The Lion's Roar 37-7

R AR

VOL. 37 ISSue 7

the LION'S

WELCOME BACK

After nearly a year of online learning, students return to school in a HyFlex model

PAGE 4 inside this issue Unifying the Un-unifiable Biden's opportunity to unite the nation hangs in the air amidst economic and racial inequity

9

Shooting Amplifies Call for Change Newton community reckons with Jan. 5 shooting amidst broader conversation on role of city policing

·

Newton South HIGH School Newton, MA

12

photo by Cindy Liu

Winter Sports Recap

22

The Roar spoke with captains and coaches to get an insider’s perspective on the winter sports season

· Est. 1984 · February 9, 2020

PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 9, 2021

NEWS ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR VOLUME 37, ISSUE 7

Special election to be held on March 16 The Roar spoke with the candidates for the vacant Ward 1 and 2 at-large City Council seats to learn about their backgrounds and goals

By Sawyer Cohen and Alex Merkowitz

Ward 1 John Oliver

J

photo courtesy of John Oliver for City Council

ohn Oliver has lived in Newton for 19 years and is the co-president of the Newton North Parent Teacher Student Organization, a volunteer youth soccer coach and a board member of Newton Community Education. He said that he chose to run for City Council because he wants to build upon Newton’s existing strengths to foster positive change.

“I believe we can achieve the Newton that we want while maintaining the Newton that we already have,” he wrote in an email. “I am running for City Council because Newton can benefit from my professional experience in solving complex challenges, collaborative approach and local focus.”

Oliver wrote that as a city councilor, he would focus on city services and infrastructure.

“The first role of our City Council is to make sure that Newton is 'up and running' that we are maintaining our quality of life,” he said. “This includes things like the safety of our roadways for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, first responders services, trash collection and recycling.”

Oliver said he wants to make sure that Newton’s rezoning process advances affordability and sustainability.

“I want to ensure that our ongoing rezoning process actually achieves more affordable housing and environmental sustainability, rather than creating more costly market-rate housing,” he wrote.

On his website, Oliver lists the need to preserve Newton’s recreational spaces and historic architecture as goals. If elected, he would also prioritize giving residents and city government a voice in determining the characteristics of future changes to housing development.

Oliver said that Newton Public Schools need increased safety standards and COVID-19 testing availability to ensure a safe return to in-person learning.

Oliver wrote that his knowledge of local issues sets him apart from Ranalli.

“What makes the choice simple for voters — in my opinion — is the combination of local focus and professional discipline that I represent.”

Madeline Ranalli

photo courtesy of Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum

M

adeline Ranalli is a 20-year-old student at Harvard University, a lifelong Newton resident and 2019 Newton North graduate. She said she is running to provide a voice to young Newton residents on a City Council that is predominantly composed of older people.

“I'm hoping to bring a fresh, youthful perspective to add nuance and complexity to issues we're already talking about and also to bring new issues to the table that don't really get discussed because there's no one there to discuss them,” she said.

Specifically, Ranalli said she would focus on expanding mental health access for youth and lowering the municipal voting age to 16.

Ranalli said she developed a passion for public service growing up because both of her parents work as journalists. She said she became more deeply involved in political advocacy after the 2018 Parkland school shooting.

“A really big catalyst for me was the Parkland shooting and the organization March for Our Lives, where I eventually became the state political director,” Ranalli said. “I really dove deep into legislative advocacy [by] lobbying for bills and became really engaged in the nitty-gritty of the political process.”

Ranalli also worked for the Boston office of Senator Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign and the Department of Energy. Ranalli said that the three most important issues to her are climate change, affordable housing and public transportation. She said that as a city councilor, she would implement ambitious, progressive policies on these issues, which she said city politicians have a tendency to shy away from. “[We’re] known as a city that loves to talk about inclusivity and generosity and diversity,” she said. “But oftentimes when it really comes time to set an example of brave leadership and to implement bold policies that live out those ideals, we tend to shy away.

I think a lot of young people have realized that we don't really have the time to do that anymore.”

Ward 2 Bryan Barash

Tarik Lucas

photo courtesy of The Boston Globe

photo courtesy of Village 14

B

ryan Barash is the General Counsel for State Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler and works as a commissioner for the Newton Human Rights Commission and a board member of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action.

Barash moved to Newton while attending Boston College Law School and has lived here ever since.

Barash’s first experience in public service was working on former President Barack Obama’s election campaign in 2008.

He then worked as the Internet Communications Director for former New Mexico Senator Tom Udall.

He said that his experience in public service thus far has prepared him to lead Newton through the pandemic and subsequent economic recession.

“I really believe we need leaders to step up, who have experience [and] who can help us navigate these crises,” he said. “I have dedicated my life to public service. I've been doing it for over a decade now. I know that I have the experience and values to help lead you through this difficult time.”

Barash said that the top priority at the moment should be making sure that Newton residents remain safe throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Barash supports the implementation of surveillance testing in schools for teachers and students to ensure a safe plan for a return to in-person learning.

Barash also said that he would like to see Newton become a leader on issues regarding environmental sustainability, racial justice and affordable housing. Barash said his proven track record will lead to results as a city councilor.

“My positions are not just words on a website,” he said. “These are issues I've been deeply involved in for the past decade, on every single issue that I'm prioritizing from education to the environment to racial justice to affordable housing.”

Barash said that he wants his campaign to represent young people in Newton.

“I take young people seriously,” he said.

“They're part of my campaign, and their issues are my issues.”

T

arik Lucas is a royalty specialist at Harvard University Press and the vice president of the Newtonville Area Council. Lucas has lived in Newton since 2009 and said he hopes to keep Newton an inclusive and welcoming city.

“I’m running to make sure Newton remains affordable, welcoming and accessible to people and families of all backgrounds, just like it was for me when I moved here 12 years ago,” he said.

Lucas said that he first decided to become involved with Newton politics when a change to the city charter was proposed in 2017 that would make all City Council elections citywide and reduce the number of seats from 24 to 12. Lucas campaigned for the anti-charter change side, which prevailed in the end.

“It's a big city, and I believe every ward within the city deserves to have its own unique voice,” he said. “I fought very hard to preserve local representation.”

Lucas said that his intersectional identity as a BIPOC resident, renter and union member would benefit the City Council.

“I'm a descendant of Russian Jews, West Indians from the island of Nevis, African American slaves and indigenous Canadians and Americans,” he said. “I am a person of color, and I plan on bringing my shared life experiences of my family, friends and myself to the Newton City Council.”

He said that diverse representation is incredibly important, especially on Newton’s primarily white City Council.

“The Newton City Council does not have a person of color on it, and it has been decades since a Black person served on the Council,” he said.

Lucas said that the most important issues to him are promoting racial and social justice, protecting the environment and increasing the affordability of housing.

Lucas said that his campaign has gained the support of many Newton residents and elected officials.

“We're running a grassroots campaign,” he said. “I've been endorsed by seven current city councilors, several former elected officials and many Newton residents.”

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

FEATURES PAGE 3

Q&A with Jake Auchincloss The Roar's Julian Fefer asked former city councilor Jake Auchincloss about his new role as representative of the Mass.

Fourth Congressional District

photo courtesy of Ballotpedia

“

In light of Biden's inauguration, how are you feeling about the next four years?

Like a weight has been lifted. As I was sitting there watching the president take the oath, I looked around, and you could see people's shoulders relax, you could see them hug each other and high five, it was really like the whole country could just exhale and begin to think about what’s ahead of us as opposed to constantly being in anxiety about what the day is going to bring.

How has your experience as Newton City Councilor influenced your values and approach as a Congressman?

“

The values of Newton are ones of respect, a deep appreciation for learning and curiosity, toleration, being welcoming for diversity and being inclusive, and these are executive principles that have been so under assault for the past four years. We had an administration that was by disposition xenophobic, anti-intellectual, intolerant and non-inclusive, so I think really the core values have been under assault the past four years. Being a son of Newton, I feel like we have such an opportunity in this new administration and in the 2020s to reestablish the United States as the ‘City on a Hill’ that we know it can be.

Along the campaign trail and in his inaugural address, President Biden spoke of his goal to unite all Americans under his leadership. Is unity the right path forward?

“

I have said frequently that the emphasis must be on truth and justice. There can be no unity without building a foundation on truth, and there can be no unity without justice.

Could you tell me about your experience on Jan. 6?

“

It was a dark day for democracy. … [After], we decided to go to the Capitol Rotunda to film a video for our constituents, so we could talk to them during this, so we could reunite and reassure our constituents that we were going to be finishing the work and fulfilling our constitutional responsibilities, and walking into the Capitol Rotunda, we saw on the walls, these magnificent paintings of great moments in American history, the signing of the Constitution and other moments, yet all around was trash and the decadence of the mob, and to see what looked like an abandoned tailgate on the floor and shattered glass was a grim reflection.

Given the disparity between how the police responded to the Black Lives Matter protests and the insurrection at the Capitol, what is your vision of policing going forward?

“ “ “

I have signed on to several letters asking the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the Capitol Police to do in-depth analyses into failures of conduct between the security agencies that led to the breach and to identify any officers for collusion either explicitly or implicitly with the insurrectionists.

South Spots Chromebooks Distribution of Chromebooks to freshmen will be delayed until March due to a supply shortage and high demand of Chromebooks across the country. MacBook Airs are available for those who need them while the administration waits for Chromebooks to arrive. Surveys were sent out to families to gauge the number of students that need computers for hybrid learning.

Sarah DeMello Sarah DeMello took over for guidance counselor Kat Refuse in Cutler and Goodwin houses on Jan. 15, Director of Guidance and Counseling Dan Rubin said in a Jan. 14 email to staff.

DeMello came to South from Whitman Hanson High School in Hanson, Massachusetts, where she was a long-time substitute teacher.

Breathe South Stage put on a co-conspirator variety show, “Breathe” on Feb. 5.

Breathe contains student-written pieces on current events including the pandemic and the attack on the Capitol, as well as personal struggles with mental health and social injustice. Directed by Dr. Jasmine Lellock, “Breathe” was performed via livestream, after a series of hybrid rehearsals. All proceeds benefited Bridge Over Troubled Waters, a nonprofit supporting homeless teens.

What values should guide schools’ transitions to in-person learning models and an eventual learn to in-person learning?

There is no bigger set of priorities than vaccinating Americans and doing surveillance polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in public schools. We need to return kids to full in-person learning as soon as safely possible, and to do that we have to use testing to build confidence among students, parents, teachers and administrators that we can maintain a low incidence of positivity and that we can catch and contain outbreaks early.

What is one message you have for students?

They are living right now with the repercussions of incompetent federal policy over the last four years, and let this be a clarion call for them to engage with public service in any form that they think makes sense because it’s only by engaging themselves that we can be sure that this country does better.

photo contributed by Elianna Kruskal

BLM in Schools Week English teacher Joana Chacon organized a series of webinars with educational leaders involved in the Black Lives Matter in Schools Week. On Feb. 3, each morning block featured one or two speakers, discussing everything from anti-racist curriculum changes to Black history, a question-and-answer session and music celebrating radical Black Joy.

PAGE 4 NEWS

THE LION'S ROAR

Statistics released on HyFlex model participants Jenny He, Jaesuh Lee, Alex Merkowitz, Preethika Vemula, Lily Zarr & Alexa Zou

News Contributor, News Reporter, News Editors & News Reporters The Newton School Committee released data on Jan. 11 on students’ learning model selections for the 2020-21 school year.

59.5% of all students selected the inperson model, while 39.3% chose remote learning. There was a significant disparity between the percentages of white and BIPOC students who chose each learning model in Newton Public Schools (NPS) high schools.

While only 31.8% of white students opted to remain fully remote, 57.3% of Asian American students, 50.8% of Black and African American students, 44.2% of Hispanic and Latino students and 40.8% of multiracial students chose the remote model.

School Committee Chair Ruth Goldman said that the disproportionate prevalence of COVID-19 in Black communities may have contributed to a lower percentage of Black students participating in the inperson model.

“We looked at surveys where Black students said they wanted to come back to school, but were concerned about safety,” she said.

Senior Laila Polk said that the low percentage of BIPOC students in the in-person cohorts might be a result of the higher rates of preexisting conditions in those communities. She also said that students of color may mistrust the administration due to its past actions.

“There's already ingrained distrust between students and families of color and the administration, just because the admin-

istration has been very insensitive to their concerns for a long time,” she said. “So when the administration says it's safe to come back, no one believes it.”

At 29.1%, freshmen were the least likely to choose remote, and as students got older, the likelihood of them choosing remote increased, with 46.7% of seniors choosing remote learning. Both English Language Learners and Free-or-Reduced-Luncheligible students were overrepresented in the remote model.

For junior MJ Kim, his home set-up made his choice clear.

“I wanted to do hybrid at first because

remote and in-person students. In the current plan, all students attend the same classes.

Senior Melissa Shang, who created a petition advocating against the original hybrid model due to health and equity concerns, said that while she elected remote learning because of personal health conditions, she is more concerned about the potential risks for teachers.

“I'm getting the same quality of learning in my classes, I have the same teachers as my classmates despite the fact that I chose [remote], so I think that is equitable,” she said.

Before choosing between remote and in-person, most students had experienced

There's a tendency to pay attention to the people in front of you, and we have this group of people who will never be in that situation.

Brian Baron English department chair I wanted to get out, but I realized that I did not want to risk it,” he said. “I live in a small house, so if I get COVID-19, there is nowhere for me to go, and it would be a big liability [for my family].”

Sophomore Julie Wang said that she chose the in-person model because she wanted to regain the in-person interaction that has been largely absent since the beginning of the pandemic.

