As a large crowd of campers and counselors laughed and cheered outside the Upper School (US) wood shop, 15 kids performed a synchronized dance to Ava Max’s “Choose Your Fighter.” For “Fun Friday” programming, campers participated in a lip sync battle and choreographed a dance routine
From June 16 to Aug. 8, 1,170 kids attended the school-run summer camp, Summer@BB&N. Campers aged 3 to 14 engaged in activities such as water sports, woodworking and archery. Older campers embarked on
“There’s something incredibly special about seeing the campus, which is usually so focused on academics during the school year, transform into a place of pure joy in the summer,” Director of Extended Year Services
Emma O’Loughlin, who has worked at the summer camp for 10 years, said Ms. O’Loughlin said she values building relationships at the camp
“It’s such a privilege to support that kind of growth and to see the impact that counselors have on the kids You feel like you’re part of somethingdence, community and lifelong memories.”
The majority of counselors are US students or alumni.
“We look for counselors who are
Are we politically neutral?
School focuses on values,
not political leanings
Ethan Moran Sports Editor
“We teach students how to think, not what to think,” Upper School (US) Directhe school’s goal for educating students. While the school’s website doesn’t mention political favoritism and instead highlights embracing “multiple perspectives,” some students and parents may question if that’s
To keep the school neutral, teachers attended several professional development sessions to address the 2024 election, Ms. Keimowitz said.
“Last fall, we focused on how we would address the issues coming up around the election,” Ms. Keimowitz said. “How are we going to address student well-being and adult well-being in a really divided moment?”
Built for the boat
Emma Kirk ’26 competes with U.S. rowing team
enthusiastic, responsible and genuinely enjoy working with kids,” she said.
“It’s less about having a perfec émusér t and more about having the right energy: someone who can jump into a game of kickball, lead a craft project or sit with a nervous camper and make them feel at home.”
The application process is a learning experience for counselors, Ms O’Loughlin said.
“For most of the BB&N students
get an interview and submit an online application. We follow all the quirements for hiring summer camp background checks and the overall process.”
Idy Fall ’27 began work Summer@BB&N counselor thi
“I love the community at BB and I have a strong, loyal co to the school because of everything the school has given me,” he cause of this, I hoped as a coun
ers, someone they can hopeful up to in the BB&N communi
The daily camp schedule was tertaining for both the campe counselors, Idy said.
“Activities were my favorite part of the day because it’s when campers were all smiling and h a good time. It even put a smi my face.”
Su mm e r@ BB &N c oun se lor s hone leadership ski ll s, se rv e a s r ol e m od els CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Cata Longstreet-Lipson Contributing Writer
After nearly seven minutes of continuous rowing, Emma Kirk ’26 said she felt a mixture of exhaustion and pride as she crossed
Under 19 Championships. The races took place in Trakai, Lithuania, from Aug. 6 to Aug. 10.
Competing alongside three
and as a boat, we knew we could do a lot better. In the semis, we improved but still we knew we had our best race yet, and that improvement throughout was one of our goals coming into racing, and we were happy to have achieved that.”
national team after trying out in San Diego, California.
“For a long time, I’d thought
New AI Policies page 8
Photo Courtesy of Quentin Higgins
counselor Will Gohlmann ’26 reads to his campers.
Photo Courtesy of Emma Kirk
Emma Kirk ’26 races in the B final of the women's quadruple sculls in Lithuania. ,
There’s a method to Biv’s madness
As petrified freshmen, nervous teachers and a very excited Mr. Strodel board the buses to New Hampshire this week, let’s take a moment to think about the role the Bivouac program plays in our school community.
To start, what better way to create friendships than sending a group of anxious teens to the middle of the woods for 10 days?
… thought no one.
But despite its perplexing exterior, Bivouac manages to work miracles in counterintuitive ways.
First off, Bivouac lets students ease their way into making friendships. For example, we sit next to just one person on the bus ride to the camping grounds, our tents house two people and our squads are composed of about 10 students. These small groups establish close friendships prior to larger socials where students meet the rest of their classmates. Having a consistent group of people to whom you can return allows for a sense of safety
and community among the student body. And isn’t that better than being thrown into a bustling lunchroom on the first day of school?
And Bivouac doesn’t just create student-to-student connections, either. Teachers are right there with the students as they endure rainy, fridgid 7 a.m. walks to and from the lake. Furthermore, seven decades’ worth of alumni have completed the program. Thousands of Knights have endured those New Hampshire woods. One School, One Woods. And that is certainly a rarity in any other high school community.
Second, in some weird, twisted way, the messy moments in which we sweat our way up the rock wall and maybe leave the chicken a little bit raw are when students can turn to one another and just laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all — and even complain in unison. Nothing bonds people as quickly or closely as challenging times.
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.
Staff Writers: Hailey Jiang, David Xiong, Lucy Song, Annie Zhu, Finn Konary, Aggie Grant, Olivia Bell, Sydney Xu
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Staff Artists: Isabel Doricent, Alice Wang, Lauren Li, Sydney Ruiz, Sydney Xu, Rachel Goldberg, Christine Tao
ouac offers has never been deemed glamorous, the program’s value stays with the student body for the rest of their lives — just like a well-built A-frame. Whether you can make it through the ropes course or even attempt to match Mr. Fidler’s astounding collectedness as he ascends Mount Monadnock, you will have become a part of a massive community. Bivouac, at its core, is the foundation of our school.
Is summer reading beneficial?
Avoid the summer slide
Although summer reading is a pain — particularly when we find ourselves procrastinating the day before school starts — it has its benefits. As much as the student body might hate to admit it, the reading does keep our minds fresh amid three months of relaxation.
The reading also aids in efficiency upon return to the Upper School. Rather than having to read another book in the fall, students jump right into meaningful conversations. From there, classes can cover more material during the rest of the course.
Additionally, as a student browses the English summer reading list, there is a possibility they will happen upon a novel that excites them, especially given the sheer size of the list. So if a student decides that “The Man Who Lived Underground” — a story about a man who is tortured until confessing to a crime he didn’t commit — sounds interesting, then this is their chance to read it! But if another student would prefer the somehow even more daunting “Station Eleven,” a tale of “a flu pandemic that wipes out the majority of the world’s population,” then that is an option, as well.
While they aren’t all sunshine and rainbows, these books are a refreshing step away from Shakespeare and Gatsby, among other heavy classics. They expose students to books beyond those typically explored in the classroom, which produces a well-rounded student body.
Read at your own risk
Although summer reading might have its few benefits, the work is by no means necessary. First off, why on earth is there so much of it? As the work accumulates across science, world language, history and English classes, it adds stress to what is deemed a vacation.
On top of that, the required reading is frankly depressing. For example, “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” covers schizophrenia, “The Mayor of Casterbridge” is about a man who sells his wife and “Sacred Hunger” discusses people who purchase slaves. We deal with enough heavy books during the school year. Summer should be a time to discover lighthearted works that step away from the typical classics. The list should contain books that will not cause students to build up resentment for reading.
Additionally, English classes opting to use pass/fail essays as the sole method of analyzing our reading is the fundamental flaw of summer work. After spending a significant amount of time reading a novel, we would like to actually apply our learning via projects, presentations or by relating our summer reading to the material throughout the rest of the school year (shoutout to Mr. Williams, as his British Literature class does this very well). A pass/fail essay makes our summer reading feel like busy work, quickly forgotten after the first day of school.
Welcome to the woods!
Before classes begin in the fall, all freshmen head to Camp Marienfeld in New Hampshire for a two-week outdoor adventure: Bivouac. It’s a chance toabout starting high school united as one class.
Ms. Oulton
Upper School (US) Math Teacher Christine Oulton has guided freshmen through Bivouac for over 20 years.
“Students come back more resilient and more closely joined as a class,” she said. “Bivouac gives them a rare chance to connect without distractions: just people, stories and shared meals.”
Ms. Oulton remembers a key moment at Bivouac from three years ago.
“One of the girls in my squad loudly commented that she was very sad to think that this was likely the last time they were all going to be together together without modern technology distractions.”
Bivouac enables students and teachers to form connections before the school year begins.
“Of course, some students are nervous, and we can do all that we can do to minimize those nerves ahead of time,” Ms. Oulton said. “If a student shares a meal with me at Biv, then the question of ‘Who’s my math teacher going to be?’ may get answered as we relax, share a pot of mac ’n’ cheese and talk about our highs and lows for the day.”
Bivouac survival guide
Real advice from students who’ve been there
“I made friendships I didn’t expect to make. I wish I brought seasoning for food.”
—Foster Larabee ’28
Mr. Strodel
Bivouac Director and former US Freshman Class Dean David Strodel ’78 said it takes signi cant work to plan an exciting trip.
“ e biggest thing we focus on to prepare for this is to have an awesome group of adults who know how to shepherd students through the stages of the experience. We also create various and changing groups so each student spends at least a day with 85% of the students in the grade in a structured way. Squads, course groups and Bivouac Day all make it possible for students to get to know each other.”
e lessons students learn from Bivouac extend beyond the trip, he said. “Kids who accomplish something they are nervous about — hiking Mount Monadnock, going down the zip, trying a solo or helping a friend — those moments matter,” he said. “Students learn that the ones who really make a di erence are not necessarily the ones in the ‘in crowd.’ ose who are quiet but on task and care for everyone are the real heroes, and it becomes apparent quickly in the woods.”
“Try not to have a strong idea of who you want to be with/what you want to do while you’re there because your feelings and opinions might change.”
Abraham ’28
High school What to expect
School and Middle School is the amount of freedom you get, not only in terms of free blocks but also how much more work teachers expect you to be able to do on your own.”
Bivouac is an e ective transition to the US.
“We hope that it will be a ‘common uncommon experience’ that helps the class come together and get to know one another,” Mr. Strodel said. “It’s not a kickback camping trip, but it is an introduction to much of what will come after you navigate classes, sports, arts and many other new experiences back at chool. ”
“It was nice not having my phone for 10 days.”
“I loved the hike. It wasn’t as bad as many don’t undercook your food or not clean your dishes because I got sick several times.”
your
—Lizzy Nicholas ’28 “Get to school earlier, and make sure to get the extensions if you need to.”
“I managed the workload by creating a small schedule for each night’s homework.”
Abraham ’28
—Foster Larabee ’28
“Meet with your teachers. Even if you don’t get along or it feels scary, meeting with your teachers is always helpful.”
Finding your people
“BB&N supported my transition by mixing Biv squads with new and returning students.”
—Lizzy Nicholas ’28
Seasoning for food Mirror
—Lucia Abraham ’28 “I loved that, during Biv, I got to form connections with all the members of my squad. For example, every night, we sat in m y friend’s tent and played
—Foster Larabee ’28 meetings, Red Sox games and the Six Flags trip.” cards.”
