuereo said that the incident made him cherish the support of his teammates more than ever.

One of the most important qualities of the team is that they can always rely on each other and will always give their all, Beshir said.

“When we go out there on the field, it's 11 kids who want to compete and want to get better. [They] are willing to take on those challenges or take on teams that think we're bad or think that we can't do it,” he said. “Having 10 other people besides you that believe the same thing you do and are willing to fight for that is really important.”

page 20 | sports

the lion's roar

Boys gymnastics team prepares for winter season Joyce Lee

Sports Editor Among South’s most venerable teams stands boys gymnastics, a close-knit community consisting of student-athletes from North and South.

Every day after school from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., South athletes travel to North’s field house, where they practice new skills on floor, vault, pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and high bar events. The program’s two head coaches, Rani Jacobson and Tom Steeves (manning the North and South sides, respectively), work together to run the singular varsity team.

Jacobson, a ’10 North alumna, has a wealth of experience in the sport from her days competing during her high school and college careers to now, a seasoned coach for both school and club gymnastics.

She said that North and South students are fortunate to have the opportunity to compete for their high schools, considering that in 2013, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association almost eliminated the high school boys gymnastics program. At the time, North and South were among seven Massachusetts high schools with boys gymnastics teams.

“I made sure that [the boys] tried out

for the team over the last few years because I thought it was important to continue high school gymnastics and the tradition,” Jacobson said. “There's something different that you get out of being on a high school team than you do on a club team.”

The North-South team doesn’t just keep this tradition alive — they excel in every facet of performance and sportsmanship, and displayed these characteristics through last season’s virtual meets. Jacobson said that while the team’s dedication to the sport didn’t falter through an online year, she is looking forward to in-person competitions this winter.

“The atmosphere’s always electric, and it's good to have all the competitors in one location and really see that camaraderie amongst the competitors, the coaches and everyone who shows up,” she said.

In addition to the regular meets when North-South meets with the five teams in the state before state championships, Jacobson said that this year, boys gymnastics hopes to create new opportunities for competition and improvement.

“We should have a new competition this year called Coach's Invitational. We’ll get all the guys from all the schools to come and they get to try their new skills or show off whatever they want to show off,” Jacobson said.

photo contributed by Adrian Michael

Members of last year's boys gymnastics team, from left to right: Michael Weiner, Adrian Michael, Matthew Hassan, Samuel Greenwald, Reese Matthews, Isaac Tang

Captain and South senior Adrian Michael started gymnastics when he was 10 years old, and has been competing with his club team since before high school, which nearly prevented him from joining the high school team.

“I didn't really want to join anything that might jeopardize [my club gymnastics career], but I went to a practice, and I immediately saw that everyone was passionate about gymnastics,” he said. “I'm really looking forward to that feeling that we are all working towards a goal of improving ourselves and our routines and winning the state championship.”

In contrast, captain and North senior Samuel Greenwald entered freshman year with no prior gymnastics experience. Instead, he said his passion for parkour and tricking sparked his interest in trying out for the North-South team; since then, he has risen to the challenge of learning the etiquette and conventions of gymnastics “In the other disciplines that I practice, there's a lot of freedom to bring in your own sense of creativity and flow and not [be] stripped on presentation. But in gymnastics, you're graded and examined for every skill that you do, so it took some fine tuning,” he said. “I'm still working towards perfecting the certain elements that I do.”

Like Greenwald, the team is no stranger to challenge: when piquing interest for the new season was a struggle, Greenwald said that the team rallied together.

“We found that recruiting or getting kids onto the team was a lot more difficult after COVID. People were more reluctant to come out for a sport,” Greenwald said. “But overall, gymnastics was able to adapt pretty well, just because it's not a contact sport.”

A notable bright side of a smaller team is the tight-knit community and ample room to grow, Jacobson said.

“The seniors will be able to help set the tone, but it'll mean that we can start fresh and cultivate a new set of traditions,” she said.

photo contributed by Adrian Michael

Jacobson spots Weiner on the high bar Michael said that beyond the supportive teammates, the scoring structure of the sport also lends itself to a culture of unity, as each athlete’s score is added to their teammates’ scores to form a cumulative team score.

