Westminster School Simsbury, CT 06070 www.westminster-school.org
Thursday, May 5th, 2016
Richard Blanco:
The Panama Papers
BY A lbert G ao '18 & M ike R iberdy '18
BY S ean R yan '18 & E mmett de K anter '19
CONTRIBUTOR & NEWS CO-EDITOR
STAFF WRITERS
A new friend with a new perspective
RICHARD BERGEN
Richard Blanco shares his passion for poetry with the Westminster community. Richard Blanco, the youngest poet to read at a United States presidential inauguration, delivered an enthusiastic reading to the Westminster community on April 18 in Werner Centennial Center. Blanco arrived in Miami with his family soon after his birth, having emigrated from Spain and Cuba. Cuban and Latin A merican culture have greatly inf luenced his writing style. Blanco demonstrated his experience and pride as an immigrant during his reading. Being asked to speak at the second inauguration of President Barack Obama was a true honor and an acknowledgement of Mr. Blanco’s legacy as a poet. For the Presidential Inauguration, he chose to read One Today, sharing the unifying theme of the poem at the national level. In the poem One Today, Mr. Blanco preaches conscientious togetherness as the relationship
between humans and focuses on the many qualities that humans share such as the sky, the senses, and more. The day after his all-school reading, Mr. Blanco visited classes where he answered inquisitive students’ questions. At this lively question and answer session, Gary Simons '17 asked Mr. Blanco to read a poem, and Blanco quickly exposed himself as a verbally decisive poet in that he does not see it fit to simply let words sit on a page as other poets may. Mr. Blanco’s reading of his own poetry added another layer of complexity to his work: intent. Students, having read some of Mr. Blanco’s poetry in their English classes, first analyzed his poems on paper and were in some cases surprised to find that Richard’s interpretations of his own work did not necessarily match the ones that they had imagined. Mr. Blanco’s poetry exhibits a variety of themes and motifs, but the most notable and prominent of which is undoubtedly his respect for his own understanding of home and originality. For instance, one student asked Blanco about his favorite poems that he wrote in his lifetime. He hesitated at first, but then offered t wo poem s, na mely Mother Picking Produce and Shaving. In the poem Mother Picking Produce, Mr. Blanco elaborated on his description of his mom and her life experiences. The expressions “swollen with history,” the
The biggest data leak in history
contrast bet ween “black and white,” and diction “dusty” all suggest to the readers that this poem, which endeavors to illustrate a picture of historical and sweet mother, also expresses deeply the poet’s precious recollections and his strong connections with the past. In the poem Shaving however, Mr. Blanco begins by writing about his daily shaving routine, but the poem escalates into a discussion of life vanishing. Both of his favorite poems are examples that illustrate his focus on things of the past, especially those that are valuable. Mr. Blanco also passionately read a poem named When I Was A Little Cuban Boy, in which he talked about his wrong perceptions of the “The Star Spangled Banner” and his perception of America being complete perfection. The poem gradually develops into a discussion of the ideology of home. As Mr. Blanco infers in this poem, and also mentioned during his reading, he treats America as his home which he defined as a piece of land where he would love to be buried in. All in all, Richard Blanco’s visit provoked thoughtful discussion between poet and reader and allowed students to truly peer into the perspective of one of the best American poets, a poet whom the entire Westminster community quickly came to respect and enjoy.
Westminster SPACE Preview 2016 BY A S H LY N C H I N '16 CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Where: Werner Centennial Center When: 7:00pm, May 6 & 7 Westminster’s Spring Performance Arts Collective Ensemble 2016, more commonly known as SPACE, is coming to you live right here on the hill. So what makes this night of performances ever so “collective”? Simple—there will be a plethora of musical, dance, and theater performances, all in one show; it’s basically the whole shebang. Coordinated by the Westminster Dramat Association, Student Music Organization, and the Dance Co-Presidents, there will be three dances, four songs, and many humorous skits. If you like Beyonce or Drake or John Mayer or even Trump, this show is surely not one to be missed. If that doesn’t seem convincing enough, some of your favorite seniors will be taking the stage for the very first time. Students have been putting a lot of effort into making this show happen so don’t miss out and show your support. If you miss the first show on May 6, there’s always the second on May 7. Take a break from the AP stress and let yourself relax with for some great music, banter, and a ton of surprises.