—Lizzy Nicholas ’28
“My sports, clubs and even passing times
—Foster Larabee ’28
Dr. Bronner’s soap
—Christine Tao ’27
—Lucia
—Lizzy Nicholas ’28
—Lucia Abraham ’28
—Lucia
New faculty, teaching fellows join US departments
Ani Hallowell
Subject: Biology and Chemistry
Sport: JV Field Hockey
Why did you choose to work at BB&N?
BB&N is a school I’ve had my eye on for a long time because I really have been inspired by the community. I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of new students and becoming a part of the community. On the day that I visited, I met a lot of wonderful people, and I’m excited to be a part of it. If students described you in three words, what would they be?
Enthusiastic, a little nerdy and kind.
High school superlative
Most likely to be a college athlete. Once three o’clock hit, I was fully in whatever sport I was playing at that moment. I played field hockey, lacrosse and a little bit of soccer.
Summer highlight
I did a camping trip out in Washington state with my sister, and we went to three different national parks — North Cascades, Mount Rainier and Olympic — and enjoyed being off the grid for a week and a half. You hear nature, and that’s it. No planes, trains or cars, and it’s just really peaceful.
Extra Credit +1
I’m one of five children, and we were all born within five years.
Abby Allen
Subject: Global History I and II
Why did you choose to work at BB&N?
Bill Cummings
Subject: Woodworking, Art Gallery Coordinator
Why did you choose to work at BB&N?
I was lucky about two years ago when former Upper School Woodworking Teacher Anna Van Voorhis went on maternity leave, and I was hired as the long-term substitute. That’s how I was introduced to BB&N, and I just love the idea of working at the school, and I love working with older kids.
If students described you in three words, what would they be?
Nice, funny and a little bit of a dork.
High school superlative
The thing that would have described me best was I was a good friend. Summer highlight I went on a canoe camping trip with my adult nephews and dog. We went deep into the Adirondack State Park and really got into the wilderness.
Extra Credit +1
I love canoe camping and could talk about it endlessly.
I am coming from a job in Maine where I was a teaching fellow, so I taught part time and also worked on getting my master’s. I’m close to finishing it! I wanted a job that was more full time than that and that was closer to my family. And the school just seems really cool. I’m really excited for the regatta on the Charles.
If students described you in three words, what would they be?
Loud, funny and kooky.
High school superlative
I won most artistic in high school!
Summer highlight
My friend and I decided that we were going to enter baskets in the Bridgewater, Connecticut, County Fair, and so we had a sleepover where we wove baskets. There were four entries in the hobby craft division, and we both tied for third. We both got ribbons, but we came in last. It was so silly and so goofy.
Extra Credit +1
I shaved my head on Sept. 15 of last year for fun. I always wanted to experience it. I donated my hair to Wigs for Kids. They make wigs for kids who are suffering through cancer or alopecia, and they’re cost-free for the recipient.
Virginia Heinsen
Emma Grayeb
Teaching Fellow Teaching Fellow
Subject: Precalculus (Advanced)
Sport: Rock Climbing
Why did you choose to work at BB&N?
A close friend of mine worked at BB&N a few years ago and loved it, so I thought I should apply! I can’t wait to connect with BB&N’s students, both in and out of the classroom.
If students described you in three words, what would they be?
Kind, creative and enthusiastic.
High school superlative
My school didn’t have superlatives, but I loved art and took many drawing and painting classes. I would have been honored to share the title of “most artistic” with my very talented friends.
Summer highlight
A beautiful mountain hike with my family in Switzerland (where my photo was taken).
Extra Credit +1
I collect candy wrappers from one of my best friends. We began the tradition this past year: Every time she sees me, she gives me a caramel from her grandmother, and I save the wrapper. They’ve made their way into my phone case, purse, drawers, books … They’re everywhere!
Subject: Global History
Why did you choose to work at BB&N?
I was naturally drawn to BB&N because my core values are very similar to BB&N’s, particularly curiosity and inquiry. Those are really big traits that have shaped me throughout my life, and that’s why I’m going to be teaching history. I love that aspect of investigating the past. During my interview, I was exposed to the school community a little bit. I had lunch in the cafeteria with some of the teachers, for example, which brought me right back to high school. I’m excited about just getting to know everyone better because everyone seems very kind and passionate. If students described you in three words, what would they be?
Curious, empathetic and enthusiastic. High school superlative I was a very driven, studious person in high school. I don’t know what the superlative would be for that, but I loved history classes. Summer highlight I went to Cape Cod. I love being by the beach and ocean, so that was a really nice, relaxing vacation.
Extra Credit +1 I studied abroad in Scotland.
On Campus
Faces of the faculty
Heading into the school year, it’s always beneficial to put a name to a face. The Vanguard is highlighting three of the many notable Upper School (US) faculty members whom you might see leading your classes, advising your club or chasing students through the halls for a tag quiz. —Gabe Cooper ’26
Ms. Wallace
Mr. Fidler
• US Math and Computer Science teacher: Geometry (Honors), Geometry (Advanced) and AP Computer Science A
• Advisor, Bivouac guide, Senior Spring Project (SSP) Scrabble Seminar leader, Scrabble Club advisor, 45 years at US
Which math problems or topics do you love teaching every year?
I love teaching proofs, conic sections, probability and loops and linked lists in coding.
If you challenged a student to a Scrabble showdown, what word would you play first?
That depends on what letters I draw! Likely it would be five letters or longer, with a 50% chance that my opponent would not know the word. I have learned about 40,000 words for Scrabble.
What’s your favorite school tradition or moment of the year?
I love Homecoming (great sports and spirit), One School One World (great food) and graduation. In my math classes, tag quizzes are always a fun tradition.
• US History teacher: AP Macroeconomics and The Making of the Modern Middle East
• Advisor Bivouac guide, SSP Seminar leader, Women in National Security Club advisor, four years at US
What historical themes or topics do you enjoy exploring in class?
I love it all — that’s why I’m a teacher. But, because I teach both history and economics, I’m probably guilty of blending the two: using historical examples of economic principles in AP Macro and applying economic analysis to historical events in the Middle East course.
What’s an SSP Seminar moment that’s stuck with you?
Last year, I offered an economics board games seminar, and it was a blast. We played Catan, 7 Wonders, Power Grid and more. I loved being able to share one of my own pastimes with the students in a way that was relevant to what they’d learned in macroeconomics.
What do you hope students take away from your class?
Most of all, I hope they get excited about learning and become better critical thinkers.
Ms. McNamara
What’s your favorite class or text to teach?
• US English teacher: English 10, AP English Literature: Dynamic Duos, “Moby-Dick” and “The Short Story”
• Advisor, junior class dean, Varsity Softball coach, 25 years at US
I really appreciate the flexibility we have to teach books that we love, so I’ve got many favorites: “Macbeth,” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” “Beloved,” the Profile, modern authors I learn about each year and, of course, a lot of Melville!
How do you balance your roles at school as a dean, coach and advisor?
Those different roles require many different types of work with students, so the variety and range tend to find their own balance!
If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be doing?
Working in a bookstore that has an excellent café? I’ve been a teacher for all of my professional life, so this option is somewhat hard to imagine!
Mismatched playbooks Service, sports collide in ASLB miscommunication
On April 29, Upper School (US) Service Learning Coordinator Patty Dei emailed the Community Engagement Leadership Board (CELB) outlining a new Athletic Service Learning Board (ASLB).
The email, seen by The Vanguard, said: “Members of the board serve as ambassadors of both athletics and service, playing a key role in shaping how BB&N combines competition with compassion. The board, once formed, will be a subset of CELB where collaboration will be key between the two boards, but they will act as a separate entity in some capacities as well.”
An hour later, a “What’s Happening” email encouraged students to apply to be on the ASLB.
“Before anyone could respond, it was sent to the whole school,” CELB member Aubrielle Amaral ’26 said. “Our voices weren’t heard with the new board. It’s something separate that we weren’t consulted on.”
Aubrielle acknowledged CELB could work more with athletics.
“There’s lots of varsity athletes on CELB, and the email did point our to attention that maybe we’re not as involved in athletics,” she said.
Athletic Director Jaye Locke would like to connect athletics and community service.
“Athletic teams are a great group to do ser-
vice projects together,” she said. “Not only is it making an impact on a community, it’s also a great way to bond as a team and think about things beyond yourself.”
Ayana Dhruv ’26 had the idea for ASLB. She met with Mr. Dei several times after winter break, she said.
“Originally, I wanted ASLB to be its own board, separate from CELB, so that students who weren’t fully involved in service like CELB members but who had a mix of interest in athletics and service could come together and work toward a shared goal.”
The process of creating ASLB was difficult, she said.
“There was a lot of back and forth, and most of it had to go through adults. I never had the chance to speak directly with the people the idea was being pitched to, so it sometimes felt like things were happening over my head.”
Mr. Dei heard CELB members’ concerns at a meeting, CELB member You-Yan Wang ’26 said.
“The people who were trying to organize this board should have been a bit more communicative of what their job was going to be. What’s our job going to be? How is this all going to fit in under service learning here at BB&N?”
An email to CELB on June 4, seen by The Vanguard, came from Mr. Dei’s account but was signed “The Service Learning Team.” The email stated: “We truly appreciate your honesty and passion, and we believe we’ve found a solution that honors the work of CELB and moves us all forward.”
In an interview with The Vanguard, Mr. Dei expressed regret over the miscommunication.
“What people didn’t initially understand was the idea of the ASLB wasn’t necessarily meant to be completely separate from CELB,” he said. “I wanted both of these groups.”
The solution is to run ASLB as a subcommittee of CELB. Two to three students will be part of the group.
For US Spanish Teacher and CELB Faculty Advisor Gabriela Gonzenbach, the two committees have similar objectives.
“If we all speak clearly and communicate with each other, we all want the same things,” she said. “We have the shared goal to create a more cohesive program to support our students.”
Photo Courtesy of Mark Fidler
Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Wallace
Henry Carroll Contributing Writer
Drawing by Lauren Li
Photo Courtesy of Beth McNamara
On Campus
From snoozefest to showdown New Knight Games format aims to spark rivalry
Sydney Xu Staff Writer
Students wandered from the blue to green team last year during Knight Games, an Upper School (US) competition tradition, trying to remember their allegiances. Following the Knighting Ceremony — assigning freshmen to their teams — enthusiasm often fizzled out, and Knight Games became more infrequent.
This year, US Student Body Co-Presidents Jonathan Andreoli and Salar Sekhavat (both ’26) have introduced several changes to Knight Games, including reducing the number of teams from four to two. Juniors and freshmen will compete on the gold team against seniors and sophomores on the blue team.
“I hope that this change will make students more excited and involved in Knight Games,” Jonathan said. “Before, students were pretty unmotivated to connect with their team. I hope there can be more of a rivalry. I want people to be proud of their team.”
Jonathan hopes the condensing of teams builds relationships.
