Whittier April 2023

Whittier Miscellany The

April 2023 • Wilmington Friends School’s Community Newspaper • Wilmington, DE

Be Bold for Blue: A Day of Giving

Katie Bryan, Staff Writer ‘24

Be Bold for Blue is a “day of giving” according to Aaron Sharp, the director of Annual Funds. A day where alumni are prompted to donate back to the school that gave them so much. This is the second year of the day and it was even more lucrative and enjoyable than last year.

Be Bold for Blue was not always the way it is today. Years before there used to be an entire month of ‘giving’ where alumni were encouraged to donate. Those organizing it made a lot of social media challenges like their dance competition to raise awareness and bring energy to the fund.

This year they had a little over 370 donors and raised over 100,00 dollars for the school. This was far over their goal of 300 donors. Cristina DiSabatino, assistant director of development, and who also played a crucial role in Be Bold for Blue Day said, “All the funds raised are for the annual fund. This could consist of budget relief, tech upgrades, athletic

Mindsets

Abigail Thurlow, Features Writer ‘26

equipment, and even professional development opportunities for teachers. This fund encompasses a wide range of needs for the school.”

Student input was incredibly important for deciding what activities the school should conduct on a student-wide level. Aaron Sharp visited the upper school for both their agenda and business team meeting in which the student body discussed what kind of activities they would like to participate in for the event. The final decision, from feedback from the upper school, was to conduct a Penny Drive. Containers for each grade were placed in the arches. Students brought in spare change and small bills from home to compete against other grades. Sharp admitted that “the team always wanted to include something with competition within the grades to promote friendly competition.”

Pennies were added to the students’ class jar for points. Each penny was worth one point. Silver coins or paper bills were worth negative points according to their value. These were put in the jars of other classes with the goal of neutralizing the

It is finally time for the spring sports season at Wilmington Friends! Sometimes it is hard to get out of the “academic mindset” and into an “athletic mindset”. Therefore, some students decided to talk about their experiences.

There are lots of talented athletes at Wilmington Friends and spectators can see their talents out on the fields or courts; however, they never know about those seven hours of school just before time on the playing field. Molly Dolan ‘26, plays girls’ lacrosse, field hockey, and basketball. Stone Davis ‘26, plays boys’ lacrosse, and basketball. Ava Kolodszak ‘26 plays volleyball and basketball. Daniela Cristanetti-Walker ‘26 plays field hockey, soccer, and runs track. They are all very passionate about their sports and have been playing them for a long time.

When students were asked how they split up sports and schoolwork, Molly and Ava both decided to put schoolwork first. “If there is time before practice, I try to get some work done,” Ava Kolodszak ‘26. Molly also uses sports to her academic advantage. She commented, “Athletics does help get my brain moving, so it can be useful for school work.” This is a powerful technique that many students should use to their advantage. Stone

points they gained from their pennies. At the end of the week, on Be Bold for Blue day, when the class jars were full, those organizing it added up how many pennies were in each jar, and then subtracted the value of silver coins and bills in the same jar.

An exciting part of the Penny Drive was that there were two winning classes, one in the MS and one in the US. Once the pennies were counted and the silver coins and bills were subtracted, the winning class would receive Krispy Kreme donuts during April.

The data was incredibly interesting, The 11th grade brought in the most pennies in the Upper School, with 1,175 pennies. The only reason they did not win was the sabotage of the 20$ bill that was placed in their bin last minute. The 10th graders came in dead last but at least they won the contest of which grade had the most dollar bills in their container… That left the 9th grade with 232 pennies, and the 12th grade with 812 pennies. You would think that the seniors had this one in the bag but, the 12th graders had almost -2000 points, while the 9th grade

on the other hand likes to separate them by splitting their time in half. “I spend 50% on athletics and 50% on academics.” He also talked about how it is sometimes difficult to differentiate the two because “they both take

only suffered a loss of -800 points, leaving the 9th grade with the dub and also the Krispy Kreme Donuts.

The students had a lot of fun competing in a low-stress and amusing game to celebrate Be Bold for Blue and together all seven grades raised over 580 dollars in coins! An anonymous junior commented that “I have a vendetta against 20 dollar bills and we should have gotten donuts for raising the most pennies.” To see the other side of this story an anonymous ninth grader said, “I feel very happy that we won and got donuts. Although, I am very confused because many people I talked to including myself didn’t donate any pennies.” The ninth graders won mainly because they had the fewest amount of silver coins in their jar.

All in all, Be Bold for Blue was incredibly successful this year and the school is very thankful to all the donors who contributed to their education and general well-being. The WFS community is looking forward to seeing what next year’s Be Bold for Blue fundraising day looks like!

can. For example, Molly demonstrates her time management skills, “Sometimes I wish I had extra time to study, but I always end up procrastinating at the last minute anyway.” Stone’s outside source is travel basketball, “The travel aspect gets in the way but the school sports don’t.” Other students, as Ava, do find having practice and having to study a little more difficult. Time is definitely sometimes an issue. Ava exemplifies, “Practice does definitely get in the way of getting my work done cause practice can end at like 6-6:30 pm sometimes and I don’t get home till 7-8 at night. I won’t finish my school work till like 10 or 11 pm versus on a day with no practice. I finished my work at like 6.” The amount of work can also be an issue, Daniela shows, “I have a lot of homework, but most of the time I am pretty good at managing my time. I do my work during school, in study halls and if I have some free time.”

time and hard work.”

In the same respect, Molly and Stone both commented on how school sports do not affect their studying significantly, but sometimes outside sources

Sports games can sometimes run late and cut further into sleep time. Therefore, when asked about how much sleep these athletes get, the responses were actually similar. Stone and Molly say they sleep about seven hours every night. They both said that this amount of sleep does not impact their performance during their sports.