INSIDE
Vol. 105, No. 8
Bernie vs. Trump Rallies page 2 Kobe Bryant’s Last game page 3 How to Survive Exam Week page 4
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Many world leaders were revealed in one of the biggest corruption scandals ever. The data leak known as the Panama Papers, 2.6 terabytes of data, 11.5 million documents, pictures, and emails, contain more information than a human could process in five thousand years-information implicating world leaders across the globe in corruption scandals and covering about 214,000 shell companies over a period of 40 years. T he informat ion in t he Panama Papers affects the entire global society, and raises troubling questions about many of our prevalent leaders. The media outlet that first leaked the story, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, received the information from an anonymous source who worked for Mossack Fonseca, a company that helps people set up offshore companies. While creating the companies themselves is not illegal, the documents show that an overwhelming majority of Mossack Fonseca customers used the companies to cover up shady dealings. The nature and severity of the crimes committed by these customers with the use of shell companies varies, with everyone from drug kingpins to professional athletes making use of the service. Companies purchased from Mossack are cheap, anonymous shells with no purpose discernible from the outside, and can be used for a wide range of illicit activities including money laundering, tax evasion, and violation of sanctions. The people listed publicly so far who appear in the Panama Papers include twelve current
heads of state (one of which resigned recently due to protests and growing controversy), over two hundred politicians and people with close ties to them, organized crime leaders, drug lords, TV and movie personalities, and more. The celebrities, world leaders, and criminals named as of now only mark the very beginning. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists was the first group to start analyzing the documents, just over a year ago, and it plans to release more information in the near future. While setting up offshore entities is legal, it enables the wealthy to avoid taxes and cover up illicit transactions. So far, 200 Americans have been revealed, but after further investigation, most of them used Mossack for buying property abroad, rather than money laundering or tax evasion. The Panama Papers reveals a broken tax system on a global scale. If these tax havens are closed up, or if it becomes significantly more difficult to set up shell companies, an estimated $21 trillion to $32 trillion would be freed up, rather than being hidden away by the super-wealthy. This unprecedented disclosure won’t result in any ground breaking change for ordinary citizens, nor will it revolutionize world politics, but nonetheless it presents an issue that needs to be addressed.
What really goes on at a Trump Rally?
INSIDE LOOK: Sundays on the Hill
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THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Thursday May 5, 2016
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Opinion Bernie Sanders Rally What it means to “Feel The Bern”
By 4:0 0pm, t he line to enter the Sanders Ralley area at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst was hundreds of people long, and Senator Sanders wasn’t scheduled to speak until 7:30. As expected, a large majority of the eager attendees were youths, aged around 18 to 25. However, t here were people there of all ages: middle-aged couples with their children, graying groups of women holding signs that read “seasoned voters 4 Bernie,” and some rather welldressed businessman types. The primary day in Massachusetts wasn’t for another week but these eager voters were more than ready to cast their ballots and feel the Bern. There was an excited but defiant quality to the air that day, as people waited in line for hours in the cold to see the Senator that is the figurehead of the new “political revolution.” In total, more than 6,000 people showed
Martlets Behind the Wheel Confessions of a teenage permit holder
by J AC K H O R R IG A N '16
by F I O N A FA N '18
NEWS CO-EDITOR
STAFF WRITER
up on a Thursday night to attend the rally. People were deckedout in tee-shirts and sweatshirts which featured silhouettes of Bernie, the Feel the Bern slogan, and the Bernie Sanders campaign logo. Prior to entry, “Feel The Bern” chants were raised periodically and there were reporters interviewing supporters to find out why they supported Bernie. Most of them were disillusioned with the current handling of government and are seeking big change in the electoral system, in the economy, in social policy, and in U.S. foreign policy. W hile some of them were angr y and fed-up with Washington, there was not an aura of hate, as might be felt among a group of Republican candidate Donald Trump, supporters. R ather, there was a determination to make positive change, a belief that people can help people, and that the govern-
ment could serve effectively for the benefit of citizens of the U.S. When Bernie came out to speak he was met with cheers of joy, as supporters saw their savior walk on stage. Bernie spoke for almost an hour on issues such as campaign finance reform, reigning in the Big Banks, equality in race, gender, and sexuality, as well as the decriminalization of recreational marijuana use. It was a great and inspiring evening for supporters, as Bernie pushed his political revolution movement. Since this ra lly in ea rly March, Bernie’s stock has fallen and he looks very unlikely to become the nominee. However, he is sure to have a lasting legacy, raising awareness of many issues, energizing young voters, and, many contend, pushing Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Democratic Party farther to the left.