“When alumni come back, we want them to connect with their Knight Games teammates in other grades and to bond over it,” he said. “We also want there to be no confusion about what team people are on because, previously, people have forgotten and not fully engaged in Knight Games.”
Jonathan and Salar plan to run Knight Games more frequently, potentially once every two months during assemblies. In addition, they hope to publish scoreboard updates
and highlights.
“The main thing we wanted to do for Knight Games was make them happen more frequently,” Salar said. “It was a fun event, and it was really great, but it wasn’t yet at the point where we felt like the games had become a tradition. What we really hoped to do was make Knight Games something consistent and unifying.”
Jonathan and Salar said they intend to run basketball games, pizza-box-balancing competitions, Chuck the Duck and tug of war as an offshoot of Knight Games.
Limited students will be able to participate in competitions, Erin Yu ’27 said.
“With two teams, that’s going to be way more fun. But with the fewer number of teams, there’s not going to be as many people that get to participate in the bigger events.”
Erin saw benefits and disadvantages in the new Knight Games format.
“I actually liked four teams better,” she said. “It did have a sense of individuality, whereas with two, it feels more like a divide. But it will create more excitement and competition because there’s way more of that divide.”
Sabrine Said ’28 had conflicting thoughts on the changes.
“I feel like four teams would have made it easier to get to know the people in your group instead of having two teams,” she said. “But I honestly don’t mind the change. It’s an interesting switch up. Since I don’t remember what team I’m on, it’ll be nice to rearrange and get to meet new people.”
Knight Games balance the rigor of the school day, Sabrine said.
“It’s definitely going to be a chance to bond with other people in the grades, to be able to let loose, play some games and not have to worry about school for a bit. That will definitely be helpful.”
US Junior Class Dean and English Teacher Beth McNamara said the success of the changes depends on the students.
“If students get more excited and more engaged, it’s worth it. However, if the faculty has to make lots of changes depending on the scheduling or not as many kids are engaged, then this will work against the larger goal.”
New leaders: Mr. Strodel, Dr. Glazer step down
Mr. Strodel passes the torch after 39 years
Upper School (US) Science Teacher David Strodel ’78 is ending his time as the US freshman class dean after 39 years. He will continue leading the Bivouac freshman orientation program.
“Ever since I went into education, I was motivated to create environments where students and adults could grow,” Mr. Strodel said. “Ninth grade is a foundational year, and creating a safe space for students to land — through advising, Bivouac and close work with families — was a terrific way for me to affect the journeys of many students.”
Last year, Mr. Strodel, US Science Teacher Jenn Gatti and former US Science Teacher Anthony Moccia ’10 served as the freshman class co-deans. Mr. Moccia has left the school to become the principal at the St. Raphael Parish School in Medford. Dr. Gatti will be the freshman dean for the 2025-26 academic year. The school has indicated that it is working on a plan to cover Mr. Moccia’s departure.
“One of the priorities that I have as grade dean is to maintain the level of leadership that Mr. Strodel has shown for so long,” Dr. Gatti said. “This includes clear communication to the grade, consistency in what we expect from our students and what students can expect from us.”
Julia Agudelo ’28 witnessed Mr. Strodel’s leadership last year.
“Mr. Strodel was great. I did notice that he would talk about problems a lot, and that was good. I remember that when he had to give us a talk about gambling, he handled that really well.”
—Lucas Ho ’28
Expanding history’s scope: Dr. Spring charts new course for department
“We want to ensure that all regions of the world are represented meaningfully in our courses, not just the U.S. and Europe,” Upper School (US) History Department Head Stacey Spring said, setting goals for her new role.
Dr. Spring is also considering introducing a sophomore research paper prize, offering more opportunities to prepare for AP World History and revising Global History I and II for the 2026-27 academic year. The department also worked on its digital organization and adaptation to AI, Dr. Spring said.
Following US History Teacher Susan Glazer’s eight years as the department head, Dr. Spring was elected to the position for the start of the 2025-26 academic year. In her new position, Dr. Spring will oversee curriculum planning and supporting faculty. She plans to guide the department toward teaching a more “global perspective” of history, she said.
George Miller ’28 took Dr. Spring’s Global History I class.
“She did a great job of speaking with all of us, figuring out where we were at and what support we needed,” he said.
To ensure a smooth transition, Dr. Glazer began working with Dr. Spring this spring after her election.
“I had begun thinking about changes to the ninth and tenth grade programs, and then Dr. Spring and I discussed those ideas in detail,” Dr. Glazer said. “We’ll likely see a reimagining of the ninth and tenth grade history courses and possibly some new course offerings in the coming years. That’s something I’m very excited to see her take on.”
As the history department head, Dr. Spring will continue teaching AP Comparative Government and Politics and lead a new section of The Making of the Modern Middle East.
—Lucas Ho ’28
Staff Photo by Olivia Richter Freshmen find out their teams during the annual Knighting Ceremony.
On Campus
Refining the approach to Middle East education School aims for nuanced discussions, improved media literacy
Gabe Cooper Editor-in-Chief
The school prides itself on welcoming challenging conversations and encouraging its students to ask hard questions. Topping the list of controversial topics in the world right now is the conflict in the Middle East. Debates and disagreements abound over many issues, including the United States’ involvement, human rights and media coverage.
Upper School (US) Director Jessica Keimowitz said the US is teaching content on the Middle East conflict in The Making of the Modern Middle East course for sophomores, Global History I and II, AP Comparative Government and Politics and senior electives where the topic is not central but relevant.
“Our approach to difficult conversations and contentious issues is not so much teaching the content of the issue. We could be talking about the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Sudan, Ukraine or immigration in the United States. Our goal is to equip members to talk about difficult issues writ large, engaging with groups and tools to try to improve our ability to talk with each other across differences, to help our students talk to each other across differences and have that throughout the whole community.”
The school relies on its values instead of adopting a position of institutional neutrality.
“If something very clearly violates our mission and value of integrity, we will absolutely take a stance,” Ms. Keimowitz said. “Inquiry is being curious, not judgmental; taking in different perspectives and discussing not to win an argument but to understand another person’s perspective.”
Like all other courses, The Making of the Modern Middle East relies on sources with varied viewpoints, Ms. Keimowitz said.
“Our teachers are extremely intentional about ensuring that there’s a diversity of sources, and The Making of the Modern Middle East is a course that touches on many cultures, practices and conflicts far beyond and inclusive of the current Israel-Palestinian conflict.”
This year, US History Department Head Stacey Spring and US History Teacher Jennifer Wallace are teaching The Making of the Modern Middle East. In preparation for teaching the course, Dr. Spring read five books and listened to two podcasts on the
Middle East, she said.
Ms. Wallace has been studying Middle East history since her undergraduate degree, has taught this course for over 30 years at many schools and has lived and taught in the region, she said.
Gaining media literacy to understand new perspectives is a core component of The Making of the Modern Middle East.
“It’s much more nuanced than, ‘All authors from The Wall Street Journal are right of center,’” Ms. Keimowitz said. “Just like not all people in a community — like the Jewish community — are a monolith, authors aren’t either. The editorial pages have a certain leaning, but all of these news outlets are trying to moderately diversify their authorship.”
Our teachers are extremely intentional about ensuring that there’s a diversity of sources, and The Making of the Modern Middle East is a course that touches on many cultures, practices and conflicts far beyond and inclusive of the current Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Over the summer, the senior leadership team analyzed student survey data to see where the school can improve, Chief Learning Officer Jed Lippard said.
“Resounding from students is that our school could be doing more with media literacy and social media, and we’re excited to delve into that, whether exploring the development of new courses or continuing to embed these skills into existing courses. We pride ourselves on being adaptive, responsive and forward-thinking, and we’re in a moment around many topics where building our collective capacity to become critical consumers of information is an essential life skill.”
The school’s all-teacher orientation before the year begins doesn’t focus on distinct topics, Dr. Lippard said. To pursue a specific interest — including the Middle East — teachers can apply to attend conferences or external workshops.
Summer curriculum grants are also offered for teachers to significantly revise or design new curriculums.
“Our orientation to professional development focuses on the skills and dispositions that we feel are useful to all people,” Dr. Lip-
pard said. “We don’t ever pick specific content that we roll out to all people as part of our professional development agenda.”
Around 30 faculty members, including the senior leadership team, attended a threehour Project Shema antisemitism education session on Aug. 19, which was introduced by Head of School Jennifer Price. For Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Global Education (DEIG) Officer Leila Bailey Stewart, Project Shema enabled her to ask questions about Jewish people’s lived experiences.
“The training helped us collectively have more knowledge and understanding of antisemitism’s impact on Jewish people, especially the complexity, breadth and history of antisemitism,” Ms. Bailey-Stewart said. “While it wasn’t specifically targeted around the Middle East conflict, it gave a foundation to understand multiple perspectives. We need to be equipped to make sure we understand how to provide safety.”
DEIG is preparing to support students affected by events in the Middle East, Lower School DEIG Practitioner Emma Arky Solomon said.
“We’re thinking intentionally about who’s most impacted, and ‘How do we support those students in feeling heard and recognized in the impact of the Middle East conflict while not making any assumptions?’” she said. “Knowing who’s feeling impacted, who our Jewish and Palestinian students are and who has family in the Middle East allows us to hold people with compassion and intentionality.”
The training helped us collectively have more knowledge and understanding of antisemitism’s impact on Jewish people, especially the complexity, breadth and history of antisemitism.
Throughout the 2025-26 academic year, the school aims to provide support spaces for those affected by the Middle East and enable its students to develop informed per spectives, Ms. Keimowitz and Dr. Lippard said.
Drawing by Christine Tao
On Campus
8
AI policy gets a reboot Task force sets clearer guidance
Mimi Shaywitz On Campus Editor
While June, July and August are often cited as the top three reasons to become a teacher, a task force of 13 faculty members spent part of their summer vacations updating the school’s AI policy for the 202526 academic year.
Created in conjunction with former Middle School (MS) and Upper School (US) English Teacher Eric Hudson and the New England AI Collaborative — a group of 16 independent schools — the AI Guidance Statement reflects the school’s attempts to grapple with the powerful generative technology. The school’s revised guidelines provide opportunities to use AI as a tool with specific guardrails.
According to the All-School Student and Family Handbook, which was last updated prior to the 202526 academic year, “Students may never use AI to generate work and submit it as their own.” Students may use AI as a tool (e.g. idea generation, study support) only with explicit teacher permission, and AI use must be disclosed and cited based on teacher guidance, according to the Handbook.
US Dean of Teaching and Learning and task force member Michael Chapman said the revised Handbook offers more guidance on AI usage.
“The big emphasis that the Handbook places is on our continued AI work in our mission and values and that you must be given explicit permission from the teacher to utilize AI for whatever the task is with necessary citation.”
Chief Learning Officer Jed Lippard led the task force that updated the school’s AI policy.
“Our goal is to prioritize an educative, rather than a punitive, stance,” he said. “As a college prepa-
ratory school, we want to preserve BB&N’s longstanding commitments to academic excellence and integrity while acknowledging that these emerging technologies do impact the development of the mind.”