Following August’s original proposal — with an in-person option and a separate Distance Learning Academy (DLA) with different teachers and classes — 85.2% of families elected the in-person option. The DLA raised concerns of inequities between

remote learning for nearly half of the year, which history teacher Jamie Rinaldi said may have informed their decisions.

“Some students were surprised by the benefits of distance from [in-person] learning,” Rinaldi said. “But a lot of students feel alienated by it because the lack of social connection is a real absence in their life.”

Teachers have not been given the same degree of choice as students on whether to return to the building, math and physics teacher Ryan Normandin said.

“Last spring, teachers were able to request remote accommodations if they or someone they lived with or cared for was at risk,” he said. “Now, you're not guaranteed

Learning Model Selection by Enrollment Type, %

remote accommodation, though [Human Resources (HR) and NPS] are required to give you an unpaid medical leave if you request one through the Family Medical Leave Act.” English teacher Kelly Henderson said that applying for remote teaching was stressful and unclear.

“I did have conversations with my department head and with our principal, and they tended to defer to the latest answer from the city,” she said. “Everyone was worried about making the wrong decision because the rules would change. [Administrators'] mode was to go with what HR was saying, and steer me in that direction.”

Normandin said that he would teach in-person if NPS adhered to more stringent safety regulations.

“I would be in person right now if [the School Committee] had implemented a weekly surveillance testing program at the beginning of the year,” he said. “I'd love nothing more than to be in the building and working with students face to face.”

English department chair Brian Baron said that few teachers have requested an unpaid medical leave. Baron said that, with an unpaid leave, teachers do not receive payment when they are absent and will likely be unable to reclaim their jobs until the following school year.

Baron said that as the HyFlex model continues, it is imperative to care for the needs of remote students.

“The thing we need to pay attention to is the kids who are fully remote," he said.

"There’s a tendency to pay attention to the people in front of you, and we have this group of people who will never be in that situation.

We need to make sure that we’re carving out time to pay attention to their learning as well.”

1+39+60 1+39+60 2+58+40 1+55+44 3+52+45 Local

Overall

59.5

Metco

38.7

39.3

60.1

Learning Model Selection by Grade, %

70.4

60.6

56.0

52.3

40.4

ELL

44.2

57.8

29.1

Grade 9

42.9

46.7

Grade 10

Grade 11

Grade 12

Fully Remote

Missing

In-person

Free Lunch Eligible

44.7

54.7

52.2

Learning Model Selection by Race/Ethnicity, %

41.1

57.3 38.6

Data from a January Newton Public Schools survey of 3943 high school families.

Asian

44.6

53.5

58.8

44.2

40.8

50.8

67.4

31.8

Black/ Hispanic/ Two or White African Latino more races American

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

NEWS PAGE 5

Students and teachers reflect on return to school It's easier in person for me to learn because I can get more help from my teachers and focus better when I'm in the classroom.

Sammy McClintock class of 2023

Having kids back in school is great. We opened the preschool, and the preschool staff have been working since September. I love being in the building.

Kevin Lenane preschool director

6+10+43347 10+1+205217

How would you rate your experience with the HyFlex model on a scale of one to five?

10.3

34.0%

It feels more safe being remote.

I don't have to worry about getting COVID-19 or bringing COVID-19 back to my family.

Audrey Kim class of 2022

I don't think remote learning worked that well. I didn't find that to be an environment that was conducive to learning or enjoyment.

Nick Mahoney class of 2021

42.3

If you are in person, how safe do you feel on a scale of one to five?

16.9%

I don't feel that the safety measures being taken under the HyFlex model are sufficient to make sure that students and faculty are safe.

Ryan Normandin math teacher

I'm doing what's right for me and my family based on the health risks, but it was easier to be a remote teacher last week when everyone was.

Now, it feels like a lonely club.

Caitlin Studdard physics teacher

19.7

52.1

1 (worst)

2

3

4

5 (best)

Data from a Feb. 4 online survey of 97 students

MA enters Phase 2 of COVID-19 vaccination plan Sophie Strausberg, Sarah Wei & Eva Zacharakis News Reporters & News Editor

Massachusetts entered the second stage of its vaccination rollout — which includes residents with over 65, those with two or more pre-existing conditions, teachers and employees in transit, grocery, utility, food, sanitation, public works and public health sectors — on Feb. 1. Phase 2 will continue until April, according to the Massachusetts vaccine rollout plan. Currently, healthcare workers, first responders, residents of congregate care settings, residents and staff of care facilities and individuals over 75 are the only Massachusetts residents eligible to receive the vaccine. The remaining groups of Phase 2 will become eligible over the coming months, while the general public will have to wait until Phase 3.

The Pfizer vaccine is administered in the form of a shot and requires two doses to be given three weeks apart. The Moderna vaccine also requires two shots, separated by four weeks.

The Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services implemented a three-phase distribution plan, each of which lasts approximately two months. Phase 1

lasted from mid-December to Feb. 1; Phase 2 started on Feb. 1 and will continue until April; Phase 3 will last from April until June.

Each phase is broken down in order of vaccination urgency.

Massachusetts began distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible healthcare workers in December 2020 as part of the Pfizer vaccine’s rollout, nine months after the state’s first COVID-19 case was reported in March. The Moderna vaccine was approved soon after.

The members of Phase 1’s highest priority group — Group 1 — which consisted of healthcare workers in contact with COVID-19 and staff and residents of care facilities, began receiving their vaccines in mid-December. The remaining subgroups of Phase 1 became eligible to receive their vaccines on Jan. 21.

Although the percentage of people in Massachusetts who have been vaccinated is one of the lowest in the nation, Dr. Deborah Youngblood, director of Newton Health and Human Services (HHS), said that the distribution has been successful in its earliest forms.

There are three vaccination sites in Newton: the Mt. Ida Campus of UMass Amherst, the CVS at 978 Boylston Street

and the Wegmans at 200 Boylston Street.

Additionally, Newton HHS has provided vaccinations to first responders.

Infectious diseases expert and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Boston University Dr. Benjamin Linas said that the three-phase plan was designed with the right intentions.

“The most important thing to a fair distribution process is that the priorities are clear and that we follow them,” he said.

“We will disagree on who should go first and second, but as long as the priorities are clear and transparent, and we can agree that they are based on trying to help the public, as opposed to the people making the decisions, then I would say that they are fair.”

Dr. Thomas Barber, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Medicine and specialist in infectious diseases, said that in practice, however, the plan is inequitable.

“The sequential phases of vaccination to higher-risk populations before lower-risk populations is well thought-out,” he said. “But in practice we have seen that some VIPs jump the line, and many members of marginalized groups have been either neglected or are wary about taking these products."

Junior Jocelyn Peller said that she

would be more likely to return to school after vaccination rates increase.

“The vaccine will make South a safer place,” she said. “I would feel a lot better going into school after receiving the vaccine and knowing that everyone else has too.”

Chemistry teacher Teresa Marshall said that vaccines are the first step in getting schools back in person.

The progression of vaccinations, however, will take time. Linas said that the process of distributing vaccines is more difficult than it may appear.

“Once we invent a new technology or treatment, like the vaccine, we tend to celebrate the accomplishment and say that we have done it — as if organizing a two-dose vaccine for 200 million people in the U.S. is not hard at all,” he said. “The COVID-19 vaccine is one of the greatest single achievements of human ingenuity and science, but it is just frozen goo if it sits in freezers.”

Youngblood said that she hopes the vaccine will catalyze a return to normalcy.

“The vaccine is a critical tool in fighting this pandemic,” she said. “As more and more people become vaccinated, and we continue to learn more about the virus and transmission, we can expect that we will most likely be able to slowly resume normal activities.”

photos courtesy of the City of Newton

Newton police captain George Mead, public safety telecommunicator Julie Kelly, firefighter Craig Quatromini and fire captain Ronnie Fremantle receive vaccines

PAGE 6 FEBRUARY 9, 2021

EDITORIALS ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR VOLUME 37, ISSUE 7

Capitol attack highlights importance of terminology The past year has felt straight out of a history textbook. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the hypervisibility of centuriesold racism to the turbulent Trump-Biden transition, the decade’s early crises have exposed America’s fragility, rendering the ever-idealized return to pre-pandemic “normalcy” impossible.

Despite the craziness, our current language dictates what that textbook chapter will say. Whether in casual conversation or published journalism, it is our responsibility to use our platforms — no matter how small — to identify and disseminate the appropriate terminology.

The terminology we use influences how we respond and to whom we assign culpability. Moreover, without the correct terminology, it is impossible to accurately portray the facts of an event to those who did not witness it. The select few who experienced an event must be empowered with correct terminology to depict the event; without the right words, the general public will be left in the dark or misinformed.

In a country where one’s likelihood to vote Democratic or Republican is determined in part by the news sources they engage with, common language when describing an event; a shared understanding and vernacular is the first stepping stone in bridging the chasm between Americans on opposite sides of the political aisle, and using common terminology founded upon

facts is a necessary beginning to conversation. From there, each can make their own conclusions, but the understanding of the same truth is critical.

On Jan. 6, following an inflammatory speech from then-President Donald Trump, thousands of individuals marched to the U.S. Capitol. The event itself and, more so, the resultant media coverage, highlighted the opposing realities Americans inhabit.

An estimated 800 entered the Capitol, disrupting Congress’s constitutionally man-

devote class time to processing these events with their students. Labeling the event with terms ranging from a “break-in” to “sedition,” teachers and students sought to define the tragedy and its implications in an effort to make sense of the seemingly unfathomable.

Among the most common terms were insurrection and coup, but these fail to address the systemic white supremacy at the root of the attack. Both terms are defined by a violent uprising against an established authority. Proponents of the terms argue that

A shared understanding and vernacular is the first stepping stone in bridging the chasm between Americans on opposite sides of the political aisle. dated certification of then-president-elect Joe Biden’s victory. That much we can agree on.

Most, faced with the reality that the individuals violently broke into the Capitol, understand that the event was a striking display of bigotry and white supremacy. A minority of the population, however, retains the notion that those who broke into the Capitol had the intent to protect democracy against election fraud. Beyond the most basic facts, two or more entirely separate narratives were painted to cover the events of Jan. 6, immediately dividing along party lines.

On Jan. 7, teachers were encouraged to

IMAGINE YOUR AD HERE

insurrection and coup lack political bias, arguing that the event was in fact a group of people going against the government body.

“Coup” and “insurrection,” however, do not address the fact that elected officials — theoretically symbols of democracy — like Trump, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and Texas Senator Ted Cruz were actively complicit in the attack, urging rioters to disrupt democracy.

Further, these terms imply that the white supremacy displayed by those responsible for the attack would fundamentally change American government, ignoring

Volume XXXVII The Lion’s Roar Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper 140 Brandeis Road Newton, MA 02459 srstaff@thelionsroar.com

BUSINESS, EVENTS, STUDENT CLUBS

Editors-in-Chief Julian Fefer Carrie Ryter

SEND AN EMAIL TO SRSTAFF@THELIONSROAR.COM FOR MORE DETAILS! 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.

that white supremacy and systemic racism are intrinsic to past and current American systems.

Others classify the event as terrorism.

Employing the term “terrorism” benefically draws public attention to the fact that terrorism often comes from within the U.S. and is inflicted by Americans, challenging the common misconception that terrorism solely originates from abroad. Some, however, label it domestic terrorism, implying that the base term — terrorism — is by default foreign. By modifying it with domestic, one suggests that such acts of terrorism are somehow different if committed by domestic actors.

Standardized terminology is necessary for understanding how different events compare. Some equate the Capitol attack and BLM demonstrations, diminishing the Black experience by ignoring key differences such as police complicity in the Capitol attacks and the excessive use of police force at BLM demonstrations.

There may be times where the correct terminology is misinterpreted or yet to be identified, but by engaging in these conversations, we’ll ultimately glean richer understandings of both the terms themselves and other viewpoints.

We’re living history, and each day brings new pivotal moments. Now, more than ever, it’s our responsibility to define and apply proper terminology, for our language shapes the future.

Managing Editors Chunyu He

Sophie Lewis

Jackson Slater

Section Editors News

Centerfold

Alex Merkowitz Preethika Vemula Eva Zacharakis

Ellyssa Jeong Anya Lefkowitz

Features

Freelance

Siya Patel Eva Shimkus

Henry Blanchette Julian Phillips

Graphics Managers Kaila Hanna Emily Zhang

Faculty Advisor Ashley Chapman

Opinions

Ahona Dam Ari Gordon Avigail Rosen

Sports

Austin Chen Emily Schwartz

Photo Manager Hedi Skali

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

EDITORIALS PAGE 7

FROM THE

EDITOR’S DESK Julian Fefer & Carrie Ryter Editors in Chief

Julian: The first-ever line of “emails” reads: “We appreciate the trust you placed in us to edit your work, and we can’t wait to publish your article.”

Ten months, thousands of misplaced hyphens and a growing craving for oxford commas after we created “emails” — an aptly named document where we draft some Roar-related emails — a few months into my tenure as editor in chief, I look at the 55-page-and-growing holy scripture. Created in a late-night feat of procrastination and sustained by commitment to tradition, it houses the high points, the low points, the not-so-subtle hints of impostor syndrome, the love I feel for Roar.

With each new email, I’m hit with a heightened attachment to the email document and all it stands for — the perfectly organized disorganization of Roar — bringing with it a sense of responsibility to serve the creature I so vehemently — albeit illogically — revere.

Such is the essence of Roar. Each interview, each article, each editorial fills me not only with the same giddy excitement that I felt when I conducted my first interview in a secluded corner in the 9000s, but with a feeling of responsibility and dedication that pulls me deeper into the all-consuming clutches of Roar.

Staring at InDesign documents for so

Writing emails; writing our experience on Roar

long that I see horizontal bright blue guidelines every time I close my eyes, I dedicate countless hours to creating a final product that best represents the hard work of our staff, and, in turn, I learn more about myself.