CNN
Many students enjoy their privilege of driving. A ppr ox i m a t e l y 3 0 % of Westminster’s students are day students. These students use different methods of transportation to get to school, such as walking, biking, or by car. W hile some students are driven by their parents, others are able to drive themselves. As soon as they turn sixteen, students rush to attain their learner’s permit, eager to have more freedom, experience more independence, and
get around without having to bug their parents for a lift. However, some Westy students soon found that driving wasn’t as glorious as they had thought. Boarders took advantage of every possible Starbucks run, parents used them as personal drivers for their siblings and some students were simply not ready for the streets. A few students who just needed a little bit more practice behind the wheel decided to share their less than successful stories. T h e f o l l o w i n g s t u d e nt seemed to believe, temporarily, that it was acceptable to play games with other passengers while operating a running vehicle. “I have been trying to learn how to drive a stick shift, but I still can’t seem to figure out how to go up a hill. Every time I see a hill approaching, no matter the Continued on page 4
Donald Trump Rally
Is he really “making America great again?” BY C L A I R E H O TA L I N G '16
Editorial Board
CONTRIBUTOR
A Donald Trump rally is exactly what you’d expect: theatrical, shocking, and slightly terrifying. Outside the convention center, there were peddlers pushing hats, T-shirts, and “Hot Chicks For Trump” pins on those walking by. A small group of protesters had gathered, sectioned off by police officers. There was a concerningly large amount of security around, scanning the crowd with suspicion. The crowd, however, was surprisingly small. With only two hours before Trump’s performance, only his die-hard fans had come early. Inside the center, Trump was playing an interesting choice of songs. Most notably, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Rolling Stones, a song that is curiously contradictory to his general message. Another song, “Tiny Dancer” also contradicted Trump’s values, as it is sung by gay and British Elton John. These songs, which were played far too often, were periodically interrupted by an announcement about protesters. A robotic voice gave instructions, “If someone near you starts protesting, do not hurt them. Simply hold your Trump sign in the air, point to them and chant, “Trump, Trump, Trump”. Please do not touch or harm them in anyway just wait until our security personnel remove them.” The announcement was concerning, as was the supporter
reaction to the mention of protesters. Threats and swears were exchanged between neighbors as anger swirled through the audience. Finally, it was time. “Let’s Get Ready To Rumble” started playing, as if a hockey game was about to break out. The whole setup was ludicrous and was enough entertainment on its own. The people were so excited to be there, so hyped up on hatred, and their energy was so contagious it was tempting to join in. Then, the orange man emerged, waving and looking pleased with himself. He spoke about a wide variety of issues, some reasonable, some absolutely insane. One moment he was talking about the lack of jobs in Connecticut, the next he had everyone turn around to face the press and shout vulgar, horrible things at them. Fortunately, they were unfazed; one reporter took a selfie video of it all and put it on his snapchat story. Trump spoke about Mexico and the wall, “Lying Ted”, and how despicable Hillary Clinton is. He talked very much for someone who said so little. However, he was clearly well prepared. Some advisor had given him a list of statistics about problems Connecticut has, which he proudly listed for the crowd. After describing all the issues, he would say something along the lines of, “And I will fix that!” and the crowd cheered and chanted. No
one asked how he would fix it. It was easy to see how angry, uneducated people support him. He plays on their anger and makes them think he has the ability to change things. Though there was not much talk of policy to begin with, his speech was worsen by the constant interruptions of protesters. At least eight of them emerged throughout the rally, each one escorted out while being shouted, cursed and leered at. During these disturbances, Trump was forced into silence, unable to speak over the shouts of his supporters. It seemed like every two seconds another protester popped up. Trump could barely get a full sentence out. However, he could only spew nonsense for so long and, despite the interruptions, the rally lasted a mere thirty minutes. In the end it’s easy to tell yourself there’s no way America is dumb enough to vote for him. The rally was a circus, a farce. But seeing the support he has, how strongly people believe in him, was terrifying. His presidency could become a reality very easily and could very well destroy our country. So next time you share a video of him doing something absurd, or laugh about his policy with your friends, remember this: it could be him who gets the last laugh.