Mr. Hudson, the school’s new visiting innovator, taught at the school from 2006 to 2013. After leaving, he joined Global Online Academy and became its chief program officer. Currently, he advises schools on how to incorporate technology into their teaching.
“My goal is to make generative AI more of an open conversation at school,” he said. “I want both teachers and students to feel comfortable using AI, knowing about AI and
thinking about AI so they can talk about it.”
During the 2025-26 academic year, the New England AI Collaborative plans to meet in person three times and participate in monthly Zoom sessions.
“The idea is that each of these schools is going to learn more about AI but also work on a project that’s going to help their school move forward on AI,” Mr. Hudson said. “Because it’s multiple schools, we’re going to be able to do this in a collaborative way that’s going to help different schools share information, insights and questions so they can move more quickly than if they were just working alone.”
For MS Librarian and task force member Christina DominiquePierre, updating the school’s AI policy was a “no-brainer.”
“Before, because no one really knew what AI meant for education, decisions were made mainly out of attempting to protect issues around academic integrity,” she said. “By only focusing on that area, there was definitely this knee-jerk reaction of saying, ‘Nope, it’s not allowed in any capacity,’ and this year, what we’ve done was really look intentionally at what our values are and what our mission is.”
The school’s previous AI policy left students feeling like they couldn’t be trusted, Ms. Pierre said.
“What went into updating the policy was really understanding our own commitment to creating a space where students can feel trusted, students can feel brave and students can feel a sense of belonging and connection. In order for that to be real, they have to feel like they can be trusted with their own academics and making decisions around that.”
Last year’s AI expectations lacked clarity, James Ferreira ’26 said.
“My biggest question is about overall policy. Usually, the topic gets touched on briefly in some classes at the beginning of the year, but I never really see a clear-cut policy and am often left with questions about what the rules actually are.”
The school’s new AI policy will be helpful, Sally Hoagland ’27 said.
“Students don’t know where the line is, and when they cross it, sometimes it’s too late, but setting that up or telling everyone beforehand or just having everyone on the same page in all classes about AI is really useful.”
Idy has meaningful takeaways from his time at the camp.
“The kids remind me of when I was younger, reteaching me that life doesn’t always have to be so serious: You just have to live. And sometimes, when you get old, you forget that.”
Sydney Francis ’26 said she also developed key skills as a counselor.
“I have learned how to become observant and patient. Dealing with kids can be difficult, and you have to always be attentive and use your observation skills to ensure that the campers are safe.”
Camp fosters a social environment, Sydney said.
“My favorite part is meeting new people, people you would not have met otherwise, and becoming closer with counselors. This, overall, helps create a stronger community.”
Aidan Margolis, 12, has attended Summer@BB&N for eight years.
“Counselors were funny, cool and nice and they made my time more fun. My favorite part was the field trips because they were super fun and cool.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Photo Courtesy of Sydney Francis
Drawing by Lauren Li
Modest Proposals
Before the school year ended in June, members of Upper School (US) English Teacher Allison Kornet’s Masks class wrote proposals, attempting to solve problems affecting the US community with comically unrealistic solutions. Heading into the school year, The Vanguard is presenting two Modest Proposals from her class. Would you like to see these changes?
Su mme r s a re for s l a c k er s
After completing the Junior Profile, the history paper and two grueling weeks of APs, we rising seniors are desperate to find a new academic benchmark. But what are we supposed to do during the summer? Just exist? In June and July, the lack of any academic assignments is simply unproductive. These months of nothing aren’t raising our GPA or getting us into college. According to Pew Research, students ages 15 to 17 spend an average of 39 minutes a day on academics in the summer; this simply isn’t enough time. As a student who cares about the future success of my peers, I propose we speed things up.
Let’s get rid of summer, winter vacation, March break and a couple of long weekends here and there. Imagine how much faster we would achieve our goals! By working around the clock, we would be miles ahead of every other school, checking off key moments in high school with impressive speed. College applications would stand no chance against us. Common App? Done by mid-June at the latest. Essays? Completed by July. We could be the first to submit our applications, using our senior fall to get ahead of our normal academics.
Fix
Without summers, we could continue our classes throughout the year. Future generations of students could complete high school in only three years. The time we would save for our future selves! The pace we set in high school could jump us so far into the future we could have a corporate 9-5 by age 20. Because that is the goal, right? That’s what happiness looks like.
Sure, some students will complain about not having any breaks or fun all summer. To these kids, I urge you to rethink your values. Here, we don’t have space for “fun,” or slacking, as we call it. If
the faculty raffle
It is a truth universally acknowledged that two students who enroll in the same course may emerge with experiences as different as night and day. One student might leap toward a gleaming A with minimal effort while the other claws desperately for a B+ under the watchful eye of a teacher who assigns an essay every week. This cruel paradox is not the fault of the students but the result of a deeply flawed system which pretends that teachers are identical.
The school insists that students select classes based on “what feels right” or “what sparks our interest.” It believes our academic interests, intellectual passion and curiosity
will guide us to our courses. But after years of GPA trauma and mental health breakdowns, students know better. Hunting for insider information like wolves, students consult their older friends, asking questions like: “Who will give me an A, though?” or “Which teacher only does labs?” You’d think we were plotting a bank heist, not just trying to take Honors Physics without emotional damage.
I humbly propose a solution that will finally eliminate this academic injustice and bring true equity to the student experience: A GIANT RAINBOW SPINNING WHEEL IN THE COMMONS. Each Monday morning, students will gather
you don’t think achievement in human-created fields is the numberone reason we have all been created on this Earth, then you should transfer schools. Completing your assignments and putting in those extra hours of work every night are exactly what you’re meant to be doing. Focus, and your future is sure to bring you happiness, or at least success.
To parents concerned about their children’s wellbeing, I promise there is nothing to worry about. In 10 years, they will be grateful you let them work toward exhaustion every day. Once your child has
around in sacred assembly to spin for their academic fate. This wheel will include every eligible teacher for every course; the process will be exciting and efficient. Students will line up by grade, spin the wheel and receive their weekly instructor assignments. Cheers, screams and fainting may occur, but at least all students will suffer equally!
Now, I anticipate several objections from those who cling to outdated ideals of structure and stability. Some may say, “Rotating teachers every week will disrupt the flow of learning.” To which I respond: What greater lesson is there than adaptability? The modern student must learn to shift styles,
worked through high school, college and their job and has finally retired from a long and successful career, they will have all the time in the world to relax and spend time with you.
I’m not one to ignore other people’s ideas. If you can find a better solution to the anxious restlessness we all feel during the summer months, speak up. The worst thing we could do would be to waste our time. If we want a better life for ourselves, which I’m sure we all do, let’s put our heads down and get to work.
—Charlotte Garrity ’26
whether switching from the math teacher who grades like a prosecutor or from the one who calls a C+ growth and lets you do corrections for all points back.
Still, others may whine about how the wheel is “cruel.” But I ask you: Is it not crueler to continue the present system in which students are gaslit into believing that all classes are equal and then held accountable for inconsistencies they had no control over? The wheel is brutal, maybe, but definitely transparent.
Let us construct the wheel. Let it gleam under the fluorescent Commons lights. This monument will symbolize the academic fairness, or shared despair, of the school. Let the freshmen weep, cradled in their couches. Let the sophomores clutch their iced Starbucks and whisper prayers. Let the juniors cancel therapy because there is no point anymore. And let the seniors spin with the calm, dead look of those who have already seen too much and written too many college essays about it.
For every student stands an equal chance — their academic destiny will be determined not by effort or interest but by pure chaos in wheel form. The future of education is not logic. It is not equity. It is rainbow, plastic, good-old luck. Better luck next week.
Drawing by Rachel Goldberg
Drawing by Rachel Goldberg
Off Campus
Committed, not carefree Recruited student-athletes skip wait, not stress
Lucia Longstreet-Lipson Off Campus editor
This fall, like every other, could be stressful for seniors applying to college. However, as most seniors polish essays, construct extracurricular lists and submit applications, a handful of athletes have already committed to colleges. While recruited students know they’re accepted earlier, the process doesn’t mean they skip the college stress.
Dartmouth College recruited Kate Rice ’25 to row. Kate entered the recruitment process in the fall of her junior year and committed in May.
“It was a big decision, and I wanted to make sure I was thinking it through and making the best choice,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to make this decision so early on, and recruitment wasn’t something I had planned on doing.”
The recruitment process is unique for each athlete.
“Something really cool about this process is that it looks so different for everyone,” Kate said. “It is based on your sport and your division, and there are many different things that factor into how this process looks.”
Jaime Vega Espinosa ’26 transferred to the Upper School (US) last year and committed to Middlebury College for soccer in July. He began receiving stronger recruitment offers during his junior year. Although the US doesn’t officially calculate GPAs, the recruitment process requires athletes to do so.
“I started my sophomore year, sending emails, but I didn’t start receiving emails from big colleges until junior year,” he said. “Because BB&N is a harder school, my GPA dropped to a
3.7 or 3.8. It was stressful getting recruited, and I just wanted to commit.”
It was hard for Jaime to get on coaches’ radars. He said his club team doesn’t get as much exposure as other programs.
“Grabbing the attention of coaches was challenging because they receive so many emails,” he said. “A lot of coaches want players from MLS NEXT, and I play for FC Stars.”
Gus Inada ’26 became serious about playing baseball in college after his freshman season. Colleges contacted him junior year. Over the summer, Gus participated in a national tournament in Georgia and drew interest from Division I programs. When the opportunity came to pitch in front of coaches, things didn’t go as planned.
“When I got my chance to pitch in front of all the Division I schools, like Brown and Dartmouth, I just didn’t play my best,” Gus said. “So, I decided to shift my focus back to Division III schools.”
Gus found the unpredictability of recruitment stressful. He committed to Amherst College in August.
“You never know what a coach is thinking, and there is a lot of stress in the unknown,” he said. “You’re being judged and assessed all the time. … Coaches will say they’re interested in you and text and call you, but then maybe they come to your games and think, ‘This kid isn’t that great.’”
US College Counselor Co-Director Julia Kobus Patil ’05 said recruitment is based on more than just athletic abilities.
More than a middle ground School aims to foster respectful learning environment
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The school is focused on a framework for respectful conversations.
“We can’t control what’s happening on your social media pages, the locker room or the back of the school bus,” Ms. Keimowitz said. “What we can do is continue to promote our core values, helping students remember that slamming somebody for their political views is not kind and does not promote a community of belonging.”
US English Teacher and Sophomore Class Dean Dave Scrivner said he strives to go beyond political neutrality.
“It’s not so much about being at dead center on a political spectrum because I think that’s impossible. In class, I try to step outside party labels and move to a place driven by values and experience, not by political associations.”
Sometimes, people confuse personal values with political values, Dr. Scrivner said.
