The Brewster Browser - April 2023

Brewster Browser The

Brewster in Santiago: A Day in the Life

by Logan Cliche ’25

Brewster Global Programs are a unique feature of our wonderful organization, a chance to go out and experience the world through the eyes of another, to experience cultural awareness, and to enter into a world wholly unlike the one from whence you came. For most schools, this would be a pipe dream. Here at the Brewster Santiago temporary campus, it’s a Tuesday. As our five weeks here come to a close, many of us are stepping back, reflecting, and considering the possibilities of our future. We have become attached to this place, prepared for the rhythm of life that we are set to, and many of us are worried about what may become of us when we return to a space under pressure. We have had numerous experiences here, coloring

our lives with a little bit of history in a city that seems mostly frozen in the 17th century. Let me take you through one of the final days of a student abroad in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

We awake sometime around 8 a.m. in one of the most historic buildings in the city - a monastery that has been in this same space continuously since the Middle Ages. This building is the residence hall and classroom for our small program. This year, the program consisted of ten students residing in single rooms in this monastery. However, in the future, it will likely shift to a homestay style. Students may wander into the monastery to get themselves breakfast, with classes beginning at 9 a.m. The class situation in this program is one of the major perks

cont. on pg. 3

Biden Approves Controversial Arctic Oil Drilling Project

by Elisha-Grace King ’23

On March 13, President Joe Biden’s administration announced their approval of one of the largestever oil drilling projects on federal land. Their announcement arrived amidst fiery public disapproval from environmental groups concerned with the environmental sanctity of the development, which spans the country’s most expansive reserve of land. Located in the Northernmost-point of Alaska, the $7 billion project would cover 23 million acres over the state’s largest tract of undisturbed public land in the United States with multiple drilling sites and miles of roads and pipelines.

The Willow Project is sponsored by petroleum refinery and exploration company Conoco Philips. From its headquarters in Houston, TX, the multinational corporation has projected that the project will bring in $17 billion in revenue from an estimated 600 million barrels of oil that are available for extraction. Their lobbyists and public relations representatives argue that the project will alleviate the United States’ dependence on foreign oil which currently faces heavy strain due to the Russo-Ukrainain war. Russia is one of the largest exporters of oil to the US, and has faced aggressive trade restrictions from the American government over

the past year.

During his presidential campaign back in February 2020, Biden took a town hall question from a woman in Hudson, New Hampshire. Arctic drilling had just become a hot topic due to President Donald Trump’s approval of Willow’s master development plan. The New Hampshirite woman asked about the future president’s thoughts on oil drilling in Alaska. Biden pledged in response that he would ensure, “No more drilling on federal lands, period”, calling the proposal to drill for oil in the Arctic a “big disaster”.

According to the Biden administration’s own estimates, the Willow project will generate enough oil to release 9.2 metric tons of carbon pollution– equating to adding 2 million gas cars on the roads or 76 new coalfired power plants. The administration, which has previously been very publicly in favor of green energy expansion, is under fire for hypocrisy. Voters for Biden who value environmental protection alongside environmental NGOs are calling out the contradiction of his campaign promises to follow climate-combatting guidelines.

The White House’s defense has been that their hands were tied by the threat of legal action from ConocoPhillips. The company legally obtained leases

Map found on CBS News online. Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/willow-project-alaska-oildrilling-plan-biden-approved-explained/

to the reserved land and complied with the Interior Department’s denial of two of their five proposed drilling sites. The company also relinquished rights to 68,000 acres of its existing lease to protect the habitats of endangered species.

The Willow Project has gained immense attention on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Many young people frequent the apps and can use them as a source of news. Brewster Current Issues teacher Taisa Rivellini, who is disappointed in

Willow’s approval, prompts students to stay updated on climate policy by finding sources that can relate to their experiences as young people facing the climate crisis.

“When people are eligible to vote,” Mrs. Rivellini said, “They are gonna vote on [climate policy] and have an impact on their day-to-day lives and the day-to-day lives of future generations.” She added, “When you don’t know a lot about [climate change], there’s this big doomsday feeling. But when you can cont. on pg. 3

Gracie Mouradian ’24 learns about seafaring life from the captain on an excursion off the coast of Spain during the Brewster Global Programs trip to Santiago. photo by Kara McDuffee

Recent Legislation on Gender Affirming Care, Drag Bans Stir Controversy

by Liam Fahey ’24

Recent bans on drag performances and health care for transgender youth have proposed new issues of mental health awareness and freedom of speech. Recently, many states such as Tennessee and Florida have been targeting the art of drag and genderaffirming health care, as it is being seen as “child abuse” by many officials, politicians and groups.