Co-Editors-in-Chief Grace Brentano '16 & Ashlyn Chin '16 News
Teagan Stedman '18 Mike Riberdy '18
Opinion
Nicole Fox '16 Jackson Andrews '17
Features
Jack Horrigan '16 Hallie Feibel '16 Joyce Cheng '16 Jeremy Mason '16
Arts
Layout
Hyeonjo Jeong '17
Assistant Layout Nornia Xu '17 Ryan Lee '18 Connor Seeley '18 Student
Paige Brackett '16 Sarah Poling '16
Rebecca Ryan '16 Lexi Organ '16 Faculty Advisor Sara Deveaux Photo
Staff Writers Emmett de Kanter '19 Sean Ryan '18 Fiona Fan '18
Sarah Minella '17 Alexandra Aiello '17
Contributors Claire Hotaling '16 Albert Gao '18
Nicholas Wee '18 Joel Groves '17
The Westminster News prints between 250 to 500 copies, issued eight to ten times per school year. The News is offered for free to students (65 Third Formers, 110 Fourth Formers, 110 Fifth Formers, and 110 Sixth Formers), faculty and staff (150), and is also available online. The opinions expressed represent those of the authors, not necessarily those of The Westminster News or Westminster School. We invite all members of the community to share their opinions in these pages. Articles
Maddie Dwyer '18 Mia Poling '18
are published at the discretion of The News which reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity, or factual accuracy. Anyone interested in contributing to The Westminster News should contact Grace Brentano '16 or Ashlyn Chin '16, or any member of the Editorial Board for information on how to submit writing, photographs, etc. The Westminster News is associated with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
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THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Thursday May 5, 2016
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News Basketball’s Best: Warriors’ Record Win & Kobe’s Last Game 4/13/16: 60 points. 70 wins. by N IC H O L A S W E E '18 CONTRIBUTOR
NBA
Kobe Bryant waving to his fans at his last game. It’s funny how a few numbers, mere digits have the ability to tell such a compelling story. For those who don’t follow basketball and the NBA, the night of April 13, 2016 will be permanently engraved in basketball history books for many years to come. Millions of people across the world woke up on just another Wednesday morning, woefully unaware that one of basketball’s greatest, Kobe Bryant was to make his final performance. Kobe
Bryant, who had set the stage and redefined the game of basketball 20 years ago, was to perform his last, great final act. However, the Los Angeles Lakers had been playing terribly this season, finishing with the worst record in their franchise’s rich history. Yet, more than five million viewers tuned in live to watch Kobe’s last game, while countless of Hollywood’s greatest, from power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé to David Beckham and Kendrick Lamar, filled up courtside seats, eager to witness Kobe play for the final time. Regardless if Kobe Bryant had missed every single shot he took that day, his final game would have been legendary. It must be mentioned, however that at the same time, another record was about to be broken just a few hundred miles north of Los Angeles, up in Oakland, where the Golden State Warriors were one win away from breaking the all time record for most wins in a season in the final game of the regular season. This win would propel Stephen Curry and his Warriors beyond the achievements of the Greatest Of All Time, Michael Jordan, whose 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls boasted
SDLC 2016
Accepting our differences BY S arah M inella '17
a 72-10 win-loss record. It quickly became apparent that the Warriors came into the game with no intention of losing, with Stephen Curry shattering his own 3-point record with his 400th 3-pointer this season in a blowout game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The world then turned to Kobe as his 17-65 Los Angeles Lakers faced the 40-42 Utah Jazz at home. 37-year-old Kobe Bryant, who had put his body through 20 years in the NBA and suffered a devastating Achilles tear in 2013, had a rough season. As he wrote in a post on The Player’s Tribune announcing his retirement last November, “my heart can take the pounding, my mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” One thing beca me clea r immediately after tip-off: the young and rebuilding Lakers team would continue to feed K ob e over a nd over a g a i n throughout the game to ensure they could give him the best possible send-off, regardless of the score. With the cheapest ticket to the game starting at $888, tens of thousands of people gathered in Staples Center and watched as Kobe Bryant shot, and missed
