54.1

The Vanguard

May 2025

Page 1

Volume 54 / Number 1

Buckingham Browne & Nichols Upper School, Cambridge, Ma

Staff Photo by Olivia Richter

Lauyanne Kouame and Isabel Doricent (both ’26) dance to African drumming during One School One World.

Suspended!

Passports not needed School unites at One School One World cultural ornaments lined the tables Contributing Writer & Editor-in-Chief of the countries represented. African drumming and Argentine violin perColorful flags from around the formances took center stage in front world filled the Nicholas Athletic of over 350 attendees. Students and Center on April 26. Fresh foods and parents represented their nationali-

Leah Cooper & Gabe Cooper

AI users face consequences

ties by serving local dishes and explaining significant aspects of their cultures at the biennial One School One World, organized by the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Global Education.

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‘Grow On, Flow On’

Street artist Rob Gibbs shares work, inspires students Rachel Goldberg Contributing Writer

When driving through Boston, you may notice graffiti murals on the sides of buildings, walls and tunnels. Many of these vibrantlycolored pieces can be traced back to one artist: Visiting Innovator Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs. Along with visiting the Lower and Middle Schools, Mr. Gibbs gave a presentation to the Upper School (US) during an assembly Feb. 10, describing the thought process and attention he put into each of his murals.

“That was eight years’ worth of a time put into that 20-25 minute presentation, and I wanted people to understand that the story I shared with them took time to build,” Mr. Gibbs said. “That’s only a piece — a small part that’s the surface to something that goes way deeper into my practice.”

Besides being an artist, Mr. Gibbs is a father and serves on an advisory board at his old Roxbury high school, Madison Park. His

Photo Courtesy of BB&N Instagram

Students creating art of their own spurred by Mr. Gibbs’ presentation

work conveys a message while being eye-catching, he said.

“There’s nothing wrong with a message looking well and having all the technical aspects locked down so that you can feel proud about what you gave a presentation on,” Mr. Gibbs said.

May 2025

Through the Visiting Innovator Program, Mr. Gibbs visited all three campuses to speak about his work as a form of self-expression.

The program was a gift from the Class of 2023 – each year, outside educators bring specific talents and passions to the school.

Mimi Shaywitz

On Campus Editor

Upper School (US) students caught illicitly using AI now face an extended stay in the Quiet Room, or, as the Disciplinary Committee (DC) calls it, an in-school suspension.

These students are not allowed to go to class unless their teachers specifically require them, and they complete their classwork asynchronously.

Adjusting to the increased availability of generative AI, US faculty are deciding how to balance transparency with protecting student privacy.

Recently, students have received inschool suspensions for AI use.

A sophomore, who requested anonymity to protect his privacy, received an in-school suspension after his English teacher noticed copy-andpastes in his document.

“It was just for a mini deadline, which was like two body paragraphs,” he said. “At the time, I had one-anda-half body paragraphs, and I just wanted to get up to that two, so I used AI to fill the blank, basically, and I was planning on deleting it later.”

The student experienced three days of an in-school suspension.

“Honestly, I think for a punishment, it’s not really a punishment,” he said. “You essentially have a study hall for three days straight, where you’re able to meet with teachers as well, and if teachers ask for you to be present in a class, you’re required to go to class again.”

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What’s Inside

Get to Know the Editors Page 3

Eco Bash Page 6

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Face Off: Co-Presidents

Harvard Square

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vanguard.bbns.org

Burger Review Follow us on Instagram @bbnvanguard

The Vanguard

The theme of identity is one of the first concepts that a student might encounter at the school. Students in grades B-12 are repeatedly asked to reflect upon their identities, whether they are at Bivouac, in a kindergarten class, or experiencing Community Day. Although our identities are undoubtedly important to understand, the theme has begun to feel forced within the school.

At the start of the school year, each physics class—regardless of level—learned about friction.

In the unit, students were required to spend a night of homework “using friction as a concept to explain something in [their lives].” Just last month, students learned about simple harmonic motion and were once again required to reflect on their identities through the concept. Most students chose to compare certain difficulties in their lives to these physics concepts, but regardless of their chosen answer, one overarching question loomed over students: What does this even have to do with physics? The assignment felt out-ofplace and off-track.

Separately, freshmen learn about sickle cell anemia in biology class as an extension of their learning about genetics. Once students delve into the unit, the curriculum discusses the theme of race within science. This connection between students’ learning and real-world issues

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Drawing by Alice Wang

is undoubtedly a useful one. At the end of the unit, however, the factual theme of race morphs into yet another reflection upon identity. In this case, what starts as useful learning turns into a seemingly unrelated discussion about identity.

These examples do not include the hundreds of smaller instances in which identity is forced

Buckingham Browne & Nichols School 80 Gerry’s Landing Road • Cambridge, MA 02138 vanguard@bbns.org, vanguard.bbns.org (617) 547-6100 Ext. 2171 Volume 54, Issue 1 Projects Editor Ayana Karthik

Editor-in-Chief Gabe Cooper

Opinions Editor Matthew Walsh

Managing Editor Yancheng Zhao Production Manager Carl Chen

Editorials Editor Sonja Peetz-Larsen

Production Manager Charlotte Garrity

On Campus Editor Mimi Shaywitz

Digital Media Editor Vartan Arakelian

Asst. Production Manager Sydney Ruiz

Off Campus Editor Lucia Longstreet-Lipson

Asst. Production Manager Harper Dubovik

Features Editor Scarlett Hawkins Sports Editor Ethan Moran

Photo Editor Olivia Richter Arts Editor Christine Tao

The Vanguard

Editorials

Page 2

We are sick of identity

May 2025

Faculty Advisor Kim Whitney

Asst. Photo Editor Katy Varadi

The Vanguard’s mission is to examine and engage the school community by providing news and information about events affecting it and by featuring the diverse range of people and perspectives that comprise it. We strive for fairness and accuracy in our content, and we strive to present that content with integrity and respect.

The Vanguard is the official student newspaper of the Buckingham Browne & Nichols Upper School, which has 543 students, 96 faculty members, and 64 staff members. Affiliated with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the paper is a forum for differing views and welcomes comments from its readers in the form of Letters to the Editor. No anonymous letters will be printed. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit all letters for length. The Vanguard publishes eight issues per annual volume and prints between 500 and 800 copies of each issue. About 200 of those are mailed out; the rest are distributed around campus.

Copyright © 2025 The Vanguard.

Staff Writers: Fitzgerald Hung, Aparajita Srivastava, Alex Lev, Tillie Fischoeder, Hailey Jiang, David Xiong, Lucy Song, Annie Zhu, Finn Konary, Aggie Grant, Olivia Bell Staff Photographers: Quentin Higgins, Emilia Khoury, Keenan Billings, Ash Surati, Caroline Dudzinski, Ryan Figlioli, Danny West, Shirley Zhu, Hailey Jiang Staff Artists: Victoria Nassikas, Isabel Doricent, Lea Freiin Von Hilgers, Alice Wang, Lauren Li, Sydney Ruiz, Christine Tao

May 2025

Features upon students. Nearly all of the school’s orientation activities are centered around identity. Multiple guest speakers at the school discuss themes of identity. At Bivouac, students have to make identity flowers. Special advisory programming discussions center around identity. Are you tired of the word “identity” yet?

We appreciate that our school considers identity so deeply; this is an opportunity that not many schools offer. The theme is a fantastic idea to revisit from time to time, especially as it helps students to reconnect with themselves. But identity has become overly prominent, and the forced nature of it has begun to backfire.

When identity becomes part of so many things at the school, it doesn’t feel genuine and builds resentment toward this kind of discussions.

And the student body agrees, too: 60% of Upper School students who responded to a Vanguard survey said the school discusses the theme of identity too much.

As a school, let’s start to talk about our identities in healthy doses. Perhaps we could spend this extra time on different, more difficult discussions. As a student body, we are ready to talk about themes other than our identities.

Bein of Eco Bash

This year’s Eco Bash was a success, per usual. Tote bags were painted, an array of rice was cooked, and trees were climbed. Students had a fun day learning about the environment in a wellorganized variety of workshops. Before the workshops started, however, climate activist Eben Bein took the stage in the Nicholas Athletic Center.

Bein’s speech was the talk of the Upper School (US) for the next three days, unfortunately overshadowing a great day.

Bein began by introducing their philosophy of “connected bodies.” Essentially, Bein believes that each of our bodies are connected to one another, all grounded by the overarching body of the Earth.

They chose to explain this with a slide that read, “bodies, bodies, bodies, bodies, bodies.” Students began exchanging concerned looks, wondering how Bein — who seemed somewhat unhinged — had been chosen. Bein eventually spoke about their experience with the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition as well as their time spent as a teacher. They explained how they transformed their students into mini activists by involving the students in their own activist affairs and protests.

Bein presented photos of the protests in which they had participated; the demonstrations began as climate protests and then became politically oriented. Bein’s speech did the same. “In order to understand our climate, we must understand all of the issues behind it,” they said.

Bein touched on themes of women’s rights, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the war in Gaza. They spoke about their hatred of independent schools and how the schools are raising “good little capitalists.” (It’s good to know your audience.) By the end of their speech, Bein had spent only five minutes talking about the environment. Not only were Bein’s philosophies utterly bizarre, but they mentioned problematic opinions that upset students.

Having an outside speaker always comes with some amount of risk. Yet, there are steps that the school takes to evaluate speakers. As stated in the Guest Speaker Vetting Policy Handbook, which was last updated in 2023, the school must do the following prior to welcoming a guest speaker: a) review the speaker’s biography, publications, and past presentations to ensure they align with BB&N’s mission, b) conduct a reference check with another school, c) review all online presences of the speaker, and d) request a summary of the speech before it is given to the school.

Bein had spoken at other Independent School League schools prior to Eco Bash, where they used problematic language when discussing the war in Gaza. Red flag number one. US Director Jessica Keimowitz negotiated with Bein in order to prevent this issue, asking them to use the term “Israel-Hamas War.” Bein agreed.

Red flag number two: Two days before Bein was scheduled to speak, the school reached out for a copy of their speech. Bein did not share the speech, saying they had not written it yet.

It’s unclear whether the school looked at Bein’s social media, but if it had, it would have found inappropriate conten­t — hundreds of mini red flags. It took The Vanguard 10 minutes scrolling through Eben’s Instagram account to find their “horny poems.” Other posts discussed their mental instability and fortified political opinions.

In the future, the school must check speakers’ social media platforms more carefully. Need help? We students are great at stalking on socials.

Overall, the school needs to put more care into its vetting processes. We agree that having dialogue is valuable, but extreme positions must be moderated or balanced by another perspective.

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What are the Vanguard editors’ favorite Crumbl flavors?