Drag is an artform that has been around for years upon years. Since the times of Shakespeare, drag has been used as a form of expression, by dressing in clothing not traditionally worn by the gender people identify with. Drag has been in the mainstream for years now with the popularity of Rupaul’s Drag Race, a competition show in which drag performers compete for the title of the “Next Drag Superstar”, as well as the many theaters around the nation that feature drag performances In America today, drag is a subject that has emerged in politics as some state governments look to ban it.

The most common critique of drag is that its performances are rooted in sex. Despite many people believing this, it is not true. The main event being attacked is drag story hour where drag queens come to local libraries and read childrens books to children. There are already laws that protect children

against inappropriate sexual material, commonly refered to as pornography. However, a drag queen reading a story is not pornography. Using the argument of the oversexualization of drag in order to ban it shows how uneducated legislatures are on the topic. There has been no evidence of children being harmed at drag shows. However, there are countless research studies that suggest transgender youth are faced with increasing rates of suicide and homicide. According to The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that works to combat suicide in LGBTQ+ youth, these young people are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. If legislatures really cared about protecting children, they would focus on this very common and solvable problem.

While we have been hearing a lot about Tennessee and their focus on banning drag, these laws are slowly creeping their ways up to New Hampshire. As of April 23, 2023, there were four pieces of legislation in three committees targeting drag and transgender rights before the New Hampshire State Senate. This puts an already vulnerable population in danger. HB 68 seeks to ban genderaffirming health care for minors, teaching about gender identity in schools, and weaken the state’s ban on

Album Review: Sza's SOS

by Moasiah Bility ’25

SZA began her music-making career in the early 2010s. She's a neo-soul singer whose music has been described as “alternative R&B”. She says that her biggest inspirations are Lauryn Hill and Ella Fitzgerald. Her music overall is R&B with a mix of hip hop, minimalist R&B, indie rock, cloud rap, and chillwave. She has won 27 awards in her entire career. SOS is SZA’s second album after her popular 2017 album, Ctrl. Ctrl was a big career turning point and was an important addition to the new R&B/soul and industry. She had significant artists like Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar contribute to her album.

The new album starts with the song “SOS”, the name of the album. The song is about what was going on in her mind after a whole night of crying; a great way to start the album. The album shows a sense of healing that SZA is experiencing. Some of the album’s songs, like “Too Late” and “F2F”, talk about her looking into a relationship and still wanting it back. Others are questioning her worth like in “Special.” Then, some songs talk about how she doesn’t need to depend on a man for happiness (“Conceited” and “Forgivilles”). She even adds a piece that talks about getting revenge on an ex with

the very popular “Kill Bill.”

All of SZA's songs have different meanings and mixed feelings that exemplify emotional flows and how they can quickly change from a source of strength and empowerment to regret and sadness. This album shows a lot of growth even in her sound as she makes things that she has not usually made in her past albums. “Ghost in the Machine (feat Phoebe Bridgers)”. Songs like “Blind”, where the vocals and sound just give you a whole other feeling.

What I love about SOS is that none of the songs are SZA looking for peace with the emotions she's feeling. She's embracing this new stage in her life and is tranquil with them. I really love this album and could listen to it forever. It's different from her past albums, which all have an alternative vibe to them, but I love this new SZA. At first, the number of songs scared me, and I thought I wouldn't have the patience to listen to the whole thing, but it grew on me, and I absolutely love it. And I prefer this over the alternative SZA. Overall, I give the album a 9.8/10.

EACH SONG RATED:

SOS -9/10

Kill Bill - 10/10

Seek & Destroy -8.5/10

Low - 9.5/10

Alissandra Murray is a non-binary, transgender State Representative for the state of New Hampshire. Murray often uses their platform to speak about these bills not only in New Hampshire but in the United States as well. They explained to ABC News how

they received several hate messages following the debate on these bills. One person told Murray that laws like these are here in order to protect children from their so-called, “degenerate filth.” “Clearly, these bills enable hate, they enable violence, and they dehumanize and ostracize trans and queer people, making it even harder to exist in a world that is set against us,” said Murray.

The Brewster Browser Brewster Academy Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Editor in Chief: Elisha-Grace King ’23

Managing Editor: Zoe Hausler ’24

Features Editor: Liam Fahey ’24

Nameplate art:

Shemar Joseph ’19

Staff members:

Love language - 8.2/10

Blind- 10/10

Used (feat. Don Toliver) - 7/10

Snooze - 10/10

Notice Me- 8/10

Gone Girl - 10/10

Smoking on my Ex Pack - 8.7/10

Ghost in the Machine (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) - 10/10

F2F - 9/10

Nobody Gets Me- 9.8/10

Conceited - 8/10

Special - 10/10

Tool Late - 9.5/10

Far - 10/10

Shirt - 10/10

Open Arms (feat. Travis Scott) - 10/10

I Hate U - 10/10

Good Days -10/10

Forgiveness (feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard)6/10

Moasiah Bility ’26

Nicolas Buehrer ’26

Giulia Machado ’25

David Mason ’26

Coco Maynard ’25

Hannah Parella ’23

Eliza Spindler ’25

Sylvie Skibicki ’23

Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Metcalfe Dumont

From the Editors: The Browser is a student publication, written, edited and proofread by the students under the direction of the faculty advisor. The authors and editors take full responsibility for any errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar that may occur.