“BB&N values integrity. Some people may interpret that as leaning one way politically but in the end, it’s a value that BB&N believes in, not a political affiliation. It’s interesting how certain values and even ways of seeing the world have been gobbled up by political groups. The unfortunate consequence of that is people arguing, ‘If you believe this, you must be part of this group.’”
Listening to new perspectives from peers is beneficial for all, regardless of political affilia-
tion, Dr. Scrivner said.
“The goal of a classroom is not to harden your thinking: it’s to broaden it. And that’s not to say, ‘Change your ideas,’ but all of us should be exposed to viewpoints that are not our own. By testing our ideas against the ideas of others, we determine which of those ideas are solid and sturdy and which could use some more thought.”
For Tommy Bresler ’27, the school is mostly a safe space to share personal views.
“I feel pretty comfortable talking about politics because even if the majority of the school may lean one way, they’re still respectful of other opinions,” Tommy said. “The school does a good job of letting students express their opin-
“I like to think about it as two parallel processes. It’s the athletic piece of, ‘Does this student fit what we are looking for on a team?’ And then there is the parallel of, ‘Is this student admissible academically?’”
One of the factors shaping the recruitment process is when colleges can reach out to student-athletes. Generally, for Division I and II, schools can contact athletes starting June 15 after their sophomore year. Division III schools have no formal restrictions, though recruitment typically begins during junior year.
“A student might be getting looked at by a coach and want to commit during sophomore year,” Ms. Kobus Patil said. “They can meet with a member of the College Counseling team, and we can talk them through it, but we don’t assign students to a counselor until junior year. The athletes are not getting a ‘head start’: they just have a different timeline. Their stress happens earlier.”
A potential downside is selecting a college too early, Ms. Kobus Patil said.
“Students can be forced to make decisions sooner than they may be ready. But the benefit is that you know where you are likely going earlier.”
Amelia Shaywitz ’25 does not play a sport and was admitted to Boston College.
“At first, I felt a little jealous, and it was really easy to fall into the pattern of ‘Wow, they are so lucky.’ It was also confusing because I didn’t know how that was possible.”
Amelia had a unique insight into recruited students.
“One of my close friends was a recruited athlete, and I had the chance to see it from her perspective. It gave me a lot of respect. I realized that it wasn’t luck, and it actually took different skills.”
Annie Zhu ’26 has learned not to compare trajectories during the college process.
“It feels like I’ve fallen a little behind, except I’m still happy for them,” Annie said. “It’s amazing how these people in our grades are committing to great schools. Overall, both processes are hard in different ways. It’s nice that sports recruits can get their results sooner, but their stress is earlier. Regardless, the most fulfilling part will be getting your results and hopefully feeling proud and accomplished.”
ions, in general. There are some things that the school says that I don’t agree with, but I don’t feel harmed by any of that because I know my opinions, and what they say won’t affect that.”
Some political tensions exist at the school, Amanda Berlin ’26 said.
“Teachers are very open about politics, so that creates a neutral environment. However, outside of a classroom, because people are very vocal about their opinions, it creates some conflict between students.”
The school is generally succeeding in creating an open learning environment.
“Being located in Cambridge, BB&N is as nonpartisan as it gets,” Amanda said. “The only thing would be trying to limit political conversations in any class. But I think that would also limit students from learning to their full potential. So, it’s inevitable that people will complain, and that’s just the way it is.”
Diego Hammerschlag P ’28 said the school should focus on having challenging discussions.
“The school must encourage and guide discourse and conversation about these controversial topics … Even with the best of intentions, people come with their own ideas, and it doesn’t always play out as intended. But, if you’re not going to start having some of those talks now, when are you going to start?”
Drawing by Alice Wang
Photo Courtesy of Kate Rice
Photo Courtesy of Jaime Vega Espinosa
Off Campus
Off Campus
What’s our school rep?
What’s our school rep?
Rivers, Milton, Belmont Hill students offer outside look at US
Rivers, Milton, Belmont Hill students offer outside look at US
Yancheng Zhao Managing Editor
Yancheng Zhao Managing Editor
While you might worry about your personal image, have you wondered how others perceive the school you go to? As part of the Independent School League (ISL), Upper School (US) students often interact with students from the 15 other ISL schools, which are mostly concentrated in the Greater Boston area.
While you might worry about your personal image, have you wondered how others perceive the school you go to? As part of the Independent School League (ISL), Upper School (US) students often interact with students from the 15 other ISL schools, which are mostly concentrated in the Greater Boston area.
Maylea Harris ’26, a softball player from The Rivers School, meets US students through her sport.
Maylea Harris ’26, a softball player from The Rivers School, meets US students through her sport.
“The community within softball is usually pretty accepting and nice, but we’ve never had problems with BB&N that I can remember,” she said. “We had some really good games in teamwork against schools in the ISL, so there’s never been any problems with BB&N.”
“The community within softball is usually pretty accepting and nice, but we’ve never had problems with BB&N that I can remember,” she said. “We had some really good games in teamwork against schools in the ISL, so there’s never been any problems with BB&N.”
The interaction between private schools in the area mainly comes from athletics and per-
The interaction between private schools in the area mainly comes from athletics and per-
sonal connections, Maylea said.
sonal connections, Maylea said.
“I’m not super in tune with everything, but from what I know, the soccer team is really good,” she said. “I remember some heated discussions about soccer games the entire season last year.”
“I’m not super in tune with everything, but from what I know, the soccer team is really good,” she said. “I remember some heated discussions about soccer games the entire season last year.”
The ISL is an athletic conference that facilitates sports games between its member schools.
The ISL is an athletic conference that facilitates sports games between its member schools.
“There’s not a lot of crossover between the schools, in my opinion, other than competition and maybe some shared backgrounds.”
“There’s not a lot of crossover between the schools, in my opinion, other than competition and maybe some shared backgrounds.”
One such shared background — being part of Rivers’ AAPI affinity group — gave her the opportunity to meet US students outside of athletics.
One such shared background — being part of Rivers’ AAPI affinity group — gave her the opportunity to meet US students outside of athletics.
“I met some really cool girls from BB&N when I was there. They did really well at leaving a good impression about their community with me since I still chat with a couple of them every once in a while.”
my’s Esme Campbell ’26 said she doesn’t follow many of the other US sports. Esme mostly sees US students at track and cross country meets, which have been positive experiences, she said.
my’s Esme Campbell ’26 said she doesn’t follow many of the other US sports. Esme mostly sees US students at track and cross country meets, which have been positive experiences, she said.
“All the girls that I race on BB&N’s distance team are super nice, and I feel like that’s not something that’s true across the board for all the ISL schools, necessarily,” she said. “The BB&N girls are ones that I’m excited to race because they’re always super nice, and we work well together during races, and it’s fun
“All the girls that I race on BB&N’s distance team are super nice, and I feel like that’s not something that’s true across the board for all the ISL schools, necessarily,” she said. “The BB&N girls are ones that I’m excited to race because they’re always super nice, and we work well to gether during races, and it’s fun to catch up.”
Knight Lights” inspired her to watch football.
friends who go to the school.
friends who go to the school.
“The only time I really interact with people that go there is completely outside of school or during athletics,” he said. “I have a lot of friends that go there, so the first thing that comes to mind is some of the people I know. Obviously, it’s competitive, but also, it’s friendly competition. It’s like, I know this person, and we’re gonna go out and grab dinner with their team after the meet, regardless
“The only time I really interact with people that go there is completely outside of school or during athletics,” he said. “I have a lot of friends that go there, so the first thing that comes to mind is some of the people I know. Obviously, it’s competitive, but also, it’s friendly competition. It’s like, I know this person, and we’re gonna go out and grab dinner with their team after the meet, regardless of what happens.”
The current level of interac-
“I met some really cool girls from BB&N when I was there. They did really well at leaving a good impression about their community with me since I still chat with a couple of them every once in a while.”
any under-the-lights games,” she said. “Because BB&N hosts that under-the-lights game, I know I had never been to a football game before, and I still showed up and went with all my friends.”
As a runner, Milton Acade-
As a runner, Milton Acade-
Hill School has competed against
‘Do something,’ just not everything US students weigh pressure, passions during summer
‘Do something,’ just not everything US students weigh pressure, passions during summer
Julia Agudelo Contributing Writer
Julia Agudelo Contributing Writer
Summer vacation looks different for every Upper School (US) student, but are some activities better than others? Some
Summer vacation looks different for every Upper School (US) student, but are some activities better than others? Some spend it working, interning or
“A lot of times, students and families question us on that because they don’t believe us,” she said. “They think there’s something specific they should be adding to their résumé or their list of activities that’s going to
“A lot of times, students and families question us on that because they don’t believe us,” she said. “They think there’s something specific they should be adding to their résumé or their list of activities that’s going to support them more in the col-
passionate about.”
Myriam Lai ’27 spent part of her summer taking a pre-college course on reverse genetics at Brown University.
Myriam Lai ’27 spent part of her summer taking a pre-college course on reverse genetics at Brown University.
“I know I want to go into something biology-related,” she said. “It helped me explore different parts of the field and see what I really want to do, and working in a lab for those few weeks was interesting … I heard from a teacher that it would be beneficial over the summer to go into something that you’re interested in.”
“I know I want to go into something biology-related,” she said. “It helped me explore different parts of the field and see what I really want to do, and working in a lab for those few weeks was interesting … I heard from a teacher that it would be beneficial over the summer to go into something that you’re interested in.”
Myriam also participated in a crew program at Dartmouth.
Myriam also participated in a crew program at Dartmouth.
“It’s nice to have a unique environment inside your own but it’s also good to e said. a great way to start branching out because you’re competing with people, but you also share a similar passion with them, and there’s a lot of value
“It’s nice to have a unique environment inside your own but it’s also good to e said. a great way to start branching out because you’re competing with people, but you also share a similar passion with them, and there’s a lot of value
“Six hours of rowing every day for five days was definitely … It gave insight into what it’s like in collegiate rowing, which provided recruitment tips and better ways to improve
“Six hours of rowing every day for five days was definitely … It gave insight into what it’s like in collegiate rowing, which provided recruitment tips and better ways to improve
Anna Zhang ’29 spent part of her summer traveling to see her
Anna Zhang ’29 spent part of her summer traveling to see her
“Summer’s a reset before start school again because
“Summer’s a reset before start school again because can get really stressful.”
She also worked at a camp for two weeks. Anna emphasized the importance of balancing fun and work. Her brother, a rising senior, does a lot of work over the summer while still taking breaks, she said.
She also worked at a camp for two weeks. Anna emphasized the importance of balancing fun and work. Her brother, a rising senior, does a lot of work over the summer while still taking breaks, she said.
“I know a lot of people who are trying to do things over their summer, like working, but sometimes, it’s just important to rest,” she said. “Summer is about doing a little bit of everything, taking some rest, but also doing the things you want — traveling or something that benefits you.”