Continuetopage8.

Disney Disaster: An Empire In Crisis

Jack Hebert ‘23, Staff Writer

The Walt Disney Company is one of the largest, and arguably most successful, companies in all of entertainment. Disney rose to popularity with their classic animated fairy tale films, before expanding and purchasing highly influential companies in popular culture, such as Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. Disney then changed strategies, allowing their newfound subsidiaries to produce films and make money while they served as upper management. This brought them initial profits, but what may have seemed like a formula for success soon turned into a recipe for disaster. So what changed, and can Disney return from where it has ended up?

The initial cracks in Disney’s foundation first

started in 2020. In the previous year, Disney had released Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While both had seen financial success, The Rise of Skywalker was subject to negative reviews and harsh criticism, and both films served as the end point for a long running franchise. While Marvel had plans to continue, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a major reshuffling of film release dates, and Star Wars was effectively reduced to a TV show brand. Around this time, Disney released their streaming service, Disney+, with its flagship show, The Mandalorian. This show was a draw for many to the streaming service, and Disney initially was able to manage their major IPs through streaming content. When the pandemic eased up, and Disney was able to release films in theaters, the cracks became more visible. Black Widow and The Eternals were both financial failures, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was barely able to scrape by. Marvel, a seemingly invincible cinema

Into the Spider-Verse’s Take on Unorthodox

Lucy Cericola ‘25, Staff Writer

The Pixar animation look and style is recognizable instantly. From the way shadows reflect off Rex in Toy Story to a blurry background in The Incredibles when the camera focuses on main characters, Pixar films attained an identifiable animation style which combines unrealistic characters with visual effects that apply to the real world. Though these movies undoubtedly changed animation for the better, they set the precedent of high standard billion dollar gains from animated films. Thus, to chase after the Pixar “dream”, many creators chose to mimic the same category of realistic animation styles, confining the endless spectrum of animation to an art style which reflects reality. This all changed on December 14th, 2018, when the critically acclaimed Spider-Man, Into the Spider-Verse released.

Into the Spider-Verse “Stretched the creative boundaries” which many animated films obey under. Experimenting with vibrant colors, pops in texture, and a

juggernaut, was now suffering financial loss after resounding success. While this may have seemed to be the pandemic, Spiderman: No Way Home had a box office return of over $1 billion only a month after the release of The Eternals, showing that general audiences were willing to go to theaters after the pandemic. As 2022 began, Marvel saw financial success with the releases of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a worrisome trend began. Each film was consistently bringing in less and less money, with a greater box office drop off. Similarly, the Marvel streaming exclusives were receiving less viewership consistently. These properties were also now being received

worse than previous releases. Disney’s other franchises were likewise not doing well, with Star Wars’ flagship title on hold for the year, and the Book of Boba Fett and Obi Wan Kenobi under performing. Pixar’s two films of 2022 were also both box office flops, with Turning Red losing over $160 million. As 2023 grew closer, it seemed that Disney became more panicked.

On November 20, 2022, Disney executives suddenly replaced CEO Bob Chapek with their previous CEO, Bob Iger. This startling change is a sign to many that Disney is panicking, and their final quarterly earnings in 2022 show why. Their stock prices have been consistently dropping over the past two years, Disney+ lost over 2 million subscribers, and this resulted in Disney losing over $1 billion in a single quarter on streaming services alone. Disney’s losses continued, however, with Bob Iger pledging to cut thousands of jobs and slashing $5.5 billion in expenses.

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Cafeteria Favorites

Buffalo wings - Avery 11

Soft pretzels - Ellie Driscoll 10

Little potato bites - Carter 10

Abby -11

Cheese pizza - Greta s (10)

Mac and cheese - collier / Kevin

Tacos - Aidan (11)

Fries -Arrionna

Big chocolate chip cookies - Annie

What did you want to be when you were little? (Seniors)

Full time College Cheerleader/ part-time mailman - (Ellie c-12)

Basketball player -jack rolls

Elle woods - Brooke (lowkey still do)

Spanish artists - Thomas (no hesitation)

Firefighter - Sameer

Jedi - Colin Baker - Yael

The next Gru from despicable me - Joce

Princess - Madeline

Paleontologist - Peri

Archaeologist - cuz he liked dino shows - Ish

The Over-popularization of Turning Sixteen

Anya Agarwal ‘25, Staff Writer

jittery comic book art style which adhered to the origins of Miles Morales, Into the Spider-Verse took important steps towards creative liberty and an evolution of art. Essentially, the Spider-Verse walked so that the future of animation could run. Miles Morales and the rest of his saving-theworld crew of Spider-abled heroes move, talk, and fight at a shuddery pace. Into the Spider-Verse is animated at 24 frames per second regularly. However, in a movie with such attention to detail, what is “usual” is often tweaked to convey a theme or idea. For example, Miles Morales is animated in 12 frames per second while fighting to highlight his clumsiness as an 8th grader with new spider abilities, juxtaposing the smooth and well adapted movements of Miles’ mentor, Peter.

Additionally, the film’s VFX supervisor, Danny Dimian made the conscious choice to avoid motion blur, contributing to the crisp outcome of every panel animated with care.

Every year, you only get one birthday, and you want it to be full of enjoyment and relaxation. It’s all the same until the day you turn 16 - the “sweet sixteen”. The right to drive is frequently granted at the age of sixteen. Many families rush to the nearest DMV to get their teen a license to commemorate the occasion. For their birthdays, teens often receive a brand-new or used car. In recent years, the over-commercialization and over-popularization of this milestone have placed unnecessary pressure on young people and their families to meet inflated expectations.