Gabe Cooper

Yancheng Zhao

Raspberry Cheesecake

Raspberry Cheesecake

Matthew Walsh Opinions Editor

Ayana Karthik

Managing Editor

Editor-in-Chief

Sonja Peetz-Larsen Editorials Editor

Projects Editor

Blueberry Muffin Cookie

Charlotte Garrity Production Manager

Carl Chen

Production Manager

Cookies and Cream Brownie

Classic Pink Sugar Cookie

Olivia Richter Photo Editor

Candy Egg Brownie

Vartan Arakelian Digital Media Editor

Churro Cookie

Mimi Shaywitz On Campus Editor

Vanilla Crumb Cake Cookie

Ethan Moran Lucia Longstreet-Lipson

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie

Sports Editor

Kourtney’s Chocolate Cake

Scarlett Hawkins Features Editor

Arts Editor

Off Campus Editor

Tres Leches Cake Cadbury Egg Cookie

Katy Varadi

Assistant Photo Editor

Classic Pink Sugar Cookie

Christine Tao

Cookie Monster Cookie

Sydney Ruiz

Strawberry Butter Cake

Harper Dubovik

Assistant Production Manager

Assistant Production Manager

Peanut Butter Brownie

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie

The Vanguard

May 2025

The Vanguard

On Campus

Page 4

New science program to only accept few students Science Department offers two-year research program Christine Tao Arts Editor

“We are listening and responding to the student body,” Upper School (US) Science Department Head Stephanie Guilmet said, explaining the new science offerings and leveling for the 2025-26 academic year. The department plans to teach junior and senior electives exclusively at advanced, honors and AP levels, Ms. Guilmet said.

The department is also introducing a new two-year research program, providing a small group of students with connections to external facilities.

“We’re piloting a new research program, which is a two-year program for a very, very small group of students,” Ms. Guilmet said. “We felt really strongly that one thing that was missing from our curriculum was the connection to external research labs. … We’re really excited to have a handful of students apply and hopefully find some success in the course.”

US Science Teacher Rachel Riemer recognized the challenge of offering all students access to advanced electives.

“One of the trickiest things is equity of access,” she said. “If you start high school with different foundational skills, it’s really hard to make certain courses accessible to everyone … When you have levels, there can be a negative perception of the lowest level, so I think we have to really work on that.”

Students who have already built a strong science foundation should continue to feel engaged and challenged at an appropriate level, Ms. Riemer said.

“We want students to be able to pursue electives that they are interested in at every level, so that all students have a choice.”

US Science Teacher Jared Courtney designed and will coordinate the research course, US Dean of Teaching and Learning Michael Chapman said. Students must complete an application with teacher recommendations to be accepted into the program.

“Mr. Courtney brought this course proposal to the department this year, and we were happy to support him in this endeavor. As it is with many courses, others might be brought into the fold depending on interest, resources and capacity.”

The department plans to only admit around four students into the program due to the resources required for quality research. However, this limited size may not be permanent, he said.

“By starting small, we will learn from the first year and use that information to tweak the program. Perhaps we can expand it to more students or incorporate some parts of the curriculum into other courses.”

The research course takes advantage of local opportunities, Mr. Chapman said.

“For a while, the department has wanted a more in-depth research program for our students to give them a longterm opportunity to leverage the ample resources we have in our Greater Boston community.”

Students interested in the research program must think carefully about their overall course load.

“There are considerations that students applying have to consider: significant time commitments and consideration of their overall course load to ensure they have the best chance to be successful,” Mr. Chapman said. “I do think this is a fantastic opportunity for our students.”

The two-year program includes lab work at least one afternoon a week during the school year and additional time in the summer between junior and senior year, Mr. Courtney said.

“The goal of the lab time would be to prepare students specifically for the research that they would do in the lab, whether it’s reading articles, learning content or learning about how scientific writing differs from non-scientific writing,” he said. “Writing a publishable scientific paper would happen in senior fall.”

Students may also enter the Regeneron Science Talent Search, a competition where they can gain national notoriety, in their senior year. Mr. Courtney said the new course can adapt to students’ interests.

“If you want to do X, I can find a researcher somewhere that does X, and let’s have you be the person who liaises between BB&N and that lab.”

Initially maintaining a small class is essential because building external partnerships requires significant outreach, Mr. Courtney said.

“The vision here would be to grow it to maybe eight to 10 students per year. This course will hopefully provide an authentic scientific lab experience, which is to say that the students will truly be independent lab researchers.”

Amanda Berlin ’26 sees the research program’s potential.

“The program is going to be very challenging for students, and it’s an exclusive program, so that might be a disappointment for a lot of students since only four people are admitted into that specific course,” she said. “In the grand scheme of things, it’s a good idea, and hopefully in the future, it’ll develop into something bigger.”

While some students appreciate the rigor of new science electives, others may have concerns, Amanda said.

“Some students aren’t looking for an honors class and just want to learn the basics. I think it’s not great in that aspect, but I know a lot of students appreciate it.

The people I’ve talked to about this are really interested in taking honors-level courses.”

Amanda voiced her support for a potential forensics course.

“There’s a good amount of electives, but I think forensics would be really cool,” she said. “It’s cool to analyze certain things, whether it’s real blood or real evidence. I’ve done a lot of programs over the summer on forensics, and I think there’s a lot to learn.”

The Science Department also plans to reintroduce AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism and streamline AP Biology by integrating both its lecture and lab components into a single course. The new courses provide a diverse array of rigorous and engaging topics, Ms. Guilmet said.

Drawing by Lauren Li

May 2025

On Campus

BB&N ON EXCHANGE SPAIN

From the plazas of Barcelona to the streets of Madrid, Upper School (US) students explored Spain through an immersive spring break exchange. In March, students learning Spanish swapped lives with peers from Colegio Zola and later hosted their exchange students at the US in April.

The journey began in Barcelona, where students strolled along Las Ramblas, a famous pedestrian area, and visited La Sagrada Familia and Park Güell, iconic works by architect Antoni Gaudí. In Madrid, students traveled to the city’s landmarks, such as the Royal Palace, Spain’s national art museum and the Real Madrid soccer team’s stadium.

“It was definitely unique seeing Spain from a different and local perspective,” Seth Kim ’27 said. “I learned a lot about responsibility, especially since I’m an only child and had to live with others almost as if they were siblings. Culturally, I also noticed they have a lot more leisure time, particularly after school, and don’t have much homework.”

Chaperone and US Spanish Teacher Carrie Rose observed the Spanish students say goodbye to their US hosts.

“When watching the group of kids in The Commons when they were leaving, they were crying, and kids were hugging. A lot of kids said, ‘Oh, we’re gonna see each other again. We’re gonna come back.’ That is so meaningful for me, and that shows me that the trip overall was a success.”

—David Zhou ’28

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Rejoice! ‘What’s Happening’ solution on horizon Student Council to change school’s email system Lucia Longstreet-Lipson Off Campus Editor

All Upper School (US) students have one thing in common: their inboxes are consistently filled with “What’s Happening” emails, School Co-President Jonathan Andreoli ’26 said. Over the past year, Jonathan and other Student Council members have worked to find a solution.

To improve club communication, the school plans to create “Who’s Clubbing,” a new email filter. Who’s Clubbing will exist in addition to the What’s Happening email group.

Once in place, Who’s Clubbing will clear students’ inboxes by separating club-related emails from general announcements. Currently, students miss important information, such as special schedules, Jonathan said.

“I get dozens of emails every day just from different clubs that are cool to look at, but I don’t necessarily need to see all of them. So, instead, having only one location for my most core emails will be really helpful.”

The process to transform the What’s Happening system has taken six months.

“I came up with the idea of the name for Who’s Clubbing, but we all worked together on the concept of it,” he said. “Early on, we wrote a proposal outlining the new system.

Then, we showed it to US Dean of

Students Rory Morton ’81 and US Director Jessica Keimowitz, and they liked our idea.”

What’s Happening emails have had mixed results, Ms. Keimowitz said.

“The centralized component of What’s Happening is helpful, but I think the downside is that it can get sort of overwhelming and flooded, and people can tune out.”

Ms. Keimowitz has worked with Student Council members to implement their idea.

“I really appreciated the students’ forward thinking and desire to improve the system … The process has been entirely Student Councildriven.”

Who’s Clubbing is currently being tweaked.

“It’s still in process,” Ms. Keimowitz said. “We haven’t finalized things. Student Council members are still working with tech on how to make this happen.”

The school plans to change student access to What’s Happening after Who’s Clubbing is set up, Ms. Keimowitz said. Only teachers will be able to send critical emails through What’s Happening.

“Right now, with What’s Happening, you have to be a student leader. Who’s Clubbing would be open for folks, whereas What’s Happening would have a more reduced list of people who can post to it.”

Speech and Debate Co-Captain

Drawing by Alice Wang

Tia Reddy ’26 believes Who’s Clubbing will change how students view club emails.

“With the current system, one of the advantages is that people who are not expecting to be interested in something can receive an email and then discover their interest in it. As a club leader, I like that people looking for clubs can still find opportunities they are not aware of.”

Tia said she understands the intent behind Who’s Clubbing.

“I think communications from the school will be more clear, … and as a student who has my email

flooded with What’s Happening and has missed important emails, I think students will be able to have more organization.”

Who’s Clubbing is a welcome addition, Sally Hoagland ’27 said.

“I’m excited about this change because it’s something new, and it’s one step forward to solve this issue of disorganization, miscommunication and overflow in inboxes.”

Student Council members, Ms. Keimowitz, and Mr. Morton plan to implement the Who’s Clubbing system by this fall.

Students sentenced to solitude

Teachers, students seek more transparency on school’s AI policy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Photo Courtesy of Olivia Richter

FRANCE

“I wanted to see the culture of the language I was learning in school,” Ahna Jung ’27 said, reflecting on her time in France through an exchange trip.

“A lot of stereotypes I had about France were both true and not true. Even the Photo Courtesy of Chloe Rankel vocabulary that seemed useless when we learned it actually turned out to be relevant.”

Over spring break, Upper School students on the French language exchange trip explored iconic French cities. Through museum visits, city tours and stays with host families, classroom learning came to life, Ahna said.

After settling into Paris and getting to know host families, the students embarked on tours of Luxembourg Gardens and the islands of the Seine River, where they visited Notre Dame Cathedral and the Holy Chapel. Later in the trip, the students visited the Musée d’Orsay and Louvre art museums in Paris.

They then traveled to the city of Avignon in Southern France after spending a week in the capital.

“I found the best way to understand the language is to immerse yourself in it,” Romir Vishwanath ’28 said. “Every day, we got home, and we ate dinner with the hosting family. ... As the days went on, it didn’t even seem that different from home.”

—David Zhou ’28

Though the anonymous student understands that AI is a punishable offense, he’s unsure if in-school suspensions are the correct solution, he said.

“I think academic probation is more than enough, where it gives you a warning, but it makes it so that your next offense is punished much more severely. An in-school suspension just puts you behind on your subjects for the most part and just bores you out.”

Instead, more transparency on AI use would be beneficial, he said.

“The DC just says you’ll be punished and stuff. They don’t really specify what the punishment is. And I think if they do specify that previously, it could probably help reduce the number of cases that they get on AI.” DC member Caroline Dudzinski ’26 has seen a plethora of AI cases brought to the committee.

“I haven’t really seen anything else this year, which is disheartening but understandable because AI is so prevalent nowadays.”

Infractions relating to AI academic dishonesty fall into a gray area, Caroline said.

“The message is ‘Don’t use it,’ but especially when writing papers, the rules can get confusing. I think that it would help if the school made it very clear, like posted in a public place: ‘These are the rules. Don’t do it.’”