Tennessee Drag Queen, Vidalia Anne Gentry speaks at protest regarding LGBTQ+ rights conversion therapy. Citizens can fight these bills by writing to their local state senator.

Sza's album cover for SOS, meant to mimic a famous photo of Princess Diana.

What is Critical Race Theory?

by Hannah Parella ’23

“Critical Race Theory”, banned in seven states including New Hampshire, is a term that has had much popularity over the last few years in the world of politics and education. Though it has gained significant traction, many lack certainty in what CRT is. The term “Critical Race Theory” has become a buzzword so overused and desensitized that its meaning has now been warped. Because of this, many people have different impressions of what CRT is. These interpretations range from the Fox News headline: “Voters Are Rejecting Hurtful School Lesson Plans Which Divide Kids” to the CNN headline: “Black parents say the Movement To Ban Critical Race Theory is ruining their children’s education.”

So what is Critical Race Theory?

Critical Race Theory began its development in the 1970s with Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Richard Delgado and many more. All of CRT’s founders were accomplished law scholars who agreed that racism was a fundamental structure of American Society, not just socially, but institutionally. Critical Race Theory was initially developed as a law movement, where scholars worked texpose and eliminate the role of racism in law, this spread into something bigger. It became a way to navigate and understand current issues through a lens of critical thinking and . The problem is that Critical Race Theory is not just a singular idea or theory. It is an ideology that finds itself relevant in many scenarios, and because of this, CRT is difficult to define in its entirety.

Critical Race Theory’s main goal, however, is to understand the role racism has on the American legal and economic system and how slavery

continues to impact the lives of people of color.

The three fundamental beliefs of Critical Race Theorists include, first, the idea that racism is common and ordinary. It is not an abnormal occurrence because it is embedded into society. Secondly, CRT believes that we live in a system where racism and discrimination advance rich white people materially and working-class white people psychologically. Because of this, the majority of white people do not have the incentive to eradicate racism. Systematic racism bears primary responsibility for the continuous racial inequality the U.S endures. Essentially, the U.S. system of racial hierarchy (white over color) serves a further motive than hate; economic and psychological benefits for the majority.

Third is the belief that race is not a biological reality, but a social construct set to divide and repress. Race is a feature that is, as said in the book Critical Race Theory: An Introduction by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefacic, “Not objective, inherent, or fixed, they correspond to no biological or genetic reality; rather, races are categories that society invents, manipulates, or retires when convenient.” Race was created to have little to do with human characteristics, such as intelligence, personality, or morality, aside from the minor genetic aspects people have in common. Critical Race theory studies power and its relationship with race. It looks at racism and its role in society instead of its role in personal life. Racism is a terrible thing that needs to be addressed at its core, the system of discrimination it built.

CRT within education has been the primary concern among educators and parents. Many find concern in students’

Biden Approves Arctic Drilling

cont from pg. 1

bring it onto a level that’s tangible to people, they can see that they can make small differences.”

Mrs. Rivellini appreciates the many ways Brewster has shown concern about its environmental impact, including introducing a winter elective on climate change (which she taught) and observing sustainable food practices like sourcing from local providers.

On a smaller scale of impact, the Willow Project has created a divide between local Alaskan communities and their state officials. Alaskan lawmakers and chiefs of the region support the jobs that the Willow Project will bring. Natives who live much closer to the project area are in opposition due to personal and

environmental health concerns. Many residents of small towns feel that their apprehensions are being ignored by the Alaskan government, which lobbied the President heavily for Willow’s approval.

Currently, environmental advocacy and justice groups are racing against the clock. Willow can only begin development in the winter as the project requires ice roads to access distances far enough to set up oil drills. This distance encompasses the hundreds of miles of road necessary to set up oil-extraction facilities. If anticipated complaints and injunctions follow through in the next month, it is possible that environmental groups will delay the project for another year, lending them more time to stop it entirely.

Environmental law group Earthjustice and law firm Trustees

abilities to handle serious topics such as race, and instiutionalized racism. While others like Monica Hutchinson, a black mother of two, argue they, “Hear a lot of white mothers say they think their child is too young to learn about racism. You know what, my child’s not too young to experience it.”