and coming out to his parents and how his gender identity manifested itself during childhood. Following Myers’ presentation, students had the opportunity to pose questions to him. Then, those who were attending the conference for the first time were sent to small group sessions, as returning students were divided into larger groups of about fifty students. Each group session began with a discussion of community norms--guidelines for inclusive, comfortable conversations. Topics of discussion included the LGBTQIP+ community, awareness of diversity, and the relevance of these topics in our preparatory school communities. The day closed with more musica l performa nces a nd a ref lection period in which students who engaged in the larger group session, and some who engaged in the smaller groups, shared what they had learned and experienced during the day. SDLC 2016 was a powerful event, not soon to be forgotten.
their eyes. He was unstoppable. With the Lakers down ten in the dying minutes of the game, Kobe soared and scored seventeen points in a row to put the Lakers up three with 14.8 seconds to go. He was absolutely gassed. During every time out, you could tell he was gasping for air. Yet he continued on, for the love of his fans, for the love of his team, for the love of the game. Every single shot, every jumper he took in the clutch, when every single possession, every single point is critical, went in, as if his strength of will could somehow make the basketball enter the hoop. But of course it could. Those shots had to go in, there was just simply never any other option for the poor basketball whenever it touched Kobe’s hands. The chance of him missing the game winning shot? Less than zero. In a fairy tale ending, Kobe Br yant went out on his own terms, making sure to break a few more records on the way out, leaving a truly untarnished legacy. 6 0 p oi nt s , on 50 s hot attempts, in 20 seasons--the perfect numbers, in the perfect finale, to the perfect story. Dear Basketba ll, Mamba Out.
American College Student Sentenced to 15 Years of Labor in North Korea BY A lexandra A iello '17
STAFF WRITER
On Sunday, April 17 a group of almost thirty Westminster students, including five facilitators (Jeremy Mason '16, Mia Stevens '18, Nathali Madrid '17, Jordan Clapprood '18, and Taina Cotto '16) embarked to Green Farms Ac ademy for 2016’s a n nu a l Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). After listening to a series of music a l per forma nces by K ingswood Oxford students, Keynote Speaker A lex Myers, author of Revolutionary and an a lu m nu s of Ph i l l ips E xeter Academy, was introduced. Myers became the first transgender student in the school’s histor y when, after spending his first three years there as a woman, he returned for his senior year as a man. Alex went on to earn his bachelor’s at Harvard University, where he was the first openly transgender student. At Harvard, he worked to change the University’s nondiscrimination clause to encompass gender identity. Myers spoke about his experience as a transgender male
his first five shots. This was to be expected, of course, and most fans would have been perfectly happy with 20 points from Kobe, maybe 30 if they were lucky. But when Kobe made his first shot, the crowd erupted, and went absolutely wild as he made his next four. Finishing the half with just over 20 points was more than anyone could have asked for. But he continued his relentless onslaught, determined to go out with a bang. Stimulated by the crowd and driven by his own willpower, Bryant doubled his points and ended the 3rd quarter tallying 37 points, with nothing but the final twelve minutes of his career ahead of him. The Jazz had led the Lakers by as much as 15 points and had been riding a comfortable lead going into the 4th quarter. And yet, in what seemed to be a miracle or act of a divine power, Bryant continued to nail down shot after shot. As if, by some unforeseeable circumstance, he had drawn out some of that old magic from the glory days. The game was dreamlike, and he was master of the dream. He was the king of the court. 40 points. 50 points. Nobody could believe
STAFF WRITER
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Warmbier attempts to defend his actions. A 21-year-old college student from Cincinnati, Ohio has been sentenced to 15 years of arduous labor in North Korea. Otto Frederick Warmbier, an American citizen who is a third year student at the University of Virginia, was arrested in North Korea in January. Warmbier was an intelligent student--he held a place on the Dean’s list and partook in multiple student organizations. Over the holiday season, the college student took a trip organized by a China-based travel company. The trip opened up his eyes to a whole different world,