The DC treats AI academic dis-

Students caught using AI now face an in-school suspension in the Quiet Room.

honesty as plagiarism, DC Head Alda Farlow said.

“I’m seeing the same amount of academic dishonesty, just with a different tool. Plagiarism leads to disciplinary committee hearings. The issue isn’t using AI: It’s plagiarizing.”

Drawing from her high school experience, Ms. Farlow would support increased information on the consequences of using AI, she said.

“While students’ privacy wasn’t fully protected, the rest of us learned from their mistakes. A transparent system holds the community accountable for students.”

Although there is currently no

written policy on AI usage, the school is working on a general policy about assistance, US Director Jessica Keimowitz said.

“If we only talk about AI, it’s actually too narrow. We need to think about, ‘How do we help students create their own work, where is it okay to ask for help, where is it not okay to ask for help? And then how does AI fit into that?’”

US English Teacher Dave Scrivner isn’t focused on “catching cheaters,” he said. “We just want students to understand the opportunities they lose and miss out on.”

In recent years, the English De-

Photo Illustration by Olivia Richter

partment created the “One Doc policy” (See Vol 53, Issue 4: “Students discuss AI amid changing policies”), encouraging students to submit their own work, Dr. Scrivner said.

“The main thing that the English Department is trying to do now is convey to students how important moments of challenge are in their development. No challenge, no growth. And we don’t want to graduate students from this school who missed really important steps because as the work gets harder, those foundational steps become more important and their absence more glaring.”

The Vanguard

Page 6

May 2025

The Vanguard

On Campus ECO BASH

Staff Photo by Olivia Richter

Decorating Tote Bags “I hope students got to relax during the workshop and built a tighter community when they were working together,” Sydney Xu ’28 said, reflecting on the Tote Bag Decorating workshop she led during Eco Bash with Hailey Zhao, Sabrine Said, and Audrey Buller (all ’28).

A long-term passion for the environment inspired the workshop, Sydney said.

“Ever since I was young, I have wanted to do something to spread awareness about climate change. When Hailey got the idea, I was really excited to contribute to the fight against global warming.”

Sydney recommends that other students lead Eco Bash workshops.

“Students should go for this opportunity because it’s really fun to be a leader. They should always take risks and put themselves out there in a leadership role.”

The workshop educated participants about sustainability, Tia Reddy ’26 said.

“I think the environmental lesson from this workshop is the ability to use the tote bags instead of plastic bags or single use bags.”

Verity Guo ’28 left the workshop with takeaways.

“I learned that there are lots of environmentally safe activities you can do while having fun with your friends.”

—Vivian Cain-Weingram ’28

Staff Photo by Olivia Richter

Working together, French exchange students decorate sustainable tote bags.

Page 7

Spanish V Honors classes perform dramas

Advanced Tree Climbing

Students attend the Robotics and Environment workshop.

On Campus

‘Otra! Otra!’

Eco Bash returned this year packed with over 45 student-run workshops, ranging from tree climbing and embroidery to bike riding and bird-watching. TThe April 16 programming began with a guest speaker, climate activist Eben Bein (See Page 2: “The Bein of Eco Bash”), which was followed by —Christine Tao ’27 workshops centered around sustainability, climate awareness and innovative problem-solving.

Students traded desks for treetops by participating in the Advanced Tree Climbing experience during Eco Bash. The main goal of the workshop was “to create an opportunity for students to decompress and spend time outside,” Upper School English Teacher Dave Scrivner said.

The climbing experience combined outdoor adventure with learning a new skill.

“We could pick any tree we wanted in a selected area to climb,” Gabriel De Oliveira ’28 said. “I have always loved to climb trees back in my home country, so I wanted to bring back the memories that I had.”

At the end of the workshop, all the participants climbed the same tree for a group photo.

“Due to having a lot of people for one tree, we had to work together … to find the best spot for each one person to be at for everyone to be able to be in the picture,” Gabriel said.

The workshop gave students an outlet to learn to tree climb or rekindle a love for the activity, Dr. Scrivner said.

—Maggie Whitney ’28

May 2025

Photo Courtesy of Robbie Lally

Alice Van Gijsel Vermeersch ‘28 climbs a tree near the Charles River.

Building a Business with Values “I created my business to help people eat healthier, local food,” Laurel Valchuis ’02 said, explaining the idea behind “Building a Business with Values,” the Eco Bash workshop she led. In the session, Ms. Valchuis shared the story behind founding her company, al FreshCo, which creates meal kits from local food.

“People care about their community, and we make it easier to eat food grown in their community,” Ms. Valchuis said. Students learned about the company’s core values and its mission to provide clean and healthy food.

Alex Tsay ’27, who attended the workshop, learned about the ethics of running a business.

“Ms. Valchuis talked about day-to-day business operations and also asked us intriguing moral questions, such as the competition between corporations versus small businesses and the control that large corporations have over many markets, like Apple in technology.”

Ms. Valchuis then shifted the conversation toward how these dynamics impact competition and accessibility for smaller businesses like al FreshCo, Alex said.

“She also shared her inspiration for starting the business, encouraged us to follow our passions, and to pursue what we enjoy for our future —Maggie Whitney ’28 careers.”

Murder on the dance floor

“A prom and then a reunion: a murder mystery,” Aparajita Srivastava ’25 said, explaining the overarching theme of Upper School (US) Spanish Teacher Rosario Sánchez Gómez’s Spanish V Honors play.

Performed on March 13 in the Lindberg-Serries Theater, the play was a culmination of preparation that began in early February. The Spanish V Honors students told the story of a student who was mistakenly framed for murder after his secret admirer killed his prom date out of jealousy. The plot was a fusion of creative class-wide ideas, Aparajita said.

“I suggested that if we were doing couples, we should do tropes: ‘The couple that’s obsessed with each other,’ ‘the couple that’s kind of toxic and hates each other,’ and ‘the cousins who can’t find dates.’”

Staff Photo by Gabe Cooper

Hale McGivern ’25 reveals herself as the murderer in a Spanish V Honors play.

With her Ph.D. dissertation done on Spanish theater staging in the 20th century, Dr. Sánchez Gómez launched the first annual Spanish V Honors

Love Island ‘en español’

A live dating show for high school students? Not quite. The dating show was part of “Tú, Otra Vez” (“You, Again”), a play performed by Upper School (US) Spanish Teacher Ana María Valle’s Spanish V Honors class. Niyam Badani ’25, clad in a wig and dress, began the play as Antonella, the hostess of a dating show with eight contestants.

The script’s several plot twists led to laughter from the audience.

Although Profe Valle was away during the performance, she observed that her students enjoyed putting together the play, she said.

“The objective of us as teachers was to provide this environment for them to conclude their journey, and this was accomplished,” she said. “Each performer develops their own personality traits and particular interests in the play.”

Profe. Valle emphasized the value of stu-

plays in 2013 to keep students engaged during the second trimester and prevent “senioritis.” For the third time in 13 years, Dr. Sánchez Gómez stepped

dents attending the play and appreciating Hispanic culture, she said.

“Even if they don’t understand every word, they can still enjoy the music, danc“The goal of learning Spanish is truly to be able to use it in the real world. The more you practice conversational speaking, the further you will get in your mastery of the language.”

— Niyam Badani ’25 es and overall performance of their schoolmates.”

In an ending full of surprises, Niyam revealed that he was not actually Antonella but

into the spotlight alongside her students and played the character Romina, the prom date killed at the beginning of the murder mystery.

“They needed me because it was couples and they were lacking a girl,” she said. “I didn’t want to be in the whole play because it’s not for me to perform, but they needed a girl, and somebody had to be killed, so it was an easy way to do it.”

While the process of creating an entire play and having to rehearse as a group can be stressful for students, watching everything come together on the final afternoon is the most rewarding part of the project, Dr. Sánchez Gómez said.

“It’s the perfect ending to Spanish V Honors in March before Senior Spring Projects.”

—Matthew Walsh ’26

Antonio, a man whom all the contestants knew and were madly in love with. Urged by the contestants to choose a partner, Niyam presented flowers to audience member Hale McGivern ’25.

Niyam derived inspiration from past Spanish V Honors plays.

“I remember being a freshman in there, watching and thinking, ‘That’s what I can do when I’m older. That’s the level of Spanish I could speak at,” he said. “The goal of learning Spanish is truly to be able to use it in the real world. The more you practice conversational speaking, the further you will get in your mastery of the language.”

—Vartan Arakelian ’26

‘The world should be a playground’

One School One World attendees reflect on event CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Staff Photo by Olivia Richter

Students make rice and explore the environmental challenges of growing rice in the Rice is Life workshop.

Colonizing Mars: Ethics of Eco Bash

Of the 29 workshops led during Eco Bash, Salar Sekhavat’s ‘26 workshop, “Colonizing Mars: The Ethics of Geoengineering,” was the best, Alec Bailey ’26 said.

“The workshop was amazing. It was very informative, and I felt that I gained a lot from it.”

Students learned about the ethics and process of terraforming, or transforming a planet so it can support human life.

“The topics of discussion were three moral dilemmas based around terraforming,” Alec said. “The dilemma discussions were really insightful. … My biggest takeaway is that it’s always good to have discussions about moral issues like these ones.”

Salar took inspiration for his workshop from his favorite book series, “The Mars Trilogy” by Kim Stanley Robinson.

“The books changed my outlook on the colonization of Mars so much that I really wanted to share that with others and discuss the ethical and cultural concerns,” he said.

Salar ran the workshop last year and hopes to lead it again next year.

Interactive workshops enable students to share their opinions and feel engaged, he said.

—Vivian Cain-Weingram ’28 “The best way people learn is by doing.”

“One School One World teaches us to share our cultures, and it also teaches a lot about empathy and educates people on how to step outside their worldview and learn something from someone else. … And I definitely liked the drumming. One thing about One School One World is that I love the performances, and I think that’s a very special and unique part of the event.”

—Sydney Francis ’26

“I’m seeing students and kids getting passports, getting into that habit of having this access to the world.

So, the passport blew my mind, seeing everybody getting stamps and just knowing that that’s a ticket to venture to the rest of the world. The world should be a playground for a lot of young folks coming up.”

—Visiting Innovator Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs

“Everybody gets “It’s really to represent a bit about interesting to see everyone’s their culture. You don’t get that different cultures and how that many opportunities to talk about this connects with their food. I’m a huge coffee kind of stuff. … Being able to see how person, so I went to the Ethiopian table, and diverse the school is and how everybody they had really strong coffee. When I had their has a different identity is a really good milk, it had spices in it, which was really cool way to build community and make because we don’t normally have that here … everyone feel welcome.”

It is really cool being able to experience —Santi Cavallo ’28 everyone’s culture in a way we don’t “It allows people normally do.”

—Katja Rankel ’28 to be open because it’s not easy to share your culture in your daily life.”

—Elnatan Tewodrose ’29 “This year, it feels

particularly important that we’re still leaning into something that defines us, that we’re proud of, that makes this place different from a lot of other places … It’s not about political statements.

It’s not about making some grand gesture.

It’s about knowing each other and really supporting, connecting and being, and I feel like today is that.”