Children are old enough to experience racism, so are they old enough to be taught about it? Is it important to introduce CRT into education? The form of Critical Race Theory that is being introduced into education is less of the academic theory and more based on the principles of the theory, meaning that the theory itself isn’t what’s going to be taught in the classroom. Critical Race Theory’s classroom curriculum aims at teaching students how racism has shaped the American system, along with teaching black history that has been long avoided. Supporters of CRT believe schools should teach a variety of all history, not just the history of a select few white figures, as that is erasure.

for Alaska both filed lawsuits against the Willow Project. These complaints preceded more than 1 million oppositional letters written to the White House and 3 million online petition signatures on Change.org. Arguing that Biden’s administration violates the National Environmental Policy Act, the group insists that the project will have a major impact on the climate crisis, contradictory to the government’s claims. Lawyers have written that mandated consultations concerning the Endangered Species Act “fail to consider the impact of carbon emissions on threatened species.”

Environmental protection organizations are particularly concerned with how increased carbon emissions will impact the safety of polar bear habitats. Trustees of Alaska’s suit argues that the Fish and Wildlife Service “failed to articulate a rational

Providing CRT principles in education is important because educating a generation of children about these problems is the first major step to addressing the issue of systemic racism. Many people believe that teaching about race creates unnecessary fear in students. Seven states have authorized policies to ban CRT for fear of its “hateful, white-guilting properties”. These laws prevent necessary conversations from being had in a classroom environment and ban teaching about concepts regarding sex, race, and slavery.

Schools should not be restricting what history is taught to students. This is extremely concerning, and more people should find distress in the idea that government representatives want to censor black history instead of the issue of race education within schools. Americans’ fear of race needs to come to an end if we are to become “united” once again. Non-white communities in America have long held this fear, and it’s time to learn about and address it.

connection between the facts found [demonstrating support for Willow] and its no-jeopardy conclusion.”

ConocoPhillips has stated that they fully accept the permitting results of legal processes by the Bureau of Land Management and other cooperating agencies.

Several of the country’s leading environmental and Arctic protection groups have published template letters for those who want to join the movement of letters flooding President Biden’s office. Protect the Arctic, an organization started by the native Gwich’ peoples of Alaska provides scripts for phone calls to the White House switchboard, as well as educational and activism resources.

“AMERICA DESERVES CLIMATE SOLUTIONS”, says a poster on their website, “NOT CLIMATE DISASTERS”

Tuesday, June 22,2021 people in Texas in support of race conversations being started in schools hold signs in protest to a bill that bans CRT from being taught in schools. After months of debate, the bill was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott. (Photo taken by Juan Figueroa with Dallas News)

VARSITY BASEBALL AT BREWSTER

by Nicolas Buehrer ’24

The Brewster Varsity Baseball team is looking to become a very competitive team in the Lakes Region. Many years ago, they won two conference championships. The team was consistently one of the best among the north New England Teams, but took a year off in the 2021 season and started back up again last year.

Brewster’s coaches and players believe that the most important thing about the team is their mental strength, which has led them to victory. Not every team has a mention-worthy mental strength. This characteristic has proven to be a very important feature for a baseball team.

When asked about this year’s resurging new program, Coach Robert Burr said, “One of the greatest strengths of our team this year is the mentorship our older, more experienced players provide to our younger players. It not only helps the coaches, [who] can only do so much at once) but it also helps build a strong team chemistry where everyone’s successes, no matter how big or small, are celebrated.”

The team plays a lot of schools and according to Coach Billy Rivelini, they don’t have a traditional rival, but have the best games when [they] play Proctor. They are a team that we are pretty evenly matched with, and our players always enjoy, in a competitive way, playing them.”

One of the team’s players, Eli

Carnegie ’26, was interviewed. Carnegie, a freshman, says their team chemistry is great, and they all get along. When they’re on the field playing ball it just clicks for all of them, and they play great.

“All 18 players here at Brewster Academy have a talent of their own,” he said. “There is no best player; each player has their own unique thing that they bring to the table.”

Travis Gillen ’26 is another freshman baseball player. He has played baseball since he was four and now plays as a 1st baseman and pitcher. He notes that the communication between his teammates is great. He feels that they all understand each other and have a great bond.

Leading the team is James Evans ’23 and Brendan Walsh ’23 as captains. They practice at Kingswood Regional High School, on their baseball diamond, as Brewster’s baseball field is being rehabilitated and is currently offline.