Experiences ranging from NSPA adventures down skyscraper-high escalators and into yearbook trivia with Blaze to middle-of-paste-up conversations about the horrors of running both Zoom and InDesign at once on the same computer have taught me that I thrive in an environment where work and fun intersect, where I’m so passionate about the work I’m doing that it becomes a fun respite from other responsibilities.

The newspapers scattered across the chaotic but peaceful room 1201 — and our SWAT-level emergency responses to Carrie’s daily spills — are a testament to our collaboration and teamwork, and I have learned that varied perspectives create a more complete whole, and collaboration yields a final product greater than any individual could ever achieve. On distribution day, I’m proud to twin sweatshirts with all our staff.

If I’ve learned one thing over the past four years, it’s that the Roar is a living entity; each member uniquely influences the path it takes.

Though Carrie and I have shared plenty of sappy conversations about what will happen to emails once we’re no longer on Roar — our more graphic predictions include “Last edited five years ago” — I am excited to see what path the Roar embarks on next.

Carrie: A fresh eight pages and 15 emails into the email document, I can’t help but laugh.

Somehow, I’m genuinely happy to spend my Saturday night donning my geeky journalism hat to craft notes to staff, peers and interviewees.

To scroll through “emails” is to stroll through a year of memories, of highs and lows and everything in between. It’s to see all the individuals — co-editors, reporters, interviewees and mentors — who draw from all corners of our community, each integral to Roar’s community and success. Somehow, crammed in one document, we have everything from formal emails to elected officials to delirious, satirical unsent emails written to imaginary friends after a few too many hours of editing.

Could we have made multiple documents, meticulously organized in folders within folders for every occasion and audience? Sure — in many ways, that would better align with my J tendencies (as classified by the MBTI) — but to do so would not be to authentically represent Roar, the stressful and freeing, the time-sucking and memorymaking, the fights and bonds, the love and hate. Indeed, a true representation of Roar is all of these seemingly conflicting elements wrapped into one beautifully messy document, be it emails or an article, the product of countless people’s hard work.

At the beginning of the volume, anticipating (but of course not fully understanding) the tangible and interpersonal work ahead, I

tried to set some semblance of a “work-life” balance for myself, notably attempting to restrict my Roar-related messages to fellow editors to Facebook Messenger and social ones to iMessages.

Yet, that lasted about five minutes because, unlike other activities, I could never quite compartmentalize Roar.

By nature, I like to have all of my work done before I relax. I soon learned, however, that to invest the hours necessary to write and lay pages with my head down and focused would be excruciating.

Instead, I’ve found that a quick joke shared at paste-up or Buzzfeed Quiz Party break while writing an article are not only what have made me enjoy Roar, but have actively enhanced my Roar skills. The lines between responsibility and recreation became blurrier and blurrier, and I became happier and happier.

But Roar’s never been done, never something I could check off my to-do list; that’s what made it the highlight of my high school career, and that’s what makes the end of my tenure on Senior Staff particularly challenging.

Writing 55 pages of emails these past few months, we should have mastered the art of saying thank you. While we’ll never be able to thank The Roar for all it's given us, we can thank all of you. In the spirit of that very first line: We appreciate the trust you placed in us to lead the paper, and we can’t wait to see where the paper goes next.

Scan this QR code to access the Roar's website:

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PAGE 8 FEBRUARY 9, 2021

OPINIONS ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR VOLUME 37, ISSUE 7

WHICH LEARNING MODEL IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

T

he City of Newton’s website states that 180 Newton residents have died of COVID-19 — 180 neighbors, friends and family. COVID-19 has brought sadness, uncertainty and fear globally. The pandemic changed everything we knew to be true — from grocery store trips to school.

Recently, Newton Public Schools decided to partially reopen in-person, highschool learning after being closed since March. To ensure in-person learning would be safe and follow COVID-19 guidelines, the School Committee created the HyFlex model, creating a hybrid learning model in which two different cohorts attend school two days per week, while those who opt out of the hybrid model learn exclusively remotely.

I chose to stay remote because even though education is a high priority of mine, my health and safety mean more than going into class.

In November, cases began to spike.

Based on an infection rate graph on the City of Newton’s website, on Dec. 29, 2020, there were a total of 57 confirmed cases.

Last April, when COVID-19 was novel and uncontained, the most cases confirmed in a day was 59. With cases continuing to rise, Newton’s decision to open schools now makes little to no sense.

I understand and agree that in-person learning is more meaningful and educational than remote, but I am fine working from home, especially when returning would mean risking my own safety and that of others. I have routinely received emails reporting positive COVID-19 cases from South, and if more kids come to school sick, the community’s health and lives will be at risk — the present safety precautions do not counteract this risk.

Safety aside, I don’t think I’d enjoy the hybrid learning model. With all of the new protocols from one-way hallways to maskwearing, students are hardly going to see their friends, while some students and teachers will stay remote. The payoff simply isn’t worth putting myself in such a dangerous situation.

When it comes time to fully return to school, I want to go back and see my friends, talk to my teachers, walk around the school and go back to normal. The current model is not going to feel normal or freeing to me, so I opted to remain at home and enjoy a bit more control.

The HyFlex plan also fails to achieve equity. Students with disabilities are being completely disregarded. To receive the support they need, some students with disabilities require in-person learning. These individuals should be given priority and

REMOTE

HYBRID

BY DANIELLE BERDICHEVSKY

BY LEXI COOKE

safety — beyond Cohort C, which is open to a select few students, including some deemed high needs — during these uncertain times.

It is not fair to put those in danger who don't have an alternative option to inperson education. Since I am not one of those students, I didn't want to add to their risk.

If I were to go to school, I would not only be putting myself, but my whole family at increased risk of contracting the coronavirus. I see my grandparents at least once a week, and they are at massive risk if they get COVID-19. If I were to return to school, I would have to give up seeing them.

Even if no one in your family is considered “high-risk” for COVID-19, you never know how someone’s body will react to the disease. COVID-19 is a gamble. Would you want to bet on your life? Like most students, I am excited for the day I can go back and experience some normalcy in school, but, for me personally, that day hasn’t arrived yet.

W

hen Newton Public Schools first shut down last March, none of us expected to be out of school for quite this long. In the spring, teachers said, “You’ll be back before summer, just in time for graduation!”

In the summer, teachers stayed optimistic still, “I’m sure you’ll be back by the fall!” they said.

But by fall, school was still closed, and we began the year with remote learning.

It somehow became the norm to wake up and roll out of bed to class, often still in pajamas. It was hard to even remember what regular school was like. For most students, the remote learning routine is boring and bland to say the least. Staring at a computer screen for the entire school day, without much movement, dampened a lot of people’s spirits and made it less exciting and enjoyable to welcome the new school year. I didn’t feel that school was as fun without the opportunity to really talk and be around my peers and teachers.

I fell into a monotonous routine,

graphic by Julie Wang

which made me realize that I wanted to take advantage of any in-person opportunities that South offered. That’s why, when the administration announced the option of some in-person learning, I made the decision to attend school through the hybrid model. I always knew that if we had a chance to go back to school this year, I would consider it seriously, as long as it was safe.

In making my decision, I considered my siblings’ experiences in a hybrid learning model. I have a sister in elementary school and a sister in middle school, so I knew that both schools had been successful in executing a hybrid model earlier in the year. Both of my siblings' schools were using a similar model to South, in which they attend two days a week. Neither of them had heard of any COVID-19 infections as a result of the hybrid model, and I knew they were enjoying hybrid learning much more than they enjoyed fully remote learning at the start of the year.

Beyond my sisters’ experiences, I contemplated how my experience would differ based on which cohort I was assigned to. By the time I had to make my decision, however, South had not released information on how many cohorts there would be or how they would be sorted.

Initially, I was worried that fewer cohorts would mean more people in the building at a time. Once I understood that there would be around five to 10 other students in most classes, I felt safe choosing to attend school in-person, understanding that physical interaction would be limited if not virtually nonexistent.

When I found out that we would be doing a full day at South, I was honestly a little shocked. I knew my sister’s elementary school had done it, but my sister’s middle school hadn’t, so I wondered why high school chose to tempt fate by keeping students in person for lunch. Since the high schools have more students, in-person lunch is worryingly dangerous. If you’re not familiar with the concept of lunch, it entails lots of people sitting in one room with their masks off, eating and drinking — a recipe for disaster. I did consider this a risk, but in the end, I still chose to go in-person because, for me, the benefits of going outweighed my concerns about the safety of the model.

No matter if you chose the hybrid or remote model, everyone is entitled to their choices. My choice was based upon the new opportunities that hybrid learning would grant me, such as being able to interact with people and getting to be in a new setting and environment. I thoroughly weighed the options and decided on what I thought would be best. Indeed, having experienced in-person learning over the past few weeks, I’m even more certain I made the right choice.

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

OPINIONS PAGE 9

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UNIFYING THE UN-UNIFIABLE Biden may have won the presidency, but his opportunity to truly unite the nation hangs in the air amidst unprecedented economic and racial inequality

By Matan Josephy, Aden Tom and Arshia Verma

I

n his rousing victory speech, President Joe Biden promised to unite our divided nation amidst the joint crises of the pandemic, ongoing racial injustice, economic recession and climate change. Finding solutions to these problems, however, is only the beginning of a long journey to national stability and unity.

If Biden makes good on his pledge, he will be revered, his legacy admired for years to come. If Biden fails, his presidency will be a disappointment, and the hopes of millions of Americans relying on him and Vice President Kamala Harris to forge a better future and unify the nation will be dashed. In terms of politically and ideologically unifying America and healing the systemic wounds that divide Democrats and Republicans, it appears we have reached the point of no return, making the odds of success for Biden slim and rendering his decision to push for unity unwise.

Biden has repeatedly claimed that he will work to combat systemic racism, but dismantling systems sown deep in American history requires not only words, but action.

Ever since announcing his candidacy, Biden has repeatedly told citizens that he was the best candidate to fight racial injustice, and he has vowed to rein in police brutality and other major issues in the criminal justice system.

The U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, however, highlighted just how difficult this task will be. The stark display of white supremacy and violence begs the question: how will Biden unify our nation when there are two Americas, one of progressivism and tolerance and one of bigotry and white supremacy?

Our leaders and the media have politicized nearly everything — from Black Lives Matter to COVID-19 — sowing division across socioeconomic and racial lines. Our nation is already divided, and Biden’s approach of discussing ideas across the aisle, but never acting on them or providing a detailed plan, is impractical.

Beyond unfeasible, Biden’s policies seem unwise, especially as he takes office while America is grappling with unprecedented inequality. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States was dealing with gargantuan disparities in wealth; Pew Research Center found in 2020

All the while, America’s billionaires consolidated nearly a trillion dollars in new wealth. Inequality of the scale that America faces now is unsustainable, and tackling it must be a top priority. Yet, for all the urgency, the window of opportunity is shrinking. That isn’t to say that it is impossible to tackle such inequity, but doing so requires bold strokes that Biden’s message of bipartisanship risks compromising.

While some of Biden’s policies are more progressive than what Obama or Trump advocated for during their terms, he won the presidency on a platform much more moderate than that of many of his

How will Biden unify our nation when there are two Americas, one of progressivism and tolerance and one of bigotry and white supremacy?

— just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — that income inequality in the United States drastically increased under the Trump administration.

As wages have stagnated, the share of wealth held by the top few percent of the American population grew with few constraints. The average wealth of a white household has grown to become nearly seven times larger than that of a BIPOC family. The pandemic has only exacerbated economic inequality, leaving millions unemployed and struggling to stay afloat. The economy contracted, and America entered the worst recession since the Great Depression.

opponents. Unless Biden strays massively from the message that got him elected, his record will likely constrain him to a massively scaled-back version of any legislative agenda he has campaigned on. But even if Biden bows to progressive pressure and embraces the larger steps that are necessary to adequately address the issue at hand, Congress’s current setup could doom that as well.

The Democratic majority in the House is slim, meaning that any legislation will inevitably have to cater to moderate Democrats to pass. The Senate is in an even worse position — with Democratic control contingent on the tie-breaking vote of Vice

President Harris, even one defection could doom any efforts to address wealth inequality.

And with moderate senators like Joe Manchin of West Virginia already raising objections to cornerstones of President Biden’s legislative goals like bigger stimulus checks and more expansive relief packages, it looks increasingly likely that any bills will need to cater to their agenda. Unity is important, but when it comes at the expense of meaningful policy that addresses the biggest issues of our time, it can do more harm than good.

With the slim majority in the House, passing legislation targeting climate change, for instance, is up in the air. The effects of climate change bring up a debate that roots back to politics. Although studies have shown the severe effects climate change will have, the question of climate change’s legitimacy is still a debate amongst politicians.

The disagreement displays a more pressing issue at stake. Every major controversial topic, including climate change, has become politicized. Generally, Democrats and Republicans have conflicting views, and the negativity and violence that come with the disagreement only contribute to the downfall of our country. Focusing on each politicized issue is not how Biden should choose to use this precious four-year window.

Split opinions regarding COVID-19, racial and economic inequality and climate change shows the clear division in our country. The line has been drawn in the sand, and the thought of reunification is a forgotten dream. Will Biden’s dramatic change be effective in unifying the country? Will Biden’s promise be fulfilled? Only time will tell.

PAGE 10 OPINIONS

THE LION'S ROAR

Pandemic trends are here to stay

BY LIBBY CHALAMISH AND EMMA ZHANG “Hand me the glue, will you?” Libby asked her mother as she worked on a quarantine art project. The hours at home had driven her to make all sorts of impractical things –– confetti out of leaves, a caterpillar out of pom-pom balls and even model magic sculptures of her family members. At that moment, she was in the process of making a collage of old magazines and scrap paper while dressed in her usual quarantine attire –– a nice shirt for her virtual classes coupled with pajama pants and slippers.