“I know a lot of people who are trying to do things over their summer, like working, but sometimes, it’s just important to rest,” she said. “Summer is about doing a little bit of everything, taking some rest, but also doing the things you want — traveling or something that benefits you.”
Photo Courtesy of Pilar Bowen-Arce Pilar Bowen-Arce ’28 participates in a summer program at the School of the New York Times.
Photo Courtesy of Myriam Lai
Myriam Lai ’27 gives a presentation at Brown University over the summer.
Public Media Cuts
What happened?
This past summer, Congress approved a $1.1 billion cut to public media funding. This has been a massive blow to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR, PBS and hundreds of local stations. The change has sparked concern over what this means for free, accessible journalism and educational programming across the country.
Why does this matter?
Why now?
Some lawmakers argue that public media is politically biased or no longer necessary in the age of streaming. Others see the cut as a costsaving move. But critics warn that removing funding doesn’t just save money — it risks cutting off millions of Americans from independent, noncommercial news.
Public media has served the country for over 50 years, offering fact-checked news and programs that don’t chase ratings or ads. These cuts could reshape how Americans access trustworthy information, including young people who grew up with PBS Kids or use NPR podcasts to stay informed.
The bigger picture
Public media provides educational content, emergency updates and local storytelling. Many rural stations rely on federal funding for over half their budget. These cuts could silence small stations entirely, leaving communities without a trusted source for information.
Cuts to public media mean cuts to ….
Classroom learning — No more free PBS
LearningMedia videos or digital tools for teachers. Beloved kids’ shows Shows like Arthur, Daniel Tiger and Wild Kratts risk cancellation or reduced episodes.
Local & rural radio — Small-town stations may shut down completely. This means no local news, weather or cultural programming.
Trusted news — Less funding for NPR journalism that covers underserved communities and fact-based stories.
Marginalized voices — Native, rural and Spanish-language public stations face massive funding cuts.
Photos Courtesy of ABC, The Denver Clarion, NPR Illinois and Financial Times
Photos Courtesy of PBS Kids
Public Media Cuts
VANGUARD INTERVIEWS
Interview with Margaret Low ’76 (CEO of WBUR)
August 15, 2025 - 11:02 AM ET
9 Minute Listen
Transcript
AYANA KARTHIK, HOST:
What are your thoughts on the recent cuts to public media funding?
MARGARET LOW : It wasn’t surprising, but nonetheless, it’s a real blow. One of the things that I feel proud of is that NPR a nd member stations like BUR played a really good ground game. We did everything we possibly could. We were on the Hill, we were out in our communities and the vote was very, very close. What’s extraordinary, in light of the defunding, is the amount of support that has poured out for us and across the country.
KARTHIK : How important do you think public media is for communities today?
LOW : It’s vital. With the cuts to public funding, there will be stations across the country that will have to turn the lights out. Many of those stations will be in communities that have no other quality journalism, and so there will be a terrible gap of trustworthy news and inf ormation. In Boston, we’re part of the fabric of this community, and our purpose is to produce high-quality journalism and enriching experiences. I sometimes joke that people spend more time with WBUR than some of the people they love most in the world, and people count on us for a sense of connection, community and joy. Without trustworthy news, without what we provide, communities are left in the dark about what’s unfolding in the world.
KARTHIK : In your opinion, how would these cuts affect access to unbiased news?
LOW : There is a war on truth in this country, and while federal funding got cut for public media, it is a hard time for independent journalism in general. The economics of our business are harder now than they’ve ever been. Without community support, grant support and certainly federal support, it is harder and harder for news organizations to do the work that people bo th want, seek out and need.
KARTHIK : What are some of the most valuable programs or services provided by public media that you think are at risk with these funding cuts?
LOW : WBUR produces more national news programs than any other public radio organization in the country besides NPR. We produce “On Point,” an hour-long deep plunge into some of the most complicated issues, and “Here & Now,” a national news magazine that we produce with NPR. Those two shows together are heard by six-and-a-half million people acros s the country. If stations can’t afford to pay for those shows, we will have less revenue to produce those shows. There could be a compounding effect of losing syndication dollars and sponsorship dollars for national programs, and that inhibits our ability to produce high-quality programming. Suddenly, if half or a third of your budget is cut, which is happening to many stations, they can’t afford to hire local producers, editors and reporters who are actually going to shine a light on what’s unfolding in their communities.
KARTHIK : Why do you think some lawmakers want to cut public media funding?
LOW : The positive spin on this is that we’re important, we matter and we are providing high-quality news and information in an environment where there’s an effort to eliminate fact-based new s and information. We’re a threat. They wouldn’t come after us as hard as they did if we didn’t matter.
Photo Courtesy of WGBH
Party Culture
Student Responses
Do you feel pressure from your peers to try substances at parties?
Anonymous senior boy:
Yeah. It’s not really possible to have a good time unless you do. It’s probably because of the social culture around it. Most of my friends and people I hang out with agree.
As someone who doesn’t use substances at parties, do you ever feel left out?
Anonymous senior girl:
Yeah, absolutely. Sometimes, I just leave because I really am not having a good time. It could be really easy for kids to not have a good time and then gravitate toward using substances because it really does make the experience of parties so much better. I’ve heard that from people who do drink and use substances and then also from people who don’t. That impression has been informed by both groups.
Anonymous senior girl:
There is a lot of pressure. You need to be able to really prioritize your values and say no to the pressure. For me, it’s not a pressure that sways me because, as long as you make it very clear what your boundaries are and set those limits, people won’t really force you to do anything. Naturally, there is going to be pressure, and there are going to be comments, but it’s not something that ever makes me feel in danger or anything.
Is it possible to have fun at parties without using substances?
Anonymous senior boy:
If you’re super naturally outgoing, sure, but I personally am not, and a lot of my friends aren’t either. A lot of people who don’t use substances just tend to not go to parties because it’s not as good of a time for them or they feel out of place.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, scan the QR code below for resources and additional information.
Survey Responses
Do you think partying is essential to having a good high school experience?
What
determine whether or not you go to a party?
Do you wish anything were different about the party culture at school?
“The need to do things like drinking.”
“More people got invited.”
“No substances, please. Even though I never go anywhere, it’s still insane.”
“I wish people hosted more parties because it’s a great way to bond outside of school. Not all parties have to have substances or drinks; some can just be a place to hang out with friends.”
“It was more cohesive. I feel like it’s very clear who can and can’t go to the parties, but I wish people threw for everyone, not just their ‘group.’”
“I wish they were more inclusive.”
86% of freshmen said they don’t really/never feel pressure to attend parties to maintain social status v.s 59% of seniors.
Do parties build community?
“Kind of because you hang out with your friends, but also no because it’s always the same people, so it’s not like the community is expanding.”
“Nope. Party = crazy. Gathering = community.”
“Yes, it allows people to get excited for one thing, and it gives the chance to hang out with people you wouldn’t necessarily spend time with.”
by Alice Wang
Drawing
Opinions
No such thing as a safe space
You may or may not be surprised, but I hate films about high school and teenagers in general. Why? It’s very simple: The teenage and school experience is not as romantic, humorous or exciting as it’s made out to be. It’s a little painful to watch how unaffected the students in “10 Things I Hate About You” are regarding their studies, and it’s an entirely different beast to watch Ferris Bueller in his high school fantasy film. My track record for this column so far is sarcasm, satire and dark humor. Predictably, the one, single, only teenage and school drama I like is a sarcastic, satirical and darkly humorous film from 1985. At just 107 minutes, “The Breakfast Club” is “short” compared to today’s threehour-long sagas, but I assure you, it couldn’t — and shouldn’t — be a second under or over its runtime.
The basic synopsis is that five totally different high school students are locked in a room together for an all-day Saturday detention.
“Yet in the spirit of optimism, ‘The Breakfast Club’ demonstrates that though everyone has their own problems, we can come to an understanding so long as we offer each other some grace.”
Brian is a “brain” — he, like me, spends his time between the library and class and is a true nerd. Andrew is the “athlete” — blond, cocky, buff, while Allison is the “basket case” — talks to no one and wears strange clothes. Claire is the “princess” — beautiful, popular, seemingly vapid, and John is the “criminal” — he ditches, deals and derides.
Their principal, Vernon, who thinks teenagers are little better than vermin, assigns them to each write a 1000-word essay about who they think they are. But there’s nothing more to any of them than those titles — why would there be? They’re just teenagers — teenagers who are mercurial, selfish, avaricious and unkind.
They say ‘like understands like,’ so it only makes sense that similarly young, mercurial, selfish, avaricious and unkind beings would understand each other. Brian, Andrew, Allison, Claire and John have all day to understand each other. And come to understand each other they do.
By the time their parents come to pick them up, they realize they’re not so isolated as they once believed: They all, admittedly differently, understand the terrible decade of the teenage years. But that age-old story of horrible teenagers is the bedrock of this film. Teenagers are perhaps pygmy adults: We’re partway there but seem to be missing the crucial pieces.
For the adults, how do the five explain themselves? Who are they? “In the simplest terms with the most convenient definitions,” Brian reads at the film’s conclusion, “what we found out is that each one of us is a Brain … and an Athlete … and a Basket Case … a Princess … and a Criminal. Does that answer your question?”
I enjoy the movie so much because teenage life, and life in general, isn’t perfect. That’s the genius of this movie: “The Breakfast Club” articulates simply that high school isn’t a youthful, glittery safe space — far from it. High school is one of the most dangerous places because it’s one of the last arenas in which adolescents can try out personas and identities before the harsh reality of the real world. Yet, in the spirit of optimism, “The Breakfast Club” demonstrates that though everyone has their own problems, we can come to an understanding so long as we offer each other some grace.
It’s
a Lauryn Hill summer
After seeing Childish Gambino and the Lumineers in concert, I told myself, “Damn, I need to go to more concerts,” but never followed through. Similarly, when I hear a track from a new artist, I think about how I should explore their music further, but I never do. However, I finally defied this effect with Ms. Lauryn Hill as I explored her discography.
At first, I was mesmerized by her hits, such as “Ex-Factor” and “Killing Me Softly.” Although this column dives deeper into Hill’s talent, I have to mention that these two songs are some of my favorite tracks of all time despite their evident popularity. This touches on another one of my musical opinions — there’s nothing wrong with enjoying popular songs: There is a reason they’re popular.
Hill’s sound stands alone in modern hip-hop; her ability to mix R&B styles with the emerging rap style in the late ’90s is unparalleled. What I also discovered is that Hill doesn’t need taboo themes or controversial statements to convey her message. She excels at forcing her listeners to reconsider their concept of love – a common topic many assume they already understand. But why do Hill’s simple love songs feel so deep? Her approach is counterintuitive yet effective; the pleasing melodies and simple lyrics of her songs, coupled with their uncomplicated, organic messages about love, make her music accessible to a wide audience and force the listener to reflect.