“It's very clear that you're competing for your team. You know that and your teammates know that. They're not only holding themselves to a high standard, but also holding you to a high standard,” he said.“It really builds everyone up because people know that at practice, they have a responsibility to show up for their team and for themselves.”

To those who may be interested in joining the team, Greenwald said that no experience is necessary and there are no cuts; the only requisite is being willing to dive in.

“We can teach you anything you'd like from all skills or disciplines or events,” Greenwald said. “I came in my freshman year with little to no prior background experience, and it's really been amazing … you'd have a really good time.”

Girls varsity soccer scores its way to the Final Four Grace Grabowski Sports Reporter

The girls soccer team had an undefeated season and made it to the semifinals of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament; neither feat has ever been done in South’s history. This victory came after a difficult fall sports season hit by below freezing temperatures.

As girls soccer assistant varsity coach Ashley Vollaro said, “the fall [season] is always a grind.”

This was not the first time the girls soccer program has stood out as a bright spot for South athletics; over the past few years, the team has consistently made the playoffs and produced many college athletes.

Vollaro said that the team's mindset and determination throughout the long season led

photo courtesy of the NSHS Athletics Instagram

The girls varsity soccer team celebrates with their Final Four banner and trophy

them to their success.

“Something that sets this team apart is their resilience,” Vollaro said. “A lot of teams that have quality players don't make it because they can't mentally cope with everything going on with school and soccer and injuries, but this team impressed me so much.”

The team finished the season with a record of 12-0-6, which was not an easy feat, especially following last year’s unusual season due to COVID-19, captain and senior Isabella Lanzillo said.

“In the year coming off of COVID-19, it was kind of unpredictable what we were going to do with the season,” Lanzillo said. “We got really close as a team, and we started working really well together, [which] allowed us to be really successful throughout the season.”

Sophomore Sienna Masood said that the team's close bonds could be seen in their on-field performance.

“We all have fun together and we all have confidence in one another, and we all know we’re going to do well,” Masood said. “Even if we don't do well, we’ll have each other's backs and do better the next time.”

Junior Jessie Lee said that the team’s connectedness paired well with the experienced players on the team, whcih helped to build stability going into the season.

“When I was a freshman, we had a really young team, and now, we’re getting older

and we have a lot of juniors, some seniors and sophomores,” she said. “It was good to see that we were maturing, and we were a lot stronger this year.”

Although the team’s playoff run came to an end with their 4-0 loss against Hingham in the Nov. 17 quarterfinals, the team focused on and celebrated their many accomplishments this season.

“It was sad [to lose], but it wasn't our greatest game. Hingham is a really good team, and we fought our hardest,” Lanzillo said. “We were upset about it, but we didn't let it affect us super hard just because of all the other accomplishments we’d made in the season.

Everyone was proud of each other for getting to where we got to.”

Meanwhile, the underclassmen on the team are looking forward to having another chance at winning the Dual County League cup next year.

“We were sad that it was over, but we were really proud that we came that far because no one else has come that far,” Masood said.

With 20 players potentially returning next season, the team looks to build off of their success from this historical season, Vollaro said. “[Some] goals would be, teamwise, to create a similar bond that the girls had this year, having the same work ethic, showing up and to win a state championship is the ultimate goal,” Vollaro said.

issuu.com/thelionsroar

sports | page 21

Together! in the long run

photo by Mia D'Souza

Dreamfar welcomes runners of all abilities to join a community that trains for the Providence Marathon in May

By Clare Tourtelotte

E

ntering room 6212 for a Thursday afternoon WIN Block means entering a community; a wave of people greet each other and share laughs as excitement fills up the room. From freshmen to seniors, Dreamfar offers students a place to foster friendships and connect with new people, all while maintaining a stress-free athletic environment that pushes students to reach their full potential.

Dreamfar High School Marathon (DHSM), a non-profit organization that started at South in 2008, was New England’s first high school marathon training program. Dreamfar athletes train four times a week for the Providence Marathon, which will be held on May 1, 2022.

Kerri Bisaga, special education and English teacher and one of the Dreamfar coaches, said that the program was originally established to give students an opportunity to exercise without the stress of competitions.

“Dreamfar started off as just a teacher here at South who liked running marathons themself and noticed a couple of kids that wanted to get into some kind of physical activity but didn't want to be out there competing. So she just dreamed up this program,” Bisaga said. “The first year, it was just five kids and one teacher from South running the Providence Marathon and training for it, and then it grew.”