Firstly, turning 16 has become over popular as a result of the influence of the media and popular culture. The age of sixteen is frequently shown in television shows, movies, and social media platforms as a period when a person becomes more independent and gains newfound freedoms, such as driving a car or getting a job. “16 Wishes,” “Super Sweet 16,” and “Sixteen Candles” are all films about the overblown idea of turning sixteen. This representation of the era has contributed to the assumption that an extravagant party is required to mark the occasion. These parties are frequently costly affairs featuring a DJ, dancing, and a large guest list. The sweet sixteen party has become a rite of passage for many kids, and the pressure to have the perfect party may be overpowering, forcing families to spend money they may not have on an event that is not necessarily essential. Teenagers who feel they need to have a certain style of party or attain certain milestones

The over-popularization of turning 16 also leads to a sense of entitlement among young people. When they are taught that turning 16 is a huge milestone, it creates a feeling of being owed something for reaching this age. This is not a healthy attitude, as it can lead to a lack of gratitude and appreciation for what they have already achieved.

Although it is portrayed as such, turning sixteen is not a big milestone in a person’s life. It is merely another year of development and growth. While increasing one’s freedom and responsibility is exhilarating, it does not define one’s adulthood.

$230 Million Dollar Man

Mitchell Brenner ‘24, Staff Writer

In 2023, professional athletes have the opportunity to make hundreds of millions of dollars, and this has led to much controversy between whether or not they should be asking for more and more. Every NFL offseason has players signing the highest paid contract for their position ever, last year being Green Bay Packers QB, Aaron Rodgers, signing a 3 year 150 million dollar deal, giving an annual salary of 50 million. This begs the question, how much money are teams willing to fork over to ensure that a single player will be on their team for years to come? The controversy of this question is perfectly depicted with the Baltimore Ravens QB, Lamar Jackson, and his contract negotiations.

In the 2019 NFL season, Lamar Jackson took the reins of the Baltimore Ravens offense, marking his first full season as a starting quarterback. In just his second season in the league, and first as a full time starter, Jackson became the second player to ever win the MVP award unanimously. Since the 2019 season, Lamar has had some issues remaining healthy, as most run first quarterbacks do, but still has remained as a top player in the league when he’s on the field. Heading into the 2023 season, he decided to not sign a contract extension, betting on himself to play well in hopes of being offered a larger contract.

Lamar Jackson believes himself to be, as many do, one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. With quarterback being the most important position on the field, most teams are more than willing to pay whatever it might cost to keep a great young player around for years to come, however Lamar’s injury concerns come into play. The big issue with the contract negotiations isn’t the amount of money in the contract itself, but the amount

of guaranteed money. In terms of NFL contracts, guaranteed money is money that will go to the play no matter what, even if the team were to cut him. In Lamar Jackson’s situation, the Baltimore Ravens are okay with paying 45+ million per year to Lamar, but they don’t want to make the entire contract guaranteed in case of an injury, because if the entire contract is guaranteed money, Lamar could have an injury ruin his ability to run or throw as well as he can, but he will still be guaranteed all of money he signed for.

Lamar Jackson believes that he is deserving of no less than Watson who hasn’t done anything to prove he is worth a contract like that, when Lamar has an MVP to his name and has been consistently a top 5 or 10 quarterback each year since 2019.

Outside of injuries, there are a few other reasons the Ravens might not sign Lamar for the amount of money he wants. Only three quarterbacks in the history of the NFL have made the superbowl with their salary holding 13% or more of the teams total salary cap, and only one has won it. In 2023, Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory over the Eagles while holding 17.2% of the cap space. No matter how good Lamar Jackson is, he just isn’t up to the standard of Tom Brady and other players in this situation like Patrick Mahomes.

A question you might be asking is how much money is Lamar asking for? Lamar Jackson has stated that he wants a contract no less than that of the Cleveland Browns QB, Deshaun Watson who signed a fully guaranteed, 5 year 230 million dollar contract last off-season. Watson signed this contract after sitting out the entire 2021 season and being suspended for 11 games on sexual misconduct and assault charges. After returning from his absence, Watson’s play was underwhelming to say the least, especially for the historically large contract that he signed in the off season. So, in all fairness,

Girls’ Tennis Season, Will They “kick ace” This Year?

Sarah Levenson ‘24, Staff Writer

Girls’ tennis season is a fun and exciting time for the coaches and players. Even though the team may be small, they are still mighty. Last year the girl’s tennis season was on a roll with a varsity record of 13-1. As the team only lost one game, they were motivated and on top of their game. The girls made it to the state championship and won in the finals with one of the standout players, Aubrey Nisbet ‘23, leading the team to victory. The top three singles players were Aubrey Nisbet ‘23, Alexis Montana ‘22, and Ava Rubano ‘24. As the Wilmington Friends community is entering spring sports season this year, the girl’s tennis team is reuniting and hoping to come out stronger. The lineup for starting singles this year consists of Aubrey Nisbet ‘23, Ava Steinberger ‘23, and Emma Larson ‘25. The head coaches are Gabbie Feldman and Ken Dill. So far this season the team has had two matches and won both. As for last year from winning the state championship title, the team has a lot to live up to this year, especially if they want to go for two.

Tennis is a mind game. One’s mentality is very important to the team and to yourself as well. The competition itself can be intense and scary, especially if you play singles because you have no partner to confide in and communicate with. The connection between players helped team through last year because they not only challenged themselves but really proved themselves. A state championship title is an honorable thing for the team, and this year they are anticipating many wins and are anxious to get the season on a move. Every day the team starts practice with a “quote of the day” that brings the girls together and sets their intentions and goals for the day. Every practice ends with the saying “Kick Ace!” This saying displays that throughout practice, the team does their very best to encourage each other.