“That’s why the prompt ‘define love’ is such a difficult question: People rarely stop to consider it.”
In her album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” Hill ends and starts various tracks with segments of conversations or voices. At the end of “To Zion,” backed by a playful guitar track, a preacher talks with a group about their definitions of love (“Don’t tell me what Webster says”). One man has trouble with creating a profound definition, to which the preacher replies, “If I asked him to talk about a fancy car, he’d be right on point.” This resonated with me. Most people could describe why they love a material possession but would take a second to think before describing why they love someone close to them. “To Zion’s” outro poses this provocative question: Why is it easier for some people to confess their love for superficial things than to explain why they love someone in their life? It made me reflect upon myself: What qualities do the people close to me have? Why do I love who I love? It was a refreshing process of appreciation that made me more thankful for the people closest to me.
In the same album, “Tell Him” also stands out as one of Hill’s most beautiful pieces, one where she keeps the music simple and lets her powerful voice and ebbing melodies sway the listener. The track starts with a mellow drum track and progresses to a swelling and mellow arpeggiating guitar while Hill’s sweet voice sings, “But if I lack love, then I am nothing at all.” I understand her message here as portraying love as a double-edged sword; love can be a guiding force in life, allowing people to appreciate those around them on a deeper level. But, at the same time, putting some sort of love – a person, an activity, anything — as paramount to other parts of your life can be harmful. For Hill, by putting that love before herself, she feels like she’s “nothing at all.”
Hill’s ability to let her music speak for itself is what distinguishes her. Often, modern artists attempt to address the latest controversial issues through graphic lyrics and images, employing a shock factor. Other love songs attain mass appeal by outlining a perfect story. Not everyone can relate to “Love Story” by Taylor Swift because it’s a specific song about a certain romance with a storybook ending. Hill’s messages are widely accessible sentiments about her raw feelings toward her lover, and their relationship has a vulnerability that I’ve never felt in another artist’s music. That’s why the prompt “define love” is such a difficult question: People rarely stop to consider it. Despite her limited discography, many people jump to label Hill as one of the best female artists of all time, but that’s selling her short. I don’t know of any artist more effective at conveying complex relationships and love than Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Many things that Kanye West says nowadays are unfathomable to listen to, but I do now understand what he said on his 2016 track, “No More Parties in LA”: “I’ve been uninspired since Lauryn Hill retired.”
Caroline Dudzinski
Caroline’s Classics
ClayFM
Drawing by Sydney Ruiz
Sports
Chasing gold, choosing balance Emma juggles competitive rowing, staying present
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Emma has takeaways from her time in Lithuania.
“We were working with people from all over the country toward something really hard,” Emma said. “I also learned that pressure is a privilege: It’s about handling stress and using it to perform your best.”
Though Emma doesn’t row for the school’s team due to her busy schedule with her club team, the Cambridge Boat Club, Head Crew Coach John Cotter was impressed by Emma’s achievements.
“Having the genetics doesn’t mean reaching an international level is going to happen,” Coach Cotter said. “You still have to have the willingness, the monomaniacal drive to want to be that level. And, for some
people, it becomes a little daunting: They don’t like the intensity of the competition. For other people, it’s like they’re starting to drink out of a fire hose. They can’t get enough of it, and they realize that, ‘If I can do this, then I might be able to do the next level, too.’”
Emma started rowing in middle school, following the footsteps of her parents, who both competed in college.
“We could tell then that Emmareally liked rowing, and it was something that she was really passionate about, and I think she knew that, too,” Emma’s twin sister, Louisa Kirk ’26, said. “As a family, we weren’t super surprised by Emma qualifying for the championship,
Breaking the ice
especially given her past success. We were just super excited for her. It was something that was inevitable and going to happen.”
Emma’s rowing schedule with the Cambridge Boat Club consists of practices six days a week and additional strength sessions.
“She never complains about it,” Louisa said. “I’ve never heard her be like, ‘I don’t want to go to practice.’ Even when she’s sick, my mom has to make her stay home.”
Emma has a unique attitude toward her success, Louisa said.
“We’ve baked a few cakes to celebrate for sure. I feel like I talk about it more than she does because she acts like it’s just another day, but
as a family, we support her and celebrate her. She’s not planning celebrations.”
Emma’s friend, Lauren Pond ’26, said she was excited by Emma’s achievements.
“I’m so impressed with her, and it’s inspiring me to push myself, and it’s just cool that someone that I could know so personally is doing something that seems so crazy and amazing.”
Emma maintains a balance between rowing and being with her friends, Lauren said.
“No matter how busy she is, she makes time for herself and to hang out with friends. It’s not just rowing all the time.”
Jori Balsam ’19 replaces Ed Bourget ’96 as new GVH head coach
Alice Chung Contributing Writer
Once skating across the ice at the Nicholas Athletic Center wearing blue and gold, Jori Balsam ’19 has returned to the Upper School (US) as the Girls’ Varsity Hockey (GVH) coach. Former GVH Coach Ed Bourget ’96 has transitioned to the Director of Ice Hockey, overseeing GVH and Boys’ Varsity Hockey, as Coach Balsam steps into her new role.
Coach Bourget assisted with hiring Coach Balsam. She values a strong team culture, he said.
“Since Jori played here, she understands the demands that the student-athletes face on a daily basis. The main benefit the team will receive from this coaching change is the ability to connect more deeply on a personal level with Coach Balsam. It is exciting to have a young female coach mentoring these elite athletes.”
After graduating from the US, Coach Balsam played ice hockey at Wesleyan University. In 2023, she began her coaching career at St. George’s School as the interim head coach and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in education at Boston College.
“I’m honored to return to BB&N in this role to lead a team I was a part of not too long ago,” Coach Balsam said. “I have developed a real passion for coaching, and there is no
other place I would want to take the next step in my coaching career.”
Coach Balsam aims to create an environment with a strong work ethic and a love for the game.
“I hope to develop players to their fullest potential as both hockey players and people,” she said.
“It’s important to me to foster an environment where my players feel motivated, valued and inspired to bring their all day in and day out.
I love coming to the rink every day and competing at a high level while enforcing strong and lasting bonds with teammates and my players.”
Coach Balsam also wants to continue GVH’s success. Last year, the team won the Independent School League Championship. The previous year, GVH won the Patsy Odden Large School Tournament.
“In the short term, I would like to get to know the players and devel-
op a strong team culture,” she said. “I want to establish strong bonds off the ice that will contribute to our success on the ice. Long-term, I want to win championships, develop effective leaders and help players reach their goals. ”
Coming off a 15-7-2 season record, GVH players learned about the coaching change in April. Forward Kate Tregay ’28 said she was not expecting the news.
“When I first heard about the change in coaches, I was really surprised, but I am really excited to see what we can do this year with a shift in coaching.”
Coach Balsam’s arrival coincides with 11 seniors graduating in June, six of whom were captains. Because of the coaching change, the new captains have not been announced.
“This has been the first time that we have not known who the captains are heading into the summer and the start of the school,” Kate said.
Coach Balsam has reached out to GVH players through meetings and emails. Goalie Barbara Ma ’27 met Coach Balsam in person.
“Coach Balsam is very organized, confident and passionate about building a strong team culture, hopefully helping GVH become closer as a team,” she said.
“I’m very excited to work with her this upcoming season.”
Photo Courtesy of Emma Kirk
In August, Emma competed for the U.S. with three teammates in Lithuania.
Photo Courtesy of Emma Kirk
Early in the summer, Emma, pictured second from right, trained and tried out for the national team in San Diego.
Photo Courtesy of Ace Van Vliet
GVH holds a team meeting on the ice during a game.
Opinions
Hungry, clumsy, passionate dogs
What a summer for Boston sports! For anyone who forgot to check the local news, the Red Sox traded franchise player Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for three pitchers and an outfielder — a bag of chips plus a soda. It was a messy break-up, to say the least. One day in early May, Devers is happily playing designated hitter, and the next, a flood of reporters and Sox fans alike take to their keyboards with disdain after Devers refused to play first base. It felt like a toxic smog had surrounded the clubhouse. The nickname “Diva Devers” took off, and by mid-June, Devers was gone.
Clubhouse drama seemed inevitable last season when the Sox acquired Astros third baseman Alex Bregman to replace Devers at third. Last season, Bregman won a Gold Glove, and Devers made the All-Star team. However, all seemed to be working out fine at first. To put it simply, the Sox expected Devers to step up as a leader; he didn’t, and management prioritized team culture (plus freeing up Devers’ $313 million contract!) and let him go. I liked the move when it happened, and I’m still pleased with the results. Following the trade, mixed reactions spread rampantly on social media, but all one could do was watch and wait. And it’s been nearly impossible to look away.
After an 11-2 win against the Washington Nationals on America’s birthday, the Sox went on a 10-game win streak that propelled them into third place in the American League (AL) East — the first such streak since the 2018 championship team. Despite the rushing success, I remained skeptical since the bulk of their streak came from beating up on struggling teams, but the team hasn’t slowed down. Starting August off strong, the Red Sox swept the AL West-leading Houston Astros — another impressive feat done for the first time since 2018. Am I suggesting that the Red Sox are going to win the World Series? No (fingers crossed, though!), but for the first time in a while, things are looking good at Fenway. What’s the secret sauce? I’m not one for clichés, but it seems like the team has adopted and rallied behind somewhat of an aggressive underdog mentality. The team’s batting average is sitting around a solid .252 (7th in the MLB), and while handfuls of home runs aren’t flying out the park every night (11th in the MLB), batters are getting on base (8th in the MLB), and runs are being scored (4th in the MLB). The boys are swinging and with confidence!
Likewise, with a team ERA of just 3.67 (5th in the MLB), the pitching staff has definitely stepped it up a notch. Now, I’d be a fool to ignore last year’s second half of the season’s bullpen collapse, which drove the Sox from second in the division in August (like today … ) down to a .500 team and out of playoff contention by September. However, I’m confident in the current onetwo-three of Garrett Crochet-Brayan Bello-Lucas Giolito, and I’m loving the 37-year-old “Cuban Missile,” Aroldis Chapman, who’s somehow still throwing 103 mph fastballs to close games.
“What’s the secret sauce? I’m not one for clichés, but it seems like the team has adopted and rallied behind somewhat of an aggressive underdog mentality.”
Lastly, although the team has a collective chase percentage (swinging for strikes at balls) of 29.5% (8th in the MLB) and could benefit from some more patience behind the plate, it seems like the group embraces these embarrassing swings and moments: The next batter steps up with the same attacking mentality — a true testament to the culture they’ve established.
Now, it’s no secret that, over the past few years, the Red Sox have garnered a reputation for being a team that gives up in the clutch time, and though roughly 41% of this season’s losses have come from “one-run” games, the team leads the league with 10 walk-off games. Out of all the stats I’ve mentioned in this column, this figure alone, and the movie-like nights created at Fenway in the process, has sparked hope in countless ecstatic fans sitting in the audience, myself included, that this “Cinderella-story” season could make it all the way.