Varsity Baseball schedule:

Proctor April 12 - Win

Tilton April 14 - Loss

St Paul’s School April 19 - Loss

Kimball Union April 22 - Loss

Vermont Academy April 26 - Loss

Tilton School April 28 - Loss

Holderness School - April 29

St. Paul’s School - May 3

New Hampton School - May 6

Berwick Academy - May 8

Kimball Union Academy - May 10

Proctor Academy - May 14

Brewster in Santiago

of being here in Spain, as the classes are relatively small, and more academic freedom is granted here than would otherwise be at Brewster, especially in cases of pacing. We are treated even more as individuals than we would be at Brewster, with the curriculum being the same as at Brewster, albeit with large gaps between topics. Most curriculums are built around larger classroom scenarios rather than a maximum of five students in a classroom. These gaps allow students to work more efficiently here than in Wolfeboro, as the teachers here are always willing to aid students, more even than at Brewster, mostly owing to the size of the classes allowing for individualized learning paces. These paces allow for some students to be ahead of the supplied material while others may be behind, with extra help supplied far more generously than it would otherwise be at Brewster, owing mainly to, once again, the small class sizes.

Today, as with most days, our schedule was relatively standard; science, where we reviewed for a test coming up soon, on pace with the

students at Brewster, and math, where we worked towards new concepts under the guidance of one of the three local staff members hired by Brewster for this trip. After these classes, we are offered a short half-hour break, which allows students time to process the material, something not often offered to students at Brewster. The break rolls into a block specifically dedicated to at-Brewster-instructed courses. These courses include language classes and almost all APs, which students are expected to keep up with on their own, a meager task considering that we are not given much homework, and are allotted a large amount of time during the day to work. After this block, we are pushed into another of the shining points of this experience; Humanities.

The Humanities class, as described by many, is a mix between English, History, and Art, focusing on this area’s regional and national history. This block takes up a large portion of our day, perhaps too large at times, but it is still a shining gem in this program. Throughout the course, we have covered regional history, Spanish History, regional poetry, regional

music, contemporary works in Galician, and a myriad of other things related to the past and present of the region and Spain as a whole. This class is one of the main reasons that I selected to go on this experience, as Spain is often lost on the wider stage in history, as it was not a party to much of recent history due to its dictatorial past. This region, Galicia, is one of the most culturally distinct in all of Spain. It is historically part of a wider Celtic identity and has been controlled by numerous entities

at various historical points. However, today was a different story, as we went on one of a few excursions that have occurred throughout Humanities. Today’s excursion was to one of the local art museums so that we may interact with the works of a feminist artist’s collective prominent in the US and internationally. Throughout the trip, we have made other excursions with this course, including visits to castles, other cities, regionally historic

Ian Russo ’23 catches ball during warm ups as Brenden Walsh ’23 backs him up.

Travis Gillen ’26 tries to lead off the base as another teammate bats, in a game against St. Paul's.

photos by Gunner Found ’16

Boys Varsity Basketball Wins MAISAD Championship

by David Mason

The Brewster Boys Varsity Basketball team won the MAISAD (Maine Association of Independent School Athletic Directors) Championship this 2022-2023 season. With an incredible 19-2 season and undefeated MAISAD record. Led by Coaches David Hersey and Dave Childers, the Varsity team was driven to a glorious championship victory at home against Hyde School.

The championship game was a decisive game, ending with Brewster victorious, beating Hyde by double digits. The game concluded with a score of 59-39. The Bobcats kept Hyde school at bay by, in the words of point guard Alex Gordon ’26, “mainly focus[ing] on our defensive part.” The new freshman recounted, “We said we were gonna run a zone against them, we were gonna make them try to shoot threes from their big men, and that’s exactly what we made them do.”

The zone defense most definitely worked, as the championship game was one of Hyde School’s lowest-scoring games. Throughout Brewster’s Varsity Basketball season, they had some fantastic performances like the game against Bradford Christian Academy on February 18th. They absolutely destroyed the opposing team by beating them by 59 points, with the final score

being 106-47. It’s believed to this day Hyde School will never want to touch a court ever again. Brewster’s 16-man squad dominated the season with two triple-digit games, both against Hyde School.

“I’d say before a game I like to listen to Michael Jackson a lot,” said Gordon. “So like me and Mason we’ll normally throw on some headphones and share our music together and we'll just start jamming out to Michael Jackson and just start dancing. [It] really gives us that groove and I like our dribbling motion. I feel like if you really listen to a song you really can feel out what it says about your character and how you really play the game, I mean that’s how I think of it, and Mason and I started doing that.”

This was the Varsity basketball’s second MAISAD championship with the last championship being the 20182019 season. This year, the varsity team walked away with an amazing 90% win percentage. After Brewster entered the championship after an amazing playoff win against Bradford Christian Academy, overpowering them with a 107-54 almost doubling their opponent’s score. This propelled Brewster into the championship game which would result in Brewster bringing home the Championship once again.