Once COVID-19 was declared a national emergency and quarantine began in March, people had to find creative ways to spend their newfound free time. Almost an entire year later, vaccine distribution has begun, and people are eager to leave quarantine behind and transition toward the “new normal.” Despite the pandemic’s challenges, quarantine encouraged the exploration of new hobbies, improved people’s adaptability and increased awareness of frontline workers’ sacrifices, all of which should extend even upon a return to “normalcy.”

Toward the beginning of quarantine, the amount of free time we had on our hands seemed akin to a vacation. We took this time to foster our hobbies that get pushed aside during our typical schedules. Some channeled their creativity through art, taking to home improvement projects, tie-dyeing and fine art.

Avid home chefs took to the internet, sharing recipes for banana bread, Dalgona coffee and sourdough bread. For us, it was baking and art –– our houses were either full of art supplies or ingredients for the recipes

we found on social media. Above all, isolation allowed us to discover qualities about ourselves that we otherwise would not have taken the time to notice.

Certain habits that would have been unthinkable before the pandemic will hopefully remain in our post-pandemic lives. Though mask-wearing may be uncomfortable, precautionary measures such as frequent hand washing and an overall heightened awareness of hygiene can protect against not only COVID-19, but also other viruses. Considering all the benefits these hygienic precautions have on public health, it is only sensible to continue them.

During this pandemic, healthcare workers have led the charge against COVID-19, showing tireless dedication and sacrifice. Many communities bonded over their appreciations of essential workers.

Healthcare workers’ selflessness is not new, however, and public recognition of them should extend far beyond the pandemic’s end.

While the rapid lifestyle change of the pandemic proved to be extremely challenging, it encouraged self-motivation and adaptability. When lockdown orders forbade people from seeing their friends, family and peers, we had to find creative ways to maintain some semblance of our old routines without physical contact.

Schools and offices were moved to Zoom, challenging people’s motivation.

Many people organized get-togethers with friends on virtual platforms, where they played online games, talked and tried to make up for the months they spent apart.

We had to think of out-of-the-box ways to celebrate birthdays and other special events; some made their parties virtual, some had them outdoors and others organized drivethroughs for gifts and greetings. Although we are still getting used to these changes, they taught skills that will undoubtedly serve us well in the future.

Quarantine has been difficult, and we

are still getting used to its effects. Understandably, many want to leave it in the past.

It’s crucial, however, to remember the positive habits we learned in quarantine. These lifestyle changes may have been unusual and unwanted, but now that we have learned to integrate them into our lives, we should preserve them.

graphic by Emily Zhang

Decrease the voting age, increase the electorate

BY LAILA POLK

graphic courtesy of Vote 16 Newton

Expanding the electorate means expanding our democracy, and Vote16 is an organization that aims to do so by working to lower the voting age in cities and towns nationwide. In Newton, we have the opportunity to lead by example and join the small number of municipalities that have extended the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds.

Newton is at an inflection point. Climate change, an affordable housing crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have forced us to rethink what it means to be a progressive and welcoming city to all. Lowering the municipal voting age to 16 means that 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in local elections for mayor, School Committee and City Council.

The youth vote brings a more futureoriented and change-focused mindset to the aforementioned key issues facing our city. The time we’re living in is monumental. We have the option to further entrench ourselves in a state where the youth voice is ignored or progress into a brighter, more equal future, and we must choose the latter.

It is us, young people, who will be forced to live through the effects of current issues like climate change. We need leadership on these issues that will affect us for the rest of our lives, and the only way to do that is to give the youth a voice by lowering the municipal voting age.

Beyond highlighting the voice of young

people, lowering the voting age would also increase lifelong civic participation, diversifying the electorate. If young people have the opportunity to vote in municipal elections starting at 16, they will begin to build a lifelong engagement in civic affairs and develop a better understanding of local issues.

Voting is an important habit to establish amongst young people. As Mark Franklin, professor emeritus at Trinity College, explains, “If you don’t vote in the first three elections for which you’re eligible, you’re less likely to vote for the rest of your life.”

Lowering the voting age means that students will actively reinforce the civics education they receive in schools. Lowering the voting age not only increases the age diversity of Newton’s registered voters, but also the racial diversity. While only 20% of adult Newton residents are minorities, nearly 40% of NPS students are, meaning that lowering the voting age will increase voter diversity by a considerable measure.

Now is the time to make change and to be the progressive and welcoming city that Newton claims to be. Fulfilling Vote16’s mission to enfranchise 16- and 17-year-olds gives us a voice and agency over our own futures.

At the end of the day, people ought to be able to vote on the issues that impact them, and it is Newton’s responsibility to grant the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds so they may vote to confront the crises that affect them.

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

UPGRADE

9 Tom Brady still in the Super Bowl Raiding CVS for on-sale Valentines Day candy Covid cases on the decline Lady Gaga Oreos Watching hedge fund managers cry Senior slump Febuary Break College acceptance letters

OPINIONS PAGE 11

Movie Review: Soul

BY ANNIKA ENGELBRECHT "Don't worry. You can't crush a soul here.

That's what Earth is for." After 2020, that statement couldn't be more accurate. Produced by Pixar and released by Disney, "Soul" is a heartfelt movie that can spark a discussion about the purpose of life, among other things. With lively humor and a heartwarming plot, “Soul” is definitely worth taking the time to watch.

Set in New York City, the movie focuses on the life (and afterlife) of Joe Gardner, a struggling part-time band teacher who gets offered a full-time position at the school. However, accepting the offer means passing up his dream of being a full-time jazz musician. That same day, Joe gets a call asking him to play piano for the Dorothea Williams Quartet, a prominent musical group. He jumps at the opportunity and astounds Dorothea Williams, the lead soloist whom the band is named after, with his talent, landing him a gig later that night. Ecstatic, Joe calls someone to tell them the good news, and, focused on his phone call, he falls down a sewer grate to his death.

Joe lands on a conveyor belt as a soul, a blue-green figure with attributes of a human body. The conveyor belt is heading toward the entrance to the afterlife. Convinced he doesn't belong, Joe’s soul sprints down the belt until it falls off and ends up in a place dubbed the “You Seminar,” where newly created souls cultivate specific traits and passions before being sent to Earth. Joe’s soul tries to get back to Earth, but he is unable to without an “Earth pass,” a pass that souls that develop passions are gifted.

Joe’s soul hatches a plan with soul 22, a

CRUSH: the start of every romantic story

9

DOWNGRADE

One-way hallways Frostbite from cold classrooms Broken New Year's resolutions

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Valentine's Day Playlist

Questionable driving in the parking lot Drake's delayed album

50 songs, three hours and four minutes — no matter what your love life looks like this Valentine's day, our playlist has you covered. Scan the Spotify code to start listening

have a Black lead; however, that doesn't address the film's questionable choices, such as how Tina Fey, a white woman, voices the body of Joe, instead of Jamie Foxx, a Black man, due to Joe temporarily swapping bodies with 22.

Another critique is the plot itself, as reviewers had hoped that Pixar's first movie about a Black character would focus more on his experiences on Earth. Instead, the need to help 22 overshadows Joe’s story on Earth, insinuating that telling a story about a Black man’s life on Earth isn’t captivating enough.

Overall, the animation, theme and plot were exceptional; however, many believe the movie falls somewhat short when it comes to meaningfully portraying a Black lead. While not perfect, “Soul’s” foundations: the animation, t h e m e an d plot create the makings for a great movie, and I hope “Soul” paves the way for more mature Pixar films in the future.

graphic courtesy of Pixar

IN LOVE: hold on to that wedding planning

Crush Duckwrth

Japanese Denim Daniel Caesar

See You Again Tyler, The Creator

Better Khalid

Addiction Dojo Cat Hello?

Clario blind ROLE MODEL

TikTokers making ear-bleed worthy "songs" Zoom fatigue

soul notorious for not being able to cultivate a passion, to find a way back to Earth. Since 22 has no intention of going to Earth, the plan is for her to give her pass to Joe, so he can get back home. Ultimately, that plan fails — and Joe’s soul undergoes a brief expedition into a cat’s body — and Joe and 22 have to devise a new plan.

Unlike typical Pixar movies, "Soul" tackles heavy topics such as death and fate. While that may deter some viewers, I found the mature plot to be captivating. What to do in your life is a question most anyone can relate to, and watching this movie made me think about my plans.

However, “Soul” doesn’t box itself in as a movie geared toward adults; the movie’s bright colors, animation and humor make it kid-friendly.

It’s also a story about friendship and a lesson in selflessness, a quality that kids should learn. Being able to extract meaning from a movie makes it infinitely better, and that’s exactly what Pixar accomplished with Soul.

A highlight of the film was its phenomenal animation, especially its vivid depiction of New York City. The animation portrays far more relatable characters than I grew up seeing on TV. There are people from all walks of life, with flaws and senses of style.

After growing up with the classic Disney movies where everyone looks perfect and uniform, it’s nice to see figures who look human, albeit animated. The characters are expressive, pushing viewers to empathize with their experiences; the chaos 22 feels when thrust into the city's atmosphere reminded me of my first time there.

"Soul" makes history as Pixar's first film to

PUPPY LOVE: your love life has just peaked I Wonder Kanye West

BREAKUP: you're too good for them Malibu 1992 COIN better off Ariana Grande

MOVING ON: you are the love of your life

Loving is Easy Rex Orange County

The Story Conan Gray

Adore You Harry Styles

Self Care Mac Miller

S

Police and protestors at a rally on Jan. 6 in response to the Newton Highlands shooting photos by Hedi Skali

TIMELINE July 2, 1968

1668

Newton is founded.

1873

July 2013

Police Chief William F. Quinn overhauls NPD and implements 24-hour paramedic services.

Newton becomes a city and establishes its police department, the first nationally accredited city police department in New England.

enior Valerie Goldstein began her afternoon of Jan. 5 like any other, rehearsing for South Stage’s play “Breathe,” until, around 2 p.m., her phone started buzzing and wouldn’t stop. Notifications were flooding in from Defund Newton Police Department (Defund NPD)’s Slack group about the shooting of a Newton resident at Indulge!, a candy shop in Newton Highlands.

Goldstein, upon reading the messages, was quick to end her rehearsal and join a meeting with other members of Defund NPD. Goldstein said that the call lasted several hours, as the community sought after details of the murder.

“He wasn’t pronounced dead at that point yet, so we were talking about helping him pay for his medical bills. As the night went on and we started finding out more and more details, and we heard of his death, we got more and more outraged,” she said. “When the 911 calls were released the following day, I listened to it and just cried. It was heartbreaking because you could hear how in pain he was. He was saying how he didn’t want to hurt anyone and how he needed help.”

The victim of the shooting was Michael Conlon, a 28-yearold man who was having a mental health crisis; he lived in an apartment near Indulge!. Witnesses told WCVB that Conlon told the store owner that he was off his medication and pulled out a knife, prompting a 911 call. WCVB reported that police officers then arrived on the scene, followed by a mental health clinician, who did not approach the scene because it was deemed too dangerous.

In response to the shooting, City Councilor Bill Humphrey wrote in a newsletter that the situation was not handled properly, especially considering the victim’s psychological condition.

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is established after #BlackLivesMatter was introduced on social media in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who murdered 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February 2012.

Late '60s and '70s

Students lead protests against the Vietnam War. Chief Quinn forms and trains a Tactical Patrol Force — including a police force of 60 officers and a canine unit — to respond to civil disorders in Newton.

Interdepartmental communication improves.

July 2014

Oct. 25, 2014

Hundreds of protesters line up on Boston’s Newbury Street in support of the BLM movement.

Protests in Boston, Washington D.C. and Chicago occur shortly after an undercover police officer kills Eric Garner in a chokehold on July 17, 2014.

Dec. 7, 201

A BLM rally in Newton to the deaths of Micha Garner at the hands o

S E I F I L P M A G N SHOOTI E G N A H C R O F CALL

nversation o c r e d a o r b ng amidst i t o o h s 5 . n a with the J s n o k c e r y olicing t i p n y t u i c m f m o o e l c o n Newto on the r fkowitz e L a y n A d n ong a

By Ellyssa Je

“Police did not need to use deadly force — something I believe should never occur, not just this time — and they were not the appropriate people to resolve this incident. … This tragedy was avoidable, and … this speaks to a broader need to restructure and reconsider public safety from the ground up,” he wrote. “We also know that other occupations, especially nurses, have a great deal of experience in resolving mental health episodes without resorting to deadly force.”

Following the shooting, Defund NPD organized a Jan. 6 protest to mourn and honor Conlon and to demand the separation between mental health services and police.

Senior Elianna Kruskal attended the protest and spoke as one of the emcees.

“We have seen time and time again that police officers are simply not trained or equipped to effectively handle mental health issues; the instincts police gain/strengthen through their training are incredibly harmful and detrimental in many scenarios including mental health, and we need to remove the responsibility from police,” he wrote in a Jan. 25 email.

Guidance counselor and Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education club advisor Sarah Style said individuals with mental illness are rightfully concerned about policing protocol.

“I can imagine someone who struggles with mental illness worrying about misperceptions,” she said. “People may suffer from severe mental illness for a brief period of time or for an extended period of time. Others of us have family members and loved ones who may suffer from mental illness. I think it's misunderstood because it's invisible in a way that physical disabilities are not.”

Biases in policing extend beyond the treatment of people who struggle with mental illness, often manifesting in patterns

14

of racial profiling.

POLICING BIASES On May 20, former assistant athletic director at Northeastern University and Newton resident Tim Duncan was on a walk with his wife near his Newton home when he was approached by six policemen with guns drawn.

In a video created mainly for his student-athletes following the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, he addressed his own threatening experience with police in Newton and his outrage at the nation’s history of policing biases.