If Lamar were to sign a similar contract to Deshaun Watson, he would hold around 20-25% of the salary cap. The numbers don’t lie, if the Ravens are serious about wanting to win a superbowl, it would be smart to consider trading away Lamar Jackson, and building around a possibly young quarterback taken in this or next year’s draft using the picks received as compensation for Jackson.

Lamar Jackson is undoubtedly a franchise altering talent, but the quarterback market was tanked by Deshaun Watson’s contract. Many teams are going to be hesitant to sign a player to such a large deal with so much guaranteed money because a major injury could happen at any moment. To make everything worse, Lamar has had a history of injuries similar to most quarterbacks that run a lot. The contract negotiations remain at a standstill, and the only thing fans can do is wait to see what happens.

Aubrey Nisbet ‘23, standout player of the team was asked a few questions on her thoughts about the upcoming season. After being asked about last year’s success, she explains, “It will definitely be hard to live up to our win last year because we made history at the school, but we plan to win again! I think everyone who was on the team last year wants to experience the win again, and the new girls are just as excited and motivated to be state champions as well!” This shows how the team continues to exceed everyones expectations time and time again. Nisbet had a motivating response when asked about the challenges for this season. She explains, “I think this year Tower Hill will be the team to beat. Last season we beat them last year for the first time in over 15 years and I know we can do it again. We just need to bring our confidence and energy to the match.” Tower Hill and St. Andrews have always been one of the teams toughest opponents, but they repeatedly show how they can come out on top. In order to come as far as they did last year, they will need to be energetic, play their best, and kick ace! Good luck girls!

Women’s 2023 Soccer Season

Cora Lohkamp ‘26, Staff Writer

Two years ago, directly after the pandemic, The Wilmington Friends women’s soccer team won the DISC championship. Do they have a chance to do it again? The team is relatively young with two eighth graders paying up and starting (Cecelia DiPrinzio ‘27 and Sofia Dattani ‘27). Although everyone on the team is incredibly talented, they have some inexperience from their youth. Can they defeat their opponents and win?

So far, the team has played four games, They beat Newark Charter 4-1, Charter School of Wilmington 4-0 in scrimmages. In real season games, they beat Sanford 3-0 and recently tied 1-1 to DMA. Sara Clothier ‘26 says, “They were a really good match-up but we were the better team. We can bounce back and beat them if we play them again.” Her positive attitude is seen throughout the entire team. Everyone is hopeful that they can win DISC again this year and go farther into the playoffs than last year. The three games they won went well so things are looking good. The team didn’t suffer too many losses from graduation last year. They have mostly the same players, making the transition into the season so much easier. With all of their hard work at practice and dedication to the team, there should be a lot of improvement seen throughout the season. There is a lot of talent on the team and as the season progresses, they will figure out where everyone fits and how to work together best.

They used the scrimmages to build chemistry with each other and learn how everyone plays.

In the Sanford game, they won 3-0, the first real game, and the first team in the DISC. To start the game off Ryan Weigand ‘26 scored a beautiful header assisted by Sofia Dattani ‘27. The team was so excited after this astounding finish, not only because of how well they played, but also with the promise of Rita’s after practice because of the header. The other two goals in this game were beautiful as well, scored by Ryan Weigand ‘26 and Reagan Brady ‘23. The team’s biggest competition in the conference is Tower Hill and Sanford as well as Wilmington Christian who recently beat Tower Hill. Clothier ‘26 shares, “I’m excited to play them (Wilmington Christian) because it is a new match-up and one you wouldn’t expect because they haven’t been amazing in the past. I’m excited to see what they can do.”

The hope of winning another DISC will push these players to work even harder than they already are. Even if they don’t win this season, with all their young players we should expect to see an even better team next season! Please try to attend as many of their games as possible, they would really appreciate the fans in an exciting match-up!

WFS Spring Sports Start

Giuliana DiPrinzio ‘25, Staff Writer

Athletics at Wilmington Friends are such a significant part of the community. Spring is here, and this means that a new sports season has officially begun. After a very successful winter season, the spring sports teams will look to continue with some success of their own.

Last year the girl’s Quaker Lacrosse team made it to the quarter-finals and this year they hope to continue to build on that success. Cora Lohkamp ‘26 says “This season I am most excited about being with the team and continuing to have fun. There are a lot of really amazing people and athletes on the team and we have already had so much fun together.” Along with spending her afternoons with the team Lohkamp ‘26 is looking forward to winning. “I love to win but winning with the team makes the whole experience so much fun.”

Much like the lacrosse team, the Quaker Baseball team is hoping to have another successful season. Manager Avery Martinenza ‘25 explains that the team’s main goal this season is to “control what you can control and to have fun”. Baseball much like other sports is a team game and it is important to maintain a positive attitude and remain calm to help your team beneficially. She also talks about the significance of teamwork and connections among a team. She explains, “I am most excited to bond with the team this season. Since I am the only manager I have more opportunities to get closer to all the players.”

Head girls soccer coach Scott Clothier says “The importance of a strong team environment is that the strength provides continuity, cohesion, and a goal-oriented team that understands their task throughout a season, rather than having a day-to-day approach which will provide inconsistency.”

The boy’s Quaker lacrosse team also made it to the quarterfinals last year and they have the goal to get even further this year. So far undefeated the team chemistry is already very strong. Andrew Forman ‘25 says “The team has a very strong chemistry. We will go to the turf on the weekends, we stay after practice, we hang out in the locker room before and after practice and games, and we always help and support each other.” Having a strong team spirit is very important in having success. The boy’s lacrosse team will look to continue to have good chemistry and support each other as a team no matter what. The team environment at Wilmington Friends sets the school apart from all the others. Everyone is always supporting each other, making an enjoyable environment, and players from different grades are extremely close. With underclassmen wanting to give seniors a good final season, and every student getting ready for summer, the energy for spring sports is high! Good luck to all the spring sports teams, and GO QUAKERS!