however his wonderful trip came to a jolting stop when he made a small mistake that resulted in an arrest. Otto Frederick Warmbier was convicted by the Democratic Republic of North Korea for “hostile acts against the country.” The college student wa s arrested on January 2 at the Pyongyang Airport, on his way out of the country. The North Korean government asserted that Warmbier had entered the country with a negative motive, “for the purpose of bringing down the foundation of its single-minded unity at the tacit connivance of the U.S. government.” The crime that the 21-year-old committed was theft of a propaganda sign from his hotel--a simple joke that turned into a life changing and devastating mistake. John Kasich, the governor of Ohio stated that, “North Korea’s arrest of an Ohio college student is inexcusable, and he should be released and returned immediately.” However, even after sup-
port from the U.S. and a public apology made by Warmbier, the North Korean Government stood their ground and sentenced Warmbier to hard labor in North Korea until he reaches the age of 36 years old. Many believe that Warmbier is being unjustly held and an outrage continues to plague the US over this disaster. A peer of Warmbier’s recently stated, “Otto was one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met. I’ve never met a person that had a bad thing to say about him.” It is clear that Warmbier did not have harmful intentions and that he was convicted because he wanted to have a flag that he could brag about to his friends back home. This is not the first instance of an American being arrested in North Korea for a minor offense. North Korea’s government continues to show the world that its corrupt government is here to stay.
THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Thursday May 5, 2016
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Community 5 Helpful Tips on Surviving Exam Week Eat, sleep, and take a deep breath! by JO E L G ROV E S '17 CONTRIBUTOR
nutritious, balanced diet is important even if the exam is not for two weeks.
Tip #1: Eat Well!
Tip #2: Sleep.
from a short walk around Armour to a short video on YouTube to a quick game of Clash Royale.
time of the year, and improves focus. Tip #5: Find time to relax.
Tip #4: Exercise.
Tip #3: Take Breaks.
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This means do not skip breakfast. Oftentimes, we like to sleep in when we have to catch up on hours of sleep lost earlier in the week. However, when we sleep in, we often miss breakfast and end up going throughout the day with little energy. This unfortunate scenario is exacerbated when we choose to consume a lot of caffeine to battle our tiredness. Excessive amounts of caffeine can dehydrate our bodies, causing it to be harder to focus when it comes time to sit down and take an AP exam. To improve our ability to focus and retain information when taking AP exams, a
Note: Do not cram! Cramming is not helpful if you are left drooling on your exam because of your self-induced exhaustion. You might as well take the exam with half a brain if you are going to cram beforehand. A short 15-30 minute study session before the exam is much more effective than staying up the night before.
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Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Ideally, this should occur a couple of days before the exam. An ample amount of sleep gives the body enough time to form memories and connections. Sleep is crucial for exams that require students to know a vast amount of content, such as the AP Bio exam or AP Euro exam. Even with exams that do not require students to know a lot of content like the AP English exams, sleep can help to improve alertness during the exams. (Side
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Try to study in 30-minute or 1-hour long chunks. Frequent short breaks helps to clear the mind and improve focus. Breaks prevent overwhelming the brain too quickly with information. These breaks can be anything
Try to set aside time in the day, whether before or in the middle of studying, to exercise. It is also good to exercise after the exams to rest the brain, which has been working hard for over three hours. Exercise can be anything from a fifteen-minute walk to one-hour long resistance training. Exercise decreases stress when feeling overwhelmed, increases happiness during such a difficult
Try to take time throughout the day to unwind, especially before going to bed. You can relax by listening to music, watching Netf lix, reading, or even doing meditative breathing throughout the day. These activities rest the brain and can even allow sleep to come quicker than usual.