But the season did not come without

its hardships. The Varsity champions started the season with a tough loss to Winchendon school’s AA team (62-72), but Brewster came back in force with an exemplary win against Kents Hill School, winning by more than double Kents Hill’s score at 90-41. Brewster would go on to dominate the season with a three-win streak before their final loss of the season in the Huckin’s Rouse Tournament at St. Mark’s School. This would be the team’s final loss of the season entering an absolutely insane 16-game win streak, including their semi-final and championship games.

The season had many highs and many exciting moments. For sophomore Mason Dawkins ’25, the season high for him was “definitely getting my dunk, and catching a lob in the game.” The court-long pass took place during the team’s senior game on February 10th

against New Hampton School.

According to Gordon, “That was the best moment I have by far that lob because that was pretty funny, and the bench freaking out because he didn’t get it, that was pretty funny too.” Gordon was the player who passed the infamous lob.

“We just destroyed them- their zone wasn’t strong enough and we were able to get in pretty easily,” said Gordon.

Throughout the season the varsity team had a multitude of extremely good games. Six games ended with Brewster winning by 40 points or more. The team will have a happy ending for the seven seniors who ended their high school basketball career with the best ending possible, a league championship. While the team currently is very young their future is very bright and very prosperous.

Brewster in Santiago

sites, and World Heritage sites. Not all of the excursions taken on this trip have been associated with this class. Still, it has been one of the driving factors in acquiring knowledge about the areas around us. After this brief excursion, we returned to our monastic home base and had lunch, included with our stay as part of Brewster’s arrangement with the place we were staying.

After this meal, however, our day truly begins. Students are generally free after this time, around 2 p.m. This postclass time is when students are free to pursue their passions and explore the city, doing many things, from eating local cuisine to buying local goods to simply walking around the city and interacting with the locals. Life has slowed down drastically here compared to Brewster, a welcome change. We

no longer stress over work, with far more attention given to students’ true passions, giving us time to relax, breathe, and process our days. Our day winds down around 8:15 p.m. when we are offered dinner and check-in for the night. Each day is a unique experience here. Many of us, including myself, can’t ever look at Brewster the same way again after such a fulfilling experience, with some even going so far as to say that Brewster shall never be the same, now that we have had a differing educational experience, with the knowledge of this experience shaping the rest of our Brewster experience, especially in our perspective on our education. Overall, the experience of traveling abroad is one that every student should have at some point in their Brewster journey, so long as they have the ways and means to do so.

cont. from pg. 4

The Brewster Boys Varsity Basketball celebrates championship victory with Nevin Imbroci '23 holding the championship trophy.

Mason Dawkins ’25 gets his first in game dunk during the Bradford Christian Academy game on Radley Court where Dawkins had over 20 points.

’26

Travel Tips for Beginners

by Giulia Machado ’25

What Your Favorite Basic Artist Says About You (from Two Haters and Semi-Hypocrites)

by Eliza Spindler ’25 and Coco Maynard ’25

Ski Mask the Slump God, DaBaby

This was the s#%! in 7th grade, but we’re not in 7th grade anymore and it’s time for you to grow out of this. You also really need to be kind to your mother, because god knows what you’ve put her through. And P.S., take off the Nike tech. It’s not doing you any favors.

You’re too pretty to be posting these on your IG story every week. Your ex does not care, I promise. No, he is not stalking your account and no, he isn’t going to be hurt by your strategically chosen lyrics. You’re being made fun of in a group chat.

Kanye West We all know that we are way past “separating the art from the artist” and you need to give it up already. Yes, Kanye made Graduation, but he also made Nazi merch.

You gaslight and manipulate women and also never shut up about these bands. You’re not “not like other guys” because you own vinyls, hate the government, and wear baggy jeans. Also, nobody cares about your skating videos. It’s time for a haircut.

Prior to your trip, conduct some studying on the place you’re going. Learn about the regional traditions, culture, and any possible dangers. Verify that the appropriate visas and other travel paperwork are in order for you to enter the country of your trip. To find out what you need, get in touch with the embassy or consulate of the nation you will be visiting.

Pack sensibly. Keep your luggage to a minimum and don’t over pack. Be sure to pack any necessary prescriptions, and think about bringing along a change of clothes and other necessities in case your checked bags are lost or delayed.

Protect your possessions. While traveling, keep your passport, money, credit cards, and other critical papers in a secure location. If you want to keep these things close to your body, think about utilizing a money belt or neck wallet.

Make sure you have a way to contact your loved ones back home to keep connected. If accessible, use free Wi-Fi or purchase a phone with an international data plan.