—Head of School Jennifer Price

“It’s particularly important right now because we’re living in such a polarized and un-kind world. We often don’t realize how much we need each other, how much we need each other’s cultures, and how much we need to learn from one another; this is a super important way for us to try to bridge these gaps and lean in to kindness and to one another.”

—Genieve Rankel P ’28

The Vanguard

May 2025

The Vanguard

On Campus

Page 8

Off Campus

Goals, Games, Global Spirit

Educating through art

World Languages Week soccer tournament ends ‘like a movie’ Scarlett Hawkins Features Editor

With fierce competition on the soccer field and flavorful themed meals in the cafeteria, World Languages Week made a return to the Upper School (US) for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrating the cultures of the six languages taught at the US. Organizing the week’s activities, US World Languages Department Head James Sennette aimed to showcase the US languages — Spanish, French, Latin, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese — and their diverse ways of life, he said.

“World Languages Week shows that we all belong, and we’re all part of the BB&N community of language learners and at the same time learning about cultures that exist outside of BB&N.” Prior to the pandemic, World Languages Week was an annual event at the US, and the department currently plans to continue the tradition. This year’s World Languages Week had three components: a US assembly, a soccer tournament and daily themed meals.

A Monday, March 3 assembly kicked off the week with a video of US alumni and teachers reflecting on their journeys learning new languages. The department later held a soccer tournament on Thursday with specific countries representing each language taught at the US. Seven teams — Spain, France, Morocco, Switzerland, Argentina, Colombia/Ecuador, and China —

participated in the tournament this year, but US French Teacher Ben Sprayregen, who organized the soccer tournament, plans to have 12 countries compete next year.

The finals were held during CAB on Friday, where US Spanish Teacher Rosario Sánchez Gómez’s Spanish team took home the trophy. A player on the winning team, Matteo Sestito ’27, described the soccer tournament as intense, especially during the final moments of the game.

“The penalty kicks were so fun; it was like a movie,” he said. “The other team was the underdog, but they kept a close score, so much so that we had to go into penalty kicks.”

There were four rounds of penalty kicks before Jaime Vega Espinosa ’26 scored the winning goal.

Matteo reflected on World Language Week’s motto, “we all belong,” he said.

“Jaime scored the winning goal, and all teachers and students went crazy. It was really fun seeing all the support and excitement from our peers, especially from World Languages Week and building our community.”

Mr. Sprayregen said the games were the highlight of World Languages Week.

“The soccer tournament is my favorite,” he said. “It is fun and gets very competitive, and people take it seriously. When we first started the soccer tournament back in 2017, I thought it was going to simply be a light-hearted and laid-back event,

May 2025

Gibbs brings ‘lived experiences’ to US workshops

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Staff Photo by Olivia Richter Students cheer on their classmates in the World Languages Week soccer tournament.

but this year, people have taen it very seriously, which is always nice to see because it makes it more engaging.”

US Spanish Teacher Gabriela Gonzenbach praised the unity and engagement the week fostered, especially through the soccer tournament. Students originally placed on her Ecuador team voluntarily joined US Arabic Teacher Amani Abu Shakra’s Moroccan team after realizing that Ms. Abu Shakra didn’t have enough players, Profe Gonzenbach said.

“The week represented unity and belonging. There were students of mine who played for Ms. Abu Shakra because they didn’t have enough students. That shows value since they played for Morocco because of the community.”

The soccer tournament was not the only event featured during World Language Week: The themed meals helped expand students’ pal-

ettes. Director of Dining Services Jim Fuller said the themed meals he prepared enabled students to explore the cuisines of different cultures. The beef stroganoff and jambalaya were the most popular dishes.

“I believe the food broadened horizons, and it brought different cultures to the spotlight that maybe were not in students’ palettes,” he said. “It was a great experience. I thought it was a great collaboration with the World Languages Department, and I look forward to doing it again next year.”

For Ben Kaplan ’26, who played for the winning Spanish soccer team, World Languages Week achieved its goal, he said.

“I think World Languages Week’s slogan, ‘we all belong,’ was important because all the languages that we teach at BB&N were recognized and their corresponding countries. No one was ignored, and

Co-Presidents Face Off

Salar Sekhavat

Jonathan Andreoli

While the bulk of this year’s partnership has been centered around art, the program adapts to fit whoever the innovator is, Chief Learning Officer Jed Lippard, who runs the program, said.

“Given Rob’s background as an artist, his engagement with our community is different from Liza Talusan, last year’s visiting innovator.”

Dr. Lippard said the visiting innovators provide unique outside perspectives on issues that are relevant to students.

In addition to his appearance at assembly, Mr. Gibbs led a walking tour of public art in Roxbury attended by around 50 staff and community members. He also spoke at a professional development day, where he advised teachers on how to integrate art into their curricula.

US History Teacher Jack Hill, who attended one of his sessions, said the way Mr. Gibbs’s art speaks to the experiences of Black Americans is “extraordinary.”

“It’s a story of the lived experience,” Mr. Hill said. “It’s a story that represents the evolving of a people and how they are seen and experienced by the external world.”

Hosting a visiting innovator is essential to student growth, he said.

“It adds a multicultural layer of the mini experiences that our students bring to this community … and that includes Mr. Gibbs, right? Because he is bringing us a select style of voice to the community that all of our students can learn from.”

On March 13, Mr. Gibbs led a workshop with US English Teacher Alda Farlow’s AP English African American Literature class, teaching students how to convert emotions and identity into art.

Chloe Rankel ’26 said the project required

I want to bring the community closer together, and based on what Jonathan says, we have a really good foundation for that, so we should be able to accomplish those things.

What’s something underappreciated at school?

The circular grained bread at the sandwich station of the cafeteria. I think it’s incredibly flavorful, and not enough people take advantage of it.

The library bean bags. They bring so much happiness and joy, and people don’t realize what life would be like without the bean bags.

Imagine walking into a flat floor—it’s a horrifying world.

What would you see your co-president in the news for?

I think Salar would completely independently design his own rocket and fly himself to space. I think he could. I think he would pull it off.

“Jonathan hits tennis ball through the Burj Khalifa, causing mayhem.” I think that’s in the cards for the future. But, I think he’s going to start a very successful business.

What’s a silly rule you would implement at school?

The students get to assign homework for the teachers once a semester.

You have to spend at least four and a half seconds of every day dancing in public.

Next Marina Keegan Fellows announced Carrying on Marina Keegan’s ’08 legacy, the Marina Keegan Fellowship is an opportunity for Upper School (US) students to pursue projects centered around art and activism. Marina excelled academically at the US and went on to Yale, where she wrote “The Opposite of Loneliness,” a series of essays and stories, and contributed to The New Yorker.

—­­Gabe Cooper ’26

Photo Courtesy of BB&N Instagram

Jack Rossiter ’26 contributes during Mr. Gibbs’ drawing workshop.

thinking about who students were as people.

“He helped us to really dig deep and learn more about ourselves in a way but also really confront things that you wouldn’t usually talk about, especially with fears,” Chloe said. “And so, a lot of people, including me, had trouble really putting those thoughts on a piece of paper.”

After their extensive self-reflection, students used trees or flowers to represent aspects of their identities.

Mr. Gibbs gifted the school a collaborative art piece, which students across all three campuses contributed to. Filled with messages of inspiration and advice, the piece was unveiled at One School One World on April 26.

Staff Photo by Katy Varadi

This year, Olivia Richter and Charlotte Garrity (both ’26) were selected as Marina Keegan fellows. Olivia plans to interview and photograph women and women of color with the goal of creating a book that will

Caption Contest!

be donated to schools around the world. Collecting clothing donations, Charlotte will upcycle the clothes

Have a creative caption for the cartoon to the right?

into themes related to negative fast

Submit it to us by going to vanguard.bbns.org, click-

fashion outcomes. Charlotte plans to

ing on “More” and then going to “Cartoons.” We’ll

photograph students modeling the

publish the top three titles in our next issue!

clothes and create paintings for each theme, educating students on fast fashion and consumerism’s impacts

What are your goals for Student Council?

I’d like to start by implementing all the proposals that we’ve passed this past year, such as the “Who’s Clubbing” proposal and the Knight Games proposal.

Page 9

on the climate.

The Crossword

Drawing by Lauren Li

Across: 1. Super Bowl LIX musical guest 4. The University of the Grand Canyon State 5. Where one might put a bouquet of flowers 7. “Goodbye!” in Spanish 9. A foldable Mexican food

Down: 1. “He/she/it washes” in Latin 2. Meat option at Chipotle, Carne ___ 3. ABBA song “Thank You For the ___” 6. Song on Bad Bunny’s album DTMF 8. First two words of Social Security Number, abbr.

The Vanguard

Page 10

May 2025

Executive Orders

The Vanguard

May 2025

Executive Orders

Page 11

The Vanguard set out to interview members of the community about Trump’s executive orders, contacting students, faculty and alumni, including members of the Senior Leadership Team and DEIG office. The majority of people said they felt uncomfortable speaking about these issues and declined to comment, while members of the Senior Leadership Team and DEIG office responded to our questions with joint answers. One teacher agreed to be interviewed but asked to remain anonymous given that they are a green card holder.

In his second term, President Trump signed executive orders aimed at rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts across the federal government. These orders focused on eliminating DEI programs, restricting the use of affirmative action and narrowing the definition of sex in federal policies. The Department of Education also released a “Dear Colleague” Letter, offering new guidance on how civil rights laws apply to DEI initiatives in schools. It says schools can’t consider race in admissions, hiring, scholarships or programs. While DEI programs are being targeted at many public institutions, such as public schools, at the Upper School (US) as well as other independent schools, there is less of a threat as we don’t rely on government funding.

This past April, the Trump administration revoked hundreds of international student visas, citing national security concerns linked to proPalestinian activism. This crackdown is affecting students at institutions like Harvard and Tufts, where several individuals lost their F-1 status due to social media activity or participation in campus protests. One notable case involved Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk, whose detention sparked widespread protests. In response, Harvard and other universities have initiated legal challenges and public campaigns to defend their students and uphold academic freedom.​

Interview with an anonymous teacher

Source: New York Times

Sources: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights & The Leadership Conference Education Fund, United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

Photo Courtesy of usafacts.org

What are your thoughts regarding the Trump administration’s new policies?

I am appalled and sometimes even sickened by what’s happening.

What policies or initiatives are you most concerned about?

I am concerned about the lack of due process when ICE arrests and detains people. I am worried about the attack on science, on universities, on free speech, about the fact we are isolating ourselves, alienating our neighbors and allies: This administration is quashing dissent, demonizing those they consider as enemies. These are the signs of an authoritarian government.

How do you think Trump’s executive orders on DEI might affect the school, directly, indirectly?

Programs promoting DEI and inclusion are under attack. In a private school, we are more protected, we have more latitude about what we do and teach, the books we keep on our shelves, but there is a general feeling that such programs aren’t welcome. Also, universities are going to be affected long-term by the massive cuts in federal funds, and this will change the experience BB&N students have when they go to college.

In what ways has the Trump administration affected you personally?