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Martlets Behind the Wheel What To Do on Sundays at Westminster? Continued from Page 2 size, I quickly stop the car at the nearest red light or stop sign, and my dad and I play Chinese fire drill, where we get out of the car and run to switch seats before the light turns green. I’m always worried that someday, I’m going to crash into the car behind me. I’m not too proud of myself.” said Donatella Mancinone '18 It is unclear how this next student passed her permit test, because not only did she forget that one cannot pass over solid line lane markings, but also that it is typically unsafe to drive directly toward and into incoming traffic. “I was once driving behind a mail truck on a t wo-lane road, and it was moving very slowly. Although I couldn’t see far enough down the road, I thought to myself ‘YOLO’, and sped up and switched to the other lane. I immediately regretted my decision because I saw a car driving straight toward me, so I quickly cut back into my lane, almost clipping the mail truck because I was swerving around so much. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll be trying to pass cars anytime soon.” shared
Ally Marenco '18 The last student who shared a story wishes to remain anonymous, presumably for legal reasons. “I once was sandwiched between two school buses full of small children, yelling at each other from one bus to the other. Being the genius that I am, I decided that it would be a good idea to document this phenomenon by filming it for my snapchat story, risking the lives of innocent, little children as well as my own. I realize now that this was not my brightest idea and will definitely not be doing it ever again. Sorry, school bus children, my bad.” shared anonymous Evidently, everyone makes mistakes when they first obtain a learner’s permit, some being more extreme and embarrassing than others. However, with time and practice, students will undoubtedly become skilled, safe drivers who are taken advantage of for Starbucks runs, used as personal drivers for their siblings, and most importantly, ready for the streets.
From quad chilling to everyone’s favorite Graham Central Station by M addie Dwyer '18 & M ia P oling '18 CONTRIBUTOR
Who doesn’t love J-Foster’s? Everyone has been there… that moment on a Saturday night when you and your friends are thinking of things to do on Sunday. After much consideration about what makes an ideal Sunday, here’s what two students came up with. The most popular breakfast options to start off the day are Brookside Bagels and Popover Bistro & Bakery, or even the dining hall brunch. Sundays can also consist of various walks downtown, including to Starbucks, J-Fosters, and Little City. If walking is not an option, stay on campus and relax with friends on the quad, go to the gym to work out or the library
COURTESY OF EMMA ALPAUGH
to study. Sundays at Westminster can be as relaxing or as dynamic as you want them to be, with a range of activities for anyone. Here is what fellow Martlets said about their favorite things to do on our day off: Emma Alpaugh '18: “I like getting Brookside because I love bagels, walking to Jfos’ (JFoster’s ice cream) because I like ice cream, and I also enjoy going to the gym and doing homework. Just kidding, I don’t like doing homework.” Delando Clarke '17: “I really like brunch. Brunch is my favorite part of the day, and I enjoy making waffles and stuff.” Jo s i a h Gr e e n '18: “On
Sunday, I usually like to work out, and eat brunch. After that, I like to go play basketball and hang out with my friends.” Katherine Berry '16: “Watch Netflix and hang out on the quad on nice days.” Mrs. Griffith: “My favorite thing to do is take my dog on a walk on the fields.” Aly Tolba '18: “Play soccer.” Marshall Watts '18 and Alex Hu '19: “Sleep.” Isaiah Preyer '17: “Throw a frisbee on the quad.” Liza Lennox '18 and Annabel Bradley '19: “I like to sleep and do my homework... I love Sunday brunch.” Will Livingston '19: “Eat food.” Sophia Gasser '18: “I really like to go into town with my friends, I also like to throw the lacrosse ball on the fields and take walks to the overlook.” So, there you have it. There are plenty of things to do on campus on a Sunday so have fun!