Women’s March Madness

Gianna Cottone ‘26, Staff Writer

It’s that time of the year again! March Madness is one of the most popular tournaments in basketball history. However, march madness would not be as popular without the bracket competition. At least 70 million brackets are filled out by Americans each year and over 2 billion dollars are bet on these games. Both the male and female athletes add to the entertainment, however, women’s basketball is often overlooked. The fact that the women do not have as big of a platform is because of the lack of advertisement and the inherent unfairness of a bigger system that favors the male athletes over female athletes. Women’s athletics have evolved and they have made history, caused upsets, and never fail to entertain their fans. It is time to tune in and watch our female athletes set new records for both leagues.

On Sunday, March 26, one athlete competing in this tournament made history as the first athlete in NCAA tournament history to reach a 40 point triple double. Who was it? Her name is Caitlin Clark. Clark proved that she could make history not just in her league but in the men’s league as well. Caitlin Clark is a six foot junior at University of Iowa. She is arguably the most talented female basketball player in the country. She also leads the nation in assists per game, triple-doubles, and 3-pointers. Clark is also the second Iowa women’s basketball player to receive the Naismith Trophy. When asked about who Caitlin Clark is, Stone Davis ‘26 says, “I don’t know who she is.” This is not an uncommon response from a student. Many people do not know who Caitlin Clark is or what she has done. After watching her outstanding performance against South Carolina, Davis ‘26 compared her to Steph Curry. Clark’s sharp shooting and tremendous vision of the court help her stick out. As of right now, Clark is one of the faces of women’s basketball. She has never failed to prove dominance in the women’s league and now the mens. Another reason why Women’s March Madness shouldn’t be overlooked is because of the intriguing upsets. #9 seed Miami shocked their competitors by beating #1 seed, Indiana. This advanced them to the Elite 8. Miami was led by a senior Haley Cavinder. Unfortunately, Miami’s luck came to an end when they fell to #3 seed, LSU. On April 2, LSU won their first March Madness championship. This was unexpected by all the fans because the Hawkeyes were favored. Izzy Winchell ‘26 was asked about what she expected from this championship game. She expressed, “I thought Iowa would have some trouble rebounding but LSU wouldn’t be able to shut down Iowa’s offense more specifically Caitlin Clark. If the Tigers wanted any chance of winning, they had to stop Clark from having another 40 point game like the past two games.” Despite Caitlin Clark leading all scorers on both teams with 30 points and Iowa with assists, the Hawkeyes still lost by 17.

Clearly these female athletes are not getting the attention they deserve by just their hard work and athletic abilities. Many athletes are aware of this, and use social media to create a platform to bring more attention. One example is LSU player Angel Reese. Many basketball fans did not know who she was before she started to gain attention on social media sites like Instagram or Tiktok. On Tiktok Angel Reese has almost 800k followers. Currently she is using this platform to post videos about her recent win over Iowa in the championship. Her use of this platform has brought so much attention to the women’s league. Another set of influential athletes are the Cavinder twins. The two seniors have gained so much attention since their transfer from Fresno State to the University of Miami. Haley and Hanna have over 4.5 million followers on tiktok and over 85k subscribers on YouTube. Not only do they influence young athletes, but they also give you a peek into their lives as D-1 stars. Their videos date back all the way to their freshman year as a Fresno State bulldogs. Angel Reese and the Cavinder twins have succeeded in bringing attention to their team, school, and league!

In conclusion, these women are paving the way for other female athletes and bringing positive attention to the league. These athletes made history, and their return next year is highly anticipated. Many fans wonder if this years eventful tournament will result in a change of respect for these women. Let’s hope for the future outstanding athletes, it does.

Return of the MLB

Ethan Weiner ‘24, Staff Writer

Spring is in the air, and The MLB regular season is underway at last! This year’s opening day was historical, as all 30 teams took the field on opening day for the first time since 1968. For the 2023 season, the MLB has introduced a new and more balanced schedule. This schedule will have every team playing 52 divisional games (down from 76), 46 inter-league games (up from 20), and 64 intra-league games (up from 44). Following an eventful World Baseball Classic, and quite a successful 2022 campaign from our Philadelphia Phillies, fans are eager to see their favorite players back in action. The 2023 regular season ends on October 1st, so look forward to an exciting wild card race come early fall as teams battle down the stretch to make a playoff appearance. With just a few games having been played already, it will be hard to predict what will happen. But, there are some exciting things to watch out for this year, no matter how the games end up going.

The biggest news that occurred during the off-season and spring training was the new rules that were implemented by the MLB. With ratings declining in recent decades, the MLB is trying to adapt. The two biggest rule changes are the elimination of the shift and the implementation of a pitch clock. These changes were made in an attempt to speed up the pace of the games and increase the action. The defensive shift has been eliminated because MLB believes it will raise batting averages. The new rule states that when a pitch

is thrown, all four infielders must be on the infield dirt or infield grass, and there must be two fielders on either side of the second base. The most significant change though is the pitch clock. The new pitch clock will require the pitcher to pitch within 15 seconds when the bases are empty, and 20 seconds when the bases aren’t empty. If the pitcher violates the rule, a ball will be added to the pitch count. If a hitter violates this rule, a strike will be added to the count. These rules were added to the minor league this past year and the impact that it had on the game was huge so executives of the MLB are excited about the implementation of these rules.