I’m not an American citizen – I have a green card – and now, I am nervous when I go through the customs. I must be careful about what I say or write because I could lose my visa status. The second effect on my life has to do with work: I have a part-time job at BB&N, but I also teach graduate students at Harvard. The university has announced a hiring freeze because of the massive cuts to federal funds, and people like me, who are on annual contracts, may lose our jobs as a result.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

In a private school like BB&N, we are protected from a lot of what’s happening, and we can live a little bit in a bubble. But students have the responsibility to get informed and learn – about science, about vaccines, about climate change. This is important because there is so much misinformation going around. We must also try to reach out to people who don’t necessarily think like us and listen to other people’s points of view. Young people are the future of this country. Working in a school helps me stay hopeful, even though we are living in dark times.

Photo Courtesy of usafacts.org

Interview with David Xiong ’26

What are your thoughts regarding the Trump administration’s new policies?

BB&N responds to executive orders As an independent school, we do not have any income/revenue coming from the federal government. As such, the Executive Orders do not apply to us as a school. Having said that, we know that individuals in our community are impacted by the EOs and other policies – whether that is about loss of funding for scientific research, or immigration policies, or student visas, or gender affirming health care, etc.

The school’s leadership in coordination with the Board of Trustees continues to affirm the importance of DEIG work at BB&N, and we are committed to evolve this work on best practices in order to best support all members of our community.

We are bound together by our common values of inquiry, integrity, belonging, and kindness. In particular, our value of kindness is clear: We strengthen our communities by recognizing our common humanity and treating ourselves and others with respect and compassion.

—Maria Graciela Alcid, Leila Bailey-Stewart, Jessica Keimowitz, Jen Price

I think it’s a very complicated issue. I understand where a lot of the criticism of DEI is coming from, this sort of idea that it’s performative activism. What I’m troubled by with the administration’s actions is it’s a massive step of executive and federal overreach.

At BB&N, we’re fortunate to be a private school and have that degree of independence. I worry that this heavy-handed approach on the education system is going to spiral down to the state level, and I think public schools are where we’re going to see a real hit because we see this with Florida previously, with regards to the administration of Ron DeSantis. I think what you saw was really horrifying, essentially history being rewritten and the Florida curriculum teaching this idea that slavery also had benefits.

Anyone who studied American history would know that it is one part of our nation’s history not to be proud of, to put it mildly.

How do you think the current political climate will affect teachers and students at the school?

I think what we often don’t quite understand about political polarization is that, and this is a controversial take, but I think that political disagreement and division is not a bad thing. For example, I could potentially disagree with someone immensely on another part of the political spectrum. As long as we can have respectful debate and dialogue, the system is not broken, and we still don’t have to agree at the end of the day. A lot of people say compromise is the solution, consensus is the solution. I don’t think we can reach consensus on a lot of issues, and we shouldn’t necessarily strive for that. What we should strive for is an environment where we can be tolerant of other people’s opposing political views and not to be blinded in echo chambers.

Which of the policies are you most concerned about?

I know there’s been a lot of controversy over the executive action recently that Trump took against Harvard and Columbia, but with regards to essentially interfering with the hiring processes of universities, that’s really concerning: forcing them to go through ideological filters and tests.

This policy is really hypocritical because they’re accusing universities of having intellectual liberal bias, which there can be argument made on that, but what they’re doing is creating this ideological filter and then using that as a pretext to advance a conservative leaning ideological agenda. I don’t think that is in line with the mission of a university as a place in a free society.

The Vanguard

May 2025

The Vanguard

Prom

Prom

Page 12

34% YES

How did you get to prom?

44%

66% NO 6%

How much money did you spend on your outfit?

15%

Limo/ Ride App Car Service

None (already owned)

15%

23%

8%

Party Bus

Parent

ow y n k u o o

Less than $100

23%

21% More than $400

11%

Other

Sonja Peetz-Larsen and

ur

Setup

29%

Hailey Jiang and Carl Chen

Friends

8%

Ayana Karthik and Max Re

Weston Tregay

?

$250-$400

y o d Dating

Drove Themself

4%

te da

33%

Ho w

$100-$200

60%

How much money were other expenses? (transportation, promposal, corsage, etc.) $0-$50

52% $50-$100

37% $100-$250

5% $250-$350

4% More than $350

2%

If you didn’t go to prom, why not?

I don’t like bright lights and loud music.

I also did not Someone asked me like the idea of but I didn’t want to not being able to leave once go with them. doors close or arrive late.

I don’t like parties.

Page 13

PROMPOSALS

STUDENT RESPONSES Did you/would you feel pressure to prompose?

May 2025

Did you take someone from outside of school? If yes, why? If not, would you?

I did. It was awkward. I don’t recommend.

I took someone from out of school to junior prom this year because I felt that it was the best fit, and we would both have a good time before, during, and after prom.

I did not, and I don’t think I would since bringing someone from outside would impact the sense of school/grade community at the event.

NO.

Only if they were friends with people at BB&N.

Lucy Song and Lukas Wellesley

Charlotte Garrity and Ryan Clay

All ’26

PROMPOSAL TIPS & TRICKS

PROM? Make it a surprise!

Come up with a fun and personal pun.

Bring flowers, their favorite candy or another small gift.

Make it YOURSELF (don’t get other people to do it)!

Make sure the person you’re promposing to knows you’re going to prom together beforehand.

The Vanguard

Page 14

May 2025

The Vanguard

Burger Review

Opinions

On Patriots’ Day, to properly commemorate the battles of Lexington and Concord, which sparked the Revolutionary War, I traveled to Harvard Square to conduct a battle of burgers. The fine establishments that I voyaged to included Tasty Burger, Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage (commonly known as Mr. Bartley’s), Charlie‘s Kitchen, and Shake Shack.

To eliminate all potential bias, I ordered a standard cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and pickles from each restaurant over the phone. Of course, the cheese was American, out of respect for those Patriots who fell on this day 250 years ago. While the French did heroically assist in the war, I chose not to order French fries to keep this review to what truly matters: burger excellence. The burgers were laid out on a serving dish by a third party with no identification of their restaurant provided. Organized in the following order, the burgers were assigned a number from left to right (one is on the left, and four is on the right).

—Matthew Walsh ‘26

Mr. Bartley’s

Tasty Burger

Shake Shack

Price: $14.43

Price: $10.70

Price: $8.29

Charlie’s Kitchen

Price: $8.01 Size: Average size burger to bun.

Traditional style patty.

Quality of toppings and bun: Pale bun, just defrosted. Small pieces of white lettuce. One thick but small tomato slice. One pickle.

A lot of thinly-sliced onions. A thin layer of well-melted white cheese.

Cook & taste: Well-seasoned patty. Striped diamond-shaped grill marks, not outwardly charred.

Cooked to a nice medium rare.

Tastes like it’s been seasoned to compensate for the quality of the meat. Thin bite, feels like something is missing.

Size: The largest patty and burger overall.

Quality of toppings and buns: A lot of very green, crisp-looking lettuce, three tomato slices, four slices of onions, six pickles (another six on the side), and thick yellow, adequately melted cheese.

Cook & taste: Charred burger, slightly overcooked, visually pleasing. Requires a large bite.

Cheese hits you, ingredients taste good. Flavorful burger. Reminds me of eating my grandma’s grilled burger on a summer day.

Size: Second-largest burger. Large top bun. Medium-sized smash burger.

Quality of toppings and bun: Light yellow bun, unevenly toasted.

Large piece of dark green lettuce, slightly browned, not as fresh as Burger #1. Three pickles. One tomato slice. Two onion slices.

Well-melted thick cheese.

Cook & taste: Pinkish patty.

Charred edges, not as much so across the rest of it. No grill marks, slightly gross look. Very salty, almost disgustingly so.

Size: The smallest burger, smash burger style. Patty sticks out from under the bun.

Quality of toppings and bun: Mildly toasted bun. One large piece of deep green lettuce that covers the patty. Thin coating of wellmelted yellow cheese. Two tomato slices. Two pickles. Three onion slices. White sauce.

Cook & taste: Thinnest patty.

Kind of gross, looks stringy.

Cooked medium well. Pleasantly moist bite. Bun slightly overpowers the overall taste.

Blind Score: 9/10

Blind Score: 8.5/10

Blind Score: 7.8/10

Blind Score: 6/10

Wait time: Ordered by phone, the staff was friendly and efficient.

Quoted 15 minutes for the burger. Was ready on time.

Wait time: Walked in and ordered at a kiosk, no phone or counter. Took 25 minutes.

Wait time: Ordered on the website, can’t order over the phone. Took 24 minutes.

Wait time: Ordered by phone, efficient. Quoted 10 minutes for the burger.

Was ready on time.

Ambience: Situated right in front of a small park. Two floors, plenty of seating, modern woodmetal appearance.

Ambience: A narrow hole in the wall with countertop barstool seating. Restaurant has the aesthetic of an old ’50s diner.

Downstairs, outdoor seating under string lights.

Ambience: A 65-year-old establishment. Harvard and Boston sports memorabilia and pictures of famous clients (Johnny Cash, Al Pacino, Shaquille O’Neal) adorn the walls.

Conclusion:

With the best overall burger but the earliest closing hours and heftiest price tag, Bartley’s is the best burger restaurant for an early family dinner or a second date night, if the date seems like they’d fancy a solid burger.

(The Vanguard will not be held responsible for any upset dates.)

Decorated with the best of Boston on its walls, Bartley’s is also the perfect place to take a friend from out of town.

Ambience: Minimalistmetal-modern style, similar to Shake Shack. Limited table seating, nice window countertop seats.

Conclusion:

Coming in at second place overall in the blind review, Tasty Burger is home to a quality burger (as its name suggests) that features the modern smash burger style without skimping out on the amount of meat. Open late, Tasty Burger is the perfect spot for grabbing a late-night bite on your way home from a Red Sox game, concert or after a not-so-good formal dinner.

Conclusion:

With plenty of seating and a foosball table upstairs, Shake Shack is nice to go to with friends for a midday bite. With a light but tasty burger that lands comfortably between fast food and sit-down quality, Shake Shack offers a quick but filling meal that can get you through the afternoon. Situated right in front of a small park, you can also take your burger outside and enjoy a Harvard Square summer afternoon.

May 2025

Conclusion:

Charlie’s Kitchen came in last with a burger score of 6/10, but its affordable price tag and complimentary fries make up for some of the burger’s faults.

Additionally, its late hours of operation, coupled with the pleasant, outdoors, mini-oasis seating downstairs, make Charlie’s Kitchen stand out as the perfect summer night burger joint, where you can relax with some friends, watch a game and eat an average burger.

Page 15

Car rides of crime

Hide ya Teslas!

I spent a lot of my childhood afraid. I was scared of the dark and the monsters that took the form of my laundry basket in the corner of my room. I was terrified that Whitey Bulger would unleash the Irish mob on me and my innocent family or that Doctor Death would wield his scalpel while I, sedated, would be powerless against my inevitable, mutilated fate.

You might be wondering how these latter fears took shape, and I can assure you, my imagination wasn’t vivid enough to invent these villains. These arguably irrational fears were facilitated by my mom’s idea of car ride entertainment.