Learn some simple words and phrases. Knowing a few words and phrases in the local language is usually beneficial. Examples include “hello”

“thank you”, and “excuse me” . This will make it simpler to go around and communicate with locals.

Be alert of regional customs and dress accordingly to adhere to them. While it’s not inappropriate to expose too much skin in some nations, it’s crucial to cover your head in others.

Choose apparel that can be combined and matched to create different looks when packing your bag. Consider packing layers that can be added or removed as needed, and keep your color scheme neutral.

Wear your heaviest goods. To free up space in your luggage, wear heavy items like a coat or boots while you travel.

Pack travel-sized toiletries. Instead of bringing full-size toiletries, pack travel-sized versions.

Packing your luggage appropriately is important for international travel to ensure that you have everything you need without exceeding weight limits or violating airline regulations. Here are some tips for packing your luggage appropriately for international travel:

Make a packing list. Before you start packing, make a list of everything you need to bring. This will help you avoid

cont. on pg. 7

Carti, Yeat, Destroy Lonely

You are a teenage boy (or have the mind of one) and you completely idolize these people and make it WELL KNOWN. Your clothes are probably five times too big for you, and you will lose your hearing at 40.

You’ve never been in a real relationship before, but are obsessed with the idea of one. You don’t just like one of these artists: you’re obsessed. For the Swifties: if you tell me about “easter eggs” or Jake Gyllenhal’s evilness one more time, I will lose it. For Harry Styles fans: no, he did not redefine masculinity and no, he is not the hottest guy on the planet. His outfits are hideous.

Brent Faiyaz, The Weeknd

Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Zach Bryan

You’re very attractive and also probably the worst person to date ever. Actually, you probably don’t date. Let me guess, you “hate labels”? And please turn your LED lights to a color other than red.

You have an American flag hung in your room, as well as a political one (and we all know what party). You post each of these artists on your Instagram story as though you’re friends with them… you aren’t. Morgan Wallen isn’t going to notice you. Wake up. Listen to something else.

SZA, Summer Walker, Kali Uchis

The Smiths, Radiohead, Weezer, Nirvana

Taylor Swift, Harry Styles

Luggage packed and ready to go!

photo by Moasiah Bility ’25

cont. from previous page

Nikki Minaj, Megan

Thee Stallion, Doja Cat

Juicewrld, A Boogie Wit

A Hoodie, XXX, Lil Peep

Drake, 21 Savage, Travis Scott

Chief Keef, Shoreline Mafia, Waka Flaka Flame

Lana Del Rey

Steve Lacy, Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator, Mac Miller

Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, The Backseat Lovers, Cigarettes After Sex

Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Childish Gambino

Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo, Jack Harlow

You watched the Anaconda music video the moment it came out and it changed the trajectory of your life. You’re very confident, which is good, but nobody cares about how fast you can rap these artists’ songs. You definitely learned how to throw it back from a YouTube video in sixth grade.

You think listening to this makes you different, but you are seen as emo by EVERYONE around you. You probably have a hole in your wall, and haven’t showered in a week. You are also in middle school, and refuse to call these rappers anything but their birth name.

You are the average teenager. There isn’t anything upfront repulsive about you, but you are also the least special person you know. Stop saying you’re the main character, because I promise you’re not.

You never shut up. You call Chief Keef “Sosa”, and think going on car rides at 1 a.m. playing *only this* makes you reckless. You also refuse to take off your rhinestone t-shirt and own three pairs of Jordan 4’s.

You listened to one song when you were thirteen and decided to make it your entire personality. Also, the more you talk about your older boyfriend, the more it sounds like he’s grooming you.

Brewster in Santiago

Travel Tips for Beginners

cont. from pg. 6

forgetting important items and make sure you don’t pack too much.

Check airline regulations. Check the weight and size limits for luggage with your airline, as well as restrictions on the types of items you can bring in your carry-on or checked luggage.

It's not that these are my personal favorite artists, but I know exactly what you're like. My snap is eliza_spindler. Ignore my other article.

You are not less basic than anybody else just because you don’t listen to rap or pop. Your music taste is also basic, it’s just a different kind. Your taste isn't bad, but it also isn't interesting enough to base your personality around.

Your music taste is good, but not “god tier” like you say it is. Whenever you get aux you tell everyone else to shut up and listen to the lyrics, but you only know what they mean because of a YouTube video.

You listen to the Spotify-generated “Top 50” playlist or TikTok sounds. You also definitely have your VSCO in your bio and only post IG photos in that one pose. Girls in my dorm, please turn it down. I’m begging. Please. I can’t take it anymore.

Pack according to your itinerary. Consider the climate and activities you’ll be doing at your destination when packing. If you’re visiting multiple destinations, pack items that can be used in different locations and climates.