“It’s not okay that just because I’m a tall Black man walking one block from his house that I’m pulled over and said that I fit a profile of a murder suspect just because he was tall. I understand that the police have to do their job, but to roll down on me with guns drawn when I’m walking on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon with my wife is uncalled for,” he said in the video.

“It’s uncalled for that George Floyd had a knee on his neck for eight minutes and I think 46 seconds. It’s uncalled for that Ahmaud was running through a neighborhood — I’m a runner, I run through neighborhoods all the time — and someone hunted him down and killed him, and that’s not okay.

This stuff has happened way too much.”

An internal affairs review conducted by Sargent Kevin Rudd following the incident found that the actions of the officers “were prudent and justified.”

A Defund NPD report analyzed police field interrogations and observations and found that compared to white people,

Black people are 9.01 times and Latinx people 2.47 times more likely to be interrogated by Newton police when police initiate the encounter. Additionally, for officer-initiated interrogations, Defund NPD found that Black people are experiencing 6.94 times and Latinx people 1.93 times the expected quantity of field interrogations.

DEFUND NPD As a result of the hypervisibility of racially charged policing incidents across the country, initiatives have surged toward limiting the costly budget for police departments; Defund NPD, which was founded in June of 2020, strives to accomplish this goal. The organization has grown since its beginning, including South students Goldstein and Kruskal.

Goldstein said that she joined Defund NPD to make a difference following tragic acts of police brutality both locally and across the country.

“This is a great local organization that’s doing some really important work, so I decided to join, and it’s been such an important sense of community for me, within the group, as well as the way we’ve interacted with the broader community,” she said.

With support, there is backlash. Kruskal wrote that some misinterpret Defund NPD’s motives.

“There is this huge misconception in Newton that we have some personal vendetta against cops in Newton and that we want to punish them, which could not be farther from the truth,” he wrote. “Every single Newton police officer could be ‘perfect’ and have done no harm, and we would still have

May 20, 2020

Jan. 6

Tim Duncan is stopped by four police cars and six officers while walking with his wife in Newton.

n occurs in response ael Brown and Eric of police.

June 16, 2020

June 2020

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced formation of the Newton Police Reform Task Force.

The Defund Newton Police Department (Defund NPD) organization is established.

May 31, 2020

Allegations of police brutality are reported after BLM protesters are forced out of downtown Boston.

June 10, 2020

The first Defund NPD meeting with Newton City Councilors had approximately 300 members.

Defund NPD then initiated a petition to defund the NPD, which was signed by over 1,850 people.

Defund NPD holds a rally in honor of Conlon’s memory while demanding the NPD distance the police department from mental health emergencies. The rally attracts counter protesters.

Jan. 5

28-year-old Newton resident Michael Conlon is shot and killed by police during a mental health crisis.

PAGE 14 CENTERFOLD

THE LION'S ROAR

issues with policing and want to reallocate funds because the system is set up in so many problematic ways that the individuals matter less.”

Kruskal wrote that although Defund NPD’s primary objective for 2021 is to reallocate Newton’s policing budget towards social services, its goal of protecting all members of the community remains most salient.

“Generally, we hope to create a Newton that is safe and welcoming for all and a community that promotes equity and explicitly lifts up voices that have been historically and systemically silenced, like [those of] Black people, Indigenous people, other people of color, disabled people and queer people,” Kruskal wrote.

PROTOCOLS Mayor Ruthanne Fuller gave an address in June 2020 that banned officers from using chokeholds and requiring officers to intervene in instances of excessive force.

The limitations of force response protocols was an initiative from Campaign Zero, an organization associated with

aid ss r e d s pon el les g s e fe rin fr % o t they r hea nt in 2 .

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"N e th wto e on men cor n Po ly tal re lic c e t str crim rain hea t to off ug ina ed lth ols ice gli l s w cr to rs ng itu ith ise r do w a h s e n no ith tion ow . Th spon 't ha t c m s, to ey d ve rim en an de w to ina tal d p al ere ls. hea eop wit " lth le h are

97 South students responded anonymously to an online Roar survey about the shooting in Newton Highlands

the Black Lives Matter organization. Campaign Zero urges law enforcements in major cities across the nation to adopt eight policies of de-escalation techniques and transparency.

An NPD document outlined protocols last revised on June 15, 2020 regarding the procedures for usage of lethal force and firearms, both sections which state on multiple occasions that lethal force should only be used when the officers are confronted with life-threatening situations and when all de-escalation techniques are exhausted.

The NPD Use of Force manual mandates that officers use their best judgement in categorizing the threat level, and thus protocols, of a given situation.

Style said that it’s crucial to examine police training on a national level.

“It's important to look at the training that they receive specifically about identifying and supporting citizens they encounter who are struggling with mental illness,” she said. “It's very tragic when people who are in the midst of a mental illness crisis are not given the support that they need at that moment.”

Though the Newton Highlands shooting is still under investigation, many Newton residents have expressed their

ho not only has "As someone w close to others but is mental [illness] it is terrifying and l, el w that do as have seen this g heartbreakin to agine what this ot im happen. … I cann ugh, and I beg the thro poor man went ake changes." to system m

outrage at the handling of the incident, Goldstein said.

MOVING FORWARD Fuller declined to comment on the shooting; however, her Feb. 4 newsletter to the Newton community detailed the draft recommendations of the Police Reform Task Force. The proposal includes refining “the scope of the Newton Police Department, which might include a different approach to crisis situations and non-police responses to various violations,” and an internal NPD Police Review Committee has called for “new ways to respond to mental health calls.” Final recommendations have yet to be released.

Style said that in addition to reviewing law enforcement policies and procedures, local elections play a critical role in reassessing NPD’s role.

“Voting is really critical and so is supporting legislation that reexamines policing. I think it would be a great step — not just at the local level but at the state and national level as well,” she said. “There are lots of different ways to approach it, and I think now more than ever we should re-examine it.”

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76 mo .3% n of su be r ey g sur an ch eall oin vey d s as oc g t ta ub me ate o t ker sta nt d t he s nc al h o o NP said e a ea th D s t bu lth er a ho hat se re re uld pre sou as, ve rce nt s ion .

graphics illustrated by Emily Zhang

We hope to create a Newton that is safe and welcoming for all and a community that promotes equity and explicitly lifts up voices that have been historically and systemically silenced, like Black people, Indigenous people, other people of color, disabled people and queer people.

People may suffer from severe mental illness for a brief period of time or for an extended period of time. Others of us have family members and loved ones who may suffer from mental illness. I think it's misunderstood because it's invisible in a way that physical disabilities are not.

Police did not need to use deadly force — something I believe should never occur, not just this time — and they were not the appropriate people to resolve this incident. …

This tragedy was avoidable, and … this speaks to a broader need to restructure and reconsider public safety from the ground up.

Elianna Kruskal class of 2021

Sarah Style guidance counselor

Bill Humphrey city councilor

PAGE 15 FEBRUARY 9, 2021

FEATURES ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR VOLUME 37, ISSUE 7

South hosts in-person freshmen orientations Sarah Feinberg, Ella Moses & Jocelyn Wu Features Contributors

This school year has been particularly challenging for freshmen, who are new to the South community. Freshman Raina Bornstein said that the transition to high school has been difficult.

“I was definitely very confused and nervous,” she said. “Being a freshman and going into high school is a nerve-racking thing on its own. Combining that with the fact that nobody really knew what they were doing and this had never been done before didn’t help.”

Freshman class president Kevin Yang said that he wishes the administration had placed more emphasis on building community.

“I barely know anyone in the grade that’s not from Brown,” he said.

Alo Mukerji, a freshman parent, said that she had hoped for more opportunities for her daughter to make new connections at the beginning of the year.

“I feel like we're in a holding pattern where she's just getting educated, but I don't feel much of a sense of community around it,” she said. “I wish there had been some safe alternatives in the very beginning of the year where they had a little bit of an opportunity to meet people in person before they went all remote.”

In an effort to counteract the general

feeling of alienation and lack of community among freshmen, the administration hosted split freshmen orientations on Jan. 20 and 27, with the class split evenly between the two events. English teacher and freshmen advisor Alan Reinstein said that the orientations were a step in the right direction.

“It’s one thing that could make students feel that they're being welcomed into the school community,” he said. “The teachers care and want them to have something of a positive opening, so they can start to feel comfortable in the school building.”

Although she said it was helpful to get a taste of the school building, freshman Naomi Weitzman said that she wishes there were more social opportunities during the orientation.

“The time slots were a little bit short,” she said. “Having more icebreakers would have definitely been helpful.”

Despite limited official orientation activities, Weiztman said that her teachers have worked to build class communities remotely.

“Most of my teachers have been very inclusive, and at the beginning of most of my classes they did a lot of icebreakers and activities to get to know each other,” she said.

Reinstein said that he understands the frustration felt by freshmen.

“They really have lost that kind of the central piece of the high school experience — not having gotten to know what that busy hallway is like, seeing seniors in the hallway,” he said.

Freshman Hazel Chang, who went to a private middle school, said that fostering friendships online has been difficult.

“When you’re in a breakout room with other people, it’s really awkward,” she said.

“It’s not really making friends, it’s kind of just talking to them.”

Weitzman said that the return to in-person learning is an opportunity she is excited to take advantage of to help establish a stronger community.

Kaplan said the orientation helped her get to know South better.

“It was a fun experience because we got

to come to the new school for the first time and meet people and see where our classes are,” she said.

Reinstein said he hopes that freshmen feel that the orientation is just one example of the school’s efforts to make freshmen feel at home.

“I know it's not perfect, but it's something — it's a way of getting students into the building and figuring out how to get from one class to the other,” he said. “Students are still nervous, and I think they're getting the message that the administration and teachers really want to support them.”

Freshmen navigate the school during a Jan. 27 orientation

photo by Hedi Skali

Sam Hyun '10 combats Asian American racism Siya Patel

Features Editor Growing up in Newton, ‘10 graduate Sam Hyun said he experienced unchecked racism, which drove him to develop a passion for activism and justice.

“Anytime I experienced any sort of xenophobia or anti-Asian racism, it was always told as a joke that I was being overly sensitive, that I should just shut up,” he said.

“I started to realize that I can't speak for everybody, but I can speak for myself, and I can use my voice and my platform to make sure that I'm creating space for every com-

munity, every voice to be heard.”

A career dedicated to public service led Hyun to his current position as chairperson of the state’s Asian American Commission (AAC), which serves to highlight Asian American accomplishments and to address challenges faced by Asians Americans.

Corrie Popp, a former South English teacher who taught Hyun, said Hyun is a uniquely talented listener who forges strong connections with everyone around him.

When Hyun learned about the horrors of child soldiers in Sierra Leone during his junior year, he started a chapter of Invisible Children, an organization dedicated to

photo courtesy of Sam Hyun

raising awareness on issues facing Central Africa, to advocate for the eradication of child soldier recruitment, just one example of his perpetual dedication to fighting injustice, Popp said.

“He's always been such an advocate for the underdog, so insistent that all people are treated fairly and that there is equity,” she said. “Any cause that's in the news, he will jump on it, and he always takes what we would consider the ‘right side of history’ and advocates for people.”

After college, Hyun worked as a legislative aide to former Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo, where he developed a new understanding of the governmentcitizen power dynamic.

“I saw how people don't come to the government as a first option, but [a] last option. Not last, but last after the last option.

Folks who tried to come and advocate often aren't the ones who actually need the help, but it's the privileged who are able to come and advocate because if you're working three jobs, you don't have time or the options,” he said. “In Newton, we like to tell ourselves that we understand, but we really don't.”

Now, serving on the AAC, Hyun said he’s learned more about how the world perceives Asian communities.

“It really highlighted how fractured our community is and how it's so East Asiandominated. So much of our community is erased from the conversation,” he said. “We've been actively trying to work on increasing our South Asian participating commissioners and Southeast Asian commissioners, making

sure that the Pacific Islander and Indigenous communities are also included.”

Hyun said that his experience has highlighted the importance of removing oneself from the spotlight when advocating for marginalized communities.

“You're not saving anybody, you're just allowing people to be their true selves because everybody is capable of being able to speak up for themselves,” he said. “I had to shed myself of my savior complex and thinking that I can save the Asian American community myself [and] really learn how to build bridges, build those connections and be able to elevate and make space for all the voices in our community.”

History teacher Lily Eng, who taught Hyun, said that she is proud of him for using his passion to enact change.

“Trying to eliminate systemic racism and providing structures for groups to have access is more important than ever because we have to build and create the America we want we all want to be in,” she said. “It takes hard work and courage.”

Hyun said that everyone has a role in dismantling oppressive systems that begins with listening.

“The one thing we can do is listen to each other and start to value each other for not just our similarities but our differences.

Our uniqueness is what makes us beautiful, but our similarities are also what bring us together,” he said. “I wish that we really could just start actively listening and seeing each other, instead of just trying to talk over each other.”

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

FEATURES PAGE 16

SCHOOLING SQUARED

Educational inequity skyrockets as affluent families turn to supplemental educational resources

F

rom writing petitions to speaking at School Committee meetings to contacting politicians, South parent Josh Feinberg* braced to do whatever it took to get his daughters back to in-person learning this year. When South’s in-person prospects looked less-than-promising, he surveyed his daughter junior Olivia Feinberg’s* options, including repeating a grade at another school or studying abroad.

Resigned to continuing at South, Olivia started the year taking an online AP U.S. History course and working with a private math and biology tutor to supplement the South curriculum. When these proved insufficient, Olivia made a mid-year switch to a local private school, where she is in person four days a week.

“They had one spot, and my parents were just like, ‘this is insane that we could even find a spot for you, that they were willing to take you in the middle of the year in a pandemic and catch you up,’” Olivia said.