The organization has spread to 10 different Massachusetts schools, including Brookline High, Boston’s Community Academy of Science and Health Charter School, Needham High and Malden High.

On Saturday mornings, South members run with students from other schools at the Brookline Teen Center, Bisaga said.

Sean Bryden, senior and a leader for South's Dreamfar chapter, said that the Saturday runs are one of his favorite parts of training.

“I've met a lot of new people from other schools on the weekend runs, but also it’s just the accomplishment of running longer and longer distances every week, which is cool,” he said.

Dreamfar coach and special education teacher Holly Kee said that the coaches believe in engaging with students every step of the way.

“A lot of sports coaches tell kids to go and do something

and then come back. In this particular training, we get to be with them and we get to run with them,” Kee said. “There is never a time where I'm telling a kid to go do something if I'm not doing it with them.”

Senior and co-leader of South’s chapter Abby Zheng said that everyone trains with a buddy, which contributes to a strong community.

“Our phrase is ‘26.2 together,’ and the emphasis is on the ‘together’ part. Every mile, every practice, you're running with someone,” Zheng said. “You are never alone in the process.”

Typically, to run the full Providence Marathon, runners have to be 18 years old. However, Dreamfar has an agreement with the marathon that gives an exception to high schoolers taking part in the program, Kee said.

Freshman Josh Kahn said that despite the challenging nature of the program, he enjoys the welcoming and open community.

“It’s more grouped up than track or cross country,” he said. “At track, everyone is really fast, but Dreamfar has a nice range of different speeds.”

Zheng said that prior to joining Dreamfar, she was not

an avid runner; however, the club has provided her with the uplifting environment she needed to get into the sport. While the goal is to cross the finish line in May, she said that the club values more than just completing 26.2 miles.

“The biggest part about Dreamfar isn't just when you cross the finish line, but it's also when all the months’ work is added together,” Zheng said. “You're not really there just to run the marathon, you're also there to form these friendships and relationships with the people around you.”

Bisaga said that Dreamfar is not only made up of people with different running capabilities, but also a diverse range of people.

“There is no such thing as a typical Dreamfar athlete. We have students coming from every sort of academic track, every different program and every different place. We have Englishlanguage learning students, we have freshmen, we have seniors, we have a huge variety, and we welcome them all,” she said.

“It doesn't matter if you can run a super fast mile or if you're run-walking the whole marathon. We have had students run-walk the entire marathon, and they just Bluetooth speaker music out and party it out the whole time. 26.2 miles just raging."

Dreamfar team begins their after-school run graphic by Emily Cheng and photo by Mia D'Souza

Our phrase is ‘26.2 together,’ and the emphasis is on the ‘together’ part. Every mile, every practice, you’re running with someone.

Abby Zheng class of '22

graphic by Emily Cheng and photo by Mia D'Souza

Dreamfar runners begin a run on a blistery Thursday during WIN block with smiles on their faces

page 22 | sports

the lion's roar

Revolution completes outstanding season Zach Rein

Sports Reporter It is the 90th minute of a game between the Chicago Fire FC and the New England Revolution, who are tied 2-2. A win is essential for the Revolution to secure a playoff spot, and the game is in the hands of star midfielder, arguably the best player in Major League Soccer, (MLS) Carlos Gil. He makes his move on the right wing and strikes an absolute dart past Chicago keeper Gabriel Slonina to win it for the Revolution.

The Sept. 22 win was an incredible moment in a stellar season for the Revolution, who clinched a playoff berth for the 15th time in their 25-year history. However, the Revolution has yet to win the MLS Cup, the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs, despite being in the league longer than most of the other teams. They’ve had an extremely strong presence in the MLS, yet still are overlooked and underappreciated in the American sports world.

A large reason for the Revolution’s success is its star players. With four all-star selections this year, the Revolution finished the regular season with an outstanding record of 22 wins, seven ties and five losses. Leading the pack as captain is Gil, who achieved league bests in overall points, assists, chances created and games played, in addition to several other categories.

Other stand-out players include fellow

midfielder Tajon Buchanan, a star of the Canadian national team and one of two “Commissioner’s Picks” for the All Star game, selected in part by Commissioner Don Garbe. Forward Gustavo Bou completed the season with the second most regular season goals, earning him second place in the running for the Golden Boot award. Finally, goalkeeper Matt Turner won the MLS Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year this year, following his second place finish as Goalkeeper of the Year last year.

The Revolution’s recent success can also be attributed to phenomenal manager Bruce Arena. Since his arrival, the Revolution has improved rapidly, going from missing the playoffs for three years straight to making the playoffs every year.

Arena’s experience in the soccer industry and knack for transforming what others may see as lost causes have paid off; this year, he has brought something special to this team.

“I love the sport. I love the challenge in building the game in this country. It’s something that I’ve done for 40 years and it’s not easy to walk away from,” he said to Yahoo in a 2019 article about his success as a soccer coach in America.

But why hasn’t the Revolution’s sudden burst of success propelled them to the spotlight in the sporting world? According to Statista. com, for the 2020-21 season, the average MLS game got about 285,000 viewers, about an 11% increase from last year. Now, compare this to other well-known sports leagues like the NBA

or the NFL: the NBA averages about two million per game, while the NFL averages a staggering 16 million per game.

To put this into perspective, the MLS Cup, the most watched game of the season, only racked up about 1 million viewers last year. Even in New England, the Revolution was barely mentioned in local newspapers or even in general conversation, as hardly anyone was aware of this impressive year, much less their preparation for the playoff season.

The Revolution on Nov. 29 were knocked out of the semifinal round of the playoffs by NYCFC in penalties, ending their 2021 season.

However, this doesn’t mean that we should stop supporting them.

In Boston, a city with such a reputation for sports pride, we must make room for the Revolution in our hearts. The MLS is quickly gaining popularity, and with the success of this up-and-coming team, turn on your TV and become a supporter.

photo courtesy of Fansided

Fans fill Gillette Stadium in Foxboro during a pre-pandemic Revolution game

Marisa MacDonald Sports Editor

While humans can’t fly, figure skaters, with their intricate and gravity-defying moves on ice, come as close as humanly possible.

Junior Chloe Man knows this to be true more than most, dedicating most of her free time to competitive figure skating. Ever since her parents first put her in lessons about seven years ago, she has continued to train for her own ambition and passion for the sport.

“We watched the 2014 Olympics and all the figure skaters on TV,” Man said. “That’s really when I thought to get serious about this.

I just stuck with it because I ended up really enjoying it.”

Man trains six days a week. Some days, she wakes up three hours before school to get on the ice, and then rushes back to the rink after the school day is over. She said homework and other extracurriculars have to be done during WIN blocks, late at night or even in the mornings if she was too tired the night before.

For me, it's almost like an escape from reality. It's different from just walking or running around. You just glide.

Chloe Man class of '23

photo contributed by Chloe Man

Man shown during a competition

Practices, where she works to polish skills, prepare new moves or do simple workouts, can last hours, Man said.

“I'm on the ice for two to three hours a day. After that, I have off-ice for about an hour, which is conditioning and training the jumps off [of the] ice,” she said.

All of this effort culminates in her routines, otherwise known as programs, which Man performs at competitions.

One of Man’s many accomplishments in the world of figure skating is her status as a member of the United States Theatre on Ice team. Their competition is different from regular skating, as the category is focused on storytelling through performance.

“It’s described as ballet on ice, where you tell a story on the ice, but obviously there’s no talking,” she said. “In 2019, I went to France to compete with my team at an international competition, which was really cool.”

Even though skating is mainly an individual sport, Man said that her team creates an encouraging environment.

“We're all really supportive of each other.

It's so fun,” she said. “Everyone's mixed levels, it doesn't really matter what elements you can do, everyone works together and we all have our own strengths,” she said.

Like many athletes, Man’s journey with the team was interrupted by COVID-19 in 2020. She still practiced at home, but being off of the ice for months took a toll on her training.

“We were off the ice for three or four months. During that time, we just did off-ice conditioning, our jumps off-ice and a lot of stretching, so [that] when we got back on the ice, it wouldn't be too big of a deal,” she said.

“But getting back on the ice was difficult because I lost most of my elements, and it took a while to get them back.”

Although it took time to build herself up again, Man said that it felt incredibly relieving to be back at the rink.