Use packing organizers. Packing organizers like packing organizers and compression bags can help you save space and stay organized. Use them to separate items by category or to compress clothing to maximize space or even use a vacuum and a strong bag to “vacuum” your clothes to fit better.

Pack valuable items in your carry-on. Pack important documents, medications, and valuables like jewelry and electronics in your carry-on luggage. This way, they’ll be with you at all times and less likely to get lost or stolen.

Use a lightweight suitcase or backpack. Investing in a lightweight suitcase or backpack can help you save weight before you even start packing.

Choosing accommodation for an international trip can be a difficult task, but there are several places you can consider to make your stay easier. Overall, choosing the right

accommodation for your international trip requires careful consideration and research. By taking the time to evaluate your options, you can find a place that meets your expectations, fits your budget, and makes your travel experience better.

Budget: Determine how much you are spending on accommodation and food. This will help you control your options and prevent you from overspending like me.

Location: Consider the location of your accommodation. Is it close to the places you want to visit? Is it in a safe area? Is it easily accessible by public transportation? Depending on the season, is it a good spot to be?

Travelers should keep in mind that religious diversity exists across the world and that each culture has its own religious beliefs and practices. Have a respectful and tolerant attitude towards the various religious traditions and avoid disrespecting them while traveling. This includes not doing things or having attitudes that could be seen as offensive, such as mocking or criticizing others’ beliefs or acting disrespectfully at sacred sites. It is crucial to be open to learning about various religions and to be interested in learning more about local customs and practices. In general, respect and understanding are essential for an awesome and positive trip, both for the traveler and the communities they visit.

Coco Maynard ’25 and Eliza Spindler ’25 browse in a shop in Santiago during the Brewster Global Programs trip to Spain. photo by Kara McDuffee

WORD ON THE STREET

Questions:

1) If you were a type of cheese, which one would you be?

2) What do you think of garden gnomes?

3) What’s your favorite smell?

4) Who’s the funniest person at Brewster?

5) What’s your Palmer Café order?

Hall Talk

"Oh are you ok?"

"She just parkoured!" – KN

"I came here for the cubicles." –EGK

“I’m mildly famous on pinterest.” SONKKKKKK

Air Ball!

“I did not ask them if RBG is a person of color.” RAK

“Do they have laser tag in Canada?” RAK

“Just because it’s neutral-toned and plaid doesn’t mean it belongs to me” EGK

“I’m not rubbing my lesbianism on her at the dinner table.” ZAS

“Usually I have candy, but all I have are bookmarks?” LJR

Collin Dean ’26:

1) Mexican triple blend

2) I think that they are cute if they are put in the right spot.

3) Freshly cut wood.

4) Turner Flood

5) Cookie dough shake with chicken fingers.

1) Colby Jack

2) I personally adore garden gnomes, I have one at my house.

3) Freshly mowed grass.

4) John Northrop

5) Mozzarella moons

Daniela Herranz Diaz ‘23:

1) Brie

2) They’re creepy…

3) The ocean.

4) Omar Al Murazza

5) Iced caramel latte with oat milk

1) Pepper Jack… The names funny?

2) I would kill them, every one of them, I would smash them with a mallet.

3) Logan Cliche. He smells magnificent.

4) Me. Just kidding it's Logan.

5) Matcha Boba Tea, every single day.

“No one’s legs are incredibly thick like Gaston’s.” JB

“It’s all over the news… the real news.”

“I am just saying… I say that all the time, don’t I?” - JD

"Oh wait! I want to get some ice cream!" "But you're lactose intolerant! Did you forget?" - SM

Teacher: "Guys, stop hovering around the windows to watch the other dorm's fire drills and go do your homework."

Students: "We don't have homework."

Teacher: "Okay read a book or practice something."

GR: "I’m practicing my eyesight."

"It’s like playing ring around the rosy with a person that only has one arm. It just doesn’t work." – JL “I feel so bad for Russia because once they attacked Ukraine McDonald’s pulled out all of their stores.” – MB

“holy f*** it’s lopsided”

“what’s lopsided” “me!”- SS

"OK, I have dates. This is not a microaggression." – ZS

1) American

2)

3) Gasoline

4) Me

5)

"Just like your taxes. No one does it anymore." – BM

"What is Hasbulla's deal? Why is he like that?" – JL

I’ve had too much mineral water.

– SD

Mason Dawkins ’25:

1) Pepper Jack

2) They’re kinda scary and make me uncomfortable a little bit.

3) Vanilla

4) Johnny Burns

5) Pina colada peach smoothie with boba and The Palmer sandwich.

Turner Flood '26:

Many wear the hat.

Cookie Dough Milkshake

Noah Jacobs ’25:

John/Jack Northrop ‘24: