An enthusiastic crowd of athletes, students, and families tried their hand at cornhole, posed at the blue and gold photo booth with friends, and participated in a raffle that was all coordinated by the Athletic Department for the first-ever Winter Athletics Carnival on Saturday, Jan. 11. The day brought out spectators to watch and cheer on the Boys’ Varsity Basketball (BVBB), Girls’ Varsity Basketball (GVBB), Boys’ Varsity Hockey (BVH), and Girls’ Varsity Hockey (GVH) home games.
Director of Athletics Jaye Locke explained that the idea for the Carnival has been in the works for a while.
“I think as a department, we have been talking about the fact that we do a lot of stuff in the fall … We really wanted to begin to celebrate the winter season and the spring season as well, so this was a first step in that direction.”
Coach Locke said recognizing all student athletes at the school is a priority. In the future, the Athletic Department hopes to do just that, she said.
“It is important that we honor and celebrate all the hard work that our winter teams do. There’s this feeling that the fall gets all these events, and every season is just as important. The goal is to have one major event each season and to put some resources behind it.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Service Learning fi nalizes program Students react to revamped requirement
Sonja Peetz-Larsen Arts Editor
During Thanksgiving break, the junior class received an invitation to a Service Learning Canvas page. Students quickly discovered that multiple service learning assignments were due after the break, including a 500- to 700-word essay and a recorded video. With only a brief class meeting announcement for a warning, students felt confused about the new Service Learning Program.
Previously, Upper School (US) students were required to complete 40 hours of community service by the end of high school, followed by a written reflection. The school’s current seniors, the Class of 2025, are the last with an hours-based graduation requirement.
Former Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator Candie Sanderson began designing a new Service Learning requirement in 2021 with the help of US Service Learning Coordinators Gabriela Gonzenbach, Sasha Lyons, and Former US Math Teacher Agnes Voligny.
Ms. Sanderson aimed to move the program away from the traditional 40 hours to foster greater personal growth among students, she said.
“I wanted us to shift from saying, ‘We’re serving people in need,’ which felt like a deficit way of thinking about it, to, ‘This is an opportunity for us to help our community and to get involved and get exposed to new things.’”
It was difficult to establish structure for the new requirement, however.
“There was a simplicity and clarity to the 40 hours, and now, it’s a little bit less cut and dry because we need a series of competencies from a rubric, which is more of a gray area.”
Ms. Sanderson departed the school in September 2023 (See Volume 52, Issue 4: “DEIG officer leaves US to aid homeless”) without finalizing the plan for service learning during junior and senior year. Her position was not filled until a year after her departure; Ms. Voligny, Profe. Gonzenbach, and Ms. Lyons collectively oversaw service during the gap.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Lower School teacher arrested on child pornography charges Joshua DeWitte arraigned after five months at school
Chloe Taft Editor-in-Chief
Lower School (LS) Music Teacher in grades 3-6 Joshua DeWitte was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 9 on child sexual abuse material charges. At his arraignment in Cambridge District Court, Mr. DeWitte pleaded not guilty to six counts of distribution of obscene matter to a minor, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of distribution of child sexual act material. There is currently no evidence to suggest that any victims are BB&N students, Cambridge Police Department (CPD)
Sergeant James Diggins confirmed on Jan. 18.
According to a statement from Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan’s office, investigators received a tip about “suspected activity” on Mr. DeWitte’s Snapchat account in December. Mr. DeWitte was allegedly using the photo-sharing app to have “sexual in nature” conversations with middle-school aged, male children. His bail was set at $8,000.
Head of School Jennifer Price notified parents of Mr. DeWitte’s arrest in an email Thursday afternoon. After learning
about the charges at 9:15 a.m., Dr. Price placed Mr. DeWitte on leave and issued a “no trespass” order. The following day, LS Director Anthony Reppucci and LS Counselor Ashley Correia visited every homeroom in grades 3-6 to explain why he was asked to leave, using ageappropriate language. Four days later, after he failed to show up for an internal employment hearing, Mr. DeWitte was fired. “Everyone deserves a process,” Dr. Price said about the initial decision to put Mr. DeWitte on leave.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Browne & Nichols Upper School, Cambridge,
Photo Courtesy of Ryan Figlioli
Martha Balson and Madeline Egan (both ’25) share a lighthearted moment during the Girls’ Varsity Basketball game at the Winter Athletics Carnival on Jan. 11.
Vanguard February 2025
Is required reading regrettable?
Teach us the English classics with a core curriculum
A large objective of the Upper School’s (US) English curriculum is to allow students to gain an in-depth understanding of literature, establishing a common ground. Hence, Shakespearean skits line the English hallway, “Pride and Prejudice” is adored, and US English Teacher Beth MacNamara’s passion for “Moby Dick” never gets old. There should be a general requirement for a school-wide English curriculum to maintain this common ground.
The above-mentioned texts may seem worthless when it’s 11:43 p.m, and you’re only halfway through the 20 pages of homework reading; however, knowing the classics has immense benefits. These titles are referenced in the news, on social media, and in daily conversation, so having even a vague recollection of their significance allows one to be more culturally aware. After all, the school preaches “preparing for life beyond high school” and being a cultured citizen is a critical aspect of adulthood.
A general requirement would certainly not demand that each and every student become engrossed in the texts. There is value in literature that is not unanimously adored or agreed upon.
At one point or another in a student’s career, there
may be a time when the student does not agree with the morals of a historical figure or event. Consider Christopher Columbus, for example. Was the Native American genocide an atrocity? Absolutely. However, it is a significant historical event, and it is adequately discussed in schools across the world. Although many may not agree with Columbus’ ideals, important class discussions can be sparked from analyzing his actions. Similarly, a student might not love every novel they read at the US, but they can still criticize and learn from these texts. Silently removing them from the curriculum and ignoring them outright yields no benefit.
Reading parts of the Bible is one of the units that was quietly removed from our curriculum. However, the Old Testament stories are part of two of the mostsold books in the world, the Bible and the Torah, and reasonably so. With a staggering 37 million Christian congregations worldwide and 68% of the United States identifying as either Christian or Jewish, these religious texts are central to our civilizations.
It’s certainly not suggested that the student body read the text in its entirety nor do students’ values have to align with either text. Regardless, reading the bibles with a secular lens would create cultured, critical
If a general requirement were to be established, the system must be more effective than that currently in place. “The Leavers,” currently read in freshman year, tells the stories of confounding characters, all tied together by a mediocre final chapter and poor writing. “The Leavers” fails to teach its readers a lesson of any value, and the book is certainly not a household name. On the other hand, do we really need to read this much Shakespeare? Currently, there is an excessive amount of his work in the curriculum, and it can become redundant by junior year.
The core curriculum books should be a) notably renowned and b) of adequate variety. If these books continue to be part of the curriculum for freshman and sophomore years, they will provide students with a strong literary foundation as they progress into the latter half of high school.
While it is impossible to formulate the “ideal” collection of books and teach them in a matter of two years, it is most certainly worth further discussion. This curriculum needs to be curated with care and attention to variety and values—so, please, no more “The Leavers.”
The study of literature is a powerful part of education. It allows students to better understand other perspectives in addition to their own. For this learning to work, though, students must engage with the material, not just read passively. There should not be general requirements in our English Department to broaden perspectives and create engaging classrooms.
A passionate teacher who is excited about what they are teaching is the best kind of teacher. Some faculty may prefer a poetry unit or a Shakespeare play—giving teachers the ability to choose their readings ensures that they are interested in what they are teaching, which encourages their students to engage as well.
If teachers determine their own curriculum, students could also decide what genres and types of books they are most interested in when selecting their classes. It is important to be exposed to new types of literature beyond what you know, but students can’t do their best learning if they have no connection to or enthusiasm for the material.
A main issue with the current required reading in English is that it perpetuates a set of books that are deemed “important” or “revered,” which are often written from similar perspectives. By only reading one type of literature, such as Western canon, we signify that only one type is valuable or worth reading.
‘We need new courses’ to diversify English reading Arts
Asst. Photo Editor Olivia Richter
Faculty Advisor Kim Whitney
e 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.
e Vanguard is the official student newspaper of the Buckingham Browne & Nichols Upper School, which has 543 students, 96 faculty members, and 64 staff members. Affiliated with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the paper is a forum for differing views and welcomes comments from its readers in the form of Letters to the Editor. No anonymous letters will be printed. e Vanguard reserves the right to edit all letters for length. e Vanguard publishes eight issues per annual volume and prints between 500 and 800 copies of each issue. About 200 of those are mailed out; the rest are distributed around campus.
Staff Artists: Victoria Nassikas, Isabel Doricent, Kate Rice, Lea Freiin Von Hilgers
In recent years, the inclusion of books written by authors of color has introduced a wider range of perspectives to students. However, commonlyread books, such as “The Leavers” and “We Need New Names,” appear to be simply filling a quota. When we add new voices, they are often limited in number. It can feel more like we’re checking a box than highlighting books of great importance. A set curriculum doesn’t allow teachers to pick texts they are passionate about, which would allow them to elevate diverse stories.
Yes, the “Odyssey” and Shakespeare plays are classics of literary merit, but does every freshman and sophomore need to read them in their entirety? Students with an interest in learning the classics could elect to do so, but those who are interested in other types of literature should be able to choose a different path.
The inclusion or exclusion of religious texts further illustrates this point. Before parts of the Bible and Torah was removed from the English curriculum, it was the only religious texts taught. The Bible is often referenced in the literature we read in English classes because we consume mostly Western media. While literature and media often reference biblical stories, focusing solely on the Old Testament in education gives the impression that it holds more value than other religions and their sacred texts. Teaching texts like the Bible and Torah, which highlight only one perspective, fails to broaden our scope of understanding.
We need to move away from book requirements to allow teachers to fully curate their syllabi, creating more engaged classes, and abandon a commitment to the classics to teach a more diverse and complete range of stories in our English classrooms.
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No one knows [What’s Happening]
The new Service Learning Program is community service 2.0, rebranded with the usual buzzwords: “meaningful connections,” “deeper understanding,” and “communKnighty.” But at what point does service learning become so focused on reflection that the service is lost?
The main issue facing the new service learning requirement is that no one really seems to understand what it is. Students in the junior class, the first to experience the new program, received an email over Thanksgiving break with assignments due the following week. They were tasked with writing reflective essays and creating videos about their experiences with community service.
This out-of-the-blue assignment left many students feeling rushed and confused by the larger program. The 500word essay and video was only the first assignment. Now, juniors are beginning a vague, two-year service learning program. The junior class hasn’t engaged in any service outside mandated afternoons until this year, so rounds of reflection feel
misplaced and unexpected.
Even members of the Community Engagement Leadership Board have been left feeling confused by the change. If a group of students dedicated to community service and engagement are out of the loop, how are underclassmen supposed to understand the new system?
While it is fair to question whether the previous hour requirement really promoted valuable service, it at least forced students to dedicate 40 hours of their time over the course of high school.
The argument that under the 40hour system students will fulfill their requirement with a smattering of service opportunities seems unfounded. To complete all 40 hours, most students have to spend a large portion of their time with one organization. Even if a student decides to try many different forms of service, that does not necessarily mean their time was wasted.
The new system claims to encourage students to learn more about a specific issue that they want to combat before
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addressing it through their work. Education about service learning is important, but it cannot replace the actual service that benefits communities.
The 40-hour requirement admittedly does face some setbacks. Many students choose to complete their entire requirement during Senior Spring Project (SSP)—the last eight weeks of high school. To promote engaging in service throughout all four years of high school, the school could implement a 10hour per year or 20-hour every two year requirement instead. The school could also widely offer a spreadsheet, similar to the one used for SSP internships, with a list of community service opportunities for students.
Can a requirement ever really be meaningful for everyone? Maybe not. But, forcing students to simply reflect on their service learning does not guarantee meaningful engagement either. Let’s return to a 40-hour requirement to ensure actually serving, as well as learning.
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Created by Mr. Fidler and Mr. Rollinson
On Campus
New service requirement implemented for juniors Deadlines,
first assignments cause confusion
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Global Education Patty Dei took over Ms. Sanderson’s position this fall. He is now in charge of finalizing and sustaining the new Service Learning Program. The 40-hour system was in need of alteration, Mr. Dei said.
“The hours-based approach often encouraged students to focus on logging time rather than fostering a genuine connection with the communities they served,” he said via email. “This transactional mindset diminished the depth of the service experience.”
While completing the 40 hours, students developed minimal understanding 0f their work and the people involved, he said.
“The system didn’t encourage critical thinking about the root causes of societal problems. Many students didn’t fully develop empathy for the people or communities they served. They weren’t challenged to think about the lived experiences of those affected by the issues they were working to address.”
Mr. Dei hopes to resolve these issues by encouraging students to develop deeper relationships with their communities.
“The new model inspires lifelong civic engagement and transforms service into a purposeful learning experience.”
The new service learning requirement helps students to develop self-awareness, understand community needs, address systemic
issues, promote leadership and advocacy, and create sustainable impact, Mr. Dei said. Students will participate in two afternoons of service during their freshman and sophomore years. During junior and senior year, students are urged to form relationships with organizations and to complete assignments posted on the Canvas page while serving their communities. The requirement culminates in a final project, according to Mr. Dei.
For the junior class, the first service learning assignments were initially due the Monday after Thanksgiving break on Dec. 2, 2024 despite the no homework holiday. The due date was then bumped to Dec. 6, during Critical Academic Period, then Dec. 13, an exam review day, and again to Jan. 6, the first day back from winter break. After adjusting the deadline four times, the Service Learning coordinators settled upon Jan. 8.
In a collaborative statement, Profe. Gonzenbach and Mr. Dei said the assignments aim to aid students in their understanding of service.
“Assignments and projects were developed to provide a structured but flexible framework that supports both student learning and community impact.”
Convincing the US community of the new system’s benefits has been a challenge, they said.
“Moving away from the traditional hours-based mindset required significant effort to change expectations among students, teachers, and parents. It required
clear communication to show how the new program was more impactful and meaningful.”
CELB member Aleeza Riaz ’25 believes that communication has been inadequate.
“The new system is quite vague, and even I don’t have a great grasp on it, so that just highlights what the problem is with the current system.”
Aleeza prefers the prior system, she said.
“Without the 40-hours of requirement, there’s no incentive for people to do service.”
Fellow CELB member Naomi Hammerschlag ’25 agrees that the new model requires more definition.
“I think that there should be some sort of structure to our service learning because a lot of people have become disengaged from those opportunities because it’s not being publicized.”
Rather than a single day of service for freshmen and sophomores, the new policy should instead introduce consistent service in students’ first year, Naomi said.
“It would be nice to expose students to volunteering early by talking about it in freshman class meetings, because it’s so easy to get involved,” she said. “I think if you just start exposing all these resources and organizations to people early, then they’ll be more likely to seek it out throughout their high school experience.”
Lizzy Nicholas ’28 shares Naomi’s desire for clarity about the requirement, she said.
“I feel like it would be helpful if
the school provided a more in-depth description of what the requirements are and how you can fulfill those requirements throughout your four years of high school.”
For Hailey Jiang ’26, the service learning assignments were poorly timed, she said.
“I have a gripe with when they sent the Canvas course link,” she said. “It was the first day of Thanksgiving break, and then when we returned, they asked us, ‘Why is nobody finishing their assignments?’ Then, they made it due the third day back from winter break, so we had to do it over break.”
Julia Wang ’26 disapproves of the reflection-heavy new system, she said.
“It’s really useless, and I feel like people are going to volunteer a bunch of hours anyways, so there’s no point in doing all this extra stuff that they’re making us do.”
Mr. Dei and Profe. Gonzenbach said they will continue to accept community feedback with hopes of developing an ideal service learning model.
Student Council hopes to revive snow ball in future Upperclassmen leaders, grade deans to work on logistics of holding dance
Matthew Walsh Sports Editor
In the movie “Elf,” during a snowball fight in Central Park, Buddy the elf rapidly assembles an arsenal of snowballs before hurling them toward the local children, who run away screaming in joy. Now imagine the scene without the bombardment of snowballs. The children awkwardly shrug and walk home—not the same holiday spirit.
At the Upper School (US), there once was a Snow Ball. Spearheaded by former Senior Class President Emily McGurn ’23, the Nicholas Athletic Center was transformed into a winter wonderland for the jointgrade, upperclassmen semi-formal on Jan. 20, 2023. However, unlike Buddy’s colossal supply of snowballs in his epic fight scene, the Snow Ball was a singular compensatory event for the senior class whose typical bonding experiences were largely canceled by COVID-19, including their Bivouac and Junior Prom.
While the Snow Ball was supposed to be one-and-done, when over 180 upperclassmen showed up, Student Council attempted to recreate the dance last winter. While the proposal made its way through Student Council, difficulty arose in deciding on a date, and the organizing for the event was ultimately cut short by the winter exams. Despite the dance-less winter this year and last, Junior Class President Jonathan Andreoli
’26 noted strong support for the Snow Ball to make a return in 2026.
“Last year, we did a survey, and people wanted a Snow Ball more than a homecoming dance. So next year, if we could have a Snow Ball and start planning it this year, that’s something that we definitely want to do.”
Senior Class President Haley Hicks ’25 agreed that the Snow Ball should fill the gap of homecoming and stressed the importance of getting next year’s planning started now.
“Going forward, the best plan of action would be to set it up for next year and make it an all-year thing,” she said. “Officially replacing homecoming with it means starting it up this year and planning it out so it has the gears and more time to find people to run it next year.”
When trying to plan a Snow Ball this year, Haley and Jonathan struggled to find a volunteer faculty advisor to help with event planning and administrative logistics.
“We haven’t yet found a faculty member willing to champion for the Snow Ball,” Haley said.
While Jonathan and Haley had also hoped to streamline organizing the event by working outside of Student Council, their plans were complicated by input from the senior class co-deans, who felt the event should be US-wide, meaning the proposal would have to go through the typical Student Council process to include all grades. Senior
Class Co-Deans Leah Cataldo and Cecile Roucher-Greenberg said that it was the general consensus among all deans that the Snow Ball should return as a school-wide event.
“A school-wide event is the preference of all of the deans,” they wrote in a shared statement. “A school-wide event would create a sense of community, and it would unite the different grades in a positive and fun manner. Right now, we don’t have such kinds of events, like a homecoming dance, for instance.”
Dr. Cataldo and Mme. RoucherGreenberg also said that a schoolwide event would allow organizers to divide and complete tasks more efficiently.
“Although it might be difficult to have a bigger group to lead, make decisions, and organize how to put together a school-wide event, it also allows students to distribute the many required tasks to have the event approved and be successful Those tasks include writing a proposal, meeting with the school administration, booking a venue, contacting vendors, calculating the ticket price, and selling tickets,” they wrote. “Having it be a schoolwide event also makes it less work for each person.”
Dean of Students Rory Morton ’81 is “all for” the return of a Snow Ball, he said. Although he doesn’t have a preference for an upperclassmen-only or school-wide event, he warned of the challenges of
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“Cross-grade events can be fun, provided they provide the opportunity for everyone to feel welcomed and able to take part in it,” he said. “However, they are tough to pull off. If you are talking about an event that involves the whole student body population— over 500 students—we don’t have a lot of spaces that can accommodate that size gathering.”
Student Body Co-President Aparajita Srivastava ’25 is also skeptical of the Snow Ball’s implementation as a US-wide dance.
“There were conversations about having it be a whole school semiformal, which is just not possible right now,” she said. “You see assembly—it’s massive. Try putting all those students in fancy clothes, give them food, and get them dancing. Maybe it will be feasible in five years if we figure this out, but it’s not feasible now.”
While the Student Council Constitution prohibits any representatives of Student Council from disclosing proposals before they’ve been enacted, Aparajita said the Council’s recent silence is the result of a school-wide proposal planned for this spring.
“There is something new coming during Senior Spring Project for the whole school … If you haven’t heard anything about us in the fall, it’s because we are working on something big.”
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Students, faculty reflect on
sophomore guides program Freshman opinions differ from organizers’ goals
Gabe Cooper On Campus Editor
Three times each year, groups of freshmen wander around the Upper School (US) in search of their sophomore guides and overflowing bags of candy. Encouraged by this sweet incentive, groups of 10 freshmen discuss their experiences at the US with two sophomore leaders, asking questions about their classes, teachers, clubs, and exams. This year’s 30 sophomore guides often spent meetings playing games with their groups or leading activities to introduce the freshmen to each other.
US Science Teacher Leah Cataldo founded the program during the 2000-2001 academic year along with former Math Teacher Peggy Payne and former Librarian Sandy Dow (See Vol 29, Issue 4: “Sophomores guide freshmen”). Unlike the current system, sophomore guides originally connected with their groups prior to the start of school and met five times per year.
While serving as the sophomore class dean, Dr. Cataldo and her colleagues designed the sophomore guides program to both offer sophomores a leadership position and integrate freshmen into the US community, she said.
“We wanted to add a program that was a leadership opportunity for sophomores since there were very few available at the time,” she said. “We also wanted to cultivate connections between the grades with kids who are closer in age and to help ease the transition to the Upper School for all freshmen. Transitioning to high school is tough with homework, classes, and free time, so we designed our program to help.”
Dr. Cataldo remembered some students not wanting to engage with the program 20 years ago. However, she believed that most students learned something important from the new meetings, she said.
“We hoped that for those who thought that the
meetings were not useful, there were others who thought it was valuable. Adolescents are always going to think that something’s a waste of time if it’s not exactly what they want to be doing.”
US History Department Head and Sophomore Guides Head Susan Glazer said that while she believes the current program is effective, it could include more training sessions and meetings with the freshmen to have a greater impact.
“I think the meetings run pretty well,” she said. “I would love to have more opportunities for the guides and freshmen to mix. Sophomore guides is not a heavy lift, which I think is great, but there could be some more training. I don’t want it to become overwhelming, but the program could be beefier and have a little more to it.”
Planning ahead of time leads to more productive meetings, Ms. Glazer said. Ultimately, the sophomore guides can adapt to meet the needs of their groups.
“It can be daunting to go in with a group of students that doesn’t necessarily want to be there, and you’re only a year older,” she said. “That’s why we talk through a game plan, but there’s always flexibility. If the conversation goes in a direction or if there’s something that the freshmen really want to do, the guides have that flexibility.”
Sophomore Guide Marina Kluzak ’27, who led meetings with fellow guide Francisco Santos ’27, said freshmen may view attending sophomore guide meetings as a “chore,” but they’ll appreciate the lessons later in the year.
“I think they would totally rather have free time than the meetings because anyone would rather have free time at school,” Marina said.
Sophomore Guides Meredith Richardson and Kaeleigh Neil (both ’27) co-led their meetings. Meredith felt lucky to have a “pretty tight-knit” group of freshmen who valued their meetings, she said.
“You’re not guaranteed to land with a group
From POV to podcast: Luke
with good chemistry, but our group works pretty well. Everyone’s pretty engaged, and I feel like they feel comfortable coming to us and asking questions. We feel like we’re there for a reason, and we’re not just an obligation they have to do during CAB.”
Sophomore Guide Amo Forman ’27 said his group hardly asked questions during their last meeting.
“I think we answered two questions last meeting,” he said. “We played hangman and wavelength together during the meeting, which made everyone seem more relaxed and less anxious. We had a chill CAB and let them out 10 minutes early so they could see their friends.”
Sophomore guide meetings often meet the minimum requirement but may fall short of engaging quiet groups of freshmen, Amo said.
“I wouldn’t call them the most successful meetings. Our group is pretty quiet, but we got what needed to be said across and had a chill time.”
Oliver Song ’28 said the peer counselors’ advisory programming felt significantly more structured. He would rather go to peer counselors than his sophomore guides if he had a personal concern, he said. Even though his sophomore guides tried hard to entertain his group, Oliver said their meetings sometimes felt unnecessary.
“If I’m completely honest, I think I could have not had any of those meetings and done just as well transitioning to the Upper School, but it is kind of nice to be able to come together with other freshmen and sophomores and talk through the transition.”
Ilsa Schrag ’28 said her sophomore guides often dismissed her group early. She doubts that her group will stay in touch with their sophomore guides, she said.
“We didn’t get super close ... I feel like we were just sitting there asking questions, and they responded, but it wasn’t really a conversation between us.”
Vargas ’08 returns to the US Founder of political magazine discusses life, career
Henry Carroll Contributing Writer
“I’m not sure if this is legal anymore,” Luke Vargas ’08 joked, recounting the time in high school when he made a press pass at Kinkos to gain access to a presidential rally. To his surprise, it worked. The Secret Service was adequately impressed with his credentials: Editor-in-Chief and Founder of the Point of View (POV).
Mr. Vargas told this story and many others when he returned to the Upper School (US) on Monday, Jan. 13 to talk with students about his career in global journalism and offer life advice he’s learned along the way.
Since graduating from the US 17 years ago, Mr. Vargas has reported on global affairs from 40 countries, met various world leaders, and now hosts “What’s News,” a daily news podcast, for The Wall Street Journal. But Mr. Vargas’ journey began while he was just an US student. As a junior interested in politics and journalism, he created the POV, the school’s only political magazine.
“I was completely bitten by this idea of just getting out into the world and covering politics,” Mr. Vargas said.
The first edition of the POV, printed in the spring of 2007, included political cartoons, photo essays, and an editorial about the war in Iraq. During his visit, Mr. Vargas urged students to pursue their interests and take risks.
“If it makes you nervous, do it,” he said.
During his presentation, Mr. Vargas frequently returned to the theme of persisting in the face of adversity. He recounted various obstacles he encountered throughout his student career, including the difficulty of starting the POV and being rejected from both a travel fellowship at New York University and a Cable News Network fellowship in New York.
A full Community Room of students congregated to hear Mr. Vargas speak, each drawn for different reasons, including interest in
journalism, plans to apply for the Marina Keegan ’08 Fellowship, and the chance to hear from someone who once stood in their shoes. James Constan ’25 said he left the event struck by Mr. Vargas’s.
“He was very impressively driven,” James said. “At times when he created situations to get around barriers, it was really smart … He was very inspiring in the resiliency department.”
James also appreciated his genuine and engaged manner.
“Luke just seemed like someone who actually wanted to be there and share his insights because he thought he had something valuable, rather than just being there to show off a little bit and not really add anything of substance,” he said.
The current editors-in-chief of the POV, Rohan Jayaraman and Sophia Stafford (both ’25), attended to hear about their founder’s experiences at the US and beyond.
“As an editor-in-chief of the magazine, I was curious to kind of see how it first came into fruition, and I think that he was also just a very inspirational guy,” Rohan said. “I never really thought of how these ideas came to BB&N.”
Mr. Vargas also touched on his involvement with the Keegan Fellowship—a program created in honor of Marina Keegan ’08, a classmate and close friend of Mr. Vargas. Marina, who was passionate about activism and art during her time at the US, died days after graduating from Yale University. In addition to providing funding for juniors and sophomores to work on activism and arts-related projects over the summer, the fellowship offers students a chance to mature individually, Mr. Vargas said.
“The Keegan Fellowship is that chance to do something a little bit nerve-wracking and learn a lot about yourself along the way.”
In his current position within the program, Mr. Vargas offers guidance to students who are considering applying and serves on a board that reviews applications. Ultimately, two students or groups are selected each year. Junior Class Dean and US English Teacher Beth McNamara works
alongside Mr. Vargas on the Fellowship Committee.
“Luke has just been a huge part in helping advise students and having a wonderful sense of what he’s trying to remember in Marina’s legacy and also just see in our students.”
Ms. Mac first taught Mr. Vargas during his sophomore year. She was close with both Mr. Vargas and Ms. Keegan. Through their involvement in the Keegan Fellowship, Mr. Vargas and Ms. Mac have stayed in touch. She invited him back to the US because students would be able to relate to him, she said.
“He knows what you’ve been through,” Ms. Mac said. “He knows what you’re going to do in your future years. It’s as relevant advice as it could possibly be, and it might echo what some of your teachers say, but it’s better when it comes from an actual alum.”
After the talk, Jonathan Andreoli ’26, a junior considering applying for the Keegan Fellowship, joined a line of students waiting with questions for Mr. Vargas. His words were encouraging, Jonathan said.
“He said that whatever we want to do, we should just do it and find a way to make it work. And he was open to any idea we had, so that helped us reassure ourselves with whatever we wanted to do, that it could be accepted.”
Pilar Bowen-Arce ’28 was glad she attended Mr. Vargas’ talk, she said.
“I just figured that if there was an opportunity to learn from someone who’s been in the same position as me, I should take it.”
Photo Courtesy of Sophia Stafford
The POV’s editorial board poses with Mr. Vargas.
Junior class attends College Counseling Kickoff
Counselors, admissions officers host updated workshops for juniors
Yancheng Zhao Features Editor
For freshmen and sophomores, the College Counseling Office hallway is usually just an alternate way to get to their science classrooms from the Commons. However, for juniors and seniors, the office is a frequent destination as they prepare for and take on the college application process.
The College Counseling team believes the winter of junior year is when students are developmentally ready to begin the college search process, College Counseling Co-Director Sharonda Dailey Thompson said. To formally start the process of applying to college, the team hosts their annual kickoff event at the Upper School for juniors and their families at the end of January. This year, it happened on Jan. 25.
“The kickoff is, for many students, their first real exposure to the college process,” she said. “Our hope is to ‘kick it off,’ meaning we want everyone to start the process and feel like they have the same sort of base level of knowledge to work from.”
Staffed by four counselors and an office manager, the College Counseling Department aims to support students at the school as they navigate their future plans.
“Our goal is to offer student-centered support with the college search and application process,” Ms. Dailey Thompson said. “That means that the student’s goals, interests, needs, and wants are prioritized.”
Instead of talking about rankings, the counselors focus on finding the right fit and community for a student.
“We work really hard to try to broaden students’ awareness of what’s out there,” she said. “Fit, match, and student-centered, I would say, are three keywords for our process.”
The kickoff began with a panel of admissions officers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Colby College, Case Western Reserve University, and Washington University in Louis. A fifth representative from University of California Los Angeles who was scheduled to participate was sick and unable to attend.
“We open with a panel of college admission officers who come to shine a light and answer questions that many families have in regards to how they view applications, what they see as trends in the admission world, what they’re hoping to see from applicants.”
On top of answering questions, the panel also helps bolster confidence in the College Counseling team, Ms. Dailey Thompson said.
“The counselors can talk all day, but hearing from the actual people who will read applications if you were to apply to their institution can be really meaningful and make sure that you know they support what we say.”
The College Counseling Office aimed to include voices from many types of schools, she said.
“Every institution is so different, and we really think it’s important to have different types of institutions represented on that stage, so you get to hear from a small liberal arts college, a large research university, a school on the East Coast, a school on the West Coast, something in the Midwest.”
After the panel, the families separated into smaller groups to examine case studies of “Gerry Nichols” and “Jeanie Buckingham,” pseudonyms for two former students, whose profiles were slightly updated to reflect the current college process.
Led by an admissions officer, each group discussed the two students’ transcripts, which included their grades, recommendations, and extracurriculars. Groups were given historical acceptance rate data and a marking from the students’ college counselors on whether a school was “highly unlikely,” “unlikely,” “possible,” or “likely” and were encouraged to predict the final admissions outcome for each school and student.
The counselors redesigned the case study two years ago to better reflect the entire application process, not just the results, Ms. Dailey Thompson said.
“Usually, with a case study, you just look at an application and make an admission decision based
on what you see. But this case study focuses on really analyzing the college list and thinking about the balance of a college list and the workload that’s involved with applying to colleges.”
Families ended the event with a panel of six students: Andreu Beltran, Naomi Hammerschlag, Olivia Lee, Lila Sullivan, Aleeza Riaz, and Wyatt Welu (all ’25). The current seniors talked about their experience applying to college, sharing how and why they made decisions throughout their process.
Lorenzo Blackston ’26 said the event was informative and educated him about what to expect in the application process.
“I think this was an amazing event. It definitely gave me a lot of insights about what the college process is going to look like, especially with having someone that is a college admissions officer.”
The event was well-timed, Lorenzo said.
“I think it’s a good time for people to start. If you started in, let’s say, September, I feel like I’d be really stressed out. Junior year is already a stressful year for everyone. If you’re already starting the college process then, I feel like I’d be overwhelmed, but in January, you’re halfway through the year and more adjusted and comfortable with junior year.”
Annie Zhu ’26 said she wished there was more time to engage with the panelists.
“If I were to change one thing, I would give the students a designated time to go up to admission officers and ask questions.”
She wished she had access to a college counselor while selecting courses for junior year, she said.
“Since I think junior courses are a big part of how your college process is going to turn out, if you could have had guidance about what courses to take, what APs, what honors, it would have helped a lot more this junior year and in preparation for colleges.”
Although Wyatt changed his major halfway through his college process, he felt supported by College Counseling Co-Director Julia Kobus, his counselor, he said.
“I initially wanted to do mechanical engineering, and I shifted to physics. She really helped guide me through that.”
Wyatt said he appreciated Ms. Kobus helping him stay organized over the large workload of applications.
“When they say, ‘It’s your process, we’re just here to help and guide it,’ they really do mean it. It can be really stressful with all the sheer amount of stuff you have to do, but it’s been really easy because they just structure it perfectly.”
Student councils organize senior and sophomore bake-offs Participants sell baked goods in bracket-style tournaments
Santi Cavallo
Contributing Writer
The scent of chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cupcakes, lemon bars, and other baked goods has filled the Commons during recent lunch blocks as the sophomore and senior “bake-offs” began at the Upper School. In this new take on a bake sale, two teams bring in a homemade batch of around 40-50 baked goods to sell to students, a concept that has drawn enthusiasm from participants and consumers alike.
In the sophomore grade competition, $3 buys a pair of baked goods, one from both teams. Students who purchase a pair vote for their favorite. The team with the highest number of votes advances to the next round.
Sophomore Vice President Diya Gandhi ’27, who helped organize the bake-offs, said the main objective was to raise money for the grade treasury.
“Last year, we only did one bake sale,” she said. “This year, we’re going to be having a dance on May 17, so we definitely needed to step up our game.”
Since few members on the sophomore student council had baking experience, they decided it would be a good idea to outsource the baking, Diya said. So far, the sophomore student council has raised over $500. According to her, as the competition progresses, the prices for a pair of baked goods will increase to reflect the increased level of competition. In the semifinal round, attendees will pay $4, while the final will cost $5. Diya said it has been 100% successful.
“Everyone’s really excited about it. Everyone’s really interested in the score. There’s a lot of competition and bragging rights involved.”
The bake-offs have generated so much enthusiasm that they have the potential to become an annual event, possibly expanding to include 16 teams instead of 8, Diya said.
Olivia Bell ’27 would prefer to see a more compact competition schedule. There were almost three weeks between every contest, making the quarterfinal round feel very long, she said.
“The most fun part was being able to work together but also getting to see people’s reactions to trying our cupcakes.”
Olivia and her teammate Barbara Ma ’27 won their contest on Dec. 5, 2024 and advanced to the next round.
“We just wanted to bake,” Barbara said. “But it was also fun that we were earning money for the treasury, for fun activities.”
Senior participants are at liberty to bring in any amount of baked goods and price them however they want so they each have different maximum profits. Whoever raises the highest percentage of money out of their maximum profits wins the round. The competition was inspired by the March Madness college basketball bracket, Senior Student Council Representative James Constan ’25 said.
“It was just a fun way to have a bake sale. We could have just had regular bake sales, but this was a great way to bring the grade together and have fun together.”
So far, the Senior Student Council has raised about $470, most of which will go toward funding prom.
The 12th grade semifinals began on Friday, Jan. 10, when Maggie Pond and Ellora Roy’s cake pops beat Beckett Dubovik’s pumpkin bread (all ’25). On Jan. 31, Aleeza Riaz, whose cupcakes defeated Victoria
Nassikas’ lemon squares, competed against Kate Rice, whose chocolate chip cookies beat Haley Hicks’ coffee cake in November (all ’25).
Like the sophomores, the seniors plan to raise prices.
“We sell out in 10 minutes,” James said. “The lines get kind of crazy sometimes.”
Another goal of the bake-offs was bringing the class together, he said.
“Senior year is a great year to get together as a grade … People invite their friends and it’s just really good for the community.”
Aleeza said the grade council achieved their goal.
“With this experience of having people actually bake for our class bake sales, there’s a greater sense of community, and people are really excited to support each other and support the class. Seeing everyone coming together like that was great.”
The sophomore semifinals were planned for Jan. 23 and Feb. 6. The final will occur on Feb. 20, and the senior final will take place on Feb. 7.
School
The open held transparency “I this transparent withhold It’s not Mr. St. Japan. “followed said. committee Dr. Price background references school CPD no prior of criminal review
“I would something said. rigorous flags. strong.”
Mr. to face Middle Washburn in 1988 year MS, which Gunness Department 47, Issue suicide”). history.
Staff Photo by Yancheng Zhao
Admission representatives from various colleges and universities spoke to US students and families at the kickoff.
Photo Courtesy of Diya Gandhi
Olivia Bell and Barbara Ma (both ’27) won their first round with a batch of cupcakes.
focuses on about that’s of six Hammerschlag, Wyatt their why was expect definitely college having you really year college but in more more give the admission counselor how could what more halfway supported by his engineering, guide me helping workload of here can be you just Rice, coffee raise lines the as a really goal. actually sense of support everyone Jan. and the Gandhi first
Off Campus
LS teacher faces child sexual abuse material charges School community processes DeWitte’s
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The statement to families also promised an open forum for parents and caretakers, to be held the following week. Dr. Price prioritized transparency in her response, she said.
“I hope I’ve demonstrated throughout this whole process that I’m about being transparent and sharing. I’m not going to withhold information from our community. It’s not who I am or who we are as a school.”
Mr. DeWitte was hired in August from St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo, Japan. The school’s hiring protocol was “followed completely” in his case, Dr. Price said. He successfully completed a hiring committee evaluation and an interview with Dr. Price over Zoom, passed CORI and SORI background checks, and provided three strong references from Cambridge Public Schools, a school in South Korea, and a choir he directed. CPD officials confirmed that Mr. DeWitte had no prior record or other missed indications of criminal activity. Still, the school plans to review its hiring standards.
“I absolutely understand that people would love to have an answer that we missed something or didn’t do something,” Dr. Price said. “But the reality is, we followed a pretty rigorous hiring process, and there were no red flags. In fact, his references were very, very strong.”
Mr. DeWitte is not the first BB&N teacher to face child sexual abuse charges. Former Middle School (MS) English Teacher Edward Washburn pleaded guilty to raping his nephew in 1988 after being fired from the school a year prior. During his 23 years teaching at the MS, Mr. Washburn sexually abused students, which former Head of School Peter K. Gunness failed to report to the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (see Volume 47, Issue 2: “School mulls news of Washburn suicide”). Dr. Price acknowledged the school’s history.
“I hope that the community knows that BB&N has learned… and we are committed to creating as safe a space as possible, and when
arrest at open forum
someone violates that basic trust, we are going to act swiftly and transparently.”
Over 90 families attended the open forum event on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Panelists, ranging from parents and faculty to CPD officials, offered an update on the investigation, discussed the legal process, outlined the school’s response, and advised parents on talking to kids about Mr. DeWitte. The school provided childcare for attendees’ children. Dr. Price wanted the forum to be an open space for families to ask questions, she said.
“In all these hard situations, you come together, you leverage your community, you learn, and you adapt, if necessary.”
Allison O’Neil P ’25 ’26, a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP and former assistant district attorney, said at the forum that much of the upcoming legal process is yet to be determined. The Internet Crimes Against Children task force that notified investigators about Mr. DeWitte’s alleged criminal behavior is one of many programs working to prevent child abuse online, Ms. O’Neil said.
“We have detectives and units in all different organizations, locally and federally, that are looking for chatter on the dark webs about folks. So, there’s people out there that are trying to make sure that kids aren’t exploited in this way.”
Mr. DeWitte’s probable cause hearing is currently scheduled for Jan. 31, but the DA’s Office will likely ask for additional time. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has yet to decide whether to indict his case, moving it to Superior Court to be heard in front of a jury, or to continue prosecuting the case in Cambridge District Court. Ms. O’Neil said she predicts the case will be indicted based on the volume of images already discovered. The bail amount, determined by the severity of the charges, criminal history, flight risk, and community ties, was set to ensure Mr. DeWitte will return to court for his next hearing. His bail is not a determination of his final sentence, she said.
From her experience in the District Attorney’s Office, Ms. O’Neil said she has full confidence in Katherine Floger, the chief of the Child Protection Unit, and her team.
“I understand that parents whose children had direct contact with this teacher are anxious, and I think that’s really understandable,” she said. “As I’ve said to the parents that I’ve spoken to, I have such faith in this particular DA’s office. I know that they’re going to keep everyone informed and that they’ll just handle the case with such care for the BB&N community.”
At the forum, LS leadership discussed their strategy for talking with students about Mr. DeWitte’s arrest, which included prioritizing
safety and encouraging children to speak up about any feelings of discomfort. LS Assistant Director Marissa Clark also shared coverage plans for the music department. Natalie Kulak, who has subbed for the school previously, has taken over temporarily as a music teacher for grades 3-6. The school has plans to fill the position this spring and is currently hiring a music director for the sixth-grade musical.
Additionally, curriculum changes in the Health and Wellness Department are being considered, Health and Wellness Curriculum Coordinator Dawn McGrath said. Over the last three years, the department was formed and expanded to include three full-time employees.
“The proactive work that we do in our lessons is teaching kids about autonomy, boundaries, and consent,” she said. “We’ve been doing that well before this incident. We will continue doing that.”
Bronwen Carroll P ’28 ’31 ’35, a trustee and pediatric emergency medicine physician at Boston Medical Center, concluded the open forum event with advice on talking to young children about Mr. DeWitte’s arrest and related charges. From her work with children who have been sexually abused, she has learned that talking about abuse needs to be an ongoing discussion in families, Ms. Carroll said.
“If you have a family or a household where these words are never spoken, these topics are never mentioned, that makes it really tough for a kid to disclose or even to understand, to even sort of comprehend what is happening to them if they find themselves in an uncomfortable situation.”
For young children, Ms. Carroll recommended “focusing on the helpers”— the police, teachers, and administration who cooperated with Mr. DeWitte’s arrest. She advised Upper School students to be cautious online: avoid communicating with strangers and never take or send sexually explicit photos. Most importantly, she emphasized the danger of secrets, she said.
“The single most important thing for your kid to know is that adults do not ask children to keep secrets,” Ms. Carroll said. “This is true at the high school level. This is true for beginners. This is universal. So, a secret is different than a surprise. A surprise is something where you expect the person to ultimately find out and you expect them to be happy … Tell your kids, ‘If an adult asks you to keep a secret, you need to tell us right away.’”
As a community, the school is “in the business of believing children,” she said.
The investigation into Mr. DeWitte is ongoing.
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons
Jorge Delgado to depart school after five years
Admissions Office prepares to say goodbye to Director of Enrollment Management
Aggie Grant Staff Writer
As prospective families submitted their admissions and financial aid applications to the school on Jan. 10, the Admissions Office was also preparing for a different future next year. After five years working as the director of enrollment management, Jorge Delgado announced in January that he plans to leave the school in June. Although his work is generally out of students’ views, his role encompasses far more than leading the admissions team.
“I always describe my job as being an ambassador for our school community,” Mr. Delgado said.
His work has included promoting the school’s values by engaging with potential families, popularizing the well-known “knight” puns alongside Head of School Jennifer Price, and remodelling the website to appeal to more applicants. He is also behind the school’s transition to Veracross, the application platform prospective families use.
One of Mr. Delgado’s most important contributions has been the unification of the admissions team, he said. Prior to his arrival, the offices worked as three separate
departments: Lower, Middle, and Upper School (US) Admissions. Now, the team of 14 functions as one unit.
“The team is much more cohesive and works more collaboratively than ever before,” he said.
Mr. Delgado said he is extremely proud of the school’s increased diversity levels during his tenure.
Since his arrival in 2020, financial aid grants have increased by more than $3 million across all three campuses. Last year, nearly $11.8 million was given in tuition grants along with an additional $250,000 toward other expenses, made possible by the $6.54 million contributed by the Class of 2024 parents. In 2019-2020, just over $8.6 million was given to financial aid. The school has increased financial aid spending by 0.3% since 2020. Structured around grants rather than loans, the school’s system supports the 28% of US students who receive some form of financial aid, with over $47,000 going to each student on average.
At the end of this school year, Mr. Delgado plans to take a road trip with his partner and their dog, Juno, as they make the move to California. He said his excitement for the future is bittersweet, but he knows he will
remain connected to the school community. After his departure at the end of this academic year, he will miss “the people—that’s easy,” he said.
“While I am leaving my role, I think the connections in the relationships I’ve made will last way beyond my time here,” Mr. Delgado said.
The role of teacher and student input in admissions has also increased under Mr. Delgado’s guidance. The Student Admissions Board (SAB), a pre-existing program that allowed select US students to help with the admissions process, was expanded. This process has made enrollment more efficient and incorporated the school’s values, he said.
Hale McGivern ’25 said she has enjoyed learning from Mr. Delgado on the SAB.
“What makes Mr. Delgado so different from other faculty members at BB&N is that he treats students as his equals. I feel like every time I talk to him, he really listens to what I have to say and values my experiences.”
According to colleague and Director of Financial Aid Genieve Rankel P ’26 ’28, Mr. Delgado is “incredible” to work with. The two
Knights return from trimesters around the globe
of them bounce ideas off of one another frequently, she said.
“He is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. He’s got an eye to see beyond what’s visible right now, to see what could be; he is able to implement changes so that we can get to a new place even if it’s going to be difficult and not easy getting there.”
In recent years, the Admissions Office has increased the school’s diversity in many aspects: racially, socioeconomically, and geographically, among others.
Around 47% of US students identify as people of color, an all-time high, and the student body comes from 85 to 90 different cities. These numbers, which are still growing, show the school’s goal of exposing students to many life perspectives, Mrs. Rankel said.
“If we can have a community of learners that is a microcosm of the world you students are going to step into, then we are doing our jobs.”
Mrs. Rankel is sure that just as Geordie Mitchell, the former director of enrollment management, did for them, Mr. Delgado has created a strong foundation for future admissions teams, she said.
“His genius is going to be missed.”
From skiing in the Swiss Alps to visiting London’s Buckingham Palace, Upper School (US) students explored the globe during the first trimester. Quinn Conine and Beckett Turley (both ’27) attended Swiss Semester in Zermatt, Sydney Francis ’26 participated in School Year Abroad’s program in Rennes, France, and Coco Fischoeder ’26 learned at The School for Ethics and Global Leadership in London, U.K. In the spring, Alexandra Nassikas, Adrian Resnick, and Pepe Quilter-Vagts (all ’26) will travel to The Mountain School in Vermont, Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki, and School Year Abroad in Rennes, respectively. —Gabe Cooper ’26
Navigating Students
Amid steep, jagged mountains blanketed in snow, Quinn Conine ’27 carved tracks through the deep powder with his skis. Alongside students from around the world and his US classmate Beckett Turley ’27, Quinn attended Swiss Semester in Zermatt, Switzerland, through the US’s semester away program.
Quinn was initially interested in studying abroad at Swiss Semester to try a new experience and attend a different type of school, he said.
“It was a really interesting experience. I had been at BB&N my whole life and wanted to try something that I thought might be cool.”
While in Switzerland, Quinn and Beckett lived at a hotel that also served as their school. Daily activities in the Alps differed significantly from the US’s schedule, Quinn said. A typical day consisted of a morning meeting to outline the day’s agenda, and then the students would attend classes like geology and art history.
During the program, students often attended day trips to ski or hike in the mountains. One of Quinn’s favorite parts of his semester was all the time he spent outdoors, he said.
“There was about a four-hour period each day dedicated to time outdoors. We would eat lunch while out there, then come back, have dinner, and study.”
Teachers and students at Swiss Semester formed close relationships due to constant interactions with each other, Quinn said.
“We would always eat meals with teachers, be in the same dorms as them, and do every activity together, which was cool because of how different it was.”
Swiss Semester enabled Quinn to focus on both his schoolwork and his passion for skiing, he said.
“The trip showed me how I was able to use every second of the day and be able to balance your academics with things you like to do. I love to ski, and during the trip, I got to balance my academic time with my outdoor time.”
—Langan
Fisher ’27
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Photo Courtesy of Sydney Francis
Photo Courtesy of Quinn Conine
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Year In
Navigating the divide, fi nding the similarities Students compare
Ayana Karthik Off Campus Editor
With just 543 students, the Upper School’s (US) student body is around half the size of the average American public high school. Most of us know the names of our classmates by heart and are quite close with many of our peers. Compare that to a school like Newton North, with a student population of 2,099, and you might not be surprised to find out that students there know a small portion of their grade well. In fact, upon my visit to Newton North on Dec. 19, 2024, a student asked if I was a student there.
Through a “school swap” coordinated by The Vanguard and Newton North’s student newspaper, The Newtonite, Editor-in-Chief and Newton North student Annalise Vito and I shadowed each other for a day to discover the differences between private and public schools.
Newton North’s schedule is slightly different from the US’s but includes the same main components. Instead of 45- and 65-minute blocks, students at North have fewer, but longer, 75-minute classes every day. School typically starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. The school day includes “Tiger” and “What I Need” (WIN) blocks, which function similarly to CAB blocks. I attended an Honors Precalculus class, an Advanced Placement (AP) Language class, and an Italian 4 Honors class— which proved quite difficult considering the only Italian word I know is “ciao.” The smallest class I attended had 10 students, but, on average, students said
days at public vs. private high schools
allowed to take AP science courses and can only take a limited amount of AP or Honors courses. Unlike the US, students don’t often opt into harder math classes. Most students take very similar courses to their peers.
Annalise said that, beyond just academics, students at the US had “direction.”
because if you do take the initiative as a student to take on a lot of courses, you will have a lot of work, but it’s up to you to manage that. There are WIN and Tiger blocks in place so you can have support, but if you don’t take advantage of those times, then you are probably going to be overwhelmed.”
their classes ranged from 20 to 30 kids. The classes were structured heavily toward small group and partner work, which made participation easier.
Because of the difference in class size, Annalise said it’s harder to create strong connections with teachers.
“I know my teachers, they know me, but it’s definitely not as close as it seemed like it was at BB&N,” she said. “I think I have the opportunity to build relationships with my teachers, but it’s up to me to do that. It’s not really like the system is set up for me. Teachers are passionate about what they teach and building relationships with students, but it’s less possible because of classroom circumstances.”
Weaker teacher-student relationships and larger class sizes mean that students have to take initiative, she said.
“Because there are larger class sizes at North, it’s less of a discussion and more of a raisingyour-hand-and-calling-on-you sort of thing. I think that your teachers really want you to have the grade and GPA you want at BB&N while at North you have to want it to make it happen.”
Generally, Newton North’s academic opportunities seemed comparable to those at the US. Similar AP classes and subject levels are offered. In 12th grade, many students take specialized electives like marine biology, much like senior elective options at the US. Despite the wide range of classes available, due to Newton North’s requirements, kids are restricted to taking certain classes. Juniors aren’t
“The air at BB&N just felt very committed, and it just felt very goal-oriented. I think at Newton North there’s definitely more chillness, and people are more up in the air.”
Newton North offers a diverse range of art and extracurricular programs. The school hosts a childcare center, an automotive workshop, and a student-run kitchen, for example. In these spaces, students work to serve the local community through supporting small businesses or providing services for others. Although it makes sense that the US cannot have such an extensive extracurricular program,, we could benefit from applying their community-focused approach to electives.
When it comes to student stress, Annalise doesn’t believe that Newton North itself is inherently stressful, and if students are anxious, the school provides support, she said.
“There’s a lot of support systems at North if you need it, and there’s also no expectation that you have to take a certain amount of honors or AP classes or that you have to excel at your sport.”
She added that if students are stressed, it is often self-inflicted.
“I think there is stress amongst students at North
The US is a smaller, more competitive environment with set expectations, which can result in more stress among students. Annalise and I both agreed that our own schools could learn a lot from the other.
“I feel like when I was at the school, students were competitive with one another, which is also evident at North, but it did seem like there was a little bit of judgement among students when I visited,” she said. “I hope that they would strive to cancel that competitive attitude towards each other. At North, I wish that teachers fought for the success of the students as much as the student fights for their own success like how teachers do at BB&N.”
It was difficult to draw sharp contrasts between Newton North and the US. The two schools share a similar student demographic, with many of the students at the US coming from Newton and neighboring communities. Additionally, Newton North is ranked 961 out of nearly 27,000 public high schools in the country, making it comparable to the US. Since stereotypes of students from both public and private schools exist, it can be easy to let them dictate our perception of others. At North, I was able to see firsthand that the two schools were more similar than they were different.
Staff photo by Ayana Karthik
Students eat in the much larger cafeteria space at Newton North.
Staff Photo by Ayana Karthik Newton North students design costumes for theater.
Staff Photo by Ayana Karthik
The Newtonite staff meets during their designated block in the school.
Photo Courtesy of Gabe Kolodner
The Vanguard’s Ayana Karthik works alongside The Newtonite’s Annalise Vito.
As 2024 came to a close and 2025 began, turmoil across the globe appeared to be on the rise. From Ukraine increasing its offensive against Russia to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigning, chaos seemed indefinite. The Vanguard took a closer look at the events of the past few months.
South Korea
Emergency Martial Law
As outlined in South Korea’s Constitution Emergency martial law shall be declared by the President for the purpose of fulfilling military necessity or maintaining the public security and order when there are belligerency or serious disturbances of social order that considerably impede the performance of the administrative and judicial functions of the State in time of war, incident or other equivalent national emergency.
First day of martial law:
On Dec. 3, 2024 at 10:30 p.m., South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, marking the first time in 40 years that such an order had been issued. Claiming that pro-North Korean lawmakers in the opposition party were trying to destroy the country’s democratic government, Yoon said he believed martial law was necessary to get rid of these lawmakers and protect the country.
Overriding of martial law:
Backlash was immediate from the public and even the leader of President Yoon’s own conservative party. Members of the Korean National Assembly rushed to the National Assembly Building and unanimously voted to lift martial law only six hours later.
Impeachment proceedings:
The first impeachment motion was proposed by a majority of the National Assembly members; however, it failed on Dec. 7 as a two-thirds majority approval vote was not achieved. On Dec. 14, an impeachment motion was successfully passed. President Yoon’s duties were suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo (the leader of Yoon’s party) became the acting president.
President Yoon’s Residence
Syria
National Assembly
Attempted arrest:
On Jan. 2, Korean Special Investigators attempted to arrest President Yoon at his Presidential Compound. The investigators were stopped by the President’s security team and had to withdraw despite having an active warrant. Thousands of anti-Yoon and pro-Yoon protesters camped outside his compound, attempting to view his arrest.
Arrest of President Yoon:
On Jan. 15, President Yoon was apprehended at his compound by law enforcement officers. Four days later, Yoon was officially arrested and is currently being investigated on charges of rebellion and abuse of power. The same day, supporters of Yoon stormed the Seoul Western District Court, causing property damage and injuring law enforcement.
Student Viewpoints
What do you think the ramifications of this declaration will be?
Constitutional Courthouse
Indictment of President Yoon:
“Korea has made a lot of progress in the last 50 years or so, from the Korean War and a lot of poverty to where it is now. I think that martial law being declared brought a lot of people in the country back to the past, and it’s bringing up a lot of old feelings of resentment for some of the things that were committed by the government in the past.”
— Soomin Kung ’26
“When I first heard about the declaration, I was very shocked. I already knew that the president was widely disliked, but I didn’t know that he would take it that far. On top of that, I was also a bit worried because I have relatives living in Seoul.”
What was your initial reaction to hearing about the declaration of martial law?
“I felt really scared about the uncertainty of it all. War with countries like Russia or North Korea didn’t seem so unlikely anymore.”
— Zach Kim ’25
What do you think of the South Korean government’s response?
“Martial laws were relatively common up until the 1980s, but the idea that it could happen today I don’t think was ever thought of as a possibility. Thankfully, the Korean government ended it quickly, and the president is getting his due punishment, but it’s still an eye-opening reminder of the potential fragility of democracy.”
— Paul Jeon ’25
— David Moon ’27
On Jan. 26, President Yoon was indicted on charges of rebellion by the Constitutional Court. At the time of publication, deliberations were currently underway to determine whether he will be dismissed or reinstated as president.
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons President Yoon declares martial law at 10:30 p.m..
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons
Korean soldiers and civilian protestors in a standoff outside the National Assembly Building.
Yongsan building
Global Unrest
In 2011, pro-democracy protests began throughout major Syrian cities and were violently extinguished by President Bashar Al-Assad’s security forces. Rebel groups began to form, and in 2012 the conflict grew into a civil war. The rebels made gains until 2015-2016, when Syria solicited military aid from Russia and Iran, which allowed Syrian troops to take back territory, locking the two sides into a stalemate that lasted for the next eight years.
Key Term: Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is the coalition of northern Syrian Sunni Islamist rebel groups that successfully defeated former President Bashar al-Assad’s government on Dec. 8, 2024.
Turkey:
“Turkey is now strengthened because they have allied with the rebel group (HTS), and that’s given Turkey a amountsignificant of strength. Turkey would very much like to create a pipeline from the Middle East across Syria and Turkey to deliver natural gas and oil to Europe, which would undercut Russia completely. Turkey is also strengthened by the fact that the new Syrian government is a Sunni Islamist organization, and the current president of Turkey, Erdogan, is a Sunni Islamist.”
— US TeacherHistory
Jennifer Wallace
Syria
Israel:
“Since the end of the war, Israel has taken additional territory in the south, and they’ve engaged in a lot of air strikes throughout the country and commando raids. And while they don’t want a strong Syria, I don’t think it serves their interest to have Syria in a state of perpetual civil war, either. ”
— US History Teacher
Jennifer Wallace
Aleppo
Fall of Aleppo:
On Nov. 30, 2024, the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham took control of Aleppo, one of the largest cities in Syria. The group had consolidated power in Northern Syria for years and was able to claim the city in just three days. Aleppo had previously been claimed by rebels; however, Assad had spent years pushing the rebels out of the city through air-strikes.
Fall of Hama and Homs:
Hama, a city about 80 miles south of Aleppo, fell to the rebels on Dec. 5, marking the first time that the city had been under rebel occupation. Homs, a city 30 miles south of Hama, was claimed by the rebels two days later. It took only about a day for the rebels to overwhelm the government forces in each of the cities.
Homs Damascus
Fall of Damascus:
The day after taking Homs, the rebels were able to enter the Syrian capital of Damascus with hardly any resistance. Assad and many of his top commanders had already fled the country the day before, and most soldiers left their posts for fear of being killed.
The morning of Dec. 8, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa officially announced and celebrated the rebels’ victory.
“The Making of the Modern Middle East” Teacher Jennifer Wallace gives context to the conflict:
Were you at all surprised by the sudden success the rebels had last month?
When the rebels suddenly took Aleppo, that was a surprise. However, it’s less surprising that the regime fell to this coordinated attack because this rebel group had been effectively ruling parts of northern Syria for a couple of years. Once the rebels took Aleppo and they held it, that spelled the end for the Assad regime. The regime had become so dependent upon the Hezbollah paramilitary out of Lebanon and Russian and Iranian support that their own Syrian military had atrophied.
Due to the Syrian war, Syrians fled the country. Do you think many refugees will return to Syria now that war is over?
I think everybody always wants to go home if they can. I asked my dentist this question because he’s a Syrian refugee, and, he and his family, they’ve made their lives here in the United States, so he’s not leaving now. His family, who’s still in Syria, wants to stay. I think probably the best thing for Syria is that many people who might have become refugees may not now, although a lot of the pro-regime people are now refugees. It’s complicated, but I certainly think that Turkey and Lebanon and other countries nearby are hoping that people will go back home.
What are the potential challenges for Syria in rebuilding its economy and infrastructure?
I think number one is they really do have to have the war over. If you want foreign direct investment, you need a lasting peace. Not only was Syria destroyed by civil war and invaded by three different groups, they also lost a ton of money. In 2020, Lebanese banks failed, and they basically couldn’t give depositors back their money. Both the Syrian regime and Syrian individuals used Lebanon as their main banking center, so when the banks failed, the regime lost everything. Right now, I think countries are leaning too much on occupying Syria and not really creating the conditions to allow stable economic growth to even have a chance.
How might sectarian divisions and tensions be addressed in post-war Syria?
It’s definitely a very significant conflict and fissure that would be hard to negotiate a settlement to, and because the United States is involved on one side of the conflict, I don’t think the U.S. is going to be the one to broker that peace. Moreover, I don’t think the United States has shown itself recently to be able to effectively broker peace in this region in general. The Saudis might be the ones who would step in. HTS is close to Saudi Arabia, as the HTS leader al-Sharaa grew up in Saudi Arabia, which is also a Sunni Islamist state. The Saudis are also strongly allied with the United States, and the crown prince would like a relationship with Israel in the future after a ceasefire in Gaza.
Hama
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons Rebels tear down a government poster of former President Bashar al-Assad.
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons
Syrian rebels celebrate the liberation of Hama from regime forces.
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons Syrians celebrate as the rebels declare victory.
Belonging
With the second half of the school year now in full swing, new students have begun to assemble into groups that may last through the rest of high school. But how inclusive are the friend groups at school? Do students really feel like they belong? e Vanguard set out to answer these questions and more by surveying the student body.
We foster a culture of respect, well-being, and connection that values all individuals and empowers them to discover and be their authentic selves.
–From ”Our Core Values” on the BB&N Mission Statement Webpage
How often do you feel comfortable being your “authentic self” at school?
How often do you feel comfortable being your “authentic self” around your friends?
How often do you think your identity affects who you are friends with/ able to be friends with?
Community
Upper School Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Global Education Practitioner Maria Graciela Alcid discusses belonging:
“Our vision of a just community of belonging is rooted in the complexity of our identities and experiences. BB&N is committed to ensuring that the student body, faculty, and sta accurately reflect our diverse communities and to creating a just community of belonging where all members feel safe and supported to bring their authentic selves to school each and every day. We believe in the pursuit of justice through education, solidarity, and civic engagement. We provide the learning opportunities and tools to foster globally competent citizens who have in-depth knowledge of the world, its people, its wonders, and its challenges and are empowered to make a positive impact in our community and beyond. ”
Spaces
“This is front and center in our minds right now. Community Day is less than two weeks away (Feb. 12, 2025). It’s about cultivating community because it is student-led and student-designed. It is really about amplifying the funds of knowledge in our community and finding out: What are people’s passions? What are the things that bring people joy? It’s been a threeyear progression to get to this point, and it has been a pivotal shift, moving from the pre-COVID Community Day to where we are now. Community Day is anchored in our BB&N mission, school values, and DEIG mission and commitments. This year, we have a recordbreaking 72 workshops designed and led by students and faculty. That is compelling evidence of our community’s strength, creativity, and passion.”
“The other key component to cultivating belonging is having a nity, alliance, and interest groups. When I first started in 2020, there were seven groups, and now there are 19 groups. So in four years, not only have students spoken up about what they need, but our o ce has also met the demand for the spaces and programs that they want. There are a variety of spaces—in academics, athletics, the arts, student government, publications, and the 80-plus clubs—where students are contributing their time, expertise, and talents. They are also leading, collaborating, and co-creating. A nity, alliance, and interest group spaces specifically came out of student voice. We are excited to see so many of the a nity, alliance, and interest groups holding gatherings and celebrations during Community Day this year. AASA, AMV, BSU, BSAE, GSA, JCC, LHSA, MSA, Round Square, and SASA are all hosting gatherings and celebrations.”
“We have a Student DEIG Steering Committee (SDSC) and a DEIG Steering Committee (DSC) of faculty. The faculty group works on supporting the student group and also engages in their own professional learning so that we are creating classrooms that foster a community of belonging. Both groups are doing work grounded in our mission, values, and commitments.”
For students who feel isolated or excluded, what would you recommend they do?
“My o ce is always open. If there is an idea to open up a space, start a group, or have a conversation, we are here to support students. There are so many o erings between clubs, a nity spaces, alliance spaces, and interest groups that I wonder how to continue making the awesome work that students are doing for our community visible and accessible. “
“Creating a community of belonging, even with all the best intentions and unlimited resources, can’t rest on just one person. Creating a community of belonging is an ecosystem at work, with individuals collaborating in ongoing ways to demonstrate mutual care and concern, where community members can say that they belong.”
Do
DEIG Mission
Day
Student DEIG Steering Committee
Feel their friends share similar identities
Feel their friends share different identities
Feel their friend group is open to new members
Of the 80 respondents who said their friend group connects over academic environments:
Feel their friend group is open 40%
Feel their friends share similar identities
70%
Of the 62 respondents who said their friend group connects over athletic activities:
Feel their friend group is not open to new members
Feel their friends share similar identities
60%
Feel their friend group is open 55%
Of the 35 respondents who said their friend group connects over student groups:
55%
Feel their friend group is open 50%
Feel their friends share similar identities
Of the 45 respondents who said their friend group connects over outside of school activities:
Feel their friends share similar identities
Feel their friend group is open 65%
Do you think your identity has impacted your experience of belonging at BB&N?
“Yes. Being Asian American is a complete experience. A lot of people ask you for help, and you are expected to be the best. Whenever someone does better than you, be prepared for it to be rubbed in your face.”
“I generally think that my identity hasn’t impacted my experience of belonging. I believe that no matter what background I may have had, I would still be welcomed and have a great group of friends.”
“The only instance in which my identity has impacted my experience of belonging at BB&N is when it comes to the gender divide at the school. As a woman, it can often be difficult to feel as though boys at the school respect you.”
One episode at a time
One of my all-time favorite TV shows is the Netflix comedy “One Day at a Time.” The show follows veteran Penelope Alvarez navigating her new life as a nurse in Los Angeles with her two kids, Elena and Alex, and her immigrant mother, Lydia. “One Day at Time” is lighthearted and comedic, with bits like Alex buying five pairs of sneakers for each day of the week and Penelope’s landlord crashing family dinners and events. However, the show also tackles important issues facing families around the country, such as sexism in the workplace, living in the United States as immigrants, and LGBTQ+ acceptance among family members.
The impact of sexism is a recurring narrative in “One Day at a Time.” One episode is dedicated to the unfair reality that Penelope is paid less and treated differently than her male coworker. Penelope talks about the situation with her family, trying to ingrain a message of empowerment in her daughter. I loved this scene because it includes funny moments like Elena calling her mom’s definition of misogyny “old people sexism” while also dealing with very complex issues that are rarely represented in TV shows.
Elena talks about microaggressions and how they are often overlooked or misunderstood. The dialogue on these issues is intentional, not shying away from uncomfortable issues, but it also doesn’t compromise the cozy, family feel of the show. Penelope’s boss eventually addresses and apologizes for the pay gap but also mentions that the male nurse negotiated his salary. This moment is crucial for the scene and its commentary on sexism because it gives Penelope justice, as her salary is raised, but it also touches on a common issue in the workplace: Women tend not to advocate for themselves and sell themselves short in what opportunities they deserve.
Another theme in “One Day at a Time” is immigration. Penelope’s mother Lydia immigrated from Cuba to the U.S. to escape Fidel Castro. She is a green card holder, and her granddaughter is horrified to find out that she can’t vote because she is not an American citizen. In the emotional scene when Lydia recounts her journey from Cuba to the U.S., her lasting trauma is incredibly touching and profound, and it doesn’t feel out of place in the comedy. Even the laugh track following Lydia’s small quips doesn’t feel crass.
Elena comes out to her family at 14 years old and grapples with her sexuality before and after. Her journey is conveyed tastefully, with a mix of funny lessons in the art of flirting but also deep conversations about acceptance within her family. Everyone is supportive except for Elena’s father, Penelope’s ex-husband, and it takes a toll on the entire family as Elena desperately tries to live up to her father’s traditional views while staying true to herself.
What I especially liked about Elena’s character is that she is not a tool to deliver a message on LGBTQ+ activism; while her sexuality is a big part of her life, so is debate, art, and writing. She is a normal teenager with normal interests.
What is so impressive about this show is that it’s not about sexism, immigrants, or LGBTQ+ rights. It truly is a comedy about a regular American family. We need more shows like “One Day at a Time.” Stories that present the normal American family with their comedic moments and love, but also their struggles with school, work, and relationships.
Mouse mayhem
One afternoon over winter break, a scream echoed through the house. Confused, my family and I hurriedly made our way toward my sister Isabelle’s bedroom, wondering what had happened. Upon opening the door, we saw her looking panicstricken. “There is a mouse in my laundry!” she screamed. “I just picked up a shirt to fold, and he fell out into the laundry basket.”
I stood in stunned disbelief at what I had just heard, but luckily, my brother John sprung into action. He ran toward the kitchen, quickly returning with tongs and a Tupperware container. He began prodding at the laundry with the tongs, picking up different items of clothing and inspecting them to see if the mouse was clinging to any. I watched as he grabbed a sweatshirt, one of the few untouched pieces of clothing, and the mouse tumbled off and back into the hamper.
Having finally located our new friend, John tried to grab it, stabbing with his tongs. After a tense minute or two, he succeeded and triumphantly dangled the mouse by its tail. He closed the lid tightly.
After we finished celebrating his victory, we were faced with the reality of our situation. We couldn’t simply let the mouse outside because it would immediately come back in. We weighed our options, suggesting ideas like putting a mouse trap in the Tupperware or dropping the mouse off in the woods far away. But these ideas seemed either too cruel or involved us too directly.
Instead, I came up with a genius idea. The house we were staying in was a few minutes away from a barn. I happened to know that a friendly cat named Millie lived in the barn, and Millie’s only job was to catch mice that found their way inside. My brother and I agreed: Our best option was to present Millie with the mouse and let nature take its course.
The two of us got into the car, and I put the Tupperware on my lap. We drove a few minutes before arriving at the barn. We decided to show Millie what was inside the Tupperware and then take the top off to let her catch the mouse. When Millie saw what we had brought her, I set the Tupperware on the ground, took the lid off, and ran away quickly.
John and I watched in horror as the cat stood perfectly still and allowed the mouse to climb out and escape into the shadows. Disturbed by the knowledge that we had let a mouse loose in the barn, my brother and I got back into the car to head home.
This mouse taught me a very valuable lesson: More is not always better. When faced with an issue, you shouldn’t necessarily dream up some elaborate solution. Instead, the simple answer, or the first one that comes to mind, is often the best option. We could have just dropped the mouse back off in the woods far away from the house, but instead, I tried to overengineer a solution. In doing so, all I did was make the situation worse.
In the future, I look forward to sometimes doing the easiest thing, comfortable in the knowledge that the simplest fix is often the best.
Puntun:
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Aparajita Srivastava Spoiler Alert!
Martha Balson Moments with MARTHA
through way had panicscreamed. “I laundry but toward Tupperware tongs, them to grabbed a and the grab two, he tail. He faced the in. We trap woods far us too were happened to and inside.
Puntun: why my parents gave up
My dad loves reading. He brings a book everywhere. I’ve always tolerated reading. Don’t get me wrong. Overall, I really like the books I’ve read for school—I have a soft spot for Shakespeare in particular. You’d just be hard-pressed to find me reading a physical book if it wasn’t for class.
When I was 2 years old, my dad tried to teach me how to read. He had one of those books with cardboard pages and a little animal finger puppet in the middle, and it was full of rhymes. There were only a few words: “fun,” “run,” “sun.” Apparently, I found the book super boring, but my dad persisted. When the book ran out of words, he started coming up with his own: “bun” then “pun.” In a desperate attempt to regain my interest, my dad promised that I could leave after answering his question. He asked me, “What word do you get when you put a t at the end of pun?” With a pout on my face, I grumpily grunted “puntun!” before toddling off to my mother.
According to my dad, that’s when he knew that I wouldn’t share his love of words and reading. According to my mom, that’s when she knew I wasn’t going to be “good” with words and reading.
Four years later, I was a bit of a know-it-all. I’d try and correct everything my parents said. Our conversations usually went like this:
Mom: “Baobei, could you pass me the spoon?”
Know-it-all: “Typically it’s a spatula.”
My parents were always a little confused by what I said, but I think they were amused enough that they didn’t question it. But, one day, their confusion hit a breaking point.
Dad: “Miley, could you hand me my jacket?”
Know-it-all: “Typically it’s a sweater.”
Mom: “…what?”
Know-it-all?: “Typically it’s a sweater!”
Dad: “Could you say that again?”
Thought she knew-it-all: “T-Y-P-I-C-A-L-L-Y”
Mom and Dad: “Do you mean technically?”
Doesn’t know-it-all: “…what?”
My parents burst out laughing, and I had no idea why. My dad told me that I had the funniest expression on my face: eyebrows scrunched, lips pressed together, and cheeks puffed. When my parents finally reined in their laughter, we had a long conversation about how “typically” did not, in fact, mean what I thought it did.
I thought I left all of my troubles with words behind in middle school. I did not.
I love ‘LANA’
The first lines of SZA’s “SOS Deluxe: LANA” sum up the newly released 14-track extension to her massively popular album “SOS”: “No more hiding / I wanna feel the sun on my skin / Even if it burns and blinds me.” The opening lines of “LANA” highlight the unabashed authenticity that is the defining feature of SZA’s new deluxe album, the same authenticity that has propelled her to the throne from which she now presides over the music industry. Since the release of “SOS” in 2022, SZA has launched past the success of her debut album “Ctrl” into a sphere of international pop stardom where her only peers are the likes of Taylor Swift and The Weeknd. To sum it up: If you haven’t heard “SOS,” where have you been?
“LANA” has been in the works since weeks after the release of “SOS.” In November 2023, SZA defined the shape her new body of work would take: “I had made all my screaming points [on ‘SOS’], and I just wanted to glide and not think [too much], and just get out of my own head.” For an ardent perfectionist like SZA, the decision makes sense. “No More Hiding,” the deluxe album’s first track, opens this way. In it, SZA does what SZA does best. She pours out her emotions through syrupy, ethereal melodies over crisp, fine-tuned production crafted by the best music-makers in the game: Benny Blanco, Sad Pony, and Lil Yachty amongst them.
MARTHA
Millie Tupperware on barn. We and Millie the More is shouldn’t the often the off in oversituation easiest fix is Balson
During the spring of sophomore year, I was lucky enough to be a part of the play, “Collected Stories.” I portrayed Lisa, a college student studying English. In the early days of the production, we did a read-through of the play. In one scene, Lisa lists a bunch of publications that she’s read her mentor’s work in: “the tree in The New Yorker?, the ones in Mrs. like from the early eighties? that amazing one in that Ess, uh, CHOIR.”
“…what?” Asked my director.
Oh no, I thought.
After a long, long, long conversation about syllabic emphasis and the apparent weakness of my ears, I discovered that I was pronouncing the word “esquire” wrong. The word could be said with an emphasis on the first syllable (ES-quire) or the second syllable (es-QUIRE). I couldn’t (and still can’t) hear the difference between the two, but apparently, my pronunciation was so wrong that my director made me practice. I swear, it felt like I spent five to ten minutes every rehearsal just saying “esquire,” and the entire cast (including myself) would laugh at my feeble attempts.
Evidently, I am not great with words. Originally, I thought that something must be wrong with me. I must be wired. As time has gone on, I’ve realized that I have minimal interest in semantics or details.
Some details really matter like names and birthdays. Traditionally, I haven’t been the best at remembering those, and it’s been a problem. But I’d like to think I’ve gotten better. I repeat names over and over in my head now, and I put birthdays in my phone.
Other details still matter, just less. My third-grade teacher told my parents in a conference, “Miley’s doing great! Her spelling could really use some work, but that’s OK. They have spellcheck now.”
I don’t think my reliance on spellcheck is great (sometimes I have to really think about which vs. witch). But I manage, and I’m happy to laugh with others at my troubles.
I approach my life with a crushing, overwhelming, all-consuming optimism, and sometimes it brings joy into other people’s lives. So, if you ever need something to brighten your day (like “puntun” brightens mine), just ask me to say esquire, because I’m still not sure witch pronunciation is typically correct.
In “LANA,” I see a SZA project with a softer and more optimistic outlook than the jarring, genre-switching style she carried through “SOS.” Even on “My Turn,” which is the deluxe album’s take on a “Kill Bill”-style revenge ballad, SZA is more forgiving: She may hate her lover to his core, but she might let him leave alive. She’s as confident in herself as ever: “My turn, I did the learnin’ / Your turn to do the hurtin’ / My turn, ’cause I deserve this.” The album’s soon-to-be-radio-hit “BMF” (known as “Boy From South Detroit” when it was leaked in 2023) draws its power from a pop-ready guitar rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema.” The song’s soft claps and crisp melody make it a sure summer hit, but the album’s deeper takes are what pull “LANA” together.
“LANA,” named after SZA’s childhood nickname (and first tattoo, which she got when she was 13), is a project worthy of standing on its own, not just because of its looming success but because of SZA’s ability to create a cohesive aesthetic in between the indie pop of “Ctrl” and the megastarin-full-bloom multipotentiality of “SOS.” “LANA,” not unlike The Weeknd’s “Dawn FM,” finds SZA when she is far more at peace with herself and her goals than previous projects. Songs like “Diamond Boy (DTM)” and “Scorsese Baby Daddy” carry a soft-pop style that’s just as close to quarantine-era bedroom pop as it is to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet.”
The album’s cover art depicts a half-naked, halfstreetwear-clad SZA as a bug-looking character in a natural setting. This same aesthetic has dominated her recent set design, leaving fans to speculate: Who has SZA become? With the release of “LANA,” we have been assured: SZA has always been, and has drawn her worldwide success from being, nothing but herself.
Overall Rating: Soft, raw, authentic —9/10
keenan Billings
Keenly Attuned
Miley Chen
Miley’s Mayhem
Winter sports teams win at first Athletics Carnival Community turns out to support student-athletes
Cole Blackburn ’26, a BVBB player, appreciated the Athletic Department’s efforts to help boost attendance for winter sports.
“I was really impressed with the Winter Athletics Carnival,” he said. “The emphasis is usually on all the events in the fall like Friday Night Lights and Homecoming, so I thought it was nice to have an event for winter sports.”
BVBB Co-Captain Micah Gershenson ’25 said that the large crowd at the Carnival brought his team extra motivation, aiding in their first win of the season with a score of 6943 over Austin Prep.
“One-hundred percent having a big crowd helps give the team energy,” Micah said. “I think during assemblies is a good time that we could encourage school spirit by giving out announcements along with more regularly sending emails about the games.”
Describing the start of the season, he added: “Our season started out a bit rough. We had some injuries, some sicknesses, we got off to a slow start.”
GVH Co-Captain Hannah Weyerhaeuser ’25 appreciated that there was more to the day than just games, as her team built on their 7-1-1 record with a 4-2 win over Groton.
“I liked that the Athletics Department was trying something new and being able to watch other teams before and after our game. There was also good food and drinks and the photo booth. It was fun to have all of those at one of our home games this year.”
Additionally, GVBB took a 71-56 win
over Phillips Exeter Academy. Co-Captain Madeline Egan ’25 scored 46 points. BVH was the day’s only loss, falling short of Middlesex 2-1.
Nava Galperin ’28, who attended the Carnival, was impressed by the success of the school’s teams.
“Everyone was playing very well, which made the games especially entertaining to watch,” she said.
Nava added that one key factor in increasing game attendance and maximizing school spirit is making sure students and fans are aware of scheduling.
“I would say we can encourage school spirit by more events like this. We need to make sure that all the information about the games gets out to people.”
In addition to student spectators, families also took advantage of the activities and celebrations. Dr. Rinaa Punglia P ’25 ’27 attended to support her daughter on GVBB. Dr. Punglia said the event fostered a sense of community.
Sonja Peetz-Larsen Arts Editor
While students returned to school after winter break, Emi Biotti ’25, one of six cocaptains of Girls’ Varsity Hockey (GVH), flew to Finland to represent Team USA in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s U18 Women’s World Championship.
To claim her spot on the team, Emi initially attended an open tryout last spring. She progressed through multiple selection camps while simultaneously battling an ankle injury. Eventually, the team was narrowed down to just 25 girls out of the 28 who played at October Festival, the final selection camp.
Weeks of tryouts were no easy feat, Emi said.
“The process is very tough mentally and physically,” she said. “Not only is it a lot of camps and a lot of ice time, but it’s hard to stay mentally tough through it all. It’s difficult to stay grounded and to push through all the tryouts and outside noise. It’s not easy, and it takes a lot to keep picking yourself up again and continuing to move forward.”
Shortly after completing the tryout process, Emi learned she had a spot on the team. The news fulfilled her childhood wish, Emi said.
“It was like a dream come true. Making this team is something I’ve always wanted ever since I was super little.”
Upon her arrival at the World
“Even though I only got to see one game, it was really nice to see all the school spirit. It was great to see all of the teams.”
US Math Teacher Christine Oulton, who attended the event as a spectator, was impressed with both the large turnout and the variety of teams and athletes, she said.
“There were four games, which made it feel really nice, two girls’ and two boys’ teams competing which I thought were a lot of athletes represented, which was really nice.”
Championship, Emi still felt shocked, she said.
“It was surreal to walk into the locker room and see the jersey with your name on the back and getting to wear it.”
Emi’s team won three round-robin games, quarterfinals, and then semifinals, playing against Japan, Sweden, Finland, and Slovakia. Finally, Team USA faced Canada in the finals. With a score of 3-0, Emi’s team lost, taking home the silver medal. Despite not winning, Emi still considers the final game a highlight of her trip due to its fast pace and intensity, she said.
Emi Biotti ’25 takes silver with national ice hockey team GVH co-captain represents Team USA in World Championship
has worked hard to achieve over the course of her lifetime.”
Coach Bourget said Emi is a leader on GVH.
“Emi brings a quiet intensity to the GVH team as a player and is a fearless leader as a captain. She embraces her role as an elite player, but also is mindful that she has the responsibility to lead her teammates in the proper way.”
“The final game was a high even though we didn’t end up winning,” she said. “It was still such a fun game, and it was super high pace and very back and forth both ways and super intense.”
GVH Co-Captain Brenna O’Reilly ’25 has played hockey with Emi since they were seven years old.
Emi hopes to return to GVH with improved leadership skills to benefit the team, she said.
“Logo over ego,” she said. “You have to put your teammates before yourself and do the dirty work, and maybe you’re not the one to put in the goal, but your work doesn’t go unnoticed. Every person is important on the team, and you have to embrace your role.”
GVH Head Coach Ed Bourget acknowledged the honor of playing for Team USA.
“She played in an event that is similar to the Olympic Games. Every hockey player dreams of putting on the stars and stripes in world competition, and that is something Emi
put the work in and she deserves it more than anyone … As a teammate and a leader, Emi is probably the most humble person in the locker room.”
Still, Emi takes time to help her younger teammates, which Brenna said she admires.
“She’s been playing with an eighth grader this year, and you can tell by the way she talks to her on the bench that it’s super positive. She’s giving so much advice, and I think the eighth grader is learning a lot by being with a player like Emi.”
GVH Co-Captain Izzy King ’25 hopes playing in the Women’s World Championship helped Emi realize that her hard work has paid off.
“She’s definitely wanted to make this team for a while, and it’s great to see her there,” Izzy said. “It’s important for her to show everyone how good and talented she is, and also just for herself, to prove that she is capable of making Team USA and that she deserves to be on this team.”
Photo Courtesy of Emi Biotti
Emi Biotti ’25 skates out with her teammates before a Team USA 18U World Championship game.
Photos Courtesy of Susan Unger Snoonian Photography
The fourth generation of the school’s Quiz Bowl Team has emerged, eager to match the success of their predecessors. Before their first match against Belmont High School on Friday, Jan. 24, The Vanguard interviewed the team’s starting lineup, Asher Esty ’25, Dean Riaz ’28, You-Yan Wang ’26, and Andreas Bai ’27, to gain insight into their preparation and goals for the season. —Doug Zhang ’25
How are you feeling about your first match against Belmont High School?
Andreas: I am feeling pretty confident about it. We practiced a lot, and I think we can definitely beat Belmont tomorrow.
You-Yan: We’re the best team in the competition. We will win.
Asher: I think we have a very good chance of winning. I think we just have to stick with what we know and trust each other.
What have you been doing to prepare?
Andreas: We have been doing what we have been doing for the past few years. We do a lot of practice games, compete against each other, and also learn how to work as a team, so we can focus on the things we need to do.
Asher: It’s a lot of practice and exposure to questions. The more we see different topics and subject matters, the more we get experience buzzing in whenever we see those questions pop up.
You-Yan: Yeah, we have been really well advised by our faculty advisors, Upper School (US) Math Teacher Chip Rollinson and US English Teacher Sam Crihfield, and Bradford Kimball ’24, who has really taken the role of coming back and teaching us the tricks.
Dean: When we watch a lot of old shows, we buzz in randomly to practice getting to know the pace and rhythm of the competition.
As an all-new team this year, what are your goals for the season?
Andreas: Our goal this year is to try to match the quality of the old team, and we have been trying to do that through our preparations.
You-Yan: I think what we really are trying to do is to respect the legacy that has been brought forth by our forefathers before us to forge out some wins in Asher Parker-Sartori’s ’23 name.
Dean: We have a high benchmark to reach this year, so we still need to work a lot on preparing.
Asher: We have big shoes to fill, but I think we have the facilities, the teamwork, and the intelligence to compete on the highest level.
Thoughts on High School Quiz Show host Joe Hanson?
Andreas: I think he’s just okay, and after rewatching some of the seasons, I think I like Billy better. I’m not going to lie.
You-Yan: We never competed with Billy Costa, but I really like his voice, so I lowkey prefer him. But, I appreciate Joe. I think he’s a cool guy.
Dean: We don’t really know him.
Asher: I think we have to learn the cadence of his voice. Every presenter has a different rhythm to how they ask the questions, so you have to learn how they speak so you can buzz in right after.
What is everyone’s favorite trivia fact?
Andreas: There’s only two double landlocked countries in the world: Uzbekistan and Lichtenstein.
You-Yan: Grover Cleveland is the first president to serve two nonconsecutive terms.
Dean: There have been two father-son presidents.
Asher: There is an asteroid with its own moon. Asteroid Ida has a moon called Dactyl.
Mr. Rollinson: Cantaloupe is Italian for singing wolf.
What is your response to accusations that the Quiz Bowl Team has received excessive attention?
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You-Yan: I’m not sure about all of us on the intelligence level.
Asher: When the team won, it was really amazing because the team worked really hard. It’s difficult to win these things, and you are competing against some of the smartest people in the state, which is already the smartest state in the country. It was disappointing to see those accomplishments minimized. But I think there is always room to look ahead, and I hope to win this year with some recognition of joy and happiness.
What are each of your trivia specialties?
Andreas: I specialize in mainly geography, history, and science.
You-Yan: Everything, basically. I would say I tend to specialize in common sense, sports, mythology, and books.
Dean: I’m pretty good with the weird facts, geography, and some math.
Dean: I just hope they hang the banner up in the gym when we win.
Asher: I think I bring in things with United States government, Shakespeare, and a lot of mythology and musicals.
You-Yan: Here is a quick analogy to wrap this up: It’s like the Patriots coming out of their big dynasty with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. It took us a bit of a rebuilding period. But you know, now we are coming back with some fresh, young talent that will pass on our legacy after we facts, geography, and some math. things period. will win.
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Vartan Arakelian ’26 wins YoungArts award Junior shares his passion for piano
From nearly 11,000 applicants nationwide, Vartan Arakelian ’26 was selected as a YoungArts award recipient on Nov. 25, 2024.
Vartan, who was recognized in the Classical Music/Piano discipline, has been playing the piano for 13 years and grew up around classical music.
“It provides a nice way for me to express myself artistically,” he said. “Every year, I participate in one or two student recitals or competitions as I continue my dedication to music and piano.”
Whether performing in concerts, competitions, or at senior
living centers, Vartan uses classical music to convey “emotions that are beyond words,” he said.
“There usually does not exist one ‘right’ way to interpret a piece of music. The same notes might mean different things for different musicians and listeners, and I think this makes the art of musical interpretation so fascinating.”
Applications for the YoungArts awards were due in mid-October. Vartan submitted video recordings of a few pieces from multiple genres, he said.
“One of them had to be of a piece that was written in the last 40 years, which was a bit of a challenge to find. I had to record a few takes of each piece and decide which one I liked the best.”
Vartan began working on his submissions a few months before the application deadline.
“Over the summer, I started preparing the pieces I was going to play, so I had some time to practice and make sure I was playing them in a way that felt natural to me and in a way that expressed my true thoughts and feelings. It took a lot
of effort, but it was worth it in the end.”
Even though Vartan was honored to receive the recognition from YoungArts, he said he plays piano to connect with others through music rather than to win awards.
“In general, I’m not really sure that competitions really enhance the experience of playing music. It creates an environment where people are competing with each other instead of putting their focus on appreciating the music they’re making. But overall, I’m very grateful for receiving this recognition.”
Winners of the 2025 YoungArts awards received a monetary prize of $250 and will have access to workshops and programs as well as an online space to connect with other recipients.
“The idea is that they are offering us support and resources should we choose to continue our artistic pursuits,” Vartan said. “I look forward to participating in workshops and mentorships, as well as collaborating with
other artists, both emerging and established.”
Doug Zhang ’25 played alongside Vartan in the Upper School chamber last year. Vartan is a good partner and collaborator in the orchestra, he said.
“He deserves to be honored in this way because he works really hard and has a really strong drive for perfection.”
Despite Vartan’s musical accomplishments and abilities, he always seems to find enjoyment in the music itself, Salar Sekhavat ’26 said.
“When he plays, he has such a vitality that it feels like the music is flowing through him or that he is truly living the piece. Every time Vartan sits down to play the piano, I notice that he is deeply emotional, deeply connected with the instrument in a way that brings each and every note to life. Hearing him play makes me realize why we write music: It’s art, meant to be enjoyed by people after us, so it should be an experience, not just sounds.”
Musicians shine at annual Winter Concert Orchestra, chorale, a cappella, jazz bands collaborate in ‘extravaganza’
David Zhou Contributing Writer
Vibrant sounds of strings and woodwinds filled the air as the Upper School (US) Orchestra opened the Winter Concert Extravaganza on Dec. 13, 2024, with Mozart’s “Jupiter” symphony. This year, the concert had three unique performances: orchestra, chorale and a capella, and jazz. The annual event spanned almost three hours, from 6:30 to 9:15 p.m., and coincided with the end of the Hand + Heart Auction. Students, faculty, parents, and prospective families were among those who attended the Winter Concert, which was decked out with festive decorations, coffee, hot chocolate, and a photo booth.
US Orchestra Director Elliot Cless ’02 said the event was unique because of the variety of performances, which have not included singing in prior years.
“It was a really festive and vibrant event—one of my favorite events of the school year. Adding Chorale and a cappella to the mix, along with elements like a coffee station, photo booth, and inviting prospective families, made it pop.”
For Dr. Cless, art allows US students to express their individuality and build connections within the school community.
“The arts are a beautiful and integral space for students to find aspects of their identity, share talents with the community, and tell stories that always involve emotional qualities. It’s a space where they feel comfortable and create connections that might not always happen in other areas
of school life.”
Following Mozart’s “Jupiter” symphony, the orchestra played an outer space medley, combining excerpts from multiple pieces and transitioning them into a single continuous performance. The orchestra used various musical techniques during the medley, from improvising sounds reminiscent of radio waves emitted by stars to playing warm, harmonic passages from existing pieces.
To accompany the music, the Lindberg-Serries Theater was filled with various colored lights, ranging from deep greens and blues to bright shades of pink and yellow, representing various parts of outer space. Dr. Cless was particularly proud of how the orchestra group handled difficult transitions during the medley, he said.
For their final rendition, the orchestra chose “Star Wars: Throne Room and Finale,” which Dr. Cless conducted using a lightsaber as his baton.
Dean Riaz ’28, a member of the orchestra, said he liked the selected pieces.
“I play the violin, and one of the highlights of preparing for the Winter Concert was brainstorming space-themed
sounds with Dr. Cless. He chose a great theme for the concert and selected some incredible pieces that really captured it, like Mozart’s ‘Jupiter’ symphony.”
After the orchestra, the Chorale performed a mix of holiday songs, including “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell, a song for Halloween; “Nagada Sang Dhol,” a Garba song for Diwali; and “La Llorona,” a traditional Mexican song for the Day of the Dead. After, Chorale sang a wide selection of winter songs, such as “White Christmas” by Berlin, “Al Hanissim” by Meir Lamberski, “Jingle Bells” by Pierpont, and “Carol of the Bells” by Mykola Leontovych.
Then, the Knightingales, the US a cappella group, sang “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna, “Take Me to Church” by Hozier, and “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5. Nava Galperin ’28, an audience member at the concert, said the performances by Chorale and the Knightingales were her favorite, praising their spirit and song choice.
“I think the chorus and a cappella group was probably my favorite. The singing was very impressive and clearly wellrehearsed. They had a lot of energy, and all of the songs were fun.”
To close the concert, the jazz bands’ setlist featured a mix of upbeat, swing-style, and contemporary pieces. Noah Ditzion ’28, who played the saxophone in the 9th-grade jazz ensemble, said the diverse selection of music made the jazz section special.
“My favorite part of the event was seeing the different types of songs and enjoying all of the great music played. The 9th-grade ensemble had lots of options for what to perform. Overall, we chose the melodies that we thought sounded best and what the audience would like and enjoy.”
Noah said he appreciated how the Winter Concert was an inclusive event that brought together students from different grades to showcase their talents.
“Playing an instrument at BB&N is really valuable because it highlights how much everyone at BB&N values and supports one another. The Winter Concert is a fun way to bring people together and connect through shared experiences.”
Matthias Paulson ’26, who plays in the Thursday Jazz Band, said music and art improve your ability to learn in other circumstances.
“A lot of people listen to music, and they look at art … The more you practice, the better you get at learning. So, music and art teach people how to learn, even if you don’t plan on doing something with it.”
Photo Courtesy of Berthane Zerom Diba Demir ’25 plays the cello with the US Orchestra.
Photo Courtesy of Berhane Zerom US Orchestra Director Elliot Cless ’02 conducted the concert with a lightsaber.
Photo Courtesy of Vartan Arakelian Vartan Arakelian ’26 has been playing piano for 13 years.
Sydney Xu Contributing Writer
Upper schoolers are having a wonderful winter
NotaBle
QuotAbleS
“The cotton industry depends on me!” —Salar Sekhavat ’26, trying to defend his value as a sheep
US History Teacher Scott Tang: “How do you guys feel about the DBQ?”
Amanda Berlin ’26: “Like it should be canceled.”
“This is Latin. This is not interior design.”
—US Latin Teacher Walter Young to Kitso Paulson ’25, attempting to rearrange his chair
“Not to be political, but this book says it was one of Obama’s favorites”
—Ahmad Khalid ’26 in an English class discussion
The human condition
“The Vegetarian,” by this year’s Nobel Prize laureate Han Kang, follows Yeong-hye, a simple and humdrum woman who converts to vegetarianism overnight after a dream. Repulsed by her dream’s graphic, bloody details, she excavates all the meat from her fridge. When she is met with her husband’s confused reaction, Yeong-hye’s only explanation for this sudden shift is “I had a dream.” Her catatonic declaration of vegetarianism corrupts her personal relationships. Yeong-hye’s family reacts violently to her decision as she spirals further into her fantasies, eventually rejecting food altogether and moving into a mental institution. There, she decides that water and sunlight are enough to sustain her, convinced that she is metamorphosing into a tree. Although her desire to become a plant is poignant, it becomes equally terminal. Through Yeong-hye’s suffering as a physical, psychological, and spiritual result of dietary resistance, Kang portrays the disruptive power of longing.
Yeong-hye reflects the tension between our two selves: one shaped by social conformity and the other by greed and primitive instinct. The narrative unflinchingly explores humanity’s repressed primal desires— what Yeong-hye and other characters “long” for—especially through sexuality and violence. Yeong-hye’s vegetarianism is like an existential protest against the inherent violence of human life. Humanity feels like a burden to her, so Yeong-hye prefers to exist in the liminal space between human and inhuman. Through Yeong-hye’s character, Kang questions one’s relationship with the physical body, sense of bodily agency, and our definitions of sanity and madness. Ultimately, she explores what it means to be human and to accept her humanity.
Kang’s use of narrative perspective is particularly notable throughout the novel. Despite the story’s concentration on Yeong-hye, Kang rarely writes from her point of view. The first section is narrated by Yeonghye’s husband, a man with low ambitions and old-fashioned principles who later divorces her. Yeong-hye’s brother-in-law, a video artist who is peculiarly obsessed with painting flowers on human bodies, recounts the second section. Kang uses visual art prominently in the book to complement the vitality and sensuality of her writing. Yet, instead of finding consolation, the characters’ engagement with art is almost dangerous, especially after her brother-in-law requests Yeong-hye as his artistic muse, which then sparks their illicit relationship.
The reader expects the characters to find some kind of catharsis or understanding through art, but none ever do. The final section is narrated by In-hye, Yeong-hye’s sister, who cares for her at the hospital. In-hye faces her inability to truly know Yeong-hye and her motives, which further feeds her feelings of frustration, disillusionment, and isolation. As the narrative expands, Kang uses Yeong-hye’s nonconformity as a criticism of those around her. Inciting reactions from anger to fetishization in her family, Yeong-hye’s state drives each character to confront their own morals, principles, and limits of empathy.
Yeong-hye’s autonomous choices heavily influence her relationship with these three central characters, especially in ways that isolate her from them. This intersection between the personal and the social stood out to me. A compliant and simple character in the beginning, Yeonghye’s increasing autonomy corresponds with her alienation from others, which led me to question: How does developing our personal agency, as we approach adulthood throughout high school, impact our relationship with society?
Like Yeong-hye, at times, independence has felt almost synonymous with isolation, especially when navigating my senior year of high school. Fresh out of the college application process and facing Senior Spring Project plans, I realize that the ties connecting me to my friends and family—like a shared living or schooling space—are gradually being severed. Although independence has always been an exciting prospect for me, from moving countries alone to trying new menu items at a restaurant, it also feels equally distancing and daunting. Yeonghye’s character arc as a vegetarian, where personal agency and social detachment parallel each other, was certainly a relatable experience.
Kang artfully explores human nature in “The Vegetarian,” intertwining beauty and brutality, violence and pacifism, and surreal art and reality. Drawing from literary traditions like existentialism, modernism, and feminist critique, Kang’s use of allegory undergirds Yeong-hye’s story, creating an evocative read that resonated with me as I segue into an unfamiliar phase of my life.
Photos Courtesy of Emilia Khoury, Olivia Richter, Ayana Karthik, Hale McGivern