“They were like, ‘you kind of need to do this.’

And so I went.”

Olivia is not alone. Public education thrown into upheaval amidst the pandemic, affluent families have turned to supplemental educational opportunities, exacerbating socioeconomic and racial educational inequities and highlighting the tension between communal benefit and individual gain.

One-on-one tutoring, cost-prohibitive extracurriculars and outside-of-school academic programs — supplemental educational opportunities coined “second schooling” — are just the newest strategies employed by affluent families to enhance their children’s learning.

Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Maryland Campbell Scribner said Supreme Court decisions, coupled with state-level policies, fundamentally limit individual- or school-level efforts to equalize educational outcomes.

Richard Weissbourd, a Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) senior lecturer and the founder of Making Caring Common, a HGSE project dedicated to raising justice-seeking over success-oriented youth, said that parents’ rationale is

By Julian Fefer, Carrie Ryter and Donny Tou understandable but precludes progress.

“People want to do what's best for their kids, but in some communities, there’s not a lot of thinking about other people's kids,” he said. “What can we do in this moment to reduce these disparities? There's a lot of talk about it, but there's not a lot of action.”

Pawan Dhingra, professor of sociology at Amherst College, found that parents seeking second-schooling opportunities for their children triggers a vicious cycle in which each parent feels the need to propel their child ahead.

Director of guidance Dan Rubin said the ultimate goal is often to differentiate oneself or one’s child in the college admissions process.

“I will always lead with ‘To what end? What's your purpose of doing this?

Are you doing this because it's something that you are truly, genuinely excited to learn about and your motivation is learning, or are you doing this because you think it will “look good” to someone?’” he said. He said the responses are often disheartening.

The prevalence of second schooling has set the standard in public schools, history teacher Kyle Stark said. “[A student] will write something for me. I'll give feedback. Next paper is completely different, really huge improvement,” he said. “And then the next paper goes back to the way it was before. And you're like, ‘Okay, I guess the tutor was on vacation for this one.’”

Rubin said some coursework is practically structured around the assumption that all students receive extra help.

“I have heard over and over and over again, the perception of parents in the community is — [and] it's possibly a reality — that if you do not do supplemental math work … our honors math sequence feels really inaccessible,” he said.

When the pandemic hit, the base level of public school education across the country plummeted. At South, this meant a decreased workload and a shift toward so-

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cial-emotional learning and anti-racist pedagogy, Olivia said, adding that she had forgotten how to write an essay. And in less affluent districts, the effects were even more dire, Weissbourd said, noting that health and economic crises have compounded schooling disruptions. “[In] a lot of communities, particularly low-income communities and communities of color, people are dealing with terribles stresses and losses. They're dealing with grief of loss of loved ones; they're dealing with job losses, so families are under stress, a lot of stress, which has big effects on educational outcomes,” he said.

Myrtha Chang, owner of local Mathnasium centers, said in an email that families with the means to do so have found an antidote to a net loss of learning: second schooling.

The National Center for Education Statistics found that white students receive paid private tutoring services at a rate quadruple that of Hispanic students and double that of Black students.

It seems that the increased prevalence of

opportunities from those with privilege, the goal should be to expand such opportunities to those without.

In this vein, math teacher Vittoria Macadino-Francois is involved in two initiatives — Homework Club and the Calculus Project. Homework Club typically offers an in-school space and teacher support for any student to work on assignments after school but is not running this year. Macadino-Francois said that such efforts seek to counter cost-prohibitive second schooling.

The Calculus Project, which is running in a modified, virtual form this year, seeks specifically to close the race-based achievement gap within Newton.

The anticipated post-pandemic educational disparities are staggering. However, Weissbourd is not ready to forego all pedagogical changes that stemmed from the need to reimagine schooling last March. He said that the pandemic has forced educators to rapidly develop virtual schooling models and forge pathways for collaboration that can be used

People want to do what's best for their kids, but in some communities, there’s not a lot of thinking about other people's kids.

Richard Weissbourd HGSE Senior Lecturer second schooling is here to stay, at least while personal benefit drives individuals’ decisions.

“I sound insane. I sound, I am, privileged,” Olivia said. “I agree it was extremely privileged, but I think when I was given an opportunity, I didn’t want to make myself suffer.”

The scariest part? These disparities won’t go away with the pandemic. When zip codes can predict SAT scores, doors remain perpetually open for some demographics and forever locked for others, fueling a negative feedback loop that all-but ensures inequitable outcomes split along socioeconomic and racial lines.

Change cannot come from those oppressed by the system; rather, it must come as a result of government-led efforts, educational equity activist Lana Perice said in writing.

“This burden of America’s educational faults lies with the leaders of our democracy — not with the children who suffer through America’s education — who fail to recognize the real value education could create if we chose to try to honor our nation’s youth for their empowering advocacy and potential,” she wrote.

For Scribner, when identifying solutions to the disparate access to second schooling, the idea of supplemental educational resources is not as clear-cut as it might seem. He said that it’s time to broaden the definition of education.

“When you say seeking an additional education, if what you mean is that people are going to go volunteer at their local community garden — great,” he said. “If what you mean is they're going to get a crash course in how to game the SAT and raise their SAT score to get into a better college … I don't want that.”

Due to his positive experience with a private debate coach, junior Jasper Datta said that rather than removing second-schooling

across geographic divides, both of which can be applied upon returning to school to develop strategies to combat educational inequities.

Specifically, he cited the potential for pooling counseling resources among affluent schools, where student-to-counselor ratios are low, and poorly funded schools, where one counselor might be responsible for as many as 500 students; virtually bringing top-tier educators to support teachers in struggling schools; and using virtual learning platforms to radically expand access to higher education for young people unable to attend traditional colleges.

Rubin said he’s hearing more and more conversations surrounding educational equity, making him optimistic that change is on the horizon.

“There was a period of time when I think there was a widespread belief that if you had the wealth to create those opportunities for your children … you'd be sort of foolish not to flex those muscles and take advantage of opportunities where you can,” he said. “As a society, we've gotten better at talking about issues about equity and challenging where wealth and privilege [are] serving as a proxy for merit and achievement.”

While calls for a return to “normalcy” abound, Weissbourd said that post-pandemic schooling poses a unique opportunity for much-needed change.

“None of these things are going to be easy. … The pull of the status quo is going to be very strong. It's going to be very easy to fall back into the old patterns and routines,” he said. “If [we] are really strategic and thoughtful and push, we can make some really significant changes that advance equity.” *Names changed to protect identity

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

FEATURES PAGE 17

Students grapple with the ethics of pandemic traveling Talia Argov, Michael Sun & Jessa Verhoef Features Reporters

Upon boarding a plane bound for Florida wearing a mask, freshman Mia Dror said she immediately felt unsafe.

“The kids sitting behind me were definitely at the age where they were supposed to be wearing masks, but they weren’t,” she said. “I felt like the plane was trapped and closed, and I feel like they definitely should have separated it better.”

With many travel plans put on hold, students like Dror are contending with the ethics of traveling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 56 million fewer passengers travelled by plane in July 2020 than in July 2019. The Transportation Security Administration counted 468,933 passengers on Jan. 26 as opposed to 1,643,435 passengers on Jan. 26, 2020. There was an increase, however, of 5.8 million passengers from June to July.

Some, like Dror and her family, have decided to take the risk. Dror and her family traveled to Florida over December break.

While Massachusetts requires visitors to take a COVID-19 test or quarantine upon arrival, Florida has no travel regulations, a difference Dror said was emblematic of the states’ relative responses.

“In Tampa, you would get looked at weird if you were wearing a mask. People around me started looking at me like I was crazy,” she said. “I saw around five or six people who wore a mask the entire time.”

Junior Frank Liu, on the other hand, canceled his travel plans due to COVID-19.

Liu and his family were planning to visit California and China over the past year, and he also hoped to travel to New York City. Liu

graphic by Abby Kutin

said, however, that by March, he had realized that these plans would have to be postponed.

“For places like New York City, the positivity rate was the main concern,” he said. “Even in safer places like China, the fact that we had to quarantine for 14 days basically killed our plans.”

Freshman Andrea Tang said that she planned to travel to Las Vegas to compete in the United States Nationals Table Tennis Tournament, but it was ultimately postponed.

Tang said individuals should reconsider traveling due to the danger of COVID-19 and look instead for positive elements of staying home. In her case, this meant more time to prepare.

Liu said that once the pandemic is over, he hopes to travel somewhere reminiscent of life before the pandemic.

“The place I want to go to most is New York City to have the total opposite of quarantine,” he said. “It should be crowded and busy.”

Dror said that unessential travel is a personal choice to make without a clear solution.

“It’s tough because I’d say that it’s not smart all the time, but that would make me a hypocrite,” she said. “I definitely was very uncomfortable with some of the situations I didn't realize we would be in, like on the plane. A lot of places were too similar to how they were before COVID-19.”

1 in 2000: Amirah Pitts, “a miniature Michelle Obama” Sanjana Deshpande & Bella Ishanyan Features Reporters

For freshman Amirah Pitts, having challenging conversations and fighting for what she believes has always been important parts of her life. Since she was young, Pitts has used her voice and resources to increase awareness by posting on social media.

“My grandmother and father have always spoken to me about things like this since I was young, so it’s always something I’ve known about. It wasn’t something I started actively speaking about until I got older, when I thought it was right for me to start,” Pitts said. "Things that definitely sparked it more for me [included] what happened to George Floyd. That was something that really clicked in my mind, that I had to start standing up for what I believe in.”

Sophomore Kaira Ogbeifun, a close friend, said that Pitts has always been driven to push for change.

“She's compassionate [and] empathetic, and people around her want to be like her,” Ogbeifun said. “I could tell by her personality when we first met that she would have a lot of passion for things she found important.”

Pitts said that she’s particularly passionate about transgender rights.

“I know a lot of trans people. It’s really upsetting to me to see them living in an unsafe world and to see people that disagree with their existence,” she said. “I didn’t get into trans rights activism until I saw the statistics about — especially [for] trans-Black women — HIV and the number of trans women that were killed in 2020.”

For Pitts, the Black Lives Matter movement holds personal significance.

“I am Black myself, and experienc-

ing a lot of the things that it talks about has definitely led me to think about what’s important,” she said. “To me, this was kind of an awakening — not necessarily like I just realized it was happening because I’ve been seeing it — [to] the fact that in the United States, Black lives are viewed as disposable.”

Pitts’s older sister, Ashly Calafell, said that her sister’s determination to fight for equality has inspired her to learn more about important issues.

“Her being an activist has increased her thirst for knowledge, and knowledge is power. Her drive increased, and this girl's motivation has no limit. … I couldn’t come into contact with a person like Amirah and not question my own values and thought process on the topics she speaks about,” Calafell said. “She’s this teenage girl, but her persistence and demeanor come across as a miniature Michelle Obama.”

Ogbeifun said that Pitts’ activism shines through in her relationships.

“Her involvement in activism helps her advocate for her friends and family members that may be going through difficult times and might need help,” she said.

Pitts said she hopes that having fought for social justice since a young age will maximize the impact she can make.

“We have a lot of time to be able to learn stuff. The more that people live with it, the more change will happen when we get older because we'll be more educated on these things than before,” she said.

Pitts said she has found there are many ways to support marginalized communities.

“I definitely feel when it comes to helping causes in general, a lot of people think the only thing they can do is donate money, which is not the case,” she said. “Donating money to charities and organizations helps a lot, but so does spreading awareness — not

even just by posting on social media. Talking to other people about it could really be helpful when it comes to being passionate about it and helping these minority groups.”

Pitts said she encourages young people to take a leap and advocate for their beliefs.

“Stand up for yourself, and decide what you think is important. Don’t be scared to speak out yourself. Be confident in speaking up and speaking out about the things that you find important because it can make all the difference, whether you realize it or not.”

photo illustration by Kaila Hanna

PAGE 18 FEATURES

THE LION'S ROAR

The Limits of Good Intentions ALAN REINSTEIN

THE

COMMON APPLICATION

Features Columnist

The Roar follows three remaining seniors as they navigate the college application process

CORE VALUES For a long time, I’ve approached my responsibility toward social activism as a commitment to self-reflection and self-improvement, not as an out-of-thehome effort to make change where change is necessary.

I’ve stuck with the mantra that the only way to change the world is to change yourself, and the only way to influence others is to live with integrity. In general, I hold things in: I infrequently speak out to hold others accountable; I march only occasionally, and when I do, not aggressively; I’m frugal in giving to causes I support philosophically or politically.

This is a misguided approach, however, that I can trace back to 40 years ago, when, in high school, I won the senior superlative — “Best Attitude.” Sometimes I jokingly brag about this to friends, but really, I’ve always been proud of this award as a confirmation from others that I’m a good person; however, I know that these two identities — person with a good attitude and good person overall — are not the same at all.

And for a long time, I have also mistakenly thought that this was enough: I thought to have a positive outlook on things, to be kind and friendly and gentle, with good intentions is all that counts.

Not so.

In fact, I’ve stayed away from community activism — doing the gritty work to fight for significant change — because it’s hard and uncomfortable for me. I’ve been reluctant to demand change from others because I’m aware of my own imperfections and prejudices, and I’ve pacified myself with my glory-days’ “Best Attitude” prize, which has stunted the deeper personal growth that comes from making noise and challenging the status quo. Good intentions have limits; they are necessary, but not sufficient.

The core values that are promoted throughout our school — show respect, choose kindness, listen first and take responsibility — are core values, values at the center of personal and civic integrity, values that foster a community where the work of social activism and community improvement begin, yes, but not where they end.

As a teacher in a school that has announced its commitment to active anti-racist education, I have to keep myself accountable to do this work in the classroom, with lessons and assignments and strategies that promote racial equity and avoid the systemic pitfalls that keep students of color from succeeding fully.