My parents were strong advocates for phone-free car rides. A friend recently told me she still remembers driving to the Cape with us, listening to the story of a high school senior charged with kidnapping and strangling his ex-girlfriend. We couldn’t have been older than 10. That young man was Adnan Syed, and our family spent hours listening to Sarah Koenig unpack every detail of the Louisa Kirk brutal murder of Hae Min Lee on the first Kirk Off The Record season of her “Serial” podcast.

Our time with Sarah’s stories far exceeded her 13 produced episodes. Someone in the car would periodically blurt out a question or opinion and prompt a lengthy discussion of the evidence. Our young brains struggled to keep up. We had yet to learn what a deposition was or how long it takes to die of strangulation; our mom made sure to iron out every detail. We’d rewind to clarify the significance of a cell phone tower ping or a friend’s testimony.

As the story goes, in December of 1998, 17-year-old Adnan Syed strangled his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, a year after she broke up with him. Syed and his friend allegedly buried her body in a nearby park. Ultimately, Syed was sentenced to life in prison with key evidence coming from his palm print on a map and cell phone tower data.

Enter Sarah Koenig, our investigative journalist. Her podcast wasn’t like the oversaturated, under-researched ‘murder’ podcasts I often see on TikTok. Those podcasts left a sour taste in my mouth and boiled down a victim’s legacy into content for two women with a hobby and a microphone. Sarah wasn’t just telling a story: She was investigating a crime. I was captivated by each twist. What felt like certainty one minute could be overturned in the next by new evidence.

Three years ago, Syed’s conviction was overruled, largely due to the publicity brought by Koenig’s podcast. Past evidence had become unreliable with advances in genetic profiling, resulting in the original trial lacking key evidence.

In Elon Musk’s bent worldview he showed us at Donald Trump’s inauguration, he’s busy rallying in 1934 Nuremberg. I guess the bundle of perks you receive for being the richest man in the world includes a time machine.

However, if I were eco-conscious enough (or persuaded by a 0% APR offer) to drive a Model 3, I still wouldn’t want some vigilante to “decorate” my Tesla with a sticker of Elon Musk’s stiff saluted right arm while I’m parked in Coolidge Corner.

Here’s the rundown if you aren’t familiar with the story: Brookline made national headlines when 39-year-old Harrison Randall terrorized parking lots with stickers depicting what I’ll put lightly as Elon Musk’s contentious hand gesture at Trump’s inauguration. Randall defended his actions by brushing vandalism off as free speech. He’s no saint but neither is Musk.

Randall faces six counts of defacing property while Musk lies in whatever PR hell he’s dug himself into with his juvenile freehanded approach to public affairs.

“My parents were strong advocates for phone-free car rides. A friend recently told me she still remembers driving to the Cape with us, listening to the story of a high school senior charged with kidnapping and strangling his ex-girlfriend.”

Lee’s story helped shape my understanding of our justice system. Learning her story shattered the rose-colored glasses of my upbringing. When I was barely double digits, I lay awake imagining what Hae Min Lee felt, gasping for air in her final moments.

Similarly, I vividly remember disappointment coursing through me when we learned that art theft investigators had unearthed a septic tank, not “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” by Rembrandt stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in the 1990s. Even now, I cautiously fill my car with gas, afraid that the D.C. Snipers may be driving past at any moment, and when I stop at the station on Memorial Drive, I imagine how Danny Men felt as the Boston Bombers told him to shut up, get in the car and drive. Though they often cost me sleep, these stories provided me with a sharp sense of the world beyond the private school bubble that I’ve lived in all my life and made me love true crime.

Drawing by Christine Tao

The decals are part of a larger “Tesla Takedown” movement across the country. On the weekends, hundreds of protesters stand outside Tesla’s Boylston Street showroom with signs to voice their displeasure. While it would be remiss to say that voters were completely blindsided — DOGE was floated in X threads and on alt-right podcasts — the idea of Musk holding so much power was easily lost amongst the two attempted assassinations and 34 felony counts.

Yet, within the movement, those like Randall find ways to take it too far: In Littleton, several charging stations were set on fire; in Lowell, a Tesla ended up with two bullet holes; in Worcester, the owner of a gold Cybertruck (odd choice, but it’s a free country) has been harassed with accusations of being a Nazi sympathizer and messages that he “should do himself a favor and kill himself.” Tesla owners are being doxxed online for the crime of buying the premier electric vehicle when it was still cool. For Pete’s sake, it’s just a car! I’m not ecstatic about cuts to the Department of Education or USAID, but Musk’s not wrong when he notes that “a great wrong is being done to the people of Tesla and to our customers.”

I’d argue that the Tesla incidents are not just wrong, they’re counterproductive. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that there’s something up in Washington when administrators are using fire emojis in attack plans and leaking Social Security numbers in declassified JFK files. It is wrong that, as unelected officials, Musk and his DOGE bros can block PEPFAR payments for AIDS relief in Africa. Regardless, beating up Tesla owners as a straw man doesn’t do anything about that.

In the psychological rush to jump on the anti-Musk train and steer it as far as it can go, people seem to forget that Tesla owners are people, too. Many of them are individuals who bought a Tesla five or six years ago amid calls for the Green New Deal and videos of Greta Thunberg’s ‘how You-Yan Wang dare you’ speeches to be more eco-friendly. In an era Wang Weighs In in which owning an electric vehicle is a partisan issue, CNN found in 2024 that electric vehicle ownership in Massachusetts consists of 95% Democratic and Independent crowds. More likely than not, Tesla owners fall on the same side of America’s political divide as their harassers.

Infighting within the progressive movement as to who can be more ideologically pure by vilifying ideological allies encapsulates what’s wrong with the resistance to Trump and company. In a speech last month, former VP candidate Tim Walz couldn’t help but revel in Tesla’s stock market slump: “On the iPhone, they’ve got that little stock app. I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day. Two-hundred-twenty-five and dropping!” Walz certainly gave the folks at Fox News a laugh on primetime; his comments reek of the out-of-touch progressive puritanism that they accuse him of. In Minnesota, Walz’s home state, the state pension fund consists of 1.6 million shares of Tesla stock.

While Walz laughs at Tesla being in the red, Minnesota pensioners and Tesla stock owners across the country despair as their portfolios hemorrhage value. Walz commits the same mistake as Massachusetts vandals — alienating the base he should aim to capture with his riposte of Tesla and Musk.

The Vanguard

May 2025

The Vanguard

Sports

Page 16

Sports

Game changer Kate Tregay

Contributing Writer

As the final whistle sounds, ending a hockey game, teammates congratulate each other as they line up to shake hands with the opponent.

Members of the Sports Media Group capture the moment and post it on BB&N Athletics’ Instagram story.

Launched by Director of Sports Media and Information and Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Coach Taylor Clancy, the novel Sports Media Group gives students a front-row seat to athletic competitions even if they are not the ones playing. From filming game-winning goals to posting live updates and hyping up classmates online, the new program is a part of the school’s efforts to transform how the school experiences sports.

Seven sophomores and juniors were selected during this winter’s application process.

The program’s main goal is to increase visibility surrounding sports, Coach Clancy said. It is also an opportunity to fulfill a season’s sports requirement.

“It’s great for our presence, for athletes wanting to come here, wanting to play for us, wanting to see what the school is like and what our teams are like.”

Boys’ Tennis Trip “I’d definitely go again,” Ajay Shroff ’28 said, reflecting on the Boys’ Varsity Tennis trip to a tennis academy in Long Beach, California.

The team met students from the academy and received advice from its tennis coaches.

Team members played singles and doubles and participated in team-bonding activities together, such as bowling, mini-golf and a beach day.

One of the highlights of the trip was when the team attended a college tennis match between Harvard and UC Irvine, Ajay said.​ Ajay and Co-Captain Jonathan Andreoli

“I wanted to get more experience with sports photography. I also take a film class in school, so it was interesting for me to build on these skills.”

The program’s structure enables contributors like Ella to be creative.

“A typical assignment would be to go to your assigned game, watch and take photos of it,” she said.

“Then, with those photos, keep the Instagram users up to date with how the game is going. There are no guidelines other than posting at least two stories per game. This leaves us all with a lot of creative freedom.”

“The goal is just another way to get kids involved in sports.”

The Sports Media Group’s work revolves around covering games on social media.

“Social media is a great way to stay connected with the whole community. It’s a way to highlight all the hard work that these athletes put in.”

For Katy Varadi ’27, the program worked with her athletic schedule.

Photo Courtesy of Cailan MacDonald

“I applied to the Sports Media Program because it seemed like a good fit for me, according to my schedule,” she said. “During the winter, I did club volleyball outside of school, so I knew I would not be able to play a sport in school as well as my club team.”

The Sports Media Group builds a stronger school community, Katy said.

“Social media allows for students to connect and relate to their fellow peers in and outside of school.”

Varsity Field Hockey, Ice Hockey and Lacrosse player Carter Williams ’25 said the school’s account is timely and informative.

“I think the role should be … informative, fun and create hype around the sport. I like that the individual teams have pages to post their team psyches and get a view into what it is like on that team, and the main page has all the important information about game times and locations.”

Carter values easily accessible game scores.

“Coach Clancy does a good job with the account. It’s super helpful, quick and easy to be able to see scores, and I definitely rely on it to see updates on other teams.”

Inside look at increase in recruited athletes Ethan Moran Sports Editor

How did every varsity fall sport team this past year advance to playoffs? What was the driving factor behind their improvements? Major Gifts Officer and former Athletic Director Chuck Richard largely attributes this newfound success within Independent School League (ISL) sports to recruiting, he said.

“We recruit mission-aligned students so that BB&N can try to be competitive within the league.

Without that, it would be difficult to remain competitive overall.”

Similar to its ISL competitors, the school recruits student-athletes to generate morale and ensure success on the athletic fields, Mr. Richard said. The Athletic Department weighs the priorities of different sports teams and focuses on specialized positions, such as football quarterbacks, baseball pitchers, and hockey goalies.

Coaches also factor in academics when recruiting, Mr. Richard said.

“We ask coaches to recruit athletes who are mission-aligned students who value education and come from families that do as well,” he said.

“In addition to being strong athletes, it’s just as important that they have strong character and that they contribute to the school in meaningful ways, whether that’s playing multiple sports, an instrument, or being involved in the broader school community.”

According to the New England Baseball Journal, the trend of “reclassing” has increased for sports like baseball, in which 35-50% of players

on New England prep school rosters repeated a grade as of 2021. Students who reclass are typically older than their peers, giving them a physical advantage.

“College athletics recruiting has gotten really intense, and there’s a trend of students reclassifying to improve their chances of getting recruited,” Mr. Richard said. “Sometimes, it’s for academic reasons, and sometimes, it’s to allow more time for athletic development. If you look at your average college freshman hockey player, they’re 21 or 22 years old, and we’re seeing that more and more in other sports, too. It’s just a sign of the times.”

Dante Snoonian ’27 was recruited by Varsity Football Coach Mike Willey.

“I first met Coach Willey when I was playing on the Mass Elite football team, an all-star team that plays in different states all across the country,” Dante said. “So, I met him and a couple of other coaches in the ISL, like Coach Lindsey from Rivers, a coach at Middlesex and then a coach at St. Mark’s. And Coach Willey was just the coach that stuck out to me. … So, I met with the coaches, went on a couple campus tours, and met with some of the players.”

For Dante, recruitment has its benefits and disadvantages.

“I think if you play on a really high-caliber team like football, which has been really strong, there’s definitely higher expectations than normal for us. I feel that’s the main disadvantage to recruitment. But, in a way, it can also be a good thing to have more pressure because it pushes

you to be a better player.”

Non-recruited athlete Abby Brown ’26 has seen recruitment’s negative effects.

“There is a very competitive aspect of it in terms of the dynamics within teams,” she said.

“I’ve seen ways that’s also translated to how people interact in school. Sometimes, a lot of tension is formed on the teams, and that carries into other social relationships.”

Athletics offer an easier pathway for students to attend the school, Abby said.

“I do think that they are sometimes underqualified for these schools. If it weren’t for their athletics, these kids wouldn’t be getting in.”

Jack Reinfeld ’27, a non-recruited athlete, said it feels like the school emphasizes athletics more than other schools, even within the ISL. “I would definitely say academics is BB&N’s top priority, but athletics is a large part of our everyday life. And it’s not like that at most schools.

For example, my sister went to public school, and you weren’t required to play sports, and instead, you can do gym class.”

Reclassing and recruiting can make competing in school sports more challenging for nonrecruited athletes, Jack said.

“There’s all these reclasses who I have had to play against, which is really frustrating, because they’ve had another year to develop in terms of size, skill, speed, and everything. And I think reclassifying — it’s good — can help you a ton if you do it. But, for everyone else, it kind of stinks.”

Winter coaches cup awards

Each season, coaches choose one athlete per varsity team who exemplifies a combination of talent and sportsmanship. Here are the winners from the winter season.

’26 said they enjoyed getting to know Coach Alex Comerchero, a new face on the team.

“We spent a lot of time with him on the trip, so we got closer with him,” Jonathan said.

The trip is a unique part of the tennis season, Jonathan said.

“Number one: we get to train a lot. There’s a lot of practice, much more than we would train here at school. But, also, team bonding is a big thing. We never get that much time together, especially a whole week together.”

— Selena Daley ’28

Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse spends quality time together over their spring break trip.

Page 17

Recruiting the right knights

Sports Media Group takes over game-day coverage Coach Clancy founded the Sports Media Group with an inclusive mission.

“The goal is just another way to get kids involved in sports here,” she said. “This gives kids who are either super serious athletes the chance to get a feel for other sports, or they’re not athletes but want to still see the competitive side of varsity and be involved in that way.”

The Sports Media Group creates a student-led approach to sharing athletic information, Coach Clancy said.

“It can be capturing a gamewinning goal or posting updates at every quarter or half and celebrating the athletes who are playing. …

Why not have that be in the hands of their peers and students who are super engaged and interested in it?”

With content online, spectators can now access key moments and results from a variety of sports.

“Maybe not everyone’s getting to crew because it’s across the street over on the river, and you don’t see them the whole time,” she said.

“Or track and field: We don’t have a home track and field. The Sports Media Program is giving every team the recognition it deserves.”

Ella Harlev ’27 is one of the first members of the Sports Media Group.

May 2025

Madeline Egan ’25 Girls’ Basketball

Carter Williams ’25 Girls’ Hockey

Photo Courtesy of Nick Narasimhan

Boys’ Varsity Tennis relaxes at Long Beach.

Photo Courtesy of James Dornburgh

Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse kicks off spring training in Philadelphia.

Susanna Barouch ’25

Photo Courtesy of Harper Dubovik

Girls’ Varsity Tennis completes an escape room together in Florida.

Will Benjamin ’25

Krishna Patel ’25

Boys’ Squash

Girls’ Squash

Girls’ Softball Trip

Photo Courtesy of Gaella de Fontaine

Varsity Softball competes in exhibition games during its Florida trip.

Over spring break, Varsity Softball visited Orlando, Florida, where they practiced and played games, as well as bonded with their teammates.

“People got closer with people outside their grades and became more confident in their softball skills,” Varsity Softball player Sarah Baker ’28 said. “It was supportive. There was a good atmosphere between the grades. There was a really good balance between softball and social activities.”

First-year Varsity Softball player Bri Vazquez ’28 enjoyed getting to know her teammates through the trip, she said.

“It was nerve-racking at first, but the team was really welcoming. It was so much fun. … I feel like the team got a lot closer.”

—Selena Daley ’28

Girls’ Fencing

Niyam Badani ’25 Boys’ Basketball

Troy Song ’26 Boys’ Fencing

Max Crafter ’25

Cortez Heyworth ’25

Wrestling

Boys’ Hockey

The Vanguard

Page 18

May 2025

Opinions

Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ will break you

On a recent three-hour plane ride, I found myself restless with nothing to keep me busy. I had forgotten my aux cable to connect my headphones to the in-flight entertainment, and practically none of the 1,500 or so songs I had downloaded seemed to soothe me. I decided mindlessly shuffling my playlist would be useless, so I tried listening to an album, which led me to Frank Ocean’s 2016 album “Blonde.” To be clear, this was not even close to my first time listening to “Blonde”; I’d probably listened to it 1o or so times prior and had bought a bootleg white-pressed vinyl record of it a few years before. However, this experience made me appreciate the album on intricate levels I hadn’t reached before. The album starts with Frank Ocean’s disto​​rted voice behind a woozy synth interrupted by nauseatingly reverberated hi-hats and bass drum on the track “Nikes.” Ocean’s dizzying production featuring echoey drums and cloudy synths is a common theme across the album. Listening to the wavy production with over-ear headphones on my unusually turbulent flight was ethereal, to say the least. As Ocean moved through the first half of the album, I noticed for the first time how the album’s first six tracks convey an immense amount of confidence — an emotion I had not associated with the record before — transmitted through major chords, positive messages and beats.

Track seven, “Self Control,” starts the same way: soft guitar with mostly major chords. However, on the plane, I discovered hints of despair and embarrassment. Ocean transitions into another part of the song with a sound so distorted you can’t tell if it’s a person singing, a guitar or a wolf in the distance, backed with a crescendoing string section that evokes pain and agony. Despite being settled into the album, Ocean slaps you with “Self Control”; one second, the album feels light and fun, and the next, you’re sitting in your seat with a tear rolling down your cheek.

Ocean plans “Blonde” like a haphazard coastline: Ryan clay At first, you’re wading in the shallows, splashing in ClayFM the satisfying melodies of the early tracks. But, without warning, you hit a drop-off — a sudden ledge — and the ground disappears beneath you. You’re drawn into deeper waters, immersed in Ocean’s grief.

His vulnerability pulls you further down with each note.

Succeeding “Self Control” is “Blonde’s” defining track, “Nights.” The song begins with an unassuming intro of lyrics using the motif of drugs to tie the lyrics together to the production: “Ooh, nani, nani, this feels like a Quaalude.” Around the 1:40 mark, the beat breaks down into another boxy, wavy synth accompanied by the same guitar riffs as the intro, which fade in and out of the track and make the listener feel like they’re in a light, drug-induced slumber with faint sounds swirling around them. Creating suspense, the beat breaks with that same synth crescendoing and a falsetto Ocean singing over high-pitched strings. Suddenly, a rough arpeggiating guitar swells and crescendoes, mimicking an alarm system. Releasing the tension, a beat begins that makes the listener feel like they’re floating in a sensory deprivation pod.

“Ocean plans ‘Blonde’ like a haphazard coastline: At first, you’re wading in the shallows, splashing in the satisfying melodies of the early tracks. But, without warning, you hit a drop-off—a sudden ledge—and the ground disappears beneath you.”

Then came Frank Ocean’s pièce de résistance, “White Ferrari.” Again, the song starts with a wavy synth in the background — Ocean’s use of similar synths might seem repetitive on paper, but he sets them apart by how they converse with other parts of each individual song. Out goes the synth, and Ocean says, “I care for you, still, and I will, forever.” Ocean’s more somber lyrics behind an acoustic guitar made me feel vulnerable, too, as if I had wronged someone and couldn’t fix it even though I was 35,000 feet in the air with no predicament of the sort.

My mid-flight conclusion: “Blonde” is a masterpiece that is yet to be bested by any other record I have listened to for a multitude of reasons.

Ocean digs around your mind and heart for the deepest emotions and does so in every way possible. He captivates you with a production style that seems consistent across the record but introduces new iterations of the druggy style throughout every track. He drags emotions out of the listeners with each track without allowing for a comfortable break as they get pulled deeper and deeper into “Blonde’s” maze of messages. The way Ocean pulls emotions out of you is like turbulence on a plane — unpredictable, disorienting, and impossible to ignore.

The Vanguard

Page 18

Is Boston back?

Title town has returned. Well, probably.

Anyone from New England knows it’s been a rough stretch for Boston sports. While the big four—the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, and Bruins—have combined for a total of 40 championships all time, there’s been a drought in the City of Champions. Since the legendary 2018 double-up, when the Patriots and Red Sox won championships, Boston teams didn’t win another title until the Celtics finally got over the hump in the 2024 NBA Finals.

If you’ve tuned into 98.5 The Sports Hub during a commute home or had a conversation with your sports-obsessed uncle at a family gathering, you’ve probably heard the same self-diagnosed-sports-guru rambles over and over again: “The Patriots can’t draft for the life of them,” “The Red Sox won’t spend any money,” “The Bruins always choke.” To be honest, I don’t disagree with a lot of these takes. However, the future doesn’t look too shabby if you ask me.

For starters, the Celtics are on the cusp of another championship. Coming off a swift 16-3 championship run last year, the Celtics picked up where they left off and finished the regular season second in the Eastern Conference. The key to Celtics success has been the team’s depth of talent. With starters like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis missing 20 and 40 games, respectively, the Celtics bench stepped up, and the team developed strong chemistry across all rotations. Ranking third in the league in bench net rating (points scored per 100 possessions minus points allowed per 100 possessions), the Celtics bench has been a cornerstone for the team.

“When asked what kind of tone he would set on the O-line, Campbell let it be known that he’ll do whatever it takes: ‘I’m gonna fight and die to protect [Maye] with everything I’ve got.’ It doesn’t get much grittier than that.”

Currently, the Celtics are up against the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs. After an unexpected game three, where the Celtics narrowly lost 95-93 in a controversial ending, it doesn’t look like the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic are backing down. Regardless, since the Celtics aren’t currently suffering from any major injuries, and there’s little competition ahead of them in the East besides the Cleveland Cavaliers, banner 19 might not be too far away for the reigning champs.

Three miles down the street, there’s hope it’s finally that time again at Fenway Park. After trading and letting go of fan favorites Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Chris Sale, as well as missing the playoffs for five of the last six seasons, it seems like the Red Sox might have finally struck a chord. Giving way to fan frustration over the team’s stingy spending, John Henry and the Red Sox front office pulled out the checkbook this offseason to sign third baseman Alex Bregman (three years, $120 million) and pitcher Garrett Crochet (six years, $170 million). And, so far, it’s paid off. Leading the team in runs batted in (22), batting average (.324), on-base percentage (.402), and home runs (5), Bregman has started the season swinging. Likewise, Crochet has been dishing it out on the mound with an elite ERA of 1.95 (12th in the MLB).