The most significant change to the Phillies roster from the 2022 world series roster would be the addition of Trea Turner at shortstop. Turner is easily Phil’s best shortstop since Jimmy Rollins. Turner has also led the national league in steals twice, most recently in 2021 with 32. The second major change in the Phillies roster would be the loss of Bryce Harper due to injury, although this won’t be for long as Phillies GM Rob Thompson stated that “Harper has progressed to the point where he’s ready to hit in a game”. Once team doctors clear Harper to begin sliding, the Phillies should have a more clear timeline for when the 30-year-old will be back. For now, however, he remains without a firm timetable for his return. I asked Phillies fanatic Drew Clothier ‘24 how he thought the loss of Bryce Harper would affect the Phillies’ performance. “Well obviously it’s going to be a big gap in the lineup which will negatively impact them, he is a great leader of the team and the best player on the team as well, but when he comes back they will be the best team in the league. Incoming red October!”

Russia Holds American Citizen Prisoner Under “Espionage” Charges

By John Ursomarso ‘24, Staff Writer

On March 31, 2023 Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Moscow by the Kremlin for allegations of espionage. Evan Gershkovich is an American journalist who works for the Wall Street Journal as a Russian correspondent prior to his arrest. Evan Gershkovich was accused of trying to access classified information on strategic Russian military assets. The arrest marks the first arrest of an American journalist by Russian authorities since the cold war. In response to the arrest, President Biden stated “Let him go” and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss his “Grave concern” over the arrest. In response, Russia accused the United States of sensationalizing the arrest and reminded officials that Russia was acting within its own laws and that it is inappropriate for the United States to interfere with a sovereign country. All eyes are on Russia and the United States as tensions escalate between the two world powers.

This arrest is part of a growing trend of Americans being arrested on what officials are calling “bogus” charges. In recent years more Americans have been taken captive on bogus charges that have been taken by terrorist

Fires in Bangladesh Refugee Camp

By Avalise Miller ‘26, Staff Writer

Rohingya families have again lost everything. What little bit of possession they had is now gone. The Rohingya people have been experiencing ethnic and religious persecution in Myanmar for many years. Thousands of Rohingya people have fled to other countries like Southeast Asia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, but the majority are in Bangladesh. Specifically, 1.1 million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since September 28th, 2018. In Bangladesh, there are two official, registered, refugee camps. The number of refugees has rapidly increased due to the escalating violence in Myanmar.

groups or criminal gangs. Experts who have been looking for trends in false imprisonment negotiations believe that the purpose of the arrest can be determined

in the United States and Russia when American Basketball player Brittany Grinner was arrested just days before the start of the Russia-Ukrainian war, in

by the country’s size, large countries are most often interested in prisoner swaps. This was seen in 2018 when Canada arrested a Chinese businesswoman Meng Wanzhou on accusations of circumventing US section laws with Iran. In response, two Canadians were arrested in Canada, a prisoner swap was agreed on in 2021. Another example is found

response America traded Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, for Brittany Grinner. Also, Trevor Reed, a US marine was exchanged for Russian CEO Konstantin Yaroshenko. Smaller countries however tend to want geopolitical concessions, for example, visits from united states presidents and humanitarian aid.

All Americans are entitled to help when rightfully detained overseas but Americans detained for political reasons receive a special response. Such cases are handled by the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. The envoy for hostage affairs faces many challenges when negotiating for prisoners, often the countries have rigged courts that prevent fair trials and limited US influence, also countries as sovereign states can’t be handled with the same tactics that the United States uses for terrorist groups such as bribe money and military operations. Cases often have legal charges and foreign powers insist they as self governing states have the right to run their own trials, regardless of whether the charges are politically motivated or not. There are currently 54 Americans held hostage by foreign powers, it is unclear when they or Evan Gershkovich will be released.

Life in the refugee camp is horrid, the people living there lack access to services. Some examples are education, food, clean water, proper sanitation, and being vulnerable to natural disasters and diseases. As of March 1st, 2019, Bangladesh announced that they were not accepting any more Rohingya refugees. Most refugees decided to head back to Myanmar but recently the militia groups from there have been targeting the Rohingya people. Mostly women and children have been affected by this ongoing battle.

Recently, a massive fire broke out in the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazaar district. This disaster left an estimated 15,000 homeless and 2,800 shelters were demolished. Militant groups had started the fire to try to take over the camps. Multiple fires broke out at the same time, confirming it was planned. Important infrastructures like schools, medical clinics, and service

points have been burned to the ground. These camps are very vulnerable to fires because of how they are built.

© Lucy Gilmour/WSJ

#IStandWithEvan: Employees of The Wall Street Journal in New York gather in the newsroom for a solidarity rally

The International Baccalaureate: Fact and Fiction

Jemima Smith ‘24 Staff Writer

The IB program is a source of curiosity and intellectual discovery, but also stress and confusion here at WFS. Freshmen and sophomores are berated with vague warnings from teachers, while juniors and seniors struggle through quick-paced lessons and assessments, whose contents and evaluations are determined by mysterious strangers on scales of seemingly random numbers. Here, we investigate the IB ‘culture’ here at WFS and how it affects student life.

So what is the program itself? The International Baccalaureate program is a high school/college prep program that originated in Geneva in 1968, and spread to the United States in 1971. It’s widely regarded as a challenging curriculum that is comparable to college-level studies, and often cited as effective preparation for the course load of liberal arts colleges. According to a survey done by the International Baccalaureate Organization (make of that what you will), acceptance of IB students to top-ranking universities was, on average, 22% higher than the total acceptance rate for the global population. Some colleges, depending on selectivity, count high scores on IB exams as course credits towards the student’s diploma. Highly selective colleges will count 6s or 7s on HL exams as some credit towards their diploma, but information around exactly how different classes are weighted is iffy at best. The IB focuses on building the ultimate well-rounded student, as is clear from abundant reflections and copious extracurricular requirements. The final score of a given student is out of 45 possible points, with each class worth 7 points out of the final grade. In addition to final exams (called ‘papers’) students must complete Internal Assessments for

each class and complete a Theory of Knowledge Course, a Community, Activity, and Service requirement (CAS), and a 4,000-word personal research paper. Students who don’t want to complete the full diploma may take some IB classes, but not all courses have to be IB. How about here at WFS? The IB program is inextricably linked to WFS’s coursework, with most junior and senior classes being co-seated -- WFS and IB diploma students learn together, and are given different assignments and assessments. The significance of the program is stressed throughout freshman and sophomore years, but only to the extent of it being a separate, academically difficult curriculum that students sometimes feel pressured to opt into. “As a partial IB student whose closest peers are mostly full IB, I’d say that most teachers wildly over-hyped the IB,” said Esther Adebi ‘24. “Some were honest about the fact that it isn’t really necessary, but others seemed very fixated on the presumed benefits of taking it, so it’s really a mixed bag.” Teachers must strike a fine balance between encouraging students to pursue a challenge and warning them of the requirements of the course. More often than not, students are either terrified of the workload or overwhelmed when they’re enrolled. WFS’s new IB coordinator, Eddie Gallagher, said: “I think the most important aspect of the IB program is to be informed about the expectations prior to opting into the program. If a student is up for the challenge, and they fully understand what this means for their study habits, time management, and other commitments, than I would strongly suggest meeting with your advisors, parents and subject teachers to discuss what this means for your courses as early as the 9th grade.” The leap between 10th and 11th grade is a massive one that students are almost never prepared for. Sleepless nights, extremely limited free time and high stress levels

Chat GPT In Schools

Tauson Biggs ‘24 Staff Writer

In recent months, there has been a growing debate about whether AI-powered writing tools like ChatSonic, You Chat, and ChatGPT should be allowed in academic settings. ChatGPT 4 is the latest version of OpenAI’s highly advanced language model and is the most popular and widely used of the chatbots. It can generate human-like text in response to various prompts and has been praised for its ability to understand context, generate coherent sentences, and even exhibit a sense of humor. As such, it is no surprise that some IB students and educators have suggested that ChatGPT 4 could be used as a tool to help students improve their writing skills and produce better essays.

Proponents of this idea argue that ChatGPT 4 could be used to help students overcome writer’s block, generate ideas, and even provide feedback on their writing. For example, a student could use ChatGPT 4 to generate a list of potential essay topics based on a given theme or subject area. They could then use the tool to help them brainstorm ideas, expand on key concepts, and even suggest supporting evidence. Similarly, ChatGPT 4 could be used to provide feedback on the structure, coherence, and clarity of a student’s writing, helping them identify areas for improvement.

Frank Murphy ‘24 said “I am starting to learn web development and ChatGPT has been able to do some

surprisingly good analysis of snippets of code I have sent it. It has been able to answer my questions correctly more than half the time and it has even provided other insights, correcting mistakes and inefficiencies in my code even when it was not prompted to do so.”

However, not everyone is convinced that AI-powered writing tools should be allowed in academic settings. Some argue that using ChatGPT 4 to write essays undermines the value of critical thinking and analytical skills that IB students are expected to demonstrate. They argue that relying on AI to generate ideas and arguments detracts from the originality and cre-

are all weekly worries for IB candidates. “Sometimes having so much can compromise one’s ability to truly absorb the information… the goal leans more toward staying afloat grade-wise than it does getting the most out of the course itself,” said Adebi. It also depends what subjects you’re interested in: “I didn’t do the diploma because it wouldn’t let me take the courses I wanted to take in STEM because IB is so rigid,” said Devin Wallace ‘24. “I think it’s great for Humanities kids, but I’m unhappy that our school does not help STEM kids enough and IB is a huge part of that.” However, there are also some real benefits to the students who decide to take on the program. The IB prioritizes intense critical thinking, which is part of what differentiates it from programs like AP. “Great opportunities, like the IB program, require a commitment that does present challenges for students who are not fully prepared to commit fully to the program expectations and requirements,” said Gallagher. The well-rounded, engaged, and curious students that the IBO is looking for may or may not be achievable, but striving to reach those goals does stretch students to do their very best and think more carefully about their learning paths. “It’s going to be really tough, but it’s not unachievable for a high schooler,” said Mateo Niiler ‘24. In addition, for students who are looking to attend rigorous colleges, the IB program is a signifier of dedicated learners-- basically, it gives you a better shot at getting into where you want to go.

So, after everything, is the program worth it? There’s no easy yes or no answer. It’s clear that the curriculum standards are intense and not always reasonable for student health. On the other hand, taking difficult classes is a sink-or-swim experience that makes students better equipped for college, and, if they do well, better community members and learners.

ativity that should be inherent in a student’s work. Moreover, there are concerns that students who use ChatGPT 4 may not fully understand the ideas and arguments they are presenting, which could lead to a lack of intellectual engagement and curiosity.

Despite these concerns, it is worth noting that the IB has not explicitly banned the use of AI-powered writing tools in essays. Instead, it has left it up to individual schools and teachers to decide whether or not to allow such tools in their classrooms. Some schools and teachers view ChatGPT 4 as a valuable resource that can help students improve their writing skills and produce more polished essays, while others view it as a crutch that undermines the very skills that IB students are expected to develop.