“It was a long three months trapped in my house without skating,” she said. “It felt really

photo contributed by Chloe Man

Chloe Man laces up for competitive skating

Man performs a skill in her "program" good to be back where I felt free.”

Man said that figure skating is a welcome reprieve from her everyday life.

“For me, it's almost like an escape from reality. It's different from just walking or running around. You just glide, and I love it,” she said.

fun | page 23

issuu.com/thelionsroar

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS

3. Gift-giver and Assistant Coach 4. Slang for sneakers 8. Making someone else think they're the problem 12. The famous school lunch animal crackers 15. Steering wheel en español; Maggie Heberlein’s workplace 16. Engage in discussion; Chuck Taylor manufacturer 18. Sleep-inducing hormone

DOWN

1. pool 2. cabinet, 3. Vollaro, 4. kicks, 5. Belenky, 6. maskfishing, 7. chameleon, 8. gaslighting, 9. ivy, 10. dreamfar, 11. Detroit, 12. bellybears, 13. Justnextdoor, 14. arena, 15. Volante, 16. converse, 17. Wheeler, 18. melatonin

1. ___ testing; what’s on the 4th floor ;) 2. Body of government consisting of the Vice President and the secretaries; item the woodworking class is making 5. Art teacher working in three dimensions 6. When someone appears to be more attractive because they are wearing a facemask 7. Colorful creature you might find in the 3100s; rapunzel’s sidekick in “tangled” 9. Type of plant; league of elite colleges 10. South's marathon club 11. Hammoud’s City is a suburb of _____ 13. Gift shop in Auburndale 14. Revolution Soccer Manager with an appropriate last name 17. House lacking a bathroom

MOST PASTEUPS ATTENDED

behind the

scenes

photos by Eva Shimkus

1 3 2 1: Editors smile through the pain of endless edits 2: Jaesuh takes a quick break after working diligently on his page :) 3: Reporters Molly and Freiya conduct an interview 4: Clare hits the slay button on her woodworking project

Ask Leonna Dear Leonna, I’m single and worried I’m missing out on the classic high school experience. Is dating all that it’s cracked up to be?

Though I (Leonna) am not currently involved with anyone (watch out Frosted Flakes tiger *wink wink*), I do get the vibe from my friends’ romantic travails that relationships can be great but also kind of lame!

That’s not to say that being in a relationship can’t be a source of happiness for some people, but oftentimes the stuff people post on social media with their s/o is a very small, idealized portion of what it’s actually like.

The reality of being in a relationship is that you have to be emotionally mature enough

to open yourself up to someone, and not a lot of people are ready to do that in high school. As I’m sure you know by now, high school isn’t exactly how it’s portrayed in Netflix rom-coms (and the actors in those things are like 28 anyways).

Don't worry about it — remember that people need time to unthaw emotionally after last year’s isolation.

Who knows what might be in store for you … maybe this holiday season, an ugly woolen sweater won’t be the only thing keeping you warm from that Nor’easter cold.

JULIAN PHILLIPS

"It's not the number of pasteups that count, but what you do at them"

4

7/9 pasteups

Every issue, Leonna, The Lion’s Roar mascot, answers anonymous student questions

Dear Leonna, I feel like I'm ugly under my mask, and I'm scared to eventually stop wearing it. What should I do?

We’ve all seen those TikToks where people ask if they’re“maskfishing” (when someone appears to be more attractive because they are wearing a facemask), only to be ferociously attacked by mean commenters; however, it’s important to remember that South is not the comments section of a viral video. Most people are too preoccupied worrying about their own appearances that they won’t notice anything wrong with you.

I know what it's like to be embarrassed of your appearance — as a simple line art cartoon,

I’m often jealous of the well-drawn graphics that decorate the Roar’s pages. I’ve come to realize that even though I’m no more than a squiggly black line drawn in two seconds by a sleep deprived teenager in 1980-whatever, I have my own unique beauty and role in the paper.

My simplicity is what makes me beautiful. The same goes for you — your individual features are what make you beautiful, so when the time comes around to take off your mask and expose the bottom half of your face, remember: you have nothing to fear! You are beautiful.

on the cover

with the return of the holiday season, consumers face increased pressure to overspend on gifts, leading some to question the value in the age-old tradition

graphic by Julie Wang