And as I write this, I know I’ve fallen short by clinging too closely to teaching patterns I’m familiar with to avoid not only discomfort and more planning work for myself, but also an outward commitment to a cause and speaking out.

The daily challenges of teaching during the pandemic have made making excuses for not fully applying anti-racist teaching a comfortable attraction; however, the work of being on the right side of change does not only necessitate having a good attitude or good intentions, but putting in the hard work to back them.

By Eva Shimkus

graphic by Emily Zhang

N

atalie* was accepted to Alfred University, Emerson College, Pennsylvania State University and University of Michigan. She said that despite her initial interest in Emerson, she is no longer considering it seriously.

“Their program in general is too specific and doesn’t have an on-campus art program that I could minor or double major in,” she said.

She said that Alfred University offered her the merit-based Presidential Scholarship.

“I was so surprised when I heard back,” she said. “Right now I’m considering them, but it’s hard to say where they rank on my list until I hear back from everyone else.”

Natalie said that she has also interviewed with Boston University (BU) and New York University.

“I talk about my portfolio and answer any questions they might have about any of the specific images, just going through one slide at a time and explaining what that image meant and what the process was behind the image,” she said.

Natalie said that despite having a strong portfolio, some interview questions have caught her off guard.

“During my BU interview, I got asked what artist inspires me which I wasn't anticipating,” she said. “I had to make something up on the spot, which can be a little stressful because I’m worried about how I come off if I have to hesitate before I answer.”

Overall, Natalie said she is happy with her interview performances.

“I have a pretty strong portfolio,” she said. “I'm really grateful for that.”

H

aving been accepted to Harvard under the restrictive early action plan and UMass Amherst, Amy* narrowed down her list, applying regular decision to only Columbia and Stanford Universities.

“I ended up deciding not to apply to Yale because I went on a virtual tour of the campus, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would,” she said.

Amy said her recent applications varied from her earlier ones, as they required shorter and more specific answers.

“I had to think outside the box about which aspects of my identity are most important to me,” she said.

Amy said that she applied to Columbia because of its core curriculum, which emphasizes literature, philosophy, history, arts and sciences.

“It makes the students really wellrounded on a variety of issues and topics and helps them get out of their comfort zones,” she said. “It’s also in New York and I enjoy how cultured [the city] is.”

She said that despite having been accepted to both of her early application schools, she would choose Stanford if she gets in.

“Stanford has been my dream school since I was nine or 10,” she said. "Knowing that I have a backup is helpful."

Amy said that she is looking forward to starting college.

“Most people at college are looking for new people to meet and start a new chapter of their lives,” she said. “I am excited to navigate that journey.”

K

urt* said that he was deferred from Northeastern University and is still waiting on the results of his early application to Emerson College. In the meantime, he said he applied regular decision to six schools, including Drexel, Harvard and New York Universities.

Kurt said his preferred school would be Harvard, followed by New York University and his early action schools.

“Harvard’s my hail Mary,” he said. “I don’t actually expect to get in, but I applied for the fun of it.”

Kurt said that he is focused on presenting himself as a team player.

“I’ve written about the DaVinci class, which is project-based learning and teamwork,” he said. “I also wrote about something I’m pretty classically notorious for, which is dropping into random classrooms and participating in their class for a day.”

In college, Kurt said he is excited to make new friends and explore the city.

“Also, the harder classes and increased volume of electives, of course,” he said.

He said he hopes the school he attends provides opportunities for travel.

“I want to see where they can send me,” he said. “Internships and jobs out of the gate are also really important.”

Kurt said that he’s preparing himself for any outcome.

“It doesn't really feel any different from the early applications for me,” he said.

“I have the ‘hope for the best, expect the worst’ philosophy." *Names changed to protect students’ identities

Crossword Puzzle

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 1

Follow @NshsLionsRoar on Instagram or scan this QR code to see the answers!

3 5

6 7

8

9

10 11

13

15

ACROSS: 2. The current learning model; extreme altitude muscle contraction 7. Five minutes in the middle of class; February____ 9. Many outlets attached to an extension cord; an assertive forced fumble on a quarterback 13. 360 _____; your ____ is muted?

14. We can’t hear you, you’re on ____ 15. Portion of class at home; those who move quickly 17. Tuesday, Feb. 2; seniors dream of many of these 18. Famously afraid of seven; ___ feet apart 19. Begins at 10:45 a.m., neither second nor third 20. South must decide between one of three dates to hold _____; stressors scored from one to five 22. Where most in the school go when their teachers are remote; open grass home 23. Fauci’s newest recommendation

2

4

FUN PAGE 19

12

14

16

DOWN:

17

18

1. Placard whose aquistion was a hassle; identification for when you enter the building 3. Students in person; people living with you 4. Required to park at South; a lottery prize with a $75 fee 5. NPS Wireless, BuildingRentals, etc 6. Used by teachers at the end of class to clean desks; ocean___ + water___ 8. Used by students at the end of class to clean desks 10. Are you ___ A or B? 11. Germ-killing fluid; each classroom has at least one bottle 12. All hallways are now; Great Meadow Road 16. Largest fashion trend of 2020-2021; ____ up 21. Senior____; begins universally Term III; slouch

19

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21

22

23

HYFLEX ROAROSCOPES k AQUARIUS

Congratulations on getting a Pass in your English class.

You must have tried hard to make that happen.

l

PISCES

A Cohort A kid crushing on a Cohort B? Tragedy.

a

ARIES

Just because Elon Musk tweeted about Bitcoin, it doesn’t mean that you should blindly invest your entire savings account into the market. Do your research and then invest your whole savings account into the stock market.

b

TAURUS

You forgot your headphones, and, yes, your teacher is remote today. Fake it til you make it and nod along to the Zoom call while you freeze in the Field House.

Across: 2. Hyflex 7.

Two whole pumps Break of school-provided hand sanitizer

c

GEMINI

made your hands sticky for the rest of class. You keep telling yourself to get your own, but have you yet? No.

9. Powerstrip 13. Microphone 14. Mute In the 10 minutes at the beginning of class your teacher Zoomers takes to 15. settle down in-person kids you chew on that matcha brownie you made from a TikTok recipe.

17. Snowday

d e

CANCER

LEO

18. Six 19. FirstLunch No, not everything can or should be an album cover.

20. APTests 22. FieldHouse

j

VIRGO

Freshmen: though orientation didn’t cover the pool on the fourth floor, we’ve got you. Hit the elevator in the 4000s or 1000s to get there.

23. Doublemask

g

LIBRA

Are Crocs with ample jibbitz acceptable school wear?

f

SCORPIO

We’re all for having cookouts in the senior parking lot.

Plus, why would they shut that down anyway? Do they hate fun? (Now, if they shut down grilling, they hate fun. Cite this when that inevitably happens)

i

SAGITTARIUS

h

CAPRICORN

Walking the wrong way down one-way hallways just doesn’t make you cool. Sorry.

You, impressively, made it through the first two episodes of Wandavision and have found that the rest of the show is really, really good. Jimmy Woo goated.

PAGE 20 FEBRUARY 9, 2021

SPORTS ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR VOLUME 37, ISSUE 7

Abby Matthews moves past three ACL tears Austin Chen Sports Editor

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears inspire special fear in the minds of athletes.

Because surgery and extensive physical therapy are required to fully recover from this worst-case-scenario knee injury, an ACL tear puts an athlete out of commission for anywhere from six months to two years.

Even upon return, there’s no guarantee that the player will ever be the same.

Girls basketball and volleyball captain senior Abby Matthews tore her ACL three times in 20 months.

The first came during her sophomore basketball season, but she said she didn’t even realize it was torn at first.

“It was strange. I was hit, and I went down, and then I got up and walked off the court,” she said. “It's only when I went back in the game [and] I tried to jump for a rebound that my knee completely buckled.”

Despite the major setback, Matthews said she was determined to get back on the court as soon as possible.

“I remember sitting in the doctor's office, and they basically geared me to be disappointed,” she said. “I said that I was absolutely not going to do that.”

Girls basketball head coach Joe Rogers said that Matthews attacked her physical therapy regimen as if each check-in was a challenge to her ability to recover.

“She would update me very regularly on how the PT [physical therapy] was going on and how the rehab was going,” he said.

“She was as competitive with doing the rehab as she was as a basketball player.”

After recovering, Matthews went on to tear her other ACL during her junior volleyball season, just under 12 months after the first tear. While frustrated and disappointed after the first two injuries, Matthews said the third was the hardest to bear, coming just as she was returning to volleyball her senior year.

“I had undergone two tears, two surgeries and two complete recoveries only just to end up back at square one again,” she said.

“I had a little bit of a crisis of faith, like, ‘was all that worth it,’ and ‘did I actually achieve anything in that time?’”

ACL tears only require surgery if the athlete wants to return to sports, and while daily life is limited, many prefer not to have the operation and undergo an arduous recovery process. After a third tear, Matthews said she was done with hospital stays and resistance bands.

“Thinking about what comes along with surgery, it's not just the whole recovery in terms of sports, but it's a big chunk out of your life,” she said. “I was more worried about the fact that I would lose my sense of normalcy.”

This basketball season, however, Matthews has made her presence felt despite

Matthews (second from left) dishing assists from the bench having the game taken away from her by transitioning to a more managerial role, Rogers said.

“She knows exactly what's going on and can help teammates who don't have things picked up,” he said. “She's been really valuable in all of those ways as a kind of player-coach.”

Matthews’ teammates said she has approached her new role skillfully. Senior Siobhan Murphy said Matthews always has a positive mindset and helps the team however she can, and senior Erin McElduff said Matthews still has an impact on the game.

photo contributed by Abby Matthews

“Honestly sometimes I see her as a coach,” McElduff said. “She's super helpful and smart and always knows what's going on.”

Rogers said the clearest example of Matthews’ commitment to the team is that she continues to stay involved even when a return to the court is impossible.

“I can't overstate the uniqueness of someone continuing to come back to the program essentially three years in a row,” he said. “The idea that she's engaged every day, when she knows she's not going to be able to participate. That is a really unique thing.”

Pro sports leagues weigh profit and player safety Grace Grabowski, Joyce Lee & Vivek Vallurupalli Sports Contributor, Sports Reporter & Sports Contributor

The coronavirus pandemic has caused widespread economic disaster, and without profit sources like ticketing revenue, even the largest American professional sports leagues — the MLB, NHL, NFL and NBA — are feeling the pressure. Combined, they’ve already

lost over $14.5 billion since last March, and the industry is still struggling to find a balance between finances and player safety.

The first solutions were for teams to move into isolated facilities to practice and play games. By late July, both the NBA and NHL had established their own, with the NBA calling their 22-team campus in Orlando, Florida a “bubble”, while the NHL opted for two “hub cities”, with one in Toronto and another in Edmonton.

NBA sidelines have been reimagined thanks to COVID-19

photo courtesy of Getty Images

While these were successful — both leagues were able to crown a champion — the NBA bubble cost upwards of an estimated $150 million, and the cost of the hub cities likely weren’t far behind.

Some have suggested shutting down all operations until COVID-19 is properly contained, and for at least one league, a drastic measure like that would actually be financially sound. In a January interview with Yahoo Sports, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stated that it would be more costeffective for the NHL to shutter the current season and return in 2022-23.

Leagues are spending incredible amounts of money to keep their players safe while maintaining play, an investment that has become key in getting the players to trust the leagues enough to put their health at risk.

Common precautions across the four leagues include frequent testing of players and coaches, social distancing guidelines for players and strict punishments for those who disobey COVID-19 protocols.

No matter how stringent the guidelines, however, there have been outbreaks in each sport.

Be it entire teams, like the MLB’s Miami Marlins, or star players, like the NBA’s Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant, players and coaches have proven to be fallible, resulting in competitive disparities, with depleted rosters routinely facing off against fully healthy teams.

Almost a year into the pandemic, athletes have, fortunately, largely avoided

more severe symptoms. However, this is not without exception.

In July, Atlanta Braves third baseman Freddie Freeman contracted COVID-19 and reported a peak fever of 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Permanent brain damage can occur between 106 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit, and Freeman admitted being scared for his life, telling reporters, "I said a little prayer that night. … I said 'please don't take me.'"

It’s becoming increasingly clear that as long as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage, any solution is a cheap bandage on a gaping wound.

When asked why the 2021-2022 NHL season would begin despite circumstances so heavily discouraging one, Bettman said that returning would provide catharsis in a difficult time.

“We’re coming back to play this season because we think it’s important for the game,” he said. “Our fans and our players want us to, and it may give people — particularly in isolation or where there are curfews — a sense of normalcy and something to do.”

Thanks to reasonable financial safety nets for players who choose to opt out, it’s ultimately up to each individual to decide if they feel safe enough to play, and by and large, leagues have given athletes enough confidence to suit up day in and day out.

The question, then, becomes one of financial tenability: can the industry keep this up until society returns to a semblance of normality?

The future of American sports depends on their success.

SPORTS PAGE 21

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

STREAMING SUPPORT Far from the excitement of games, sports fans turn to livestreams

College Commits Sports editor Emily Schwartz spoke with four athletes who have committed to colleges

Will Lavey

By Rebecca Stotsky and John Timko

S

tep into the field house, the hockey rink, the pool or the gymnastics gym, and you’ll notice an eerie silence: while many winter sports have begun playing, fans are not permitted to watch due to COVID-19 regulations. Although it doesn’t quite offer the same atmosphere as a full arena, the boys and girls ice hockey teams, the boys and girls basketball teams and the girls gymnastics team have transitioned to livestreaming their competitions to allow family, friends and classmates to tune in.

The restriction on team bonding has perhaps been the pandemic’s most profound impact on team sports, junior hockey player Daniel Schwartzman said. The locker room is the center of team bonding before and after games, he said, but this year, they have been eliminated, per Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) COVID restrictions.

“It took away the locker rooms, which is probably one of the biggest parts of the team, because it really helps build relationships and get ready for practices and games,” Schwartzman said.

Preparing for games has proved a challenge, sophomore girls hockey player Hadley Conroy said, because during practice, restrictions limit physical contact and realistic game situations.

“We have to work a lot harder off the ice to prepare, and everybody has to individually practice so that we’re not falling behind,” she said.

Sophomore boys’ basketball player Yoav Rabbi said that because he’s had less space to practice basketball, he has noticed his shot has been off.

Sports games in general build school spirit, junior class officer Sydney Finkelstein

said, but such in person events have been absent from this year.

“The crowd really brings a different type of hype around the game,” Schwartzman said. “Especially when you get a crucial goal, and the crowd goes crazy, you get that feeling of excitement, and now you really can't get that.”

Without a crowd, the stakes feel lower, so the usual nerves are gone, girls’ Southand-North combined hockey captain senior Olivia Sliwa said.

“Now it feels like a scrimmage because nobody's watching,” she said.

Conroy said the girls’ hockey team started a YouTube channel to stream their games.

“After playing away, we noticed a lot of students had YouTube channels and would stream the games live. So we started a YouTube channel, and so now we are recording our games through that,” she said.

The girls ice hockey home games are also being livestreamed through Newton North TV, which is run by Newton North students and also livestreams boys ice hockey and girls and boys basketball games.

The boys ice hockey team, who have been streaming their games in prior years before COVID-19, has seen an increase in online viewership this year.

“I know that based on the first couple games, we've had a lot more viewers than we probably ever had before for obvious reasons, especially when parents aren't allowed to go in the rink,” boys ice hockey coach Chris Ryberg said.

While still not the same as in-person fans, Schwartzman said it’s comforting to know people are cheering his team on from

Middlebury

home.

An added bonus of livestreaming games is that it makes it more accessible to those who would otherwise be unable to watch, including family members from different distances, Conroy said. It also eliminates logistical barriers to attendance.

“Now parents, if they might not have had the chance to come to a game because they had a conflict, can now just watch it online,” Sliwa said. “A bunch of my friends or past hockey players on the team can just go on the livestream and watch.”

Sophomore Leah Blum said she’s appreciated the opportunity to engage with her friends’ games, if from afar.

“Even though we can't physically support our classmates, the fact that we can still watch them over a livestream allows South to be connected in some sort of way rather than none,” she said.

Livestreams offer a unique opportunity for freshmen to learn more about school spirit at South, Finkelstein said “Especially for the incoming freshmen, they haven't been to any of the sports games, so they have no idea what it's like,” she said. “This could just give them some kind of glimpse of getting involved and seeing a little bit what it is and getting excited in the future to watch.”

While livestreams allow families and friends to watch sporting events and support student-athletes, ultimately nothing compares to the unique energy of a well-attended game with fans, Rabbi said.

“I was at a couple of games last year in person. … Everybody was there. It was crazy, and I feel like, without fans, we have less energy,” he said. “So we just have to create our own. It just pushes us.”

T&F

Don't count out any options. You never really know; obviously you're going to shoot for the stars and see what happens from there, but I would try to try out every school, and even if you don't really want to talk to this coach that calls, you can use it as practice for the next coach and build up your skills.

Madalin Small

Butler

GOLF It was pretty amazing because I've been working toward it for about 10 years, so to finally get there was a really good feeling.

Kaity Shaughnessy

Johns Hopkins

T&F The point that made it worth it to me was when I saw that I had gotten into my top school.

That was the moment I was like, 'Okay, now I know why I gave all that up in high school.'

Hagen Zhang

UNC Chapel Hill

FENCING

graphic by Angus Nichols

If you want to play for a certain school, you really have to be persistent about it. You have to show the coaches that you not only are good at what you do, but you will be a good teammate, you'll work hard, you'll … fulfill your role.

PAGE 22 SPORTS

THE LION'S ROAR

WINTER WONDERLAND Spanning Dec. 14 to Feb. 21, the winter season is almost over, with safety modifications in place. The Roar spoke with captains and coaches to get an insider’s perspective.

Records are as of Feb. 5 and are in the form: win-loss-tie.

NG denotes no game due to a COVID-19 postponement

By Aidan Lieberman, Zach Rhein and Clare Tourtelotte

GIRLS GYMNASTICS

G

ymnastics, like many other sports this year, has used virtual platforms for competitions. The team then records routines that are later uploaded to YouTube, captain senior Shanna Lacey said.

To limit the numbers at meets, teams compete separately at their respective schools. The judge sends the scores to the teams, and they find out the results days later, Lacey said.

Lacey said the team is facing obstacles beyond just dealing with COVID-19-related changes.

“We have a good amount of people who are injured right now, so it's been hard,”

1-1-0 SWIM SWIM&&DIVE DIVEG: 2-3-0 B: 3-3-0

she said. “We aren't at our fullest potential quite yet.”

The team is finding creative ways to build community, Lacey said.

“We'll have themes. We had ‘Themed Thursdays,’ which is like how in school if you had a meet you would come to school in spirit. So a theme could be USA, or tourist, or camo or tie dye,” she said.

Overall, the gymnastics team is happy to have won their first meet of the season and is looking forward for the rest of the season.

“I wasn't really going into the season with many expectations,” she said. “I just went into the season with an open mind.”

T

he swim and dive team has stayed afloat this year with virtual meets, allowing teams to compete safely from their own schools.

“We swim on different days than the opposing team, so we don't know who wins immediately after the meet,” captain senior Topher Fitzpatrick said.

The MIAA guidelines allow a maximum of four swimmers per lane, two on each side. Swimmers and divers are allowed to take their masks off for events, but they must put them back on as soon as they exit the pool.

“From a diving perspective, it's a lot

photo contributed by Shanna Lacey

SHIFTED SEASONS

less stressful because we don't have that many people watching,” he said. “For swimming, it's less exciting.”

Fitpatrick said that the level of intensity is different this year, as typically most swimmers would have club practice outside of South’s team practices.

“But a lot of the kids haven't been able to do that,” he said. “The coach has said it himself that a lot of the kids are not in the shape that they would be.”

Despite the irregular season, the team is working hard, Fitzpatrick said.

“We've had two virtual meets so far, and everything is going smoothly,” he said.

photo contributed by Topher Fitzpatrick

DANCE Dance coach Michelle Cueroni said

The Fall II season, beginning Feb. 22, will include dance, football, indoor track, girls volleyball, unifed basketball and cheerleading, while wrestling has been postponed to the spring

she’s optimistic for the upcoming season and prepared to do what it takes to safely compete.

“There's a way that we can do it where we can be six feet apart at all times,” she said.

“It is still very possible for us to have a season and have some cool dances and be together.”

Cueroni said that she and the captains chose to wait until the season nears to hold captains' practices.

Cueroni is unsure where performances will take place, despite the MIAA's go-ahead.

“Normally in the fall we would dance at the football games at halftime and then in the winter we do basketball games. We don't know what sport we’ll be performing for yet,” she said.

Cueroni maintains her hope for a fun and safe dance season.

“I know that there has been a little bit of disappointment, but I am hopeful that we'll be able to have it and that we'll be able to make all the modifications [to] have a successful season,” she said.

ISSUU.COM/THELIONSROAR

BOYS HOCKEY

T

eam chemistry is one of the hardest things to master, especially during a COVID-19 season, boys hockey coach Chris Ryberg said. Locker rooms, as per MIAA guidelines, are closed, eliminating bonding time for the hockey team.

“We were in the rink 15 minutes before the game or 15 minutes before practice, and we had to leave right after, so there’s not that one-on-one interaction. Usually, at this point in the season there’s been a bunch of team dinners,” he said. “We can't do that.”

Ryberg said that his senior leaders have handled these challenges well by making an

SPORTS PAGE 23

2-2-3, 2 NG ALPINE SKI G: 5-0-0 B: 2-3-0 effort to connect with underclassmen.

“It doesn't matter if you're a freshman on the team or a senior, it doesn't matter if you're on JV or varsity, everyone tries to build a relationship with each other, and that starts with the seniors,” he said.

Ryberg said he’s confident in his team because — though bonding has been tough — his players have been flexible in response to many schedule changes and are motivated to win each time they step onto the ice.

The team is coming off of some strong performances early this season, including two overtime wins.

A

fter an uncertain start to the season, captain senior Masie Abbiati said she is excited that races have been allowed by the MIAA. “At the beginning of the season, when we signed up, they said ‘it's just gonna be two practices a week and it's just kind of going to be a rebuilding year; there are no competitions,’” she said. “But [now], we're having races.”

Most Dual County League races are happening, but large invitationals and state competitions have been suspended, changing the team's outlook on the season.

photo contributed by Daniel Schwartzman

BOYS BASKETBALL 5-3-0, 3 NG NORDIC SKI

B

oys basketball captain junior Jaiden Soberanis helped lead his team to a strong 2-0 start to the season and has encouraged his teammates to persevere through COVID-19-related challenges.

“We're adjusting to it the best way we can, and we're still gonna attack it 100% like we normally do. It's just a little harder this year,” he said.

The team has experienced several schedule changes, as their opponents have had to postpone due to COVID-19, but they have responded well, Soberanis said.

“Games getting canceled left and right [is] just where we are right now,” he said.

“We're just trying to adjust to it.”

The team is following safety precautions while maintaining community, Soberanis said.

“We're trying to stay connected as best as we can without physically seeing each other, so we don't expose ourselves to the virus,” he said.

For Soberanis, just playing is enough.

“I'm just glad to be back on the floor,” he said.

N

ordic ski captain sophomore Mariel Shapiro said that thanks to the sport’s nature, the team has had no problems adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.

“It happens naturally because if you're within six feet of someone, you're probably going to fall over because your skis are wide, and your poles are out,” she said.

The weather, a combination of high temperatures and minimal snowfall, however, has proved a challenge. Despite imperfect skiing conditions, members of the team are improving rapidly, she said.

Athletes remain positive and are using the pressure-free environment as an opportunity to improve their skills, Abbiati said.

“There's no states or anything, so there's not as much competition. It’s more just do as well as you can for yourself and just try to improve,” she said.

Abbiati said she’s hopeful about what the team will accomplish this season and in seasons to come.

“I think it's going to be a really good year and that the team will be pretty good next year,” she said.

photo contributed by Masie Abbiati

“Everyone is doing really well,” she said. “Everyone is learning how to ski much faster and everyone's really working hard and getting it.”

Shapiro said that though the fate of the season was up in the air during the fall, the team is glad competing is still possible and prepared to keep working hard the rest of the season.

“I'm having a lot of fun, and I hope other people are too. I think it is going really well, especially considering COVID-19,” she said. “I'm really happy it was able to happen.”

photo contributed by Clare Tourtelotte

photo courtesy of AB Athletics Live YouTube

VOLLEYBALL INDOOR TRACK FOOTBALL WRESTLING No one thought wrestling would Boys indoor track captain Cam DiHead volleyball coach Lucas Coffeen is Football coach Ted Dalicandro said

that he’s excited for his team’s season, although it’s coming almost six months later than usual.

“First and foremost, I want to see these kids playing sports and getting active and being outside. I think it was horrible that we didn't get to play in the fall,” he said. “We'll take it as it comes.”

He said his players are working hard to prepare for the season.

“I know the kids have been working out, and when the weather was nicer they were doing some seven-on-sevens with other communities," he said. "Then, once the weather turned cold, it turned into indoor and weightlifting.”

Dalicandro said that he and the team will make the best of the less-than-ideal situation.

“This is going to be challenging, but it's going to be like everything else the past year — challenging, but you have to rise to the challenge, and get the most out of it,” he said.

oun has hosted captains’ practices since December.

“We've been hosting two a week, and they've gone really well. We've had a good turnout, and everyone's enjoying them,” he said. “Now, they’ve increased to three practices a week, as the season nears.”

While the MIAA has come out with guidelines regarding social distancing, it is unclear where meets will be held. Dioun said the team is prepared regardless.

“As a team, I think we're really ready.

The question is about competitions and how those work because, as athletes, we've been pretty much left in the dark about that,” he said. “The most likely scenario would be indoor meets on an outdoor track.

Runners are still training for the postponed, but finally upcoming season.

“As a team, we're feeling good, and we've been running,” Dioun said. “I've been looking at everyone's training, everyone's doing good.”

excited to start the season and said the team is prepared to take COVID-19 precautions seriously.

“COVID-19 safety has to be paramount; it has to be the most important thing,” Coffeen said. “For us, it is making sure that whatever we do, there's a mind to safety around COVID-19.”

Coffeen said that while being mindful of safety precautions, he wants to ensure his players continue enjoying the sport.

“I want it to be like a real season with real expectations and real team building and real competition,” he said.

Captain senior Maddie Xerras hosted outdoor practices in the summer and will resume captains’ practices closer to the start of the season. She said she hopes to schedule as much team bonding as possible.

“It’s my last year, so I know me and my fellow captains are going to make it special and fun, even with all the new restrictions,” she said.

happen, since it is one of the most contactoriented sports offered at South, captain senior Phillip Amitan said.

Surprising few, on Nov. 20, the MIAA voted to postpone the wrestling season until spring.

“It’s definitely super unpredictable,” he said. “Right now, I have no expectations because I'm just hoping that we have a season.”

Amitan said that he has not held captains’ practices yet, but he hopes to as the season nears and the weather gets warmer.

The season’s shift to the spring brings opportunities for outdoor practices and tournaments, he said.

“There's actually some rumors that I've heard that we might have tournaments outside, and that's something that's never happened before,” he said. “I'm really excited for that, especially with more outdoor practices. It'll just be a fun season.”

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