The use of ChatGPT 4 in the IB program is an ongoing issue that will require cooperation and consensus between schools and IB. AI-powered writing tools have raised important questions about the role of technology in education. While some argue that such tools can be a valuable resource for students, others worry that they could undermine the very skills that IB students are expected to develop. Ultimately, it is up to individual schools and teachers to weigh the pros and cons of using ChatGPT 4 in their classrooms and decide whether or not it is appropriate for their students.

Disney Disaster: An Empire In Crisis

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While this was occurring, Marvel released Ant-Man and the Wasp, Quantumania, which has only grossed $474 million worldwide, making it one of the lowest grossing Marvel films and will likely be a financial failure for Disney. To make matters worse, Jonathan Majors, the actor for Kang who would be the main antagonist for the next phases of Marvel, has been arrested and arraigned in New York for sexual assault allegations. This seemed to be the final straw for Iger, who

fired Marvel president Victoria Alonso. Disney’s second film juggernaut, Lucasfilm, is similarly not performing well. The Mandalorian season 3 recently premiered, and its debut viewership failed to reach that of Book of Boba Fett. Previous to The Mandalorian, the Star Wars show Andor was a streaming failure, along with the Disney+ remake of Willow. Even Disney’s classics are not performing well, with the reveal trailers for the remakes of The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan and Wendy sparking controversy.

Disney has been seeing severe commercial loss, with all of their major brands failing to turn profits. Their streaming service is failing, and their upper management is actively being reshuffled. This has thrown Disney, a once unstoppable staple of entertainment, into an internal crisis. Will Disney manage to repair the damage it’s been dealt, fixing its streaming service and returning their IPs to their former glory? Or will Disney continue to flounder as it tries to recreate its previous success? Only time will tell.

Into the Spider-Verse’s Take on Unorthodox

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The shift between the rapidness of the change in each panel only further pushed the comic book 2d style, while also spotlighting the intensity of action scenes. In contrast, nearly every Disney-Pixar movie is edited consistently in 24 fps with softening motion blur. “The whole movie is grounded with what we call stepped animation. That means the animation doesn’t change every single frame; characters will be held up for one frame, two frames, three frames, so that their motion looks jittery,” says Dimian.

As we all know, creating an animated film from scratch requires a dedicated team of animators like Dimian, artists, and video producers. Additionally, investors are important to a film’s production quality and budget. These benefactors finance the high demanding budget of studio produced animated movies. In turn, investors often seek out projects that guarantee them substantial profit. More often than not, it is not that designers lack creativity and uniqueness in the ideas of creating a movie. It’s that the investors upholding these ideas are hesitant to take a shot in

the dark at the unfamiliar. Instead, they chase after the dream Pixar Disney look, one that guarantees them stability and baseline interest. “When I was in art school, we had people from Disney come to recruit artists. They made it clear that if you come to work at Disney, you will not be a craftsperson, you will be a work person. As an art student that was really hard to hear,” says Mary Robertson.

Autopilot

Avery Martinenza ‘23, Guest Writer

Autopilot-

Something you hear in the cockpit of an airplane, the saloon of a catamaran, the passenger seat of a car, Not in the hallway of a highschool.

My eye lids, droopy and heavy, Catch themselves falling, Into a deep place, Of darkness.

There seems to be no end in sight, A deep, dark, tunnel, With no exit.

Just darkness.

The clouds blow in around me, The rain begins to fall, The storm proactive with its intentions, Blows through the brain, Washing it of it’s memory.

Fog sets in, Nothing else can be seen.

Just darkness and the engaged autopilot button.

The Over-Popularization of Turning Sixteen

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before the age of sixteen may experience anxiety and stress as a result of the pressure to fit in and adhere to social norms.

Greta Slease 25’ said, “I don’t really see myself much different yet since I turned sixteen, but I’m sure I will eventually, because I only have a couple of years until I am an adult.” Many people do not acquire full independence until they are considerably older, and the experiences and challenges they face after reaching the age of sixteen are just as essential as those they confront before.

Instead of focusing on the over-popularized idea of turning sixteen, it is important to celebrate the unique and individual achievements of each person. Every person’s journey is different, and there is no set timeline for when a person should achieve certain milestones. Greta Slease 25’ said, “I don’t really like planning my future, so I think that I accomplished a lot before I turned 16, but there wasn’t really anything that I was hoping to accomplish. I feel pretty good about everything up until now.” It is essential to encourage teenagers to develop at their own pace and not feel pressured to conform to societal norms. In conclusion, the age of sixteen has become over popularized in modern society. The media’s portrayal of the age as a pivotal moment in a person’s life, as well as the celebration of it in various cultures, have contributed to this over-popularization. But, in reality, turning sixteen is just another year of growth and development. It is critical to recognize each person’s individual accomplishments and to encourage them to develop at their own speed. By doing so, we can help to ease the anxiety and stress that often follows the overly publicized concept of turning sixteen, while also promoting a healthy and happy image of adolescence.

Mindsets

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For Daniela, her sleep schedule varies and so does the effect it has on her performance during games. “On average I think I sleep like 8 - 8 and a half hours a night on school nights. My sleep schedule doesn’t always affect my performance during sports but occasionally it will, it’s kind of random.”

After a long day at school, it is sometimes hard to get into a “game mode” mindset. Most students decide

to listen to music to get into their specific athletic mindset zone. “It [music] helps me get all of the distractions away so I can concentrate,” Stone Davis ‘26. However, sometimes students are not able to listen to music before games. Therefore, Ava commented on how on days without music she prefers to keep to herself and “Not really

talk to anyone before the game.”

All student-athletes have different ways to separate their sports and their studying. There is no correct way or wrong way to be a student-athlete! Athletes need to get their heads focused on the game, and not have to worry about the school day before. In conclusion, separating athletic mindset and academic mindset is very important, and everyone has their own unique techniques to help.