So, while the team should still be focused on making it through the wild-card round, glimpses of promise are starting to show in Fenway. With red-hot rookie Roman Anthony recently signing a confidence-boosting eight-year contract extension, I’m excited to see what this team can pull off in September.
Deals with Donald
“Sermon on the ’Mount,” the first episode of “South Park’s” 27th season, is quite crass, remarkably crude and pointedly vulgar. Yet, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker hit the nail on the head about the ethics of cutting deals with the Trump administration. Between the Trump-cuddlingwith-Satan gags and AI deepfakes, the episode satirizes parent company Paramount’s recent settlement to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against it. Trump sued Paramount last October over what he called “deceptive editing” of CBS’s “60 Minutes” interview with his competitor, Kamala Harris. Paramount denied the accusations and maintained that the lawsuit was without merit.
“The message is clear: Get in line, or suffer the consequences.”
However, Paramount’s recent $8 billion merger with Skydance requires approval from a Trump-aligned Federal Communications Commission. Appeasing Trump by forking over $16 million as a symbol of fealty cleared a hurdle for Paramount’s deal to progress. The president took to Truth Social expressing his glee, writing that an additional $20 million in advertising and PSAs would follow from Paramount. The company denied such a deal, but that didn’t stop “South Park” from ripping into the prospect of pro-Trump. If you examine the situation closely with a megapowerful magnifying glass, you might conclude why Colbert got canceled: It’s a big fat bribe.
Draconian funding cuts and exorbitant lawsuits have become all the leverage Trump needs to compel media companies, universities, tech companies and law firms to bend the knee. The latest target in the president’s crosshairs? The guy who propped him up in the first place. Let us pray that The Wall Street Journal and Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch can survive his company being called a “pile of garbage newspaper” and a $10 billion lawsuit for an article about Trump sending Epstein an inappropriate birthday card! Guess the high standards for what’s considered defamation and libel in NYT v. Sullivan 50 years ago might as well be null and void. At this rate, let’s hope The Vanguard doesn’t get sued!
Squabbling with media moguls and megacorporations is partially a billionaire soap opera, but threatening educational institutions spells all kinds of danger for institutional independence. The message is clear: Get in line, or suffer the consequences. However, as the war on higher education intensifies and prestigious universities begin bargaining with the administration, we lose sight of those left behind as collateral damage.
Our conversations as private school students near two of the best universities in the world center around how the president’s decisions could affect our ability to partake in research or ex ercise our freedom of speech in college, but we mustn’t forget that small-town community colleges suffer equally — if not more — from these changes. The cancellation of grants supporting female workers hinders the ability of Durham Tech in North Carolina to sponsor classes preparing women and nonbinary individuals to work in con struction. Hacking away at the Department of Education’s budget uproots many English-as-a-second-language courses, alienating the nation’s less affluent immigrants as they seek a necessary step toward citizenship.
As all the hubbub about what’s going on in Washington bubbles over, the effects of funding cuts and executive orders are manifesting in Cambridge. The director of Cambridge Public Libraries recently spoke on how funding cuts are restricting the free public libraries’ resources. This means that public school students are losing access to valuable information. When you’re writing your junior history research paper, you’ll realize just how useful digital research databases actually are.
I’m not trying to make you feel bad about going to this school or worry about college, but as you read headlines about the outrageous deals being made and legislation being passed, remember that someone who lives within a 10-mile radius of you will suffer from those decisions. They matter, too.
You-Yan Wang Wang Weighs In
Matthew Walsh
Matt’s Beantown Sports Beat
Drawing by Sydney Ruiz
The Upper School has two poet laureates for the 2025-26 academic year for the first time since the program’s creation in 2023. Throughout the year, poet laureates coordinate events, bring in speakers and foster a love of reading and writing poetry. Matthias Paulson ’26 and Erin Yu ’27 were announced as this year’s poet laureates in May. —Gabe
Poet Laureates Face Off
Erin Yu
Why should students care about poetry?
In everyday speech, we are bound by politeness, precision or practicality, but with poetry, you can bend words until they reveal something raw and unfiltered. The beauty of poetry is that it doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic. Sometimes, it’s just noticing a detail, a sound, a moment and turning it into words.
Poetry is one of the most meaningful ways to express thoughts and feelings. Poetry has served as a storytelling tool for thousands of years, helping us understand the past while giving the future a glimpse of who we are.
BB&N-related haiku?
Blue knight in the snow, footsteps fade on quiet streets, bells echo through halls.
Monadnock behind, fires warm, squads gathered near, sad our Biv is done.
If your co-poet laureate won an award, what would it be?
It would be for spreading positivity wherever he goes. Matthias has a way of noticing people and moments that others might miss and making them feel seen and appreciated.
Erin would probably win an award for friendliness. She connects with everyone and somehow makes friends with the opposing team at every wrestling meet.
Describe your poetry-writing process in three words. Catch. Weave. Whisper. Ponder. Write. Rewrite.
What do you hope to do as poet laureate?
I hope to make poetry feel alive in everyday life, not just something you read in a book or memorize for a class. Through the many events and activities that Matthias and I will be coordinating, my goal is to encourage everyone at BB&N to see that their experiences can be valuable. I want poetry to be less about perfection and more about the quiet strength of words.
Caption Contest!
Have a creative caption for the cartoon below? Submit it to us by going to vanguard.bbns.org, clicking on “More” and then going to “Cartoons.” We’ll publish the top three titles in our next issue! The winner of last issue’s caption contest: “Escarg-NO!!!” —Stuart Ablon ’88
Second place: “Take your time studying, they said. Summer will be here before you know it, they said. Carry your house and all your school stuff on your back, they said. Exams are here ... and I can’t even reach my apple!” —Director of Advancement Services and Campaign Operations Evan Greene
Third place: “Only slime months to go!” —Parent ’26 ’30
Get more students interested in poetry while giving those who already love it a space to share their work. I hope to create weekly poetry hangouts, bring poetry into more assemblies and provide a place where students can get feedback and edits on their poems. Ultimately, I want to make poetry fun, accessible and a part of everyday life at BB&N.
The Crossword
1. Part of desert where water is found or a British rock band
4. Lonely experience at Bivouac
6. Mistake or for Calculus students, Lagrange _____ Bound 7. Hottest season in France Down:
1. Part of Super Bowl LI in which Patriots sealed comeback win, abbr.
Cooper ’26
Matthias Paulson
Drawing by Christine Tao
Photos Courtesy of Erin Yu
Photos Courtesy of Matthias Paulson
The Back Page
SUMMER SUPERLATIVES 2025
The man 3 doors down
In 2010, snow heaped on cars and bare trees along Pinckney Street in Boston. My dad stood outside with his shovel, boots and a bag of sidewalk salt, fulfilling the civil duty of sidewalk shoveling, expected of all Beacon Hill residents. His shovel scraped against uneven bricks, and the wind blew flurries from the roofs above. He had just begun salting the sidewalk when a man approached from three doors up and introduced himself as Clark Rockefeller.
Horns & Halos
A performative HORN to the matcha shortage.
A hopeful HALO to the new “Who’s Clubbing” email chain.
An “enough” HORN to a hundred new ghost clubs.
A spirited HALO to fall sports and Friday Knight Lights.
An appreciative HALO to The Vanguard’s improved printing paper.
An “it’s too early” HORN to school starting two days after August.
Strange, my dad thought. He had crossed paths with plenty of well-known people, but in an attempt to cut the strings attached to them, they tended not to lead with their last name. Rockefeller, however, seemed adamant in presenting himself as a member of the United States’ most powerful families. He was charismatic and self-assured, but my dad noted that his thin sweater, sneakers and need to borrow sidewalk salt showed he wasn’t accustomed to New England winters. Rockefeller got along well with the neighbors and spent lots of time with his 5-year-old daughter, Reigh, whom he called Snooks. On weekday mornings, they would walk to the school bus stop together. Rockefeller insisted that Reigh take the last name of his wife, Sandra Boss, who was almost always working. My dad remembers rarely seeing Boss around the neighborhood or with
Other than looking up his Wikipedia page after their first meeting, my dad didn’t give Rockefeller much thought. But one morning, my dad noticed him at the Starbucks on the corner of Charles and Beacon Street with his usual crowd of businessmen, looking visibly distraught. Turns out, Rockefeller had been served divorce papers, and Boss planned to cut him off financially and take custody of their daughter. As the divorce unfolded, Boss’s father began digging into Rockefeller’s background, and what he found didn’t add
“Psychopaths
are the world’s best actors. They blend into society through careful observation and imitation.”
Eventually, the court granted Sandra full custody of Reigh, an interesting arrangement since Rockefeller appeared to be her primary caregiver. He was allowed only limited, supervised visits. During one of these visits in 2008, Rockefeller snatched Reigh, ran from the court-ordered supervisor and took off in a black SUV. The dramatic domestic kidnapping sent Amber Alerts to every phone in Massachusetts. My dad remembers his shock when he recognized his former neighbor as the kidnapper on his cell phone.
While investigating the incident, Massachusetts authorities discovered that Rockefeller was not who he claimed to be. For days, no one, including the FBI, could figure out his true identity. They frantically searched for the kidnapped child and lifted a fingerprint left on Rockefeller’s wine glass. The print identified Clark Rockefeller not as a Rockefeller but as Christopher Chichester, a man who had lived in the carriage house of a John Sohus decades earlier in San Marino, California. Sohus had gone missing in the 1980s. The case went cold until his remains were discovered years later in the backyard of the California home. The unidentified man in the guest house, who had disappeared with him, became the prime suspect.
Six days later, the FBI found Reigh and arrested Chichester in Baltimore, Maryland. Investigators began unraveling a trail of aliases: Christopher Chichester in California, Christopher Crowe in New York and Clark Rockefeller in Boston. It turns out his real name was Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, a German who had come to the U.S. on a tourist visa as a teenager. This man was not a Rockefeller, and for 30 years, he had been living under false identities. Investigators connected him to the California murder, and Gerhartsreiter was convicted and sentenced to 27 years to life in prison.
Psychopaths are the world’s best actors. They blend into society through careful observation and imitation. Gerhartsreiter imitated his way across America and right into the Beacon Hill community. I often think of true crime as distant
but my dad’s story reminds me that predators don’t only exist in headlines or Netflix series. Sometimes, they live just three doors down.
fiction,
Louisa Kirk Kirk Off The Record
Photos Courtesy of Olivia Richter, Louisa Kirk, Viena Desai, Lukas Wellesley, Charlotte Garrity, Ayana Karthik and
Best group trip: Little Compton, R.I.
Best sunset: Woods Hole, Mass.
Coolest destination: Gibraltar
Best activity on a hot day: pool day
Best concert: Coldplay
Saddest college drop off: Amelia Shaywitz ’25 to BC