While Bregman and Crochet have gotten off to a strong start, the same can’t entirely be said for the rest of the team. After a shaky 1-4 start to the season, the Sox have somewhat pulled it together and currently rank second in the American League East with a record of 15-14. While their record looks good on paper, and fans longing for the 2018 glory days are more than ready to jump on the ’Sox bandwagon, there are dangerous holes in the team’s performance. Our three-time All-Star, designated hitter Rafael Devers, is currently tied for the second-most strikeouts in the MLB (36). So much for a designated hitter.

Additionally, the Red Sox’s sloppy defense has earned the team a spot at the bottom of the league in team errors per game (1.00) and contributed to disturbing blowout losses to the Rays (16-1) and White Sox (11-1). Regardless, there certainly seems to be a new aura of confidence and hope surrounding the team.

As far as the Patriots go, after a failed trial last season matthew walsh with Head Coach Jerod Mayo, the team hired three-time Matt’s Beantown Patriots Super Bowl Champion Mike Vrabel. Under VraSports Beat bel, the team has had a stellar offseason and a draft that several analysts are calling the best in recent history. After rookie quarterback Drake Maye got sacked 34 times last season, the Patriots selected offensive tackle Will Campbell with their first-round pick.

When asked what kind of tone he would set on the O-line, Campbell let it be known that he’ll do whatever it takes: “I’m gonna fight and die to protect [Maye] with everything I’ve got.” It doesn’t get much grittier than that. The Patriots also drafted running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Kyle Williams, who will undoubtedly elevate the Pats’ offense alongside the other newly signed veteran wide receivers — Super Bowl Champion Mack Hollins and four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs.

I won’t get started on the 33-39 Bruins … hopefully they figure it out, but at the end of the day, there’s still one question to answer: Is Boston back? Obviously, I can’t say for sure, but the odds look pretty god that a championship or two is coming home to Boston.

‘Do-Re-Mi’ and you

May 2025

Arts

Page 19

Community joins in to sing along to ‘Sound of Music’ Viola Shephard

Contributing Writer

As voices from the cast of “The Sound of Music” echoed in the Upper School’s (US) Lindberg-Serries Theater, the audience joined in for classic songs, such as “Edelweiss,” “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria” and “Do-Re-Mi,” in the US’s first musical sing-along performance.

The cast told the story of Maria, a postulant, or nun in training, who goes to live with Captain Von Trapp and his seven children before they escape Austria at the beginning of World War II. The cast performed four times. To involve the audience, the matinee on March 8 was a singalong, a first one in US history.

The audition process for “The Sound of Music” began just before Thanksgiving break and lasted until Winter Break. The cast began rehearsing in early January for two hours each school day and four hours every Saturday.

US Theater Director Ross MacDonald chose “The Sound of Music” as the winter musical because its focus on decision-making felt applicable to the audience.

“I believe that we always need to engage the audience,” he said. “I also think it’s important to find a show which students will enjoy exploring in the process. You have to do a show that will entertain and reflect what’s going on in our own society. I felt ‘The Sound of Music’ was the right show to think about the choices we make as a society and how we can be so quickly divided.

The show is a classic, loved by generations, with a powerful message.”

Mr. MacDonald appreciated seeing the cast bond while creating the musical. The presence of laughter and joy enabled students to be creative, he said.

“There’s nearly 70 students involved. It’s a privilege to be part of that. It’s a joy and a privilege to be part of a process that has seen so much laughter. I’m really grateful

The Von Trapp family performs in a music competition.

to the seniors for setting a really good example, and I’m really excited about the future.”

Sophia Stafford ’25, who played Maria, originally joined the musical because she enjoyed singing and was excited to spend time pursuing her passion. Sophia continued contributing because she loved the community, she said.

“I thought that we had a really special cast this year. I thought that they brought really positive energy.”

Sophia also loved the choice of “The Sound of Music” because the classic play and its message are familiar for much of the audience, she said.

“The Sound of Music represents acting with joy and optimism in the face of uncertainty. That’s what the characters are doing and it’s always an applicable lesson.”

The new sing-along helped engage younger children in the audience, Sophia said. “‘The Sound of Music’ features characters who find joy in singing.

Having a cast that shares that love made playing them really special, but inviting the audience to sing along brought the experience full circle.”

Asher Esty ’25, who played Captain Von Trapp, acted in the musical for the past three years, participating in “Into the Woods,” “Chicago,” and “Annie.” To him, the musical community is an inclusive space.

“The musical is a community of people who really like to act and sing and hang out with people,” he said.

“I think one of the best things is that I get to meet so many people from a bunch of different grades and get to interact with a bunch of different people.”

“The Sound of Music” was a fitting show to end Asher’s musical career since it created a strong sense of community within the cast, he said.

“Backstage, the show, the cast was a really close-knit community, which really, really helped everybody feel so good about what they were doing and feel great about the production.”

Alicia Jiang ’28, who participated in the costume crew, said a challenge was creating enough costumes for the large cast due to the number of students involved.

“There was definitely a lot more stuff that we had to make, especially since there’s obviously a larger cast.

But I think we did pretty well.”

Alice Chung ’28, an audience member of the Thursday preview, liked the choice of musical, she said.

“It’s a classical musical, and it’s very well-known throughout musical history. Its songs are really popular, too.”

In the spring, Mr. MacDonald will direct “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.”

Photo Courtesy of Gabe Cooper

Art in bloom

13 seniors showcase their work at Petropoulos Show Robbie Lally

Contributing Writer

A three-legged piano stand. A bowl handcrafted for guacamole. A record stand. Photos with contrasting colors. The Petropoulos Show, held in honor of former Ceramics Teacher John Petropoulos, showcased artwork from 13 seniors in the Upper School (US) Lower Art Gallery on April 15. Art teachers nominated the students to participate in the show.

US Woodworking and 3D Design Teacher Anna Van Voorhis nominated Wyatt Welu ’25.

“I’ve fulfilled my art credit within first two years of being at BB&N, but I’ve loved Ms. V’s class that much, and I loved my progression through the woodworking program that I’ve wanted to stay with it, and to end off my career at BB&N in the woodshop as part of this event is pretty cool,” Wyatt said. “It’s really special to see how much we’ve grown. … Our various exhibits showcased that sort of progression to see where we’ve come as our respective artists.”

Wyatt prioritizes making func-

Staff Photo by Hailey Jiang

Saho Reppucci ’25 showcases an architecture piece to event attendees.

tional pieces. His final project was a record stand for his dad.

“My dad has no organization for his records, so I found this piece online and made some changes to the design,” Wyatt said. “I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever made.”

Art has always been a staple in Wyatt’s life.

“Art has been in my family for a

pretty long time.” he said. “I’ve always grown up loving art, seeing art and love it being a part of my life.

When I came to BB&N, I was accustomed to painting and visual arts in that sense. So, when I had the opportunity to do woodworking here, it made me very excited and happy to be able to continue my art career but in a different medium.”

At the show, Quentin Higgins ’25 presented “Quiet Nights,” a set of photos focused on negative space.

Imaginative thinking is a key part of creating art, Quentin said.

“If I’m driving around and I see something I want to take a photo or video of, then the process of bringing that vision to life is definitely satisfying.”

Wyatt and Quentin decided to continue taking art courses instead of having additional free blocks.

“A lot of people fall victim and take the extra free block, but I forced myself to give it a chance.” Quentin said. “I also knew the free time wouldn’t be as valuable as the class itself.”

George Miller ’28 attended the Petropoulos Show.

“Seeing this show was a new angle on art for me,” he said. “I wanted to get an angle on a different side of the arts that I’m not really involved in. … I was very impressed with the quality of work and also the growth people had experienced. … I think that left a profound impact on me.”

The Vanguard

May 2025

The Back Page

Page 20

Today’s Colosseum

Prom!

Those acquainted with me are aware that my trade is creative writing. Naturally, I shall disclose some of my own writing as an opening of this column series, but know that it is a satirical novel of pure fiction (so do not be worried). Entitled “Salvation in Another,” the story follows a teenage girl attending high school. The protagonist (quoted directly from my current manuscript) “was perhaps the most miserable creature one could possibly hope to see in such a vicinity as hers. Her wit and intellect, rather than being sharpened by the influx of knowledge, had been maimed as a product of education. Competition of the modern sort for young women of her class — the path of high achievement and prestige through miserable fights for survival — had long killed her happiness and destroyed any hope of hers. Every day was a crushing experience; she awoke without any anticipation of her days but that of knowing she would definitively encounter despair … she was an incredibly lonely lady in the … cesspool of modern competition.”Caroline Dudzinski “Salvation in Another” strongly regards a concept called “modern Caroline’s Classics competition.”

To arrive at the articulation of this concept and to be in the trade of novel writing, I am also a purveyor of films. We as humans are bound to compete; this instinct reaches into “hallowed antiquity,” as they say in Gladiator (the original film with Russell Crowe — the good one), but this instinct was initially about the practical. For example: fighting for one’s life, as in Gladiator. The moral of Gladiator, besides strength, honor, dedication, perseverance? Competition is inevitable and brutal.

“We are all in nothing but a glorified gladiatorial game, yet our Colosseum is not a ring of stone and sand but academia and achievement. ” Photos Courtesy of Olivia Richter, Charlotte Garrity, Carl Chen, Sonja Peetz-Larsen, Matthew Walsh, and Ayana Karthik.

Juniors pose for photos before their prom at the Hyatt Regency on April 5.

Notable Quotables US Science Teacher Rachel Riemer to Yoyo Zou ’27: “Yoyo, you can’t submit your Crumbl receipt as your problem set.”

“So, who’ s in the char prop ge o agan — US f d a ? ” Span i sh T Gabr each iela er Gonz the enba Cati ch o e’s Clos n et D rive

ondon, “Back from L

“Ugly chickens!”

—US Spanish Teacher Ana María Valle when gettin g her class’ attention

y.” ready to sla —US Englis

h Teacher

S a m C r i h fi e

ld

Clearly, however, in modern America, we do not participate in gladiatorial games of the same sort as Maximus. Oh no. In modern America we have—what else? — modern competition. Modern competition is exactly as “Salvation in Another” explains: It is a cesspool of crushing unhappiness, hopelessness, loneliness, and misery. Skirmishes for resources and success have simultaneously become less physically violent but exponentially more emotionally and psychologically brutal. In the context of our academic lives: grades, applications, resumes — the list is nearly endless. As students, we are told to mingle and make connections and friends, yet we are also all enemies fighting for these very resources. We are all in nothing but a glorified gladiatorial game, yet our Colosseum is not a ring of stone and sand but academia and achievement. Our enemy is not the Legions of Scipio Africanus, Tigris of Gaul, or Commodus, but the system itself and us ourselves. And, amazingly, it feels just as brutal as the Colosseum.

Modern competition is very much cerebral, but even though grades, applications, and resumes cannot kill us in the same direct way as Maximus’ tribulations, it is a psychological and emotional battle of life and death. One that I, dare say, think many of us feel we are losing.

Perhaps, unlike Maximus, we can be lucky enough to escape this bloodless fight-to-the-death alive. I believe that I have learned sufficiently, however, that persistence and simply continuing on does wonders. And so, we must maintain hope and never relinquish.